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Living with just a PDA (part 3) looks like being a good read over at the P247 website. "I mentioned in part 2 of a wonderful application that allows ctrl and alt keys to work on the keyboard. This little application has proven a real winner. I gather it only works on windows mobile 5 devices, so if you have a K-Jam give it a go. You won't be disappointed."
“No more unprotected data, no more tiresome password entering.” When the folks at Tavasoft said it, they really meant it. They have succeeded in” making security fun and usable!” (And if you don’t believe me, check out all the awards PicturePassword has won!)
PicturePassword works just as they describe…
Unlock instantly - Just tap the secret point at the picture of your choice.
Or press a couple of hardware buttons - it's really fast.
Lock securely - PicturePassword allows to enter picture or button code only once. If wrong code is entered then complicated system password will be required, eliminating code guessing.
Make security fun and useable - PicturePassword lets you customize your PDA with any picture you like.
In addition, useful info is shown on a lock screen:
+ Big digital clock, date and day of the week
+ Owner info
+ Battery level
PicturePassword comes with a few skins… but you can also go HERE to download a free skin from the public gallery, or better yet, create your own using the Online PicturePassword Skin Convertor HERE.
I of course used the PicturePassword Skin Convertor to get a photo of my Rat Terrier Buddy as a skin. I just followed the upload instructions and then they emailed the file to me. I downloaded it and was quickly ready to go… How easy is that! And, if you’ve got a really neat photo, you can even request that it is added to the public gallery!
There’s an online manual for installation and setup, or you can pretty easily click through the options… for example: choose your photo, choose from 1 to 3 “taps,” and choose the style of your tap – finger, nail or stylus.
On a scale of 1 to 5 stars, I give PicturePassword a 5-star rating --- maybe even 6-stars!
- Cindy Aten, Associate Writer (Where it’s snowing quite nicely in Dorr, MI)
Okay, so first I should admit that in 7 years of owning a Palm, I’ve only ever had one screen protector before…and that didn’t last for long! It was a static kind and I just never had much success with it. I know, I know… screen protectors are IMPORTANT, but I just didn’t have the heart to try one after that experience a while back. I’ve just tried to be very careful not to scratch or mar my screen(s). So, I was delighted to find that I am once again extremely happy with a product from Proprorta!
Here are the great features you get when you buy an Advanced Screen Protector --- and what I think about mine:
+ Manufactured from a new ultra high-clarity plastic --- I’m impressed with the clarity! It’s clear but not too shiny with a slight matte consistency --- very easy to see through!
+ Comes with application kit, instructions and screen cleaning cloth --- great instructions and easy to apply!
+ Washable – so it can be washed and replaced --- and I definitely put that to the extreme test! I had applied the screen protector to my 1st Zire 72, and had to remove it a couple of days later when I sent that back to the seller. Now I have it on my 2nd Zire 72 – and I’ve got to tell you, it looks great even though it spent a week sitting on a post-it note at work! I figure if it survived that and looks good…it’ll be around for a good long time!
+ Prevents screen scratching and other damage --- yeah, I know (see above), now I don’t have to be quite so careful! :-)
+ Reduces glare from sunlight or bright lighting --- absolutely true! I think it’s the slight matte consistency that does it!
On a scale of 1 to 5 stars, I’ll give Proporta’s Advanced Screen Saver a 5-star rating --- it deserves it!
Porporta sells Advanced Screen Protectors for MANY different PDAs, and even for iPods -- you can find them HERE.
- Cindy Aten, Associate Writer (Where it’s snowing quite nicely in Dorr, MI)
Acer is releasing in the US their C200 series we mentioned a while ago, so here are some more specs and a picture of this oddly hinged Tablet PC. First off, the portable runs off a Pentium M 760 at 2.0 GHz, sports 1GB of Ram, a 100GB HD, a 12.1-inch XGA screen, and a DVD+/-RW drive, along with the fingerprint reader we mentioned before. They’re quoting the battery life at 5 hours, and are offering WiFi, Gigabit Ethernet, and Bluetooth for connectivity. That’s the C204TMi model, which retails for $1900, they are also offering the lower end C203ETCi that drops the processor to a Celeron M 370 at 1.5GHz, halves the RAM, goes 80GB for the HD, and loses the DVD burning for a combo drive. The GeForce Go 6200 graphics of its older brother are also gone, with integrated Intel acceleration in their place. You can nab that one for $1400, and why not? We know you’re just going to get this to complete you collection of expensive, oddly hinged items that never really took off. Though we’re kind of liking this form factor, in looks at least.
engadget
You all know I'm a sucker for cool gadgets and Tablet PCs are no exception! I've always loved the design of Tablet PCs! I wish I had this Acer Tablet PC instead of the Acer laptop that I have!
- Jennifer Chappell, Associate Writer, (NC, US)
Chinese blogging sites have unearthed details surrounding the Motorola A732, a slider phone whose keypad may look ordinary, but is touch and heat sensitive, allowing you to essentially scribble directly on the screen. Current incarnations seem to recognize both Chinese and English characters, though a North American version probably won’t do Chinese.
But wait, there’s more. The shopping helper feature lets you take a picture of a product you find in a store, note the price and which shop you found it at, and files away that information for later reference when you find a similar product elsewhere. Not exactly revolutionary, but the shopping helper is definitely helpful, especially during these Christmas shopping months.
Other than these two innovative features, you’ll find plenty of other goodies that’ll whet your whistle. How about a 3MP digital camera and a 65,000 colour display? Also expect built-in MP3 playback and 64-chord polyphonic ringtones, a T-flash expansion slot, and Bluetooth connectivity. A digital assistant provides the usual calendar, voice recording, and voice commands. The sleek Motorola A732 slider phone is available in silver and black.
MobileMag
This sure sounds like a great phone! I like the idea of the heat sensitive keypad and the shopping helper feature! And Bluetooth too!
- Jennifer Chappell, Associate Writer, (NC, US)
Hi everyone.
I was fortunate to receive a preview of Broken Sword from Astraware. Two words: download it.
The game is available today, and it’s well worth your time. And you’ll spend time: hours and hours.
Jan is doing an excellent job of detailing the game in her daily posts so I won’t walk that path, but I wanted to offer a few of my own thoughts.
First, this is not an action game, despite the rather explosive way in which it begins. This is an interactive story which presents you with a rather large puzzle. In terms of Palm games this is far more “my” type of game. I enjoy anti-social action games on PCs (I played all the way through Doom III, for example) but on Palms the action genre has always been less interesting to me. Partly that’s because in a shooter you have to repeatedly mash buttons to fire whatever weapons you’re holding and I always worry about damaging my expensive Palm device.
For me, the pace and style of Broken Sword is ideally suited to the Palm platform.
Second, the graphics in this game are excellent (really excellent), the gameplay is logical and the story flows well. I was immediately engaged in the story and the interface is easy to suss out.
Third, much of the gameplay is taken up with dialogue — you interact with other characters and gather information from them. However, this is all dialogue that you read; none of it is in audio form. At first I was disappointed by this, as I wanted to hear what each character sounded like. Also, it’s easier to listen than to read. However, I soon forgot about this as I got into the story.
Also, the added benefit here is this is an excellent nighttime game if you do not sleep alone. Playing it won’t bother anyone.
The dialogue, by the way, is printed on screen to keep the game’s size down. Spoken dialogue would have resulted in a huge game file and, likely, slowed the performance of the PDA.
Lastly, this feels like a game with legs. That is, I am sure I will be playing it weeks from now.
Broken Sword, The Shadow of the Templars, is available here.
- Peter Wolchak, Associate Writer (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
It's that time of year when my fellow gadget maniacs start shopping for Christmas presents for loved ones (and for themselves!) I've put together our top ten list of the Most Wanted Gadgets for 2005, and have also included links so you can get these gadgets early before the shopping craze begins. Without further introduction and in no particular order (we want them all) meet our Top Ten Holiday Gadgets for 2005:
1) iPod Nano Audio Player
The iPod Nano is Apple's latest portable music player, and is considered by some to also be their greatest! The Nano has the thickness of five credit cards and a color screen, and features either 2 or 4 gigabytes of storage (so you can always have your favorite music and photos with you.) It's also the sexiest and slimmest player on the block right now.
2)Silverlit X-UFO Remote Control Flying Toy
The remote controlled flying machine for the 21st century, the X-UFO uses powerful electric motors and an innovative gyroscope so you can fly your own remote control UFO. The X-UFO can be flown up to 100m indoors, and has one red and three blue flashing LED's to add an "otherworldly" effect. More than a remote control plane, the X-UFO has to be seen to be believed!
3)Jabra BT800 Bluetooth Cell Phone Headset
Cords and cables are last century - Bluetooth is the way to connect to your cell phone wirelessly. The Jabra BT800 Bluetooth headset delivers crystal-clear audio and a noise cancelling microphone to provide excellent handsfree communication without wires. The BT800 also has multiple ring options, an LED display (which shows the name of the caller for incoming calls) and a vibrate function. Range is very good, and the BT800 can be worn on either ear.
4)Microsoft Xbox 360
The newest gaming console on the block is the Xbox 360 from Microsoft, which has three 3.2GHz CPU cores and a 20GB hard drive. What does this mean to the average person who doesn't drool over tech specs? The Xbox 360 will deliver the richest and most realistic graphics in a gaming console (in 2005, anyway) and will open the door to high-definition entertainment.
5)Motorola Black RAZR V3
Originally handed out to celebrities at the Oscars, the black Motorola RAZR V3 is the hottest cell phone on the market. The RAZR V3 is quad-band which means excellent reception almost anywhere, and has Bluetooth for connectivity to wireless earpieces and car kits.
6)PSP Handheld System
The PSP handheld entertainment system is so technologically advanced, it feels like something sent back in a time machine. The crystal-clear LCD screen is breathtaking and can be used to watch movies, play games, listen to music, and even browse the Internet. The addition of a built-in web browser also means that movies and podcasts can be downloaded directly to the PSP without a personal computer. (Just make sure you have a big memory card to store your downloaded files and videos.)
7)i-Dog
iDog was originally created by Sega, and was all the rage in Japan. Making his way to America via Hasbro, iDog is an electronic companion for your iPod, MP3 player, or anything that has a headphone jack. Plug iDog into your iPod and watch the mesmerizing patterns his "eyes" create based on the types of music you listen to. He also moves his ears and bops his head to the beat! Seems incredibly dorky until you see him in action, then the "coos" and exclamations of "how cute!" fill the room.
8)Robosapien V2
Robosapien V2 brings the fluid movement and biomechanical agility of Robosapien to a whole new level. Gaining a whopping 10” in height (making him almost 28 inches tall!) Robosapien V2 now has full range of motion and the ability to pick up, drop and throw objects with his finely tuned precision hands. Advanced agility allows him to bend over and twist from side to side, so he can now sit, bend, lie down and stand up. He can even stand from a prone position all by himself! Robosapien V2 will interact with his surroundings, and can even talk! Fully equipped with infra-red radar vision, Robosapien’s V2 moving eyes with blue LED lights can detect obstacles, track movements and take objects handed to him.
9)Noise Cancelling Headphones
Most people don't realize how important a good set of headphones are until they actually use a good set of headphones. Noise-cancelling circuits in these headphones sense outside racket using tiny built-in microphones and send a canceling signal, blocking noise from the outside world. This means that on a subway or airplane all you hear is music, not the rumbling of engines.
10)Samsung SCX105L Sports Camcorder
Catch all the action with this sports camcorder from Samsung! The Samsung SCX105L is a digital MPEG4 camcorder with 10x zoom and extra sport lens that can be attached to your head or arm, allowing the extreme sports fanatic to capture all the action of their black slope ski run (or first time on the slopes for the amateur.) A rugged and durable rubberized body means this camera can handle extreme conditions, and the Instant Power On option means you'll never miss an important moment.
GadgetMadness
- Jennifer Chappell, Associate Writer, (NC, US)
OK so we end one forum contest and now it's onto another. It's a simple prize you can win either a PDA of your choice or an iPod of your choice. All you need to do is be a registered member of the forum and be posting because we choose a post by random. So go ahead to the forum and enjoy posting.
[Forum contest runs until 16th January]
Now this one takes the cake people!!!
Need Help Flipping That Cellphone?
Only in Japan would you find people lazy enough to not flip open their cellphones. Takara Toys has solved this problem with a new cellphone opener. Basically, you throw this horrible piece of oversized plastic onto your phone, push a button and voila!…open phone. Comes in 4 sexy colors for you to waste your money on. How much money will you be wasting by buying one? $8 to be exact. Now stop being a lard *** and get off that couch and move those fingers!
gizmodo
- Jennifer Chappell, Associate Writer, (NC, US)
