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September 14, 2007 |
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
GPS devices head-to-head:
should you buy either one?
This week's news |
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PRODUCT SHOOTOUT
GPS devices head-to-head: Garmin vs. Delphi (should you buy either one?)
By James Booth
In our current age of gadgetry, one of the more in vogue devices is a GPS receiver. A lot of people want a GPS device, need a GPS device, or think they need one. But how well do they actually work? In this head-to-head comparison, I'll be examining the Garmin Nuvi 350 and the Delphi Nav 200. Both devices are entry-level units, geared toward the new-to-GPS consumer.
"Neither device found the shortest, the fastest, or the most direct route."
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Garmin is a GPS-related name that most will find familiar. Delphi is a name most will associate with automotive entertainment systems, in particular the XM satellite radio, and not with GPS. Taking advantage of their satellite association, Delphi is now tossing their hat into the GPS arena. Both units are shown below in Figure A.
FIGURE A
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The Garmin Nuvi 350 (left) and Delphi Nav200 (right). Click picture for a larger image.
Navigate your mouse click to this vector in order to read the full article.
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COMPUTING UNPLUGGED NEWS CENTER
This week's news
Want to get the very latest mobile and wireless news? The Computing Unplugged News Center is updated every day with news of product releases, industry info, tips, techniques, and pointers to great mobile and wireless resources on the Web. Here's this week's news:
Multi-touch display
A joint project between Microsoft Research and Mitsubishi Electric Research Labs has resulted in a novel solution--touch screens on both the front and back of a mobile device that are used simultaneously. The user's thumbs touch the front screen while the other eight fingers touch the back on what's been termed the LucidTouch "see through" mobile device interface. To be precise, the device's screen is not actually transparent. Instead, a camera on a short boom attached to the prototype's back captures images of the user's hands touching the rear screen, and an image of the fingers--to enable the user to "see" where his or her fingers are touching--is displayed on the front screen as if the device were transparent.
Card Reader for Palm
Mobile Stream's Card Reader has just been updated. Card Reader allows you to use your Palm OS device's memory card slot as a standard USB card reader for transferring and managing files. The program features a 1200/1100KB/s read write speed, background transfers and a small file size. It even supports the Bluetooth File Transfer Profile for wireless card transfers. The new update includes support for the latest devices including the Treo 755p and preliminary Centro support, Clie Mac OS X compatibility fixes and a new German UI localization.
Last call for entries
Palm and MobiTV invite filmmakers to submit their funniest made-for-mobile films to compete in the first Treo Mobile Comedy Film Festival. Deadline for entry is Monday, Sept. 24, 2007. Submitted films will run exclusively on the MobiTV service from Sept. 18-Oct. 18. A one-month free trial of MobiTV is available to Treo smartphone users. Complete information about The Treo Mobile Comedy Film Festival, including festival guidelines and rules and sample films is available at the site.
The film festival will award thousands of dollars in cash and prizes to the aspiring filmmakers from the US, Canada, and the United Kingdom, who come up with the funniest made-for-mobile comedy films. Susie Essman (Curb Your Enthusiasm) and John Henson (TV Guide network, Talk Soup) will co-host the Treo Film Festival awards show on Oct. 18 at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Los Angeles.
Yugma collaboration on Skype
Yugma announced the launch of their Yugma Skype Edition. The Yugma Skype Edition builds upon Skype's offering by adding real time collaboration and desktop sharing functionality. Yugma has integrated the new functionality in a way that makes it extremely easy for existing Skype users. Once Yugma Skype Edition in installed, simply invite a friend or colleague from your existing Skype contact list, Yugma opens automatically, and sharing begins.
Fair use economy
Fair Use exceptions to U.S. copyright laws are responsible for more than $4.5 trillion in annual revenue for the United States, according to the findings of an unprecedented economic study. According to the study commissioned by the Computer and Communications Industry Association and conducted in accordance with a World Intellectual Property Organization methodology, companies benefiting from limitations on copyright-holders' exclusive rights, such as "fair use"--generate substantial revenue, employ millions of workers, and, in 2006, represented one-sixth of total U.S. GDP.
The economic value of fair use
Millions of people use Google's search engine every day, but don't realize the balance inherent in U.S. copyright law helps enable it to exist. Google strongly supports the intellectual property rights of content creators and the protection of copyright. They think creators deserve to be rewarded for their work, and support the balance of copyright law as fundamental to promoting future creativity.
While protecting the rights of creators, the Constitution and the courts place limits on the rights of copyright holders. For example, copyright laws encourage others to make use of content in limited ways without seeking anyone's permission through the doctrine of "fair use." By enabling journalists, scholars, and the general public to quote from and comment on others' writings, the fair use doctrine underscores basic rights of free _expression_.
Fair use worth more than copyright
Fair use exceptions to U.S. copyright laws account for more than $4.5 trillion in annual revenue for the United States, according to a report issued on Wednesday by the Computer and Communications Industry Association.
Recent studies indicate that the value added to the U.S. economy by copyright industries amounts to $1.3 trillion, said Black. The value added to the U.S. economy by the fair use amounts to $2.2 trillion. The fair use economy's "value added" is thus almost 70% larger than that of the copyright industries.
Visual CE integrates Google Maps
SYWARE announced that Visual CE, the rapid application development software for database and forms development on Microsoft Windows Mobile Pocket PCs, now supports Google Maps Mobile. Applications built with Visual CE can launch Google Maps Mobile and display the map or satellite view of the area related to a specific record.
To display the area relating to the current record, users simply click a button on the Visual CE form. Visual CE will retrieve the location from the current record, launch Google Maps Mobile, and display the area in map view or satellite view. The record may contain an absolute address (for example, "1600 Pennsylvania Ave Washington D.C.") or a description (for example, "Statue of Liberty").
The integration of Google Maps Mobile with Visual CE means developers can create information-rich, mobile database applications for end users in just a few hours or days. For example, an inspection company can create a database application that allows inspectors to find directions to the site they are to inspect.
Docs To Go edits Office 2007
DataViz announced the latest release of its mobile Office suite, Documents To Go Premium Edition, version 3.0010. The release for Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 Smartphone and 6 Standard devices places Documents To Go at the forefront as the first commercial Office solution in the mobile platform arena to offer complete Microsoft Office 2007 file support. Users can now open, view, edit, and create Word, Excel and PowerPoint 2007 files and attachments on their smartphone.
Other enhancements include "Zip and Send" technology to compress files and email them instantaneously, as well as full screen support for PowerPoint presentations. This release is also the first version of Documents To Go for Windows Mobile to be made available in French, German, Spanish and Italian.
Treo 500v WM6 on Vodafone
Palm Europe announced the Treo 500v smartphone which combines multiple forms of communication and multimedia capabilities with high speed 3G/UMTS mobile Internet access, allowing users access to popular Web sites such as MySpace, YouTube and eBay whilst on the move. The new Palm Treo 500v smartphone will initially be available exclusively to Vodafone customers from October.
The Palm Treo 500v smartphone runs on a Windows Mobile 6 standard platform and has a full keyboard, large screen, video streaming capability and a comprehensive multi-messaging functionality covering Instant Messaging, SMS, email and phone and personal information management software in a new design. The compact form factor is available in two colors: glacier white and charcoal grey.
Propel for Palm OS
Iambic announced the release of Propel version 2.0 for Palm OS. Propel brings ease of use, instant retrievals and launches of applications, music, pictures, contacts, and more to any Palm OS based smartphone or handheld. By replacing the native Palm OS launcher, Propel allows users to truly enjoy their mobile companion by making tedious operations a snap.
Version 2 brings in a number of new features centered around extensions, and external applications support. Per view based backgrounds, skins and plugins support, "Underline As You Type" capability, left handed usage support--just to name a few--make Propel 2.0 an all-in-one Treo command center.
IBM instantly connects people
IBM announced a free service that will allow users of any computer or mobile device such as the iPhone to gain real-time access to thousands of technical resources and emerging technologies with a simple click of a button. This extension of syndication that IBM is making available is bringing the widest range of technical know how to the fingertips of millions of Yahoo!, Google, NetVibes users and owners of mobile devices such as iPhone.
Romney laptops stolen
Burglars broke into Mitt Romney's Boston presidential campaign headquarters over the weekend, making off with multiple laptops and a television.
Alex Burgos, a spokesman for the campaign, told eWEEK that the burglary happened sometime during the evening of Sept. 9. The forced entry into the building, a harbor side location on Commercial Street in Boston's North End neighborhood, appeared to be a "routine" burglary, he said, given that neither hard nor electronic copies of files were touched. At any rate, the computer systems are password-enabled and the hard drives are encrypted, Burgos said.
Proporta laptop bag
Proporta has introduced the Protective Laptop Bag. It consists of many compartments, enabling you to carry your cables, paperwork, Proporta Portable Laptop Battery and Mobile Device Charger, plus all your other handheld devices, such as your mobile phone and MP3 Player, in one.
Made from tough Cordura material, this is a fantastic product to protect your laptop whilst on the move. Padded lining safeguards your laptop from bumps and impact damage as a result of every day traveling, and the numerous individual compartments allow you to keep each of your devices and items such as cables and chargers, separate for quick and easy access. In addition, and for extra security, a fabric hinge prevents the laptop bag opening all the way back and exposing your devices.
AccuWeather RSS
AccuWeather.com announced the launch of its new RSS Center, featuring syndicated feeds for current conditions, weather forecasts, news and entertainment, and some of the most authoritative weather blogs available on the Web.
The new center is a one-stop destination for the AccuWeather.com weather and news content upon which millions of users have come to depend. Viewable through the most popular RSS readers or Web pages, including Yahoo!, Google, MSN, and AOL homepage, the feeds dynamically update, offering headlines and clickable summaries every time news, blog, or forecast items are changed or added.
Jail for using phone while driving
Motorists who use a handheld mobile phone or fiddle with a satellite-navigation system while driving could be jailed for up to two years. Prosecutors have said they could be charged with dangerous driving in a dramatically tougher approach to such offenses. Those caught fiddling with an MP3 music player or texting on a mobile at the wheel could also face the charge.
Treo 750 WM6 update
Palm has announced the upcoming availability of the Windows Mobile 6 Professional Edition operating system update for Palm Treo 750 smartphone customers in Australia. Hutchison 3 customers in Australia can now download the free update. The Treo 750/750v Updater 2.19 includes Windows Mobile 6 and a number of other enhancements including improved calendar management, enhance email messaging, voice command via bluetooth and USB cable charging.
Mobile phone turns 20
The technology behind the mobile phone is celebrating its 20th anniversary. On 7 September 1987, 15 phone firms signed an agreement to build mobile networks based on the GSM (Global System for Mobile) Communications.
According to the GSM Association there are more than 2.5 billion accounts that use this mobile phone technology. Adoption of the technology shows no signs of slowing down with many developing nations becoming keen users of mobile handsets.
Be a movie star with Creation Station
Have you ever dreamt of being a movie star or appearing in your own music video? If so, the ultimate gadget for you has arrived.
Creation Station lets you make and appear in your own movies, music videos, games and then post them on the Web. Choose your favorite music, scenery and characters, film yourself with the provided video camera and green background, edit your content with the easy to use but sophisticated software and you can create any movie or music video.
Email outage hits BlackBerry
A software glitch shut down email service for some BlackBerry users Friday, and delays were still being felt hours after the problem was fixed.
Research in Motion, the company that makes the ubiquitous mobile device, said no emails were lost in the shutdown that affected an unspecified number of customers in North America who subscribe to the BlackBerry Internet Service. Phone service and text messaging were unaffected.
VITO AstroNavigator II
VITO Technology announced a new version of VITO AstroNavigator II for Windows Mobile Pocket PC and Smartphone. It comes just in time to watch the Solar Eclipse on September 11, 2007 at 12:44 pm GMT.
The partial Solar Eclipse will be visible to the lucky minority from South America, specifically Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay. Do not give way to despair because with VITO AstroNavigator II you may gaze at any Solar Eclipse. VITO AstroNavigator II allows you to choose the exact time and the location where the eclipse is expected to be seen, and there you have it in front of you.
Viigo Newsreader for Windows Mobile
Viigo is a way of accessing content services on your mobile device like you've never before experienced. Using Viigo, you have instant access to breaking news, sports, entertainment, weather, markets, blogs, or any RSS feed you want, at the touch of a button on your Windows Mobile Smartphone device. Always live, always on, always available.
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