COMING SOON TO A PALM NEAR YOU
pcworld.com
Leading handheld gathers new clones and Web services.
by James Niccolai, IDG News Service
October 15, 1999, 9:13 a.m. PT
Third-party software and services that extend the Palm
handheld computer's wireless capabilities are on the
menu for Palm Computing's annual PalmSource
conference next week.
Palm Computing will use the four-day event, which
starts on Tuesday, to unveil a host of offerings aimed at
making the Palm an integral part of daily business life.
New Handhelds
Among third-party announcements, TRG Products,
which makes add-in memory boards for Palm
computers, says it will unveil a new handheld computer
based on the Palm operating system.
TRG is staying tight-lipped about the device, although a
source indicated that it will be marketed towards
businesses rather than individual users, and will pack
more memory than existing handhelds.
Staying in Synch
WeSync.com will unveil a service that gives Palm
users access to collaborative applications, such as a
calendar and contact list that are hosted by
WeSync.com. Users set up an account at the
company's Web site, and can synchronize data with
their handheld using either the Palm docking station, a
Palm VII and WeSync's Wireless Refresh technology.
The service, which goes into public beta Tuesday and
is slated to be commercially available in 60 days, will
be free.
WeSync.com plans to offer a Professional service in
the first quarter of 2000. This service will be fee-based,
but will cost "no more than supplying each worker with
a pager," says Matthew Melendez, WeSync.com's
director of marketing. DataViz said it will extend the
capabilities of its Documents To Go software, which
lets users synchronize PC data from Microsoft Word,
Excel, and other programs not natively supported in the
Palm operating system.
Palmtop Shopping
For consumers, BarPoint.com will announce a new
query application for the Palm VII, the BarPoint
Shopper.
Using the Palm.net wireless service, the application
allows users to read product descriptions online, do
comparison shopping, and purchase goods, the
company said in a statement.
JP Systems, which offers OneTouch e-mail and
Infobeam wireless messaging systems for the Palm,
has partnered with wireless communications firm
Widcomm to offer software for Handspring's Visor
computer. It lets users grab their e-mail via Bluetooth,
an emerging wireless technology that connects devices
in the home or office at a distance of up to about 100
meters. |
