September 1, 2004

September 2, 2004

Tablet PCs used for wine ordering in Vegas
dsbpi.blogspot.com

DSBPI was in Las Vegas and used an amazing Tablet PC application at the restaurant Aureole (at Mandalay Bay) which excited us about the potential for this technology.

Aureole has over 9,000 bottles of wine in its 42-foot high, glass enclosed wine cellar. When we asked for a wine list, we received a tablet PC connected wirelessly to a local network and running a piece of custom software that was both incredibly easy to use and perhaps the only way to effectively capture the breadth of the collection. We were able to search wines by type (red, white, Pinot, Merlot, etc.) country/region, food pairings, featured wines, producer name and so forth. The tool also has a streaming video feed from the wine cellar itself where you can watch the attendant rappel down the glass tower ala Mission Impossible with your bottle in hand.

Everyone at our table was in love with the HP device (very light, excellent handwriting recognition when searching for instance "Sea Smoke Pinot Noir") and those previously skeptical of the Tablet PC concept ("When would I use it?") were brainstorming new application

B&W LAUNCHES REVOLUTIONARY NEW BRAND
Home Toys

The B&W Group has announced the introduction of i-Command™, a new brand that is expected to profoundly influence the future of custom audio-video and whole-house system design and implementation

The heart of the i-Command system is the i-Node™ device—no larger than a deck of playing cards—which attaches to the RS-232 port found on most components which the consumer desires to operate with a one-touch control system. This can be done via an i-Command touch panel or other available wireless PDAs, tablet-PCs, laptop, desktop PCs, or any wired or wireless product that provides a Web-browser window. Motorized devices or components such as some VCRs or cable boxes without an RS-232 port can utilize the ir-Node™, an infrared module which sends the infrared equivalent of a serial RS-232 command to each component in the system.

Add-On i-Command Devices Additional i-Command products include a wireless (touch screen) Tablet—a fully featured Tablet PC pre-configured with a full-screen application optimized for home theater and distributed audio control.

The i-Command System will be introduced to specialty retailers and custom installers at the 2004 CEDIA Expo in Indianapolis, Indiana, Booth #421, main convention center.

Model: Suggested Retail Prices:
Tablet $3,000.00

Build an Adaptive Enterprise!
AME Info

When most customers enter an auto showroom, they go straight to models of interest. With wireless HP Tablet PC in hand, the Fiat salesperson can join the customer and, while creating the initial rapport, gather information to serve the customer.

Behind the scenes for Fiat Link is a solution developed by HP Services: a three-tier, Linux-based infrastructure that includes a customer relationship management (CRM) system, powered by an Oracle9i Real Application Clusters database on HP Integrity servers equipped with 64-bit Intel® Itanium® 2 processors.

Just about all the information that a customer and dealer need is instantly available through the HP Tablet PC, including a car's features and options in colors, upholstery and accessories, which Fiat Link displays in photos. The system presents special offers and extended warranties, press reviews, and comparative data on other models from Fiat and its competitors.

Computer Q&A: Tablet PC innovative but lacking in power
Pittsburgh Post Gazette

Will Windows XP Tablet PC Edition become the next great product to join the dinosaurs? I hope not. This excellent version of Windows XP lets you handwrite or draw directly on your screen without a keyboard. It uses audio input to record your meetings while you write; and when teamed with tools like Microsoft's OneNote software, Tablet PC can help you organize your thoughts, documents, and actions like never before.

This month, Microsoft is releasing an improved version of Tablet PC. It now integrates with Microsoft Office, so you can annotate your Word Documents, create written notes, charts and graphs in Excel, and use "ink" in your PowerPoint presentations.

With the new capabilities of Windows XP Service Pack 2 built in, and a redesigned input panel, the Tablet PC product catalog is growing with applications from the likes of Franklin-Covey and Brown University, each taking advantage of the pen and ink interface to go a step beyond normal computing.

It also lets you handwrite your e-mails in Outlook, instead of making you type, thereby introducing e-mail as a tool for an entire new class of users who didn't want to learn how to type (and those who don't want to take the time).

I finally wiped the drool off my mouth and asked John Nagle from CompUSA why the specs of the Tablet PC devices are so poor compared with standard Windows XP devices. He told me that full functionality of Tablet PC requires special sensors to be embedded in the monitor; so power consumption of the Tablet PC monitors is tremendously heavy. To compensate for the power drain of the monitors, PC manufacturers try to conserve power in other places, such as using slower processors and less memory. Otherwise, your battery would run out in no time.

Tablet technology integrated at DSU
Madison Daily Leader

This fall marks the beginning of a mandatory program at DSU in which students with 64 credits or fewer (freshmen and sophomores) are being required to rent a Tablet PC.

Tablet PCs, the latest innovation in computer technology, were piloted on campus last year. Although initially they can be mistaken for a laptop, Tablet features make the technology unique. The screens can be turned around and folded down, and a stylus allows the user to browse through programs or make hand-written notes right on a computer document.

Juniors will be required to rent the Tablets in the fall of 2005 and seniors in the fall of 2006. Students pay $275 per semester to rent the Tablets and will have an option to purchase them at the end of three years.

Tom Halverson, dean of the College of Business and Information Systems, said 125 students have opted to rent the Tablets even though they weren't required to do so. When added to the freshman and sophomore classes, the demand seems to have exceeded expectations.

Chief Information Officer David Zolnowsky said that 800 M275 Tablets were ordered through Gateway this summer. Of that order, he said, 799 have been reserved; there are still 20 needed at the Mundt Library, 20 at the Center of Excellence and 60 for faculty.

All 100- and 200-level courses have been adjusted to incorporate the Tablet functionality, Farrell said. Aside from juniors and seniors, those excluded from the mandate include part-time students, and those students who have close to 64 credits but are taking no 100- or 200-level courses.

Review: Microsoft's OneNote Organizes Data
Forbes 

You can type, sure, but with a drawing pad or Tablet PC you can also write in script, draw with assorted pens and highlight in an assortment of pleasing pastels. You can insert sections between notes and drop whole hunks of data anywhere.

Unlike a regular notebook, you can reconfigure your data entirely - to move a page of lists from, say, the "People I Hate" section to the "People I'm Considering Giving Another Chance" tab.

Microsoft is aiming OneNote at office workers in creative industries who use Tablet PCs that run its special edition of Windows XP. That's a good move and a bad move: good because OneNote on a tablet approximates a digital notebook even more closely; bad because not many users have tablets.

Every breath you take
Sydney Morning Herald

You can now catalogue what you see, who you meet and how you feel, day by day. Jack Schofield reports on the emerging social phenomenon of "life caching".

Today, as never before, you can capture your life and share it with your friends and family.

Camera phones, media players with built-in microphones, portable storage and blogging software enable you to record whatever happens, while cheap hard drives mean you can keep it forever.

All this adds up to what a website called trendwatching.com believes is an emerging trend called "life caching".

A tablet PC running OneNote software and Microsoft's Windows XP Tablet PC edition is one way to do this. You can take handwritten notes on screen using a stylus and synchronise them with a recording taken using a built-in microphone. Photos can be uploaded from a digital camera and pasted in later. A tablet PC is too cumbersome for capturing life on the move, but the same sort of facilities could soon reach personal organisers and smart phones.

First Look :   The Sahara Pen Tablet i213
Tablet PC 2 Exclusive

September 3, 2004

Toshiba plans to rejuvenate tablet PC market
Computer Business Review

A lack of applications has also been blamed by Toshiba competitor Acer Inc. for poor tablet PC sales, while features such as handwriting recognition, the use of digital ink to capture handwriting as images inside documents, as well as voice annotation and voice recognition, are seen to push up the price.

"We need to reduce costs," said Nishida, adding that Tokyo, Japan-based Toshiba is working with Microsoft on plans to increase the acceptance of tablet PCs next year. The introduction of Windows XP Tablet PC 2005 Edition will help, he said, while revealing that Toshiba has plans to take use of Organic LED displays to remove the need for a backlight and reduce power consumption.

Nishida was less forthcoming on how Toshiba and Microsoft will reduce the cost of tablet PCs and boost user adoption, particularly on whether the company would remove some of the nice-to-have functionality such as voice recognition from the devices. "Maybe, maybe not," he said.

Nishida said he expects the corporate take-up of tablets to remain restricted to specific application areas and vertical industries, such as healthcare, real estate and insurance.

Meanwhile, it seems Microsoft might have helped Toshiba in more ways than one to enhance the handwriting recognition technology on its tablet PCs. "If our tablet PC can recognize Bill Gates' handwriting, it can recognize everything," Nishida said.

Sutter Health to Reduce Clinical Data Collection Costs Using Mi-Co -Co Software
Market Wire

Major Hospital Implements Mi-Forms on Tablet PCs to Reduce Paperwork and Increase Time Spent With Patients

Mi-Co announced today that Sutter Health, a network of 28 acute care hospitals in northern California with over 41,000 employees, has licensed Mi-Forms software system to increase the efficiency of the hospital's mobile data collection. Mi-Forms will be implemented initially at the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco on Tablet PCs to streamline the collection of clinical data for their cardiology department.

"The system conforms to the way our time-constrained professionals work," says Dr. Richard Shaw, Director of Research, Quality and Education for the Sutter Pacific Heart Centers of Sutter Health. "We've simply replaced pen and paper with digital ink and Tablet PCs. With this change, we're now in a position to collect an entire spectrum of data and deposit the data simultaneously in a clinical system or a national registry. At the Medical Center we can now even send images of forms to our Electronic Medical Record (EMR) System saving a number of steps in that process. It's like zapping your paper form right into the database."

Instead of writing data on paper and later entering that data again using a keyboard and data entry screen, care-givers now just write the data on the screen of the Tablet PC using "digital ink" on an electronic form. The Mi-Forms solution provides state of the art recognition and verification technology to convert handwritten information into digital information.

Sling this Buzz over your shoulder Buzz Sling-Bag
tabletpcbuzz

The Buzz is a new one-strap, "sling-bag" for laptops and tablets, designed of course by Tom Bihn. This may not be completely true, but to me it seems targeted towards students and anyone else who has need for an "easy access" bag, without the bulk of the briefcase or full backpack styles. It comes in 4 color combos - Black/Gray/Crimson, Black/Gray/Spruce, Black/Gray/Plum, and just your basic solid Black/Black. Alright, enough with the talking... in a review of a product like this, a picture is worth a thousand of words -

September 7, 2004

 

CDW-G and Toshiba Help Transform Teaching and Learning at Hinsdale School District 86
Business Wire

Illinois High School District Transitions from Desktop Computers to Toshiba Tablet PCs

CDW Government, Inc, a leading provider of brand-name technology products and services to governments and educators, and Toshiba's Digital Products Division, a leading supplier of mobile computing products, today announced an agreement with Hinsdale Township High School District 86 in Hinsdale, Illinois, to transform the way teachers and students benefit from technology. The school district will be supplying more than 300 of its faculty with Toshiba Portege(R) M200 Tablet PCs as replacements for desktop computers, and also will be providing 250 tablets for daily student use in selected courses.

"Our district is not looking to design the school building of the future; we are working to design quality instruction of the future," said Dr. James R. Polzin, assistant superintendent of Hinsdale Township High School District 86. "We believe the introduction of Tablet PCs, rather than the continued use of desktop or notebook computers, facilitates greater interaction between student and teacher, between student and student and, most importantly, between student and the content they are studying. Tablet PCs provide teachers with a dynamic tool to create real communities of learners in their classrooms."

Wanting to develop a partnership based on a long-term vision of superior education for the district's high school students, Hinsdale looked to CDW-G and Toshiba to recommend and supply the right technology.

"The school administration wanted to create an environment where technology enriches the educational process and selected Toshiba Tablet PCs," said Chris Rother, CDW-G vice president for education and state and local sales. "However, there was a pressing need to get these units into the hands of teachers so they could be trained on the Tablet's unique capabilities before school ended and teachers left for the summer. Because of CDW-G's long-standing relationship with the school district and our reputation for responding to customer needs with a sense of urgency, Hinsdale chose CDW-G to recommend, acquire, custom configure, image and deliver 500 Tablet PCs. Hinsdale School District saw the future of education. CDW-G and Toshiba helped make it a reality."

Making it a great fit for computing in the classroom, Toshiba's award-winning Portege M200 Tablet PC is a convertible form factor that delivers breakthrough performance with a rich feature-set including the powerful Intel(R) Centrino(TM) mobile technology and built-in wireless connectivity. The lightweight and easily portable Tablet PC, combined with a hi-density, hi-resolution 12.1" SXGA+ screen for enhanced full-screen viewing, effortlessly allows for a more collaborative environment between teacher and student in the classroom.

A few classes at Hinsdale Central have already started using Toshiba Tablet PCs. Richard Kick, math and programming teacher, has deployed the new technology to his advanced algebra class and Java programming students. "Because Tablet PCs enable students to work collaboratively, I see them revolutionizing the classroom environment," he said. "The students are much more engaged in the learning process. In fact, I had one student in my algebra class who is not exactly strong in math tell me that Tablets made algebra fun!"

The Toshiba Tablet PC rollout is part of Hinsdale's long-term plan to get the right technology to every student in its district. Starting with the initial 250 units to be shared by students, the district hopes to expand the program so that each high school student has his or her own Tablet.

Xplore Deploys Rugged iX104 Tablet PCs to Hydro One
Yahoo News

Xplore Technologies® Corp. (TSX: XPL - News) announced today its iX104(TM) rugged Tablet PC system was selected by Hydro One, the largest electricity delivery company in Ontario, Canada, for use in the majority of its mobile field applications including data collection and forestry management. The units were purchased through Filbitron Systems Group, an Xplore systems integration partner based in Ontario.

According to John Dobie, Senior Supervisor of Technical Services for Hydro One, the Xplore tablets are deployed where standard commercial grade laptops are unable to withstand the demands of the environment and a rugged and portable PC was the ideal solution.

"The iX104's ability to withstand the rough conditions we work in, the viewability of the AllVue(TM) enhanced screens, and the integrated GPS capabilities were prime considerations of ours," Dobie said. "Furthermore, with the hardware capabilities of the Xplore tablet, we were able to develop specific applications for our needs. The Xplore computers will be used system-wide for most of our rugged mobile computing needs in Hydro One Provincial Lines and Forestry."

Currently, Hydro One has 125 tablets in use with close to 300 additional units being deployed, and 200 more on order. "We have seen a marked decrease in data errors since operations previously handled with paper and pencil have been replaced with tablet-based applications," stated Dobie. "We looked at the numbers and found the return on our investment in terms of product lifespan and user productivity was undeniable."

Epson's Wireless Projectors Provide Closer Link Between Teachers and Students, Improve Interaction and Classroom Collaboration
Business Wire

The technology leadership teams of two Hinsdale Township High Schools (located in the suburbs of Chicago) were standing at a crossroads as they tried to determine which technology would best suit their computing needs for the future. They were torn between replacing classroom computers with combinations of desktop PCs and TV monitors and a more progressive setup consisting of tablet PCs and multimedia projectors. Whichever technology solution was selected, it would need to improve interaction between students and teachers and become the springboard for launching the schools' new team learning and problem solving concepts.

Realizing they could not provide adequate, traditional lab space to accommodate faculty and students, members of both teams soon agreed on a new classroom model based on wireless technology that would give teachers and students one-to-one access 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The combined functionality of Epson PowerLite wireless multimedia projectors along with tablet PCs was essential for the transition.

In order to integrate the most advanced and flexible projection technology, the Hinsdale District 86 technology teams decided to install Epson's 3-LCD PowerLite projectors with 802.11 wireless technology in every classroom over the next three years. Teachers and students will use tablet PCs to extract data and images from various media sources like the Internet, DVDs, video and cable TV so they can embellish upon basic lesson plans and make them more interesting and effective. The projectors can deliver vibrant colors and detailed imagery into a classroom environment as never before so it can be inspected, manipulated, filed or discarded with the help of their tablet PC. Students are engaged through technology as they learn to capture, project and share diagrams, photographs, presentation slides, and even their own handwritten notes made with a digital pen.

"One of the most exciting advantages of the Epson projector and tablet PC combo is the way they have redefined student-to-student and student-to-teacher relationships," said Tim Hohman, director of technology, Hinsdale District 86. "A math teacher can challenge students with a complex trigonometry problem and, in turn students can show classmates their solution by controlling the projector wirelessly from their tablet PC."

"We've come a long way from when our staff would roll desktop computers through the hallways to classrooms on old cafeteria tables," said Polzin. "The winning combination of wireless multimedia projectors and tablet PCs will encourage more institutions to invest in technology that supports a collaborative learning process and enriches the learning experience for all students."

Microsoft launches SP2 competition
CPILive.net

In a bid to raise awareness towards the benefits of Microsoft’s downloadable Windows XP Service Pack 2, Microsoft South Gulf is offering the chance to win a range of prizes including high tech devices and software.

The online Windows XP SP2 competition is open to all residents of the South Gulf region (Oman, Pakistan, UAE and Yemen) and is to run for eight weeks, starting from August 30.

Each week, a new set of questions on SP2 will be posted on the website, www.microsoft.com/middleeast/win. The winning answers will automatically be entered into the weekly draw to win one of the three prizes each week. Among the prizes on offer during the competition will be products from sponsors Acer, HP, Intel, Western Digital and Microsoft software and games. A final draw will be held at the end of the competition, to win an Acer Tablet PC

Pilot program puts computers in classes
Cavalierdaily.com

Collaboration of Microsoft, University brings Tablet PCs to three courses, Ayers says machines will better teaching

Third-year College student Catherine Neale said she could not have completed her classes without it. Professors say it can change the way students learn. And beginning this fall, 400 students will be able to judge for themselves the benefits and drawbacks of using Tablet PCs in their courses.

A pilot program in the University's College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, it will allow students in biochemistry, psychology and statistics courses to use new Tablet PC hardware, equipped with learning applications specifically tailored to their courses.

Weighing just over two pounds, Tablet PCs are notebook-sized personal computers that allow the user to create, store and transmit handwritten notes and voice input. They allow wireless Internet access and have keyboard and CD attachments.

College Dean Edward L. Ayers, who has a reputation for incorporating technology into coursework, said Tablet PCs have the potential to improve teaching at the University.

"The tablet puts the new technology in the hand of the student as well as the professor," Ayers said. "Instead of just having students sit and watch, it's a tool they can use in the classroom and beyond."

Neale said the handwriting software was especially useful to her last year, when she tore a ligament in her arm and took notes on the tablet with her lefthand.

"It could actually translate my left-handed scrawl into text," Neale said. "I took all my notes on it and completed my papers on it. I wouldn't have been able to complete my classes last year without use of the tablet."

The ABCs of back-to-school electronics
Seattle Post Intelligencer

For back-to-school shoppers, a new alphabet reigns, and it starts with E for electronics. With camera cell phones and the Apple iPod music player topping student wish lists, some of the hottest gadgets have little to do with pen or paper, much less studying.

Any models with built-in Wi-Fi are grabbing sales, analysts say, but some of the most popular include the Dell Inspiron 700M, the Apple iBook, and the Averatec C3500 Convertible, which combines a laptop and tablet PC with a display that swivels and folds down so notes can be scribbled directly onto the screen like an old-fashioned notepad.

More than anything, students are clamoring for things that will enhance their lifestyle, if not their grades.

Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 Multilingual User Interface (MUI) Pack
Microsoft

Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 MUI Pack provides multilingual user interface capabilities for Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005. When it is installed on the English version of the Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 operating system, users or administrators can switch the user interface (including menus, dialog boxes, Help files, and tutorials) from one language to any of the 20 supported languages.

The package supports the following languages: Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Russian, Spanish, Swedish, and Turkish.

• Supported Operating Systems: TabletPC

• Prerequisites: Before installing Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 MUI Pack, you must first install the English version of Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 and also install Windows XP MUI Pack.

September 8, 2004

Tablet PC Platform SDK AddendumThis addendum
microsoft

extends the Microsoft® Tablet PC Platform SDK. It includes details about the OleInk control and the extensibility features of Microsoft Windows® Journal.

System Requirements

• Supported Operating Systems: TabletPC

Software
Microsoft Visual Studio 6 SP5 (from Windows Platform SDK or Microsoft Visual Studio .NET.
Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0

Hardware
8 MB of hard drive space for a complete installation.
A pointing device for input; mouse, an external tablet or a Tablet PC with an HID digitizer.

Laptops, new designs challenging traditional desktop computer arrangement
Forbes 

An icon of American computing is fading into the background.

The traditional desktop isn't completely disappearing. It still accounts for about 70 percent of shipments. But computer buyers increasingly see it as just one option instead of the default purchase.

"The trend is moving dramatically away from pure desktops to portability as a part of the design of next-generation computers," said Tim Bajarin of industry advisory firm Creative Strategies, who offered the forecast of parity in 2007.

Businesses also have a variety of options. Microsoft Corp. has worked with manufacturers to develop the so-called Tablet PC, a hybrid of a notebook computer and a writing slate.

Still, many of the newest computer designs cost much more than traditional desktops. The cheapest version of Hewlett-Packard Co.'s Compaq-brand Tablet starts at $1,649, while a desktop with the same memory and a faster processor costs $319

Tablets and bullets
Cnet

Microsoft has struggled to find a receptive audience for its Tablet PC format, but maybe that's because it overlooked a potentially lucrative market: assassins.

At least that's the way it works in the movies, specifically current crime thriller "Collateral," in which Tom Cruise plays a hired gun who relies on a Hewlett-Packard TC1100 Tablet PC to meticulously organize an evening of hits.

We wonder why someone in that profession wouldn't choose HP's "rugged" device, but the decision to go Tablet makes perfect sense. Don't you just hate trying to type when you've got a pistol in your hand?

Neither HP nor Microsoft's marketing--umm, collateral--mentions one of the biggest product placements yet for the Tablet PC format.

September 9, 2004

Microsoft puts passwords at your fingertip
WindowsForDevices

Throw away your password cheat sheets and sticky notes on the monitor. Microsoft has introduced its first hardware products with fingerprint recognition technology -- a standalone reader and a keyboard/mouse combo with integral reader that replace passwords with the user’s fingerprint. 


Both the standalone "Fingerprint Reader" and the "Optical Desktop" keyboard/mouse combo use standard USB connections. A software package called DigitalPersona Password Manager builds and maintains a database that maps fingerprints to passwords. DigitalPersona runs on any Windows XP configuration, including Home Edition, Professional, Media Center Edition, or Tablet PC Edition. Presumably, it will also run on XP Embedded, the componentized version of Windows XP.

Mountain States Health Alliance to Install Wireless Infrastructure from Johnson Controls
Yahoo News

Mountain States Health Alliance, the largest regional health care system in northeast Tennessee, has signed an agreement with Johnson Controls, Inc., the global leader in facility management and control, for the first system-wide installation of a single wireless distribution technology in the health care industry.

Mountain States Health Alliance plans to use the system to support an electronic clinical documentation system that will allow medical orders, notes and prescriptions to be entered into a patient's medical record, at the bedside, through handheld devices such as PDAs and tablet PC's. All the medical professionals participating in the patient's care then can access that information. In addition the system records and double-checks the administration of medications.

Under the $2.4 million contract with Johnson Controls, installation of the InnerWireless System will begin at the Johnson City Medical Center in Johnson City, Tenn., the flagship hospital, this fall and then will be implemented throughout the system over the next 13 months. At Johnson City Medical Center, the wireless system will be installed in the new intensive care unit that will compliment the articulating arm service columns within each room. These columns will hold all patient monitoring equipment and data connections so that a patient's bed can be moved around the room for treatments, testing or family interaction.

The Tablet PC Takes Its Place in the Classroom
NYTimes

One factor that favors educators is that students seem to like tablets, especially the pen-based interface that takes the place of a mouse and keyboard.

"That was undoubtedly the best and coolest part," said John Stanton, a senior last year at Cathedral Preparatory School in Erie, Pa., who took part in a pilot program to test the devices.

Mr. Stanton, 18, was on the school's debate team, and he used a tablet PC to take notes and prepare responses during debates. He said the tablet kept pace with swift handwriting and was useful because he could quickly call up his writings from earlier rounds.

Administrators at Cathedral Prep had initially considered laptops, but switched to tablet PC's after early testing by staff members. "We did not want to get caught up with the novelty of this thing," said the Rev. Scott W. Jabo, headmaster at Cathedral Prep. "The more we were using it, we saw a lot of practical uses."

Cathedral Prep issued tablet PC's to 160 ninth graders when they started classes this month, with the goal of eliminating paper notebooks and centralizing study materials on a device linked to the school's wireless network. The device chosen by the school, a model from Acer, has a 10-inch screen and weighs about three pounds. Like most consumer tablets, it includes a standard keyboard and can function as a laptop when the screen is repositioned.

Beyond using them for taking notes and reading, some schools have developed detailed plans to integrate tablet PC's into their curriculums. At the Benjamin School, a private day school in North Palm Beach, Fla., eighth graders tested the devices last year in history and English, while teachers had their own units so they could explore ways to integrate them in all subjects.

This year all ninth graders at the school, about 100 students, will be using their own tablets, a model from Gateway with a 14-inch screen, in all of their classes. The school has a new campus with a wireless network; students and teachers will have access to collaborative software, interactive whiteboards at the front of the class and classroom management tools, as well as the Internet and personal file-storage space.

September 10, 2004

New real estate software hits dashboards
Inman.com

At Real Estate Connect in July, I came away with more than 50 pages of handwritten notes. When I go home, I have to manually enter my notes into my computer. Consequently, I was intrigued as I watched VREO Software's Marc Davison take notes during the sessions. Instead of taking notes by hand, Marc was writing on a tablet PC. Since I'm in the market for a new computer, I asked Marc to demonstrate how his system works.

Marc explained he had a tablet computer programmed with R.E.D. software. (R.E.D. stands for "Real Estate Dashboard.") A Tablet PC is a powerful notebook computer that also doubles as a PDA. Since I'm constantly in meetings, I love the idea of taking handwritten notes on a Tablet PC and having the computer automatically convert those notes into a text document. The new "tablets" have "handwriting" recognition features. For people who are slow typists, you can do all tablet functions without using a keyboard.

I'm also tired of constantly having to sync my PDA and my computer. With a Tablet PC, your computer and PDA are the same machine. Tablet PCs also have built-in support for wireless networking so you can use them in your office or in the field. They are Windows XP-compatible, but require special software to meet the specific needs of the real estate industry.

Enter Criterion's "Real Estate Dashboard" or "R.E.D." for short. Much like a GPS system in your car, this powerful software can help you effectively navigate the real estate landscape. "R.E.D." aims to increase productivity in a variety of ways. First, the mobility features allow you to communicate wirelessly from any place at anytime. This system also allows you to integrate your cell phone and your Internet into one, making it simple to check e-mails, call clients back, and fax forms all from your Tablet PC

Here are just a few ways a Tablet PC with R.E.D. can give you a competitive advantage.

1. Technologically sophisticated

An easy way to show you have technology savvy is to show up with a Tablet PC. Since these computers are still relatively rare, your clients will be curious about how they work. Rather than trying to persuade the client to work with you, show the client how the CRM and Transaction Management functions work. Demonstrating these tools puts you light years ahead of the competition that shows up with a pen and paper.

2. Time is money

Imagine entering all listing information, disclosures and other required documents into your computer as you walk through the property with the seller rather than when you return to your office. This literally cuts your listing process time in half. If you have an assistant, this system allows this person to work on lead generation rather than concentrating on paperwork.

3. "Handwritten notes"

I'm great about responding to e-mail, but do a poor job of tracking down the stationery and envelope to send a handwritten note. The Tablet PC lets you send your own "handwritten note" in e-mail. Even though it's electronic, it still has a personal touch.

4. Get the edge in hot markets

Have you ever been in a multiple-offer situation where the first one who gets back to the seller wins? With a portable printer and your Tablet PC, you can e-mail the counter to your buyers, have them e-mail you back their signed acceptance, and you win!

This complete "real estate solution" is priced at $3,500 and includes: a Tablet PC from Toshiba or Motion Computing, the R.E.D. software, an HP mobile inkjet printer, a PCMIA wireless modem expansion card for wireless Web access through Sprint or T-Mobile; a case for the computer, and a printer. If you already own a Tablet PC, you can obtain an individual license for R.E.D. software for $495 plus a one-year subscription commitment at $20 per month.

Take a Note--Or Lots of Them
PC World 

Whether on sticky notes, napkins, memo pads, or random pieces of paper, everybody takes notes--usually without the assistance of a computer. EverNote, a promising new application demonstrated at the DemoMobile show here, aims to change that.

Due for release in a public beta test next month, EverNote lets you type quick notes to yourself. But its notes can contain a lot more than plain text. It's easy, for example, to grab images or bits and pieces of Web pages or Microsoft Office documents and paste them into a note for later reference.

What's most unique about the program is the way it displays the notes you've taken--in a scrolling, chronological list that reminded me of a Weblog. (Another Demo attendee compared it accurately, if infelicitously, to an infinite roll of toilet paper.)

When used on a Tablet PC, EverNote permits the use of handwriting and digital ink as well as typed notes. However, it's not dependent on the handwriting recognition in Windows XP Tablet PC Edition.

"Our recognizer works in a fusion mode with Microsoft's, and gets better results," says Pachikov, whose career includes work on the recognition technologies in Microsoft's Tablet PC software and Apple's gone-but-not-forgotten Newton PDA.

USDA Monitoring Mad Cow Disease With Mi-Co Technology
whatisnew.com

Mi-Co announced today that Mi-Forms software for mobile data capture is currently being implemented by the United States Department of Agriculture to assist in monitoring to assist in monitoring the potential spread of mad cow disease).

“These applications are the types that turn a general hardware device, in this case a Tablet PC, into a vertical or specific solution device. Digital ink applications on Tablet PCs can be an excellent fit for organizations needing to capture data while in a true mobile state. There are devices that are smaller, and more easily carried than tablets, but the devices with a smaller form factor can make ink input quite cumbersome.

“Working with the USDA has been a rewarding experience because of the importance of this work to all of us,” said Carolee Nail, Vice President of Operations at Mi-Co. “The USDA was looking for ways to increase the quality of the data that was collected and after using the Mi-Forms system on 25 Tablet PCs and doing a thorough evaluation, they are ready to roll out 100 more.”

Fast Forward Fetish
PlanetOut

Feeling butch? The Panasonic Toughbook 18DH ($3,275, www.toughonline.com) can take a serious beating, thanks to its magnesium-alloy case. The dust-resistant screen, keyboard and touchpad make it hard to muss this laptop's rugged good looks. And its butchness is totally authentic, since this line of laptops is favored by policemen and firefighters. It's flexible, too: The screen can swivel around to lie flat, letting you read off the screen even when the laptop's closed up, and the machine can run regular Windows XP or the Tablet Edition, which lets you write directly on the screen with a stylus. Globe-trotters will dig the power supply, which can plug right into any kind of voltage. In short, the Toughbook is one mean machine: You can strap it to the back of your motorcycle and not worry about it clashing with your leathers.

Robotics business trekking forward
Rocky Mount

The prototype robot is low to the ground and moves about as fast as a person walks, Parrish said. It's built to go over stuff, not for speed, he said, but it's still strong enough to tow his 2,200-pound truck an inch at a time on level ground.

Parrish said he built his Explorbot from off-the-shelf parts. He wired a Tablet PC to a laptop stand just like the one in his office, attached a high-powered Web camera and mounted the whole thing on four knobby wheels powered with strong batteries. He controls the robot with a laptop and a wireless networking card.

September 11, 2004

A Tablet a Day Keeps Old Docs in Play
Mobile Health Data

Retired physicians in Bend, Ore., are using Tablet PCs over a wireless local area network to access and record patient data as they volunteer at the Volunteers in Medicine Clinic of the Cascades, a free clinic for people who cannot afford health care insurance.

"Our situation is pretty unique," says Doug Ritchie, I.T. director at the clinic and a retired information systems executive. "Volunteers in Medicine is a business model based on retired clinicians. So the median age of a clinician in our facility is somewhere around 68."

Most of the physicians have very few computer skills, but they do have the time to learn about computers, and they want to learn--to look up information on the Internet for their hobbies as well as for practicing medicine, Ritchie says. "We have a physician who started practicing in 1954 and just celebrated his 50th year in practice. He's using a Tablet PC with patients."

About 25 physicians staff the clinic, which opened in March and has logged 1,400 visits with nearly 700 patients. The physicians share five Tablet PCs--from Toshiba

September 13, 2004

Motion Computing Offers Bluetooth Wireless Mobile Keyboard Packed ...
Business Wire With Innovative Features; New Keyboard Even Better for Field Sales, Service and Healthcare
press release

Motion Computing(R) today bolstered its line of innovative mobile computing peripherals with the announcement a full-featured Bluetooth(R) wireless mobile keyboard.Ideally suited to be used with Motion's award-winning M1400 Tablet PC, the Motion Wireless Mobile Keyboard is one of the first Bluetooth mobile keyboards on the market. It eliminates the need for a separate mouse by providing an integrated roller-ball pointing device, mouse click buttons, Internet and multimedia hot keys and scroll keys. Its ergonomic design is optimal for ultramobile users who are standing or sitting, and features a standard 19mm key pitch.

While it can be used up to 33 feet away from Motion's M1400 Tablet PC, the Wireless Mobile Keyboard fits inside the new Motion Field Case and frees mobile professionals of any wires or cables. The Motion Field Case is designed for users who require a rugged carrying case for both a tablet PC and a keyboard. The Motion Field Case has an easel stand with a keyboard placement zone that delivers a more mobile experience than a notebook PC.

"Motion's Wireless Mobile Keyboard is our latest tablet PC innovation, and will make the M1400 an even more valuable tool for many ultramobile professionals," said Peter Hunt, Motion's vice president of value-added software and peripherals. "From healthcare professionals using a Motion tablet mounted on a hospital cart to real estate agents going 'cord free' in the field with a field case -- Motion is committed to delivering superior wireless products to the vertical industries it serves."

Computer Q&A: Tablet PC innovative but lacking in power
Pittsburgh Post Gazette,

Will Windows XP Tablet PC Edition become the next great product to join the dinosaurs? I hope not. This excellent version of Windows XP lets you handwrite or draw directly on your screen without a keyboard. It uses audio input to record your meetings while you write; and when teamed with tools like Microsoft's OneNote software, Tablet PC can help you organize your thoughts, documents, and actions like never before.

This month, Microsoft is releasing an improved version of Tablet PC. It now integrates with Microsoft Office, so you can annotate your Word Documents, create written notes, charts and graphs in Excel, and use "ink" in your PowerPoint presentations.

With the new capabilities of Windows XP Service Pack 2 built in, and a redesigned input panel, the Tablet PC product catalog is growing with applications from the likes of Franklin-Covey and Brown University, each taking advantage of the pen and ink interface to go a step beyond normal computing.

It also lets you handwrite your e-mails in Outlook, instead of making you type, thereby introducing e-mail as a tool for an entire new class of users who didn't want to learn how to type (and those who don't want to take the time).

Software gives medical workers constant updates
Salt Lake Tribune

The doctor and his entourage of student surgeons make rounds with a tablet PC connected wirelessly to the hospital's wireless network and high-speed Internet systems. For each patient, records pop up on the screen with up-to-date data gathered from nurses, lab technicians, pharmacists, X-ray, MRI and CT scans - and more.
    The TheraDoc software also makes recommendations on medication uses and dosage levels - warning doctors about possible drug interactions and allergic reactions. Links to the latest medical research are also seamlessly tied in, accessible with the click of a mouse.

September 14, 2004

Mobile media specializes
Everett Herald,

Evernote 1.0: Capture, organize and locate notes, handwritten or typed, URLs, Web page excerpts, drawings and more on your computer, Tablet PC, PDA or smart phone and view them anytime, anywhere. Using EverNote Corp.'s Internet-connected servers, your "notes" are automatically and securely synched across all your devices. Key to the product are handwriting recognition technologies the founders have licensed to others. Currently supports Microsoft Windows, with Palm OS promised for November. Company founder Stepan Pachikov says the product is free through July and that he won't charge until it supports all platforms. www.evernote.com.

Transmeta Ships New Chip With Antivirus Technology
PC World

Transmeta Ships New Chip With Antivirus Technology Newest Efficeon processor also offers higher frequency using less power.

Manek Dubash, Techworld.com Monday, September 13, 2004

Transmeta has begun shipping its second generation Efficeon processors, the TM8800 series.

Transmeta says its Efficeon TM8800 processor is optimized for a wide range of computing applications and new types of devices such as notebooks, ultrapersonal computers (UPCs), tablet PCs, blade PCs and servers, cluster workstations, and fanless media centers.

Bluetooth Keyboard for Tablet PC and mobile devices
Geekzone, New Zealand

The Motion Wireless Mobile Keyboard is one of the first Bluetooth mobile keyboards on the market. It eliminates the need for a separate mouse by providing an integrated roller-ball pointing device, mouse click buttons, Internet and multimedia hot keys and scroll keys. Its design is suitable for ultramobile users who are standing or sitting, and features a standard 19mm key pitch.

Heart Hospital Embraces Digital Future
Information Week

The network environment, which includes both wired and secure wireless infrastructures, also can support wireless tablet PCs and all of the hospital's clinical applications, says Vishal Wanchoo, a VP of GE Healthcare, which was the prime medical and IT contractor for the hospital.

Securing computer files
Marin Independent-Journal

Unlike the Home edition of Windows XP, the Windows XP Professional and Tablet PC editions do include built-in solutions. They use AES with a 256-bit key (in Service Pack 1 or newer, according to Microsoft), and are simple to use. Users can encrypt individual files or designate folders whose contents will be automatically encrypted. To use the folder feature, right-click on a folder, choose Properties, then click on Advanced. Select the option called Encrypt Contents to Secure Data, then click on OK and Apply.

September 15, 2004

Tech-savvy students grab their Tablets
canada.com

Anne Fitzgerald Catholic elementary, are among eight across Canada that were awarded $35,000 grants under the HP Technology for Teaching initiative for Canadian K-12 schools.

STORY Tech-savvy students grab their Tablets School gets $35,000 grant for new laptops

EDMONTON -- Mother Teresa school is blessed in many ways.

The new elementary school, at 9008 105A Ave., has bright open spaces bristling with energetic teachers and students.

But now it can boast of having cutting-edge technology. It and another Edmonton school, Anne Fitzgerald Catholic elementary, are among eight across Canada that were awarded $35,000 grants under the HP Technology for Teaching initiative for Canadian K-12 schools.

The other schools are St. Augustine's Catholic high school in Markham, Ont.; L'ecole secondaire publique l'Heritage in Cornwall, Ont.; Grand Manan community school and Rexton elementary school in New Brunswick; Sister McNamara school in Manitoba, and Ecole Enfant-Soleil in Quebec.

Each school had to submit a proposal on how they would use new technology.

"I had some reservations at first," said Mother Teresa principal Charolette Player, who admits to not being as tech-savvy as her staff. "But after seeing our staff's proposal I fully supported it."

The grant consists of five hand-held Tablet PCs with special Microsoft software and a wireless network. Each tablet also comes with a wireless projector allowing teachers to project computer images anywhere in class with no cords.

The HP-made tablets are basically lap- top computers, the size of a fat notebook, that use a special pen-like stylus instead of a mouse. They recognize and automatically save anyone's onscreen hand-writing but can also convert notes to editable text and allow documents, drawings or pictures to be "marked" or commented on much like real paper.

"Our staff was so excited when the tablets came in last week, we all scribbled words on them to see how they worked," said Player.

Although the technology is intended to help teachers, it hasn't taken long for Mother Teresa's tech-savvy students to get their hands on the Tablets.

Learn how Tablet PC differs from XP Home and Pro
Tech Republic

Takeaway: Find out just what features XP Tablet PC Edition has before you buy a Tablet PC.

The first time I took my new Tablet PC out in public, after the "Ooohs" and "Ahhhs," the first question I was asked was, "Does it run on XP Home or Pro?" I said, "Er, neither. It runs XP Tablet PC Edition." The response to that was, "Well, is it more like Home or Pro?" Good question—especially for those considering buying a Tablet who have grown used to and fond of one edition or the other.

If XP Pro is a superset of Home, the Tablet PC (TPC) Edition can be seen as a superset of Pro. In other words, it includes all the features of Pro, plus more. It comes preinstalled on Tablet PCs that are made by many different hardware vendors. (I used a Toshiba Portege 3505 to write this article). You can't purchase the operating system separately from the hardware, although the TPC OS has been made available to MSDN subscribers on CD.

It's important for Tablet users and those considering the purchase of a Tablet to understand how the TPC Edition of XP differs from Home and Pro, and how it's the same. Most of the literature I see about the Tablet PC focuses on the hardware—convertible vs. slate, digitizer technology, battery life, and ergonomics. This article will focus on the software and its "extra" features, especially those that are critical to the enterprise user.

First look at the TPC OS
The first thing you'll notice that's different when you look at the Tablet PC screen is the Input Panel, which is displayed by default but can be toggled on and off using the icon on the Windows taskbar just next to the Start button. As shown in Figure A , the panel is normally docked at the bottom of the screen (the Tablet PC in the screenshot is being used in portrait mode) and has two tabs that let you switch between input methods:

• Onscreen keyboard: You can use the stylus to "hunt and peck" one key at a time to input data.
• Writing pad: You can use the stylus to write or print the data you want to input into an application or onscreen field.

Software to manage and inspect Asbestos's containing material
Geekzone,

Hazmat Inspector allows the firms to inspect and manage asbestos containing material for an unlimited number of buildings and clients at the same time forming the core of a client asbestos management plan. One of the largest costs to any environmental service or property management firm is the initial inspection process, follow up surveillances and day-to-day management of asbestos containing material data for their clients. Hazmat Inspector eliminates the need for redundant data entry and paper forms. It provides central program and data access allowing critical data to be securely shared in real time by 3rd party vendors or clients instantly, anywhere anytime using desktop PC, Tablet PC, Palm or Pocket PC mobile wireless handheld devices. Basebridge will actually brand the service so it looks like a service offered by the environmental service or property management firm.

Windows ghettoblaster mod
engadget 

This isn't the first time we've seen ghetto blaster modding, but we have to say the beauty of its sheer obsessive-compulsiveness brings a tear to even our cynical eye. Take one 80s-style Hitachi TRK-8200HR boombox, add the Fujitsu Stylistic 1200 Tablet PC, run some Windows 98, and jimmy the software to mimic the blaster's controls. The result lets you blast Run-DMC and take e-notes on the reactions of passersby.

CIBC Investor's Edge launches online market challenge promoted ...
CNW Telbec

CIBC Investor's Edge online brokerage, in association with AOL Canada Inc., today announced the launch of the CIBC Investor's Edge Market Challenge(*). The contest provides experienced and novice investors with a risk-free opportunity to hone their skills by buying and selling $100,000 worth of stocks using virtual money. A total of $25,000 in prizes will be awarded during four rounds of competition, including a $10,000 grand prize.

Each entrant receives $100,000 in fantasy money each round. 3 "Round Prizes" awarded each round for entrants with 3 highest value portfolios. Round Prizes range from HP iPAQ Pocket PC (ARV $359) to HP tablet PC (ARV $2,499). One Grand Prize of $10,000 cash to Round Prize winner with highest value portfolio during Challenge. Chances of winning depend on each entrant's skill level and market performance of each entrant's selected holdings.

New Capabilities Let Remote Workers be as Present as Office Colleagues
Real Market

As an example, Nortel Networks is delivering a suite of office tools accessible via the end-user's computer, regardless of whether it is a desktop, laptop, tablet PC or handheld PC. Using user-friendly icons, a person can immediately contact a colleague to share information and access applications via the most effective means. This could enable a nurse providing patient care to contact a doctor immediately for a needed prognosis without having to waste valuable time calling office, mobile and home telephone numbers. With Nortel Networks solution, the nurse could quickly share pertinent medical information, prescriptions and X-rays with the doctor, ultimately providing better patient care.

September 16, 2004

VIA Announces New Processor Naming Convention
LinuxElectrons

VIA Technologies , Inc, a leading innovator and developer of silicon chip technologies and PC platform solutions, today announced a new VIA processor naming convention to strengthen the various VIA processor brands and simplify the target market segmentation for VIA processors. The announcement introduces the VIA C7-Series of processors based on the C5J Esther core that will be available in the first half of 2005. The VIA C7 processor will target low power desktop PCs and Personal Electronics systems such as PVRs and IP set top boxes, while the VIA C7-M processor will target mainstream slim and light notebook and Tablet PCs with its market leading power efficiency and advanced PowerSaver 4.0 technology.

Watch out for HP products on the TV
The Inquirer

HP making connections with consumers through TV product placements

The HP Compaq Tablet PC TC1100 can be seen on TV shows such as Eve, Las Vegas, Clubhouse, CSI: Miami; The O.C. and 24.

Eighteen U.S. network and cable television shows, ranging from dramas to reality shows, will feature HP products throughout their fall 2004 and spring 2005 seasons. The latest HP notebook PCs, handhelds, tablets, digital cameras, printers and projectors are among the products in the spotlight.

The Apprentice 2 (premiered September 9) - Media Center PCs; digital projectors; iPAQ 4300 series; zt3000 notebook PCs; flat panel monitors; TC1100 Tablet PCs; Photosmart r707 digital cameras and 245 printers; Deskjet printers; ScanJet 4670 scanners

CSI: Miami (premiered September 6) - Photosmart 945 and r707 digital cameras; iPAQ 5000 series; Scanjet scanners; TC1100 Tablet PCs; Media Center notebook PCs

Taking business apps on the road
Computerworld Australia

Marshfield Clinic is pilot-testing a deployment that gives doctors wireless access to object-oriented patient-care and clinical applications via Fujitsu wireless PC tablets running Microsoft XP Tablet Edition. Object broker middleware provides connectivity between the tablet-based applications and an array of back-end servers and databases.

Application design also factored heavily into the wireless project at Marshfield Clinic. Years ago, the clinic designed physician applications with minimal keystrokes - an ease-of-use factor it needed to take into account for the wireless application, says Carl Christensen, CIO at the clinic.

So when using their wireless PC tablets, Marshfield Clinic doctors typically select from drop-down lists that have been carefully arranged to be simple to find and follow. The tablets also feature enlarged toolbar buttons and support for an "active stylus" that lets the doctors enter handwritten messages, annotations, instructions and signatures.

September 17, 2004

Sneak Review du Tablet PC NEC Versa Pro VY11F/GL-R 
tabletpccorner

(translated from french clik link above for for photos)

We thus will cut out this discovery in two parts:
- a first named part Sneak Review of Tablet PC NEC Poured Pro Vy11f/gl-r : description of this new Tablet PC with some photographs and vidéos for better appreciating it.
- one second named part "Interview of NEC Japan" where we will approach, in English, vision of NEC of the market of Tablet PC and how they design their products.

The NEC Versa Pro Vy11f/gl-r was to be the worthy successor of the NEC Versa Pro T400 and with this intention, the engineers from NEC worked like a navvy to make a major technological demonstration of it.
* It is equipped with a screen TFT to matrix XGA of 10.4" ; this screen has a great angle of vision close to 120 ° some is the angle of sight; This screen is treated and reinforced to resist the abrasion of the stylet; it is studied to reduce to the maximum the phenomena of parallax (shift of 1 mm between the surface of writing and the physical screen). This screen is not studied for a Outdoor use.
* The main frame is a processor INTEL Pentium M 733 Ultra Low Voltage to 1.1 GHz. Iface network of the type 100 BaseT RJ45 , a port for PCMCIA Type 2 , a standard exit VGA
* A Wifi chart supporting the standards 802.11 b/g/a is integrated, probably new the INTEL PRO/Wireless 291ÄBG.
* The standard battery offers an autonomy ranging between 1h40 and 2h20; a battery high capacity offers between 4h10 and 3h00 autonomy
* Dimensions of this Tablet PC are 224 mm × 299 mm × 11 mm thickness .
* The shelf only includes a site for a Wacom stylet of small size
* the weight of the shelf is 885 grams, standard battery included

On what does rest the technological demonstration of NEC?
- first of all in the smoothness of the apparatus (11 mm), which SCREEN INCLUDED, is as thick as the shutter screen of Tsoshiba M200 (the screen part of M200 measures between 11 and 12 millimetres thickness). NEC even studied the size of the components starting from files CAD provided by the manufacturers with precise dimensions to position them in the most precise way on the mother chart.
- in faculty to integrate in such a small space all the components of the mother chart and to have made thermal studies pushed for good thermal dissipation (excellent).
- the weight of the apparatus is 885 grams, a true exploit for current Tablet PC where largest convertible (except ACER 252 PMXi) 2.7 kg (ACER C303 XMi) weigh.
- finally to offer a product of high technology and high integration, which really corresponds to a memo pad as well in its dimensions, as in its weight and its thickness. t is a Processor of the family of Pentium-M Dothan engraved into 90 µm and with 2 Mo of memory hiding place. it has the functions speedstep III which enable him to adjust its frequency of operation according to the state of the battery.
* Tablet PC is FANLESS and the mother chart was the subject of a complex study on the thermal design: indeed the shelf DOES NOT HEAT ABSOLUTELY, very right it hardly hot, is compared with the current notebooks.
* Only 512 Mo of memory GDR 2700 are installed welded with the mother chart and this size memory is not extensible nor modifiable .
* The graphics board is a dedicated chipset: a graphics board ATI Radeon Mobility 7500 with 32 Mo of memory which seems dedicated
* The hard disk 2.5 inches has a capacity of 20 Go (Ultra ATA). The number of revolutions of the plates is of 4200 tours/min. Its operation is quiet, and its average performances.
* Side connectivity, the Shelf proposes 3 ports USB 2.0 available on line on the right side, an inter

VIA Announces New Processor Names
Digital Silence

VIA Technologies today announced a new VIA processor naming convention. The announcement introduces the VIA C7-Series of processors based on the C5J Esther core that will be available in the first half of 2005. The VIA C7 processor will target low power desktop PCs and Personal Electronics systems such as PVRs and IP set top boxes, while the VIA C7-M processor will target mainstream slim and light notebook and Tablet PCs with its market leading power efficiency and advanced PowerSaver 4.0 technology.

Keeping Pace With Sales
Destination CRM

SFA technology has become an indispensable tool for businesses to minimize downtime and increase the efficiency of their sales forces, according to Landis. There is increasing adoption of these mobile and wireless devices, particularly the pocket PC, with tablet PCs expected to gain more and more in popularity in the next few years.

Landis expects the tablet PCs and signature capture applications to become increasingly popular in the pharmaceutical industry and in other businesses in which real-time signature capture is critical to the sales process. In addition to pharmaceuticals, Landis expects rapid adoption of wireless SFA applications in financial services, high tech, and consumer packaged goods industries.

Control Break International Launches SafeBoot Content Encryption New solution Allows for Transparent Encryption of Files and Folders
PR Newswire

Control Break International (CBI), a leading provider of enterprise data security solutions, announced today that it has launched SafeBoot Content Encryption, a solution for encrypting files and folders. The company has long provided SafeBoot Device Encryption, a solution that encrypts the entire hard drive of a mobile device such as a laptop or PDA. Now, with SafeBoot Content Encryption (SafeBoot CE), users with the same access rights can share access to encrypted files across a network. Wherever a file is saved, including to memory sticks, CDs and DVDs, it remains encrypted. SafeBoot CE was designed with Central Management for fast deployment and easier administration.

Control Break International's SafeBoot suite of enterprise-wide security solutions protects data stored on mobile devices such as tablet PCs, laptops and PDAs against the risk of loss, theft and unauthorized access anytime and anywhere. SafeBoot offers strong two-factor pre-boot access control and powerful FIPS-certified encryption technologies with a centralized management system. The solution protects data worldwide at multi-national corporations and major government agencies. SafeBoot has achieved twelve consecutive 5-star ratings by SC Magazine as well as the SC Magazine 2004 Reader Trust Award for Best Encryption Product.

Inexpensive, Ergonomic Input Panel for Tablet PC Released
networkimprov

"Pen-based user experience gets faster, better, and cheaper!

Network Improv today released AlphaTap Lite, a low-cost Tablet PC utility that exceeds the functionality of other third-party input tools and the native Tablet Input Panel. As users have discovered, the tablet form factor is compelling and highly mobile, but entering text and symbols with the pen can be awkward and slow. AlphaTap provides fast, easy access to all keyboard functions with an ergonomic layout. Its 4x7 "staircase" of letter keys in right- or left-handed orientation places the user's pen motion within their natural range for handwriting.

Academy123 – Novel Educational Application of Tablet PC
taletpctalk

"Using Tablet PC's, Academy123 is pre-recording voice and handwriting solutions to every problem in every major Algebra I textbook, offering homework help for middle school and high school students. You can actually hear a teachers voice and see the handwriting ink strokes (like an invisible teacher) for each and every problem in the textbook.

Our teachers record content anywhere in the world, from home, at their convenience, using a Tablet PC, an Internet connection, and our homegrown software. Our recording involves no formal pre-production or post-production - teachers record content as quickly as they can explain it. The resulting content is very human and personable - unlike anything that we have seen on the web, and can be created at a rate faster than it takes to write an e-mail!

The Tablet PC was specifically chosen because it reduces the disparity between the screen and the writing surface (they are effectively one and the same), making the recording process as simple as possible for our teachers. This is in contrast with other handwriting-input tools on the market, such as Graphics Tablets, Anoto pens, and others.

September 20, 2004

WordLogic Business Update
Business Wire

WordLogic's management team has dedicated considerable time and effort in developing WordLogic's corporate strategy, identifying key markets and developing optimal marketing and product development strategies. Integral to this process was the establishment of a product development strategy roadmap.

The Company's technological development team is presently finalizing a Tablet PC version of the critically acclaimed WordLogic Predictive Keyboard(TM) and anticipates Beta release in December 2004. Consumer release of this product is expected in the 1st quarter of 2005. The WordLogic patent-pending prediction engine will be used to increase text entry on these portable devices.

Pharmaceutical Marketing & Sales Anticipate Improving Prospects as Urgent Need for New Drugs Trumps Recent Industry Negativity
Yahoo News

The world's pharmaceutical companies face a challenging but prosperous future as the world recognizes that the next wave of medicines crucial in fighting cancer, infectious, female/male health, cardiovascular, metabolic, inflammatory, and life style diseases rely on research, development, and commercialization of new drugs over the next 5 years.

Topics to be covered are numerous and include global sales and marketing, pricing, anonymous patient data capturing, customer relationships, permission- based marketing, e-detailing and tablet PC's.

Academy123.com has launched

• Academy123 helps with homework problems in your specific textbook, when and where you need it, 24x7.


• Top teachers explain how to solve problems as though they were sitting right next to you: listen and view the solutions.
• Using Academy123 will improve your comprehension and raise your homework and test scores!

Using Tablet PC's, we are pre-recording voice and handwriting solutions to every problem in every major Algebra I textbook, offering homework help for middle school and high school students.  You can actually hear a teachers voice and see the handwriting ink strokes (like an invisible teacher) for each and every problem in the textbook. 

Our teachers record content anywhere in the world, from home, at their convenience, using a Tablet PC, an Internet connection, and our homegrown software.  Our recording involves no formal pre-production or post-production - teachers record content as quickly as they can explain it.  The resulting content is very human and personable - unlike anything that we have seen on the web, and can be created at a rate faster than it takes to write an e-mail!

E overtakes three R's
Rocky Mountain News

$10.6 billion to be spent on school-bound students' electronics

Any models with built-in Wi-Fi are grabbing sales, analysts say, but some of the most popular include the Dell Inspiron 700M, the Apple iBook, and the Averatec C3500 Convertible, which combines a laptop and tablet PC with a display that swivels and folds down so notes can be scribbled directly onto the screen like on an old-fashioned notepad.

Making laptops a required part of the curriculum School requires students to use `tablet' laptops
Baltimore messenger

"Hi. My name is Emily," seventh- grader Emily Gallo typed on her laptop computer at Roland Park Country School last week.

Correction: She wrote on her laptop computer. Using a stylus as a pen, she folded the screen, turned it face up, scrawled the simple, declarative sentence directly on the screen and saved it as a text document.

Then, showing off, she used the other end of the stylus as an eraser to delete the sentence.

The days of pencil and paper are numbered at the private girls school. Starting this year, all seventh-graders plus new students in grades 8-12 are required to own "tablet PCs," a new generation of laptops that allow users to write on them like a tablet.

The tablet PCs that Roland Park Country are requiring are made by Toshiba. Several companies make their own models, but Toshiba is making "a big push" to market its model to schools, Tripp said.

The school is also buying 12 tablet PCs for the lower school and is giving each of its 38 faculty members one for free, as a perk.

Tripp said the tablet PC is revolutionizing education. For example, a math teacher can e-mail an equation to a student, who can solve it on the screen and e-mail it back to the teacher for grading.

In another example, students in a class could work on a math problem on the tablet PC and then show their work to the class on a projector.

Waiting For More Smart Software
BusinessWeek

THE TABLET'S GREATEST POTENTIAL lies in its ability to perform feats that cannot be done by typing on conventional laptops. For example, a major impediment to using computers for a lot of mathematical work has been the difficulty of entering math notation from a keyboard. MathJournal from xThink ($198, $98 for students) lets you write on the screen in conventional math notation. It parses the input and performs sophisticated calculations, including equation-solving, symbolic integration, and vector operations.

SketchBook Pro from Alias Systems ($179) lets you create complex freehand drawings directly on the screen. If you have ever tried to draw something with a mouse, you can guess how much simpler and more accurate it is to use a pen directly on the display. On the Tablets, the stylus becomes a vast array of virtual pens, pencils, and brushes. And, just like the real things, the electronic tools respond to how hard you press. Systems that allow pen-based drawing on external displays have been around for a while, but their complexity and expense limited their use to professional artists. Although not designed for the Tablet, AutoSketch ($129) from Autodesk (ADSK ), a technical drawing program, is easier to use with a pen than a mouse.

The bulk of Tablets sold have been "convertible" models that build Tablet functions into a clamshell laptop with a display that can rotate. I find the slate design more natural because it's lighter and easier to use on the go. The Motion M1400 is clever, featuring a fingerprint reader that can end the tedious chore of entering passwords with the stylus, and an optional combination keyboard and stand ($130) that doubles as a cover for the slate.

Now we need better software. Just about any program that allows for direct manipulation of objects on the screen, from entering notes in a musical score to creating relationships among items in a database, can profit from the Tablet's unique abilities. With more programs such as MathJournal and SketchBook, the Tablet could reach its potential.

The write note
Business Line

HOW often have you, in a hurry, jotted down notes on waste paper, paper napkins, small notebooks, graph paper or even sticky pads? Only to find you have misplaced the paper, notes, et al, when you actually need it?

People, as a rule, fail to retain information or capture only a fragment of a complete idea. And even if one manages to hold on to information, sharing it effectively is a problem. For instance, how do you send an important drawing on a dinner napkin to a distant colleague through e-mail? Or transfer paper-based notes to a shared Web site?

if a person uses a Tablet PC or a desktop or laptop computer with a pen input device, he can use a digital pen to take handwritten notes or draw pictures and diagrams in the software. If one is using a Tablet PC, he can convert handwriting to text (or leave it as handwriting, if he prefers); if the person is not using a Tablet PC, OneNote recognises the person's handwriting as a graphic, which cannot be converted to text.

Economic ties, opportunities key to talks
Joongang Ilbo

For his state visits to Kazakhstan and Russia, President Roh Mo-hyun will take with him the newest laptop computer, the Tablet PC. Instead of carrying heavy stacks of paper, Mr. Roh can check his travel itinerary and agenda by simply writing on the screen. The computer uses wireless keyboards as well.
For example, if the president types, "Siberian Gas development project," the computer will automatically call up all the information regarding the subject, including potential conversation topics with Mr. Putin.

Windows IT Pro Announces 2004 Readers' Choice Award Winners
tmcnet

Windows IT Pro announced today the winners of the third annual Readers' Choice Awards. Readers were asked to vote on their product preferences in 16 technology categories. More than 2,000 readers voted for the best technology products from more than 700 products and services. Full details about winning products are available at www.windowsitpro.com or in the September 15 issue of Windows IT Pro.

-- Best Tablet PC - Toshiba Portege M205-S810

September 21, 2004

Tablet Enhancements For Outlook 2.0 Now Available
whatisnew.com

Einstein Technologies made Tablet Enhancements for Outlook 2.0 (TEO2) 14-Day Trial available for download on TabletPCPost.com today. TEO2 extends Microsoft Outlook to allow Tablet PC users to jot down addresses, keep notes, add tasks directly into the fields. No need to use the onscreen TIP.

Today, email and contact management are essential parts of our daily lives. I'm conservative with email because email is critical to daily business. I don't like to make version changes because I risk loosing years of messages, let alone changing application brands.

I've been using TEO2 during the alpha and beta stages. I've seen it advance from a basic entry system for a new contact to a an integral part of Microsoft Outlook, which I admit was not my primary email or contact management system. Since I've started using TEO2 regularly I have increased my use of Microsoft Outlook.

For me the value has to do with the handwritten Journal notes tied directly along with that contact information. While I'm talking on the phone I can save my notes that person's contact file within Outlook. TEO2 eliminated my file saving system of nameyearmonthdayhour.jnt, and then having to search for that file just before or during a telephone conversation. When I use TEO2 I save time and am able to focus on my work instead of how I am using the computer.

click here for full story and screen shots

VAR Cooks Up E-Menu For Holiday Inn
crn.com

Travelers eating in restaurants at select Holiday Inns now have visual access to information about menu items--including photos, ingredient listings and whether various diet plans permit the dish--thanks to the Tablet PC-based E-Menu application developed by solution provider Ameranth Wireless.

While developing a prototype for a new Holiday Inn, parent company InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), met with numerous Tablet PC and mobile-device vendors to explore the idea of creating an electronic-menu solution. IHG was referred to Ameranth, a provider of wireless hospitality and health-care solutions.

Each hotel's restaurant is equipped with the E-Menu software installed on Motion Computing M1300 and M1400 Tablet PCs, custom-designed arms to mount the Tablet PCs on tables or at the bar, a Dell server, a WLAN, wireless pagers for restaurant staff and a Dell laser printer in the lobby to allow wireless printing of documents. All of the products were sourced through Round Rock, Texas-based Dell.

"This allows us to provide a turnkey package under Dell care," McNally said. "That's important. As we start deploying nationwide, if a problem occurs, we need to have someone fix the problem immediately. Dell is a great partner. It's not a surprise they've been as successful as they have been."

Product Alert: Toshiba's Portege M200 Series
Business Wire

The Portege M200 tablet PC is better than ever with faster processing power(1), a dedicated graphics chipset for sharper images and better sound capabilities. Inspired details such as the revolutionary hinge design and screen rotation button further enhance the tablet PC's sleek industrial design. The next generation tablet PC offers improvements such as the four tablet pen buttons that enable shortcuts when in tablet PC mode. It includes integrated advanced wireless connectivity options(2) and is also Bluetooth(R) ready. This powerful notebook solution is designed to maximize productivity for enterprise, small-medium sized business and education customers.

FEATURES: Portege M200 -- Intel(R) Centrino(TM) Mobile Technology -- Intel Pentium(R) M processor 735 (1.70 GHz processor speed(1), 2MB L2 Cache, 400 MHz FSB)

Content Encryption for Network Folders, Files, e-Mails and USB Devices
Computerworld AustraliaTPP Group, a leading provider of enterprise computer security solutions announced today the availability of SafeBoot CE (Content Encryption), a solution for encrypting files and folders in the network environment.

TPP are the Australian and New Zealand distributor for the SafeBoot suite of security products including SafeBoot Enterprise device encryption, a solution that encrypts the entire hard drive of a mobile device such as a laptop, tablet pc or PDA.

Now with SafeBoot CE users with the same rights can share access to encrypted files across a network and maintain the encryption of files wherever they are saved” says Ced Bradbury, CEO, TPP Group.

Wherever a file is saved, including USB devices, CD’s and DVD’s it remains encrypted. CE is alsointegrated with e-mail programs, allowing users to easily encrypt e-mail attachments.

With SafeBoot CE, key executive groups within an organisation can be assured of the confidentiality and privacy of corporate documents stored across the computer network, even if network management is an outsourced arrangement. Further, SafeBoot CE incorporates a Central Management facility allowing fast deployment and easy administration.

Via names C5J Esther processor C7
Tom's Hardware

Via introduced new names and name modifications to its C3 and the currently developed C5J processor family.The C5J, also known by the codename Esther, will receive the nameplate C7. The processor will target low power desktop PCs and personal electronics systems such as PVRs and IP set top boxes, Via said.

The addition of a letter "M" will indicate a processor for mobile devices in the future. The C7-M accordingly will target mainstream slim and light notebook and Tablet PCs. Via claims the phrase "market leading power efficiciency" for its processors, as it is known in similar terms mainly circulated by Intel and Transmeta.

Getting Deep With The Realtime Stylus devx.com A deeper drill-down into the new real-time stylus functions within the new SDK 1.7, which provide higher-performance access to a lower-level flow of data from the digitizer.

The initial versions of the Tablet PC SDK were notable in presenting an elegant and capable object model for working with high-resolution ink data. Data is collected with either an InkOverlay or InkCollector object, which provide the programmer Ink, Strokes, and Stroke data. These and related classes – InkDivider, RecognizerContext, and so forth – make it very easy to program for the Tablet PC Edition of Windows XP. However, these classes do not provide the "pedal to the metal" performance that might be desired by graphics programs or games. These types of applications need to reduce lag between the high-resolution, high-speed data being generated by the digitizer and what is displayed on screen. The "RealTimeStylus" APIs introduced in the Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition Development Kit 1.7 provide higher-performance access to a lower-level flow of data from the digitizer.

No one's yet written a game for the Tablet PC that requires fast-twitch response, which would be another place that one might expect to see an issue. So where's the need for a new set of APIs?

There seem to be two issues. First, Microsoft wants graphics programs and games that go beyond mouse data and exploit the advantages of high-resolution digitizers. Second, data collection within the Tablet PC platform itself benefits from the RealTimeStylus architecture by lowering computational requirements and thereby perhaps subtly increasing battery longevity, which is one of the great obsessions of the platform team.

September 22, 2004

Chance to be rewarded $100 or more for helping people learn about Tablet PCs
whatisnew.com

You have good ideas about how to use a Tablet PC and want to help others learn about them. Many of you have been helping others through community forum posts.

Tablet PC Questions wants to thank those of you take the time to explain to someone how to improve your efficiency, optimizing TIP settings to get the best performance, or whatever Tablet PC tip and trick you may have. If the Tablet PC Questions Tips & Tricks Forum gets more than 10 new tips in a month, then Layne (LPH) will choose one quality tip to award "Tip of the Month" and that member will be given a check for $100 as a "thank you".

Tip of the Year, Member of the Month and Member of the Year awards have also been added, along with monetary thanks.

Tablet PCs take their place in classrooms
Globetechnology.com

Educators at a handful of schools, many of them private high schools, are pressing ahead with plans to issue students tablet PCs for use in English, foreign language, math, science and social studies classes.

Administrators at Cathedral Prep had initially considered laptops, but switched to tablet PCs after early testing by staff members.

"We did not want to get caught up with the novelty of this thing," said the Rev. Scott W. Jabo, headmaster at Cathedral Prep. "The more we were using it, we saw a lot of practical uses."

Cathedral Prep issued tablet PCs to 160 ninth-graders when they started classes this month, with the goal of eliminating paper notebooks and centralizing study materials on a device linked to the school's wireless network. The device chosen by the school, a model from Acer, has a 10-inch screen and weighs about three pounds. Like most consumer tablets, it includes a standard keyboard and can function as a laptop when the screen is repositioned.

Tablet PCs run essentially the same Windows-based programs as other computers. But instead of a mouse, there is a stylus, or pen, that can be used for navigation by touching the screen. The pen also can take the place of the keyboard; users can handwrite directly in programs, using an on-screen input panel, or by tapping letters and numbers on an on-screen keyboard. Programs designed specifically for the tablet PC, like Microsoft's Windows Journal, enable freeform handwriting that can be converted to text or saved in the original "digital ink" format.

Beyond using them for taking notes and reading, some schools have developed detailed plans to integrate tablet PCs into their curriculums. At the Benjamin School, a private day school in North Palm Beach, Fla., eighth graders tested the devices last year in history and English, while teachers had their own units so they could explore ways to integrate them in all subjects.

This year all ninth graders at the school, about 100 students, will be using their own tablets, a model from Gateway with a 14-inch screen, in all of their classes. The school has a new campus with a wireless network; students and teachers will have access to collaborative software, interactive whiteboards at the front of the class and classroom management tools, as well as the Internet and personal file-storage space.

Using Tablet PCs in allows teachers to go beyond conventional teaching methods, said Barbara Murphy, co-chair of the school's technology committee and a 10th-grade chemistry teacher. Instead of standing at the front of the classroom and talking, Murphy said, teachers can oversee students' work on projects.

Xplore appoints new Chief Financial Officer
Yahoo News

Xplore Technologies Corp. (TSX:XPL - News; "Xplore" or the "Company") announced today that it has appointed Michael J. Rapisand as its new Chief Financial Officer.

"We are pleased to welcome Mr. Rapisand into the Xplore family", said Mr. Brian Groh, President and Chief Executive Officer of Xplore Technologies. Michael has an impressive senior financial management history, including both private and publicly held company experience in high growth industries. His background in these areas will serve us well as we continue to expand our rugged offerings on a global basis."

Planar Introduces New Integrated Kiosk Platform; Display-Based Solution Accelerates Kiosk Deployments in Retail Environments
Business Wire

Planar Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq:PLNR), a worldwide leader in flat-panel display systems, continues to expand its solutions for retail markets with the launch of the DS15i, an integrated kiosk platform that enables integrators and independent software vendors to deploy compelling interactive applications in retail environments.

Powered by a 900 MHz tablet PC processor with an advanced graphics chipset, 512 MB RAM, a 40GB hard drive and a CD/DVD drive, the DS15i also features a fanless design for the silent operation that many customer-facing products require. The DS15i integrates easily into any custom or standard display settings (e.g., walls, tables, shelves, end caps or custom enclosures), and requires only a standard, four-screw VESA mount attachment and a single standard electrical outlet. To maximize flexibility, each DS15i comes with a keyboard and mouse, and the modular design can incorporate peripheral options such as a card swipe, barcode scanner or printer.

Event-driven publish-subscribe technology changes developer's thinking
ADT Magazine

Moore has been building applications for commodity exchange brokers using event-driven integration software from KnowNow, which uses JavaScript and HTTP to link pricing data to traders holding a wireless tablet on the floor of the NYMEX exchange.

The publish-and-subscribe approach appears well suited to commodities trading applications where the key requirement is to get the latest numbers for bids and offers onto the trader's tablet PC via a Web browser. KnowNow's push technology uses a JavaScript connector that provides the developer with an API for setting up subscriptions to exchange systems so that when an event occurs, such as a bid going up or down, it is pushed to the broker's tablet, Moore explains.

Toshiba unleashes slew of notebooks
CNET News.com

Another new notebook, the Portege M200 tablet PC, offers the Pentium M 735 and wireless connectivity. It is also Bluetooth-ready, Toshiba said. It has a screen rotation button and four tablet pen buttons that enable shortcuts when in tablet PC mode. The M200 is priced at $2,199.

September 23, 2004

Mindjet Wins Mobile Star Award for Top Productivity Tool for Tool for Windows Tablet PC
TMCnet

Mindjet, a leading provider of software for visualizing and managing information, today announced that it has won a Gold Mobile Star Award(TM) from MobileVillage(R), the leading market development company and news service dedicated to enterprise mobile technology. The company's MindManager software was chosen as the best productivity tool for Windows Tablet PC.

"Mindjet's MindManager X5 Pro software is one of the most compelling applications for the Tablet PC," said Gary Thayer, Editor of Go Mobile(R). "MindManager's nonlinear visual interface is perfectly suited to the meeting environment, enabling users to quickly create very concise, structured, handwritten notes. The software's innovative feature set comes together in a very easy-to-use package that results in significant productivity gains for Tablet PC users."
MindManager X5 Pro enables Tablet PC users to create searchable, handwritten notes and sketches.

Microsoft Scientists Offer Glimpse of the Future at European ...
PR Newswire

Today at the Microsoft(R) Research and Innovation Fair, Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) showcased a number of innovations under development by scientists in the company's global research labs and with partners throughout Europe.

Advancing the State of the Art At the fair, researchers from the Berlin University of Technology and Microsoft Research Cambridge demonstrated the Visual Robot Development Kit (VRDK), a graphical programming language that makes the development of robotic applications easy enough to teach in school. Featuring a simple graphical editor that can be used with a mouse and keyboard or Tablet PC, the VRDK helps inspire future engineers by enabling them to easily program "toy" robots to perform simple tasks and control them using a PC or Windows Mobile(TM)-based Smartphone.

Established in 1997, the Microsoft Research Cambridge lab has already made significant contributions to a wide range of products such as the Tablet PC and the Xbox(R) game system.

B&W Launches Revolutionary New Brand
HiddenWires

-Command Technology Leverages Fast-Spreading Home-Network Infrastructure To Give Custom-Install Experts Unprecedented Power and Flexibility

The i-Command Integrated Control System is a patent-pending technology that works through standard Ethernet networking to control home audio and video components, multiroom media systems, lighting, projectors, screens, motorized drapes, peripherals, and more, eliminating the clutter of multiple remote controls, expensive wiring, and complex programming. The system combines the ease of an icon-based touch screen with the power of computer networking, giving flawless one-button system operation.

The heart of the i-Command system is the i-Node(TM) deviceÑno larger than a deck of playing cardsÑwhich attaches to the RS-232 port found on most components which the consumer desires to operate with a one-touch control system. This can be done via an i-Command touch panel or other available wireless PDAs, tablet-PCs, laptop, desktop PCs, or any wired or wireless product that provides a Web-browser window. Motorized devices or components such as some VCRs or cable boxes without an RS-232 port can utilize the ir-Node(TM), an infrared module which sends the infrared equivalent of a serial RS-232 command to each component in the system.

Additional i-Command products include a wireless (touch screen) TabletÑa fully featured Tablet PC pre-configured with a full-screen application optimized for home theater and distributed audio control.

Active Ink Software Releases a New Version of Their form Design Software for the Tablet PC
Emediawire

Software Developer releases a new version of their form design software product for the Tablet PC with support for pen input.

Active Ink Software has released version 2.0 of their Form Designer for the Tablet PC, with support for Microsoft’s Windows® XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 operating system. This new version was designed for people who want to build electronic forms and use the Tablet PC as a pen input device.

The Tablet PC as an Input Device

Active Ink’s Form Designer creates digital forms for use on the Tablet PC. An electronic pen is used to enter data and the handwriting ink is then converted into a digital format. If the converted text is recognized incorrectly, a Correction Panel is used to edit the text.

“Tablet PC owners will now be able to ink enable both paper and electronic documents and derive a whole new level of productivity out of their Tablet PC.”

SigmaTel Brings C-Major Audio into the Mobile Workplace in Motion Motion Computing Tablet PCs
Business Wire

SigmaTel, Inc. (Nasdaq:SGTL), a leader in analog intensive, mixed-signal integrated circuits today reiterates its commitment to the portable electronics market. Through a tablet PC design win with Motion Computing, SigmaTel C-Major(TM) codecs provide high quality audio and advanced audio features for highly mobile work environments.

The M1400 tablet PC offered by Motion Computing provides features that allow mobile professionals to be productive while on the go. The SigmaTel STAC9758 C-Major 6-channel audio codec drives the audio subsystem and enables unique audio features specifically needed in ultra mobile environments.

Motion Computing Speak Anywhere(TM) technology provides advanced voice input and recording capability. With the SigmaTel audio codec and Knowles Acoustics' IntelliSonic(TM) Speech Enhancement Software, the M1400 offers dual-array microphones built into the screen bezel, providing echo cancellation, background noise suppression and more. As Voice-Over-IP (VOIP) grows in popularity and as wireless networks become more numerous and robust, systems such as the Motion tablet will provide a more economic and efficient method for audio communication for the highly mobile worker.

September 24, 2004

Executive Eye candy.. 
TabletPc2.com -click above for more photos

The new NEC VersaPro

Weighing only 1.9 pounds and 11mm thick

Once you have it in your hands you'll never want to let go

Unfortunatly NEC has no plans to ship this model to the United States.

PCTEL's RF Solutions Group Showcases New Products at the 3GSM Asia World Congress
Business Wire

PCTEL, Inc. a global leader in simplifying mobility, announced today that its RF Solutions Group is demonstrating a number of its new products at the 3GSM Asia 2004 World Congress (September 27 - October 1) in the Suntec Convention & Exhibition Center, Singapore, Booth B7.

PCTEL's RF Solutions Group will also demonstrate its new release of the InSite(TM) Wireless Test System, which features a complete indoor measurement solution. The added indoor support includes a Tablet PC, a new battery pack, and a carrying pouch, making InSite a compact and easy-to-use indoor site survey tool. When used along with the SeeGull(TM) TX WCDMA UMTS Transmitter, the InSite(TM) Wireless Test System provides a complete and very cost-effective solution for deploying indoor WCDMA networks.

Trade exhibit set to feature top 3C devices
eTaiwan News

Technophiles looking for bargains will have a field day at a 3C consumer show at the Taipei World Trade Center starting this weekend.

Some of the devices that were expected to make a splash at the show included Tatung's Tablet PC "Tangy" and Samsung's V6 digital camera.

Equipped with Microsoft's "digital ink" extensions to Windows XP, "Tangy" was available in two models, the 440 and the 830. The tablet could run without a keyboard, and offered wireless connectivity options including Bluetooth and WiFi. The Tablet PC also has one-touch access buttons for power on/off, landscape/portrait rotation, email, browser, brightness, and scroll up/down.

Don’t File in Triplicate: Use Eforms
EContent

InfoPath is both a rich form designer and the end-user client for filling out InfoPath forms. A major upgrade, expected during the second half of 2004, will be part of Office 2003 SP1. InfoPath SP1 will include functional enhancements, better security, and faster performance. It allows changes to the underlying XML schema used to develop the forms already deployed, better Tablet PC support, and rich support for InfoPath forms in Visual Studio.Net. Microsoft has also begun releasing Office Solution Accelerators, using InfoPath and other Office products, for focused applications like Sarbanes-Oxley compliance. If you emphasize integration with Microsoft products, are attracted to Microsoft's Office Solution Accelerators, or are willing to purchase and manage InfoPath clients and licenses as well as Microsoft security in general, look closely at InfoPath.

September 27, 2004

Tablet PC user interface appears in English after you update to Windows XP Service Pack 2
microsoft

Microsoft develops robot language
VNUNet.com

Microsoft has lifted the lid on new technology it is currently developing, including a graphical programming language that allows people to control robots with a smartphone.

It features a simple graphical editor that can be used with a mouse and keyboard or Tablet PC to program robots to perform simple tasks, and control them using a PC or Windows Mobile-based smartphone.

Acer expands vision with product launch
IT Week

The firm has entered the digital camera market, boosted its projector, LCD monitor and tablet PC ranges, and said it will work with Computer Associates on anti-virus provisioning.

Acer also bolstered its current tablet PC range from two to four, and defended the platform, which constituted less than one per cent of laptop sales in EMEA, according to recent Canalys figures. Acer's tablet sales are relatively high, at between two and four per cent of its laptop sales.

"Microsoft developed the tablet platform on Acer," Cook claimed. "We took the lion's share of the business when it launched. Three years on, I think you will see just about every laptop with a touch-screen option."

"Tablets run at a premium - even at Acer - and there's not that many applications," he said. "I'd also be a bit concerned about desktops. There are plenty of vendors that have gone before Acer in bringing PCs to the market and got murdered."

Allchin To OEMs: Create Computing Experiences
CRN

Microsoft's Windows platform chief Jim Allchin last week told 50 top-tier OEMs to think more like custom-system builders

Microsoft has been moving down this development path for some time, with specialized versions of Windows including Windows XP Embedded, Pocket PC Phone, Tablet PC and Media Center, Allchin said. And he said other new Windows footprints are coming. Allchin said some system builders are doing customizations but only a minority have accomplished what he is suggesting. Work done by system builders in crafting specialty music and gaming platforms is also a step in the right direction, he said. Examples that apply to the business world could include a ruggedized notebook for real-estate agents.

September 28, 2004

  Motion Lightweight Bump Case
motioncomputing

Its no secret that a certain bumb case is a TabletPc2.com favorite.  So we think it's very exciting that Motion now offers one for their Motion Tablet PC's

While I havent tried this one yet, I can tell you from experience, that bump case's are a personal favorite with good reason.

A bump case is not a replacement for a good case that protects your Tablet PC as well as it's screen.  But it is handy and convient when when your running from place to palce, using your tablet and want it instantly accessible, which makes it a TabletPC2.com favorite.

Designed for users on-the-go, the Motion Lightweight Bump Case provides additional protection from every day bumps and scrapes without adding significant weight or bulk. The molded padded foam case provides extra protection with a trim, professional appearance. Easy access has been provided to the tablet’s navigational buttons, fingerprint reader, LEDs, ports, and power switch. Different from the Motion Slip Case, the display area is not covered - thus providing direct access to the tablet’s display. For added mobility and flexibility, the Lightweight Bump Case includes an X-hand strap on the back of the case to support use while walking or standing, a carrying handle mounted to the top of the case, an exterior pen holder, and a removable shoulder strap.  

Click here to order yours now

Inking the World Wide Web
devx.com

How can you create a Web page that can accept ink input from a Tablet PC and display the results to a visitor? Larry O'Brien considers the possibilities, and offers a solution example. 

The hard part of putting ink on the Web isn't getting your ink-based control to work. It's dealing with security and degrading gracefully on non-Tablet machines and down-level browsers.

So putting ink on the World Wide Web requires some serious consideration: the higher your ambition for functionality, the smaller the audience that will be able to use it without you having to provide a standalone installer. But if you're going to provide a stand-alone installer, why limit yourself to creating a browser plug-in at all? Why not provide a smart client using the complete functionality of WinForms?

But if you create something that can provide an acceptable experience to non-Tablet users (say, by providing a static bitmap of ink), why provide a browser-based control at all? For instance, it's easy to create a blog editor that accepts ink and uploads it as a bitmap that is viewable by anyone (see my article "Programming The Tablet PC--Get Up To Speed Quickly" ).

I don't have easy answers to any of these questions. The solution to me seems to be that you have to consider whether there's a browser-based experience that can be made superior on a Tablet PC and at least marginally useful on a non-Tablet machine.

Searching ink for text is a function of the Tablet PC OS, so short of using a Tablet PC as a server (or, possibly, installing Windows XP Tablet PC Edition in a Virtual PC session running on a server box), we'll have to shelve the idea of server-side search. (On the other hand, you could perform recognition on the client side when an ink-based page is written, and upload both the ink and some form of index that could be used by a server-side component. Perhaps another day…)

Drawing is probably the most obvious function that you might be able to embed in a Web page--Tablet owners can create images, non-Tablet owners will see the result. Let's walk through the steps for the simplest possible such application; it won't have much functionality, but it will lay the foundations for putting ink on the Web.

LG to unveil groundbreaking technology at Gitex 2004
AME Info

In line with its theme for the expo, digital harmony, LG is unveiling products that include the world's largest LCD monitor, the 42-inch LCD monitor, tablet LCD monitors and the multi format external DVD rewriter, the GSA 5120D, as well as mobile phones and tablet PCs.

LG's tablet PC includes an LCD monitor with a digitiser that supports sophisticated graphic design and industrial design applications. LG monitors meet the needs of the most dynamic visual applications, combining versatility, multiple inputs and superior image quality.

Microsoft Home smarter at age 10
Seattle Times

Today, Microsoft is announcing the 10th anniversary of the home, which has a handful of new "scenarios" that could become commonplace in the next five to 10 years.

The home is not open to the public, but more than 10,000 Microsoft customers, business partners and journalists have visited it. Cluts said it has hosted government officials from nearly every country.

In the living room is a mockup of a video game on a network that senses what devices are available to players in the home — a pen-controlled Tablet PC and a digital camera. Players advance through the game by using these devices to complete tasks, including writing down information from the game or taking and downloading pictures of a certain items.

XP SP2 on the Go
Windows IT Pro Network

Tablet PC gets Input Panel and other improvements

Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) is more than a simple roll-up of bug fixes. SP2 includes a series of security and maintenance enhancements--many of which have special significance to mobile users--that amount to a whole new OS release. When preloaded on new Tablet PCs, SP2 is called Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005.

For Tablet PC users, SP2 includes a set of enhancements, including handwriting recognition that's actually good enough to use.

September 29, 2004

Mindjet Founders Win Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2004 Award
Yahoo News

In Ten Years, MindManager Creator Went From Death's Door to Winner of Best Information Technology

Mindjet founder Mike Jetter checked into a cancer hospital for what he feared would be his last battle to survive leukemia. Looking for something to both occupy his mind during his treatment and to serve as a parting gift to the world, Jetter decided to use his skills as a software developer and create a new kind of graphic interface. Ten year later Jetter, his wife and chief operating officer Bettina, and their partner Michael Louis have now been named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year® award winners in the Information Technology category. The award was presented by global professional services firm Ernst & Young last Friday night in Frankfurt, Germany.

MindManager® X5 and X5 Pro are both pen enabled for Tablet PCs. The powerful combination of digital ink and MindManager's classic productivity software allows users to fuse new ideas with existing information

Rural School District Puts Gateway Tablets at Head of Class
Yahoo News

Pocahontas Area Community School Creates Interactive Classrooms With Gateway Tablet PC Technology

High-tech presentation tools are no longer reserved just for corporate boardrooms, sales conferences and trade shows. Today, even schools are getting into the act.

A case in point is Pocahontas Area Community School, a K-12 district serving more than 650 students in Western Iowa, which recently chose tablet PC technology from Gateway to equip its 84 classrooms. The district's teachers are utilizing Gateway M275 tablets, featuring pen input for illustrating and annotating, linked to digital projectors. The new solution has effectively replaced TVs, VCRs, desktop PCs, whiteboards and overhead projectors -- simplifying the classroom, while also increasing the ways in which teachers can present information.

In fact, because the rollout was completed just in time for the 2004 school year, Pocahontas' educators have been able to integrate Gateway(TM) M275s directly into their curriculum. Social science teachers, for example, are using the tablets to guide students through virtual tours of ancient cities with lesson plans created in Microsoft PowerPoint. And math teachers are projecting graphing calculators onto their walls, helping students visualize the answers to tough problems.

Pocahontas Area Community School is also using the Gateway M275 to eliminate educational barriers for home-bound children. Teachers can print out or email all instructional materials, including notes, handouts, PowerPoint decks and streaming video clips to the absent student, enabling him or her to follow lessons in real-time.

Dynamic Field Research Capabilities Announced
Emediawire

I’m tired of using clipboards, paper and pen to collect opinion and facts!” Our clients spoke and we responded according to powerfeedback.com company spokesperson Jose Rodriquez; “our clients needed a much more dynamic and cost effective way to secure opinion in a non-traditional office or web setting. Customary methods of field research are just too slow and cost inefficient for today’s fast paced business environment. As a pioneer and global leader in custom web-based surveys and web applications we knew that we could move our tools to a more portable platform such as Tablet PC’s, Palm Pilots and Windows CE devices and we have done that”.

By taking this action powerfeedback.com’s clients are using portable devices to gather input from participants in settings such as malls, convention centers, racetracks, airports, train stations, city streets as well as hospitals and clinics. Clients have the choice of using their own personnel to conduct the surveys or powerfeedback.com can readily supply energetic and highly skilled data collection experts to do this on their behalf.

Denise Gingold, company President advises that the cost savings to the client are dramatic.

September 30, 2004

ThinkOutside Stowaway Bluetooth Keyboard
widget.co.uk

Widget UK, a leading supplier of mobile accessories, announced the availability in quantity of the Think Outside Stowaway Universal Bluetooth Portable Keyboard, the world’s first portable Bluetooth keyboard for Symbian-based smartphones and Pocket PC handheld handheld computers. Now mobile enthusiasts can talk AND type while on the go – literally anywhere!

The Stowaway Bluetooth Keyboard is the perfect productivity companion to your smart phone, PDA, Tablet, Media Center PC or notebook – almost any device that has Bluetooth supports this hot new product! With its genuine full-size keyboard with18 mm spacing, the Stowaway Bluetooth Keyboard allows you to quickly type email, memos, or surf the web in optimum comfort. The sleek, award winning, patented folding design is featured in the Design Collection at Museum of Modern Art in New York. Its unique design allows it to easily fit in a pocket or purse, so you can take it everywhere, yet opens to a full size keyboard when you need it

LABS: Tablet PCs
pcpro.co.uk

We test eight of the latest tablet PCs to find the most versatile contenders

It's been a tough four years for tablet PCs. Ever since Bill Gates showed off the first prototype at Comdex, they've been attacked by naysayers: analysts, journalists and even Microsoft's partners. But the people who actually bought tablet PCs soon realised that a combination of a screen you can write on and Windows XP brought a new dimension to computing.

To be fair, some of that early criticism was justified. A combination of high prices and poor performance is never tempting to the prospective buyer. However, the difference in price between tablets and regular laptops has now come down to the point where they're a realistic option, even when the amount of work you'll be doing in tablet mode is relatively little. And note that the prices of the eight test machines here start at just £799.

What's notable about all these tablets is their diversity. Although they tend to follow the two general forms of tablet PC - slate (without a keyboard) and convertible, (where you can use the machine in laptop mode or fold the screen over the keyboard to form a tablet) - manufacturers have made some very different design choices in an attempt to make the perfect tablet. Processors range from an 800MHz Transmeta Crusoe through to a 1.6GHz Intel Pentium M, while screen size covers everything from 8in to 14.1in.

This means that, if you're considering a tablet, there's a model here that's likely to suit both your pocket and your needs. Read on to discover which offers the best balance of price, features, and adherence to the tablet PC ethos of mobility and ease of use. And turn to p138 to discover exactly what benefits and applications come with this new form of computer.

PowerToy: Microsoft Physics Illustrator for Tablet PC
microsoft.com

Microsoft Physics Illustrator for Tablet PC

A motion simulator for the Tablet PC that demonstrates physics by using objects that are drawn by the user

Bring your drawings to life with the Physics Illustrator, a motion simulator for the Tablet PC. Simply draw two-dimensional bodies, connect them in various ways and apply forces, then watch as animation makes the bodies move, collide, and interact.

Q&A: VIA Technologies’ Embedded Processor Platform
DigiTimes

We are seeing a growing number of interesting applications that can best be handled by Thin Clients. Hospitals are among the early adopters where, for example, information about patients can be collected on a mobile Thin Client such as a Tablet PC and uploaded to a central database over a wireless network, so that other professionals in the hospital can access it immediately from anywhere in the area. Other big Thin-Client users include hotels that offer video-on-demand services to digital-media clients in each room from a central digital-media server, and financial service providers, such as banks, that are attracted to the added level of security provided by Thin Clients.

Web www.TabletPc2.com