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Worldwide personal digital assistant (PDA) shipments totaled a record 14.9 million units in 2005, a 19 percent increase from 2004, according to Gartner, Inc. The 2005 results topped the previous record of 13.2 million PDAs shipped worldwide in 2001. Research In Motion (RIM) became the No. 1 PDA vendor based on worldwide shipments in 2005 (see first chart) as it accounted for 21.4 percent of total shipments. Its shipments in 2005 increased 47 percent from 2004. These results do not include an estimated 858,000 BlackBerry smartphones shipped in 2005, which Gartner classifies separately because of their voice-centric design. “RIM does not appear to be losing much momentum despite its legal problems and the threat of an injunction,” said Todd Kort, principal analyst in Gartner’s Computing Platforms Worldwide group. “Generally, BlackBerry users are staying put because of the high cost of switching, lack of suitable alternative devices, and the low probability of BlackBerry service being shut down.” Palm shipped 2.77 million PDAs in 2005, down 25 percent from 2004 shipments. These results exclude Palm’s Treo smartphone shipments of 1.95 million units in 2005. Palm regained the PDA market lead in the fourth quarter of 2005 with 1.04 million units shipped, reflecting the traditionally strong consumer PDA sales associated with the holiday season. “Consumer sales in the fourth quarter enabled Palm to surpass RIM and HP, but we expect RIM will recapture the lead in the first quarter of 2006 as consumer PDA purchases subside,” Mr. Kort said. “Palm’s PDA sales are being cannibalized by its Treo smartphones, which are expected to surpass Palm’s PDA shipments in 2006.” Microsoft Windows CE was the No. 1 PDA operating system (OS) in 2005 as 7.05 million PDAs were loaded with the OS, up 33 percent from 2004 shipments of 5.28 million units. Palm OS PDA shipments declined 34 percent to 2.96 million units in 2005. Gartner defines a PDA as a data-centric handheld computer weighing less than one pound that is primarily designed for use with both hands. These devices use an open market operating system supported by third-party applications that can be added into the device by end users. They offer instant on/off capability and synchronization of files with a PC. A PDA may offer WAN support for voice, but these are data-first, voice-second devices. Additional information is available in the Gartner report “Dataquest Alert: Record 14.9 Million PDAs Shipped in 2005, Up 19 Percent Over 2004.”

NEC is set to launch the Visual On-demand Tool of Life (VoTol) media player. A ‘cool’ portable device that shows its battery status via a moving water level. Now who says watching your player’s battery meter is boring?Of course, that’s not all there is to the VOTOL PK-MV300. It features a compact design, measuring just 123x61x18mm, and has an impressive 2.7-inch QVGA display. Its 188g weight complements its small and portable architecture. Switching or selecting functions is as uncomplicated as its design. The cap on top of the unit can be turned to shift between functions.NEC’s new device supports a wide array of media files too. The VoToL can play MPEG2, MPEG4 (SP/ASP), andWMV9 (DRM10 support) videos. It also recognizes a variety of audio formats such as WMA (DRM10 support), MP3, WAV, AAC, and Ogg Vorbis. It can also display still images in GIF, PNG, JPEG, and BMP file formats through its integrated photo viewer.The VOTOL has a 30GB capacity. Its SD card slot provides a convenient way to expand data space. This unit is NEC’s answer to the Apple iPod. Its debut is slated on March in Japan. The company has not made any announcement yet if it will deploy the media player in North America and Europe but unit price is set at 39,000 Yen (approx. US $332). via mobilemag.com

“Tatung is ready to ship the M1 Smartphone Platform to the European markets through selected distributors and ODM partners while Tatung declined yet to name these distributors and ODM partners. However, the platform should be available with specific IDs to differentiate the two distribution channels, but the overall functionalities are M1 is a Windows Mobile 5 platform that offers quad band GSM communication and GPRS Class B multi-slot class 12 data together with up to date features like Bluetooth 1.2 with A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile) for stereo wireless headsets and speakers, 1.3 megapixel camera for pictures and videos usable for wireless messaging – all in a compact and lightweight form factor” Read more here:

Grundig Mobile has introduced its cell phone Grundig X5000. It’s a clamshell with the rotating LCD. The peculiar feature about it is an integrated 6-megapixel camera with 4x zoom, flash and video capture. It supports 22 shooting modes, including night shot, landscape, pavilion and so on. At the same time the user can choose between normal and macro modes.It’s possible to adjust resolution, contrast and exposure. You can snap video with QVGA or VGA resolution at 30 fps, the clip length is limited with the memory size onboard and storage card. Besides the phone has an MP3-player, equalizer with 6 modes and TV-out. The specs of Grundig X5000:
Standards – GSM (900/1800/1900 MHz) and GPRS class 10
Internal 2” TFT LCD, 640×240 pixels, 16M colors
External 1” OLED LCD, 96×64 pixels, 65K colors
6-megapixel camera
MP3-player
64-tones polyphony
20 MB of internal memory
Slot for miniSD cards
TV-out and USB
Wap
SMS, EMS and MMS
Li-Ion battery
Talk time – 4 hours
Standby time – 150 hours
Dimensions – 89x46x23 mm
Weight – 118 g via mobile-review.com

Datel is now also offering a 4GB hard-drive with media player for the Nintendo DS. Because the Nintendo DS lacks media player features Datel added them to a 4GB hard-drive. The Max Media Player for the Nintendo DS plugs into the game slot. After insert the media browser appears and you can play the stored MP3 audio files and videos and view JPEG photos. Via USB you can upload media files onto the 4GB HDD to have them available on the Nintendo DS.The 4GB Max Media Player for the Nintendo DS is available for pre-order on Lik-Sang for $179. It is supposed to ship in March. Visit Lik-Sang for more details on the Nintendo DS hard-drive. via i4u.com

You have to make groups of 3 or more balls of the same color. These groups must be made next to a pipe. Paint balls by tapping on them. When you click on the ball you wish to paint, the ball changes color and the group gets sucked into the pipe. –14/Feb/2006 UPDATE (1.2) —* Crashes and errors 100% fixed.* Gameplay much faster.* Treo 700w tuned (And all other 240×240 PPC)* Windows Mobile 2005 tuned.* Support for 480×480 resolutions.* Bug fixed in CAB installer.* ‘Mute sound’ icon in gameClick here to watch Paintball 2 video reviewClick here for more:

ACCESS and PalmSource, today announced the ACCESS Linux Platform (ALP), the latest evolution of Palm OS for Linux. The ACCESS Linux Platform is designed to be an integrated, open and flexible Linux-based platform tailored for smartphones and mobile devices. The platform combines Palm OS for Linux with the NetFront browser and open source linux components. ACCESS’ goal is to have ALP become the platform of choice for the development of high volume, feature rich smartphones and mobile devices for high performance networks, including 2.5G and 3G, worldwide. ALP is designed to provide a complete, consistent and customizable solution for handset and mobile device manufacturers and mobile operators. ACCESS and PalmSource expect to make the ALP Software Developer Kit (SDK) available to its licensees by the end of this year (2006). “We believe that ALP combines best-in-class open source Linux components with proven mobile technologies developed by PalmSource and ACCESS’ Linux expertise,” said Toru Arakawa, president and CEO of ACCESS, Co., Ltd. “As a commercial-grade, flexible, open, robust and standards-based mobile Linux based platform, ALP is designed to provide handset manufacturers with faster time-to-market while supporting the goal of operators to offer revenue-generating services, applications and content.” ACCESS Linux PlatformAn open and flexible software platform – Major components of ALP include: Standard, commercial-grade Linux kernel – version 2.6.12 and above Optimized implementation of GIMP ToolKit (GTK+) – popular open source libraries for the creation of graphical user interfaces GStreamer – an open source, modular and multi-threaded streaming media framework SQLite – a high-performance database engine commonly used in embedded devices Where appropriate, open source components used in ALP are extended and certified by the Company. For example, ACCESS and PalmSource will enhance and certify the open source BlueZ libraries to provide ALP with a Bluetooth 2.0 technology compliant software stack. A number of ACCESS and PalmSource technologies have been incorporated into ALP, including: ACCESS NetFront browser – a proven success with over 200 million deployments in 721 commercial products for more than 30 handset and 90 Internet device manufacturers worldwide PalmSource messaging and telephony middleware – a highly modular and scalable implementation PalmSource mobile applications including PIMs, multimedia, messaging, PalmSource HotSync and Palm Desktop -includes the recognized ease-of-use that users expect By combining ACCESS’ robust NetFront browser platform, its extensive business relationships with over 30 handset vendors and Linux expertise with PalmSource’s advanced operating system, application portfolio, user interface and developer community, the Company believes that ALP will provide the market with a comprehensive yet flexible and integrated commercial-grade Linux based solution for the mobile market. Accelerating innovation – ALP features MAX, an innovative application framework designed by ACCESS and PalmSource to deliver an intuitive, easy-to-use user experience and user interface for smartphones and mobile devices. MAX will seamlessly support the concurrent operation of multiple applications and tasks. It will also provide easy access to background tasks. Designed to deliver a predictable and intuitive navigation model for both one- and two-handed user interface schemes, the MAX framework offers the flexibility to support five-way navigation and two dedicated keys, as well as touch-screen and stylus input mechanisms. Enabling customization – In addition to the MAX application framework, ALP is designed to support the existing Palm Powered Economy, the J2ME developer community and the open source community. This flexibility in choosing application models and user experiences enables handset manufacturers and operators to customize their offerings. Providing new opportunities for developers – The mobile Linux market is expected to grow from shipments of 3.5 million in 2005 to 28.1 million by 2010, according to the industry analyst firm Informa*. This presents new opportunities for both Palm OS and Linux third-party developers. ALP has been designed to ensure that properly written Palm OS 68K applications will run unchanged. We believe that this compatibility will enable PalmSource’s robust community of over 420,000 registered developers to potentially reach new customers and markets. In addition, ALP, because it includes open source components including GTK and GStreamer, can support a wide variety of third party Linux applications and services. ACCESS and PalmSource plan to provide the developer community with development tools and SDKs to enable them to port existing applications and develop new applications for ALP. Building a Mobile Linux Ecosystem – Much like PalmSource gave rise to the Palm Powered Economy, ACCESS and PalmSource are focused on enriching the broader Mobile Linux Ecosystem. The first step in this mission is to make ALP is the most service-ready platform for smartphones and mobile devices by providing leading mobile operators the opportunity to collaborate with ACCESS and PalmSource and integrate their feedback and requirements into the ALP development efforts. Secondly, ACCESS and PalmSource will work closely with leading developers to optimize their applications to run on the ALP platform. We believe that doing these things will help build and grow a robust mobile Linux ecosystem that benefits developers, operators and handset manufacturers while providing end users with a wide range of applications to meet the needs of a diverse range of industries and consumers. Contributing to the Open Source Community – ACCESS and PalmSource have contributed Open Binder, a component object framework, similar in general concept to DCOM and CORBA, but better scaled for use on small devices. Open Binder provides a unique inter-process communication (IPC) paradigm implemented as a kernel-loadable driver, and incorporates a broad range of programmatic utility classes and frameworks. PalmSource and ACCESS have released the Binder driver and its associated frameworks to the open source community. For more information, see www.openbinder.org. Industry Comments on the ACCESS Linux Platform”The Linux Phone Standards (LiPS) Forum is dedicated toward specifying an application development environment for Linux based mobile, fixed and convergence phones that will enable developers to write applications and have them run on any LiPS compliant phone profile,” said Haila Wang, president and chairman of LiPS. “PalmSource/ACCESS is a leading contributor to LiPS and its new ACCESS Linux Platform embraces this philosophy. This approach will help handset makers and operators to bring phones to the market more quickly and at lower cost.” “NTT DoCoMo has been a pioneer in the Linux mobile phone market since it began shipping the Linux-based FOMA 3G handset. To date, millions of the FOMA 3G handsets have been shipped, which we believe demonstrates the strength and potential of the Linux-mobile phone market,” said Dr. Kiyohito Nagata, Ph.D., vice president and managing director, Product and Service Division, NTT DoCoMo. “We are excited about the ACCESS Linux Platform and expect ACCESS and PalmSource to lead further development of the Linux-based phone and application market.” “Samsung is looking carefully at the ACCESS Linux Platform powered by PalmSource. We hope that customers can enjoy an enhanced multimedia experience through flexible and open Linux operating systems,” stated Kitae Lee, president of Telecommunication Network Business of Samsung Electronics. “We will adapt the advanced technology faster than any others and keep providing customers with a variety of choices of technologies.” “Wind River shares ACCESS’ commitment to helping handset manufacturers and operators provide their customers with a powerful, easy-to-use mobile phone,” said Kevin Curry, strategic alliance manager at Wind River. “We believe that the ACCESS Linux Platform is a natural extension to Wind River’s device software platform and development suite offering.”

Sony Ericsson announces a Walkman music phone supporting UMTS. The Sony Ericsson W950 Walkman phone features a 4GB hard-drive and a touch screen. The new Walkman phone is thin, sleek and compact and finished in Mystic Purple, fingerprint-proof matt with orange accents. With the 4GB hard-drive users can manage up to 4,000 songs. The supplied Disc2Phone music management software is necessary to transfer music files from a PC to the W950. Supported music file format are MP3, AAC, AAC+, E-AAC+, WAV and m4a. A 2.6 inch QVGA screen presents the rich user interface. Other features of the W950 include FM radio with RDS, Graphical equalizer and Mega Bass, Speakerphone, Bluetooth, USB 2.0 and the full HTML browser Opera 8. The new 3G Walkman phone measures 106 x 54 x 15 mm and weighs 112gThe Sony Ericsson W950 is a Dual Mode UMTS Walkman phone starts shipping during Q3 2006. More details in this Sony Ericsson press-release. W950 Variants: W950i – Dual mode UMTS (2100MHz) – GPRS 900/1800/1900 for Europe, Asia Pacific,Middle East, Africa W950c – Dual mode UMTS (2100MHz) – GPRS 900/1800/1900 for Mainland China (launch for mainland China dependent on availability of 3G services.) via i4u.com

“EF91 is unusually big and can be felt in one’s hands – this comes into conflict with the manufacturers’ aspiration to introduce “slim” handsets. The device has the dimensions of 92 х 46.5 х 23.5 mm, and weighs 100 grammas. Following the rule, the phone supports all three GSM bands and can operate within UMTS-networks. The device has an external 65K OLED display with the resolution of 96 х 64 pixels. The internal QVGA display (240×320 pixels) is capable of reflecting up to 262k of colors. Those who are keen on high-tech will be pleased to know that the model is equipped with a built in 3.2 mpx camera and a “flash gun”. The second VGA camera won’t help you much unless you’re having a video call.” Read more about Benq-siemens here:

It’s desktop computing at the palm of your hands.Microsoft has just unveiled the i-mate PDA-N, its latest Pocket PC that is loaded with features that are usually associated with bigger devices. The new handheld has a trendy design that is amplified by its metal gray coat. Its compact architecture also belies the multitude of functions that it is capable of. At the centerpiece of the model is a clear 64k full color QVGA touch screen that has a 240×320-pixel resolution.The device runs on Windows Mobile 5 and is powered by a Samsung 300Mhz chip. Memory capacity is not limited to its 128MB ROM since its SDIO/MMC card slot allows convenient expansion.The i-mate PDA-N’s GPS capability makes it a great tool for spotting and for being spotted. However, it has no loaded mapping program. It does have an impressive software package though. The inclusion of important Microsoft Office components in the device such as Word Mobile, Excel Mobile, and PowerPoint Mobile makes it a virtual and versatile mobile workstation. The unit’s Internet Explorer and MSN Messenger provide a great complement to the Wi-Fi connectivity that it has. Read the press release here: via mobilemag.com