The global market for handheld devices <A HREF="http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1040_22-5430683.html?tag=zdnn.alert">continues to dwindle,</A> according to data released by IDC this week. The industry has recorded a year-over-year fall for the third successive quarter, the researcher said. IDC attributed the dip to a drop in shipments from PalmOne and to the gradual withdrawal of Sony from the U.S. market.