The Amber Alert system used by police to let the public know when a child is missing is being expanded to cell phones. The wireless industry announced Tuesday that subscribers can receive text messages on their phones when an alert is issued. The service is available in every state and is free to subscribers of most major cellular carriers.

Today, palmOne is introducing the LifeDrive mobile manager, a product that fuses business productivity tools and entertainment applications. Designed for people with a significant volume of digital information, the LifeDrive mobile manager offers 4GB of hard-drive storage (3.85GB user available), a large 320×480 high-resolution color screen, and wireless access through built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless technologies. The 4GB Hitachi Microdrive weighs less than a AA battery, is smaller than a matchbook and transfers data 30 percent faster than the previous-generation Microdrive. With support for native Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Adobe Acrobat Reader, LifeDrive smart file management makes it easy for users to carry and access thousands of files. Flash memory keeps information safely intact, even if the device loses its charge, and 128-bit encryption keeps valuable data safely secure when invoked. Password protection safeguards access to the device, while the Private Records function protects specific files, even when the rest of the mobile manager is unlocked. An optional Intrusion Protection function erases all data and returns the device to factory settings after a user-specified number of failed break-ins. palmOne is working with T-Mobile to ensure a good hotspot experience for LifeDrive customers to access the world’s largest public Wi-Fi network. T-Mobile is providing a free 30-day trial offer for LifeDrive owners. The LifeDrive mobile manager from palmOne has an estimated U.S. street price of $499.

BoxWave’s Armor Case is a form-fitting, aluminum metal case designed to protect your Dell Axim X50 from everyday wear and tear. The interior is padded with a thin layer of foam that holds your device securely in place. Accessible openings give quick access to stylus, headphone jack, and charging/synchronization port. The Armor Case includes a simple-to-use detachable belt clip and two SD card holders.

Universal Studios has become the latest studio to release movies specifically for the Sony PlayStation Portable, a handheld game device that also plays movies in a special format. Universal said Monday it will release six titles on Universal Media Disc (UMD), the proprietary format devised by Sony for the PSP. Sony, The Walt Disney Co. and Twentieth Century Fox have previously said they will release films on the miniature disc. Initially the studios are releasing films that appeal to young males, the audience most likely to buy the portable games device.

BoxWave’s Armor Case is a form-fitting, aluminum metal case designed to protect your i-Mate JAM from everyday wear and tear. This lightweight case has an interior padding of foam that holds your device securely in place but still allows you easy access to your stylus, headphone jack, IR port and charging/synchronization port. A special cutout design for the screen displays the caller’s phone number when you receive a call.

Michael O’Farrell, Chief Marketing Officer of Diversinet, will be making a presentation on mobile security at the 2005 Wireless and Mobile WorldExpo, National Trade Center at Exhibition Place, Toronto, Ontario on Thursday, May 19, 2005 from 1:30 p.m.-2:10 p.m. This session will outline user identity security gaps and complexities, identify industry solutions for mobile-optimized strong authentication, and profile mobile authentication solutions to allow the enterprise and individual user to protect their data and online identity when engaging in online access and commerce using any mobile device. The presentation will include key insights to the initiative for Open AuTHentication (OATH), Liberty Alliance Project and Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) industry perspectives on strong authentication for the mobile mass-market.

NS BASIC announced the winners of its 2005 Programming Contest. This year, there were a wide variety of entries from developers all over the world. NS Basic allows developers who program with tools such as Visual Basic to use their experience to develop applications for handheld devices. NS Basic is a complete, powerful environment enabling the development of applications for the enterprise, business, personal productivity and education. It includes features such as databases, net, serial and IR communications, signature capture and more.

SYWARE announced Hewlett-Packard iPAQ h6315 users can enjoy the benefits of running SYWARE’s Visual CE software on their Pocket PCs. SYWARE empowers mobile users to collect data and create feature-rich database applications that can be deployed on any Windows Mobile Pocket PC or Windows CE device–wherever they need to work. SYWARE allows users in a wide variety of market sectors to mobilize business information between the enterprise and the field to rapidly convert PC or paper-based processes into fully mobile applications that can be deployed on any Microsoft Windows Mobile Pocket PC or Windows CE device. Business or user-specific data can be downloaded, collected, displayed, modified and automatically synchronized. SYWARE enables users to create feature-rich, easy-to-use database applications without programming. SYWARE solutions enable users to build applications, on desktops or handhelds, 10x faster than other market alternatives.

DataViz announced a free update to Passwords Plus, a software application that safely stores personal information, such as Web logins, credit card numbers and frequent flyer info, on desktop computers and Palm OS handheld or smartphone devices. This updated version includes a new search tool on the handheld which provides a convenient way for users to locate records based on specific data. In addition, Passwords Plus can now randomly generate passwords making the creation of new passwords quick and easy. This new feature allows users to create passwords based on a combination of numeric, lower or upper case letters and symbols, thus creating more secure passwords.

SmartVideo has announced the launch of the Digital Music Video Network (DMV Network) as part of its mobile television service. Unlike the other content currently available to consumers for a $12.95 monthly subscription, the DMV Network is a FREE, fully ad-supported network that will not require consumers to pay any monthly subscription, all one needs is a cell phone with Web access and a Windows Media Player, RealPlayer or similar application. On 3G cellular networks, are streamed (not downloaded) straight to the handset at a minimum of 24 frames per second (FPS); and on current 2.5G networks at a minimum of 15FPS.