By Steve Niles
Enterprise hardware for the Palm OS was on display at this year's TECHXNY (formerly PC Expo, held in New York City from June 26-28, 2001 at the Jacob Javits Center. The vast majority of hardware solutions I encountered were designed to increase your mobile connectivity. However, there were also solutions to speed up your data entry, a major part of any job. Let's get right to it and check out the cool technology on display.
Ohfish
Ohfish Communications Inc. (at http://www.Ohfish.com) launched its tri-band GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication) clip-on device M53, which allows you to access various online services from your Palm handheld.
Ohfish will deliver two versions of the tri-band device, M53. One works with Palm V, Palm Vx, and IBM WorkPads; the other works with the new Palm m500 and Palm m505. While the current device is using the familiar Palm OS software working on GSM network, Ohfish's next line of products will aim at working with GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) system and CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) networks.
Xircom
Xircom was in attendance to show off their Xircom Wireless LAN Module for Palm Handhelds (at http://www.xircom.com/cda/page/0,1298,0-0-1_1-1730,00.html), which provides wireless access to the Web, email, and network resources. It's pictured in Figure A.
FIGURE A
The Xircom Wireless LAN Module for Palm Handhelds allows you to access information on your 802.11b.
Axis
Axis Communications (at http://www.axis.com) announced its collaboration with Palm, Inc. The goal of this agreement is to enable Palm handheld users to wirelessly connect to a local Bluetooth network powered by the AXIS 9010 Bluetooth Access Point. It's pictured in Figure B.
FIGURE B
The AXIS 9010 Bluetooth Access Point can act as a hub for your corporate communications. (click for larger image)
The companies also plan to engage in mutually beneficial business development efforts and marketing activities to tout the benefits of creating network "hot spots," wireless LAN (Local Area Network), in locations such as offices, airports and retail stores.
CardScan
Corex Technologies Corporation announced the release of the CardScan 600c color scanner (at http://www.cardscan.com) with Version 6 software. CardScan, pictured in Figure C, is a cool gadget that uses extensive internal algorithms to read and sort business card information into the correct fields of an electronic PC-based address book.
FIGURE C
CardScan makes entering your business cards easy. (click for larger image)
The information automatically synchronizes with Outlook, Palm Desktop, and several other personal information managers.
The new CardScan features a completely redesigned scanner and CardScan.Net, which allows you to access contacts on a secure private server from any Web browser. You can also make use of AutoMap, which lets you click on a contact's address, and CardScan takes you directly to MapQuest, automatically providing a map of the area. There's also Signature Card, which lets you personalize outgoing Outlook emails by inserting an image of your own business card as a signature.
