In the ongoing mystery that is PR peoples’ minds, we find, from time-to-time, weird promotions that make no sense. In fact, one of my many fourth-tier goals is to create a site called the “Bad PR Hall of Shame,” just to showcase some of this bad PR. Now, this isn’t just because bad PR is fun to pick on. It’s worse. Small companies (and some large) often spend a lot of money on PR agencies and while we’ve had the pleasure of working with many great PR agencies, some others are very, very bad. I hate seeing hard-working developers squander their marketing budget on bad PR. But I digress.

Today, we got a letter in the mail marked “personal and confidential”. Inside was a press release about something called TUT (yeah, we don’t know either). And it had two pens. No software, no hardware, no Web links, just your typical promotional-grade pens. They’re nice pens. Denise claimed the pink one and I got the yellow one. So to the folks who wanted PR for “TUT”, here it is. Bask in the joy of knowing you got press. And, someday, let us know what the heck you’re trying to promote. — DG

NS BASIC Corporation announced the availability of NS Basic/CE 6.0 on the Palm Treo 700w smartphone. NS Basic/CE is a VB-like development tool. It allows you to create applications on a Windows desktop computer which will run on Windows CE devices, now including the Palm Treo 700w smartphone. A unique feature of the development tool is that it can also be used on the device itself. With the 700w’s alpha keyboard, complex applications can be effectively created and debugged directly on the unit.

SanDisk announced that Verizon Wireless Communications Stores will sell SanDisk’s newest and highest capacity flash memory cards for mobile phones in anticipation of consumer demand for Verizon Wireless’ new V CAST Music service. SanDisk is unveiling a microSD card with a 1GB capacity. Originally developed by SanDisk and formerly known as TransFlash, the fingernail-sized card will be able to store up to 32 hours of WMA-compressed music–or approximately 480 songs–downloaded from Verizon Wireless’ V CAST Music service to compatible phones. SanDisk also expanded its mobile line by introducing a SanDisk 2GB miniSD card with the aim of accommodating consumers’ increasing demand for accessing photos, music, and video on their phone.

Royal Consumer Information Products announced the launch of a brand new category of innovative USB 2.0 Flash/Jump drives with a scrollable window display enabling consumers to view stored file names without a computer connection. On-the-go consumers can now easily ensure they are traveling with the right storage disks. With a built-in, scrolling two-line display, the EZVue Vista series makes it easy for consumers to quickly see the names of the stored files. Files are viewed within their respective directories or subdirectories that are clearly identified on the display. Royal EZVue Vista Drives will be available in memory sizes of 128MB, 256MB, 512MB, and 1GB. For those consumers who prefer the versatility of external SD card data storage, Royal will also introduce the Royal EZVue Vista SD Card Reader/Writer. This new model redefines the external SD card reader category since it also includes Royal’s 2-line EZVue scrolling display.

The round-the-clock availability that cell phones and pagers have brought to people’s lives may be taking a toll on family life, a new study suggests. The study, which followed more than 1,300 adults over 2 years, found that those who consistently used a mobile phone or pager throughout the study period were more likely to report negative “spillover” between work and home life–and, in turn, less satisfaction with their family life.

A Scottish university is testing solar-powered streetlights that also deliver wireless Internet access. The Project Starsight technology is being tested as part of a deal between Compliance Technology, a company based in Fife, Scotland, and the Abertay Center for the Environment at the University of Abertay in Dundee. The solar panels provide a free energy source for the streetlight and also for the Wi-Fi or WiMax connection.

You probably haven’t wondered whether the United States government will someday tax your virtual winnings from games played over the Internet, have you? The real question is, why hasn’t it happened already? Gamers who play EverQuest, an online game with 450,000 subscribers generate in their virtual world the kind of imaginary economic activity that can be measured in real-world terms like “gross domestic product.” If you look at online marketplaces like eBay, you will find a thriving, multimillion-dollar market in Golden Runic Hammers, Ethereal Mounts, and similarly exotic items in this or that MMO quest, and many of them fetching prices in the hundreds, even thousands of dollars. The rules make clear the IRS’s fundamental point: goods taken in trade or won at play are taxable the moment they fall into somebody’s hands, even if they are not sold for money.

BoxWave announced the ClearTouch for Treo 700w. The Anti-Glare, as the name reveals, is best known for its anti-glare properties which reduces 99% of UV rays caused by reflected light. It is also popular for its fingerprint free surface and its “matte-finish” that offers a smooth “pen on paper” feel when using your stylus on your screen that many users have come to love. The Crystal is known for its glass-like clarity and 99% visual transparency. It’s so clear that it can’t be noticed on your screen when your device is on. In addition, ClearTouch Crystal even helps to protect your eyes by reducing 99% of UV Rays caused by reflected light. Both the Anti-Glare and Crystal are rewashable and reusable, allowing you to use the ClearTouch for a longer period of time than most regular screen protectors.

It’s easy to get washed away amongst the thousands of gadgets at the annual International Consumer Electronics Show. This year, beyond the ubiquitous cell phones, MP3 players, and plasma TVs, CNN Technology tried to find a few products that seemed unique. In no particular order, here’s a sampling of the shiny objects that caught their eye.

Ever wanted to schedule a repeating task in your Palm handheld? There are a bunch of add-on applications, but for those who don’t want to spend even a few bucks for an add-on solution, Mike Stout’s got a great budget solution.

Read this Computing Unplugged article.