Tango and Research In Motion (RIM) announced plans to introduce BlackBerry in Luxembourg. BlackBerry is a leading wireless solution that keeps mobile professionals connected to people and information with integrated support for voice, email and data applications. BlackBerry will provide Tango subscribers with easy access to email, phone, text messaging, Internet, organizer and corporate data applications from a single device.

As you may have already noticed, we’ve given Computing Unplugged a new look. Although we really grooved on the electric-blue look we had before, we were beginning to feel it didn’t reflect the breadth of coverage we offer, from games, fun, and home entertainment all the way through to very serious enterprise-level applications of mobile technology.

What makes this look all the more exciting is that it incorporates elements from the original Computing Unplugged, colors from our fondly-remembered PalmPower Magazine, and the world logo image from PalmPower’s Enterprise Edition. Since Computing Unplugged grew out of PalmPower and PalmPower’s Enterprise Edition, this homage seems only right.

SplashData announced that its SplashBlog photo-blogging solution for Palm-powered smartphones has been honored by PalmSource, Inc. with a Powered Up Award as the Best Multimedia Solution for Palm OS Handhelds. The Powered Up Awards recognize four of the most innovative Palm OS applications from among the 400,000 Palm OS developers and showcases industry-leading mobile Palm OS applications that utilize the advanced features of Palm Powered smartphones and mobile devices.

The FBI and Department of Homeland Security are objecting to a proposal to permit the use of cellular telephones and other wireless devices on airplanes. Unless telecommunications providers follow a lengthy list of eavesdropping requirements for calls made aloft, the FBI and Homeland Security don’t want cellular or wireless connections to be permitted. In a letter to the Federal Communications Commission sent last Thursday, the police agencies said any rule permitting “in-flight personal wireless telephone use must consider public safety and national security” concerns.

Computer maker Itronix is hoping to see a big bump in sales to outdoor types with the release of a rugged slate-tablet PC that it says can withstand temperature extremes and other harsh conditions. Called the Duo-Touch, the new portable PC will be available next month with a limited three-year warranty and a base price of $3,195. Itronix said it’s focused on selling the computer to mobile professionals who work in industries such as telecommunications, utilities, government and insurance. The name Duo-Touch refers to the company’s redesign on the touch panel that allows users to work with either an active touch screen or a passive touch screen and standard digitizer.

Samsung will be the first laptop maker to incorporate new technology that greatly expands the range of Wi-Fi access and speeds up performance. Samsung is embedding chips from start-up Airgo Networks that use a technology called multiple-input multiple-output, or MIMO, to increase bandwidth, speed and distance range of wireless networks.

An Australian company last week launched a security tool for GSM mobile phones that encrypts transmissions to avoid eavesdroppers. The SecureGSM application uses 256-bit, triple cipher, layered encryption based on AES, Twofish and Serpent ciphers. According to SecureGSM, all of these algorithms are considered “unbreakable” and the triple layer ensures that “encrypted data is future proof.” The product costs $188 (AU$249) for a single-user license, and each “secure” device requires a license.

Buyers of early generation iPods may receive $50 in store credit or cash compensation as part of a proposed class action settlement against Apple Computer. A nationwide class action lawsuit was filed against Apple in December 2003. The plaintiffs alleged the company misrepresented the playtime and lifespan of the iPod’s battery. Eligible members of the class action lawsuit include customers who bought a first, second or third generation iPod on or before May 31, 2004 and experienced battery failure.

Keyspan announced it is now shipping its new USB PS/2 Adapter. Supporting both PC and Macintosh computers, the USB PS/2 Adapter makes it easy to connect a PS/2 keyboard and PS/2 mouse to a single USB port. The Keyspan USB PS/2 Adapter solves a connectivity problem resulting from the lack of PS/2 ports on most new PC laptops and desktops, and Apple’s new Mac mini ships without a keyboard or mouse. The USB PS/2 Adapter enables users to easily connect a PS/2 keyboard and PS/2 mouse to a Mac mini’s USB port.

A bunch of new variants of the Bagle virus and Mytob worm are spreading, but they won’t pose a major threat if people take the usual precautions, security companies say. Three new iterations of Bagle, released at one-hour intervals, popped up according to Maksym Schipka, a senior antivirus researcher at MessageLabs. About 70 variants of the mass-mailing computer virus have been reported since it first appeared in January 2004.