PowerByHand, provider of mobile content and solutions, announced that Olathe Unified School District has deployed eBook software and eBooks from eReader.com. The pilot deployment of eReader in the school district has reduced overall expenditures on printed books and other materials saving the district an estimated $20 per student in the first year alone.

In the last several weeks, FreeiPods.com has become more associated with spam and delays than free iPods, but the company claims it is sending out more music players than ever. FreeiPods.com is a new marketing scheme that rewards subscribers to various online offers with a free MP3 player, but seems to be plagued by delayed shipping and poor customer service.

Microsoft reiterated that it would keep the new version of Microsoft’s IE Web browser available only as part of the recently released Windows XP operating system, Service Pack 2. The upgrade to XP from any previous Windows versions is $99 when ordered from Microsoft. Starting from scratch, the operating system costs $199.

Laridian announced the release of the NIV Study Bible in a format compatible with Laridian’s MyBible software for Palm OS and PocketBible software for Pocket PC. The NIV Study Bible has sold over 6 million printed copies and this release marks the first time it has been offered by anyone other than its publisher, Zondervan.

Whether you’re planning, building, or deploying VoIP, your key resource for proven strategies and solutions is IPComm 2004. This is your chance to see leading industry practitioners reveal their surefire techniques, tips, tools, and best practices to help you successfully navigate the world of IP telephony.

By using organic, or plastic, field-effect transistors as pressure sensors deposited on a flexible material, researchers at the University of Tokyo have created an artificial skin which will give robots the sense of touch. The prototype has a density of 16 sensors per square centimeter, far from the 1,500 of our fingertips. When this density increases and when the problem of the reliability of this kind of transistors is solved, the researchers say this artificial skin will also be used for car seats or gym carpets.

Mobile Digital Media, announced that it has acquired the handheld software business and related technology assets from Mobility Electronics. Formerly operated as Cutting Edge Software, Mobility, is a leading provider of mobile Microsoft Office compatible applications for smartphones and PDAs.

Fed up with cellphones ringing during Mass, four Catholic churches in Monterrey, Mexico, are taking extreme measures to silence them. The four churches are illegally jamming cellphone signals with Israeli-made transmitters, the same kind used to protect embassies and presidential motorcades from bugs and bombs detonated by phone.

Toshiba announced a slew of notebooks targeted at all strata of businesses. All of the new models and features are too numerous to list here, so check out this piece on ZDNet for complete details.

Bitstream announced that Pocket PC magazine has nominated ThunderHawk, the company’s mobile browsing technology, for the publication’s Best Software of 2004 Awards. The awards, now in their fourth year, honor companies that produce outstanding software for Windows Mobile Pocket PC and Smartphone users.