PanteraSoft releases Careful Backup 1.53 a dependable backup solution that allows you to schedule different backup tasks to be run automatically. You can back up your data to a variety storage media – floppy disks, hard drives, CDs, and external drives. The program supports built-in recording system for CD-R/RWs run under Windows XP.

Verizon Wireless and Xpherix Corporation announced Get It Now customers can now wirelessly link their desktop calendar applications to their mobile phones with iDatebook. iDatebook enables users to access calendar content held in existing Microsoft Outlook or Palm OS software applications from their mobile phones and manage their calendar events while away from the office or home computer.

In conjunction with the launch of the Palm Tungsten T3 and Tungsten E handhelds, Palm made IBM’s WebSphere Micro Environment (WME) Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME) certified runtime environment available for Tungsten handheld users.

Information Appliance Associates announced the new release of PocketMac, a Mac to Pocket PC sync solution. In addition to enhanced support for the existing contact, calendar and tasks sync (with Entourage, iCal & OS X Address Book), version 3.0 changes the look & feel of Pocket PCs with Macintosh buttons & backgrounds. In addition to Pocketmac 3.0, Information Appliance Associates is also announcing special pricing in partnership with KissWorks Inc. for those who would like to sync Lotus Notes on the Mac with their PocketPC.

SecureWord is a new password manager program that uses Advanced Encryption Standard adopted by the US Government in 2002. SecureWord can be placed in the system tray and all you have to do in order to launch it is to click twice on the icon. Each user has his or her own password so that the program can be used by multiple users without any security compromises.

This article from InternetWeek explains how you can protect your Internet Explorer until Microsoft re-releases a patch against new vulnerabilities.

This article from InformationWeek asks if it’s time to add wireless access to your employees’ desktops. The article adds that while some companies have put off wireless deployments because of cost or security concerns, many companies are already realizing gains from the use of cell phones, PDAs, and BlackBerry devices to reach into email, Web sites, and voice-enabled data repositories.

Palm today introduced the Palm Zire 21, the Tungsten E, and the Tungsten T3. We’ve had each of these devices in-house for a while and will have a more comprehensive report in our 10/7 issue of Computing Unplugged. Here’s the scoop on each of the devices:

The Zire 21 has four times the storage capacity of the original Zire handheld with 7.2MB of user available memory, a new 126MHz Texas Instruments OMAP processor and Palm OS 5.2.1. The Zire 21 is still $99 and is still green and black.

The Tungsten T3 handheld is Palm’s first device that supports a high-resolution color screen in landscape, as well as the typical portrait mode. The handheld offers greater input flexibility, streamlined access to key features and optimal viewing in either mode. The screen display is 50 percent larger than on any previous Palm branded device, and the new soft input screen area provides a virtual Graffiti 2 writing area. With faster Bluetooth setup embedded in the handheld, a wireless communications suite, fast XScale processor, 64MB of RAM (52MB user available), and superior office and multimedia capabilities, the Tungsten T3 handheld offers what the company calls “exceptional” performance in a compact design for an estimated U.S. street price of $399. We’ve been tinkering heavily with this device and have to say it’s pretty darned incredible, with a screen that we have to honestly say is simply gorgeous.

The Tungsten E handheld has 32MB of RAM (28.3MB user available), a crisp high-resolution color display, updated core applications, multimedia software and expandability through cards or add-on accessories. It retains the classic Tungsten appearance, with its compact, sleek modern form and improved 5-way navigator for one-handed navigation. This handheld gives professionals an upscale handheld with premium features for an estimated U.S. street price of $199. Amazingly, it’s also got the hot display and it’s pretty inexpensive.

None of these devices will rock your world, but they’re all very impressive and priced substantially less than we’d expected. We congratulate Palm on a very solid product introduction.

Puss in Boots, the popular game for kids, has received industry recognition by being nominated for this year’s Pocket PC Magazine’s Software Awards. These awards are the result of a five-month process beginning with over 1600 products which are evaluated by 70 expert judges worldwide

NearSpace announced that it has partnered with BSA FM, a division of BSA LifeStructures, one of the nation’s largest health care design firms. The companies’ first joint project is with Clarian Health Partners. NearSpace and BSA FM are collaborating to deliver the interactive-mapping component of an intranet-based Employee Locator. The Employee Locator will soon be available to the 16,000 employees that work at Clarian’s Methodist, Indiana University and Riley Hospitals. Plans to extend the Locator to Palm OS and Pocket PC handhelds are underway.