Fictionwise, Inc. announced the launch of Libwise, a product designed to allow any library or group to field a completely outsourced, automated ebook lending Web site. The product officially launches on October 7, 2002. The Libwise product allows patrons to download borrowed ebooks to their personal computers or Palm handhelds. Ebooks are read using the free Mobipocket reading software.

Palm Inc. announced that the Palm Board of Directors has approved a reverse stock split and established a ratio of 1-for 20. This move followed a vote Oct. 1 at the Palm Annual shareholders’ Meeting in which shareholders authorized the board to effect the reverse split. Palm common stock will begin trading on a reverse-split basis on Oct. 15, 2002. As a result of the reverse stock split, every 20 shares of Palm common stock will be combined into one share of Palm common stock. The reverse stock split affects all shares of common stock, stock options, and warrants of Palm outstanding as of immediately prior to the effective time of the reverse stock split. Palm will pay cash in lieu of fractional shares. The number of shares of Palm common stock currently outstanding is approximately 580 million. Shares of Palm common stock will trade on the Nasdaq National Stock Market under the symbol “PALMD” for 20 trading days after the reverse split goes into effect. After that period, trading will resume under the current symbol “PALM.”

Palm Digital Media released its list of September’s top 10 best-selling ebooks. The “back-to-school” month found reference ebooks at the top of Palm Digital Media’s non-fiction category.

Palm, Inc. announced that at the company’s Annual Shareholders Meeting, Palm shareholders approved the re-election of three board members, reappointed its auditors, and authorized the Palm Inc. Board of Directors to effect a reverse stock split. The board members who were re-elected are Eric A. Benhamou, Palm chairman and chief executive officer; Jean-Jacques Damlamian, group executive vice president for the development branch at France Telecom; and David C. Nagel, president and chief executive officer of PalmSource, Palm’s subsidiary responsible for developing and licensing the Palm operating system. Deloitte & Touche LLP continues as Palm’s auditors.

Rococo Software announced the release of Impronto Developer Kit for Palm OS, a standards-based Java toolkit for developing Bluetooth applications. Rococo

Bachmann Software announced that its FilePoint Pro and PrintBoy Anywhere applications are now available as a bundle named Bachmann Utilities. The new application bundle is designed to provide users of Palm OS handhelds with all of the essential file management and printing capabilities that users enjoy on their desktop PCs, enabling a wider range of business functions to be performed while away from the office.

EarthLink Inc. and GoAmerica, Inc. announced a strategic alliance to develop, market, and support a comprehensive suite of enterprise and consumer wireless data services. GoAmerica also announced plans to realign its business around its Go.Web technology and value-added services, wireless data expertise and leading distribution relationships.

The Stanford PalmPilot User Group meets today at 7 pm and will feature a demonstration of iShortcut (the successor to the Poplet Kit) by Jim Anderson of Handwave. iShortcut modules are lightweight Javascript applications. The meeting will be held at Printer’s Inc Bookstore Cafe in Palo Alto.

Innovation-Z released RhythmPro, designed to let you create and play your own custom drum patterns with real digitized drum sounds on a Palm handheld. It can also be used as a metronome. It’s designed to let you create rhythm patterns in almost any time signature, save and organize your patterns into categories, and play them using your choice of four different display modes for optimal visual and audio feedback.

iambic, Inc. and Red Mercury, LLC announced the release of a new software bundle for Palm OS devices that includes an email client application, iambic Mail 3.0, and an image viewer, AcidImage. This software bundle is designed to allow users to receive image files by email and immediately download and view them directly on the Palm handheld.