The Stanford PalmPilot User Group meets at 7 pm on the first Tuesday of each month; the next meeting will be on Election Day, November 6th. The guest of honor will be Anders Baecklund of Palm Platform Marketing, who will be demonstrating the HandSpring Treo and other Palm OS licensee devices. Spug will also be present at SyncFest in San Jose on Saturday, October 27th.

Reader Tom Friedland has pointed out that HandEra is making a limited number of refurbished TRGpro computers available equipped with new screens. The pre-owned units and have been reconditioned by HandEra and come in a shrink wrapped-box. Refurbished TRGpros are available for a limited time at $99.99.

Palm has issued a press release detailing their announcement of several new worldwide developer programs. The programs include a new, two-level Palm OS Developer Program, a certification exam to recognize the most elite Palm OS developers, and a new Palm-authorized Online Training Program.

The new Palm OS Developer Program offers “Advantage” level membership to Palm OS developers. Benefits include direct technical support from Palm; a quarterly resource CD containing the latest development tools and technologies; and marketing opportunities, including promotion via the PalmOS.com Web site and the opportunity to apply for the Powered Up Awards, which recognize and rewards the top innovators in the Palm OS developer community.

We recently recieved a press release from Medicines.MD of Rochester, NY, a person calling himself Micheal McCormick, and a company called Ranbaxy, Ltd. It’s possible that some press outlets may have picked up the contents of the release and are publishing it, unmodified. The press release states that generic CIPRO (the antibiotic that’s been used to help treat Anthrax) is available via mail-order without a prescription. Now, of course, the interesting thing is that Ranbaxy is located in east Asia and, basically, if you buy this stuff, you’re ordering little pills from some unknown company in east Asia.

WARNING: Do not order generic CIPRO, also known as ciprofloxacin, via the mail or the Internet. See your doctor. We haven’t received any particularly problematic reports about this, but it’s still not a good idea. Don’t take CIPRO unless you actually need it. You’ll develop a resistance that could interfere with treatment should you legitimately need it. In other words, don’t fall for these scams.

VanPUG will be meeting on Monday, October 22 at the Yaletown Brewing Co. (1111 Mainland in Yaletown); the site of their inaugral meeting last October. The time is set for 6:30 to 8:30.

The Quorum Palm PDA Users Group, the largest Palm/Handspring/PDA group in Hawaii, will meet Wednesday, November 7. Wendy G. Y. Fujimoto will show you how to become more proficient using your Palm handheld. The special guest will be Malia Zimmerman from Hawaii Reporter.

DCPUG will hold its October meeting on Thursday, October 25 at 7 pm at the American Psychological Association (750 First Street, NE, Washington, D.C.). The guest speaker will be Jonathan Krasner of dataScooter. dataScooter develops wireless LAN products for Palm OS devices.

KVPUG is having a Beamfest and all members and non members are invited to check out the latest Palm OS stuff and chat about Palm OS applications. It will be held October 27, 2001 at 2.30 pm at CoffeeBean, opposite PJ Hilton.

XcelleNet, Inc. and AvantGo, Inc. announced that they have teamed up to expand AvantGo

CNET News.com reports Palm announced that it is bolstering relations with its third-party software developers by initiating several new developer programs.