CNET News.com reports on Palm’s released statement that the NCR lawsuit for alleged patent infringement has no merit.

ZDNet reports Handspring made small gains on Palm during February, according to PC Data, ending the month with 28 percent of the U.S. retail handheld market, up from 26 percent.

The thirteenth issue of HandHeldCrime is now available with free crime fiction for reading on a handheld using a doc reader, through AvantGo, or on the Web site. The new issue includes short works by Kate Thornton, Derek P. Gilbert, and Laird Long, plus the latest installment of David Kearns’ serialized novel The Muckraker and a bunch of reviews.

Firepad, Inc. announced broad support for removable storage on Palm devices, including Palm Inc.’s new m500 series handheld and the Sony CLIE.

PDAHealthWare, Inc. announced it has updated its software to a 1.4 version and received a 5 Star rating by ZDNet. The software has 24 tools in all designed to allow users to input entire medical history, set alarms for medications, track ovulation cycles, and more. The new version includes a new blood pressure tracking application, easier tracking of weight, and preventive screening guidelines updates.

Socket Communications, Inc. announced the Digital Phone Connection, a snap-on attachment that allows the new Palm m500 series handhelds to use a mobile phone as a modem for Internet access for applications such as email, Web clipping, e-commerce and remote access to corporate data.

Socket Communications, Inc. announced the In-Hand Scan Card for the new Palm handhelds, a plug-in card that integrates a miniature power-efficient laser scanner engine from Symbol Technologies to add bar code scanning capability to Palm m500 and Palm m505.

DataViz, Inc. announced its Documents To Go Professional Edition software will be bundled on the new Palm m500 series handhelds.

Palm, Inc. today unveiled the Palm m500 series handhelds. Two new models–the Palm m500 monochrome handheld and the Palm m505 color handheld–feature a Secure Digital (SD) and MultiMediaCard expansion slot about the size of a postage stamp, a new Universal Connector for hardware add-on modules, and Internet connectivity software. Both handhelds feature a new Arctic Mist metallic silver color as well as a new, gentle curve form factor.

The m500 handheld, weighing four ounces, is scheduled to be available in the United States in late April for an estimated street price of $399. International availability is expected in May. The m505 handheld is scheduled to be available in the United States in May for $449. International availability is expected in June.

The Palm m500 series has a dual expansion architecture, meaning that besides the SD and MultiMediaCard expansion slot, it also features a new Universal Connector, which supports add-on modules. These new expansion technologies will be common across future Palm handhelds.

The m500 series handhelds offer a faster processor, the Dragonball VZ 33MHz. Both models have 4MB flash memory and 8MB of RAM. Both the m500 and m505 can be programmed for silent alerts. Users can choose between an audible alarm, a vibrate mode, or a blinking LED for notification of important events and messages. Also included are the Clock and Note Pad applications, first introduced in the Palm m100 series handhelds.

ZDNet has the complete lowdown on the Visor Edge.