ART, Advanced Recognition Technologies Inc. announced the release of a new, updated simpliWrite version 1.6. The new version is designed to be even faster and more accurate than before and allows direct input using the whole screen.

Del Rey Books, a division of Random House Inc.’s Ballantine Books, will publish “Star Wars: Darth Maul: Saboteur,” the first original Star Wars story to be available exclusively in ebook format. It will be available from a number of Web sites, including traditional and online bookstores such as B&N.com, Amazon.com, and Powells.com.

ZDNet has the story of a man with a bad case of gadget lust and a fear of commitment.

Aportis Technologies Corp. announced that the Aportis eBook Library now contains over 4000 titles for free downloading to Palm handhelds.

Research In Motion and AvantGo, Inc. announced a strategic alliance focused on delivering wireless Web-based data and corporate applications to Fortune 1000 customers.

Big Hammer has developed and implemented a product called EzBriefcase, which has the ability to read attachments over multiple wireless devices.

SiPix, Inc. has officially opened its worldwide corporate headquarters. Its first group of new products will be announced at the PMA International Convention and Trade Show in Orlando, FL on February 11-14, 2001.

EHAND announced the launch of EHAND Connect 2.0 which is designed to enable current models of mobile phones and handheld computers to communicate with any modern business system using existing telecommunications networks.

Vianix introduced SASO (say-so), a handheld device that fully integrates with Palm III, Palm V, and Palm VII devices. The product was created for professionals who regularly need to record, edit, and transcribe voice data on the go. It has the ability to record voice and play MP3 files, as well as edit, manage and transfer all of its data to PCs and PDAs.

Last week, we covered a company at envi.con, who had released a Palm installation tool. Shortly after, we began to get some letters about envi.com (notice that the site we covered was “.con,” with an “N” and the letters were about a site with “.com,” with an “M”). Turns out that envi.com (with an “M”) is a porno site, while envi.con (with an “N”) is a Palm software site. We had actually put up the right link, but some folks who typed in the “.com” (with an “M”) found themselves rather unpleasantly (or perhaps pleasantly, depending on their own personal preference) surprised. Ah well, the Internet giveth and the Internet perverteth. — DG