A week before the case was to be heard before a court in Texas, Microsoft and Visto have settled a two-year-old patent lawsuit over technologies used in Microsoft’s Windows Mobile OS that allow wireless devices to access email.

According to an email from a Visto spokeswoman, Microsoft and Visto have entered into a settlement and license agreement involving “cash and non-cash consideration.” The agreement means all claims in the case are being dismissed, she said.

Microsoft is working on turning USB-based flash drives into a “Windows companion”–a new product known as StartKey–that will allow users to carry their Windows and Windows Live settings with them.

StartKey isn’t just for USB sticks; it also will work on other flash-storage devices, like SD memory cards. Microsoft is looking to turn these intelligent storage devices portable “computing companions” for users in both developed and emerging markets, with availability (at least in beta form) likely before the end of this year.

Garmin has officially discontinued their final two Palm OS-based handhelds with integrated GPS functionality. Garmin’s iQue 3600a, the specialized aviation version of the original iQue 3600, has finally been put out to pasture, judging by the product’s “discontinued” status on its Web page.

The iQue 3000, Garmin’s final Palm OS-based standalone product, has also been discontinued. The iQue 3000 was a smaller, sleeker and restyled version of the older iQue 3200. The 3000 was quietly released in early 2006 to very little fanfare after suffering several launch delays. It holds the dubious distinction of being the very first Palm OS-based device to use microSD cards.

The Corsair 16GB Flash Voyager GT is a new high performance USB 2.0 flash drive. The new 16GB Flash Voyager GT utilizes Corsair’s proprietary water and shock resistant all-rubber casing. The Corsair 16GB Flash Voyager GT is available now and costs $169.99 USD.

Vehicle Manager is iambic’s automotive solution allowing to proactively track and manage a single car up to a fleet of vehicles.

It records a variety of information about car vitals as well as recurring expenses such as scheduled maintenances and gas fill-ups. Information can be stored on mobile devices as well as on desktop PCs.

The new FreeLoader 8.0 Portable Solar Charger by Solar Technology is a smart looking, versatile device that charges a multitude of the latest mobile gadgets for free using Solar Energy. The FreeLoader 8.0 can charge devices such as; digital cameras, iPods, PDAs, PSPs and mobile phones, and even supports a direct connection to two of the most recent mobile gadgets available on the market, the iPhone and the iTouch.

Designed to sit comfortably alongside the latest fashionable gadgets with its futuristic looks and design, the Freeloader 8.0 is gadgetry eye candy. It is also conveniently mobile, boasting a durable casing for hard-core mobility and the ability to fold into a stylish minimal device that can easily be slipped into a pocket or handbag.

Electric Pocket’s Ringo ringtone manager for smartphones is now available for BlackBerry users. Ringo gives smartphone users an easy-to-use means for playing their own MP3 music as ringtones and message tones on their phone, as well as making personal and group call tones easy to set up and maintain.

Ringo simplifies setting personal tones by letting users pick contacts from the BlackBerry Address Book then choose a unique phone, SMS message and email tones. Tones can be previewed before they are assigned, so the user can readily choose appropriate tones for their family, friends or business associates. Beyond setting tones for individuals, Ringo also lets users select new tones for categories of contacts, a feature commonly referred to as Caller Groups. In this way, users can easily set different tones for personal and business contacts. Ringo lets users set any MP3 or AAC music file as a ringtone, email tone or message tone, including any music stored on the device’s memory card. Ringo users can also choose to download new tones directly to their BlackBerry, picking from a collection of 50 free MP3 ringtones.

Unless you’ve been under a rock, you’ve heard about the iPhone. You’ve probably also heard terms like “unlocking” and “bricking” applied to this handy, if pricey gadget. What’s it all mean? Is Apple purposely destroying phones? If you want to add software to your phone, are you voiding your warranty? What if you want to switch carriers? We asked wireless expert Shawn Zade to explain it all.

Read this Computing Unplugged article.

SplashData has released an update to their SplashID program for Palm OS devices. SplashID is an easy-to-use program that offers fast and secure encrypted storage of passwords, serial numbers, and any other type of valuable personal information that must be kept confidential.

This update addresses a handful of bugs in both the desktop and handheld components of this app, including some issues with the new Centro smartphone. A full list of the bugfixes can be found on the SplashID release notes page.

RoGame Software has released version 2.0 of its EarMan application. EarMan is a musicians training tool that helps develop the ability to correctly identify intervals by ear. New in v2.0 is choice of clefs and grand staff, improved feedback, new configuration options, improved sound libraries, Centro support and a updated interface. EarMan v2.0 uses RoGame’s sound library and includes a Grand Piano library for playback on devices with Palm OS 5.0 and higher.