The Gadget Link

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Seeking to recapture its innovative streak in mobile computing, Palm Inc. on Wednesday unveiled a laptop-like gadget with a full-size keyboard and 10-inch display to serve as a companion for smartphones.

But the Palm Foleo was already garnering dismal critiques from some analysts who predicted it would do little to boost Palm’s position in an increasingly competitive smartphone industry.

The gadget, which will be available in the summer at a suggested price of $599 before an introductory rebate of $100, is designed to let users manage and edit their e-mails and other documents by communicating with their smartphones through a wireless Bluetooth connection.

Files can be synchronized across the two devices. The Foleo has Wi-Fi, Internet-browsing capabilities and a Linux-based operating system, but it lacks a hard drive and other full functions of a computer.

Analysts questioned why consumers would want to carry yet another device when they are already bombarded with computer notebooks that are getting smaller and cell phones, including the Palm Treo, that are getting smarter.

“This is the most disappointing product I’ve seen in years,” said Todd Kort, an industry analyst at Gartner Inc. research firm. “They have some longer term goals for this product in mind, but this is going to hit the market with a thud.”

Sunnyvale-based Palm pioneered personal digital assistants more than a decade ago and helped create the smartphone market with its Treo handsets.

But more recently, the company has found itself under a tough spotlight: rumors are swirling that it could soon get acquired while users are complaining about the staleness of the Treo’s chunky design.

Palm’s founder, Jeff Hawkins, has long envisioned that smartphones would become the most prevalent personal computer, eventually being able to do everything a desktop model can do. On Wednesday, he said the Foleo “completes the picture” of a mobile-computing system.

“There are times when people need a large screen and a full-size keyboard,” he said. “As smart phones get smaller, this need increases.”

Shares of Palm rose 42 cents, or 2.6 percent, to $16.60 on Wednesday. The stock has ranged from $13.41 to $19.50 in the past 52 weeks.

Source: May Wong, AP

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Driving a car can be very frustrating. No matter where you go, there will always be clueless drivers who end up pissing you off. Sure, you can always shout a few expletives or wave a fist to get a point across, but now there’s a better way to express yourself thanks to LED technology.

Show those pesky drivers how you really feel with the Driving LED Emoticon. This battery powered, remote controlled sign displays one of five messages – smiling face, frowning face, thanks, back off and (my favorite) idiot. It can be suctioned to the rear window for maximum visibility.

Tell Granny How You Really Feel!

Keep your cool and sanity intact. The Driving LED Emoticon is really an effective way to get your message across, plus you don’t have to resort to punching someone’s lights out.

Available at ThinkGeek for $29.99.

Source: ThinkGeek

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What more could a Swiss Army Knife carry? Victorinox Swiss Army has added the SwissMemory Alox to their world famous knife collection. What makes this multi-tool different is a foldable and removable USB memory stick. You can get them anywhere from 256 MB up to 1GB memory capacity. Of course, Swiss Army essentials such as a blade, nail file, and scissor come packaged with the flash memory. A great tool for mobile technophiles or handy people on the go. If you’re a traditional Swiss Army collector or gung-ho urban executive, you should never leave home without one.

Source: Victorinox Swiss Army

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