Week of December 19, 2004

LandWare’s 2005 Wine Enthusiast Guide Now Available

LandWare Inc, a leading developer of handheld and smartphone software, announced today the immediate availability of the Wine Enthusiast Guide 2005 Edition for Palm Powered and Windows Mobile-based Pocket PC handhelds & smartphones. The new version of the award-winning Wine Enthusiast Guide offers instant access up-to-date details, reviews, ratings and retail prices for over 12,600 wines worldwide.

The Wine Enthusiast Guide 2005 continues to build on its position of unmatched quality, performance and scope. The 2005 version includes: a complete wine cellar and buying list management, a wine glossary with over 1,400 terms and definitions, interactive vintage chart with wine maturity and harvest quality ratings, an in-depth Wine 101 course, and sophisticated compression that minimizes memory usage.

Pocket PC Magazine recently validated the Wine Enthusiast Guide's leadership position by awarding it the only finalist of wine software in their Fourth Annual Pocket PC Magazine Best Software Awards.

Key Features Include:
* Quickly select wines by grape variety, price, rating, style, and region
* Up-to-date reviews, ratings, and details for over 12,600 wines worldwide
* Complete wine cellar and buying list management
* Maintain personal tasting records and notes
* Comprehensive 1,400 term wine glossary
* Interactive vintage chart with wine maturity and harvest quality ratings
* 21 informative wine appreciation tutorials.
* Classic wine/food pairings
* Supports expansion card storage
* Sophisticated compression minimizes memory usage

A full visual overview is available at www.landware.com/wineguide/tour

Pricing and Availability

The Wine Enthusiast Guide 2005 is available for download immediately from LandWare for $19.95. A MultiMedia Card Edition for Palm OS is also available for $24.95. Special pricing is available to registered owners of previous versions. A CD-ROM version is due out in February. A free fully functioning 14-day trial is also available. Visit www.landware.com/wineguide for further information. (Source: Press Release)
Posted Thursday, December 23 2004 by ChrisD
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visKeeper, the password safe with visKey security

The software company sfr GmbH in Cologne presented the new version 2.0.0 of their products visKeeper PocketPC, visKeeper PalmOS and visKeeper PC.

visKeeper (www.visKeeper.com) is a data safe for storage of confidential data such as passwords, addresses, credit card and bank account information. All data are encrypted. Access to the safe is protected by the well-proven and patented visual Key technology.
Edit your confidential data on the PC and take it “on the road” with your handheld device: The files created by visKeeper may be transmitted between the different platforms without conversion.
Buy only one license for all platforms.

The new features of visKeeper are:
- Sorting of categories and entries in the PC version.
- Search text in categories and entries (all platforms)
- Use colours and font stiles in the tree view on PocketPC und PC.
- Execute hyperlinks and file links directly from visKeeper on PocketPC und PC
- Comfortable random password generator now included (all platforms)
- Access your data additionally over a new configurable (text-based) master password in the PC version.
- Conduit for Palm (whole file with “newest date/time” check)

Interested customers may test visKeeper for 30 days without further constraints. The current version is available at www.viskeeper.com/download.html.
visKeeper is available in all known online shops for Pocket PC and PalmOS.

This upgrade is free for all registered users of visKeeper.

Posted Thursday, December 23 2004 by ChrisD
Rating: 5 Comments ()

Claviature - an innovative keyboard for Pocket PC

Microth, Inc. released Claviature 1.00 for Pocket PC. Claviature is an innovative text input method combining easy to use large keys and small screen footprint. It provides a comfortable and fast text input for all Pocket PC applications in about 60 world languages.

Large Keys: Keys of Claviature are in about 6 times larger then keys of regular on-screen keyboards. They are even larger then keys of full screen keyboards. That provides easy and fast access to keys and makes comfortable not only pen, but also finger input. Especially, for women's long nails.
Small Footprint: Claviature occupies a small amount of screen space and provides unobscured access to Pocket PC applications. It's an ideal input solution for phones' small screens.
Language Support: Claviature supports provides text input in many world languages. You can download language layouts for about 60 languages at www.claviature.com. Claviature supports several language layouts simultaneously.
Usability: Claviature doesn't requires any training. It provides standard international layouts with familiar symbol placement, dead-keys and Alt-Grey layouts.
Customization: You can customize Claviature's keycaps: background, fonts and their sizes and colors.
System Requirements: Claviature is a native PPC Soft Input Panel (SIP) and works on Pocket PC 2002, 2003, 2003SE (including HiRes).

For more information and download please wisit www.claviature.com. (Source: Press Release)
Posted Thursday, December 23 2004 by ChrisD
Rating: 4.66 Comments ()

Audiovox SMT5600 / Orange SPV C500 First Thoughts

I recently purchased the Audiovox SMT5600 through Amazon.com (The Audiovox SMT5600 is the same as the Orange SPV C500 device in Europe). Upon release in October the SMT5600 was strictly available on the AT&T Wireless network. But a funny thing happened on the way to the market -- AT&T was bought out by Cingular in November and now the SMT 5600 is nowhere to be found on the AT&T/Cingular website. However, this phone can still be purchased via Amazon.com, Buy.com and LetsTalk.com -- so we'll assume that eventually Cingular will feature this phone on their website or sooner or later kill it from their sales channel, which would a real shame as it's not a stretch to say the Audiovox SMT5600 is the best Windows SmartPhone available today. (Source: abaxter, BargainPDA.com)
Posted Sunday, December 19 2004 by ChrisD
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iPAQ 2200 Handmade Exotic Leather Case Review @ PDAToday.com

There is more to a case than just its materials and how it was made. To make this reviewer sit up and notice a case in today’s sea of PDA cases it has to bring a little something extra to the table. It has to innovate and be original. It needs to have something that will set it apart from the legions of similar products out there. So what does n-Signia have that meets those requirements you might ask; beyond the fact that they are handmade and use exotic leathers. (Source: Bill Landon, PDAToday)
Posted Sunday, December 19 2004 by ChrisD
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