Jason Brooks

SAN JOSE, Calif.—While Bluetooth has been moving steadily toward maturity, the spread of products based on the short-distance wireless networking technology has fallen far below expectations—a state of affairs that vendors, developers and devotees gathered to mull over Tuesday at this years Bluetooth Developers Conference. The Bluetooth Special Interest Group believes that ease-of-use is part […]

The Tungsten T, Palm Inc.s long-awaited next-generation handheld computer, has arrived—along with the sort of high-resolution display, ARM processor and 32-bit operating system that had been key differentiators for rival devices running Microsoft Corp.s Pocket PC operating system. For all thats new, however, the Tungsten T still has more in common with its Palm forebears […]

For users whove switched to Linux or another operating system thats similarly perched on the outskirts of desktop computings settled territory—as I have—occasional file format compatibility snags are unavoidable. Most Internet-related file standards are solidly cross-platform, and the OpenOffice.org productivity suite does a good job with Microsoft Office files. But until now, Windows Media audio […]

During the last several months, Ive expended quite a few keystrokes chronicling my move to Linux on my home and work systems. Overall, the experience has been a good one—the software I needed to do my daily Web browsing, e-mail corresponding and story writing was readily accessible, and allowed me both to work as Id […]

From the new tablet PCS from Microsoft and its OEM gang to mobile phones endowed with J2ME and fold-out keyboards, users are willing to try anything that will keep them computing while lightening the burdens in their briefcases, backpacks and pocketbooks. AlphaSmarts new mobile computing device, called Dana, presents one such solution. Dana runs Palm […]

Id sooner give up my satellite television, my wireless and landline phone services, and take to eating ramen noodles five nights a week than give up my broadband Internet access. OK, maybe ramen only two or three nights a week, but were still talking sacrifice here. The Internet is the most democratic and most thoroughly […]

In the latest thrilling installment of As the Digital Millennium Copyright Act Turns, various large retailers attempted last week to force various bargain-hunting-oriented Web sites to remove “Black Friday” sale price information from their pages. For instance, I understand that if I show up at Walmart first thing Friday morning, Ill be able to pick […]

With open-source offerings threatening to encroach on its imperious market position, Microsoft Corp. is under pressure to demonstrate that its products deliver superior value, despite any cost disadvantages. Although its tough to compete with free, Microsoft has made a solid early case for itself with the first beta of Office 11, its next-generation office productivity […]

Kyocera Wireless Corp.s 7135 smart phone is the latest and best in the companys line of Palm OS-driven PDA/cell phone hybrids from the company and the first Kyocera smart phone that could easily pass for a regular phone. In eWeek Labs tests, it was this phonelike form factor that most impressed us. The previous two […]

No one clamors for more cables on his or her desktop, yet each PDA sync cradle, printer, storage card reader and input peripheral contributes to the spaghetti wad of wiring that hangs about my work spaces. For a few years now, Ive been promised a solution in the form of Bluetooth, the short-distance, low-power wireless […]