mind problems such as data back-up,
PC performance and health, and
specialized networking support for
customers without dedicated IT staff.”
The notebooks start at $449, and
you can get the Vostro 200 shown for
about $319. The notebooks use either
dual-core AMD or Intel Core™ 2 Duo
processors and have displays ranging
from 14.1 to 17 inches. The 200 uses
the Intel chip. The company also
introduced a new 19-inch widescreen
display that lists for $229.
PowerPC Macs in native mode.
(Version 1.2.0 is available for Windows
98 through Vista.) The program sells
for $129 on the website, but you can
download a free 15-day trial.
FREE EMAIL FOR
iPHONES
PHOTO COUR TES Y OF THINPRINT, INC.
AN MD IN YOUR PC
sland.com). Not only is it a digital
wristwatch, it also plays MP4 videos on
a built-in color screen and MP3 music
through an included set of earphones.
The device comes with up to 2
GB of Flash memory, a 1.5-in color
screen (128 x 128 pixels), and digital
recording capability. It has five equalizer modes plus a “super bass 3-D”
playback mode. Viewing options
include thumbnail, slide show, and
manual, and it even comes with a USB
cable for file transfer and recharging.
(You get eight hours of continuous
music playback on a charge.)
Originally priced at $199.99, it is
now offered at $159.99, so get your
Christmas shopping over early and look
forward to watching your friends and
family walk into walls and drive off cliffs.
■ The Cortado Free program offers
iPhone users free email services.
NEW MEMORY
SUBSYSTEM FOR
EMBEDDED
APPLICATIONS
PHOTO COURTESY OF EINSPINE LTD.
■ Your personal exercise coach, as
provided by Desk Doctor.
One of the weirder programs out
there is Desk Doctor, a product
of Einspine Ltd. (
www.einspine.com),
a Malta-based entity. The basic
concept is that you get a virtual Dr.
Russ Hornstein (the inventor) in your
PC, and he makes regular assessments
of your upper body condition so as
to avoid repetitive strain injuries
(e.g., carpal tunnel syndrome and
tendonitis.) The program monitors
computer activity and calculates your
health score, which is displayed
onscreen. When your score drops to a
risky level, the MD will determine that
a workout is needed. You then call up
your personal exercise trainer, who
serves up a high-res video demonstration of the suggested routine.
According to the company, keeping a good average health score will
ensure that your musculoskeletal
health is maintained. The product has
actually been around for a couple
years, but version 1.3.1 has just been
released and, because it uses universal
binary, it runs on both Intel and
If you are among those who have actually shelled out as much as $600 for
an iPhone and every month are forking
over between $59.99 and $219.99 to
AT&T (depending on the plan), money
may not mean much to you. On the
other hand, you may be living in a 1983
Oldsmobile to make up for it, in which
case it’s nice to know that Cortado
(
www.cortado.com) is offering all
iPhone users, anywhere in the world, a
free mobile e-mail service (subject to
the data flat rate from AT&T, of course).
The Cortado Free program allows
users to automatically receive emails
at any time, and it includes a personal
Cortado email address with professional spam filter, virus protection, and
20 MB of storage. (Or you can use an
existing email address.)
CIRCUITS AND
DEVICES
MP4 PLAYER/WATCH
COMBINATION
This month’s “neat, but probably useless gadget” award
goes to the MP4 Player Watch
from Etronicsland (
www.etronic
PHOTO COURTESY OF E TRONICSLAND.
In July, Silicon Storage Technology
(
www.sst.com) began releasing
sampling quantities of the model
SST88VP1107, which is the first in its
new “All-in-OneMemory” subsystem
line. The concept puts code storage
(NOR), data storage (NAND), and
system RAM (PSRAM) functions on a
single PSRAM bus, thus simplifying
designs and reducing the time to market
in mobile and embedded applications.
The device comes configured with
512 KB instant-on boot NOR, 128 MB
execute-in-place (XIP) code storage,
120 MB data storage, and 12 MB
system RAM, all in a 10 x 13 x 1.4 mm
package. According to the company,
“by intelligently managing all memory
components with a resident 32-bit
microcontroller, All-in-OneMemory
offers a large and expandable XIP area,
instant secure boot, memory
demand paging, NAND
Flash management, and
ATA data storage protocol on a single PSRAM
bus in a small footprint
package; thereby reducing system complexity
■ This MP4 player/
wristwatch combo would
even amaze Dick Tracy.
September 2007 11
