Wireless Add-Ons Enhance Devices
From super-secure cell phones to Bluetooth headsets and truly mobile homes, untethered is in.Frank Thorsberg, special to PCWorld.com
LAS VEGAS-- If security is paramount, get a clue from this Comdex announcement: the new TalkSECURE wireless phone from General Dynamics Decision Systems encrypts conversations from end to end using the same hardware the company developed for the White House.
The commercial model, based on the Motorola Timeport tri-band phone and shown here, supports 128-bit encryption. The President's version uses top-secret federal encryption measures, according to Tim Hale, General Dynamics spokesperson.
Hale sees corporate executives, financiers, lawyers, law enforcement, and key public safety operatives as the most likely TalkSECURE users. The GSM phone, which sells for $2295, is configured for voice transmissions only. A voice and data model should be ready for market by mid-2003, Hale said.
The device is on the high end of a small wealth of wireless devices and accessories highlighted here at the trade show.
Socket's Pocket PC Tools
Socket Communications Monday announced the first wireless Global Positioning System receiver for Bluetooth-enabled Pocket PCs.
The $449 device works with most popular GPS map programs, including Destinator from PowerLOC Technologies; Mapopolis (from the company of the same name); the GPS Navigator from Pharos; and WorldNavigator from TeletypeGPS.
The GPS receiver, which has an internal antenna, is intended for use in automobiles, but it can also be used by hikers, bikers, and backpackers who want to keep track of where they are, where they are going, and the best route to take. It comes with a six-hour rechargeable battery and a standard DC charger that runs off a vehicle's cigarette lighter plug.
Peter Phillips, senior director of product marketing, says that by year-end Socket will introduce a complete solution that includes bundled GPS mapping software.
Belkin Goes Wireless
It seems like everybody who's anybody in electronics is getting into the Bluetooth-enabled wireless cell phone headset game. Soon, you cab add Belkin to the list that already includes Jabra, Plantronics, Sony Ericsson, Nokia, and several others.
Belkin showed off its Bluetooth headset at Comdex this week, but the new product won't officially hit the market until December 9. The stubby model will retail for $99. It weighs just 1.3 ounces and its rechargeable battery provides three hours of talk time and three days of standby capacity.
Belkin is best known for its wide range of peripherals and computer accessories, including high-quality cables and connectors.
Maxi Capacity Mini Disk
Today's mobile digital devices are getting smaller and smaller, but their appetite for greater storage capacity continues to increase.
Maxell has unveiled its new Mini DVD-R disc, which provides up to 1.3GB of storage for wireless digital products like camcorders, cameras, and MP3 players.
The new compact recordable discs, due to hit the U.S. market in February, can hold up to 30 minutes of digital video or up to 20 hours of MP3 audio. They are write-compatible with DVD-R/RW drives and read-compatible will all DVD drive formats, plus DVD-ROM, DVD Video, and DVD Audio.
A PC in Your RV
A small Seattle company has developed a multimedia computer for use by recreational vehicle owners on the road or in a campsite.
The Toba RV is a Windows XP system outfitted with a 900-MHz chip, a 60GB hard drive, CD/DVD, GPS receiver, and a wireless keyboard and mouse. It's produced by HTPCWorks.
The Toba RV, priced at $1295, is primarily aimed at the 7 million U.S. households that now have motor homes or towable trailers. The RV fleet includes everything from $5000 pop-up trailers to six-figure luxury motor homes. An estimated 300,000 new units will be sold this year, according to the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association, which points to retiring--and tech-savvy--Baby Boomers as a big market segment.