Shelley Solheim

Verizon Wireless last week ended its fight to block the Federal Communications Commissions plan to move Nextel Communications out of a spectrum where it interferes with police and fire department radio signals. The FCC in July announced its plan to move Nextel from the 800MHz spectrum it currently shares with emergency responders to the higher-frequency […]

In an effort to address some of the problems that have slowed Bluetooths widespread adoption, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group, which steers the development of the technology, this week will release its road map for the next three years. The road map for the short-range wireless technology will highlight technological improvements and outline the SIGs […]

By bringing Tablet PCs and wireless projectors into its classrooms, Hinsdale Township Public High School District 86 is revolutionizing teaching in Illinois. It was nearly eight years ago that the schools mobile computing vision started taking form, but it wasnt until last year, during a Tablet PC presentation by Microsoft Corp. and Toshiba America Inc., […]

Mobile workers who need to access and print data on the go will soon get new options from Symbol Technologies and bar-code-printer provider Zebra Technologies. The companies first joint offering will combine Symbols ruggedized MC9000 and PPT 8800 handheld computers with Zebras QL mobile printers. The duo will also co-develop mobile offerings targeted at verticals […]

Xerox this week is shipping monochrome printers targeted at midsize and large businesses. The Xerox Phaser 5500 prints 50 ppm (pages per minute) for both single- and two-sided documents. The printer has a 500MHz processor and 128MB of RAM, which is upgradable to 512MB. The Phaser 5500 comes in five flavors, with the base model […]

The latest in voice recognition software from ScanSoft Inc. may begin to open the technology to new users. This week, the Peabody, Mass., company will release the next iteration of its Dragon NaturallySpeaking voice recognition software, with improved recognition, customization and roaming capabilities. The Professional version, geared for enterprises, allows users to dictate directly into […]

Federal regulators last week cleared the way for Cingular Wireless LLCs $41 billion acquisition of AT&T Wireless Services Inc., despite worries that the pairing will decrease competition and increase prices. The combined company will have about 46 million customers, making it the nations largest wireless carrier. The next largest, Verizon Wireless, has about 40 million. […]

PalmOne Inc. this week will unveil the Treo 650 smart phone, although the phone likely will not be available from carriers until later this fall. The Treo 650 will be available on two platforms: CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) 1xRTT dual-band and GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications)/ GPRS (General Packet Radio Service)/EDGE quad-band. PalmOne […]

Despite the growing threat of unmanaged mobile devices, few enterprises are heeding the warning. Forrester Research Inc. recently reported that only 9 percent of companies surveyed had implemented mobile management tools. The report encourages enterprises to form policies governing mobile device use and to adopt technologies to help enforce those policies. One provider of such […]

Silex Technology this week will launch new biometric fingerprint readers and authentication software to help safeguard data on PCs, laptops and PDAs. The new devices are designed to help users secure data without passwords. The devices use silicon sensors developed by Fujitsu Microelectronics and scan at 500-dpi resolution. Instead of recording a copy of the […]

Dell this month is shipping a new Axim handheld with a 3.7-inch VGA display for viewing images at 640-by-480-pixel resolution. Like previous Axims, the $499 Axim X50v supports 802.11b Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 1.2 wireless connectivity. When the handheld recognizes a Wi-Fi hot spot, it alerts users and asks whether they want to connect. A button […]

Symbol Technologies Inc.s newest handheld is designed to take a pounding, but the cost may scare some users away. The forthcoming MC50 device, due in December, is built for either the enterprise or the loading dock, combining traditional rugged Symbol features with the functionality and form of other Pocket PC-based handhelds, as well as built-in […]