The German website xonio.com has more information on the not-yet-announced Sony PEG-SJ30. The site was able to learn that this model will have 16 MB of RAM and its hi-res screen will have 16-bit color. This comes at the tradeoff of being heavier than the SL10, weighing in at almost 5 ounces. It is expected to be available in Europe in September. Models are usually available in the U.S. before they are in Europe.

The Palm i705 Email Upgrade includes an updated version of MultiMail Deluxe for the i705. It has numerous new features, including the ability to display the text of Microsoft Word or HTML email attachments.

It also comes with a new version of Palm's PC desktop mail synchronization software and an updated version of Desktop Link 1.2 -- Palm's corporate email forwarding solution.

Lexar will soon begin offering 512 MB SD cards for $400. -Ed

Mobile Wizadry has chosen the winners of its PalmOS Demo Programming Competition. These were designed to show off the technical and artistic skills of their developers and the finalists are available for download. -Aaron Ardiri

Last week, Sony announced the PEG-SL10, a low-end handheld with a hi-res monochrome screen. It offers many of the standard Sony features, like a Jog Dial and Memory Stick slot. This mini review was written by Ben Combee, who is the Technical Lead for Metrowerks, the maker of CodeWarrior.

Best Buy has the new Sony SL10 in stock at its webstore and in many of their retail stores. It's $150 but Best Buy has a $25 mail in rebate, dropping it to $125. CompUSA has it on its webstore and in some retail stores, too. SonyStyle says it will be available tomorrow. -nXt

Computers4Sure is offering a Lexar 256 MB SD card for $172. -Larry

Many people are hoping Sony will release a T-series model with a hi-res+ screen. Well, one appears on SonyStyle right now, sort of. In the Product Tour for the T665C is a page talking about its built-in TV remote control. However, the images on that page clearly show it with a virtual Graffiti area, exactly like the one from the NR series but which the T665C doesn't actually have. However, this is more likely a mistake made by a graphic artist than a hint of Sony's plans for the future.

EZ ZAP has begun a public test of a kiosk that allows users to buy and download software onto their handhelds. Visitors use a touch screen to select software, then place their handheld on a shelf where the app is downloaded via infrared. The first unit has been placed near the company's headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa. If it is a success, the kiosks will be rolled out nationwide.

The Board of Directors of Palm, Inc. has just unanimously approved and recommended to shareholders a proposal that would effect a reverse stock split of Palm's common stock. If approved by shareholders at the company's annual meeting in October, the Board would effect a split somewhere between one-for-ten to one-for twenty sometime before April 1, 2003. This means shareholders would exchange between 10 and 20 shares for 1 new one, which would be more valuable.

Earlier this week, Sony introduced the SL10, a low-end model with a monochrome screen. According to two different anonymous sources, Sony plans to introduce two new models in this series in the near future. The PEG-SJ20 will be a monochrome model similar to the SL10 except that it will have a rechargeable battery, not the removable AAAs the SL10 uses. The SJ30 will be a color version, also with a rechargeable battery. Neither the SJ20 or SJ30 will have the USB slot on the side that the SL10 does. Both, however, will have T-series HotSync ports on their bottom.

Eros Technology has released Wyncs, which lets owners of websites specify bits of information which visitors can choose to move directly into the Palm Desktop or Microsoft Outlook. -Ed

cJAG Software is offering Cecil The Centipede, a fast-paced game (color, grayscale & black-white supported), for free. -Steve Wehrmann

In the second quarter of this year, Palm Inc. held on to its dominate lead of the worldwide handheld market with a 32.4% share, according to IDC. It shipped 846 thousand units during the quarter. This, however, was down from the previous quarter. A distant second was Hewlett-Packard, which recently combined with Compaq, with 18.6% and 485 thousand units shipped. Sony was in third place with roughly 10% of the market and 250 thousand handhelds shipped. Handspring shipments dropped to just 6.5% of the world market and fourth place because IDC doesn't count smartphones in this category and therefore excludes most of the Treo line.