SellYourPalm.net buys used Palm or PocketPC models and offers trade-ups to newer ones. Stephen Selvaggio

Palm has yet to release the new Web browser it announced last month and said would be available April 8. -Ed

PDAFrance has what is says are screenshots from Palm OS 5. The new OS supports up to 320 by 320 pixel screens and these shots show what some parts of the new operating system will look like at this size.

Update: According to ZDnet Japan, PalmSource's CEO David Nagel demonstrated this same GUI at PalmSource Forum Japan 2002 last week.

Mapopolis 4.2 has been released and includes the ability to create door-to-door driving directions directly on the handheld. It has direct access to the Address Book for address searches and its speed has been increased. Mapopolis is free but the maps range in price from $3 to $10, depending on their level of detail and the functions they support.

PalmSource, Inc. has announced it is taking reservations for two-day developer conferences to be held in Berlin, Paris and London. Called the PalmSource Europe Forum Series, these will be held in mid-May and will concentrate on Palm OS 5. -PR

Brando is now listing the Japanese version of the Sony PEGA-MSB1 Bluetooth Memory Stick on his main page. The price for U.S. customers is $210, as was quoted last week. -Anon

According to a message on the Kodak website, the PalmPix line of digital cameras has been discontinued. No reasons were given. The company is still offering support to current owners.

Update: Kodak has no plans to release any more cameras for Palm's handhelds, according to a Cnet article. Instead, it will concentrate on its stand-alone cameras.

One of the main standards of the computing world is the Zip format. HandZipper 1.1.2 is a utility that allows users to compress and uncompress WinZip (.zip) files on their handhelds. It can unzip and install Palm apps and databases directly from a memory card to the Palm. Edward Green has this review.

Seiko Instruments will soon release the InkLink, which transfers handwritten notes or drawings from any pad of paper to a handheld. The InkLink Data Clip is attached to the top of a pad of paper and continuously monitors the position of the InkLink pen. As the users writes on the pad, the Data Clip communicates its exact position to the handheld, which creates a drawing mirroring what's on the paper. Priced at $100, the InkLink is available from Seiko's webstore now and from retail electronics stores in about two weeks.

Linux Labs has released a beta version of Vagabond, a web browser that supports cookies, SSL, WAP, color, and more. It uses the company's high-speed internet gateway but users will be able to set up their own internet server and gateway. The beta, which will only run for 30 days, is free and available now.

PITech has released MemPlug Updater 2.0 for its Springboard modules. This adds PiDirect II and PiBackup II plus a few bug fixes. There are MemPlugs available that let the Visor line use various types of removable memory cards. -PR

eMood Messenger lets users send and receive EMS messages: formatted text messages with pictures, animations, and melodies. It can also do SMS. It cost $25. -PR

Backdrop GC is an application for color Palm OS devices that allows users to install an image as a background screen, similar to wallpaper on PCs. The background image stays in place while other applications run, and users have control over which programs will display it. Davy Fields has this review.

Many power users find that 8 or even 16 MB of RAM isn't enough for their needs. This is especially true for people who want to open very large databases. PiDirect II is a utility that lets handhelds run files directly off a memory card, without a full copy being written to RAM. Scott Windom, also known as saw9000, moderator of the PIC HandEra Forum, has this review.