The PocketType portable keyboard has been designed by Kensington to allow Visor users to type without having to use Graffiti or find a flat surface to unfold a keyboard on. It also includes a scroll wheel. Its driver has an Auto Correct function for commonly misspelled words whose list can be edited by the user. It requires no batteries. It will be available in mid-October for $50.

Portable Innovation Technology has announced that they are developing a Springboard module that can access Memory Sticks. The company is currently planning to sell it with a suite of applications, including an image viewer and a backup application.

This version of the MemPlug will be available next month for an as yet undisclosed price.

Siebel Systems, the world's leading provider of eBusiness applications software, has announced a new application that is important to Palm's drive to increase sales in large corporations. Siebel 7 Sales Handheld for Palm OS is part of its new eBusiness Suite. It provides quick access to vital information that sales professionals need to be responsive to customer needs.

Cutting Edge Software has released Quickoffice 5.6, which includes updated versions of Quickword and Quicksheet.

The word processor has had its user interface updated to include much greater use of color. It also has rich text abilities, including bold, italics, underlining, colored text, and font sizes. Naturally, these are preserved when the document is transferred to Microsoft Word on a Windows PC. Quickword 5.6 can read files in the popular DOC format and export files to it, too. It can also be used as an HTML tag editor.

From now until November 15, Handspring is offering a mail-in rebate on DataViz's Documents To Go when bought with a new Visor. Purchasers can either get $50 back on Docs To Go Standard Edition or $70 back on the Professional Edition version 4.0.

These can be bought at retail stores like Staples, BestBuy, CompUSA, and others, or online at Handspring.com.

While manufacturers set recommended prices for handhelds, savvy buyers are aware that they can get much better deals with a bit of shopping around. Transplant Computing is now offering the HandEra 330 for only $300, which is $50 less than from HandEra itself.

Amazon is now selling the Palm VIIx for $170 and the $100 rebate when signing up for Palm.Net is still in effect until the end of the year so the actual cost is $70.

Matsushita has announced that it will soon be releasing 256 MB and 512 MB secure digital (SD) memory cards. The 256 MB version is expected to hit the market on December 21 while the 512 MB one is scheduled to be available on January 21, 2002. It is not yet clear whether Matsushita is planning to release them in Japan first and in the rest of the world later or if they plan a world-wide launch. Prices for either of these cards have not yet be announced.

For some reason, Palm.com is currently requesting a User Name and Password in order to access it. Update: This has now been fixed. -Staffi

MaxOS has released a synchronization application for Linux PCs and Palm OS handhelds. BearOps Handheld Linx for Linux has been tested with Red Hat 7.1 and several other Linux versions. -Ed

Three new applications made it a good week for people who own handhelds with expansion cards. PiDirectVFS can run apps directly from the cards and FilePoint 1.5 can help keep files in either RAM or a memory card organized. Avantage is a special-purpose app for storing AvantGo on expansion cards.

There was good news for people looking for external keyboards, too. The SnapNtype and ThumBoard are clip-on keyboards available now while the FrogPad is coming later this year.

Intel has shown off its Synchronous StrataFlash Memory, a new type of flash memory chip that can access data up to four times faster than current ones, making it a good solution for storing data and executing code on handheld devices.

Synchronous Intel StrataFlash memory increases fast-read speeds by adding a 66-MHz burst mode. This increases memory throughput up to 92 MB/s, effectively four times faster than asynchronous reads on standard flash memory products.

While Graffiti is a good way to enter data into a handheld, many people find it inconvenient for large amounts of text. This has led companies to create quite a few types of external keyboards that can work with Palm OS handhelds. PDApex has developed the IrKB101, which has an unusual solution: It allows almost any handheld with an infrared port to use a full-sized PS/2 keyboard. As if that weren't enough, it can also be used as an emergency charger and a TV remote. News Editor Ed Hardy brings us this review.