Pocket Technologies, Inc. has announced PocketStudio v1.0, which allows users to write Palm applications in a Delphi-like language based on Pascal. It offers a 32-bit compiler with a full-featured integrated development environment and allows complete access to Palm OS API for advanced developers. It is being unveiled this week at the Borland Developer's Conference. Pricing is not yet available.

A Palm OS emulator for the PocketPC is in the works. A review of the current iteration of the emulator can be found here. -Keith Francis

Brando is now offering a Clié 9V Emergency Charger, which works with all Sony models. It costs $24. -Brando

A reader recently filled out a poll sent to him by Palm Inc. One of the questions was, "Consider this new PDA/Handheld with the following features: compact size, sleek design, Palm OS, corporate email access (behind the firewall), Web-based email access, always on notification of incoming e-mails, instant messenger, Web browser, Web clippings, industry standard expansion slot (not proprietary), 8MB standard memory, monochrome screen, no external antenna." This certainly seems to be a complete description of the upcoming m700 and might even answer some questions about it. It looks like the m700 will not have a color screen, will have an SD/MMC slot, and will not have an external antenna.

HandEra has released their Palm OS 3.5.3 upgrade for both the 330 and the TRGpro. It includes a 100% increase in SD file transfer speeds and a 10% increase in CF file transfer speeds. Also miscellaneous display glitches have been addressed. Along with that, they released HandEraKB, allows users to put the on-screen keyboard in the Graffiti area. This came with all demo and review copies of the 330 but not the ones that went to customers. -Craig Ganoe

The Parachute is a full-size, Type II, PC-card adapter for the Palm III series. It's in production now and will be officially announced within a week. The Parachute accepts virtually any PC Card that communicates via standard serial protocols, such as most modems and many wireless Internet PC Cards. It will initially be sold for $130 and the manufacturer is taking pre-orders. Palm V and m505-compatible models are expected to come out this Fall.

Since Apple released OS X, which requires applications to be re-written or run in a special 'classic' environment, Mac users have been asking for a version of the Palm Desktop that will run under the new OS. Palm Inc. is aware that a good percentage of Palm users are also Macintosh users and has been promising for months that they would release one eventually.

Progress appears to be slow because Palm is only demonstrating an alpha version of the application this week at the Macworld Expo. It is on display in the Business Solutions Center. The company still isn't committing to an exact release date, just saying that it will be available by the end of the year.

Apple is offering a $100 rebate for the Visor Edge when purchasing any Macintosh.

In the new computer-animated movie Final Fantasy, look for the Palm ad in the ruins of Time Square.

In late Spring, Palm Inc. began shipping the first handhelds with OS 4.0, the m500 series. Since then, many users have asked when an upgrade would be available for older models. This is not a simple question. Each manufacturer has to create a separate version that works for its own handhelds. The fact that the manufacturers have added important new features to their models and their models only makes this process even more complicated. Then these versions need to be tested and approved by Palm Inc. before they can be released.

Handspring, Inc. has just announced that it had $61.0 million in revenue for the fourth quarter of its fiscal 2001. Compared with same period last year, this is an increase of 18%. But compared with its previous quarter, revenue was down about 50%.

The company posted a pro forma loss, excluding special items, of $32.4 million, or 29 cents a share. Analysts had predicted a per-share loss of 32 cents. This doesn't include charges from excess and obsolete inventory of $26.8 million and other costs of of $7.9 million.

Empower Technologies Inc. has announced that it will soon be releasing Linux DA O/S DB v1.0, which replaces the Palm OS in some models but still remains fully compatible with Palm's hardware. Using the open source Linux kernel, Empower Technologies has created the first Linux compatible OS scaled down for the Motorola Dragonball CPU.

A demo version of Linux DA O/S for Palm IIIx and IIIxe, along with a user manual, will be available for free download at noon PST. The full versions can be preordered. The consumer version will be $40 and the professional one, which adds an SDK and tech support, will be $60.

Handspring, Inc. has scheduled a fourth quarter earnings conference call this afternoon at 5:00 pm Eastern time. It will be broadcast on the Web. -Ed

Staples and CompUSA have begun stocking the Quickoffice suite in their retail stores. -Kevin Doel

PDA Toolbox 4.0, scheduled for release in early September, will add bar code scanning to the no-coding-required development system. "This will allow creation of programs more suited to our business and industrial customers." says Paul Prejean, President of PDA Toolbox.