Josh reports receiving this in an e-mail from HandEra's support people, "We have began shipping the 330 and will continue to fill orders as supply permits."

Land-J Technologies is donating one copy each of JFile, JTutor, JShopper, JStones, and Jookerie to #palmchat on the OpenProjects IRC network today, May 23. The giveaway will run from 8:30 pm to 12:30 am EDT. Full rules are available here. -Janice Karin

Novatel has released information on its latest wireless modem, the Minstrel m500, designed to work with the m500 series. The Minstrel m500 uses CDPD networks and is capable of transmitting data at up to 19.2 kbps.

It is 5.0" by 3.2" by .4" and weighs 3.0 ounces. The antenna adds 1.2" when extended. Novatel Wireless hasn't divulged the release date yet but it will cost $370 if bought directly from them.

Reflect.com, a website where customers design "custom" makeup and skincare products, is offering free Palm m100s with a $100 purchase. The offer code is Palm100 and the purchase has to be over $100 in a single transaction. Purchases need to be made before May 31. -Spell

Brochu Software is offering TapPad for only $10, that's 50% off. TapPad is an overlay and software combination that adds a number keypad and one-tap clipboard functions. All Palm devices are currently supported except the Palm m100 series. This offer is good through midnight Wednesday May 23. -John Brochu

Recently, Palm Inc. has begun a campaign increase usage of Palm.net, its wireless Internet service. The centerpiece of this plan involves dropping the price of the Palm VIIx to just $200 and then offering a $100 rebate to those who use Palm.net

Unfortunately, the company apparently has run into a snag. According to ZDnet, some new Palm.net customers have been unable to active their accounts. "We are aware of the problem and are working with suppliers to resolve the issue," a company spokesperson said.

The HandEra 330 is just jam-packed with new features. It offers a high resolution screen, dual expansion slots, and a voice recorder. If you are looking to own one of the most advanced Palm devices going, you owe it to yourself to know all about this great new handheld.

A reader named Kevin Hedspeth purchased a Springport Wireless Ethernet Springboard Module on Friday and wanted to post his initial thoughts.

The Springboard is large especially on my Edge. However, the shape is nice and feels fine in my hand. The size is due in part to the internal/rechargeable battery. The Springboard comes with a Visor charging adapter which doesn't work on the new Edge connector.

Kasten Chase Applied Research Ltd. has signed a deal with Palm Inc. to develop data security products to be used on Palm's handhelds. Palm will use these to protect sensitive electronic data while it is stored on their devices but also while the data is in transit over wireless networks. The applications should debut by the fourth quarter of the year.

On May 22, Blazer 1.0 and betas of Blazer 1.1 will expire. Users will need to upgrade to the new version by that date. Blazer 1.1 costs $20 but is free to VisorPhone owners.

It was a fairly quiet week. The high point Monday was our list of when some new accessories will be available for the new handheld models. The biggest news from Tuesday was when we finally accepted that the m505 contrast hack was a hoax. On Wednesday, IBM began taking orders for their m500 series clones. The next day, HandEra released a new version of the Palm OS for the TRGpro. Sadly, the week ended on a down note with Palm's announcement of poor sales. Be sure to read the comments attached to this article from Michael Mace, Palm's Chief Competitive Officer.

Pocket Express, Inc. has released Pocket Recipes, a Visor Springboard module that helps with storing and searching for recipes, grocery shopping, and planning meals. It offers over 2,500 recipes for appetizers, entrees, side dishes, desserts, beverages, and more to satisfy simple to exotic tastes. It costs $40.

Motorola, who makes the Dragonball microprocessors used in all Palm OS handhelds, is continuing to develop the chips, including its plans to integrate them with processor designs from ARM.

Sometime in the second half of this year, the company will release the 68K code M68SZ328 DragonBall. This is simply the next generation of the Dragonball made with an 0.18-micron process, meaning it should have a higher speed with lower battery requirements. If Palm were to release speed-bumped versions of its current handhelds later this year, they would probably run this microprocessor.

America Online is now testing internal alpha versions of two new Palm apps. The first is AOL for Palm 3.0. New features include allowing users to connect with a TCP/IP connection using another ISP, even a wireless one. They are developing a conduit to allow users to HotSync their AOL mail onto their handhelds, allowing them to read and create messages without a modem. AOL for Palm 2.0 users can already read their e-mail and send instant messages when connected.