Staples stores are offering a neoprene case for the V or III series that is essentially free. It costs $20 and comes with a $20 rebate. Update: This rebate actually applies only to the cases for the III and VII series, not the V series. -Ed

Long-time reader Greg Gaub has the sad story of the death of his computer at the hands of his Palm Vx. -Greg Gaub

Wavecom S.A., a developer of digital wireless modules, has begun a strategic relationship with Handspring to explore the development of future wireless data products for the U.S., Europe, and other GSM markets. -Ed

Fujitsu , Japan's second-largest computer maker, said it may start selling handheld computers based on the Palm OS. "We are considering entering the market for personal digital assistants,'' said Tadayasu Sugita, Fujitsu's executive vice president for the computer business. "One of the likely candidates for the operating system is the Palm OS.'' He said the timing of the introduction and the price are undecided.

They will have plenty of Japanese competion. In recent weeks two of their main competitors, Toshiba and NEC have said they'll begin selling non-Palm handhelds. And Sony already has the Clie on the market.

Infinity Softworks has agreed to license their powerOne Personal software to Palm, Inc. The agreement allows Palm to offer professionals and students the option of computing advanced math calculations from any location using customized worksheets developed by Infinity Softworks. The software is available on the company's website now as a free download and more advanced versions for finance, graphing and scientific uses can be purchased. The personal version already comes with the IIIc.

According to figures released by PC Data today, Palm Inc.'s share of the Handheld market slipped slightly during January to 60.5%, down 4.5% from December. Bear Stearns analyst Andrew Neff said that the company's revenues were about $51 million in January, down from $154 million in December and the holiday buying season.

Handspring slipped about a point, earning 26.2% of the market. Their sales were about $23.7 million in January, off from $65 million in December but up from $17 million the month before.

PDA Toolbox 3.0 is available. Developers using it can now import color graphics, do a database search, and add scrolling text fields to their applications. It is $25 shareware. -Paul Prejean

LandWare's Pocket Quicken 2.0 will be seeded to select beta testers by the end of this month. There are over a hundred new features, including transferring transactions from the desktop version and it maintains backwards compatability as well. -Ed

F---edCompany.com, the rumor site with the unprintable name on which users post tidbits about failing companies, has the following:

Rumor has it wireless web company AvantGo is asking people to "resign" rather than laying them off, in an attempt to keep the news from investors. Oops, sorry.

OmniSky and News Corporation announced today that their joint venture, OmniSky International, has launched the first integrated wireless e-mail and Internet service on mobile devices in Europe. The three-month beta program, which initially will be available only in the United Kingdom, is the first part of OmniSky's plan to make its wireless service throughout Europe. The service will be offered with a Visor Platinum or Prism, a VisorPhone and airtime from BT Cellnet. There is, as yet, no word on cost.

Digital Ink has begun to show off the n-scribe, an electronic pen that writes like a regular one, yet will be able to enter handwritten text and drawings into a Palm Powered handheld. It is a traditional ink pen combined with an electronic transmitter that lets users capture their pen strokes for electronic storage and communication, while at the same time allowing them to see what they are writing.

The n-scribe is expected to be available in the fall of this year with prices starting at $100.

Certicom is developing movianVPN, which will allow Palm handhelds to connect with VPN servers installed at large corporate sites. It will work with wired and wireless connections, though not with the VII series. movianVPN will be available for free though support will cost $30 per client per year.

Mibrary is currently developing an application that will allow Palm users to read both Microsoft's and Adobe's eBook formats and PDF files. Unfortunately, the company isn't planning to have Keychain, as the app is called, be able to read Palm DOC files. It should be available in the third quarter this year. -Mike Cane

CompUSA is offering a 10% discount to all AvantGo users. Look for the ad on the AvantGo home page on your Palm to get more details. The offer is good until March 3. -Ed

The New Eng Palm User Group February Meeting will be held Tuesday, February 20 at 6:30PM at MIT in Cambridge, MA. The main topic will be Best Palm Web Sites. This is one of our most popular annual meetings. -Michael Steinberg

Omnisky will appear at a special meeting of the NYPC PalmPilot SIG on Thursday, February 22, 6:30 PM. Representatives of Omnisky will talk about their wireless internet service for the Palm and Handspring. Features include: OneTap, integrated wireless functionality with Palm programs, Location Based Services, and enhanced messaging (instant messaging, on-line draw feature). -Grace Lee