News Week of April 22, 2007

GottaBeMobile InkShow: Artweaver on a Tablet PC

This InkShow is a result of a comment on a previous post here on GottaBeMobile.com.  The program is called Artweaver and I had never heard of it, but wanted to give it a try.  I am no artist, as you will see, but I do like to play with some pictures and try my hand at sketching every now and again. 

In this InkShow, I give you a very quick overview of some of the features available.  If you are used to Paint.NET, most things will look very familiar to you as the interface is similar.  There are many more features available with the painting and brushes portion of Artweaver.  This InkShow will give you a look at some of the tools, brushes and photo editing capabilities that Artweaver has to offer.  One of the best parts of the program - It's FREE!!   (Source: Matt Faulkner, GottaBeMobile.com)

Has the PC Become Antiquated?

"We're still using the keyboards to enter data, to write out letters, to send an e-mail," he remarked. "It's pretty old, isn't it, if you start looking at the technology that we have? Think about that, for a moment. We have had for a long time this concept of the tablet PC, and no one has been able to crack that market. Why is that? Because no one has been willing to do the same thing that Apple has done for the iPod: own that market, take it to the next level. Think of it. We've had the speech recognition as an input interface for a long time, and yet no one has really taken that into consideration.  (Source: Scott M. Fulton, III, BetaNews)
Posted Saturday, April 28, 2007 by ChrisD
Rating: 2 (Rate it) 1 Lowest 2 3 4 5 Highest Comments (1)

Columbus firm one of few in nation that offers insurance for laptops, tablet PCs

While many manufacturers offer extended warranties, they most often do not cover accidental damage or theft, and that's where Columbus-based Safeware, The Insurance Agency Inc. enters the picture. The company is one of only a few in the nation that specializes in insurance for portable electronic items such as laptops.

"The greatest number of calls we get is for accidental damage, but stolen laptops is right after that," said Michael Cole, marketing manager for Safeware.  (Source: Rick Adamczak, The Daily Reporter)
Posted Friday, April 27, 2007 by ChrisD
Rating: 4 (Rate it) 1 Lowest 2 3 4 5 Highest Comments (0)

MediNotes Electronic Medical Record Program Proves Invaluable to Homebound Elderly Patients and Caregiver in Wake of Hurricane Katrina

New Orleans Medical Clinic Owner, Scharmaine Lawson, Quadruples Her Practice To Meet the Needs of Community after Deploying MediNotes EMR

MediNotes Corporation, a leading provider of electronic medical record (EMR) systems for small to mid-size medical practices and specialties, today announced that, Scharmaine Lawson, a Nurse Practitioner and owner of New Orleans-based Advanced Clinical Consultants, deployed MediNotes electronic medical record (EMR) system following the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Several months after the storm, Lawson returned home and visited her office, only to find that her business was under five feet of water and all her patients' paper medical records were destroyed. Following the advice of colleagues, Lawson deployed MediNotes e, an EMR capable of not only replacing the need for paper medical records, but also offering various other services (i.e. workflow management, electronic prescribing, scanning capability, health maintenance) critical for a small medical practice. Implementing MediNotes e allowed Lawson to rapidly quadruple her practice by easing the administrative burden caused by paper records. To learn more about Scharmaine's story, please access the following national wire story published on Thursday, April 26, by HealthDay: http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=603615.

"Integrating MediNotes EMR into my practice was an easy decision to make during a time when little else was going smoothly," said Scharmaine Lawson, Nurse Practitioner, who operates her own medical practice, Advanced Clinical Consultants Family Medicine in New Orleans, Louisiana. "With so many people in dire need of medical care I needed something that would be easy to use, reliable and allow me to successfully implement it quickly. MediNotes e came highly recommended by a physician, and the service and attention I have received from the staff at MediNotes has been every bit as good as the EMR itself."

Many of Lawson's patients are homebound, elderly people, some of whom are disabled and unable to afford conventional medical care. Lawson takes a tablet pc loaded with MediNotes e and a detachable keyboard on her visits to patients' homes, which allows her to input and download information and provide important health reminders to her clients.

"Scharmaine's story highlights the importance of adopting EMRs as a national standard for healthcare," stated Donald G. Schoen, president and CEO of MediNotes Corporation, and Chair of the Electronic Health Record Vendors Association (EHRVA). "Not only are EMRs an important resource after a natural disaster such as Katrina, but once adopted on a nationwide basis by healthcare providers, regardless of the size of their practice, they will enable the critical exchange of health information, benefiting everyone who receives medical care."

"With our community still facing so many challenges, this type of technology has literally been a lifesaver," said Lawson. (Source: Press Release)

Toshiba Tablet PC review (and what’s good to load on a new machine)

The SD card reader being built in is just great, it’s already saved me from having to go home with loaded cards, I just blast em in there and keep taking pictures!

Here is the software I’ve loaded so far (you have to keep reading). My list is the standard Adobe design batch (Illustrator/Photoshop), Rhino, and SolidWorks. Ahh Solidworks, (I’ve got an older version).

As for the rest of it, the machine comes with Microsoft’s OneNote, it makes the tablet ROCK! With OneNote writing, notetaking, and general document/sketching is just like using an actual notebook, only it’s organized and useful, (if you like that sort of thing).  (Source: Fred, Coolest-Gadgets.com)

GottaBeMobile InkShow: PhatPad sync with a Windows Mobile device

Today's InkShow is an extension of the InkShow from a couple of weeks ago on PhatPad.  The last Show was an overview of using PhatPad on the TabletPC specifically.  This InkShow is going to cover using the Phatpad application on a Pocket PC Device, Treo 750, and syncing the notes with a Tablet PC.    (Source: Matt Faulkner, GottaBeMobile.com)
Posted Thursday, April 26, 2007 by ChrisD
Rating: 3 (Rate it) 1 Lowest 2 3 4 5 Highest Comments (0)

Gateway E-155C Tablet PC First Thoughts

My first impressions of the Tablet are good ones. It has a solid design and it doesn't have that cheap plastic feel. As I mentioned earlier though, you will have to check back next week for the detailed review and benchmark tests.  (Source: Tiffany Boggs, TabletPCReview.com)

Review: HP Pavilion tx1000 Entertainment Tablet PC

Designed from the ground up with ease of use and customer satisfaction in mind.

The HP tx1000 is a lean mean screaming machine. In fact with the In fact with the AMD Turion(TM) 64 X2 Dual-Core TL-60(2.0GHz/1MB) Processor, the HP tx 1000 is the fastest Tablet PC I have ever had the pleasure of using.

Designed from the ground up with ease of use and customer satisfaction in mind HP has done an amazing job of building a full blown Entertainment PC that will appeal to a wide variety of users and provides people with a user friendly, versatile Tablet PCthat is portable, innovative and packed with features that enhance the user experience.    (Source: Linda A. Epstein, TabletPC2.com)

ELN - Electronic Lab Notebooks - They're here now!

Even before tablet PCs arrived, computers were used to organize data.  However, the old paper research notebook has never budged an inch.  With the advent of tablet PCs and increasingly better software, soon the paper research notebook may budge (probably only an inch though).  Visit www.e-lab-book.com for a great an example. Read on for pros and cons.   (Source:  midknightr, SciScoop)
Posted Thursday, April 26, 2007 by ChrisD
Rating: 4 (Rate it) 1 Lowest 2 3 4 5 Highest Comments (0)

HP Pavilion tx1110us Review

It’s a great notebook… but I need the touchscreen!

After working with this for well over a week, I’ve enjoyed using the TX1100 thanks to all the bells and whistles that it comes standard with. The excellent screen quality, keyboard/mouse layout, and multimedia capabilities were more than enough to get me sold on this notebook. Then you add in the built in webcam, fingerprint reader, and decent hardware and the TX becomes a winner with great value.

If the TX series was just a regular notebook with no rotating screen and a Tablet PC version, I would have been satisfied for just the way it was because I like small portable and powerful notebooks. However, since there is a Tablet version out there, I think I will swap this one out for the other one for the extra $100 because there is a lot more I can do with the touch screen TX.  (Source: soulreaver99, NotebookReview.com)

Keep a sharp eye out

Biometrics is definitely becoming more mainstream. The most common use of biometrics in a small-business setting is with integrated fingerprint readers on several newer models of notebook and tablet PCs. With these integrated readers, you can set a password that is your fingerprint, thus allowing you to swipe your finger across a small reader, instead of having to remember and type your password.

Several of these systems extend this functionality to also allow you to save the countless other passwords you undoubtedly have to keep track of, allowing one-click entering of these passwords, instead of typing them each time they are needed. This could be for a database application, your accounting system, Web sites and more.

The technology is fairly mature, but it is not perfect. If you are in the market for a new laptop or tablet PC, it is worth evaluating whether this would be a benefit for you.  (Source: MJ Shoer, SeacoastOnline)

Technology that changed one broker's biz

In the summer, we spend a lot of time at our lake house, so I no longer have to have Comcast brought into the cottage -- I just use my tablet. Since I have the anywhere screen, I can see it while laying out on the boat. No jet skiers, please!

Finally, all my contracts are on the tablet. If a seller or buyer is ready to go, I can fill out the contract, print to Journal Writer, and they can sign it right on the spot. I can then e-mail them right from the tablet and also send to my assistant and my e-mail at home. Voila, it's done. (Source: Missy Caulk, RE/MAX Platinum, Inman)

GBM How-To Series #7 : Using Vista Pen Flicks

Flicks are a new Vista feature that allow you to navigate documents or change data using only your stylus. So you may ask, what's the difference between a gesture and a flick. There are only eight flicks available. Up, Down, Left, Right, and of course, the four diagonals and they are not bound by the input panel. You can use a flick anywhere on the tablet screen.  (Source: Eddie VanDerbeck, GottaBeMobile.com)
Posted Thursday, April 26, 2007 by ChrisD
Rating: 3 (Rate it) 1 Lowest 2 3 4 5 Highest Comments (0)

HP TouchSmart IQ770 PC

Build quality is also exceptional. HP envisages this PC being put in people’s kitchens, and the sealed base (which can still be opened to upgrade the hard disk or RAM) provides reassuring protection against dust and spillages. The base is also artificially heavy; at 21kg, it’s all but impossible to knock this PC over.

We do have a few complaints. The single TV tuner means you’ll sometimes run into technical limitations when you want to handle more than one broadcast, although it isn’t a huge issue unless you’re using this as your main TV; more disappointing is the omission of an FM radio from the Australian model. We’d also like to see fold-down feet for the otherwise excellent keyboard, and for such a non-user-serviceable unit we’d definitely like more than the uninspiring one-year, collect-and-return warranty.

Our gripes are rather churlish at this price, though: you can add another TV tuner over USB for under $100 and extend the warranty if you wish. Considering the superb design, flexibility and desirability of this PC, we can see many people being tempted. If its currently unique capabilities will fit happily into your lifestyle, go for it – just beware the relative lack of upgradability and modest computing power.  (Source: Ross Burridge, Australian PC Authority)
Posted Thursday, April 26, 2007 by ChrisD
Rating: 4 (Rate it) 1 Lowest 2 3 4 5 Highest Comments (0)

Details on Fujitsu's Newest UMPC

Fujitsu is entering the UMPC market with a splash. They recently unveiled their newest UMPC design at Intel Developers Forum. Not much has been released about the specs, but we did get some information on what this tiny Tablet will be sporting. 

(Source: Tiffany Boggs, TabletPCReview.com)

HP tx1000 Review

The design of the HP tx1000 is meant to fuse together sleek styling and ease-of-use features, along with a tablet-enabled screen and enough horsepower to run multiple applications under Windows Vista Home Premium edition – definitely no small task. For an entertainment notebook that will be used for so many different types of activities – taking handwritten notes, watching DVDs, listening to music, web conferencing with both audio and video, playing games, and all other general productivity tasks – the physical characteristics of the notebook become extremely important. Fortunately, the tx1000 product designers did a thorough job envisioning all of these types of activities when planning the physical layout of the notebook.  (Source: Ian Bell, Digital Trends News)
Posted Wednesday, April 25, 2007 by ChrisD
Rating: 3.2 (Rate it) 1 Lowest 2 3 4 5 Highest Comments (0)

Powerful New Tablet PC-based Software for Construction Site Supervisors, Foremen and Project Manager

Trimble Extends its Construction Positioning Solutions with the New -- Trimble SCS900 Site Controller Software for Tablet PCs

Trimble (NASDAQ:TRMB) today announced the introduction of Trimble® SCS900 Site Controller Software Tablet Edition. Using Trimble site positioning total station or Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, the Trimble SCS900 Tablet Edition simplifies construction operations, increases efficiency in the field, and minimizes downtime.
 
The announcement was made today at the BAUMA 2007 International Trade Fair, the worlds largest construction equipment exposition.

The Trimble SCS900 Tablet Edition combines the easy-to-use data management system of existing Trimble SCS900 software with the graphics capabilities and processing power of a tablet PC. It extends the use of Trimble site positioning systems to construction jobsite supervisors, foremen and project managers who coordinate activities from a vehicle, and the software offers the following benefits:

    * View, review, and edit designs from a vehicle provides easy access to the same digital design data that field crews are using.
    * Real-time cut and fill display allows the supervisor to drive the site, measuring ground elevation and monitoring current cut/fill depths.
    * Tools for side slope staking, computing volumes, and grade checking enables the supervisor to conduct site prep and checking activities from inside the vehicle.
    * A simple and easy daily set-up of base station puts control of the GPS system in the hands of the supervisor.

It is designed for use on the jobsite with the Trimble site positioning system product family, featuring the Trimble SPS780 and SPS880 Smart GPS Antennas and the Trimble SPS750 and SPS850 Modular GPS Receivers. It also supports the Trimble ATS Construction Total Station and the Trimble 5600 Total Station.

The SCS900 Tablet Edition is available as a software product supplied on CD in U.S. and British English only at this time.  (Source: Press Release)

Learn to Use iGuidance, a Navigation Application, Monday, April 30, 10:00 A.M. PT

iNav's iGuidance navigation software helps you turn your existing Tablet PC or UMPC into a navigation system. The touch-screen operation and map displays are enhanced for use with Ultra-Mobile PCs.  (Source: Microsoft Website)
Posted Wednesday, April 25, 2007 by ChrisD
Rating: 3 (Rate it) 1 Lowest 2 3 4 5 Highest Comments (0)

CIC and Top PC Maker to Provide Biometric and Electronic Signature Solutions for Tablet PCs

Industry Leaders Team-up to Provide New Solutions for Mobile Workflow Automation

REDWOOD SHORES, Calif., April 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Communication Intelligence Corporation ("CIC") (OTC Bulletin Board: CICI - News), a leading supplier of electronic signature solutions for business process automation in the financial industry and the recognized leader in biometric signature verification, announced today a sales and marketing agreement with Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) to provide its electronic signature solution for ThinkPad Tablet PCs and for the companies to jointly promote their product offerings. 
 
Through this agreement, CIC joins Lenovo's Tablet Influencer Program and provides Lenovo its full range of biometric and electronic signature solutions. Lenovo's sales team will actively promote CIC's electronic signature products to its users. The joint product offerings represent an ideal solution for any application requiring electronic approvals or user authentication using biometrics.

According to IDC, convertible tablet PC unit shipments will reach more than one million this year and more than four million by 2010. With more industries relying on tablet PCs, Lenovo tablet customers include mobile professionals in fields such as healthcare, insurance, real estate, education and sales.

"As a leading worldwide supplier of PCs, Lenovo provides the market access and sales coverage that is fundamental to accelerating eSignature sales growth worldwide," said Joe DePaola, Vice President of Worldwide Sales at CIC. "Mobile information users within a number of vertical industries can now leverage the combined strengths of industry leading tablet computing with authentication and legally compliant eSignature solutions to address their process automation needs."

The rock-solid design of Lenovo's ThinkPad Tablet PCs includes a shock-mounted hard-drive making them reliable and durable tools for on-the-go computing. Lenovo's latest model, the ThinkPad X60 Tablet, is a thin and light 12-inch tablet PC that also offers layered security tools including an encrypted hard drive and integrated fingerprint reader to prevent unauthorized access to information. Lenovo's ThinkPad Tablets all come equipped with ThinkVantage Technologies, a suite of self-help tools that help to manage profiles for Internet connections and easy recovery of lost or corrupted files among other features.

CIC's SignatureOne(TM) suite includes its SignatureOne Server, Sign-it®, and iSign® software. SignatureOne Server provides user authentication, profile administration and transaction receipts. Sign-it and iSign provide shrink-wrapped application plug-in as well as developer tools for the integration of signatures into complex enterprise architectures and custom applications. CIC's technology supports a common process and methodology to provide a uniform program interface for multiple signature methods and multiple signature capture devices, simplifying enterprise-wide integration of business process automation tasks requiring eSignatures, and virtually eliminating the need for paper copies and ink signatures.  (Source: Press Release)

Gaz Métro Plus: Providing Superior Customer Service with Motion Tablet PCs

The Background: Replacing a Paper-based System with Field Force Automation Tools

Gaz Métro Plus repairs and replaces gas furnaces and water heaters for more than 160,000 residential and commercial customers in the province of Quebec. As a result of deregulation, the gas utilities market is fiercely competitive. To stay ahead of the competition, Gaz Métro Plus focuses on delivering fast, efficient customer service.

Gaz Métro Plus realized its paper-based system was hindering the service technicians’ ability to respond quickly to service calls and provide value-added customer service. The technicians were not equipped to upload customer data to the company’s central database while working remotely, which meant the call centre did not have relevant customer information during customer calls. The paper-based system hindered the service technicians’ ability to quickly process service calls, which created internal bottlenecks that translated into longer wait times for customers.

To address this issue, Gaz Métro Plus gave their technicians Motion Computing tablet PCs loaded with web-based software. Now, Gaz Métro Plus can respond to more customer calls each day and provide customers with current information about the status of each service request. This mobile solution streamlines service calls, helping the company save money and serve customers faster.   (Source: Press Release)

HP Showcases its Future Mobile Gadgets and Innovations in India

Next up was a rather interesting concept of a tablet PC. But this one is not like your ordinary tablet PC that is available in the market today. This tablet is literally a tablet in the sense that it is much thinner and lighter with a longer battery life.

One of the concepts that really caught my attention was a pen-like device, which allows one to write on just about any surface, after which the information gets stored in the device. Imagine this, you are at a meeting with a client, and have to explain things visually and you also have to take down notes. Well, here is when this Pen would come into great use. You can draw out images and also take down notes using it. Your handwriting and images will disappear in a short while.  (Source: TechShout.com)

Test Driving a HP Pavilion Entertainment PC TX1000

I love the keyboard size and feel and the touch pad area is really nice. It has many tiny indentations that give your finger a non slip surface to travel across. Also the right most edge has a dedicated scroll area.

Battery life is pretty decent. The smaller 4 cell battery lasts approximately 3hrs, while the higher capacity 6 cell battery typically ran for about 4.5hrs. Great for watching 2 movies on a flight.

If you're looking for a media-centric laptop that won't break your back (4.2lbs) and your bank account (it starts out at $1299), you might want to take a closer look at the TX1000. I'm not trading my Macbook Pro in for one, but I wouldn't turn one down if someone wanted to give me one either ;o)   (Source: Julie, the Gadgeteer)

Samsung Q1b UMPC Review

It's no longer a question of the ability of the devices; the Samsung Q1b is an impressive piece of machinery packing Windows XP Tablet Edition, a 1GHz VIA C7-M Processor, a 40 GB hard drive, a touchscreen-based interface, and enough connectivity options to keep your contacts from being aware that you are on the go.

But there still is a question that needs to be asked: Is the Tablet PC, especially with the advent of flash memory hard drives and their increased performance, worth investing in? Let's dive into the Q1b and then revisit this question.  (Source AWright, Brighhand)

Kohjinsha upgrade tiny convertible with touch-friendly screen

If there’s one thing I love more than pie and kicking the shins of small children, it’s Tablet PCs.  And in that respect I’m like a whole lot of people for whom size - or, more accurately, the lack of it - is an indecent draw, even if I know it would have long-term implications on boring things like usability.  Kohjinsha’s svelte little convertible was one such temptress, gamely beckoning us in with a compact keyboard, 7-inch screen and full PC guts, but letting us down at the last minute like a chocolate condom by failing to have a touchscreen.

All that, however, has changed.  (Source: Chris Davies SlashGear)

PhatWare releases PhatPad 4.2 for Windows Vista and Windows Mobile

PhatWare Corporation, a leading provider of software products and professional services for mobile and desktop computers, announces the release of PhatPad 4.2, the next generation of the company's award-winning notes organizer for Microsoft Windows-based Tablet, Desktop and Windows Mobile powered Pocket PCs and Smartphones, which is “Certified For” Windows Vista.

PhatWare Corporation, a leading provider of software products and professional services for mobile and desktop computers, announces the release of PhatPad 4.2, the next generation of the company's award-winning notes organizer for Microsoft Windows-based Tablet, Desktop and Windows Mobile powered Pocket PCs and Smartphones, which is “Certified For” Windows Vista.

PhatPad allows users to draw pictures, jot notes, or put a mixture of pictures and typed text on a virtual scratch pad. The program uses new digital ink technology, which provides a very smooth ink flow, so it feels like writing on an actual piece of paper. While working with the note editor, PhatPad offers standard editing commands in addition to a customizable pen palette and variable pen width.

 With the certification of PhatPad, PhatWare continues to show its strong support for Microsoft’s efforts to provide PC users with consistent user experience among certified software products  
PhatPad 4.2 is the second PhatWare product to be Certified for Windows Vista (PhatWare PenCommander being the first). The certification is yet another step in PhatWare’s continuing participation in the Windows Vista certification program which has been created to help customers instantly recognize applications that have met a higher standard for reliability, security, and compatibility.

"With the certification of PhatPad, PhatWare continues to show its strong support for Microsoft’s efforts to provide PC users with consistent user experience among certified software products," said Stan Miasnikov, president of PhatWare Corporation. "PhatPad is our second product to be certified for Windows Vista as we strongly believe that by participating in the Microsoft certification program we let our customers know that our products provide the highest quality Windows Vista experience possible."

In addition to Windows Vista, PhatPad works on Windows 2000/XP desktops, and on Windows Mobile based Pocket PCs and Smartphones. PhatPad has also been certified with the “Designed for Windows Mobile” logo.

PhatPad Pricing and Availability

PhatPad 4.2 is available now at the list price of $39.95. A free 30-day trial version of PhatPad 4.2 can be downloaded from the PhatWare web site at http://www.phatware.com/phatpad. PhatPad 4.2 is a free upgrade for all registered uses of PhatPad 4.X. All other registered users of any previous versions of PhatPad can purchase the latest version for a special upgrade price of $24.95.   (Source: Press Release)