What’s New
Palm i705 offers secure e-mail, Web access
The newest personal digital assistant from Palm Inc. has a built-in antenna for wireless Web access and secure, “always-on” access to business or personal e-mails and instant messages through its Palm.Net subscriber service.
The i705, above, weighs 5.9 ounces and features expansion card and universal connector slots. To avoid the battery drain of a color screen, Palm is releasing only a monochrome model.
The $449 device is designed for mobile professionals and businesses. It can consolidate e-mail from as many as eight incoming accounts and offers multiple forms of data entry, including the new Palm Mini Keyboard ($59.95) that slips over the bottom of the i705.
Users can set up notification options so that they’ll be notified of incoming e-mail messages, even if the handheld is off.
Towcheck will get you hitched without a hitch
Donnelly Corp. has some help for folks who keep smashing their bumpers when they try to hitch up their trailers. The 96-year-old company has introduced a tiny remote camera connected to a 2.5-inch display screen, above, that hangs below the rear-view mirror of a car or truck.
The $449 system enables drivers to watch the hitch-ball mount as it approaches the trailer tongue and adjust speed and direction as needed. The camera can be adjusted to provide a rear view or be left focused on the hitch.