SMS media deliverer 4INFO has been around for a few years and runs ad-supported SMS systems that are free to end-users.  A deal has just been announced that GE/NBC Universal have not only selected 4INFO for their exclusive mobile delivery partner but have invested in the company as well.  The deal means that 4INFO will become the GE/ NBC joint venture’s preferred mobile advertising partner and will offer targeted ads on NBC’s existing user-requested SMS traffic.  From the press release:

NBC Universal programs an expanding combination ofinteractive SMS voting, fan clubs and alerts across nearly all of its operatingdivisions, including entertainment, news, local, sports and cableentertainment. 4INFO will provide technology andservices that will enable NBC Universal to offer dynamic, targeted advertisingin its text messaging content. As part of the deal, NBC Universalwill also be able to supplement its own alerts content offerings with 4INFOconsumer services such as health tips, fantasy sports player statistics andcustom, user-defined alerts.

Full press release after the jump.

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Notebook computers get just as hungry for storage space as their bigger desktop siblings and as of today they can now be outfitted with a bulging 320 GB hard drive.  Western Digital, maker of a large pecentage of mobile PC hard drives, has announced the release of their largest 2.5 inch form drive yet, the Scorpio.  The Scorpio spins as 5,400 rpm and offers transfer rates of 3 GB/sec which is very nice and it works with SATA interfaces as found in most mobile PCs.  Western Digital claims the Scorpio contains technology to make the drive run quieter and cooler than earlier version drives.  Press release after the jump.

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Maryland state troopers have tested a program using touch-screen Tablets to store and provide instant access to information while doing fly-by missions checking on landmarks deemed vulnerable to terrorist attacks.  The Tablets are used to aid in the missions and to store information to make it instantly available to Homeland Security personnel.  What is cool about this program is it is the brainchild of one trooper who thought there must be a better way than the old capture technique using paper.  The trooper saw the benefit a slate Tablet could provide and pitched it to the agency who formed the pilot program that was conducted in Maryland.  This program was such a success that Homeland Security is going to roll out these slates in other states for similar work.  Checking out the video in the article shows the Tablets in action and while it’s hard to tell they look to me like the Tabletkiosk touch slates that have been selling for years.  It’s always good to see a government agency that listens to the people doing the actual work and then adopt the idea this trooper put forth.

It won’t be announced until tomorrow but the Tritton folks have given us an advance look at their new cool headset that is coming.  If you have been looking for a Bluetooth headset that works with both your cell phone and your Mac or PC for audio playback there are several choices but none that are small and light and as functional as the new AX BlueStream Stereo Headset by Tritton.  These guys take the best earbud design and use a unique lapel clip to house the Bluetooth radio for working with the mobile device.  This keeps the entire headset very tiny, comfortable and functional as you can see in this photo:

The BlueStream will retail for $80 wherever Tritton products are sold.  This looks like a sweet setup and one that won’t attract too much unwanted attention.  It weighs less than an ounce and the lapel clip puts all the cell phone controls in a convenient place within easy reach.  Full press release after the jump.

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Just a quick note on a post we ran early this morning regarding Absolute’s Computrace LoJack and Laplink’s PCsync & PCmover software. The information for that post was provided to me via e-mail in the form of a press release. It looked interesting from a mobile technology perspective, so I shared the information as I would with any news I feel our readers would benefit from.Late this afternoon, I was contacted by a Laplink representative and asked to pull the post. Apparently, the press release went out early and it’s possible there could be changes to the information provided. While the press release wasn’t under any NDA or embargo, I have pulled the post as I believe it’s the right thing to do in the case of an inadvertent accident such as this. I know I’ve hit the “Send” button too early more than once, so I hope you can understand and respect the decision to pull the post. It’s a very rare circumstance to do so and one we don’t take lightly here at jkOTR. As always, we thank you for reading and hope you find continued value here.

Yes, I’m a bit of a masochist. Sometimes I do things with my computers just for the experience. When Leopard arrived, I did the quick hit activity: I upgraded right over Tiger. It worked well but that left me without the other side of the coin: going through an Erase and Install of Leopard for that factory fresh smell. Staying up until 1 am on Saturday morning changed that: the install went without a hitch. And then today I went to edit a picture for my Vye S37 ink post. Uh… where did iPhoto go?
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So I’ve had the Vye S37 review unit from Dynamism about a week now. Steve has his full review of the 1 GB unit up (he too, tested with 1 GB and 2 GB) that’s a great read and it reminded me to follow up on the inking experience, hence the “inker or stinker” title. While not everyone feels the need to ink on UMPCs (I suspect most don’t, which is a shame), part of the equation is the Tablet experience on a small touch-screen device. I’ve been inking for over three years, so it’s a big part of decision-making process for me. The question is then: how is the inking experience on the Vye?
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There are three things certain in life, death, taxes and there will always be coffee in Starbucks. At least until today. I stopped earlier in my local SBUX and ordered my usual caffeinated beverage and the barista started frothing the milk. She stopped mid-steam and said “Shoot! We are totally out of espresso beans so I can’t make your drink.” The sound of my jaw hitting the floor was echoed by the two patrons who had ordered after me and who must be really out of luck. Fortunately for us one of the baristas was on the ball and grabbed a pound package of beans for sale and filled the grinder. We were all happily sipping in short order, although our stable world had now been shaken. It turned out the manager had forgotten to have them get the big backs of beans they would need and locked the store room before leaving for a while.BTW, this post was done on the HTC Advantage. Hooahh!

I really hope I don’t see the Drivemocion on my next trip to New York City. I just know some hacker cab-driver is going to create a way to customize it from the five pre-set messages and I’m afraid of what that taxi is going to say. If you have a pressing need to “show kindness, courtesy and respect” as it were to the car behind you, this is your chance. The Drivemocion mounts to your rear window (presumably not blocking too much of your view, right?) and has a wireless remote that you can dash mount. Press an emoticon button on the remote and voila! You just told people you don’t even know that you’re happy and you know it! Hopefully they don’t clap their hands and cause an accident.There’s no price yet for the Drivemocion that also shares a wink, says “Sorry”, “Back off”, and “Thanks”. So would it be inconsiderate to not flash the “Thanks” after someone lets you in ahead of them in traffic? I’m sticking with my bike. At least until there’s a Cyclomocion…

The PDA market just can’t catch a break. First, they all seem to be getting replaced by those new-fangled smartphones and now, the latest and greatest models are getting delayed. While this won’t come as a major surprise to our regular readers since we broke news that the HP iPAQ 210 delivery dates were in question, there’s a little more info to share.
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