The ruggedized $399 Nova5000 tablet is being touted as a "Next Generation Student Learning Appliance" that offers a 7.5 inch 640X480 color touch screen in a 9.7”x 5”x 1.2” package weighing 1.8 pounds.

[via MobileRead]

NOTE: The Nova5000 runs Windows CE.NET so it is technically not a "real" Tablet PC.  jk

Yesterday was the “big day” for Apple to make some noise about it’s most recent contribution to tech with the video iPod, updated iMac’s, a remote control for Front Row and a new version of iTunes (primarily to support video content for the new iPod’s).

For the detail people, the new fifth generation iPod are thinner than previous versions, sport a 320×240 pixel screen on a 2.5” display and can decode MPEG-4 and H.264 at up to 30fps and has video out.  There is a 30GB and 60GB model priced at $299 and $399 respectively.

[via everyone ]

Ugh, an annoyingly abysmal bandwidth weekend, I think I could tap out the bits with my pen faster than they were coming down the wire, which gives the wife more fuel for the no-Vonage fire.  Anyhoo, catching up with some thousand unread items in my aggregator and came across this nugget:

From the NYTimes Article: "As part of that litigation, NTP, whose only assets are wireless e-mail related patents, had been granted an injunction banning the sale of BlackBerry devices in the United States and forcing Research in Motion to stop providing e-mail services to all American customers except government account holders. While the court declined Research in Motion’s request for a complete rehearing by all 12 of its judges, it did order the panel of three judges to review some aspects of NTP’s patent claims." [via /.]

One post I thought, weird.  Two posts, strange.  Now after seeing this thing on no less than half a dozen posts I too must contribute to the madness and mention the Sonic Grenade.  It’s only $18US and is capable of emitting three different ear shredding pitches but what I find most unique is the only way to shut the thing off is to reinsert the pin.

Lora has issued a request for developers looking to get their work published to contact TabISV@Microsoft.com.

 mobile.review has published a preview of the Fujitsu Siemens Pocket Loox N520.  Expected to be released at the end of next month (October 2005) this Windows Mobile 5.0 device sports GPS, 802.11g (yes G) and Bluetooth.  Estimations put the release price of the N520 in the $400 neighborhood which, IMO, makes this a pretty hot GPS/PDA device.  The preview has a ton of pictures and benchmark results if you’re looking for more.

It seems that engadget has the scoop on the new Blackberry 8700 and anticipates the official announcement to take place any day.  It’s another brick form factor, instead of the phone factor of the 7100 series, though supposedly thinner and narrower than the 7200 series.  You can’t really tell scale from the pictures alone, maybe it’s the angular lines that make it look bigger.

RIM announced that future Blackberry’s will be using Intel’s new chip, code named ‘Hermon’, that adds EDGE technology.  Based on other features and past reports the ‘Hermon’ should support 3G and WiFi.  Now all that’s left is to wait for the announcement of the new Blackberry’s.

[via The Register]

OQO announces Windows XP pocket computer, the Model 01+.  Sporting a 1GHz Transmeta Crusoe it measures in at 4.9” x 3.4” x 0.9” and weighs in slightly under a pound (14oz).  The Model 01+ has built in WiFi, Bluetooth, USB2.0 and FireWire, everything you’d expect from a modern form factor.  OQO even provides a docking station for use as a typical workstation (it even boasts 1280×1024 output from the dock).

I guess we could have filed this under “immobile tech” or “thankfully something other than the Treo 700w” but that might have been pushing just a little too far.  Spotted this originally on Gizmodo but a trip out to the HotSeat site shows this is one of three different steel cage seat contraptions.  It looks like you can get an optional beverage holder, but I think they missed a marketing opportunity with the MMORPG crowd by not including a mini fridge/microwave combo.