A roundup of the latest neat stuff

Pocket PC parade

Microsoft used Oct. 4 as launch day for its new Pocket PC 2002 OS, and along with the launch of the operating system came a slew of new device and partner announcements.

In addition to new devices from Casio, Compaq (H3800 and 3700 models pictured), Hewlett-Packard, Toshiba and others, Microsoft announced that Acer, Audiovox, ETEN, Fujitsu, Inventec, Itautec, NEC USA and 02 (formerly BT Cellnet) will be using the operating system to make their own Pocket PCs soon.

Go to www. microsoft. com/presspass/events/ pocketpc2002/material .asp for a list of announcements and hardware specifications, and www.microsoft.com /presspass/events/pocket pc2002/partner.asp for a list of partner announcements made at the event. New Jornada accessories

HP announced several new accessories to go along with the Jornada 560 series of Pocket PCs, including:

* A PC card adapter that lets you plug a PC card and a MultiMediaCard (MMC) or Secure Digital (SD) card into the CompactFlash slot. The adapter would let you use a wireless LAN PC card and SD storage card at the same time. The adapter is expected to be available in December and will cost around $150.

* A pocket keyboard that replaces the existing cover of the Jornada 560 with a cover that has a mini-thumb keyboard. The keyboard is also expected in December and will cost around $50. For users who want a full-sized keyboard, the Targus Stowaway Portable Keyboard works with the Jornada 560 and costs about $100.

* A battery that fits into the Compact Flash card slot and includes its own MMC/SD slot. With this adapter, you can get extra battery life, as well as the benefits of an MMC or SD card

for extra storage or memory The battery is expected in December and will cost about $80.

* The HP Pocket Camera, which is available for around $170, will work with the Jornada 560.

More information on the Jornada can be found at www.hp. com/jornada.

New FireWire drives

FireWireDirect.com has announced the third version of its portable FireWire Drive, the Spark II Pro. The Spark II Pro is a 2.5-inch hard drive that combines FireWire with Universal Serial Bus, and it is now compliant with the new USB 2.0 spec- ification. The drive is also backward-- compatible with USB 1.1, so the drive will work with computers that don't have the USB 2.0 standard.