Communication Intelligence to standardise on Phoenix Technologies PenBIOS interface
Norwood, Massachusetts-based Phoenix Technologies Ltd says Communication Intelligence Corp of Redwood Shores, California, has pledged to standardise on Phoenix’s PenBIOS as the interface between its pen operating environment, PenDOS, and pen digitiser technology. Phoenix and Communication Intelligence are in close collaboration with a mission to encourage mutual OEM customers to bring advanced pen-based products to market more quickly. The PenBIOS is designed to enable multiple operating environments and systems – including PenDOS, Windows for Pen Computing, and PenPoint, among others – to run on a single hardware architecture. PenDOS will use Phoenix’s proprietary Pen Services, built into Phoenix PenBIOS, to interface with a broad range of digitiser technologies. Phoenix’s PenBIOS, according to the company, is based on a modular and flexible architecture to enable easy extension for multiple operating system support. Pen computers based on PenBIOS, it claims, enable users to choose which operating environment to load. PenBIOS includes services that provide a general interface to a set of hardware-specific routines for the installed pen-digitiser device. And Phoenix says it will tweak the Pen Services to support the various different digitiser technology implementations, including devices from Wacom Inc, Columbus, Ohio-based Scriptel Holding Inc, Fremont, California-based Logitech Inc, Calcomp Inc of Anaheim, California, and MicroTouch Inc. Phoenix says it is working closely with all the major digitiser vendors to support their products as they become available. The PenBIOS interface works by insulating the operating system from the specific hardware implementation, so eliminating the burden of writing several different device drivers for each different digitiser device. Phoenix will support PenDOS, as well as Windows for Pen Computing and PenPoint environments, on its multi-mode PenLeader hardware reference design, Phoenix’s integrated environment for accelerated OEM pen system development.
Slate has security utilities for use with Go Corp’s PenPoint operating system…
Scottsdale, Arizona-based Slate Corp has announced SafetyPen Utilities for Go Corp’s PenPoint operating system. The tools provide password protection and data security features to protect data stored on the PenPoint system. A Password Utility provides a multi-level protection scheme which enables users to control access to their data on various levels – potentially useful in a corporate environment where one system is shared by several users. Its multi-tiered password protection scheme provides control over un authorised data access, and passwords can be applied to the entire system, individual notebook sections or individual files. This utility can also create a personalised opening screen which is displayed each time a computer is turned on. By including the user’s name, address, company and phone number on-screen, the computer is easily identified in a group. And if a system is lost, return information is displayed every time the system is turned on. SafetyPen Backup Utility supports full, partial and incremental back-ups. Since back-ups are stored in standard PKZip data compression for mat, the company says, they are faster and less space-consuming. SafetyPen Utilities will be available in the second quarter through Slate Corp value-added resellers and system integrators. Suggested retail price is set at $100.
Pensoft launches pen data management tool, based on object technology
San Mateo, California-based Pensoft Corp has announced what it is heralding as the first pen-based personal information manager. The new software product, Perspective, is reckoned to open up a new category of personal information management tools and to bring a horizontal application to pen computers. Perspective is built on an object database and uses a proactive organisational tool called the Associate. This runs under Go Corp’s PenPoint, and automatically creates links between people
, appointments, to-dos and information, making relevant information accessible with a tap of the pen. Perspec tive is designed, like all pen products, for on-the-beat sales staff. It is due to ship in the second quarter, costing $300. The product will be sold directly by Pensoft and through OEM customers and software retailers; distribution details later.
…Poqet and Slate will co-operate on pen computer tools development…
Santa Clara, California-based Poqet Computer Corp – pronounced Pocket and not in the French way – and Scottsdale, Arizona-based Slate Corp say they will co-operate on the development of handheld pen computer products. The alliance will focus on creating a new category of super-portable personal productivity tools, combining powerful, easy-to-use software with lightweight, long battery life enviroments. Products developed under the alliance are to incorporate the Slate’s new Day-Timer Pen Scheduler software, just announced. No further details are available – specific product plans and timetables will not be revealed until late this year.
…and Poqet will resell R2Z’s PadBase 3 application development toolkit
Santa Clara, California-based Poqet Computer Corp plans to resell padBase Version 3, a complete pen-based application development toolkit from a firm named R2Z Inc, for use with the 1.2lb PoqetPad pen-computer. The development tools, which run under the GRiD Systems Corp’s PenRight! environment, are said to provide easy conversion of existing PenRight! applications and enable development of new MS-DOS applications for the pen-computing market. PadBase, based on the dBase programming language, is used for rapid creation of forms-based applications in Nantucket Corp’s Clipper 5.0 source code. After creating an application with padBase tools, developers can use the Clipper compiler to create an MS-DOS-executable program to run in the PenRight! environment. Poqet’s licensing of padBase is part of the company’s strategy of offering development options for corporate end-users and vertical market resellers of pen-based systems.
