e.Digital Corporation (fka EDIG)

[Tinroad]

OT? CMC Magnetics' PA-100, nicknamed Cyberboy, integrates a full-featured digital still camera, a USB-connected full-motion PC camera, a capable MP3 playback device, a sophisticated digital audio recorder, an FM radio receiver and a complete array of PDA functions - all in the base unit.

According to the company, it is the world's first PDA to achieve this kind of functionality without requiring bulky options or accessories. We'll see about that soon. Based on a CMC-developed silicon core that integrates CPU, multimedia processing and memory on a single chip, the compact device achieves a high battery life rating, yet weighs less than 11 oz. The PA-100 offers full VGA resolution through a clear, fixed-focus lens and an advanced CMOS sensor system. A full 8MB of high-speed SD-RAM lets users instantly capture every visual moment, allowing transfer to the independent 8MB of flash ROM or an optional smart media card. A 400kbps USB connection quickly transfers still images to PCs, and it can be used to put the PA-100 on duty as a full motion PC camera.

The USB function also speeds audio transfers, allowing full-fidelity MP3 data to be downloaded to the Cyberboy and ADPCM voice recordings made on the Cyberboy to be archived on the user's PC.

Cyberboy's extensive PDA functions can be automatically linked to Microsoft Outlook or to the included Personal Information Management system software. The Cyberboy understands handwriting too, so the address book, calculator, task list and scheduler functions are right at the user'stylus-tip.

Cyberboy comes with dozens of popular games, and since CMC has created the system on an open platform, many new games and applications will be available soon. I can't quote on the multi-platform capability yet, but it's promising.

http://www.stepmagazine.com/tek/reviews/main.html