| PDA Market On Its Last Legs?
"The worldwide handheld device market posted its fifteenth consecutive quarter of decline in shipments, signaling either vendor intent to scale back production or exit from market entirely, or both. According to IDC's Worldwide Handheld QView, vendors shipped 728,894 handheld devices in 3Q07, approximately 1.5% more than the previous quarter but 39.3% less from the same quarter a year ago. "The handheld device market has been under constant pressure, with mobile phones and converged mobile devices appropriating many of the handheld's salient attributes," says Ramon T. Llamas, research analyst with IDC's Mobile Device Technology and Trends team. "Handheld product portfolios have suffered as vendors have reallocated their production resources."Palm remained the number 1 PDA manufacturer, but it is relying on its aged Z22, TX (both launched in Oct 2005) and T-E2 (April 2005) lines.
Market movers
NEW YORK -- Wall Street closed an uneasy session lower Wednesday as investors, uncertain if the worst of the credit crisis is over, refrained from extending Tuesday's huge advance. Bear Stearns Cos. rose $2.58, or 2.6 percent, to $103.45, after its CFO's encouraging comments. Other financial stocks -- which have lagged other sectors this year -- rose as well but several pared their advance at the close. .
Ross Mathews: From Intern to Lovable Celebrity
The first time I saw Ross Mathews on "The Tonight Show," I instantly fell in love with him and knew he was a guy to watch. He's interviewed some of the biggest stars on the red carpet, and made the nation laugh all the while. Earlier this year, he became a huge inspiration to many when he lost more than 40 pounds on VH1's "Celebrity Fit Club," then showed off his new look when he co-hosted ABC's "The View." If you haven't been to the Ross Blog, you need to check it out and catch up with some of the funniest segments he's done in the past, like this one with the Crocodile Hunter. In a recent interview, I asked Ross about his "talky blog," his most memorable celebrity interview, and of course, his favorite gadgets. When and why did you start blogging? I started blogging while covering the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Torino, Italy, for "The Tonight Show" because I knew I was going to have some spare time during my month-long stay there, and I wanted to fill my days with work (I don't do well when I don't have something to do).
iPods, cell phones: Deadly driving distractions
The September crash that killed two Minnetonka High School seniors in rural Carver County may have been caused by the driver losing control because she was using an electronic device, the sole survivor has told authorities.Mitchell Grengs, 17, who suffered serious injuries in the crash, was recently interviewed by a State Patrol investigator. Grengs was riding with his cousin, Kylie Grayden, the driver, and her friend Kelly Phillips, both 17, to a farm bonfire the night of Sept. 21. Grayden and Phillips died.Grengs initially told the patrol that he thought his cousin was using her iPod or cell phone before going off the road. When pressed, Grengs said he thought it was the iPod, said Nathan Bowie, a patrol spokesman. He said the case is still under investigation. Grengs, whose Facepage shows him wearing a halo contraption to stabilize his neck injury, could not be reached for comment Wednesday."Teens being distracted is a significant issue, particularly because they are not experienced drivers," said Cheri Marti, director of the state Office of Traffic Safety.
Boom! is a bust
My name is Lloyd and I'm a baby boomer. It's been eight months since my last gratuitous reference to the '60s. Well, OK, I may have told my kids the other day how I almost went to Woodstock. And, yeah, I won't deny it, I did go on a few weeks back about getting a number in the Selective Service lottery that was almost low enough to get me drafted. I was this close to going to Nam, man. .
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