Wireless Wonders

AG Neovo Technology Corp., a computer display manufacturer based in San Jose, Calif., has introduced a line of snazzy, flat-panel monitors that have extraordinary depth and clarity. Electronic tablets could be the next big thing. And if ViewSonic Corp., a hardware manufacturer in Walnut, Calif., has anything to say about it, everyone will soon own a ViewPad. The ViewPad series comes in two flavors: The ViewPad 1000 is a full-featured PC in tablet form, while the ViewPad 100 is a supercharged personal digital assistant (a small, handheld computer). New applications for personal data assistants (PDAs) are making it easier to manage your work in the palm of your hand-literally. AvantGo, a Hayward, Calif., designer of mobile infrastructure software, is touting its latest PDA product as a way for agencies to put mission-critical systems into handhelds such as the Palm and the Blackberry, so they can be used outside the office. AvantGo 4.0 gives users access to databases, lets them send and receive e-mail and allows system administrators to tailor information to specific users. And now, PDA users also can load a variety of forms into their handhelds. FedSoft, an e-forms maker, has developed a package called FedForms, which consists of travel and expense forms, vacation trackers and performance evaluation sheets that can be downloaded into mobile computers. If that cramp in your hand makes you think carpal tunnel's setting in, maybe it's time to get a new mouse. 3M, the inventor of the desk-cluttering Post-it Note, is selling a new cursor controller that looks like a joystick. The Renaissance Mouse is especially popular among younger users who are accustomed to using joysticks with video games, according to a 3M spokesman. The mouse, which consists of an upright handle that users wrap their hand around to control, rolls freely on a pad, but users squeeze triggers, rather than clicking on the traditional flat buttons, to execute commands. Nikon is making digital cameras affordable with its new Coolpix 2500. The camera weighs just less than 6 ounces and comes with a lens that can magnify subjects up to three times. The lens adjusts internally instead of protruding outward, making it less prone to damage. Early independent reviews of the camera say its sleek design makes it easy to carry in a coat pocket or in a handbag. The camera retails for less than $400.