Sony's CLIE PEG-N760C and MP3 Module

If you're going to carry around a PDA, you ought to be able to do something fun with it in addition to its usual functional tasks. Listening to MP3 audio is a nice start, but a more extensive list of games would be great too, so that you could leave your Game Boy and MP3 player at home when you're carrying around your electronic little black book. While it has little to do with this story, I just came across a web site dedicated to PDA games that you can check out here . As far as tunes go, Sony is making them available onboard its new CLIE PEG-N760C handheld and hasn't forgotten those of your who bought a CLIE before they made them MP3 compatible. In tandem to the new CLIE release, Sony is putting out the PEGA-SA500 MP3 module, which hooks onto your older PDA via the serial port. The module reads MP3 audio files stored on Memory Stick media and also enables stereo sound with gMovie application video clips by way of a digital signal processor (DSP) integrated into the unit. The SA500 accessory comes with headphones and an installation CD-ROM. It'll be priced at around about $130.

The new CLIE N760C handheld runs Palm OS version 4.1 and features an integrated digital audio player (MP3 and ATRAC3 file formats) and an LCD screen with 320 x 320 pixel resolution and 16-bit color (more than 65,000 colors) support. The unit reads digital audio files directly from a Memory Stick memory card (8MB card supplied), freeing up the internal 8MB (7MB available) of memory for personal information management (PIM) applications. To hear ATRAC3 audio files, you'll need to use the Magic Gate Memory Stick media (sold separately). The unit includes an audio remote controller and headband-free w.ear headphones. As with the N710C and N610C models, the new handheld can be navigated using the Jog Dial. It measure 2 7/8" (W) x 4 3/4" (H) x 11/16" (D) and weighs 5.65 oz. with stylus. Sony says the rechargeable Lithium Ion Polymer battery will last up to 15 days with normal use (no audio) or give you up to 11 hours of continuous audio playback with the LCD off mode. The CLIE N760C will be available in October and be priced at about $500.