There seems to be a criminal element in everything these days. Someone invents e-mail, spammers and virus writers hijack it. Someone invents VoIP, spammers are there to send us SPIT (spam over internet protocol). Now –say it isnt so, it hurts to write – they are coming after, are you ready?

I just visited what may be the future of web sites. I am still reeling from how incredible the experience has been. A site called True Sound Lounge is sponsored by Sennheiser the company that makes a variety of headphones from noise canceling to wireless and headsets that are aimed at call centers.

Sennheiser also makes high-end audio equipment and the site shows off the array of products the company offers in a slick manner that really appeals to the consumer – especially the younger crowd. I think these interactive characters will find their way into more consumer and finally corporate websites in the future.

It is obvious that you lose search engine optimization points with a non-text based approach such as this so I envision these sorts of characters and interactive rooms as additions to text sites or as alternative site to reach a market in a different way or with a slightly different spin.

Mio just introduced the Mio 136 GPS navigation system. This device is not only a GPS device but is also a MP3 player. The device comes with a million points of interest, and categories of restaurants, gasoline stations, lodging, ATM's and banks, airports, and more. In categories, users can filter by name or type.

If you break your PDA you are out of luck, right? You have to send the device back to the manufacturer and wait for a while and hope that your data is backed up, etc. A company called AX Micro has already shipped 30,000 replacement screens in 2004 and if your device has a broken screen, working with this company could be just the ticket.

Here are the details of what they can do:

Units Repaired

Digitizer/GlassTop Repair

Price Includes Labor & Part

Complete Screen Replacement

Price Includes Labor & Part

Battery Replacement

Price Includes Labor & Part

General Diagnosis

Includes General Diagnosis

Palm Units

Palm IIIe, IIIx & IIIxe

$35.00

$45.00

N/A

$20.00

Palm VII & VIIx

$35.00

$45.00

N/A

$20.00

Palm m100 & m105

$40.00

$60.00

N/A

$20.00

Palm IIIc

$40.00

$60.00

$45.00

$20.00

Palm m500

N/A

N/A

$45.00

N/A

Palm m505

N/A

$80.00

$45.00

$20.00

Palm m515

N/A

$90.00

$45.00

$20.00

Tungsten T & T2

85.00

N/A

$50.00

N/A

Tungsten C & W

85.00

N/A

$50.00

N/A

Tungsten E

85.00

N/A

$60.00

$20.00

Palm Zire 71

85.00

N/A

$60.00

N/A

Palm Zire 72

85.00

N/A

N/A

N/A

Treo 600

N/A

N/A

$60.00

N/A

Palm V & Vx

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(Click Here)

(Click Here)

(Click Here)

Visor Units

Visor Deluxe, Neo, Platinum & Pro

$40.00

N/A

N/A

$20.00

Visor Prism

(Click Here)

$70.00

$45.00

N/A

Symbol Units

Symbol SPT-1500 & SPT-1550

$35.00
NOT FOR SPT-1550

$45.00
OK FOR 1500 & 1550

N/A

$20.00

Symbol SPT-1700 & SPT-1800

$70.00

N/A

N/A

N/A

Symbol PPT-2700 & PPT-2800

$70.00

N/A

N/A

N/A

Sony Clie Units

Clie S300, S320 & S360

$50.00

N/A

$50.00

$20.00

Clie 700/610 Series

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(Click Here)

(Click Here)

(Click Here)

Clie T, SL & SJ Series

(Click Here)

(Click Here)

(Click Here)

(Click Here)

Dell Axim Units

Axim X5

$70.00

N/A

N/A

N/A

Axim X3, X3i & X30

$80.00

N/A

N/A

N/A

iPAQ Units

iPAQ 36xx Series

N/A

$160.00

$50.00

N/A

iPAQ 38xx Series

N/A

N/A

$55.00

N/A

iPAQ 39xx Series

N/A

N/A

$55.00

N/A

If the future of consumer devices is convergence then take a look at what SonyEricsson is doing as a guide to what the future will look like. Let’s start by saying you’ll want to have lots of memory handy because we are at a point today where you can generate a tremendous amount of megabytes from the camera on one of these babies.

The Sony Ericsson W800 which comes in variants for GSM – W800i and for GSM in China – W800c will be some of the most powerful devices out there and most interestingly they hark back to the heritage of the Sony Walkman. Sony is positioning this device a s serious music player. It plays 15 hours of music while the phone is on or 30 hours when the phone is off.