Hot on the heels of those blurry, low-quality photos of the upcoming HP iPAQs, come these shiny new pics sure to have waiting fans foaming at the mouth. As you can see, the new handhelds are definitely a reality, and now we've got details on added models to the lineup, as well as rumored release information. First and foremost is the iPAQ 914 (pictured), a Windows Mobile smartphone with a 3-megapixel camera, GPS, WiFi, and HSDPA support. HP is also intro'ing the 614, another Windows Mobile device (this one presumably with a touchscreen), plus GPS, WiFi, and HSDPA -- both new phones are said to be selling for around $800. The company is also introducing the 314, a GPS navigator with custom HP software, and the iPAQ 214 and 114 ($500 / $430), two Windows Mobile-based PDAs without any phone functions (though they have WiFi, allowing for VoIP). All of the devices are said to be hitting shelves in October, save for the 914, which is due (supposedly) in November. Feel free to hit the read link for more info, though we warn you, it's in Swedish.

[Via Unwired View]

If you think your heart rate-monitoring wristwatch is hot stuff, a homegrown creation from the Berkeley Institute of Design is apt to put that to shame. Dubbed the pervasive health monitoring system, this project involves a TI microcontroller, a Bluetooth interface, audio amplifier, and a trio of low power "instrumentation amplifiers," which creates an apparatus that can communicate wirelessly with your Windows Mobile-based handset (and PC, too). The device is rigged up to record ECG (heart rhythms), EMG (muscle tension), GSR (skin resistance), body temperature and movement information, and while we could certainly attempt to transcribe the creator, why not take a look at the informative video posted after the jump for all the data you could ever desire about this (admittedly fresh) invention.

[Via Hack-A-Day]

For our Mobile squad, no smartphone launch is complete until we've touched it, analyzed it, and -- knowing our butterfingered selves -- dropped it on a concrete surface (just kidding, our Mobile editors would sacrifice life and limb for the safety of a handset). But when said smartphone happens to be a frickin' CDMA device from HTC... well, that's like a once (or twice) in a lifetime event. Head on over to Mobile for our first impressions of Sprint's Mogul by HTC with a full gallery to boot. Heck, it's almost as good as actually buying one!

The folks over at The Inquirer sneaked up on an Ferrari-branded Acer c500 and snapped this grainy picture before getting kicked out of the booth by the camera-shy Acer peoples. At least we're almost positive it's the c500, The Inq wasn't able to get any specs or a model number, but this shiny bugger looks to be the exact unit we saw hit the FCC a few weeks ago, which features WinMo 5, a 2.8-inch QVGA touchscreen, a 300MHz Samsung 2442 processor, Bluetooth, WiFi, GPS and a decent complement of storage and RAM. We're guessing we'll know more about this sucker soon enough, Acer was never one to keep a random and possibly ill-conceived Ferrari-based concept under wraps for long.

We're not sure if it's the newfound presence of the Wing on T-Mobile's support site or the ever-growing throng of individuals reporting that customer service agents and in-store reps are touting May 22 as the launch date, but something tells us that tomorrow's starting to look pretty good for getting some Windows Mobile 6 Professional love. Seeing how T-Mobile is without a Pocket PC phone option right now, the Wing's arrival isn't just welcome -- it's necessary -- and as 2.5G Pocket PCs go, the Wing's a doozy. The slim case and soft-touch finish alone are enough to make Wizard owners shed a tear, but the real prize is likely Windows Mobile 6 Professional and a revised, spring-loaded keyboard with a more traditional numeric layout. Get your pocketbooks ready, ladies and gentlemen.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

We've seen handheld workhorses before, but Psion Teklogix is taking Windows Mobile 6 to the tough side in its new line of WORKABOUT devices. Offering users the choice of Windows CE 5.0 or WinMo 6 Classic / Professional, the WORKABOUT PRO C sports a full alphanumeric keypad, while the PRO S trims down by nixing the alphabet. Both units are powered by a 520MHz PXA270 CPU, and boast 128MB of Flash ROM, 128MB of SDRAM, optional 802.11b/g via a CF adapter, GSM / GPRS / EDGE WWAN connectivity, Bluetooth, a 3.6-inch VGA touchscreen, built-in speaker / microphone, and the obligatory dust, rain, and shock proof qualities that you'd expect on such a rugged machine. Additionally, a bevy of scanning expansion modules are included, and while pricing details aren't readily available, anyone that's likely to be interested in this one can just charge it to the corporate card and fuhgetaboutit.

[Via PocketPCThoughts]

MyMobile911 has somehow managed to acquire a "production package" of T-Mobile's upcoming Windows Mobile 6-equipped Wing, and perhaps the most interesting news here is that it is, in fact, called the "Wing." Previous reports had suggested that execs weren't happy with the name, but hey, they could call it "Poo" for all we care -- the fact that retail packaging is in the wild suggests that a release could very well be imminent. The box's contents turn out to be pretty standard fare: a charger, stereo headset, cables, software, and a handful of manuals, though one gem is the audio/charging dongle that appears to let you juice the battery and rock out at the same time. With the MDA axed from the lineup, T-Mobile's Pocket PC-less shelves are looking a wee bit bare; Wing, you can't possible get here soon enough.

[Thanks, Wally S.]

If this wasn't actually on O2's website, we'd think it was just a late (really late) April Fool's joke; alas, it now seems that the HTC Panda is the real deal in all its throwback glory. Looking pretty much like an HTC Himalaya or Alpine, the Panda reminds us of everything that was great about 2004 -- and thankfully, O2 has decided in its infinite wisdom to pick up the device as the "Xda Argon." Don't get your hopes up for modernized guts, though -- those are throwback, too, with EDGE data and Windows Mobile 5 leading the charge. On the other hand, Bluetooth, WiFi, a 2 megapixel camera, and a gloriously large 3.5 inch display all help make the Panda's case for a place in the sentimental Pocket PC user's pocket. Get it now on O2 for as little as... well, nothing, depending on the contract you select.

[Via the::unwired]

It seems HTC has finally gotten all of its leaves in a pile by releasing the much anticipated Windows Mobile 6 upgrade roadmap; while this news isn't a surprise, it's always reassuring to hear it straight from the manufacturer. Starting in April (the clock is ticking HTC) the updates will begin rolling out on HTC's European site for your downloading pleasure (link below). The list includes the HTC Advantage, HTC TyTn, HTC S620, HTC P3300, and the HTC 4350. All of you folks rolling with carrier-branded handsets will have to wait until June, and to make it a bit more unbearable, no operators or devices are specifically mentioned. HTC's rationale in choosing these handsets over others in their portfolio -- in case you are screaming "why not me?" -- is that devices with a focus on messaging will most benefit from the upgrade. Maybe it's just us, but aren't all of HTC's handsets focused on messaging? We will be bringing you a blow by blow as these things land, so if you see one posted and we haven't mentioned it, drop us a line.

[Thanks, Sed]

Read - HTC's WM6 roadmap [Warning: PDF link]
Read - HTC Europe download site

Canada's Telus may be in the process of beating it to the punch, but that's not stopping Sprint (and Verizon, for that matter) from prepping its own variant of the HTC Titan, the PPC-6800. A PPCGeeks forum member recently got the enviable opportunity to screw around with a prototype of the Sprint-branded unit -- and besides coming away with a veritable cornucopia of imagery, they've posted a few key details: in addition to rocking Windows Mobile 5 AKU 3.3 (Pocket PC Phone Edition, of course), the device will use a Qualcomm MSM7500 to push bits and bytes at around 400MHz (as we've already seen in its XV6800 sibling) and end up with about 174MB of usable Flash and 49MB of RAM. Of course, this is a prototype -- specs are subject to change -- but seeing how the Telus version is already on the streets, what you see here is probably darned near what you're going to get. Follow the break for some key shots.

[Thanks, Brian C.]

If this is the device Census Bureau workers end up getting to use come 2010, we've gotta say, we're a little jealous. The aptly-named "Census" from HTC crossed the FCC's wires several months ago, and a fresh visit reveals that pictures of the device and a user's manual are now available. Sticking with the Bureau's claim that their device would be strictly used for data collection, the Windows Mobile Pocket PC-powered Census dispenses with calling functionality, instead loading up with a variety of options for transmitting collected data back to home base: 1xRTT / EV-DO, WiFi, and a phone jack (oh, my!) are all on board. Though we're not certain, we're guessing the jack is an analog modem, ensuring that even the most rural Census visits -- places where even CDMA may not penetrate -- won't go unreported in short order. The device also includes a fingerprint reader, which gives us some sense of security (however false it may be) that the intimate details we share with those workers are safe. A screen shot in the user's manual reveals Sprint as a possible carrier, but if this is in fact the Census device we've all been hearing about, it's uncertain whether it'll ever be made available outside the feds' bureaucratic hands.

[Via phoneArena]

We've seen concept phones galore over the years, but a recent prototype spotted at the If Design Awards at this year's CeBIT convention piqued our interest a bit more than usual. Purportedly envisioned by Teague, the sure-to-be-renamed "Data Center Communications Vision of the Future Server" for HP looks to be a Pocket PC / rugged handheld hybrid with a slideout QWERTY keyboard, oversized touchscreen display, and quite a chunky motif. Of course, we doubt this will turn out to be your average PDA / phone, as it reportedly boasts "integrated hardware / software mobile technology to allow IT personnel to monitor data center equipment, diagnose and track problems, and perform system services" as well. Essentially, this presumably beastly device is intended to interface with HP servers and data centers rather than catering to the typical style-conscious consumer, as it even touts RFID / Bluetooth connectivity options to assist administrators in resolving outstanding issues sans wires. As with most products still stuck in the Photoshop stage, there's no word on whether this thing will actually hit the market, nor if it'll show up primarily through enterprise channels if it makes it that far, but it looks like the diagnostic handheld market is just starting to get interesting nonetheless.

Whoa, what's that HTC Kaiser doing there? Don't whip out your Wizard or Hermes and try this, folks -- you'll only end up with tears and a broken Pocket PC -- it's a hot new trick HTC's Hermes follow-on has up its sleeves. Besides the wacky flip-up action, the Kaiser ups the camera to a full 3 megapixels (an extra million pixels over its predecessor), adds HSUPA support for crazy fast uploads, GPS, and the now-obligatory Windows Mobile 6 Professional. No word on release, but we know with certainty that HTC wants this thing in users' hands in 2007, so we'd expect it to start showing up on European networks before too long. Click on for plenty of gorgeous photography.

[Via Howard Forums]