Some of the latest news from the 'coolness front'

Sprint's new Sanyo 8100 wireless camera phone now is available for $99 (after $100 rebate) at its retail locations and Best Buy and Circuit City. The phone features the new Qualcomm 6000 chipset, which Sprint says will improve the sending and receiving of pictures.

The phone has a 1.8-inch internal screen that supports more than 65,000 colors, and also has an external 65,000-plus color screen that can be used to identify incoming callers. Pictures have a 352-by-288-pixel resolution, and users can add 10-second voice messages or text messages to their pictures. The camera also has a self-timer (5 or 10 seconds), autobrightness setting and a shutter sound.

The phone part of the Sanyo 8100 is a dual-band, tri-mode PCS phone that weighs 3.88 ounces and measures 3.33 by 1.86 by 1.14 inches. The phone comes with a lithium-ion battery that provides up to 2.8 hours of talk time and 10.7 days of standby in digital mode, and up to 1.4 hours talk time and 14 hours standby in analog mode. Other features include Java support, polyphonic ring tones, a calculator and a "world clock." The phone also includes an answering-machine feature that lets users listen in as callers leave messages - users also can pick up while the caller is leaving a message. The phone works with Sprint's PCS Vision service, and users can upload pictures to the PCS Vision Pictures Web site (www.picturemail.sprint pcs.com).

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Sprint's new Sanyo 8100 wireless camera phone now is available for $99 (after $100 rebate) at its retail locations and Best Buy and Circuit City. The phone features the new Qualcomm 6000 chipset, which Sprint says will improve the sending and receiving of pictures.

The phone has a 1.8-inch internal screen that supports more than 65,000 colors, and also has an external 65,000-plus color screen that can be used to identify incoming callers. Pictures have a 352-by-288-pixel resolution, and users can add 10-second voice messages or text messages to their pictures. The camera also has a self-timer (5 or 10 seconds), autobrightness setting and a shutter sound.

The phone part of the Sanyo 8100 is a dual-band, tri-mode PCS phone that weighs 3.88 ounces and measures 3.33 by 1.86 by 1.14 inches. The phone comes with a lithium-ion battery that provides up to 2.8 hours of talk time and 10.7 days of standby in digital mode, and up to 1.4 hours talk time and 14 hours standby in analog mode. Other features include Java support, polyphonic ring tones, a calculator and a "world clock." The phone also includes an answering-machine feature that lets users listen in as callers leave messages - users also can pick up while the caller is leaving a message. The phone works with Sprint's PCS Vision service, and users can upload pictures to the PCS Vision Pictures Web site (www.picturemail.sprint pcs.com).

D-Link adds free cable testing to a router

D-Link Systems has announced a new version of its DI-604 Ethernet Broadband Router, which now includes Virtual Cable Tester (VCT) technology for free. D-Link says the new version can "independently detect and report cabling issues without the need to unplug and test cables."

The VCT technology is a combination of hardware and software that sends out probes through a LAN, detects any cabling problems and then displays them on a user's desktop with D-Link's configuration utility. The VCT technology can troubleshoot connectivity issues through any Ethernet-equipped device, including devices not normally visible through network software, the company says. D-Link says it plans to make VCT available on its other products, including the DI-614+ AirPlus Enhanced 4-Port Wireless Broadband Router, and the DI-774 AirXpert A/B/G 4-Port Wireless Router by mid-May.

The $30 router has four Ethernet ports and includes Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol capabilities, firewall features, and parental control and URL filtering options. VPN pass-through support also is available, D-Link says.

Copy whiteboard info to a memory card

Plus Vision recently announced a new series of electronic copyboards that let users convert information written on a whiteboard to be printed or stored on a Compact Flash memory card.

The M-Series includes the M-10S (36 by 51 inches) and the M-10W (36-by-71-inch) copyboards. The boards also include interchangeable writing surfaces, USB-connectivity for HP-compatible printers, and a wall mount or optional stand. They also come standard with dry-erase markers (in black, blue, green and red).