Marcosoft has released new maps for Magellan's Map Companion software. The new maps are based on year 2000 street data instead of the 1998 street data that came bundled with the original GPS companion products for Palm and Handspring handhelds. Marcosoft emphasizes that the new maps are not compatible with their other mapping product, QuoVadis. US$19.95

iPod fanatics should visit Blake Patterson's www.ipodhacks.com for news, "hacks, mods, tips and tricks."

Northstar, makers of the popular MemorySafe product line, has announced its new Mini Keyboard. Distinguishing it from other keyboards are the four traditional hardware buttons that run along the bottom of the snap on accessory. These are needed because in order to get a good hold on the Palm, Northstar has opted to cover the Graffiti area and the usual hardware buttons. The product can be preordered at www.northstarmobile.com for US$59.95.

BlueNomad unveiled a feature-rich WordSmith 2.1 at Comdex. The new word processor and book reader now includes a spell checker, thesaurus, and VFS support. It also ships with a "carbonized Mac OS X Wordsmith desktop application," making it natively compatible with Apple's new OS, as well as Microsoft Windows. US$29.95 for new users, free to registered users.

In a special Holiday promotion, the price of the Scott eVest has been lowered to US$99. It has oodles of pockets and many places to run wires for earbuds and headphones to keep you looking clean and sharp. www.scottevest.com or call 866-909-8378.

-Steve Holden (sholden@pencomputing.com)