The Consumer Electronics Show held in Las Vegas was a hotbed of new wireless tools, gadgets and devices. One was Symbol Technologies' MC70, which packs a phone, computer, scanner, PDA and even imaging functionality. Ironically, the one thing the handheld doesn't provide is radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, which Symbol is known for. While the device maker is pushing sales strategies toward specific industries such as healthcare, in-field services and government enterprises, it's a potential tool for just about anyone who works outside an office, even those in very tough rural locales.

Symbol claims the device can withstand a high drop onto a concrete surface. The MC70, which operates on Windows Mobile 5.0, boasts an Intel XScale 624Mhz processor, VGA screen and three transmission protocols, including wireless local area network, wireless wide area network and wireless personal area network with an available secure digital I/O (SDIO) card slot. Article [1]