Handheld makers award grants

In its second such round of grants, Palm has awarded $2.3 million worth of its handheld computers to elementary schools, high schools and colleges to gain insight into how the products can be incorporated into teaching and learning. Palm awarded grants to 87 individual classrooms and nine "research hubs" for a total of more than 175 classrooms. The research hubs are school districts, universities and research institutes with the infrastructure to help teachers learn to use Palm handhelds in the classroom.

Meanwhile, the Handspring Foundation has made its first grants, totaling $45,000. The foundation, which is aligned with handheld maker Handspring, awarded the grants to five nonprofits, including the Emergency Housing Consortium in San Jose, Calif., and the Greater Muchinjike Orphan Home Trust in Zimbabwe. The foundation also launched a program that allows nonprofits to apply for awards of Handspring Visor Deluxe handhelds.