PalmOne patches flaw on latest Tungsten

Handheld device maker PalmOne has begun offering a free update for owners of its latest Tungsten device who had problems using its expansion slot.

After calls from customers complaining that the expansion slot in their Tungsten T3 devices weren't reading Secure Digital memory cards, the Milpitas, Calif.-based company confirmed the problem and released software on its Web site to correct it. The update is meant to improve the transfer of data between the device and certain cards while also reducing audio problems with the device.

The company said in an e-mail that, while the problems affected a small number of customers, it encouraged all owners to upgrade their handhelds. PalmOne also recommended that owners synchronize their device's data with their PCs before installing the upgrade. It also said that if the problem isn't fixed by the update, customers should contact the manufacturer of the SD Card.

The $399 Tungsten T3 uses version 5.2.1 of the Palm operating system and comes with an Intel 400MHz XScale chip for handhelds, 64MB of memory, Bluetooth connectivity, a color screen with a resolution of 320 pixels by 480 pixels, and portrait and landscape views on the display. The Tungsten T3's expansion slot is meant to be compatible with Secure Digital and MultiMediaCards.