Data to go

Travellers can now carry a handy version of their PC database in a memory
card the size of a credit card. Rex Pro slots into a laptop, or connects to a
desktop PC through a docking station. The card copies address lists, diary
entries and notes direct from the PC and stores them in 512 kilobytes of onboard
memory. Readout is via a built-in LCD, with six buttons on the card to control
scrolling and searching. Two button-sized cells run it for 6 months; if one cell
at a time is changed no data are lost. Size is reduced by forming the chips on
the LCD glass. Rex Pro was developed by Franklin Electronic Publishers, Starfish
Software and Citizen Watch, and costs £140.