Empower Technologies Inc. announced today the release of “PowerPlay III”, the first Palm IIIxe compatible PDA embedded with Linux DA O/S, for sale in North America. Empower Technologies also announced today the opening of the company’s e-commerce site, where, in addition to PowerPlay III, the full version of Linux DA O/S for Palm IIIx, IIIxe, and Vx is available for purchase online at www.linuxda.com.

Manufactured by Linux DA O/S licensees, PowerPlay III is based on the fully integrated Motorola Dragonball CPU. PowerPlay III has 2 MB Flash Memory, includes 8 MB of RAM, and operates on 2 AAA batteries. PowerPlay III comes with a one-year warranty, and currently, Empower Technologies is offering a 6-month Linux DA O/S Software Upgrade for the device. The PowerPlay III PDA can be purchased for $99.99 USD.

In conjunction with the opening of the Linux DA Store, Empower Technologies has released the Linux DA Software Development Kit (SDK), a powerful tool for developers of consumer electronics products. The Linux DA SDK is now available for download from the company’s product web site at www.linuxda.com. The company has also made its source code for the modifications to the Linux kernel available for download from its product web site.

To complement the opening of the company’s e-commerce site, Empower Technologies has entered into a partnership with Computer Channel, Germany’s most extensive software database and largest reaching web site. The soon-to-be-launched Computer Channel Software Service at www.computerchannel.de will provide consumers with the opportunity to purchase the full version of Linux DA O/S for Palm IIIx, IIIxe, and Vx in both the Professional and Consumer packages. Empower Technologies also has future plans to enter partnerships with additional online distributors and retailers.