PalmAddicts

BT Toggle Pro

A quick note on another program that I find invaluable. Having a T3 I am constantly aware of the battery life that is slowly trickling away. BT Toggle helps in a big way by keeping the Bluetooth turned off until a program actually needs it, then it turns the BT on when the program needs it (such as Verichat, Snappermail or any other program that calls the BT function). When you exit the program, it turns the BT off again, hence saving your precious battery power. This saves me a ton of battery life. In the words of the developer:

"BtToggle performs two major functions. Firstly, it keeps the Bluetooth radio off until you really need it. This saves battery power and increases Bluetooth security. The second function it performs is to keep your Palm from accidentally turning on while it is in your briefcase or pocket. These functions help to conserve battery power, increase security and prevent data corruption or loss."

Give it a try. More handy battery saving tips from a T3 owner coming soon!

RIM, NTP Settle Patent Suit...oh, goody

Research In Motion Ltd. has agreed to shell out $450 million to Arlington, Va.-based patent holding company NTP Inc. to settle a patent dispute over its BlackBerry wireless technologies. "NTP will grant RIM and its customers an unfettered right to continue its BlackBerry-related wireless business without further interference from NTP or its patents," RIM, of Waterloo, Ontario, said in a statement.

Read the full article at eWEEK

Personally, I think this has been a clown show from beginning-to-end.

RIM disregarded patents that had already been established and awarded to NTP, and then set out to prove that those existing patents didn't exist. Due to the legendary integrity of the US Patent Office (HA!!!), they came close. They never contested that they were in violation of those patents...only that those patents shouldn't apply to them.
Still...one can only wonder how much money RIM spent fighting this, on top of the half-billion dollar settlement...as opposed to what it would have cost to make a deal with NTP at the very beginning. I suspect that there will be some buyer's regret once the whole bill comes due. Personally, I believe that RIM did develop their technology independently. However, he who patents first...WINS. If RIM had it the other way around, they would have fought like hellcats to preserve those patents.

Then we have NTP, which owns those notorious patents from technology developed (but never manufactured) by its founder. Did the fact that they never built anything with that technology mean that they had no right to expect legal protection and reimbursement? I don't think so. However, they acted with a certain amount of personal pique once RIM disputed their patents. There were a lot of avenues they could have taken which would have been less litigious, and more focused on negotiating. BOTTOM LINE: Both firms acted in a manner that reflected badly upon themselves, their countries and their colleagues, worldwide. One can only hope that they learned from this debacle, and will be more open-minded in the future.

Are there any winners here?
Maybe...IF the governments of the world will see that intellectual capital is the coin-of-the-realm, and that current patent standards are not up to the task of protecting the rights of citizens, inventors or businesses. An overhaul of the entire patent system, and global standardization are required, especially in the evolving global economy (you have no idea how much I detest that phrase).

So...

NTP, go cash your check, and find someone else to abuse. Maybe you'll decide its more fun to produce something one of these days, other then lawyer's fees.

RIM...Microsoft and others are now breathing down your neck. Stop whining about U.S. contempt for Canadian enterprise, and go prove you have the right to stay in the leader's position. You have no more excuses.

Government patent offices...hell, why even bother? Nobody there can read, anyhow!

The comments above in no way, shape or form reflect the opinions of the owners.

mobiVoIP

So the new VOIP for your Palm which Tam was talking about in his post is mobiVoIP. "Using mobile internet has become a part of everyday life. We use it for email, we send IMs using Causerie, learn and buy new things. With mobiVoip™ technology, you can now actively talk to your friend around the globe 24x7 at competitive calling plans.
What is VoIP and mobiVoip™?

VOIP, or Voice Over IP (pronounced 'voyp'), is a new technology that lets you make phone calls over the Internet. mobiVoip™ is MantraGroup's™ propertiary technology which brings VoIP to mobile phones.

When you make a VoIP phone call, you use a normal touch-tone telephone and dial the normal phone number just as you would any other time. The people on the other end can't tell that whether you are calling from a traditional telephone or a VoIP phone. The main difference is that the phone call travels over the Internet rather than through the local phone company's wires. mobiVoip™ takes it to next step allowing you to use your PDA and make VoIP calls.

Will mobiVoIP™ technology change everything?

Yes, we believe so. Carriers charge huge prices for international and roaming calls. With mobiVoIP™ patented technology, you can now use Bluetooth, Wifi, EVDO on your PDAs or Smartphones to call your friends. mobiVoIP™ also is been tested for low bandwidth connections like GPRS and IrDA.

Can I call my friends at mobiVoip™ network free?

Yes with the basic plan, you can call mobiVoIP™ users without any additional costs.

Can I call my friends on POTS?

Yes, Plain Old Telephone Systems or POTS abbreviated is being used for last 2 centuries. With mobiVoip™ technology, you can call anyone, anywhere in the world. Choose the right plan to get started now."

RIM saved

Just heard this on CNN's Situation Room, RIM and their BlackBerrys are saved! They reached an agreement with NTP, the company that claimed RIM allegidly stole some of their patents. I'm a strict Palm user but I'm sure plenty of people are happy to see RIM stay in business.

VoIP finally became reality for PalmOS users

[From Tam] Hi Sammy, Brock Thompson already used the software on his Tungsten C-and he reported his experiences on TamsPalm - Tune in here

Round Up Edited by Jennifer and Sammy

BobR at MobileRead writes Why are SMS short text messages so darned short? I guess he raises a good point.

I have just enjoyed reading A Brief History of Handheld Video Games over at Engadget and its great to remince on game devices gone by including the Gameboy. There is a section on PDA emulators but could not see anything on the Zodiac.

Just because Zodiacs are no longer in production does not mean we can still enjoy them and appreciate them worldwide as in the website Zodiacs Around The World which is a photo journal for Tapwave Zodiac owners, wherever they may be.

HP unveils rw6800 series... in Asia according to Engadget Mobile.

Astraware's Zuma is reduced. $19.95 USD $14.95 USD. Featuring all the fun and madness found in the online gaming favourite from PopCap. Zuma features colourful graphics that reflect the ancient South American civilisations and is accompanied by a panpipe music soundtrack and chanted sound effects to give a Zumaic flavour.until Mar-31-06

Catch up on some of the most important Treo newsstories with Talkin' Treo at TreoCentral.

Do you know what the Pocket Tunes Skin Pass is? Gx5’s Pocket Tunes Skin SuperPass is your ultimate access pass to the latest and greatest Pocket Tunes skins. With a simple one time fee, you get access to all the skins in our library plus any new skins we create over a 12 month period from your time of purchase. In addition, you are automatically entered to win great prizes for your mobile device every month.

PalmInsider have done an off topic review bit its a good one of the Review of Brando 3 in 1 Car Kit for iPod.

Big software news of the day today has been Creative Algorithims introduced Trip Boss 2. Trip Boss™ 2.0 greatly enhances the itinerary section. In addition, some enhancements were carried over into other sections, including improvements to speed, navigation, and layout, as well as the addition of customer-requested features.

Don't forget we still have the Palm Addict Pocket Tunes skin available for you to download and whilst your there at the Pocket Tunes skin site check out what is available, people are very clever.

Long Haul Review: Magnum Case for Treo 650/ 700w

One of the 2 most valuable accessories for my Treo 650 is the InnoPocket Magnum Case (the other being my Brando Music Dock).

When I wrote my initial review several months ago, I was very impressed by the fit, finish, apparent strength of the case, and its double-hinged lid.

 

Let's look how it has stood up to my daily hurly-burly:

• 'Sidewalk-proof' protection. I have the scraped paint and dings to prove it (more then once). Not a dent anywhere on my Treo

• 'Oil-proof' operation. I can manage phone calls all-day, without ever opening the case, and smudging the screen. I don't ever need to open the cover, unless I need to use the keyboard; and, when I do, the cover swings completely out of the way

• Solid as a rock. I use this case every day, and in every way. There is no looseness, 'wobble' or mismatch of the pieces anywhere

Here's the real beauty of this case: Not only does it provide the best protection of ANY CASE I have ever tried, it is as easy to remove/replace the Treo in this case, as if it were a pouch.

Even though I wish InnoPocket would ditch the SD card-holders on the back, I am no longer looking for new cases. I have the one that is perfect for me.

Long Haul Review: The Brando Music Dock

At Palm Addict, we try to bring new, interesting, useful and sometimes downright silly accessories & software to your attention.
The "Long Haul" reviews will revisit such items that I have previously reviewed, with an eye on their durability after a lengthy period of real-world use and abuse.

First up is one of my favorites: The Brando Music Dock for the Treo 650/700w.

I have 2 of these little darlin's:
1 for my home office, and 1 for travelling. The traveller just came back from the notorious Florida Road Trip, where it was jostled and banged around in my travel bag. In spite of that, it provided these services with ease & aplomb:

• Treo-charging `a go-go (via the USB cable, and AC adapter)
• Stereo music on the AutoTrain
• USB dock (via Card Export II) w/my father-in law's laptop, so I could do multi-photo posts to Palm Addict
• Speakerphone, so that my in-laws, wife, 2 kids and I could sing 'Happy Birthday' to 92 year-old Tom Marino (my wife's grandpa)
• Nightlight for my kids (remember the Blue Light of Death from my first review?)

I was even able to use its cable to charge my sister-in-law's Blackberry (gasp!) when it ran out of juice. Awww...poor widdle Crackberry don't got no replaceable batteries.

I only have 2 tiny wishes about this product:

1. That Brando would add a HotSync button to it
2. That Palm would bundle it with every Treo 650 & 700w

Bottom-line: durable, portable, USB/AC powered, exceptional speakerphone, decent desktop stereo, very good price ($32.00 inc. S&H). I consider this one of the 2 most valuable accessories for my Treo 650 (the other being the InnoPocket Magnum hardcase).

Snow!

Hey Sammy! Looks like some nice weather you're facing. We may have more snow here in Alberta Canada but at least the sun has been out! Took this picture of my dog, Finnegan, frolicking in the snow on my Treo 650.

Cheers!

Travel Deluxe SE

Remember that Travel Deluxe has also seen an update and again a great program. "Multifunctional travel software include Alarm Clock, Multi-zone clocks, Time Calc, World Time Map, Expenses, Check Split, Calendar, Currencies converter, Sizes converter, Measurments converter, Packing list, Dialling prefixes, Internet domain and more at your hand."