PalmAddicts

Las cosas por su nombre

A las siete de la tarde cierro el portátil, recojo las cosas y me despido de los compañeros de la oficina, no sin antes echar un vistazo al Agendus para ver si tengo algo pendiente. Efectivamente, tengo que pasar por el supermercado a comprar varias cosas. Me coloco el headset y comienzo a caminar.

Voy en piloto automático, el camino me lo conozco de memoria, así que dejo que mis pensamientos vayan por un lado mientras mi cuerpo va por otro. No obstante algo me distraer, hay unos obreros sentados en fuera de la obra, nada extraño, nada pelicular y cuando paso a su lado uno de ellos exclama: "Bluetooth". Cinco segundos después proceso la información, me ha visto el headset.

Llego al súper y como rata voy directo a lo que necesito esquivando las ofertas, trazo la trayectoria más corta hacia la cola menos ocupada y en tres pasos me cuelo delante de una viejita. Un chico joven pasa los productos por el lector laser, pip-pip suena, "son cinco con ochenta euros", me dice, "tiene tarjeta cliente". Miento y digo que no, mi esposa me sacó una hace tiempo, pero al no ser nada vital la dejo en casa, ahora que pienso debe estar en casa perdida. Niego con la cabeza y comienzo a colocar las cosas en la bolsa. "¿Eso es un móvil?" me pregunta el chico. Esta vez con el piloto automático desconectado le digo que no, seguramente se refiere al HeadSet, le digo que es una Treo 650 y me voy. Me imagino al chico, que no llega a la veintena, consultando en Internet esa misma noche que diablos es una Treo 650. Me gusta hacer publicidad de la Treo.

[[English]]

ThinkGeek Ordering problem in Canada

I've had an unfortunate, although luckily it didn't cost me anything!, experience with ThinkGeek.com. I decided to order a few items I'd seen recommended here (a power station to organize my transformer bricks) so went online and filled out the necessary forms!

Within a few moments I got an email confirming the order. Then another saying "To complete your order, we must do a manual billing address verification check. Please send us one of the following for address verification: - A phone or other utility bill showing the same billing address as your credit card" (and some other options). The instructions said I could fax the information (at Long Distance rates from Canada? Not likely!) or scan and email. I scanned a single page of my phone bill in poor resolution and it came to 1.3 megs. As I later learned, the instructions say in tiny print in the middle, " If you send your
documentation as digital images via email, please make sure they total less than 500kb in size or we may not receive your email".

ThinkGeek wrote back yesterday and said they'd cancelled my order because they didn't receive the fax -- I phoned and was told that there were no exceptions. They don't accept anything bigger than 500K and they will only accept photocopied or faxed proof.

Now I don't know if this was a problem caused by me living in Canada or whether they do this to all new customers, but their claim that it's "a new security method" is just nonsense. Add the cost of a long distance fax to the already high $35 shipping charge, convert the whole thing to Canadian dollars, and my "little" $50US order would have cost me over $100 Canadian.

To my mind, this is no way to treat potential customers. I have cancelled my order AND my account, without having spent any money. I don't anticipate ever using ThinkGeek again.

This is my personal experience; your mileage may vary.

Yours Palmologically,

Dallas

Access Aims for 30% Marketshare by 2010

Palminfocenter reports that he International Herald Tribune has an article up profiling Access. The article gives a general overview of Access' plans post acquiring PalmSource. The article states that PalmSource's current smartphone marketshare is around 4% and that Access views Microsoft as their chief competitor.

Turning back the hands of the Palm Clock

The Palm alarm clock unfortunately didn't wake me up until 2003, but once I was awake to Palms, I've been wide awake since! My very first Palm was the Tungsten E and I really loved that device! It had everything I needed, I loved the design, and it was the right price! So as we turn back the hands of the Palm Clock today, let's take a stroll down Palm Memory Lane with Ed Hardy over at Brighthand from back on Wednesday, October 01, 2003:

If the new Tungsten E handheld from Palm were a Sue Grafton novel, it would be titled "E is for Economical." And as we all know, it's all about the economy.

Palm became intimately aware of this last year when its $499 Tungsten T failed to meet sales projections, while the bargain-priced Zire flew off stores shelves. Now Palm has decided to play the "value card" once again with the Tungsten E. This time it's married thin, lightweight design with advanced features, and at a truly affordable price. For just $199, you get a fast processor, brilliant color display, plenty of internal memory, expandability, and the latest Palm software. And at half an inch thick and less than 5 ounces (not to mention the return of the flip cover), it brings back fond memories of the legendary Palm V -- only better and cheaper.

Form
Rather than go with the slider design found on the Tungsten T3, Palm opted for the classic candy-bar style for the Tungsten E, However, it's slightly curved on all four sides, making it comfortable to hold. And its shiny silver metallic shell is definitely attractive, although it tends to pick up a lot of fingerprints.

The Tungsten E measures 4.5 inches tall, 3.1 inches wide and 0.5 inches thick, and weighs 4.6 ounces, making it approximately the size of previous Palm V and m500 series handhelds.

On the front of the device, Palm arranged the four hardware buttons in a row below the screen, two on each side of the five-way navigational button. Intended to launch the four main built-in applications -- Calendar, Contacts, Memos and Tasks, they can be reprogrammed to open any application you prefer.

Read the full review

Giveaway winner from earlier today - Iain Lynch

The winner of our HP6515 earlier today is [cue drum roll] Iain Lynch. Thanks Iain, Lindsey will sort our post etc on Friday. We will have another clearout tmrw, however, please do not email in until we tell you to do so.

eReader discount

[From eReader] Here is your weekly eReader discount codes from who else, but, eReader. "Punch in this week's Promo Code 28SER to receive a 5% discount off any eligible book that you purchase. Offer good through August 10, 2006 on all books priced more than $3.00. These discounts cannot be use in conjunction of each other or with any other special offers. Summer Sale discount code SUMMER is good through August 31, 2006 and applies to orders of $25 or more. These discounts cannot be used in conjunction with each other or with any other special offer."

[eReader]

Crash

J. G. Ballard’s graphic, violent novel is controversial wherever it is read. The book’s characters are obsessed with automobile accidents and are determined to narrate the horrors of the car crash as luridly as possible. In the words of the novel’s protagonist, the wounds caused by automobile collisions are “the keys to a new sexuality born from a perverse technology.” Read this novel and learn why David Cronenberg fought to turn it into a film starring James Spader.

In this hallucinatory novel, an automobile provides the hellish tableau in which Vaughan, a “TV scientist” turned “nightmare angel of the highways,” experiments with erotic atrocities among auto crash victims, each more sinister than the last. James Ballard, his friend and fellow obsessive, tells the story of this twisted visionary as he careens rapidly toward his own demise in an internationally orchestrated car crash with Elizabeth Taylor.

A classic work of cutting-edge fiction, Crash explores both the disturbing implications and horrific possibilities of contemporary society’s increasing dependence on technology as intermediary in human relations.

J. G. Ballard wrote many highly regarded science fiction novels as well as the classic Empire of the Sun, which was filmed by Steven Spielberg.

eReader

With No One As Witness

In With No One as Witness, Elizabeth George has crafted an intricate, meticulously researched, and absorbing story sure to enthrall her readers. Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley is back, along with his longtime partner, the fiery Barbara Havers, and newly promoted Detective Sergeant Winston Nkata. They are on the hunt for a sinister killer.

When an adolescent boy’s nude body is found mutilated and artfully arranged on the top of a tomb, it takes no large leap for the police to recognize this as the work of a serial killer. This is the fourth victim in three months but the first to be white.

Hoping to avoid charges of institutionalized racism in its failure to pursue the earlier crimes to their conclusion, New Scotland Yard hands the case over to Lynley and his colleagues. The killer is a psychopath who does not intend to be stopped. Worse, a devastating tragedy within the police ranks causes them to fumble in their pursuit of him.

eReader

007 USB Flash Drive

I've mentioned several times how I love all the different USB flash drives that are available today. Check out this cool spy-like flash drive called the "007 USB Flash Drive".

This device “not only keeps would-be data thieves from getting to the thumb drive, it also will physically lock the drive to an object, such as a desk, via the steel cable.” Pricing and availability have not yet been announced.

via TechEBlog

More on your favorite Palm device

[From Brian Hollland] Hi Sammy, I really enjoy Palm Addict keep up the good work. My favorite Palm device is a battered PEG-UX50 and the reason I say it's battered is because the screen is beginning to detach from the keyboard. I think it is time to consider getting a new handheld.

[From Levic] Sammy you asked for our favorite Palm handheld, mine is the m130. It is basic I admit but I only need organizer functionality. I don't need email, I don't browse the internet on a screen so small I have to find my glasses to read what it says. I want it to keep my schedule and my contacts and that's it, PERIOD! Thank you Sammy for letting me contribute to your fine site.

[From Xianboy] My favorite Palm is the TX because I can take advantage when I can track a wifi hotspot. The screen is large enough to complete client accounts (Documents 2 Go) and I can read ebooks on the plane (I take advantage of the ereader discount codes you give). Used to have a T3, the TX is miles better.

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If you have a favorite Palm device then drop me a line or two about the device and I will publish front page and you can be entered into the main contest. Just put CONTEST in the subject line please - sammymcloughlin@gmail.com