PalmAddicts

Palm Installer

In the past week I've installed two new games over-the-air: Herocraft's Revival and Industry's Master Kick. Stay tuned for my reviews of these games.
But first I want to give a shout out to Palm Installer. This is what the Zen of Palm is all about. With both applications, I simply tapped the OTA download link in Blazer, told it to install to my device and Palm Installer did the rest. The package decompressed, installed and cleaned up after itself, all automatically. I can't tell you what a relief that is compared to fighting with zip files in UniCMD, or installing via the desktop.

9 Tips for Blackberry users

From the Woot.com blog: 9 Tips For Coping With The Next BlackBerry Outage.
I love Woot for their great prices on gadgets, but they also have the best advertising copy of anyone, anywhere.

Tougher than the Abominable Snowman: OtterBox iPod & iPhone Cases

[From Kristin Golliher] Thinking about trekking up to the mountains this winter? With protective cases in a semi-rugged and fully rugged design, OtterBox lets you bring your iPod nano, classic, touch or iPhone on any skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, snowshoeing or sledding adventure!

Looking for sleek, sexy, semi-rugged protection? The Defender™ Series safeguards the iPod classic, touch, nano and iPhone from drop and impact with a tough polycarbonate layer. A silicon wrap provides additional protection against the elements so you can throw it in your winter jacket or snow pant pocket with confidence! Even access music, contacts, photos and videos on the chairlift or at the busy lodge right through an interactive, scratch-resistant membrane.

More of an outdoor extremist? Check out the Armor™ Series for the most rugged protection on the market. With a waterproof, drop-proof, crushproof and completely interactive design, snow enthusiasts can jam out to their favorite tunes, take pictures, make a phone call or even send an email no matter what Mother Nature brings. Also available for the iPod nano, classic, touch and iPhone, these cases offer complete protection even when fully immersed in the snow!

The OtterBox Defender™ and Armor™ Series cases protect the nano 3rd generation, classic, touch and iPhone. Fully rugged Armor™ Series also available for older models* including the iPod video and nano 2nd generation models.

Enjoy your winter wonderland worry-free with protection from OtterBox! Call 888-695-8820 or visit http://www.otterbox.com.

Panasonic Announces Release Date for World's First 32GB* SDHC Memory Card With Class 6 Speed - Available in April, SDHC Memory Card Stores Up to 12 Hours of HD Video

[From Hans] Panasonic today announced the release date of the world's first* 32 Gigabyte (GB) SD High Capacity (SDHC)** Memory Card with Class 6 speed specification. With a global release in April 2008, the new SDHC Memory Card, RP-SDV32GU1K, is perfect for those wanting High Definition content, as it can record up to 12 hours of High Definition video. The new SDHC Memory Card will have a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $699.

The newly developed card, featuring a massive 32GB of capacity, is ideal for AVCHD High Definition video recording, a growing demand thanks to the recent expansion of High Definition SD Camcorders. When used with Panasonic's newly released High Definition SD camcorder, the HDC-SD9, the 32GB card can record approximately 12 hours of 1440 x 1080i High Definition video in HE mode, and approximately four hours of 1920 x 1080i full High Definition video in HA mode. With the Class 6 speed specification and maximum data transfer speeds up to 20MB/s, the 32GB card allows users to enjoy superb performance and high-quality recording.

The card is also equipped with a new user-friendly labeling feature, which allows users to write titles or comments directly onto labels on the front and back of the card. Panasonic will introduce the new labeling feature in its other SD Memory Card models, with a running changeover from the current card designs.

The new card, like all other Panasonic SD and SDHC Memory Cards, is extremely reliable even under severe temperature conditions. Since the cards incorporate an industrial-grade flash memory, they work in temperatures ranging from -13°F to +185°F, while consumer-grade flash memory only guarantees +32°F to +158°F, thus ensuring consistent performance regardless if the user is skiing or snowboarding or if the SD Memory card is left in a hot car.***

The arrival of Panasonic's 32GB SDHC Memory Card further strengthens the company's Pro High Speed line-up and brings the total line to six models, joining those currently available: the 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, 8GB and 16GB card sizes with the Class 6 speed specification.

*A 32GB SDHC Memory Card having Class 6 speed specification.
**1 GB = 1,073,741,824 bytes. Usable capacity will be less. SDHC Memory Cards can only be used in SDHC host devices, which support the SDHC Memory Card.
***Panasonic recommends that you never leave any electronic product sitting in direct sunlight or under other severe heat conditions.

Rory Cellan-Jones from the BBC talks to British chip firm ARM about Google's Android

Rory Cellan-Jones from the BBC talks to British chip firm ARM about Google's Android wich you can watch in the BBC video below. Read more at the BBC website.

To be or not to be my last Palm

I love my 650. Other than the fact that space is limited on it, it is roughly exactly what I need. I've been waiting for and considering the idea of a GSM Centro if it goes T-Mobile, but now with the reports from Mobile World Congress in Barcelona... I'm not sure. The biggest thing tying me to the Palm is the touch interface with a full keyboard. I know that WM is an option, but not for me. At MWC there were a number of date and rumors set... like touch screen Blackberries and Nokia Symbian phones. The coming release of Android devices... and others. So what to do... get the Centro if it comes to T-Mobile, or wait for a new shiny touchable BB or Nokia or Android... All I know is that it is a good time to be in the market for a new smart phone (thanks iPhone for getting so many players off their...). So many options so many features and the prices no where near as bad as say 2 years ago or when the 650 first came out.... I've got no issues with a contract for 2 years... bring on the discounts... I love my 650 but which is next?

Handmark Expands Global Offerings for Mobile Users - Pocket Express® adds new device support for Symbian™ OS and BlackBerry®

[From Erica Wells] Handmark®, a global leader in mobile media, today announced new UK versions of its award-winning Pocket Express news and information service.

Pocket Express for many S60 Symbian OS handsets is available now in a version optimized with local content for the UK, and will soon be available for the best selling new BlackBerry devices as well.

"The new versions of Pocket Express represent our commitment to providing mobile customers around the world a free and easy to use service with the most current, most complete details about where they live and where they’re going," said Paul Reddick, Handmark CEO.

These all-new versions of Pocket Express offer free access to essential BBC news, global weather and minute-by-minute score reports for UK and European footballer fans.

A suite of premium services are also available through Pocket Express, including updates from global financial markets, flight status for more than 75,000 international destinations from over 3,500 airports, cinema show times throughout the UK, and fast access to the authoritative New Oxford Dictionary of English and companion Oxford Thesaurus. Pocket Express combines these services with the world’s first mobile live personal assistant, MobileCierge. With one tap, customers can speak to a live assistant who can help solve almost any personal, travel, medical, or emergency-related request anywhere in the world.

Handmark is demonstrating Pocket Express on the S60 Third Edition Symbian OS service in the Nokia booth (Hall 8, Stand 8B169), as well as showcasing the pre-release UK version of Pocket Express for BlackBerry in the RIM® booth (Hall 8, Stand 8B56).

To download the new UK version of Pocket Express for Symbian OS visit www.PocketExpress.eu

AT&T Palm Centro Rumored For February 19th Release

EverythingTreo is reporting that the AT&T Centro could be released on the 19th. "A member in our forums has received confirmation from an AT&T Store Manager that the Palm Centro will be released on February 19th. The source indicated the Palm Centro will be priced at $99 (presumably after rebates) and it will come in white. Sprint's exclusivity on the Palm Centro was rumored to be 3 months and they began shipping in early October. Palm Europe announced a GSM Centro releasing this week, lending credibility to a US release being imminent. This release date has not yet been announced or confirmed by either Palm or AT&T." EverythingTreo for the deets.

TreoCentral has done a review of the SanDisk 6GB microSDHC Card and Reader for Palm Centro

TreoCentral has done a review of the SanDisk 6GB microSDHC Card and Reader for Palm Centro. "For music, pictures, and other storage-intensive files, nothing beats interchangeable memory chips. Fill ‘em up, stash ‘em in your pockets, and select what you want to view or listen to. For Centro, this means “micro” SD or micro SDHC cards, which fit upside down (oddly) into a slot under a little trapdoor on the righthand side of the device. The “HC” in that equation means high capacity. Translate: huge electronic size, nearly microscopic physical size. Indeed, I pronounce these babies “FCBIL” - fabulously capacious but imminently losable. They’re so tiny, so light weight, they’re subject to being eaten by a fluffy carpet the very second you open the package. " TreoCentral for the full read.

Palm Centro selling well with women, new and young users

[From Eric Mann] Eric spotted this in the San Francisco Chronicle and it seems the Palm Centro is helping Palm. "Palm hasn't released any sales figures on its Palm Centro smart phone, which debuted in October. But the company said early customer information suggests they've done a good job broadening Palm's appeal with the Centro. In a buyer survey, Palm found they have twice as many women Centro customers as they do with users of its traditional Treo products, which are more business friendly. The number of under-35 Centro users has also increased by 150 percent compared to other Palm users. And Palm found that 75 percent of Centro users moved up from a traditional phone, essentially all new customers for Palm. The Centro, at $99, is also appealing to more economy users. There are nearly three times the number of Centro users who have a household income less than $75,000, compared to other Palm customers. So what's it all mean? Well, while Palm is still struggling with increased competition from the iPhone, the Centro is helping it turn a corner." Read in full at the San Francisco Chronicle

F-Secure to Partner with Toshiba to Provide Mobile Security for Smart Devices

[From Bryan Pope] F-Secure Corporation, the global leader in providing security as a service through mobile operators and Internet Service Providers, is partnering with Toshiba Information Systems (UK) Ltd - Mobile Communications Division, to provide F-Secure Mobile Anti-virus for Toshiba’s Windows Mobile smart devices throughout Europe.

A trial version of the F-Secure Mobile Anti-virus solution will be included with Toshiba smart devices using the Windows Mobile platform. This makes it very easy for Toshiba’s customers to start using malware protection on their mobile device. As the security software is already preinstalled in the handset, the user doesn’t have to spend extra time finding a suitable solution.

Corporate IT departments are increasingly viewing smart devices as computing devices and as such integral parts of their IT device fleet. Thus similar protection levels are necessary for smartphones as already are customary for PCs, especially as synchronizing data between PCs and Windows Mobile devices is standard routine for many business users. The co-operation with Toshiba on the Windows Mobile platform extends the distribution of F-Secure’s mobile solutions to cover an even larger part of the smartphone market.

“As the market adoption phase of mobile security solutions still is in its early stages, distribution co-operation with mobile device manufacturers is of key importance,” says Samu Konttinen, Vice President, Mobile Solutions Business Unit, F-Secure. “Therefore partnering with a well-known brand like Toshiba, which is one of the leading handset manufacturers already in Japan, is a source of great delight for us.” “As Toshiba wants to ensure a unique and safe mobile experience for its customers we place a lot of emphasis on essentials like security,” says Hiroyuki Goto, Technical Director, Toshiba Information Systems (UK) Ltd - Mobile Communications Division. “This is important for us as an equipment manufacturer in order to differentiate and to partner with one of the most recognised mobile security vendors in the industry.”

For further information about F-Secure mobile solutions, please go to: mobile.f-secure.com.

inExpense and inShopping updated to versions 2.1.3 and 2.0.2 respectively

[From Eric Mann] inExpense and inShopping have been updated to versions 2.1.3 and 2.0.2 respectively. This update will be interesting most of all for Treo users. It also contains bugfix of inExpense 'export to CSV' feature. "inExpense now contains fix of 'export to CSV' feature (in earlier versions of inExpense amounts like $xx.0x was processed incorrectly while exporting). It is recommended to all users to update your copy of inExpense immediately.

Due to our customer requests we have added some useful features to our inExpense and inShopping:
* added ability to jump to particular item in lists (such as categories list, for example) by pressing A-Z keys. If there is no keyboard on your device, you can use keystrokes on Graffiti area;
* added 'Edit' menu to all forms with input fields, so now you can use copy\paste\keyboard functions on your Treo device!

More information about inExpense and inShopping you can find in personal finance section."
http://indevsoftware.com/article.php?Id=362&ep=86

Pocket DVD Wizard has made it to version 5.1

[From Eric Mann] Pocket DVD Wizard has made it to version 5.1 and works for Palm and Windows Mobile. "The Pocket DVD Wizard lets you use your computer to convert your DVD and video files into files your handheld device can play, without any additional expensive software or hardware. You do not need a separate version of the Pocket DVD Wizard for different devices, if you have a Pocket PC, iPod and phone you can use the same copy of the software to convert video for all three devices (and more!). Imagine the possibilities! You can now watch your DVDs on your Pocket PC or iPod, in the office, on the plane, in the car or even on the beach!"
http://www.pocketdvdwizard.com/index.html

Call History Exporter from Smartphonetools

Call History Exporter from Smartphonetools looks like being a great program for those of you with Palm smartphone devices. This tool will allow you to export your call history data to a comma separated (csv) text file and optionally delete records. Works on the 600/650/700p.

If your looking for a great way to back up your Palm device then take a look at the excellent OnGuard Backup

If your looking for a great way to back up your Palm device then take a look at the excellent OnGuard Backup from northglide.com. " No longer do you have to worry about scheduling or backup sets, you now have real-time backup for your important data!

OnGuard Backup gives you the peace of mind that the backups you keep on the expansion card are up-to-the-minute current and quickly available to you if need be. OnGuard Backup works in real-time to automatically backup individual applications.

You can use OnGuard backup alongside any other backup software: Keep performing monthly, weekly and daily backups, but let OnGuard Backup keep your crucial, frequently updated data and applications backed-up so you won't have to rewrite a single contact, one meeting or a note again." Take a look at the program and give it a try.

Viigo Keeps Blackberry and Windows Mobile Smartphone Users in the Mobile World Congress Loop

[From Mark Ruddock] Viigo Inc., a leading developer of mobile application software, announced today that it has just released a special 2008 Mobile World Congress Channel that delivers up-to-the-minute Congress press releases, news, blogs, events, and alerts on Blackberry or Windows Mobile Smartphones.

In addition to following a range of World Mobile Congress coverage, Smartphone users will also have access to a wide variety of regularly-updated content from Viigo's Channel Library. Mobile World Congress attendees and non- attendees can quickly and easily subscribe to a wide array of content and services, such as special interest news, blogs, sports, weather, entertainment, market data and more -- creating a powerful handheld companion.

"We're excited by being able to give users the ability to make the most of Barcelona's Mobile World Congress, whether they're on-site or not," says Viigo's President and CEO, Mark Ruddock.

Viigo has also been selected as one of the showcase applications that Microsoft is using to demonstrate the power of the Windows Mobile Platform. Viigo's latest version of its services platform -- code-named "Project Tango" -- is due to be released in Spring 2008, with sneak previews being shown daily in Microsoft's booth - 1D19(1_0).

The Viigo mobile services platform circumvents the limitations of the mobile browser and provides companies with the fastest possible way to mobilize content. It delivers a highly optimized wireless experience that addresses the challenges of delivering content to mobile devices and does so in a clean, efficient and highly engaging manner.
http://www.getviigo.com/

Just caught word about this over at Palminfocenter, Palm Ranks Last in Cellphone Satisfaction.

Just caught word about this over at Palminfocenter, Palm Ranks Last in Cellphone Satisfaction. "A recent report from ChangeWave Research into cellphone customer satisfaction has ranked Palm dead last. In a January 2008 survey of 4,182 customers, only 30% of respondents using a Palm phone reported being "very satisfied" with their device. By contrast, first-place winner Apple's cultists customers came back with a stratospheric 72% and RIM a respectable 55%." Read in full.

Microsoft and Cbeyond Launch New E-Mail Service for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses. New service gives users access to on-the-go business-class e-mail on the desktop, via a Web browser or on a mobile device.

[From Hans] Today at Mobile World Congress 2008, Microsoft Corp. and Cbeyond announced a new e-mail service, including support for mobile devices, that is now available as part of a communications package specifically targeting small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). The package includes hardware and air time for mobile phone service, local and long-distance phone service, T-1 broadband Internet access, and, now, enterprise-class e-mail based on hosted Microsoft Exchange. The service is available today in Atlanta with future service planned for Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, San Diego and San Francisco.

“By working with Microsoft, we can now offer Cbeyond’s customers the first hosted service based on Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 that is fully integrated with mobile access, all from a single provider,” said Brent Cobb, vice president of product marketing for Cbeyond. “We’ve seen significant customer demand for this service; delivering a seamless, enterprise-class messaging and collaboration experience to our SMB customers will give them the ability to compete using services traditionally reserved for large enterprises.”

The need for on-the-go access to e-mail and other productivity and communications tools has never been greater. Employees want to be connected at all times, whether they are in the office or on the road; at the same time, businesses are seeking to maximize productivity without having to invest significant resources in building and managing on-site IT infrastructure, such as servers and software. With Hosted Microsoft Exchange from Cbeyond, users can now get all the capabilities offered through an enterprise-class e-mail solution, including appointment scheduling, shared contact information, task management and over-the-air syncing of all this information with their mobile devices, all accessible via Microsoft Office Outlook on the desktop or laptop, a Web browser, or a smartphone. All Cbeyond customers will enjoy the basic benefits of Hosted Microsoft Exchange integrated into their package, and have the option to add mobile access, shared calendar, shared contacts, and a free copy of Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 for $10 per user, per month.

“SMBs today want the same productivity tools and capabilities that enterprises have long enjoyed, and they often look to a single source that can easily and cost-effectively address their full range of communications requirements,” said Michael O’Hara, general manager of the Communications Sector at Microsoft. “By working with a service provider like Cbeyond, SMBs are able to really focus on their most important priorities — serving their customers and growing their business.”

“The SMB market continues to be vastly underserved from a technology perspective despite improved network reliability and decreased operating costs,” said Will Stofega at IDC. “The new Cbeyond service addresses many of the pain points that have kept SMBs from adopting corporate-class IT tools; it provides familiarity and ease of use with Microsoft applications, it has a low cost of entry and it is packaged with other popular communication services for simplified billing and management.”

About Cbeyond

Cbeyond (NASDAQ: CBEY) is an IP-based managed services provider that delivers integrated packages of communications and IT services to small businesses. The company offers more than 30 productivity-enhancing applications bundled into one service package including BlackBerry®, Windows Mobile, broadband laptop access, unified messaging, web hosting, and virtual private networking. Cbeyond manages these services over a private, 100-percent Internet Protocol (IP), facilities-based network.
http://www.cbeyond.net/business/index.htm

Jataayu Provides MMS Client for Motorola's Windows Mobile based Devices

[From Andrea Stone] Jataayu Software, a noted provider of mobile devices solutions, announced today that Motorola is leveraging Jataayu's MMS solution for its next generation of smart phones based on Windows Mobile. The popular MOTO Q mobile device and its variants already carry Jataayu's successful MMS Client.

Jataayu is a key player for multimedia messaging on Windows Mobile. The MMS Client effortlessly integrates on Windows Mobile giving Motorola the faster time-to-market advantage. Jataayu's MMS Client is a mature field proven solution which has undergone extensive interoperability testing at more than 50 operator network locations and has been shipped on millions of mobile devices worldwide.

jMMS is engineered to offer optimum performance and enhanced functionality to our customers. The highly compact and modular MMS Client offers a seamless user experience by allowing handset manufacturers and other customers to pick and choose features to optimize memory footprints.

"Jataayu has always believed in delivering value, high end functionality and cost effective solutions combined with our unrivaled support for working on open standards and newer platforms. We have been working with Motorola to deliver customized and feature rich Messaging Clients from the very initial Windows Mobile Devices over the years to the most recent successful MOTO Q range of Devices." said Raj Kesarimall, Head, Jataayu Software.
http://www.jataayusoft.com

Adobe launches 3 new Flash products

Maybe this one doesn't get anyone much attention, since Adobe newest releases are for developers & OEMs interest only. They are: Flash Home, Flash Cast 2 & Flash Lite 3.

Flash Home; is for developers & OEMs to create a customized user interface (UI) for their own branded mobile phones that fit into the screen's resolution. Using Adobe's Flash engine, mobile UI can be as appealing as website's view.

Flash Cast 2; is targeted for wireless operators to deliver updated contents over the air (OTA). Adobe said that their technology have been used successfully by NTT DoCoMo, Japan. Again they emphasis that with Adobe's Flash engine; wireless operators can make rich and intuitive user interface that meets with today standards.

Flash Lite 3; is like a SDK kit for either mobile device manufacturers, operators and content providers to make close replicates the desktop experience like in your desktop IE. Nokia already jumped into the boat working with Adobe for their N95 series.

Looks like Adobe is moving along fine with every mobile platforms very well, from Symbian OS, Qualcomm® BREW® 2.x/3.x and Microsoft® Windows® Mobile® 5. For you who own Pocket PC mobile phones, you can get the Flash Player download here, works fine on my Treo 750v.

(blogged with my Treo 750v)

Winner of the MacBook Pro and remember my MacBook Air giveaway could end at any time

Mike Friel has won my Apple MacBook Pro and Apple TV and he is from Wisconsin in the US so well done Mike. Remember that I have the MacBook Air giveaway at the moment. As I mentioned I may close this tonight, tomorrow or next week I am not sure so if you wish to be entered then rules are pretty much the same as always for my random giveaway's and as always they are in the top sticky post at the top of the page or here, so get writing my friends.

Nokia and Google to Offer Google Search to Nokia Customers Worldwide

[From Shawn Paterson] Nokia and Google today announced that Google's popular search engine will be integrated with the Nokia Search application. The integration will begin in select markets with the Nokia N96, Nokia N78, Nokia 6210 Navigator and Nokia 6220 classic. Google search will be extended to additional Nokia handset models in the future. Ultimately, Nokia will make Google search available to its customers in over 100 countries around the world, serving mobile owners speaking more than 40 languages.

Nokia Search, now with Google, offers fast and easy access to web information from the handset. In addition, Nokia Search also makes it possible for users to search content on their device and use local search engines for a complete search experience. Nokia Search is available on many devices and provides direct access with one click from the active standby screen, saving users time and steps in their searching. Once users have found the information they are seeking, Nokia Search enables users to act on that information by engaging device assets such as maps, messaging or the browser with just one click.

"Providing choices for our consumers is an important driver in Nokia's Internet service strategy," said Ilkka Raiskinen, vice-president, software and services at Nokia. "This integration allows our consumers the ability to use the innovative search technologies, which have made Google almost synonymous with Internet search.

"Adding Google to Nokia Search provides mobile users with fast, relevant and comprehensive search experience that will be familiar to the people who use Google to search the web from their desktop," said Google's VP of Engineering and Products for Mobile Vic Gundotra. "Google search combined with the high quality applications on Nokia devices help make information available to Nokia device users wherever they are and provide an excellent overall experience."

The collaboration announced today builds on previous cooperation between Nokia and Google. Google search has previously been available on Nokia Internet tablets, and last year the Nokia N95 8GB became the first mobile device to fully support YouTube, the video-sharing platform owned by Google.

Nokia Search is available on more than 40 Nokia devices in over 40 languages and in more than 100 countries. For the latest list of compatible Nokia devices, please visit www.mobilesearch.nokia.com.

Valentine's Day Is Most Popular Texting Holiday

[From Eric Mann] For those of you, like me who are text addicts did you know that we are coming into the busiest time of the year for texting? Valentine's Day is the most popular holiday for text messaging. From February 13th to the 14th, there's a 33% spike in texting traffic. The Gizmodo has the deets on this one.

Flash coming to iPhone?

[From Eric Mann] Is Flash coming to iPhone? Well according to TUAW there could well be a possibility, thanks to Eric for the heads up. "With the internets all a-flutter over Mac OS X 10.5.2 arriving on the scene, this tid-bit is in from GearLive -- yes, the very same folks who brought us news of the jiggly icons on the iPhone that we were somewhat doubtful of. This time around, GearLive is reporting that we can expect to see Flash on the iPhone (and one would assume, iPod touch) 'very, very soon'. No doubt, that brings joy to many people's lives -- Flash has long been one of the most in-demand additions to the iPhone -- but some of us Flash cynics can't help but feel that for Flash sites whose usability is perhaps compromised on the desktop, we're happier with it staying off of our handheld devices." TUAW for the deets on this one.

USB Modem: third party 3G phone-tethering software

[From ] Just caught this interesting tidbit over at JK On The Run. "Many moons ago, when some folks were still on dial-up, I used a an application to tether my 3G Windows Mobile phone to a laptop for modem use. That app was PdaNet from JuneFabrics and it still exists at $34 a license. If you want a cheaper alternative, take a look at USB Modem. They have a Palm version for Treos and Centros at $24.95, as well as a Windows Mobile solution for $19.95." JK On The Run.

Did you know that SplashNews 2.0 has been released

[From Eric Mann] Did you know that SplashNews 2.0 has been released. "Download SplashNews RSS Reader for Free. Get the latest news, sports, technology updates, and blog feeds right on your mobile device, anytime and anywhere! You can add your favorite feeds and then sync with our servers to download the latest content on the go.

Key Features:

* New Synchronization occurs automatically before you wake up so your feeds are waiting for you when you turn on your device in the morning.
* Wirelessly connect to mobile sites and download the latest news, sports, and more
* Add or delete feeds to customize your content
* Absolutely FREE - ad supported (see below)

Why is SplashNews "free"?
We pride ourselves on delivering world class software for a reasonable price to our users. We will continue to do so with most of our software applications, but SplashNews is different. Let us tell you why.

SplashNews delivers Internet content on the go. As you may be aware, the mobile Internet is quickly becoming ad-funded much like the regular Internet. Wireless users like you will have access to more content and information offerings for less money if these applications are ad-funded."
http://www.splashdata.com/splashnews/

Looking Elsewhere

[From Prof TJ Marinello, Netherlands] Sammy: I again was reminded of the headaches the Treo 680 1.12-ROW update process caused when I read the post by Palm Addicts contributor Clemens this morning. I read his post just before a customer service feedback email link from Palm arrived. Clemens "safe" upgrade was an involved, ten step process. He wrote a very fine article with clear instructions, so my arrows are not aimed at him. This ten step instruction highlights the debacle of the update process Palm designed. Further, this needful post by Clemens was a reminder that the instructions on the Palm site were of little help.

I had a tech rep on the phone for over 30 minutes to try to make the Treo 680 1.12-ROW update install properly. The help from the tech rep was excellent overall, but the process of the update was nothing short of a disaster. The process did not work well and caused the loss of the equivalent of three days work before the Treo finally was usable again. One of the questions on the feedback form asked, "Would you recommend Palm to others?" At this point, I clearly would say,"no." My final comment to Palm was that I did not like being treated like a beta tester when they post the final form of an update. I definitely will look outside the Palm world when the time arrives to replace my Treo 680 . Before now, this was unthinkable for me given my many years of using Palm products.

Microsoft is determined to acquire Yahoo! (part. 2)

Microsoft is going to be more aggressive now after Yahoo! officially rejected the software giant's offer not long ago; they plan to offer straight to Yahoo! shareholders directly. Such act can be consider as "hostile" takeover, according to PC World here. Their first offer was holding at $31 per share of stocks, and their new offer is speculated will be around $35. This number is getting closer to what Yahoo! wanted in the first place: $40 per share, although at previous press meeting Microsoft said their first offer is "generous" enough to persuade Yahoo! stockholders to join their march against Google empire.

What is Yahoo! real intention when they decided not to take Microsoft's "generous" offer? Some analysts say that Yahoo! is only wish to raise Microsoft bid price to their demand, they even went to see AOL & Google to start sending messages to Microsoft that they have other options. Yahoo! certainly is playing the correct cards right now, after Microsoft announced their bid to take over Yahoo!, Yahoo!'s stock price went up till now while Microsoft's went the other way. But another sign of Yahoo! talks with AOL & Google mean something else; Yahoo! is thinking just exactly what Microsoft is thinking to fight Google's ever growing influence in internet services.

Yahoo! certainly have reach their limit to develop newer innovative and competing internet services, while Microsoft is clueless on what to do to compete with Google (please read my previous post about their fights). For quick instance: nowadays I hardly have friends that use Yahoo! Mail anymore, all of them are converting into Gmail already (maybe you too?) If they join forces together, they can match Google's prowess and maybe even take over internet services for their own. Indeed it'll take longer time when they actually did the join-forces team-mate, both side have their own organisation's structure/hierarchy that need to be synchronized before they can move on together. We're talking roughly around 2-3 years of an actual result after (if it's going to happen) the merger, so Steve Balmer-Microsoft is seeing long way ahead of the future of internet market. What will be and where Microsoft's stand against growing Google empire, the once strong old empire could be shadowed by the new one in the matter of years to come.

Personally I'd like to see competition between Google, Microsoft & Yahoo! Because with others trying to gain customers with their products/services, the others will do the same with better ones (in theory). We all know what happened back then when Intel reign as a single company that dominate processor chip market, before AMD arrived. It'd be best for end users, like you & me, to have those big boys compete each other. Better products/services at lower price can be achieved, just look at Microsoft Office, because no other dominant same product in that market; Microsoft can put high tag price for every Office Suites. While the alternative open source office aplications are not yet at the same level with Office Suites, relying only on freelance programmers to fix & develop it is taking way too long to catch up...

(blogged with my Treo 750v)

Draw what you say with PhatPad 4.4

There's a time when I can't type down an important note even with my two thumbs ready to jot down with Treo 750 tacky QWERTY keyboard, either the other person talking to me is too fast or he/she needs to draw a picture; like to show a direction or something else. That's when I started to found PhatPad v4.4 and installed it into my trusty Treo 750v, it's a good writing & drawing application that works with WinMob 6.

From adding a picture, sound, alarm and memo. There's it's brethen application to recognize your hand writing and convert it into texts, but you need to install the application seperately. With plug-in like that, can proof to be very useful for news reporters who need to write fast documents at site.

I mostly use PhatPad for drawing pictures, one thing that WinMob 6 built-in Notes uncapable of. I found it to be very handy, like few days ago at the construction site I described to the worker there how I wanted the jobs to be done. They immediately understand what I meant, all thanks to the drawings. Usually it takes longer when I just talked it out, and have troubles to draw since there are no papers & pen when you need one. This kinda application should have been bundled with Treo all along from the box.

(blogged with my Treo 750v)

Do you have patience?

After I read Spencer R, from NJ, mail posted at PalmAddict; I've just reliased how chained you're to a certain wireless operator although you're having bad service experiences with your mobile phone. I have a data plan contract too with a local wireless operator, and after 3-4 months of use I found out this one is not as good as the others who offer no additional contract besides monthly fee registration (some even have eliminated these fees).

What will happen if you've just purchased a Treo with wireless operator contract, and Palm release the new Drucker ? You have to satisfy your urge to be on the edge of thecnology with the old one, while your friends are keep flashing their Drucker all the year till your contracts finish. For you who don't know what's Palm Drucker (aka. Treo 800w) is, watch Sammy talk about it at PATV154 here.

We often wish Palm to release unlocked Treo whenever they've announced it, rather than made it exclusively for certain wireless operators. Well, that's another wish I'd like to see for iPhone; Apple surely is taking their time (& money) with AT&T contract.

I don't think I have the same patience as Spencer, or do you?

blogged with Treo 750v)

OZ Strengthens Mobile IM Market Lead; Announces Partnership with Denmark’s Leading Telecommunications Operator

[From Mark Devour] OZ, the leading consumer mobile messaging solution provider, today announced the availability of its Mobile IM Solution on the TDC A/S mobile network, empowering millions of subscribers to easily access the widely popular IM service on their mobile devices. TDC customers now have easy and affordable access to their Windows Live™ Instant Messaging (IM) service on their mobile phone.

The OZ Mobile IM solution provides consumers with a simple and enjoyable way to extend their instant messaging session with their friends and family from the PC to the mobile phone, enabling them to stay connected anytime and anywhere.

This latest service launch – the largest Windows Live IM deployment in Europe in the second half of 2007– further strengthens OZ’s leadership position in the European market and in Scandinavia, where OZ already has deployments with 3 Denmark, 3 Sweden, Telenor Norway and Telenor Sweden.

“With an estimated 450 million IM users worldwide, it’s only logical that we are seeing more and more consumers demanding the ability to use IM while mobile,” said Jim Knapik, OZ President and CEO. “OZ is the world’s largest provider of mobile IM and consumer email services with a 95 percent market share in the U.S. We are very pleased to meet this demand in Europe and the Scandinavian region by empowering TDC customers with what they want – easy access to mobile IM.”

About the OZ Mobile IM Solution

The OZ Mobile IM Solution allows mobile operators to offer their subscribers affordable access to an established communication phenomenon, and if desired, immediately leverage their own mobile communities with presence, and increase ARPU. The OZ Mobile IM Gateway seamlessly bridges the mobile phone and portal/Internet messaging worlds. The OZ Mobile IM Clients extend the real-time, PC-based portal/Internet IM experience to the mobile phone for consumers.

Availability

The Windows Live Messenger service is available initially on 5 devices (Nokia 5300, N73, N95, SE k800i, SE w880i) as a download to TDC Mobile customers, Click customers and two TDC Service Providers (TELMORE & Duet). The service will initially be offered free of charge for a promotional period.
http://www.oz.com/

emoze Extends Reach With New Enterprise Edition

[From Holly Linnell] Faster, cheaper and more secure mobile push-email is now available to businesses and their staff with the launch of the emoze Enterprise Edition.

Business emails, contact information, calendars and notes, from all popular data sources can be pushed to almost any mobile device with a complimentary data package, with the free download Enterprise Edition software from emoze (www.emoze.com). For employees on the go, emails and other data can be received, securely, on their mobile handsets, facilitating real-time connectivity and improved productivity anytime, anywhere.

“Good business relies on good communication, and emoze now extends the business user’s experience from desktop to mobile,” comments Eitan Linker, newly appointed emoze CEO. “Email is a crucial tool for virtually every organization, but access need not be limited by distance from a computer. The modern business person is often on the move and does not want to carry around multiple devices. emoze Enterprise Edition allows them freedom of movement and communication, without the company needing to purchase special handsets or extra, expensive services.”

Security of data is a primary concern for any corporation, and emoze technology provides some of the most secure messaging on the market. With emoze, emails are pushed, real-time, without the need for any duplication or storage outside of the existing email server.

With the Enterprise Edition, emails are pushed through to the user’s device, in real-time as soon as a connection is made available. The company’s mail server will register when an email is being sent and will continuously search for a clear connection to the device. When a free connection is available, emoze software will pull the message from the mail server and push it straight through to the individual user’s device, meaning faster and more secure communication.

“With easy online installation and easy-to-use, emoze allows the business user to communicate securely, and do business faster and more conveniently,” continues Eitan Linker. “We offer the perfect solution to those businesses that want the productivity and connectivity gains from push technology without the cost or hassle of third party controlled services. We provide real added value services with emoze Enterprise Edition software and place management control where it belongs – with the corporate customer.”

Management Control
By adding a dedicated Enterprise Edition server, it enables organisations to manage their information flow and to have control over data transfers based on IT policies.

Subscribers’ emails can be directed through a dedicated server, installed at the enterprise’s premises, managed and monitored by a company’s own IT manager. Each server can handle up to approximately 200 users, and an unlimited number can be installed to cater for more profiles. The IT manager can control all traffic and usage, and can manage individual user profiles, groups of profiles or the entire company profiles.

The dedicated emoze Enterprise Edition server encrypts all emails, and although this encryption is originally set as default, the company IT manager has the option to apply any encryption they choose.

MobileData Now Delivers Instant Access to Critical Business Data or Public Information via SMS, Email or IM

[From PR Newswire] MobileData Now (www.mobiledatanow.com) releases MobileData Now v1.2, an affordable mobile data access solution for businesses with a mobile workforce or a need to give the general public access to information. MobileData Now provides users with instant access to business and database applications from any mobile device using email, SMS (text messaging) or IM (instant messaging). MobileData Now will be demonstrating its mobile data access solution all week at Mobile World Congress (stand/booth #2A-105).

"Whether workers need to check real-time inventory or input new customer data on the fly, MobileData Now offers businesses the easiest and most cost effective solution to connect users to critical data needed while working remotely on a job site or while traveling," says Nick Bolton, founder and CEO of MobileData Now.

Bolton continues, "MobileData Now also allows businesses to provide information to the general public. For example, a realtor can add to a property's for sale sign instructions, such as 'TEXT: house 45 to 8797' giving a potential buyer who is passing by immediate access to specific information about the property and request to have the agent contact them. This is just one of many uses that MobileData Now provides businesses."

MobileData Now requires no staff training, no software to install on mobile devices, no passwords to remember, no menus to navigate. Users can be up and running in as little as ten minutes.

Two Ways to Access Data: -- Named Users (e.g. employees): It allows an administrator to set user authentication and privileges, which controls and validates user access and defines what data can be accessed. -- Unlimited Public Messaging (e.g. general public): It allows anyone to have access to specific data.
Additional Resources: -- Product Tour: http://www.mobiledatanow.com/tour
Pricing: http://www.mobiledatanow.com/products/pricing
Technical Info: http://www.mobiledatanow.com/products/technical-info
Download Free Trial Version: http://www.mobiledatanow.com/download/?q=download

PATV154 - What I want from a Palm smartphone edition - the Treo 800w

Today's edition of PATV sees me talking about what my ideal Palm device is and I think it will be the Treo800w that we first learnt about on The Morning Paper blog. I would of course love it to be running with Palm OS or at least Palm's new version of the Linux OS. I also touch upon a great Pool game that is available for jail broken iPhone's and iPod Touch devices. I also talk briefly about the iPhone Portable Power Station available from USB Fever and how it saved my butt yesterday.

PATV is sponsored by Northglide - Home of the NeatFreak Pack Ultimate for Palm OS and some of the best utility programs for your Palm device and smartphone - http://www.northglide.com

The Morning Paper reviews the mVisualVoiceMail For The Palm OS

The Morning Paper reviews the mVisualVoiceMail For The Palm OS. " I have been using MotionApps mVisualVoicemail for about a month now on my Treo 755p. Now, let me set the stage for you. mVisualVoicemail allows you to listen to your voicemail messages in the same manner that the iPhone shows you your messages, giving you the ability to choose which message you want to hear.

A few months ago I switched the handling of my voicemail to "CALLWAVE", the visual voicemail service that provides transcribed and downloadable versions of your messages. These messages can come to your computer and be managed from there, and or to your email program on your phone. This is where mVisualVoicemail comes in. " Read in full at The Morning Paper

iPhone drop test

[From Pastor Steve Hahn, Lewiston,] Hey Sammy, read your article “The time I dropped my Iphone” and thought you might like to see this video on the iphone drop test…very interesting on the durability of the iphone, I am quite impressed after viewing this video. Looks like apple has done their homework on making a phone that withstands everyday drops. Anyway, heres the link if you would like to check it out. I know the countless emails you go thru, so I cut and paste the article you wrote so you wouldn’t have to search for it, just because I know how busy you are. Keep up the good work, I love your website and the ability to see how users are using their devices and the constant updates on smartphones and software, well done.

Security risks on our smartphones

[From Scott Beecroft] Thanks to Scott who dropped this in my inbox, well it seems that we are all taking security risks on our Palm smartphones. "Mobile technology is hot—and growing hotter by the day. Cell phones are well on their way to surpassing the functionally of PCs, and we've become increasingly reliant on our mobile devices in our day-to-day lives. That's great news for operators and end users alike. Unfortunately, such devices also present new targets to hackers and cybercriminals.

The latest research from McAfee shows that the majority of consumers are concerned about the security of their mobile handsets. The McAfee Mobile Security Report 2008 indicates:
o More than 86 percent of consumers worry about receiving inappropriate or unsolicited content, fraudulent bill increases, or information loss or theft.
o More than 72 percent of users expressed concerns regarding the safety of using emerging mobile services.
o Nearly 14 percent of global mobile users have been directly infected or have known someone who was infected by a mobile virus.

In spite of these concerns, mobile security hasn't yet taken hold the way it has in the PC environment. According to our report, at least 79 percent of consumers are knowingly using unprotected devices, with another 15 percent unsure of their devices' security levels."
http://www.mcafee.com/us/research/mobile_security_report_2008.html

Microsoft Responds to Yahoo! Announcement

[From Hans] In regards to Yahoo rejecting Microsoft's bid the guys at Redmond released the following statement, " Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) today issued the following statement in response to the announcement by Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ:YHOO) that its Board of Directors has rejected Microsoft’s previously announced proposal to acquire Yahoo!:

It is unfortunate that Yahoo! has not embraced our full and fair proposal to combine our companies. Based on conversations with stakeholders of both companies, we are confident that moving forward promptly to consummate a transaction is in the best interests of all parties.

We are offering shareholders superior value and the opportunity to participate in the upside of the combined company. The combination also offers an increasingly exciting set of solutions for consumers, publishers and advertisers while becoming better positioned to compete in the online services market.

A Microsoft-Yahoo! combination will create a more effective company that would provide greater value and service to our customers. Furthermore, the combination will create a more competitive marketplace by establishing a compelling number two competitor for Internet search and online advertising.

The Yahoo! response does not change our belief in the strategic and financial merits of our proposal. As we have said previously, Microsoft reserves the right to pursue all necessary steps to ensure that Yahoo!’s shareholders are provided with the opportunity to realize the value inherent in our proposal.

On February 1, 2008, Microsoft announced a proposal to acquire all the outstanding shares of Yahoo! common stock for per share consideration of $31 representing a total equity value of approximately $44.6 billion and a 62 percent premium above the closing price of Yahoo! common stock based on the closing prices of the stocks of both companies on Jan. 31, 2008, the last day of trading prior to Microsoft’s announcement. Microsoft’s proposal would allow the Yahoo! shareholders to elect to receive cash or a fixed number of shares of Microsoft common stock, with the total consideration payable to Yahoo! shareholders consisting of one-half cash and one-half Microsoft common stock. "

Outlast- Survivor for your Phone

[From Lulu] I don't play games often on my phone, and when I do they tend to be the types of games that accumulate points like Solitaire or Astraware Casino. I also like social-type aplications on my phone. Outlast is a java based, text multiplayer wireless game that I've found myself addicted to in the past few weeks. Its like the TV show survivor where you vote off a player each day and compete in immunity challenges. You can also communicate with other players via ingame messaging to form alliances, etc. If you have a phone or wireless PDA that is capable of java, I recommend you download this freeware game from getjar.com. It literally takes a minute a day to play :)

Google's Android handsets still on course to hit the market in the second half of the year

[From Hans] Google's Android handsets still on course to hit the market in the second half of the year according to Forbes today. "Parse the onslaught of announcements streaming out of the Mobile World Congress confab in Barcelona and it's clear that Google phones aren't ready for prime time. Though this year's show had been widely seen as the global launching pad for the Internet giant's mobile developer platform, Android, the few handset prototypes on display from chipmakers ARM, Qualcomm (nasdaq: QCOM - news - people ) and Texas Instruments (nyse: TXN - news - people ) lack sophistication. ARM's model resembles a plain, clunky smart phone. Qualcomm's is an ungainly mélange of circuit boards and screens. TI's boasts a large screen full of square icons for one-click access to messaging, videos, lists and maps. All are somewhat speculative test models, however, as Google (nasdaq: GOOG - news - people ) hasn't yet released specifications for Android phones. Nevertheless, a Google representative at the show confirmed that Android handsets will hit the market in the second half of the year as planned. " Forbes for the full read on this one. [SAMMY Personally this is a operating system that I am very very excited about, more thoughts as the year goes on]

Microsoft boast 14.5m Windows Mobile handsets sold in last 6 months

SKY news reports that Microsoft's sales of Windows Mobile devices is in fact doing very well, and I am sure that Palm are partly responsible for this. The press conference also boasts that it is ahead of rivals RIM and Apple with it's revolutionary iPhone. "Microsoft has fired warning shot to Apple that it has a long way to go before being able to complete with the company in the mobile phone space. At the company's press conference at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, Microsoft announced its sales figures of Windows Mobile devices in the last 6 months. The number? 14.3 million units worldwide from makers such as Samsung, LG, and HTC. The number, as the spokesperson for Microsoft acknowledged was "ahead of RIM and of course Apple's iPhone". " SKY News for the full deets on this one.

Nokia aiming to banish paper maps

We caught this on the BBC this morning. "Nokia has launched navigation tools designed to make the paper street map obsolete for pedestrians. The firm's next generation of digital maps gives real-time walking directions on the mobile phone screen, just like sat-nav systems which guide drivers. "Nokia is taking navigation services out of the car so it can always be with you," said Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, president and CEO of the firm. "Struggling with oversized paper maps will become a thing of the past.""

More Than 12 Million AT&T, Starbucks Customers to Get Free Wi-Fi Access for a Rich In-Store Experience

[From Hans] I missed this one yesterday and I have to say thanks to Hans who delivered it into my inbox this morning. "AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) and Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) today announced plans to deliver AT&T Wi-FiSM service at more than 7,000 company-operated Starbucks locations across the United States. The initiative brings together two of the most recognizable global brands to create a powerful and convenient online experience for consumers and business customers. Starbucks and AT&T will offer a mix of free and paid Wi-Fi offerings at Starbucks stores to meet the needs of both frequent and occasional Starbucks Wi-Fi customers.

The initiative further expands the AT&T Wi-Fi network, already the largest in the United States, to more than 17,000 U.S. hot spots and more than 70,000 globally.

Beginning this spring, Starbucks Card holders can enjoy up to two hours of free Wi-Fi service per day at Starbucks locations offering Wi-Fi access, while more than 12 million qualifying AT&T broadband and AT&T U-verseSM Internet customers will have unlimited free access to the Wi-Fi service. In addition, more than 5 million of AT&T's remote access services business customers will be able to access Wi-Fi service at Starbucks locations. AT&T will soon extend the benefits of Wi-Fi at Starbucks to its wireless customers.

"People want to stay connected to their world 24/7, and Wi-Fi hot spots, broadband and wireless make that mobility possible," said Rick Welday, AT&T chief marketing officer, Consumer. "Laptops and smartphones give us the online mobility we crave, and now millions of AT&T and Starbucks customers will get Internet access free from the comfort of their neighborhood Starbucks."

"This is what our customers have been waiting for — free Starbucks-quality Wi-Fi," said Chris Bruzzo, chief technology officer, Starbucks Coffee Company. "Through our new partnership with AT&T, we also welcome their millions of current customers who can now come in and enjoy free Wi-Fi as part of their daily Starbucks Experience."

As an added benefit for the more than 100,000 Starbucks partners in the U.S., all Starbucks partners will receive free AT&T Wi-Fi accounts allowing them to use the network in Starbucks company-operated locations offering Wi-Fi access.

"Our new relationship with AT&T gives us the opportunity to expand and enhance the range of digital entertainment experiences for our customers as well as our partners, including the continued rollout of the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store at Starbucks," said Ken Lombard, president, Starbucks Entertainment.

In addition to the free Wi-Fi access for qualifying AT&T customers and any Starbucks Card holder, ustomers will be able to purchase tiered access to the AT&T Wi-Fi network at Starbucks at attractive price points. For a two-hour period, customers will pay just $3.99 per session. Monthly membership will also be available for $19.99 per month, and will include access to any of AT&T's 70,000 hot spots in 89 countries around the world.

AT&T business customers who subscribe to remote access services can also enjoy unlimited, flat-rate access plans at any Starbucks location offering Wi-Fi service or at other AT&T Wi-Fi hot spots.

Additionally, AT&T is providing Starbucks an enterprise-class network with increased bandwidth and redundancy. AT&T's underlying network technologies will enable a wide range of business applications and help Starbucks stores operate more efficiently.

"Delivering networking capabilities to help a world-class company such as Starbucks achieve greater business velocity is what we do," said Welday. "Our work with Starbucks is collaborative innovation at its finest."

The availability of AT&T Wi-Fi service at Starbucks will take place on a market-by-market basis with store implementation beginning this spring and completed by the end of the year. "

How would you change Apple's Macbook Air

[From Steviedee] I thought I’d write about about my thoughts on how it turned out. In particular, I will respond to an article posted on Engadget entitled “How would you change Apple’s Macbook Air?” Follow the link to see the article

First off, when reviewing the Air, you must take into consideration it’s audience and market it was designed for. There are limitations with this device, but isn’t that what it’s all about? Target markets have been asking for this kind of portability and have been delivered a near perfect representation of what they asked for. That being the ability to connect and browse the internet, manage personal files and type documents mainly for work. Entertainment values to be considered include the ability to play music and video files which have been taken into consideration to some extent (no disc drive). So you are left with a unit that pretty much ticks all the boxes. So how would I change it? I wouldn’t, I’d buy a different type of laptop, which perhaps compromised size for some other feature, such as a drive for CD/DVD.

On a side note, as an industrial designer, you can’t help but think of ideas that may not be feasible/ practical, but I thought that that the USB powered CD/DVD drive apple offered was abit mediocre, so I thought of a concept that allowed the user to establish a wireless connection with the disc drive and the air. Also in the true spirit of Apple perhaps have a magnetic connection as so you can place the CD/DVD drive onto the Air (similar to the iMac’s and their remotes)

Palm’s Last Chance?

[From Dominic E. Powers] Sadly, the smartphone market is evolving faster than Palm can keep up with; and for those of you who have yet to see this just take a look at our very own Palm Addicts. No longer “the” destination for all things Palm; now the destination for all things mobile, be it iPhone, BlackJack, Nokia or HTC to name but a few. And the very fact that Palm Addicts is no longer just about Palm should set the alarm bells ringing in the Palm HQ . “Your house is on fire!”. And all I can say, is that they are either all deaf, or at the top they cannot see the flames for the smoke.

I have been using Palm devices for 10 years now, and throughout that time I believe the crowning glory for Palm was the Treo 600 – totally ground breaking in form, function, and convergence. Yes we had the 180 270 and the 300 but they did not quite do it. But jump forward 5 years and I am almost using the same hardware and software I was 5 years ago in terms of real functionality and speed. And what is more frustrating living in Asia, where you have the greatest number of mobile and smartphone users in the world, is that I have neither WiFi nor 3G on my Palm branded smartphone running Palm O/S. Yes I can go to 750v and have 3G and wireless, but if I wanted to run an MS smartphone I would have migrated long ago.

Do not get me wrong, my Treo 680 is a solid device, it does what it says on the box, and if it had been launched 3-4 years ago (which it could have been) it would have been a great leap forward from the 600. But put the 650 in between and you really do not have much to rave about. In Asia it has not even celebrated its first birthday and it is already looking old and tired.

Palm, Ed, anybody in Palm HQ that is listening: The Centro is nice and cute and very reasonably priced but it is for the masses. It’s a quick win that will do little to drive long term company value. Please do not forget your hardcore followers, the ones who have year after year driven your revenue, buying the latest devices as soon as they hit the street, because they believed in the products and more importantly the ground breaking o/s for which there is a plethora of great applications. But you cannot live on past glories, and these hardcore addicts have been going cold turkey for months and years now, and every day that goes by sees dozens more make the switch.

For me this will very likely be last Palm O/S device I buy, if at the very minimum the next launch in the Palm OS product line that hits Asia is not 3G. I am simply fed up missing calls while email is syncing or I am checking google maps. I have long since dumped my Palm shares, and will very soon box up my Treo 680 and add it to the collection of Palm devices in the wardrobe. Something to show the grandchildren in years to come. A long forgotten relic of the technology boom at the crossroads of the 20th and 21st Centuries, from a company that almost owned the space…but missed their last chance because they simply did not listen to the customer. I hope that vision does not become reality…

The time I dropped my iPhone

Frank emailed me this morning on Facebook which if you have not caught me on my profile then make the jump, say hello and throw a friend request in and he asked me if I have ever dropped my iPhone. I thought, no I haven't yet thank goodness, but then I realised, I actually tell a lie I was in Carnegie Deli on 7th Av at 55th Street in NYC with a friend of mine who hasn't been to the city and I dropped it there I was with friends but no serious damage thank goodness and it's not even ruffed up, so I was pleased. It was quite a heavy drop too so I feared the worse but everything was fine :-) The floor was quite hard, I dropped it and slid someway under a table, you know the feeling you do fear the worse and I picked it up and it was fine. My advice do make sure it's in a case but of course there are times when you really cannot help but take it out and you lose your grip and then it goes, I guess I was very lucky on that occasion, maybe the next time I will not be so lucky. Hopefully there is not going to be another time.

Latest Treonauts reviews well worth reading

Treonauts has done a very good review of the Mobi Centro Battery Cradle as well as the Palm Centro Battery. Both are very much worth a read, so make the jump to Treonauts.

JKOnTheRun does a very good walkthrough of MSN Direct on a Windows Mobile smartphone

JKOnTheRun does a very good walkthrough of MSN Direct on a Windows Mobile smartphone which I would presume you can also use this on a Treo 500. The video lasts seven minutes and you can read all about it on the excellent JKOnTheRun.

Muuray from PalmMac's thoughts on the Treo 500

Murray who manages a blog entitled PalmMac wrote a good and bad editorial review of the Treo 500v which is available for your reading pleasure and at the same time you can also read Murray's thoughts about still using the Treo 500. Some good writing indeed.

I will unveil a winners name later for the MacBook Pro and remember that I have the giveaway for my MacBook Air that I have donated on at the moment

I will roll out a winner for the Macbook Pro a little later today so stay tuned and remember that my MacBook Air giveaway is the present giveaway that I am donating personally, so all the rules as always are in the this post which remains a sticky at the top of the page.

What do you do when you lose your mobile device?

This is a real cool little idea and should be included in all devices I read it over at The Gadgeteer. "How many of you have called your own mobile phone just so you could hear it ring in order to find where you had left it? I know I have ;o) So when I heard about the Berry Locator application for Blackberry devices, I had to give a nod to the developer for a great idea...

Berry Locator is a $5 application for your Blackberry that will help you find it when you misplace it. Send an email to the phone and it will make a lot of noise so that you can find it in your house, or will cause someone to pick it up and see the message on the screen with your info. Also, if your Blackberry is GPS enabled, Berry Locator can send you an email with a map of its location. " The Gadgeteer has you covered on this one and personally I think it is a very cool idea indeed.

The nice people at Engadget get their little hands on Sony's XPERIA X1

[From Eric Mann] The nice people at Engadget get their little hands on Sony's XPERIA X1. It's more pictures than anything else but they are nice to look at.

EGear reviews the Centro

[From Eric Mann] EGear reviews the Palm Centro. "The Centro is a bit larger than a standard flip phone and a bit smaller than an iPhone. The keys have raised nubs that actually make the QWERTY array very usable. The Centro touchscreen works both with and without a stylus. The phone comes with the great Palm OS, and that includes a versatile e-mail client, full synching with PC data, one of the best full Web browsers on mobile, and compatibility with the deepest third party software library. Part of the Centro bundle is the excellent DataViz Document to Go program. There is a version of Google maps on board that has most of the functionality of the iPhone version, including touch screen dragging. A great new multi-platform IM program lets you dance across open tabs for AIM, Yahoo and MSN accounts on one screen. With the Sprint EV-DO network also comes the Sprint TV mobile video service, which we found a bit more pixilated and low-res than it needed to be on this 1.5-inch 320x320 pixel screen. The Palm Web browser is superior to the Windows Mobile Internet Explorer and even more flexible than the iPhone’s Safari. It can show you the full Web page or re-render it well into a more narrow format." Read the review in full.

Sim Tech N8 Windows Mobile looking somewhat like the Treo 500

[From Hans] Hans sent me this link to the Register which shows Sim Technology's N8 Windows Mobile smartphone which looks, kist slightly :-) like the Palm 500 but apparently the N8 is somewhat bigger than the 500.