PalmAddicts

ebook reading experience with my trusted Palm Z22

[From Petros Athens, Greece] Hello Sammy, Just like to mention my ebook reading experience with my trusted Palm Z22. With the help of the right apps I'm able to carry with me my daily dose of news (from my favourite online newpapers and tech magazines) as well as some best-sellers to catch on when relaxing on the sofa. It's weird, but I prefer e-reading on the tiny Palm Z22 instead of on my old iPAQ 1930 which has more screen estate (and cleartype technology). The Z22 feels more cosy, similar to reading a real pbook; I don't know, maybe it's the iPod factor or something that only the simplicity of a Palm device can radiate. It's a mystery to me... but I enjoy every moment with the Z22.

Monitoring airport delays on my Palm T|X when travelling

[From Vern Johnson Santa Clara, CA] On a recent trip to Philadelphia while waiting to board a flight, I used my Palm T|X wireless to check www.flightview.com to find out what the departure delays for the airport were. It gave me a heads-up that we would probably be sitting a while once we boarded and left the gate. Another useful tool in the traveller's toolbox.

Are you ready for Baseball?

[From Larry (NYC)] I have my Treo 700p set up with GetSportz and SlingPlayer Mobile. Now I am ready to catch all the news and watch every pitch as the Yankees try to win their 27th World Championship. Can't wait to spring training is over.

MyTreo.net Revival review

MyTreo.net has posted a review of Herocraft's Revival. You can also check out my own review of Revival here, if you missed it.

"I'm a real power user: I have lots of apps installed and running in the background, and I use a non-standard launcher. Available cache turned out to be a real issue. I found that the only way I could reliably make the game play without exiting immediately or resetting my device was to clear the cache (I use Reset Doctor) immediately before playing. And, unfortunately, after I finished playing the game, I found that Snappermail would frequently lock-up or reset. My wife's Centro, on the other hand, never once gave me a lick of trouble. The game installed flawlessly and ran flawlessly. Revival is large, lives on the card, and takes a good 20 seconds or so to start. The game itself completely takes over the Palm's UI. As with other games that do this, I noticed that pressing the red button would turn the screen off, but wouldn't suspend the game or its sounds. The game also does not pause and save state automatically so that you can jump in and out quickly and easily, as with smaller games designed with the Zen of Palm in mind. But don't worry, you can save your game. And there's also an auto-save option that will save your game every handful of turns. This is a game, either by design or compatibility issues, that requires you to sit and play it for a while, then quit and stay away for a while. Not that I really want to quit or stay away..."

Sick Day

[From Shawn Hughes] I've been sick now for two days with a horrible cold, so my trusty Sony Clie NX comes in handy. Seems like when you are able to step away from the hustle of work, you can think clearly. So when I come up with a thought I quickly jot a note into my clie. I also find time to review current projects with my clie, and make new plans/notes/etc. I have a wifi card, so I can send a receive email with it. Makes people actually think I'm sitting in the office. Hopefully I will be back on my feet again soon and my palm device right with me.

Treo755p usage

[From pshannon17] First thing in the morning use built in alarm to wake up. The next thing to do is launch xweather for local five day weathet forcast. later on in the day I use freerange rss reader to check up on up to date news. Whenever I have a little free time I use opera mini 4.0 to browse the web and other thing I like to do is use pocket tunes for internet radio or technology based podcast. These are just a few things I use my mobile device for.

India government wants access to your BlackBerry emails

India government has been well known for their strict rules on public’s privacy, another controversial move is now aimed at BlackBerry messaging service which used by India’s wireless mobile operators (such as Tata Teleservices & Vodafone Essar). The three parties will meet up on Friday to discuss this matter; RIM (Research in Motion) hasn’t provided any comments so far and likely the result of the meeting. The India government believes that terrorists are using wireless messaging for their communication, this is the same argument the FBI (USA) has been using to push the law to tap on your mobile phone conversations. Read the whole news at PC World here. On the other hand; it’ll be another endless debate whether to allow government to spy on your privacy in order to protect the nation, essentially your way of life.

(blogged with my Treo 750v)

MacBook Air got tossed away

I'm affraid this is not another giveaway prize from Sammy, instead Steven Levy from Newsweek has realised that his MacBook Air that was given to him by Apple Corp. for review; got tossed along with old newspapers stack! After searched the whole office and turn up side down every last places he has been to, he had to admit that the thin device discarded by mistake. "By the way, NEWSWEEK is going to pony up the $1,800 for the loss," said Levy, read on his article here. I also believes there'll be another funny story like this to come, just like what Sammy has posted before here, MacBook Air surely is drawing more & more attention like it or not. Just hope that the joke is not on you too next time around... ;-D

(blogged with my Treo 750v)

The Register reviews the Palm Centro smartphone

[From Eric Mann] The Register reviews the Centro. "Palm's been making its smartphones less like a clunky PDA and more like a regular, slim handset with each new model. The big step forward was the Treo 600. Now comes the latest version, this time with a new name as well as a new look. Superficially, the Centro looks like Palm's other 'new design' smartphone, the Treo 500 - reviewed here. There's the same oblong shape with curved corners and the same silvery band across the middle with screen above and Qwerty microkeyboard below."

"Hacking" the T|X

To make up for my sparse recent posting, here's another User Thought.  By "hacking," I don't mean the malicious kind, but rather the effort to push the T|X to its absolute limits, beyond what Palm in its wisdom tells us it can do.

Among T|X hackers, probably the best-known (and perhaps most skilled) is Dmitry Grinberg, the young genius behind PalmPowerUps.  Over the past few years, Dmitry has delved deeply into the T|X's hardware or software, creating freeware and inexpensive shareware solutions that do everything from speeding up the animation of the virtual silkscreen area to improve the T|X's clunky memory scheme to remedying Graffiti2 and digitizer woes.  He's even discovered that there are two different types of T|X hardware (with or without flash ROM), and created a replacement collection of built-in applications for the flash ROM version.  Dmitry is also very helpful for users on the 1src T|X forum.  On the commercial side, among the most interesting hacks is Softick's Audio Gateway, which extends the T|X's Bluetooth stack to add Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP), aka wireless stereo for headphones or PCs.

On the hardware side, people have also done some neat things.  Most notable (and useful for me) has been the creation of external microphones for the T|X, first by WyreNut and then by TechCenterLabs (whose product I purchased and use daily to record my classes).  More handy folks have even put microphones and vibration units into the T|X.

If anyone has any doubt about the T|X's being a true computer, these hacks effectively demonstrate that it is.  Take that, iPhone!  :)  {ProfJonathan}

Quick review: Proporta Silicone Case for T|X

I tend to be somewhat hard on the cases for my T|X, especially on the belt clips, so I've been through a fair number of them.  Recently, after the case-of-the-moment died on me, I reached into my drawer o' stuff and pulled out a Proporta Silicone Case.  In truth, I wasn't expecting very much of it--while it is designed to fit the T|X snugly, and covers the buttons for extra impact and dust protection while leaving them usable, the empty case seemed flimsy, and I was concerned that the belt clip anchor would not hold well in the soft material.

Happily, the case has surprised me with its utility and its durability.  Once my T|X was placed inside, the combination was quite rigid, and the belt clip anchor hasn't budged or torn the silicon fabric.  The button covers don't significantly impede use, while the cutouts for speaker, ports and reset hole are perfectly positioned.  I can even use my Tech Center Labs microphone module without a problem.  As a bonus, the case makes my T|X look different enough that people have asked me what the new device is.

Still, I prefer the added security of an aluminum hard case, for those wonderful moments when my T|X decides to prove the theory of gravity.  That said, particularly for those of you who may work in dusty environments, this case may be a good choice.  {ProfJonathan}

The Importance of Thin

[From Glenn Crumpley Atlanta, GA] The release of the new MacBook Air gave new support to my contention that one of the most appealing qualities a portable device can have is thinness. That is why I purchased my Motorola Razr phone. That is why I still love the old Palm V series--they are the thinnest Palm PDA ever produced, and maybe the thinnest from any manufacturer. I currently have a TX, which I love, and is almost as thin as the Palm V. I believe that if Palm would focus on this factor they could produce an amazingly thin PDA which would have the same cachet as the Razr and MacBook Air.

This is not just a cosmetic feature. The thinner the item, the more portable it becomes and the more likely you are to have it with you when you need it. My TX is thin enough to fit in a wallet-style case that I carry in my front pocket so I always have it with me, but it is not as thin as I would like. I'm not the kind of guy that wants things hanging from my belt, so if it doesn't fit in one of my pockets, it doesn't go with me.

I've expressed all this before, both here, and directly to Jeff Hawkins. He thought added features were more important than thinness. I hope someone at Palm reconsiders.

Sammy's Centro Diary

An example of what I am doing with my Centro this hour is keeping up to speed with the UK budget on my Centro to see how it affects me and the company using the BBC mobile friendly website. If you want to be kept up to date most news sources have a PDA friendly version of their website. For me personally the BBC News Mobile Site is a must, here is the link, and to keep me up to date with what's going on in the US elections then I like to check out FOX News Mobile friendly website which does a great job, just point your browser to FOXNews.mobi, it works pretty well.

OK the last of the weekend throwaway's is a Tungsten TX with a clear skin case for the device - The first person to email me gets it

OK the last of the weekend throwaway's is a Tungsten TX with a clear skin case for the device. The first person who emails me with a few lines on how they are using their mobile device gets it. Please put WEDNESDAY in the subject line and as usual email me at - sammymcloughlin@gmail.com

Please remember do not send material that you have already sent in. No self site or software promotions and please do not send any blank emails or plea's for the device or I trash them immediately.

Way to go Apple as over 100,000 SDK's are downloaded

[From SimonH] Simon has let me know that Apple has stated that over 100,000 downloads of the Software Development Kits have been downloaded in the week or so since it was announced. The full release can be read here. "Apple® today announced that more than 100,000 iPhone™ developers have downloaded the beta iPhone Software Development Kit (SDK) in the first four days since its launch on March 6. The iPhone SDK provides developers with the same rich set of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and tools that Apple uses to create its native applications for iPhone and iPod® touch. "Developer reaction to the iPhone SDK has been incredible with more than 100,000 downloads in the first four days," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "Also, over one million people have watched the launch video on Apple.com, further demonstrating the incredible interest developers have in creating applications for the iPhone." Apple also previewed the new App Store, a breakthrough way for developers to wirelessly deliver their applications to every iPhone and iPod touch user. Developers set the price for their applications--including free--and retain 70 percent of all sales revenues. Leading developers such as AOL, Electronic Arts, Epocrates, salesforce.com and Sega have already demonstrated amazing applications using the SDK, and developer response continues to be phenomenal with more developers embracing the platform."

Update to Astraware Casino adds Texas Hold 'Em No Limit Poker

[From Alison at Astraware] In response to customer requests, Astraware Casino version 1.20, now includes Texas Hold 'Em No Limit Poker, which allows players to bet the pot or even go all-in when they have that winning hand! Unlike a real casino, if you do bet the lot and lose, Astraware Casino will allow you to visit the Bank and carry on playing. There's even a fun 'Souvenir' trophy for a big loss!

Alongside Texas Hold 'Em No Limit Poker, Astraware Casino also includes Slots, Blackjack, Video Derby, Craps, Roulette, Texas Hold 'Em Limit Poker, Baccarat, Video Poker, Video Keno, and Three Card Poker. The game gives players $1000 in their virtual wallet to begin playing with, and includes a fun trophy system with the 'Souvenir Suitcase', which marks achievements in each of the games.

Astraware Casino 1.20 is a completely FREE upgrade to registered users. The game is available for Palm OS(R) smartphones and PDAs running OS5 and above, and for Windows Mobile(R) Classic, Professional and Standard devices running Windows Mobile(R) 2003 and later.

About Astraware
Founded in 1994 and incorporated in 2000, Astraware Limited develops, publishes and distributes games for mobile devices. Some of Astraware's best known handheld titles include Astraware Sudoku, Zap! 2000/2016, and Astraware Solitaire. Astraware is a Microsoft(R) Certified Gold Partner, and a Palm(R) Select Developer. Mobile gaming enthusiasts have downloaded more than 55 million copies of Astraware's products, and the company has customers in more than 100 countries. Astraware is the registered trademark of Astraware Limited - the Handmark Games Studio. Visit Astraware at http://www.astraware.com.

Samsung get you connected, Proporta get you covered

[From Hannah at Proporta] Successor to the Samsung Blackjack, the Samsung Blackjack II is a thin and lightweight QWERTY Smartphone that’s packed with even more features than its predecessor. Delivering a Windows Mobile operating system, the Blackjack II offers a complete package of email, voice, and entertainment in one device. Flexible mobile email through Microsoft's Windows Mobile software, advanced mobile phone technology, and rich multimedia capabilities make the Blackjack II a fully-loaded device designed for seamless connectivity.

So, whilst Samsung quite clearly have you connected, Proporta most definitely have you covered…

Like so many of their cases, the Proporta Alu-Leather Case (Samsung Blackjack II Series) is hand crafted to meet the exact specifications of your device. Naturally it also features Proporta’s infamous ‘Screen Saver System’, which uses a sheet of rigid, lightweight, aircraft grade aluminium to line the case and protect it from crushing and impact shocks. You don’t even have to worry about removing your device from the case as it features the necessary cut outs allowing access to all ports and controls.

We also recommend the Proporta Advanced Screen Protector (Samsung Blackjack II) meaning you need never suffer from a scratched screen again. Not only has the thickness of them been improved, giving even more protection for your device, Proporta have managed it without impairing the brightness or clarity of your screen. In addition, you can also wash and replace them. What more could you need? :0)

P.S. Proporta’s Leather Memory Wallet features storage space for up to three SD/MMC memory cards and allows enough room for your spare mobile phone SIM cards, making it your ideal travelling companion.

Eric has also let me know that BattLogger 1.05 has also been released

[From Eric Mann] Eric has also let me know that BattLogger 1.05 has also been released. "BattLogger is the best utility for monitoring the charge of your Palm’s battery and is fully customizable to your preference. You are in control of setting the program to alert you when the battery is in need of charging, fully charged, while it’s logging, etc. The logging feature is easy to read in both numerical and graphical data. If you prefer to just monitor the power cycles of your battery without alerts, just uncheck the nag me options." BattLogger after the jump.

PictureSMS 1.14 has been officially released

[From Eric Mann] Eric has let me know that PictureSMS 1.14 has been officially released. "PictureSMS is the premiere application for the Treo that utilizes picture caller ID on incoming SMS. It implements effective and easy-to-use user interface for sending and receiving text messages while being fashionable and attractive at the same time. Treo’s built-in messaging application is so bare and really basic, so it has become boring most of the time. PictureSMS provides everything that the built-in has plus tons of more new cool and useful features, such as Picture caller ID, MP3 message tone, SMS blocking, Text Scheduler, Memo and text file utilization, plus a lot more. This is the best replacement SMS application for Treo. Want to schedule a message to send at a specific date and time? Now you can. One of the main features of PictureSMS is the Text Scheduler. Unlike the built-in messaging program, which limits you to only sending messages manually, the Text Scheduler has the ability to schedule outgoing messages automatically." PictureSMS after the jump.

FastLaunch for Treo/ Centro

What do you reckon to FastLaunch for Treo/ Centro I think in principle this sounds a good idea I am going to have to give it a try on the Centro. "Quickly launch applications and desk accessories, including popping up one application over another, while keeping the old one loaded.

Features:
Fast and simple launcher for Treo/Centro phones.
Quickly launch an application (or Desk Accessory) just by holding down the first letter, which gives you a list of all the applications starting with that letter.
Pop up an application on top of another application by pressing Option and then holding down the first letter. After the popped up application is finished, you can return to exactly where you were in the original.
Normally PalmOS only allows one application to run at once. (Not compatible with all application pairs.)
Tap on-screen buttons in some applications just by pressing the first letter of the button.
No need for a complicated configuration--just install and turn on to use.
Free updates for the life of the product.
Includes four free Desk Accessories that you can use with FastLaunch and other Desk Accessory launchers: PrintIt (print screen to compatible tcp/ip network printer), ScreenDumpDA (save screenshot to SD card), NightMode and Reset." FastLaunch after the jump.

iPhone Firmware 2.0. JailBroken and a long winded copy and paste makes it to the iPhone

& [From Eric Mann and Mike Cane] Well a couple of iPhone tidbits for our iPhone readers sent in and firstly Eric sends in word that the iPhone Dev Team, who rumor has it just last night got ahold of the new firmware that ships with the SDK (1.2, which will be released to public as 2.0), has already decrypted the disk image and jailbroken the firmware. modmyiPhone has all the deets on this one.

Mike Cane sent in word overnight that there is avery long winded way to copy and paste on the iPhone and I am not sure it's the ideal way but I guess at least it will do until someone finds a more sensible way to do this. The iPhone Atlas which is a very good resource for any of you with an iPhone shares the deets.

Winners

Mike Llorenna wins the 503G from Monday and I will have another throwaway as promised later today so stay tuned.....

CrunchGear comes in with a review of AT&T’s Palm Centro

[From Eric Mann] CrunchGear comes in with a review of AT&T’s Palm Centro. "The 320×320 touchscreen is bright and clear, with little pixelization and a very accurate digitizer. That means you don’t miss what you’re aiming for often. The full QWERTY keyboard has a good feel despite the small size, and is quite usable. You won’t be writing a novel with it, but it’s great for emails or text messaging. Speaking of texting, Palm’s unique threaded text messaging is intact, giving you an IM-like interface for texts." More after the jump.

eReader discount for the week ahead

[From eReader] Here is your eReader discount for the week ahead, "Punch in this week's Promo Code ERM311 to receive a 10% discount off any eligible book that you purchase. Offer good through March 18, 2008 on all books. This discount cannot be used with any other special offers" eReader after the jump.

SafeGuard - Know what's happening under the hood!

It is a wonderful new program that I've been testing for a month or so and now out of the beta status. Relesed in full for you all to enjoy! Comes from our wonderful developer Jeff at GoTreo Software, Inc. who created the famous VolumeCare. VolumeCare is one of the best programs for the Treo ever created and the success of this application made GoTreo Software one of the top Palm development companies.

Now he offers his ingenuity to do what Palm has been neglected for years. Saving your Treo when it's not listening to you. SafeGuard will tell you why your Treo crashes and it saves your Treo from a coma situation, you know the famous Rest Loop problem which happens much too often forcing us to do a Hard Reset without having chance to save your last minute valubale data. So now you can say goodbye to that mishap.

Also, I would like to note the user interface of SafeGuard is wonderful eye candy. One of the very best professional looking applications that I have seen for Palm devices. You don't see that annoying focus ring anymore which you find elsewhere with other programs, just superb intuitive highlighting with 5 way navigator. I guess the developer should start jazzing up the Palm OS itself!

You can view the full application details when the SafeGuard section of GoTreoSoftware website is up and running within next few days. Meanwhile you can enjoy this wonderful program if you go to MyTreo download section.

GIVEAWAY [Could end anytime] - 12 inch MacBook Pro

OK as we are replacing MacBooks in the office with MacBook Pro's I have a spare 12 inch MacBook [pictured left] and the giveaway could end ant time.

All you need to do is send me a user thought on how your using your mobile device or a thought that is mobile technology related. No pleas informing why you should be the winner or what will you do with the prizes if you win. Please put MARCH in the subject line and IMPORTANTLY give your mobile thought a title, or it will not be entered. Let me know your town/ country too. No self sites or software mentions and keep your thoughts positive. If you don't see your user thought posted then please do not resend, we receive so many but all of them are entered - sammymcloughlin@gmail.com

Email in the Dark

[From Glenn Fairfax, VA, USA] My new Centro has come in handy with my toddler. The other night he refused to fall asleep if I left the room. Thinking what am I going to do in the dark, I pull out my Centro and starting reading email. Before I know it, I was caught up on email and he was asleep

My all purpose phone

[From Pauline Baird, Lexington, OK] I must have my phone with me at all times cause of a husband with heart problems and children 2 states away. I work security at a local casino so I also have down time between assignments. That's when I must have more than just a plain phone. I use the time to read ebooks. I can relax and be ready to go when the next job is ready.

Passing Time at the Car Dealership

[From Gavin Henriques] I had to take my car in for servicing this morning. Unless it requires a great deal of work I will wait for it. I am still waiting, however, my trusty iPhone has come in handy checking emails and light browsing of the web. This is made nicer with the free wifi offered. Oh, time to go, my car is ready. It went fast thanks to my mobile companion.

SPB Mobile Shell

[From Neil S. Patrick] Hey Sammy, I just had a chance to play around with SPB Mobile Shell and I have to say it surprised me. Normally I don't really like these finger friendly interface programs, mainly due to the fact that you can always tell their just applications running onto of Windows Mobile and quite often you still end up in situations where you need to use the stylus. But this time around I really think the SPB guess did an excellent job, with really beautiful icon graphics for the main interface and navigation takes almost no time to learn, it really felt natural.

I had tried out Pointui before, and though I thought it was quite attractive, I also thought they didn't take the program far enough and I also didn't like the fact that some of the menu options looked a little too much like the iPhone's. This is where SPB Mobile Shell is different, they didn't try to emulate another device's interface. Instead they just tried to make a great interface and for the most part they achieved their goals, so much so that they infact put HTC's Touchflo to shame.

I just want to when is SPB going to be taken up by the OEMs?

Centro update

[From Rusty] It is Tuesday, her in South Louisiana, and Momma is getting used to her new Centro. We agreed that I would teach her one program at a time, as I tend to jump all over the place when I ‘m showing something to someone. So the first thing to learn is the Calendar app, as it has its own button. That is after we get the phone to use her old ringtones.

The idea of keeping up with her varied and various commitments appeals to her, as she currently uses 3 different dayplanners in 3 different places. I have set her up with MS Outlook 2003 and Google Calender with Sync on here own desktop computer, and I have my own setup like that for my desktop and Tx. What I like, is that we can set the Google Calendars to update each other automatically at some odd hour, so we each have the other’s schedule.

After that, we’ll work on the audio playback. Her new 4gb microSD should be here today, and I’ll load it up with her favorites. She never wanted an Ipod, as it was too much trouble to keep up with all the features. Taking it slow, though, should get her up to speed in a couple of weeks.

Opera Mini is getting better

[From .Rui de Castro] Yesterday night I fired up Opera mini the last version which I think came out last week and went to my online bookmark site ,Phonefavs.com and started surfing. The last version is a bit more stable. I only got a crash a hour later. Things are looking good.

Centro and my phone bill

So I got my phone bill the other day and to be fair it’s a little more than I expected it to be. But in all honesty this has proved a few things to me.

I have obviously been able to contact my friends much more easily and access the internet more than I have done on my previous phone. Surely the phone bill has reflected the amount I have used the Palm Centro to make calls, send texts, send emails and browse the internet. And in many ways it has also allowed me to do this with the greatest of ease, hence the enormous amount of each calls and texts sent. And the reflection of the phone bill!

Yes the shock at first took me by surprise as to be fair I hadn’t experienced a phone bill quite so large in a few months, and thought I was doing good with keeping my communication to a minimum, however this has obviously not been the case since receiving my Centro. Who can blame me though. When you to have a Centro you will understands just how easy it is to use and for a second you forget that you will have to pay for this service, cause at the time you really are having to much fun to be thinking about the consequences of your actions!

The phone bill will be lesson learnt, but I expect much of the same from using the Centro, it will be hard for me to get bored of using the useful applications which come as standard and just maybe the phone bill is a small price to pay for the use of the Centro and the ease of communication it brings to my life in all areas.

Spread the Addiction

[From Bryan Dockett, Chicago, IL USA] Simply put the Palm Centro is a hit. I don’t need charts or graphs, sales figure or Q2 results. I know this because the teeny tiny Treo is everywhere. At work only a buddy and I had a Treo and since the release of the Centro there are 9 people with one now. Some of these people are the same ones who needed help opening a ZIP file! Palm has definitely broken into a open market Power users and dumb phones users alike and the best part is theses new Palm users don’t care that POS is older McCain’s surviving strains of hair or that blazer really isn’t that good but its much better then a WAP browser. So I calling out to my fellow Palm Addicts when you see a new Centro owners walk up to them and say “Hey, did you know you can …” or “Check out this website” Remember any addictions are only fun when you have other addicts to play with!

Telephone booths the new wifi hotspots??

[From Rob at HobbyistSoftware] Hi Sammy, Your post that hotspots are the new telephone booths reminded me of my continuing surprise that telephone booths don't have wifi! There is already a phone line to the box, so they could just add a modem and a wifi router to build out the wifi network. That would allow BT (who already have a wifi network) to expand into almost every high street in the UK without incurring any cost for renting the space, and without sharing the revenue with store owners. Why haven't they done this already???

Nothing went right today!

[From Vinit Gupta, Mumbai, India] Dear Sammy, Today was one of those days when nothing right happens. I overslept (note to self : have to start using the alarm functions of the mobile phone). Had a quick breakfast of just bread and juice (note to self : remember to put some groceries in the shopping list of the mobile phone). I had three meetings planned up with prospective clients. As I sat in the car and fired up the Jabra BT 150 Bluetooth headset, realized that it wasn’t charged ( note to self : charge headsets regularly). And I do not have a wired hands free. Luckily took most calls on speakerphone while driving. During the meet , I need the costing of a product. I remembered I had mailed it to myself on my blackberry 8700. Tried retrieving it but, since I am on BIS, it got downloaded on my pc and was deleted off the server. Sigh !! Luckily I had a copy on my Hermes’ Storage card, so that saved the day. (Note to self: don’t email yourself, keep a copy on the storage card). After that, the second meet was postponed by an hour . So to kill time , I went to the nearest coffee shop to relax a bit and do some casual surfing on my ipod touch, only to realize that their WI-FI was down. So just used the BB 8700 and downloaded a few themes. (Note to self : have to find a better browser). Luckily I had some headroom time for the third client and made it to him on time. But again at the third client, while taking the order on Hermes’ note app, it hung. Wouldn’t take handwriting, only keyboard. But I managed. While driving back home, I reflected back on the days events. I realized that all this could have been averted, only if I was a bit more cautious. But u learn to walk only after you fall. I have decided that over the weekend, I will be organizing my mobile devices, cleaning them, soft resetting them, charging all the devices, and taking complete backups of each. Have to add a few apps like a good list manager and a good browser.

TenDigits Unveils New Version of MobileAccess to Support BlackBerry and Windows Mobile Devices

[From PRW] TenDigits Software, a leading provider of mobility solutions for Microsoft (MSFT: NASDAQ) Dynamics CRM, today announces the release of MobileAccess v4.0. Now organizations can access and use MobileAccess® for Dynamics CRM 4.0 via Research in Motion (RIMM:NASDAQ) and Windows Mobile supported devices, making this the only complete mobility solution for Microsoft Dynamics across the two leading categories of smartphones.

"The fact of the matter is that MobileAccess is the only commercial product on the market to provide a solution for Dynamics CRM on BlackBerry devices and this is proven with the hundreds of customers and partners we've gained since its introduction in 2005," comments Derek Warburton, VP of Sales, at TenDigits. "We are now taking that functionality to the significantly larger market of Windows Mobile devices and we expect to see corresponding sales growth as a result."

MobileAccess enables organizations that have deployed Microsoft Dynamics CRM to increase the productivity of their mobile users by allowing them anywhere and any time access to CRM whilst online or offline. Its use within sales and service organizations benefit them by increasing sales effectiveness, field staff productivity and CRM user adoption.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM General Manager, Brad Wilson comments, "With MobileAccess for Dynamics CRM 4.0, TenDigits continues to provide a robust mobile solution for Dynamics CRM customers. Having a rich-client experience on both Windows Mobile and BlackBerry smartphones opens up a new market for TenDigits and give Dynamics CRM users greater choice and flexibility in driving mobile use to its workforce."

Further, MobileAccess v4.0 brings significant enhancements in support of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0, such as multi-tenancy, multilingual user interface, and integrated web-based management console for easy administration. The new version also introduces advanced management capabilities for greater configuration and deployment flexibility. Customers can now choose a product tailored to their specific needs: Standard, Professional and Enterprise Editions that serve the unique requirements for companies of different sizes.

"We've been impressed with MobileAccess. It was easy to deploy and manage," says Riann van der Merwe, Global Solution Architect and COO of Jones Lang LaSalle, the world's leading real estate services and money management firm. "We are eager to take advantage of the new enterprise capabilities of MobileAccess v4.0."

Details on pricing and volume sales, partners and customers should contact salespeople @ tendigits.com
http://www.tendigits.com/

Airport Bewildered by Macbook Air

[From Steve Davis, Sydney] Just a funny story i came across browsing which i thought i'd share here. The fact that Apple have created a product that seems unrealistic compared to other products on the market shows hows far ahead they are than their competitors. This man was lucky enough to get a Macbook Air...but unlucky enough to get delayed at the airport because of it... check it out here.

Follow on Triliogy

[From Dana B. Galvin] Sammy, There is a second Trilogy (Legacy) by Ian Douglas that is currently not on the eReader site which follows the Heritage Trilogy. The eReader site does have the first novel (Star Strike) of third Trilogy called the Inheritance Trilogy. Readers could mistakenly pick the first book in the Third Trilogy. I had to purchase the second Trilogy at a Brick and Mortar store. They are even better than the first one.

Morning Call

[From Ronald Abadi Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia] My four-year-old daughter is quite often very difficult to be waken up in the morning in order for her not to be late to go to her playgroup class. Most of the time no amount of light shaking of her body can wake her up easily. She, however, has one particular habit, which is her eagerness to answer phone calls. So my wife got an idea one day. My wife will use our home phone to call into my O2 Xda IIi PDA Phone. Upon hearing the ringtone of my PDA Phone, my daughter will immediately wake up by herself and will try to answer the call. That is by far the most easy way for us to wake her up in the morning now. Yet another reason to keep my PDA Phone around: to give my daughter her morning call!

Some quality time with my daughter

[From Ronald Abadi, Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia] My four-year-old daughter is often very curious whenever I play games with my O2 Xda IIi PDA Phone. She will lay her head on my shoulder to watch me play games. Occassionaly she will take the sylus from my hand and try to play the games herself. Of course since she is still only four-year-old, I never leave her alone with the device without supervision. Anyway I think this is yet another reason to keep my PDA Phone around: I can spend some quality time with my daughter!

Camera Comparison Treo vs. Centro

[From Clemens] Hi Sammy, I read that you love to use the Centro's camera, because it takes decent pictures of your friends. The PUGcast team did live moblogging from Cebit and the grand International Palm User Meeting at Cebit in Hannover and we heavily made use of different mobile devices which digital photo cameras. What we found was, that my Centro took better images than all Treos and other devices. In order to find out more, we did a photo session with different settings of the same object and found that the Centro is more realistic on colours and better in details. This is mainly due to its better camera resolution of 1.3 megapixels. The most interesting thing on the contrary is, that the Treo is quite comparable whan it some to close objects. Then you find no difference in the quality of the images. When it comes to wide angle views the Centro is a bit better than the Treo 600, 650 or 680. The blog is mainly written in German, but the images are worth to look at and can be visited here.

JAVO AlloyVision - Crystal Metal Case for Palm Treo - Silver

JAVO AlloyVision - Crystal Metal Case for Palm Treo - Silver on offer $31.49 (Retail Price: $34.99). "AlloyVision, the ultimate hybrid case! It combines the look of stylish clear cases with the protection of armor metal cases. Function is maintained with strategically placed cutouts. Special manufacturing molds are used to provide a tight fit and retain your devices' form. When it comes to protecting your beautiful device, compromising between style and protection is not an option. Luckily with the JAVOedge AlloyVision crystal metal case, you won't have to. Try our AlloyVision crystal metal case today!"

Ringo Pro - MP3 Ringtones Manager

Ringo Pro - MP3 Ringtones Manager from Pocketgear. "Bring your Treo ringtones to life - Ringo Pro gives you MP3 ringtones and personal ringtones and pictures for friends and caller groups... Ringo Pro offers: Add amazing MP3 ringtones to your Treo or Centro Set personal ringtones and pictures for your friends Set personal message tones for friends Set different ringtones for address book groups Use your own MP3 music as ringtones Choose from 50 free MP3 tones with your Treo! Compose new personal ringtones with our unique ringtone mixer Add MP3 Ringtones to your Treo Ringo Pro lets you add the magic of MP3 ringtones to every call - bringing your Treo to life, every time it rings! Use your favourite music, or explore the world of "real tones" to add some great new call effects to your Treo."

PictureLink

PictureLink from Pocketgear. "The easiest way to dial a phone number! Picture Link is system utility to create short cut links with customized picture on the Launcher for quick launch. Short cut link can be launched on the Launcher just like any application. There are 8 different short cuts that you can create: Dial a phone number, Compose a new email, Compose a new SMS, launch website, Get Google map, launch Kinoma streaming site, change Application's icon and Play a PocketTunes Playlist. With short cut link you no longer have to search the Contact to dial your most dialed number. You can even assign the short cut key to any hard button and instantly dial the person. All short cuts can be assigned to a hard key for quick launch."