PalmAddicts

Old fashioned user!

I am one of the more "unusual" user of Palm devices in that I prefer to have a phone and a pda separate.

My mobile phone is for calls and texts and nothing else.

My TX is so much better for surfing the net as the large, clear screen is ideal for ideal for browsing. 
When I want to read a book the TX does that job very well.  I just can not imagine reading any book on the small screen of a smartphone.

Reading or creating a word document is much more practical on the TX as it is easy to find, read and edit any document if necessary.

All PIM functions are easier to use on the larger screen.

I know for many people they have chosen to use smartphones but it really does not appeal to me at all.
I wonder are there many users who would prefer to have two separate devices?

Arthur C. Clarke dies at 90

Not too many details yet, but by now you may have heard that Arthur C. Clarke, noted science fiction writer and futurist, has died at the age of 90 at his home in Sri Lanka.

Thinnest 8MP camera for mobile phone

Samsung has been able to challenge yet another thinnest camera for mobile phone, they've managed to develop 8 MegaPixels camera with their own CMOS module. Not only that, this thinnest mobile phone camera in the world right now has anti-shake feature and face tracking technology. Read on Engadget's article here. How about it Palm, let's put this one in the next Treo lineups? We're all tired of Treo's (& Centro's too) so and so camera quality...

(blogged with my Treo 750v)

DVB-H has become Europe standard

Caught this quick news from Engadget, the European Comission has made DVB-H as the standard in mobile television service in Europe. Which this means the others standard such as MediaFLO, T-DMB, ISDB-T, etc. are not supposed to be used anymore (in Europe); most likely is Asian countries will follow the adoption of DVB-H as the new standard. For you who own Nokia N-series can feel relax, while the others might consider changing before your mobile phones become obsolete.

(blogged with my Treo 750v)

My Ancient Palm m500

Hello, my name is Linda Pettit and I wanted to introduce myself as a new Associate Writer. I live in West Virginia and I am very excited to have this opportunity to write about my thoughts on mobile devices, games, software and new technology. My current mobile device is a Palm m500. My husband gave it to me for my birthday in 2002 and it has not left my side since. I have used all the programs that came with it plus added a few. I love to read ebooks so I use ereader and Adobe Reader. I have purchased a lot of ebooks, but now that I am a stay-at-home mom I borrow them from the library.

SilverLight vs. Flash Lite; A battle for mobile web platform supremacy (part. 1)

Microsoft (MS) has been trying to get into Nokia's phone lineups lately, when MS failed to push Windows Mobile to be used as Nokia's phones OS; Nokia finally agreed to support MS Silverlight web platform. Nokia phones are widely available around the world & in almost every countries, this agreement will propel MS Silverlight into better position against it's main rival: Adobe. For a quick background story as why Adobe should worry about Silverlight is because they both share the same market; web platform. We are already familiar with Adobe's Flash, those moving animation with attractive sound are all thanks to the Flash engine. So far, before MS launched Silverlight, Adobe has been the sole main player here, the giant software sees an opening of oportunity where no other big players noticeable around. But Silverlight moves haven't been smooth, as web industries have been too well attached & accustomed to Adobe's products; MS needs to penetrate the market with a significant move.

With MS Silverlight wins over Nokia for web contents support, we'll be seeing little differences when we're using the Symbian's (S60) web browser. Nokia plans to add Silverlight support too later for their S40 phones, these mean mobile content providers are softly-forced to adopt MS Silverlight platform. But the real fights are for Adobe & others, who have to compete for web contents platform in general. As the saying goes; the herds will follow the largest stampede, so does the market of web platform. Like BlueRay who've won over HD DVD, MS & Adobe will fight for web platform supremacy in years to come. To be continued…

(blogged with my Treo 750v)

I use my new Centro for everything

[From Allen Fayetteville, AR, USA] I use my new Centro for everything. From my alarm clock and checking the weather in the morning to keeping my calendar and tasks straight, to finding directions when I am driving. Checking my email all through the day, IM'ing when I am away from my computer, playing the occasinal game. Plus the obvious phone and SMS functions. All basic stuff but losing my phone would be like losing a limb. I would live but life would be more difficult.

Hands On Comparison of Treo 700p and Blackberry 8820

I've been a Palm user for a long, long time.  Started out with the original Palm Pilot, then a Palm III, a IIIc, and Tungsten C and and Tungsten W.  Somewhere in there I also had a 705. In the transition to Palm smart phones, I had the Kyocera 7135, a Palm 650, and now a Palm 700p.  All along the way I've synched to several computers at once, and kept it all straight.

Recently, my employer had my I.T. staff switch to a Blackberry solution.  We've been at it for about 4 months, and I thought I'd share some of my observations.  (Yes, I have a bit of a bias, but who doesn't?)  My first observation of the Blackberry was that it was so thin and slippery that I'd be prone to drop it, given my large hands.  As it turns out, that hasn't been an issue.  In truth, its slimness is a real plus, and when in the belt holster, you almost forget it's there.  Keyboard - I'm afraid that I haven't adapted well to the Blackberry keyboard.  It seems a bit disorted, and the key labels seem too small (you don't want to have boomers having to put on their reading glasses to type a reply!)  The Treo keyboard is far superior, even taking into account familiarity.  Wi-Fi -  I've always resented that fact that the Treo has not incorporated Wi-Fi into the Treo.  I would probably not carry an unlimited data account with Verizon if I could use the ubiquitous access points around town.  The Blackberry Wi-Fi is easy to configure and does quite well for speed and range.  Applications:  The Google Apps available for the Blackberry are awesome, and I especially like the ability of Google Maps to utilize the internal GPS of the Blackberry to locate itself.  I run Google Maps on the Treo, but cannot access the internal GPS.  It does work satisfactorily with my DeLorme Bluetooth GPS, however.  The Blackberry shines in the Corporate venue, where all my business email and calendaring is automatically synchronized.  The downside is that you seem to be always at the office.  I use the Verizon synch that pushed my private email to my Treo.  It works satisfactorily and keeps me in touch.  One note - access the Blackberry 8820 battery and miniSD card is abysmal.  You have to press and slide two slick surfaces apart, and it's just not easy at all.  The simple Treo battery access and SD slot on the top of the phone is far and away a more convenient setup.  And finally - having two smartphones, one for business and one for personal use has it's plusses.  When I'm not working, or on call, I can shut down my Blackberry and completely separate my work and play.  Not a bad solution at all!

The MobileTechRoundup Podcast is available for your listening pleasure

One of my favourite Podcasts which I missed from a couple of days ago and available for your listening pleasure is the MobileTechRoundup 126: Samsung Q1UP now, REDFLY next. As always make the jump to the JK On The Run website for the listen.

Andrew at Treonauts has done a good review of the Centro Extended Battery

Andrew at Treonauts has done a good review of the Centro Extended Battery offering you 60% more power to your Centro smartphone. "Although some people will automatically scream “ugly” at the sight of a Centro with the larger battery door I personally actually found it to be perfectly well designed and very comfortable to hold. Also, while looks are undoubtedly important the fact remains that I am more than willing to make this compromise for the benefit of the extra power and Talk Time that the Extended Battery offers." Treonauts for the full read.

Paper Is Out, Cellphones Are In

[From Norberto In Mexico] Sammy: An interesting read today at the New York Times related to mobile devices and how they could be used as electronic passes allowing those travelers to pass through security and board the plane without handling a piece of paper. You can find it and read it here.

"First came the kiosk, a strange addition to airport terminals when Continental Airlines began offering it as a check-in option in 1995. It was followed by Web check-in, introduced by Alaska Airlines in 1999. Now, with 80 percent of passengers using these self-service options, the next step is electronic boarding passes, which essentially turn the hand-held devices and mobile phones of travelers into their boarding passes. At least half a dozen airlines in the United States currently allow customers to check in using their mobile devices, including American, Continental, Delta, Northwest, Southwest and Alaska."

Anyone who wants a SanDisk 4GB SD High Capacity Card then drop me a email with how you are using your mobile device

OK for a throwaway today if anyone wants a SanDisk 4GB SD High Capacity Card then here is your chance. It's just a quick throwaway, and so as usual the first person who emails me with a few lines on how they are using their mobile device can take the SanDisk 4GB SD High Capacity Card off my hands.

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. Please put TUESDAY in the subject line and email - sammymcloughlin@gmail.com

Butler, such a wonderful program

Before I give mention to this program I have to say that it is one of my favourite programs for the Centro and Rob at HobbyistSoftware is so talented, he produces some wonderful programs and he continually updates them so you do get total value for money as well as an excellent program. The program I am talking about is Butler, "Makes your Treo Better : Different people expect different things from their Treo. Butler has a host of features to let you use it how you want to. There are so many features, that you won't use them all - but you will Love the two or three that make your Treo work for you!

Alarms - 6 MP3 alarms to wake you up in the morning with your favourite tune
Alerts - Nags you like a pager to make sure you don't miss anything
Security - Remote lock allows you to lock or delete your confidential data by SMS if your Treo is stolen
Navigation - Launch apps or calls from anywhere by holding down a key
LED - Turn it off at night! Make it show you when you have voicemail.
Keyguard - That shows you the time and doesn't block the screen!
Volume Keys- To scroll the page, or switch through your last opened applications.
Buttons - Assign applications to all your buttons, and option+buttons. Use the all-in-one phone key to free an extra button.
Speedy Keys - Speed up your keys to zoot round your treo.
Power control - Extend your auto-off time, stay on when charging."
OK, so got and download the trial and take Butler out for a spin and see if you like it, if you have a Palm OS smartphone then it should work for you and I think, like me, you will find it very useful, so make the jump to HobbyistSoftware.

Look for updates to Slingplayer Mobile

Palminfocenter is reporting that there will be new version of Slingplayer Mobile coming. "Engadget Mobile has posted a new article detailing word on a round of updated versions of the SlingPlayer Mobile client software for Symbian S60 and both Standard and Professional flavors of Windows Mobile. Presumably a major part of the WM version's updates will be centered around supporting forthcoming WM 6.1 devices such as the rumored Treo 800w and Drucker from Palm." Palminfocenter for the full deets. And in the meantime do not forget their Palm OS solution which you can get the deets on here which works well with the Centro.

Another one from Eric this hour and look for an updated version of TealAgent

[From Eric Mann] Another one from Eric this hour and look for an updated version of TealAgent. "Get news, movie times, stock quotes, driving directions, web pages and more without need fora wireless connection. TealAgent fetches and formats web-based content for offline viewing on your handheld. When installed on an Internet-capable PC, TealAgent and the TealAgent Desktop makes any PalmOS handheld web-aware without the cost or hassles of wireless. The TealAgent Desktop runs under Windows and supports connection to the internet through automatic modem dialing or direct connection with or without proxy. TealAgent comes with built-in support for unzipping and installing PalmOS-format files, downloading restaurant listings, browsing news, weather, movie times, driving directions and clipping text from any specified web page. TealAgent outputs files in Doc, TealDoc, TealInfo, and TealMeal format, and includes the TealDoc Lite document viewer."

TreoPopupClock looks an interesting program

[From Eric Mann] TreoPopupClock looks like being a useful program, "TreoPopupClock shows you importand information like a clock (date and time) in every time and in nearly every program. Just tap on the calender button and hold it for a short time and the bar is shown. The bar contains Date, Time, Battery level, Sound level setting, Bluetooth status (if available), Net status of the mobile (if available) ,

You can set how long the clock is displayed, the color of the information bar, and the format of the date.

TreoPopupClock is available in English and German. TreoPopupClock was developed for the Treo family but can be used on every OS 5 handheld. Treo Popup Clock was tested on various simulators and also on Treo 650, Treo 680, Treo 700p as well on other OS5 handhelds like Tungsten T3 and T|X. Try Treo Popup Clock 45 days for free and you will see how comfortable the immediate displaying of date, time Bluetooth status, Loudspeeker status and net status for the mobile is."

ButtonsEx V 1.1.7

[From Eric Mann] Take a look at ButtonsEx which I think is going to prove useful to some of you. "ButtonsEx is a new preference panel. With it, you can customize the hard buttons (only for T5, LD TX and TE2) and the 5 way buttons. To launch a application with the 5ways, do a long press on the button. You can enable/disable the 5 way pad (for example when you play) without going to the preferences. Draw on the status bar a line form the home/favorites buttons to the input buttons to enable the 5 way pad. Draw on the status bar a line form the input buttons to the home/favorites buttons to disable the 5 way pad."

Apple's SDK Restrictions Great for Palm

Apple's long-awaited announcement of the iPhone SDK not long ago brought some excellent innovations in the mobile space.  For example, there will be a centralized distribution infrastructure for mobile applications that will benefit both Apple and the developers.  Yet it is the set of restrictions that might have the biggest impact on the industry, especially for Palm.  Specifically, Apple's decree that no SDK developed applications would be allowed to run in the background.  This, in my opinion, is one of (if not THE) biggest drawback of the current generation of the Palm OS.  That is why I feel that this has given new life to Palm.  Currently, Windows Mobile is the only real player in the mobile space that allows true multitasking.  Developers have been able to "trick" Palm OS into allowing background applications to work, which has definitely enabled some of the best Palm programs out there.  Still, there is a difference between background applications and true multitasking.

Enter Palm Nova.  This new operating system will have the potential to really garner market share now that Apple has made this decision.  By its very nature, this restriction prevents applications such as instant messaging clients and third party email applications from being "official" iPhone applications.  Without these (especially a universal IM type application), I feel Apple will push many potential customers (Power users, road warriors, etc.) to find other alternatives.  The great thing for Palm is that since they will be offering both Windows Mobile and Palm Nova devices, they will be in position to capture many of those patrons.  If Palm can execute on its promises of new form factors, new innovations in the Operating System, and a slick User Interface that can compete with the excellent iPhone interface, then we may be talking about Palm in very different terms in 18 months.  It would be excellent to see Palm return to the top of the hill as a market leader, and I believe conditions are shaping up to enable Palm to accomplish that end.  Now it is up to them to make that happen.

My review of the updated Astraware Bejeweled 2

I’ve just got hold of the updated Bejeweled 2 which is released tomorrow, the 19th March 2008. As you may have known from past posts I am a bit of a Bejeweled 2 addict and so this Astraware update has really caught my eye and I had to have it!

However, I’ll let you in on a little secret…I’ve managed to get hold of some cheats to use with it, so that know I can have a lot more fun with Bejeweled and Astraware have also got my interest in the game once more by teasing me with these little gems!

Obviously I’m not going to tell you the cheats- that would just affect my overall gaming advantage! I will, however, let you know what I could do once I had completed the cheat challenges, just to tempt you that little bit more into trying Bejeweled 2 for yourselves!

Ok so the updated Bejeweled 2 is very much the same as the old one, however the menu options are different and you can easily access the main menu along with other specific tasks from the drop down menu which appears when you pause a game whilst in play.

The cheats themselves are what have had be intrigued all this morning, and now, as I type this my eyes have gone a little bit boggled, and I’m sure when I close my eyes I can see gems! The first cheat I tried out, lets the user change the Endless game to a Finity mode. In Finity mode you meet some new gems, these come in the form of rocks, and little mine sweep which counts down with every grouping you get rid of and when it reaches form 4 to 0 it explodes clearing the small section of gems in which the mine sweep appears, allowing more gems onto the board and therefore increasing the move possibilities which are presented to you. Now the rock gems, I’m not really sure whether they are a help or a hindrance yet. When you line them up in threes they do not disappear and I can’t help but wonder whether they are just there to take up spaces, so that you cannot connect the gems which may be surrounding them.

Another cheat which I tried to complete but didn’t quite was something called Original Mode. This occurs within the Classic Mode of games and I’m presuming that there will be new gems presented to you, but I cannot say for sure as I need more time to play the game to find out for you- once I have I will let you know!

Puzzle mode, once the cheat is completed lets you into a level called Cognito Mode. Now I am pretty sure that I completed this, however to say for sure is another question. The cheat, once completed introduces the rock and the mine sweep gem into the proceedings and you now have to complete the puzzles using these gems to complete the puzzle before you can move onto the next level via the hyper mode.

Original Mode lets you into the Hyper Mode by using the cheat, however, this may not be the best thing for you to do, especially if you find that the gems take a long time to find in order to fit the 3 gems together. The Hyper Mode means that the time now speeds up and you must try to find as many groupings before the time runs out, this level is not for the weak, and I would suggest playing the classic game a few times to train your visual perception into finding groupings faster.

The last and final cheat I found out about is a mode called Twilight. This cheat seems relatively easy to do, however I could not figure out how to go through the process, and as of yet I am still trying to figure this out! I would presume that the name, as it suggests will take you into the Twilight mode and the themes may possibly change, however that is just a presumption.

OK so your not going to see anything radically new in regards to appearance [there are some new graphics obviously] but the gameplay just got even better. This game was perfect from the start but Astraware just go one better and make even better which surely this is impossible. [also updates will be available for those of you with Windows Mobile devices] Well done Astraware, Bejeweled 2 is without doubt the best game for any mobile device period and you have just made it even better.

Available from Astraware for tomorrow onwards or if you cannot wait to get your hands on Bejeweled 2 here is the product page.

Apple patent would allow iPhone clamshell

[From Hans] Hans emailed in with this link and it seems that Apple have developed a new design for the iPhone which is smaller flip design, electronista is showing the deets on this one with some mock up images. "Apple has developed a technique that could allow for a smaller iPhone with all the controls but half the size, according to a recent but not yet fully public US Patent Office filing. Described as a "dual sided trackpad," the primary variant on the invention would have a translucent cover with a capacitive, multi-touch trackpad that accepts input on either side and can activate controls depending on the pad's position." electronista after the jump for the full read.

Multiple Alarms on Your Treo

Hey all!  I'd like to introduce myself, since this is my first post as an Associate Writer.  I'm Lauren Blake, a stay-at-home mom in the States.  My love for all things Palm started in 2000 when my boyfriend (now my husband) gave me a Palm m100 that he had been given as a perk for being an Arkansas Razorback football player at the Cotton Bowl. I literally used it to death.  I now have a refurbished Treo 650 that is my second brain!

One of my favorite tools is TreoAlarm.  You can download it here.  Though it says it's shareware, so far my trial version has not expired, and I've been using it for year (though I am using a slightly older version).  This software includes 8 different alarms that can be set.  I have a study that I go to every Tuesday, so I set an alarm to wake me up at the right time every Tuesday.  Other days, my schedule is different, so I can have different alarms for those days.  Each alarm can have a customized tone, duration, and loudness level; you can choose the snooze length; you can choose to turn the phone radio on or off; or you can have the weather updated.

View all its features here.

For anyone that has different schedules on different days throughout the week, TreoAlarm definitely extends the functionality of the built-in alarm software!  This is a must have.

Have a great Tuesday!

The tides are coming

In my line of work, I need to know the tidal fluctuations. Tide Tool is always ready to give me these info through my palm TX whenever required (and often during meetings, when nobody else brought their thick tide table book).

This free application can compute tides in almost 7,000 places across the world until 2031. Apart from being free, I like the fact that all those 7,000 places database is divided into different files based on continents, so I only need to load one database file, that of Asian region, which is a small 34k size.

In addition to showing the tide table, it can also produce graph, and show lunar almanac as well (time of moon sets and rises, start of new moon and full moon). It can also show solar almanac, which consists of time of sun rises and sets, and the daylight time. The preferences let us choose different metric system.

It's so effective that our Ferry Terminal Manager asked me to install it into his Nokia handphone!

Palm V

Sammy love your editorial this morning and I enjoy reading everyone's experiences. I am a later reformer to the Palm platform having swapped to and fro from Windows Mobile to Palm. As much as I love Windows Mobile I prefer Palm OS because no learning curve is needed and Windows Mobile is just full of functions that I do not need. I remember my first Palm handheld was a Palm V and I still have it today although I am now using a Centro. I was attracted by how slim the V was and also by the fact that I needed a good organizer. My requirements are still the same but now I need a phone at the same time so the Centro fits all my requirements.

FindMe Location Sharing Service Keeps Friends Connected using Smartphones and Facebook

[From Kevin Doel] Electric Pocket, developer of mobile media and media applications for Smartphones, today introduces FindMe for Windows Mobile(r) and BlackBerry(r) devices. FindMe enables users, their friends, family and colleagues to share their current locations automatically and securely through their BlackBerry or Windows Mobile Smartphones without needing GPS. FindMe offers the opportunity to "tag" commonly visited locations, such as home, office, soccer field or favorite bars and restaurants, and post those locations on their Facebook profiles.

Unlike many location-sharing programs, FindMe doesn't broadcast geographic location information. Only the names of locations that the user has tagged will be shared on their FaceBook profiles. Since FindMe uses cell tower location rather than GPS, it will work with any Smartphone. The first release works with all GSM Windows Mobile smartphones and all CDMA and GSM BlackBerry devices with trackballs-chiefly the popular Pearl and Curve models.

FindMe puts the users in complete control of when where and how they share their locations, not only by letting them tag the locations they wish to share, but also by giving them the ability to "Go Dark" when they do not want their location to be broadcast. Only their last-named position and the time they were there will be displayed, and no information about the user's location history is stored or recorded. Further, when users are in a non-tagged area, their Facebook profiles will show their location as "Unknown."

For those who may wish to organize impromptu get-togethers with friends, FindMe allows them to add additional location information, such as a favorite place's postal code, enabling the application to offer a map or directions to their current location.

"Social networking sites such as Facebook are removing geographic barriers to keeping friends connected, and FindMe adds a great new dimension by sharing locations among friends when and how they want to be seen," said Steve Bennett, Electric Pocket's Chief Executive Officer. "With our innovative approach to tagging cell tower locations rather than using GPS, it opens up this capability to anyone with a BlackBerry or Windows Mobile Smartphone and a free Facebook account."

FindMe is available for all BlackBerry Smartphones with trackballs, including 81xx series (Pearl) , 83xx series (Curve) and the 88xx series, plus all GSM Windows Mobile phones, at http://www.electricpocket.com/findme

About Electric Pocket Limited
Electric Pocket is a privately held company offering leading-edge mobile and wireless computing solutions and services from its base in Wye Valley, UK. The company's product portfolio includes a rich set of wireless media and messaging applications and solutions. For more information, visit www.electricpocket.com.

Sammy's Tuesday Thought's

Now for some Tuesday morning mursings. I was talking to Elliot on instant messenger last night and we were talking about the Centro design and again he seems to agree with me that the design of the device is a radical move away from traditional Palm devices but like others we both agreed that the design concept of Palm devices could be that little bit better. I guess it is like anything you may be pleased with the device but you always want to improve it. It's like the iPhone, I cannot think of too many negatives with the device and yet there are some improvements I would like to see, such as making it not so easy to get covered in finger prints. But I guess that is end user problem rather than something wrong with the design, but if Apple can produce such a slim design for their phone is it so difficult for Palm to maybe make the Centro device that little slimmer? To be honest I guess I do not want it to be too slim because I want to be able to feel it in my pocket, I want to know that it is there. The iPhone because it is somewhat later that the Centro also allows me to know that it is there. However recently I have been carrying whatever device I have used, the Centro or the iPhone on a belt hook case, now to be fait it is for the Blackberry Curve but it fits my Centro and iPhone's just right. It clips onto my belt so I know that it is there and it is pretty secure. I know where it is at all times and even when I get into my car it's fine, I don't have to take it off and of course if I do need to unhook the case it's pretty easy to do so.

So I am off to New York in the next day or so and with that in mind as I mentioned last week I am leaving the MascBook Air at home and just taking the Centro and the iPhone with me, so this will be a interesting experiment. I should be fine as I can update to the sites easily from my mobile device and it will be nice not to be extra careful when carrying my MA around with me. It may be a nice design but I always feel it is so fragile but it is very light and the extra portability means that I can work wherever I am. But I always wanted convenience and mobility in a mobile device and that's what attracted me to a Palm device. I remember when in 1999 when I got my first Palm device I wondered was this small handheld going to be able to do everything that I needed it to do. I mean will it retrieve my emails, can I surf the internet etc etc, and yet my Palm 3x was able to do all of this and more. It would connect to my Nokia cell phone via IR so I could download my email without any problems, I remember using AOL Messenger on it and was wow'd when the first internet page appeared using Proxiweb although somewhat slowly but it loaded. I was only ever used to seeing the internet on a desktop not on a small portable device and when it appeared it was wonderful. So I guess that is what got me hooked into Palm devices, of course mobile technology has come on so much since those early days and I guess the iPhone web browsing experience beats everyone hands down but I'm still able to get decent internet browsing using Blazer, in fact I can check my bank balances and do everything that I need. To be fair nothing beats the web experience of browsing directly from a desktop or notebook but it's always good to know that I can surf the internet should I need to and my Centro does a decent enough job at doing so.

Liam Ryan and David Wilkinson were the winners of my special St Patrick's Day throwaway's yesterday and I am not sure if I will be doing another one today but I'll let you know a little later.

The updated Bejeweled 2 comes out tomorrow and Hannah is already playing away on the Centro as we speak and she looks like she is having fun with the game. Since I mentioned the fact that I was late discovering Bejeweled I have had a few emails from you commenting on how addictive BJ actually is and I am glad to see that I am not the only one.

OK everyone have a great Tuesday and hoorah to a short week.

Time Deluxe

A couple of updates for you this morning and we start with Time Deluxe. "Time Deluxe is a contemporary clock that has absorbed the best and most necessary of what PalmOS can offer. Excellent graphical user interface, analog and digital clock, skins support, alarm clock, the world map with over 550 cities all over, and much more. Not a single second will be wasted with Time Deluxe! "
Analog and digital clocks
Screensaver mode
World map with 4 world clocks
550+ preinstalled cities and Automatic Daylight Saving Time calculation
Unlimited alarms with advanced options
Enachanced digital sound
Modify alarm tones ( Digital Sounds/Midi )
Calendar screen with digital clock
Timers
Stopwatch
Skins Support
5 way Navigator support

A heavenly case for my Treo...

It started with passwords, the mania bordering on dementia that came over me as I strove to find the great PIM in the sky that would defend me from the 'Password burglar'; I don't know if he is real or not but he (I think it's a he, I just can't imagine a woman being that strategic in their battle strategy) lived in me for a long time until I gave up the machine and went to paper. Now I've gone back to the machine (the Treo that is), I've been waiting his return, and he has returned, but in another guise. I don't know how many of you Treo owners use cases, I suspect it's everyone, but like me you never use them? So cases has taken over from passwords and the dementia is back - manic trawling of the web to find the right one, should I have a flip case, aluminium or maybe a titanium in case the North Koreans come after my Treo, because they will you know! I think I've decided on a pouch, like that thing that keeps those really important things safe just below your waist, except my Treo pouch is leather, reinforced with plastic and stamped with a really impressive brand name. I've been using it for two weeks now, yes 2 and I'm beginning to think it's the one because the men in grey suits have stopped watching my house... Oh yes, it's a RexRegina bought from here.

Centro Capturing those Embarasing Times

Ever pull up at a stop light and you see someone, digging for gold, scratching their brain, picking in their nose? Well, to my suprise. I pulled up at a stop light and caught my friend red handed.........  So I took a little video of him diggin out! WHEW.  I used the standard video camera on the Centro, and emailed or MMS as many of our mutual frieds as I could.

In at 2 mins evryone was texting him or calling him. It was kind of fun using technology for a little blackmail.

That was soooooooo funny, Now if only my Centro could watch my back......

Teaching with Technology...again

Greetings! One of the things effective teachers are is organized. My Palm TX keeps me as organized as possible. But when you teach elementary art to a lot of kids(750), you need to be super organized. I can't be running back to my desk every second to record the fact that little Johnny just used a technique or discovered something new. The program that I use to accomplish this is Smartlist to Go from Dataviz. STG is a great database that I've used since it was called ThinkDB. It is very easy to use and has a wide variety of field types to meet your needs. One of the neat features I like is the tabbed forms. I created a database for the infromation I need to track student performance. Then, when I assess a student or observe something that is evidence of learning I can enter it on the spot. At the end of the day I synch it up to Microsoft Access. I only wish I had a camera on my TX. If you want to try STG, head over to www.dataviz.com and download the 30 day trial. 

iPod on the Road

I spend a good deal of time traveling in my vehicle. I use that time to catch up on my favorite podcasts and listen to audiobooks. In a later post, I'll share my favorite tech podcasts, but today I want to talk about FM transmitters for iPods.

FM transmitters typically plug into your cigarette lighter (power point) and broadcast your iPod's programming to your FM radio, often while charging the iPod and providing a handy cradle. I've been using a DLO Transpod for several years. The Transpod provided a clear, static-free signal and charged my iPod while I drove. The only thing I didn't like about it was that the iPod cradle only faced straight back, and if I was parked somewhere, I couldn't watch video podcasts without leaning over sideways between the seats.

I have been researching FM transmitters for awhile and settled on a Belkin TuneBase FM. My main selection criterion was that it has a flexible gooseneck, so I could angle the iPod towards the driver's seat and easily watch video podcasts (WHILE parked, of course!). I recently picked one up for a good price at a big box electronic store. Here, then is my review.

The first thing I noticed was that, where as my Transpod could tune down to 87.9, the TuneBase only tunes down to 88.1 - minor difference, but there are very few stations below 88 so that was a good frequency to keep set. One major selling point on the TuneBase is Belkin's "ClearScan" technology, which allows the unit to scan for an open FM frequency. While good in theory, in practice it is rather cumbersome while driving to push the ClearScan button and then redial your FM radio to the found frequency. I've prefer to leave my radio set to 88.1 and it works fairly well.

I have noticed more static in the TuneBase than with the Transpod, particularly when I get into an urban/city environment where there is presumably more interference. I also will frequently get blasted by programs from passing cars broadcasting their own iPods. This never happened with the Transpod, I believe because it used the lower FM frequency. The TuneBase has  a really nice three-way boost feature. "Pro 1" adds volume and base, "Pro 2" adds more volume and bass, and "Pro(talk icon)" provides even more boost in mono rather than stereo. Pro 1 is great for boosting most music, Pro 2 works great with quieter music, and Pro(talk) is perfect for listening to podcosts. I found I can lower the volume on my car stereo considerably by using the boost features of the TuneBase.

All in all, I am happy with the Belkin TuneBase. There is definitely more static than with the Transpod, but I can live with that for having the ability to position the iPod cradle in virtually any direction. The newer TransPods still have the same rigid mounting stalk. The TuneBase is also quite sleek, with custom cradles to fit all iPod sizes and shapes. Other features include an audio out jack and two programmable frequency presets. I realize there are other choices out there and perhaps I will have the opportunity to try a few more out and let you know how they compare.

MacBook Giveaway ends this Thursday

My PalmAddict throwaway to win the MacBook ends this Thursday at Midnight US PT so it's time for you to hurry if you wish to be entered into the giveaway. And as we have a wide number of entries it could be anybody who could win my throwaway item, so you only have a couple of days left to be entered so you need to hurry.

As always the guidelines are in this post and its easy to enter - make the jump.

Treo Has Mainstreamed my life

[From Bradley L. Orange County, CA] Before I had purchased my treo 650, my life was everywhere. I had three phones and only one worked. I never combined all the numbers together so if i forgot to grab that phone then i was S.O.L. I was constantly late for EVERYTHING. Meetings, dates, classes...But once i got the treo(from advice of my girlfirend) I was no longer Johnny-come-lately. I even became a better driver by adding google maps for free. Thank you Treo, you have mainstreamed my life.

The Best mobile device is the portable game systems

[From Natasha] All my life, I been into portable game systems. I been a big fan of the Nintendo portable console since the invention of the game-boy. The newest mobile game device for Nintendo is the DS lite and it enchanted me, since I first played the system. Recently, I was able to get a Pikachu special edition Ds lite and I been spending my free time from school, playing the system. In addition, the DS lite has amazing features, it has wireless capabilities and you can customize the welcome screen and even the language. Even though, most of the time, I don't really use the extra features, instead I tend to use it as a device to help me relax by playing different type of games. One of the coolest features is the touch screen and i love being able to select them with my hands or stylus. It makes things more real and it brings a smile to my face, whenever I use it. The DS lite has been the best present for me, because I'm able to play a variety of games and connect with others through the wireless system. I don't have to feel left out anymore, that I don't have the latest system anymore. Furthermore, I'm often stressed at schools,so I need to find ways of relaxing so my body doesn't break down from the overwhelming workload. Therefore, I use the DS lite as a fun way to relax and have fun, playing different video games that takes me to a world, full of amazing characters that captivates me with the beauty of their world. Everyone needs some type of entertainment in their life to keep them sane and the DS lite is the mobile system that brightens my day with it's amazing features and the creativity of the games for the ds system.

Adventure Games The Mobile Way

[From Neil S. Patrick (FL, USA)] I don’t know how many people still enjoy the old adventure PC games from the 80s and early 90s, but I for one love them and feel that despite their now less than impressive graphics the games are timeless and are truly some of the best games ever made. The main game developers for adventure games back in the 80s and early 90s were Sierra Online (now owned by Vivend Games) and LucasARTS. Both of these companies had great runs, with such titles as the Kings Quest and Space Quest series, to Full Throttle and the Monkey Island series.

Unfortunately most of these games were DOS based and no longer function in Windows XP or Vista. For sure there are work arounds to get old DOS games to work on modern computers, but even cooler to me is the thought of running them on a PDA or smartphone device. Though the makers of these days never intended their games to run on PDAs and smartphones, the experience of playing them on the small screens of said devices is surprising good, in fact the newer point and click adventure games control downright near perfectly.

Most of these old adventure games have a cult like following, which pushed some of these fans that had programming skills to create PalmOS and Windows Mobile based interpreters to allow people to run these games on their portables. My first experience with these fan made interpreters was PocketSarien for Windows Mobile. I remember the first time I ran PocketSarien and loaded up Space Quest 1, it was like I was 7 years old again (am I aging myself here?). PocketSarien only played old Sierra adventure games, but it would later merge with ScummVM, which before the merger had no Sierra Online support.

The really good thing about ScummVM is you can run it on just about any platform out there, from PalmOS, Windows Mobile to even the iPhone, and since these old games didn’t have great resource requirements they run great on just about any modern PDA or smartphone.

It’s really funny (or sad), but even after years of using these interpreters to run my old adventure games, I still get a little giddy every time I see those old graphics pop up on my mobile’s screen. I definitely think everyone should ScummVM and these old adventures games a shot, and best of all ScummVM is FREE and the games can be had for little or nothing from eBay.

Here are some links if you're interested in trying out some of these old Sierra or LucasARTS based adventure games;

Sarien for PalmOS - http://www.tc-43.com/~hilary/sarien/
Pocket Sarien (Windows Mobile) - http://pocketatari.retrogames.com/downloads.html (bottom of the page)
ScummVM - http://www.scummvm.org/

Keeping Daddy a Part of Our Day

[From Lauren Blake Arkansas, USA] Since my husband has to work during the day, he often misses the fun and entertaining moments with our 15-month-old daughter. But with my Treo always on my hip, I can snap a picture or a short video to shoot off to him at work. He loves feeling like he is a part of our day!

I also use VersaMail to keep up with email from him even when I'm gone from home. I have my email from a few selected people that I want to keep up with forwarded to a separate email account, which then syncs to my Treo. That way I don't get all the newsletters and spam downloaded (since I don't have unlimited data), but I can keep up with the important stuff when I'm gone. This keeps my husband and me in touch throughout the day, and when he gets home, he already knows what we've been up to and feels like he has been a part of our day.

Watch your step!

[From Linda Oak Hill, WV] I have had MineHunt on my M500 since the day I got my Palm but never opened it until a few days ago. I guess the icon of a bomb kind of scared me. At first I tried to play it without reading the instructions (no can do), then I read the instructions (a few times) and it is actually a fun game. I like the ones where you have to use a little strategy.

Good Night Sleep

[From .Rui de Castro, Porto, Portugal] At night when I'm ready to go to bed I always do two important things. First I make me hot cup of tea that doesn't have any caffeine. I love a raspberry one that I have. While I'm waiting and drinking my tea, I check out the latest news on my Treo. The second important thing is when I'm going to bed, is reading, not off a book but from my Treo six fifty. I love reading the midnight moblogs from Palmaddict and somethings some other sites until I feel sleepy. This way have a good night sleep. Oh by the way, when I wake up I do a quick look up of Palmaddict just to see if anything was blogged during the night, of cause I surf with my Palm.

Reading on my Treo

[From Rick Ingram] One of the things that I like most about using a PDA/Smartphone is that I can keep any number of books stored on the SD card. I'm sure almost everyone has those idle times when they wish they had a book around to keep them busy. Doctor's appointments, visits to the DMV, commuting, etc. When I have to wait for any length of time, I am sure glad that I have my Treo with me so I can read a book. I have probably a dozen books in various formats that I can read with one of several applications including eReader, iSilo, Mobipocket, and Plucker. I believe that I like to use Plucker the most. However, many of the commercially available ebooks are for Mobipocket or eReader. Fictionwise, www.fictionwise.com is my preferred retailer for ebooks. I also like searching for free ebooks at the Project Gutenberg site, www.gutenberg.org.

Thumb or Stylus?

[From Knaak Amsterdam. NL] How am I using my mobile device? Well, with thumbs and stylus. Recently, the Windows Mobile trend has been to create a "thumb mode" for all programs for windows mobile, something which started probably after the introduction of the Iphone and HTC TOUCH. So SPB "converted" Pocket Plus to a thumb mode (followed by SBSH's ilauncher) Spb's Mobile Shell is suitable for your thumb as well ever since 1.0 actually, Vito created a whole new range of programs on their site iwindowsmobile and now Webis made important modifications to its Pocket Informant with the introduction of Pocket Informant 8. Although this development overall is a good one since it allows you to quickly use your pda without first having to peel out the stylus, on the other hand, there is also an argument that some programs simply are more suitable for "stylus only mode"! The stylus overall was a good invention and not something we should get rid off to easily

How My Treo Saved Me Some Money

[From Bob Mindenhall Belleville, Ontario Canada] I live in a small city in Ontario, Canada, and like many small towns we have Walmart. I have had many rolls of film printed over the years with Walmart as well as many digital prints. Our Walmart does a pretty good job. Recently I decided to take the plunge and upload a card full of digital photos directly to Walmart to see how that would work. What prompted me to do this was the online sale of 19 cents instead of 25 cents per print. Everything went well, and I was surprised at how quickly I was notified that my prints were ready.

When I went to pick them up however, the fun started. The girl at the counter told me the price, which I thought was too high, and I discovered they charged me 25 cent each. I explained their error, and was told that no, they are alway 25 cents each. I didn't have my order confirmation, but I looked on the envelope and sure enough the price printed on the envelope by Walmart was 19 cents each. Too bad she said, they are 25 cents. I asked to see the manager.

Same story from him. They are always 25 cents. He even explained that a woman had said the same thing yesterday, but too bad, if I wanted the print they were 25 cents each same as the women the day before ended up paying. I explained about the internet sale. No change. Finally, he said if I brought in the add from the internet as proof, he would look at it. I was about to leave, when the Eureka moment (should I say Treo moment) hit and I said to him give me a couple of minutes and I'll show you the add. Well it took a few minutes and the line was getting quite long behind me, but up came the sale ad and I proved to him right there on the spot that the price was 19 cents each for prints.

After finally paying the correct price, my Treo proved useful once again, because I called Walmart to let them know the whole story. They were extremely apologetic and said they would fix it. I have used this service several times since, and there has never been another problem.

TreoWeather

[From Shawn Valle] I use TreoWeather by Gx5 for daily use. As a traveling consultant, I need to know the weather of my hometown, my local office, and the cities that I regularly travel too. TreoWeather helps me quickly get updates on all the cities I spend time in. Also, it looks great….as would be expected from Gx5 software. The great feature of TreoWeather is that it updates the weather in the background based on a schedule you set. That way, you aren’t waiting for an internet connection everytime you want to get a weather update. Great product and worth the few dollars it costs to get it. TreoWeather is available from GX5.

Calorie King

[FromLinda Oak Hill, WV ] After reading one of the Palm Addict articles about Calorie King I decided to check it out. I downloaded the 2 week free trial program for my Palm M500. It is a really great program. This will help me to stay within my calorie limit. I will definitely purchase it when my 2 weeks is up!

One of my favourite games TextTwist

On the way home from Blackpool yesterday and as I wasn't driving I was playing one of my favourite games from Astraware and thats Text Twist, it's a great game and one that has been on my Palm devices over the years. "Text Twist is the highly-acclaimed word game based on the PC game by GameHouse. You're given a scrambled six letter word, and you have to see how many 3, 4, 5 and 6 letter words you can make in a limited time! If you manage to get one (or more) six letter words by the end of the level, you get to play again! Guess the words to score points. Longer words give you a better score. Complete all the words in a level for a special points bonus. If you're stuck, Twist to shuffle the letters, and maybe it'll give you a clue! Text Twist is easy to play, and incredibly absorbing! Play whenever you've got a spare couple of minutes! Even if you never thought you were good at word games - you'll love Text Twist!" Astraware after the jump.

Portable Bible

[From Ronald Abadi Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia] Yesterday evening I went to the church. I accidentally left my Bible in the backseat of my car when I entered the building. I only realized it when I was already sitting in the church. Rather than going out of the building to the parking lot to get the Bible, I decided that I would use the Pocket e-Sword Bible on my PDA instead. First of all I turned off the sound so that when I used the program the PDA would not give out any disturbing beeps. It turned out just fine. I could read the scriptures nicely on my PDA without any problem. I could even take notes of the preacher's sermon with my PDA. It is nice to have such a Portable Bible whenever I go.

Tank Ace 1944 For Palm

TankThis seems a great action program with tanks and fire."Do you like to drive tanks over rugged terrain, lob artillery shells into the far hills, and blow up lethal opponents lurking around every bend? If so, then Tank Ace 1944 is the game for you. In Tank Ace 1944 you command a World War II tank charging to occupy the enemy capitol. Allied and Soviet Tank Aces advance on Berlin; German Aces advance on London and Moscow. At least that's what the orders from HQ say. But since you face overwhelming odds and are forced to scavenge supplies as you go, you might just find yourself retreating instead."

Fried Chicken Reloaded Palm 0s

ChickenThis seems a great program with different levels and it seems fun."More troubles to come in this second episode of the already famous Filao Fried Chicken. With fifteen new levels, new enemies and gorgeous new graphics and animations you will feel like playing a Sunday morning cartoon in your hand."

Arcade From Hell

Arcade From HellThis seems a great fun program with lots of adventure."Arcade from Hell is a collection of popular games that have had millions of fans across the world. Superb animation, fun graphics and addictive gameplay make this collection a must-have for your mobile device. The collection includes options to play in different game modes, including bonus item modes and enemy scoring modes. A devilish twist has been added to each of the eight games included in the package - be prepared to encounter unexpected surprises."