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Verizon Centro sees blue

Make the jump here to see the Blue Verizon Centro as reported on the Engadget website.

"It's not often that a single handset unites all four US national carriers (assuming the T-Mobile thing ends up going down), so we have to give Palm some credit here -- it's an honorable feat. And with the Centro being a surprise break-out success for Palm (a much needed one, may we add), there's no reason to think they won't be able to push a few units on Verizon, too."

Engadget Reporting: Verison to offer the Centro

Noting that if it uncommon for every US cell phone carrier to offer the same phone, today Engadget Mobile posted a picture of the alleged Blue Centro that Verison will offer.

Is this good news that Palm is not yet dead? The last time almost every cell phone service offered the same phone it was Motorola's RAZR- which was a financial boon for the company. Could this be the saving grace of a company that is starting to be overwhelmed by the competition? Palm Addicts: there is hope for us yet.

I am using my Palm Treo 700p

[From Mike Fischer] Good Morning from the American Southwest, I am using my Palm Treo 700p to enjoy your site (I never miss a day, thank you so much). As far as what else my pocket device will contribute to my day, I am looking forward to lunch with Pocket Tunes and my current Spenser audio book. Have a great week,

I use a MotoQ

[From Philippe D. Radley, New York] I use a MotoQ and use it all the time (as I pointed out to you a few days ago). I also love lotteries (they keep me on my toes) and your site, so the combination is perfect. I have come to feel at my age (I am 73) that I must have an email fix every day and that’s how I get it, and I also love the idea of adding software (a good deal of which I learn about here). That’s the long and the short of it. Keep well!

Transferring pictures from a Treo to laptop - other options

We all know how and where to look for our photos when we Hotsync with our desktops, underneath the Palm Desktop folder. However, on my 700p, when in the camera mode, you get the option to "Send" a photo or photos, and then an option to send by MMS or send by Bluetooth. In the past, I would send them to friends via MMS, but this time, I wanted them on my laptop for editing. I chose Bluetooth for a change, and 'voila'! It opened up a dialog box for a trusted device - saw my laptop and promptly deposited all the photos selected to a folder on my Home Vista Home Premium laptop at \Documents\Bluetooth Exchange. There was no fuss, and it took under 30 seconds for 5 pictures. A nice shortcut when you don't want to do a complete hotsync.

Butler 4.82 beta

[From Rob at HobbyistSoftware] Hi Folks, Butler 4.82 beta is up. Couple of minor fixes

18/Apr/08 fixed issue with status icons from form beneath keyguard getting drawn
21/Apr/08 added additional checking for calls while keyguard is showing
21/Apr/08 tweak to code for redrawing/restoring keyguard.
this last series of betas have been tough with two steps forward, and one step back. It seems that we may be finally pinning down the issues though, so fingers crossed for this one!

come play at the Forum!

Download at the Hobbyist Software download page

Postpone any of your buying intends on Eee PC

Yes, I'm not kidding on the subject there. It's not like I have some kind of grudge against Asus, or anything like that. Previously I even intended to purchase either an Eee or MacBook Air (MBA), which both have a contrast difference in price range. I was just waiting for the next shipment of Eee PC to come to Indonesia so I can compare it with MBA, where the first stocks were all sold out fast.

At first I thought it'll be worth it to get the Eee 700 instead of the new released 900 series, where aside the screen difference of them both; I heard the price on 700 will be dropped significantly. But I'm very surprised to read the news at PCW Business Center here, where it reported that Asus is planning to release Eee PC with 10-inch display! Although Jerry Shen (AsusTek CEO) didn't mention any specific launch date or price, it's still possible Asus plans to launch it this same year.

If you think it's imposible for Asus to re-launch their Eee PC line-up with better specs that could hurt the older sibling's market prospect, I think of the otherwise. The reason is very simple: competition from other manufacturers such as ECS (G10IL), MSI (Wind), Acer & Gigabyte Tech. They all have been preparing their own low-cost laptop line-up, to fight in the same market as the Asus Eee PC. And those Eee competitors are all equipped with more than 8.9-inch display, Asus need to step up their game plan if they wish to stay ahead.

But if you think that this display war is not going to stop, then you're mistaken. I think Shen's explanation should clears the fog: "An Eee PC with a 10-inch screen ... will be the biggest screen an Eee PC will ever get. The company defines anything with a 12-inch screen or larger as classic notebook PC, not an Eee PC."

Intel_atom_2 Okay, let's just say I'm ignoring above news & proceed with my plan to limit my options between Eee or MBA (the truth is I can't ;-p). But then another news pop-out: Jerry Shen (yup, the same AsusTek CEO up there) made an announcement that Eee PC will be armed with Intel's Atom, as soon as on this June when the Taipei's Computex trade show is on! Again, Shen declined to comment on more specs details & price.

So I'm currently thorn inside, it's not merely a display difference anymore but also the processor power-horse that is matter on affecting my buying compulsive. The before un-included Eee PC killer laptops mentioned above (G10IL & Wind), now have become a tempting additional options in my next-to-be laptop list. What should I do now...

[blogged with my Treo 750v]

Random throwaway just for today - Motorola MOTO Q 9h

Just for today I am going to give away a Motorola MOTO Q 9h, 2 month's old, unlocked and it's a random drawing for you and I'll close it at midnight US PT. All readers and writers are welcome to submit.

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 MONDAY in the subject line. As I have mentioned in the past I really appreciate the people who add kind words to their me in their email, a small percentage of people just send their thought in without even saying hi or how are you, so your messages are always welcome.

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. Remember no personal plea's as they will go straight into the trash can and if your user thought has no title then you cannot be enetered. Associate Writers please post directly to the site and I'll let you know when to inform me of your post count. Email me your mobile thought to - sammymcloughlin@gmail.com

In addition Lindsey is back in today so all prizes from the last 10 days will be sent out later today, first thing tomorrow morning

Which Is Better, EV-DO, HSDPA, or Wi-Fi? Well Brighthand have come up with an editorial on the topic

Which Is Better, EV-DO, HSDPA, or Wi-Fi? Well Brighthand have come up with an editorial on the topic. "One of the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) in the Brighthand forums is about the differences between the 3G wireless networking standards offered by the U.S. telecoms. Adama Brown does his best to clear this up." Brighthand after the jump.

The real joke is on Steve Ballmer

In front of nearly 2,000 Microsoft enthusiasts in technology conference in Seattle, Steve Ballmer (Microsoft CEO) made a joke on his latest bid offering to acquire Yahoo which is priced at $31 per share. Steve was first asking how many people are there in the room who use Yahoo search as their primary web search engine, only a small handful of people raised their hands; much fewer than they who use Microsoft's Live search. That's when Ballmer said jokingly: "Wow! We offered 31 bucks a share."

Personally I think Steve Ballmer just made a joke about himself, in respective about Microsoft too, because this tail-chasing drama between Microsoft & Yahoo is beginning to sounds more like a parody than a serious business transaction anymore...

Source is from Reuters, via SMH. Picture is courtesy of ValleyWag.

[blogged with my Treo 750v]

Freedom Keychain Bluetooth GPS 2000

Freedom Keychain Bluetooth GPS 2000 on offer $79.99 Retail Price: $119.99. "Perfect for adding to a key ring, always there when you need it. The world's smallest Keychain GPS receiver. Two items you almost always carry: "Your mobile and your keys". Total freedom, even works in your pocket! Charge it up in your car, at your desk or at home. No need to take it off the key ring in the car, and when walking it can stay with your keys in your pocket, briefcase, handbag, rucksack or anywhere else you want and still maintain an accurate lock with GPS satellites. Ideal for connecting to your Mobile Phone, PDA or notebook by state of the art Bluetooth technology, this really powerful GPS receiver comes with the latest in GPS technology the new MTK chipset which can show your accurate position even in difficult environmental locations unlike other less sensitive GPS receivers."

Interesting editorial over at MobilitySite, 30 Reasons Windows Mobile is Superior to iPhone

Interesting editorial over at MobilitySite that caught my eye on RSS, 30 Reasons Windows Mobile is Superior to iPhone. "Last week I published an article about my initial experience with my brother’s pride and joy, his iPhone. I found the iPhone to be lacking in several areas compared to my Windows Mobile Professional device. Since then I have been delving deeper into the virtues of iPhones and found even more astonishing lacks that I hadn’t noticed or had taken for granted would naturally be there. The inability to highlight, copy, cut, and paste is one example." Read in full.

HTC new phones

[From Hans] Hans has just emailed me and there seems to be a nice number of new HTC phones in the pipeline if this picture over at the Engadget is anything to go by. "Apparently, HTC is having a little trouble keeping people with cameras out of its offices, as evidenced by this totally great spy shot of a what appears to be a bunch of (or two) new phones. We're familiar with quite of few of these devices, like the TyTn II, Touch Cruise, and Touch you see in the upper row, but things get a little stickier down below." Engadget after the jump.

Pwds looks like being useful program to look after your passwords

Pwds looks like being useful program to look after your passwords. "PWDS is a password manager very easy to use, it can create, update, view and delete records from a personal database of passwords. Comments or suggestions to pwdsinfo@gmail.com. Tested on Palm TX, Zire 21 and Treo 600."

HTC Shadow II seen in the wild

A new HTC handset is spotted in the wild, the blurry photoshot on the left is courtesy of TmoNews here. Who also reported that this handset is going to have T-Mobile's MyFaves. Here are more rundown on the specs according to PhoneArena:

  • GSM Quad-band
  • GPRS/EDGE data only
  • 240x320 display resolution with 65,536 colors
  • microSD memory slot
  • Windows Mobile 6 OS
  • 20-keys QWERTY keyboard (it's a sliding phone?)
  • WiFi 11b/g
  • Bluetooth 2.0

It looks like the Shadow II will be one of the 10 mobile phones that T-Mobile is preparing for HotSpot@Home feature in it, so maybe this explain why such an appealing mobile phone like this only has EDGE data connection. Hmmm, WiFi eh? Don't forget to secure it for your own good.

[blogged with my Treo 750v]

The Miracle Cure

Digitizer Recently my Palm T|X started acting wonky. Wonky=my stylus clicks were not having the desired results.  I especially had problems with the bottom toolbar.  No matter how deep I attempted to bury my stylus into the case, that bottom toolbar was not even being touched. I honestly thought the poor T|X was going to have to be retired.  (Now I realize that I can live without the bottom toolbar, however I have gotten quite fond of it!) Luckily, I did a little research and found a wonderful program called PowerDigi from PalmPowerups. I installed the trial and within 70 clicks (the "accurate" calibration) I had my palm up and running and acting like a spring chicken again. I promptly forgot about the trial software (which makes it a great utility) until it stopped working again.   I had that initial moment of panic again "Is my T|X irreversably broken??" until I remembered the software. I just headed over to PalmPowerups, paid them the (well-earned) money and am foot-loose and fancy free. Thanks PalmPowerups! You saved my T|X!   

Our new throwaway the Apple iBook could end at anytime

&tA quick reminder for those of you who may not have noticed there is a new throwaway online. The new throwaway is to win a iBook as the one in the office is being replaced with a MacBookPro hence why I am giving it away.

The iBook is in perfect order and runs Apple's Tiger OS. I'm not sure how long I am going to keep this one open for it may be a couple of days, a week or a little longer but whatever, get your entries in sooner rather than later. Please, as ever remember that this is a random drawing and providing you have followed the guidelines you are entered.

;p>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 APRIL16 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 as that's always interesting to post where people are based. As I have mentioned in the past I really appreciate the people who add kind words to their me in their email, a small percentage of people just send their thought in without even saying hi or how are you, so your messages are always welcome.

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. Remember no personal plea's as they will go straight into the trash can and if your user thought has no title then you cannot be enetered. Associate Writers please post directly to the site and I'll let you know when to inform me of your post count. Email me your mobile thought to - sammymcloughlin@gmail.com

My favorite must have third party apps for treo 755p

[From patrick] Hi sammy hope things are going well. My name is patrick, i'm from revere ma (USA) and I really enjoy browsing through the posts on palmaddicts. I carry a wide variety of third party applications on my treo 755p. My top 10 must have applications are as follows. (1) HandZipper - this is an older application but works flawlessly on the 755p. It alows you to be able to download zip files to your sd card , access ,unzip, and install the prc files directly to your handheld device without having to hot sync with a pc. It is deffinately a big time saver. (2) 3XCom - It is small but a powerful and very easy to use file management tool. It gives you access to all internal files and files on the external memory card. (3) KeyCaps 600 - this a tool that makes useing the querty keyboard a lot faster. It allows you to easily capitalize letters or use punctuation without using the shift or option key. (4) Opera Mini 4.1 beta - this is a java based web browser and is a must for me as the only othe r alternative at the moment is the default blazer browser. (5) CorePlayer - A multimedia player that supports a large variety of audio and video formats . It has just been updated to v1.2.3 and has been improved significantly.For me the most appealing new feature is the YouTube plugin. This feature is fast and works perfectly. (6) Pocket Tunes -This is a first class MP3 audio player that has streaming capabilities that enable you access internet radio and podcasts. It has a media guide with a couple hundred preset internet radio stations. (7) TryDa- this is a directory assistance application. Not only can you get business and residential phone numbers , it also gives you driving directions and directly connects you to google maps for a map of the residence or business in question. (8) X Weather - A first class weather app That gives you all the information you could possibly need includeing alerts - 5 day detailed forcast -Radar - and satellite images. (9) Free Range rss reader - I have tried all of the rss readers for palm devices and in my opinion free range is by far the best of the lott. No only is it fast it also has an excellent user interface and is very easy to set up and use. (10) Google Maps - Obviously a mapping application but an excellent one. Not only does it show maps , it gives driving directions and enables you to find nearby businesses. If you have a treo you can't go wrong trying out any of these applications. They all work well and most importantly are very stable. I just realized I forgot a very important application( NV Backup ) for all the times you download buggy software and crash your palm device. It allows you backup all your important data to your SD card. Its freeware as are most of these applications and is very easy to use.

Resistance is futile

[From Robyn Wright East Liverpool, Ohio] Hello Sammy, Good to see you're still at it. I really enjoy your articles. You put a lot of time and effort into this and I, for one, really appreciate it. Mobile technology touches my daily life in almost every facet. From the time I wake up in the morning to the moment my eyes close at night, there is some bit of mobile technology in my hand. My current love are eBooks. I've read eBooks on PDAs, cell phones, and laptops but while those avenues were interesting, they still had a few flaws I couldn't live with, so I bought a dedicated eBook reader. To say the least, I'm enchanted with it. Here's the interesting bit: I work in a library. Co-workers and patrons have seen this device and have asked about it. (Its a great conversation piece. I've been asked about it in elevators, grocery store lines, and in doctor's offices.) Two of my co-workers have bought the same reader. Two more are on the fence. Several patrons ask me about it, even if its not in plain sight. I live in a relatively small town, and suddenly I feel like a techno-borg queen on a quest to assimilate all those I encounter. (Assimilating is so much fun!)

Email on the go

[From Mauricio Tanzi Costa Rica] One of the most useful things I can do with my Treo 680 is to check email when i´m away from the office. I use Snappermail and the best function is to have junk email filter, so it erases in a snap all the email I don’t want to download after when I get to my computer. Things are just easier with Palm solutions!

A Mobile Convert

I enjoy reading from the Palm Addicts site, because I'm a bit of a Palm Addict, myself. When I was in the Navy, I became obsessed with creating agendas and task lists. It wasn't so much an obsession, but a necessity when managing a small division. When I got out after four years, and started going to college, I had a terrible time adjusting to the different lifestyle. I was missing assignments and was constantly off schedule. Then, I realized what it was. I wouldn't dare manage my life as I did in the Navy (by toting around a full-sized clipboard with notes, calendars, and task lists attached, along with a breast pocket full of pens and pencils), but I needed to do something. I've always been attracted to new technology, and at the time (2005), smartphones were starting to become more accessible. Accessible, as in affordable for a college student. I went ahead and did some homework on the different options, and settled on a Palm Treo. It turned out being one of the most practical decisions I could have made.

I regularly check and update my calendar easily, add and mark off tasks that need to be accomplished, and do little time-savers like check my email on the go. I exclusively keep track of assignments and projects using my Treo. It has made my life so much easier. Not only that, but I did a little digging, and found out I could use the phone as an always-available modem without subscribing to the overpriced package offered through the service provider.

Since my conversion, I've really taken a liking to mobile computing, and the whole movement into that direction. I love web accessed and edited documents and files of all sorts. It's a great alternative for a college student. Rather than be chained to a file stored on physical media that can easily be stolen, lost, or destroyed, keep it in cyberspace. I've only started doing this for the past few months, but keeping files on physical media almost seems archaic to me now. Why? I'll just access it from any computer that is hooked to the web.

To sum it all up: I've converted to mobile. There's no reason not to. It's also quite accessible; there are few barriers to starting. There are so many services out there, that you don't really need to be tech-savvy. You just need to lust for practicality and convenience. It is truly the digital shift into modernity.

Working at 75 mph

[From Tony Haenn] Mobile technology amazes me each day. Two weeks ago I needed to travel to meet a family obligation. At my office, PTO doesn't mean the work stops accumulating. With my trusty N95-3G, I tethered my phone to my laptop and responded to email, wrote blog posts, and kept my head above water despite moving at 75 mph up the interstate. [SAMMY Be safe people]

Mobile Course Manager

I'm using my mobile device (palm zire 21 - a dinosaurier =) ) to manage when I have courses to do & write quick todo notes. When I'm at my dorm room I write all the stuff I have todo on one day on my white board (& copy the notes from my zire) so I can cross them off & see my progress.

I'm from Belgium & study in Leuven; where they make Stella Artois ( http://www.stellaartois.com/ ) & where we drink it @ €0,90 a pint =) Have a great day! =)

Juggling Devices

[From Simon, Cardiff, UK ] Hi Sammy and all the PA team. Hope you're enjoying you weekends wherever you are and whatever you're doing.

Here in Cardiff in the UK it's tipping down with rain and I'm sat with with my feet up keeping up to date with the world with both my mobile devices - an HTC Vox running WM Standard and my Palm Centro.

The Centro does emails, text messaging and various note taking I'm doing at the moment in Memo, whilst I'm using the wifi capabilities of the Vox to browse the web and keep up with my RSS feeds via th excellent Newsbreak reader from Ilium software.

Centro Trip

[From Justin (San Jose, CA)] I'm about to leave on a trip to see a friend in Modesto. Before I leave I made sure to check the traffic via GoogleMaps on my Centro. I also texted my friend to let her know I'm leaving now. And away I go!

What I really want from Palm.

&uot [From Tracy Fulce] I’ve used a palm device since 1998. I’ve had a IIIxe, a Treo 90, a Treo 650, and a Treo 680, devices that have served me well and whose interfaces worked well for me and my needs (with some minor exceptions, of course). But I dropped my 680 yesterday and cracked the bezel around the screen, and while it still works just fine, the flaw makes me crazy and hungry for something more “perfect”.

I went into the ATT store and looked at the Centro. It’s very very cute accented with my favorite color, lime green, but the screen is just so SMALL. I could by another Treo 680 from someone on eBay, but I don’t love it so much that a replacement make sense. What I want doesn’t exist and I am starting to get frustrated.

I want a flipscreen device (even a cover like I had on my Treo 90 would be nice) that natively supports backgrounds and customizations. I want it to be thin and lightweight but with a large enough screen that I can watch an occasional video. I want it to integrate nicely with outlook and have a battery that gets me through the entire day (with Bluetooth and wireless connections enabled). Is that so much to ask?

WineManager 2008 1.1.3

WineManager 2008 1.1.3This seems a handy program to help you buy wines and track your cellar content."WineManager key features: manage your cellar with all needed information food pairing advisor: select wines from your cellar advanced vintage charts sorted by appellations cellar analysis and suggested purchases list database and application usable from memory card tasting assistant: aromas and flavors selection WineManager is a new generation pocket cellar assistant. WineManager is the solution to help buying wines, track your cellar content, and select the proper wine from your cellar for your meal."

Diet & Exercise Assistant Bundle 7.2

Diet & Exercise Assistant Bundle 7.2THis seems a useful program for diet and exercise."Tired of not getting the weight-loss results you want and work so hard for? We make it simple to achieve your weight loss goals. Diet & Exercise Assistant is the perfect companion to any weight loss program. Select one of our diet plans to fit your lifestyle or you can configure the application to support any of the popular diet programs today. Product Overview: Bundle Savings - Diet & Exercise Assistant Bundle includes both the handheld and optional desktop companion. Save $5 when purchasing the bundle versus buying the two products separately. Personal Information - Input your personal information (height, weight, age, gender), and the software automatically calculates the calories you burn during the day. Diet & Exercise Assistant will graph your current weight on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. You can compare your current weight to what is considered normal for your age, gender and height. Establish a Weight Loss Program - Establish a weight loss program by selecting a diet plan and setting weight loss goals. Input your desired weight and select a target date. Diet & Exercise Assistant will automatically calculate your daily food budget."

Yahtzee for Palm OS 1.56

Yahtzee for Palm OS 1.56This seems a great fun and classic game give it a try."YAHTZEE® family dice game for the Palm OS platform is the first official version of this classic. For more than 40 years, YAHTZEE has been one of the world��s best selling games and is now available for handheld devices. Play anywhere! If you��ve ever played the classic game then you'll immediately know how to play on your PDA. Complete with rich media graphics and animated 3D dice rolling! Play alone or with friends using one or multiple handheld devices! High and low game statistics are displayed after the first game is played. Compatible with Treo, Lifedrive, TX, Tungsten, Zire, Z22 and other Palm devices. "