PalmAddicts

Getting important safety and traffic reports from Twitter on my Treo

Aloha Sammy and the Palm Addict community!  I just stumbled upon 3 cool Twitter pages that report out important information on safety and traffic conditions.  Best of all these Twitter pages can be viewed from your smartphone's web browser, IM client, or through SMS.  The m.twitter.com site is the smartphone friendly version of Twitter. 

The Honolulu Police Department in Hawaii, sends out traffic updates every 10 minutes on m.twitter.com/ktlink .  The Los Angeles Fire Department uses m.twitter.com/LAFD to broadcast important safety information.  The bio for this page says this Twitter site is a "full-spectrum life safety agency protecting the City of Los Angeles".  The California Highway Patrol uses m.twitter.com/sactraffic to broadcast traffic conditions in the Sacramento, CA area.

I think it is fascinating how traditional government agencies are using new technology to broadcast important safety information to the general public.

Eric Mann sent word about PDAMill offering their collection of Palm games for free

[From Eric Mann] Eric Mann sent word about PDAMill offering their collection of Palm games for free which I think is very kind of them so go and make the jump and see what you can download this weekend. "Several years ago, we developed many of our great titles for the Palm OS platform. However, in February of 2007 the decision to stop development for the Palm platform was made and our products were then discontinued. Until now, all of these titles were only available to customers who had purchased the games in the past. Due to an incredibly high demand, we have now released all of our past Palm titles for FREE!" Make the jump.

Thanks to Eric for the heads up on this one. [moblogging from my iPhone]

The second-gen iPhone: 3G, GPS, only slightly thicker

[From Stephen Shorting] Ryan at the Engadget has the rumored deets on the second-gen iPhone: 3G, GPS, only slightly thicker. This is of course a rumour of course. "So we've got it on authority that the second-gen iPhone is already well into testing, and numerous units are floating around in super secret pockets. A trusted source got a chance to check one out, here's what we've heard." Rumoured picture and deets over at the Engadget. Thanks to our associate writer, Stephen Shorting for dropping me a IM.

[moblogging from my iPhone]

Is Palm Dumping Its Current Stock of Unlocked Treo 750s? Updated

Is Palm Dumping Its Current Stock of Unlocked Treo 750s? The original editorial over at TreoCentral has been updated so go over to TreoCentral for the full read.
[moblogging from my iPhone]

Kidz Luv iPhone 2

As many of you know I have been blessed with two children that have developed as an intense love of technology as I do. (And they're only 2 and 3 years old!) While watching an educational show on TV this morning with them I noticed that they were particularly intrigued by the music portion of the show and at the same time I happened to be reading an article about iBand. So, I loaded up installer and placed the guitar and piano synthesizer on my iPhone and had my kids entertained for the rest of the morning. My son, the 3 year old, has been using his mom's iPod Touch for a while so he is very familiar with the interface of the iPhone and before I know it he is watching one of his favorite shows on my iPhone with his sister right next to him. Too bad my iPhone is my camera or I would have a very cute picture.

Faces in our mobile life

Ever since the first time I got to know Windows Mobile in my Treo, and especially after I unfolded the knowledge of Picture Speed Dial (which is located at Today Screen); I began my small quest and that is to acquire as much of face pictures from my friends, families, colleagues, business partners, etc. Basically, everyone that I’m putting their names into the contacts list must have at least a picture of themselves; even if it’s a company banner.

I’m intrigued on how will be good looking is the Today Screen look like, when all the contacts are represented by pictures of each contact’s face. Maybe you’re not using the built-in Picture Speed Dial in WinMob, instead you’re using Spb Mobile Shell or the cool new looking Face Contact. Nevertheless any of them you chose to use, you must have been on your own little crusade to fill them with face pictures just like what I did.

But not all of the people I encountered are willingly to let me take a clean shot of picture of their faces, and sometimes it’s us who are reluctant to ask. Because for instance, it’ll sounds too childish of me if I'm asking for it to business partners while I'm in a serious business meeting. Thus I got many funny experiences whenever I asked for a face picture, aside from those who’re shamefully posed in front of the Treo’s camera ;-p. I wish to share some of the funny stories & reactions, you can read them below.

As you know the saying goes something like this: “A picture can tell a thousand tale…”, so perhaps it's best for me to attach pictures along to describe what I’m trying to explain. Enjoy, and don’t forget to take a look at the picture first before reading the story.

  Here’s a fine example when there are some people who have expressed their objection right from the start, by giving you clues & hints that like they’re gracefully without exactly saying the words: “Please, don’t take my picture!”. (Although, it’ll be amazing if they actually bring a book or a poster with the exact same words like that ;-D)

That above action is usually done by well manner people, but it’s very often we’ll just get “the hand” when we tried to take picture even though it’s someone who we know very well. A simple gesture, yet rather rude in my personal opinion. Then again, perhaps it’s us who are harsh because we insisted to take his/her picture.

Some are even clever enough that our mobile phone’s camera is usually not as good as professional photographer’s, which has quick snap-time on moving objects. So they just randomly keep on moving, either their head are moving or using their moving hands to cover the face. And while you’re busy trying to take pictures & you lowered your guards, another person took the advantage then ‘click!” you’re captured.

Okay, you begged and plead to be allowed to take a picture so you can have nice sets of contact pictures of your business partners. But in one condition, they intentionally make doofous & ridiculous faces to mock you just when you hit the capture button. Well, maybe that’s better than none right?

This is probably the worst case scenario; you insisted to take the picture even though the person has also insisted that you should never take his/her picture. Perhaps it’s because they’re the most wanted fugitive in many states & countries, we’ll never know the real reason for sure. So be careful, you could get extreme reactions whenever you break into their sanctuary. But hey, what do you know? You managed to get his picture anyway, after all of those struggles & bleeding…

Yippiii..! You got his/her picture without going through any painful and embarrassing pleas to ask them, but then again you’re beginning to wonder whether the picture you’ve taken is good enough to be in your set of contact pictures…. Sometimes for some unknown cosmic reasons, you just felt like deleting the picture whenever you see it…

Alright, I got to admit it. I've exaggerated some of them, but who knows maybe you actually have experienced any of it? Overall, this whole thing got me to think; how can I possibly get to use the face picture contact feature from my mobile phone? I certainly like to use the most of everything my handset has to over, and I'm also very sure you're not going to waste the money you've already spent to purchase the application (mentioned at top) that has feature like this too.

All of the pictures, names & product logos are in respective of their owners or the publishers. For further info on CNetX's Face Contact app, you can check my post here at PA. Or read on Niek Braam's blog (MyTodayScreen) for deeper review. Lastly, have a great & fun weekend y'all!

* Note: this post has been optimized to be open with Treo 750 screen (240x240)

[blogged with my Treo 750v]

Video preview of Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1

For you who can't wait for the release of Sony Ericsson's most awaited handset: the XPERIA X1, here's another video teaser to quench your undying thirst. Video is courtesy from The Unwired.

And for you who doesn't know yet of XPERIA X1, here's the recap showdown of its specs:

• OS: Windows Mobile 6.1
• Band: Quad GSM with HSUPA
• Processor: Qualcomm (7200A) 528MHz
• RAM: 128MB
• Screen: 3-inch WVGA touchscreen (800 x 480 pixels)
• Slide-out QWERTY keyboard
• A 3.2 megapixel camera
• Internal memory: 400MB
• A microSD memory slot
• A 3.5mm audio jack
• GPS
• WiFi
• Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP
• FM Radio

Although as you can see in the video preview, the video acceleration is not very impressive for a beast device like this. Hopefully Sony Ericsson will address this video issue before they release X1 into the market. Specs source is from GSMArena.

PS: it seems like the YouTube video link is broken, you can view it directly at this URL.

[blogged with my Treo 750v]

eReader discount for the weekend

[From eReader] eReader discount for the weekend for you. "Punch in this week's Promo Code ERG422 to receive a 15% discount off any eBook that you purchase at eReader.com. Offer good through April 28, 2008 on all eBooks. This discount cannot be used with any other special offers." eReader after the jump.

Here are some technology snippets that are getting my attention this morning

Here are some technology snippets that are getting my attention this morning,

Delta is getting cozy with it's new "Cozy Suite" for those in economy and will carry extra leg room and discretion recline which I think is pretty neat and if this takes off then I expect other airlines are going to follow. Gizmodo say "It may not be as fancy as first class accommodations, but Delta's new "Cozy Suite" seats promise to make economy class seating less of a hellish, crippling nightmare. The major feature of the design is a staggered layout that increases privacy while simultaneously creating a space for weary travelers to rest their heads. It also allows passengers to enjoy 31-inches of leg room (2-inches better than the competition) and the ability to recline without disturbing the person behind them."

[From Andy] The Times Online is saying that the 3G iPhone is going to look radically different to it's first generation iPhone cousin. "One for customers who want it principally as a music and video device, which will be similar to the existing model, one for people who want to communicate - with the keyboard, and one for people who want it as a substitute for their laptop - that will let them browse the internet on a larger screen." The iPhone rumor mill continues to churn. Wired and TimesOnline.

Here is something I caught at iPhoneAlley this morning, Independent iPhone hacker/dev DreamCatcher has released updated iPhone Video Recorder to v1.1.6, finally adding support for recording audio with the video. More after the jump.

Strong demand for mobile phoes continue according to Strategy Analytics. "Global demand for mobile phones remains strong, despite economic uncertainty in rich nations and rising food prices in poorer countries. Consultancy firm Strategy Analytics says 282 million handsets were shipped worldwide in the first three months of 2008, up 14% from a year ago. The growth was driven by rising demand in markets such as Africa and Asia. Nokia maintained its dominant position with a 40.9% market share but shipments of LG and Samsung phones grew fastest. Motorola, Sony Ericsson and Apple lost market share in the quarter. " The BBC has the deets on this story.

Noah's Ark

Noah's Ark is yet another PopCap game that gets ported into Pocket PC and Palm format. It is a puzzle game in which, just like Noah did, you need to match two animals to transfer to the ark while the flood water is rising. The rule is that simple, yet the game is addictive. You just use stylus to tap and match the animals. You can play the game in two mode: action and strategy. Action is more time-constraint: you need to finish moving the animals into the ark before the flood gets too high. Strategy is more thought-involving. As you pass the early levels, you will face *rocks* along the way that will be your obstacles. As with other PopCap games, as you pass levels, depending on your achievement you get different ranks. You get high resolution color graphics in this game. The graphics essentially mirror those of its desktop counterpart. They are easy on the eyes. Pocket PC 2002, Windows Mobile 2003(SE), Palm OS 4 and Palm OS 5 are supported. The music and sound effect are a bit too loud for my taste, so I usually just turn them off (the game provides option to do so), and switch to listening to soft Barry Manilow songs in the background :wink:

As usual, disclaimer: I am not in any way affiliated with the game maker company. Note that this is a mix review between the Pocket PC version and the desktop version since I do not own the game (I just use the trial).

AT&T Plans To Improve Reception with Femtocells

Just caught this over at Brighthand's website, interesting theory. "AT&T will soon offer to its subscribers an accessory that can significantly improve their cell phone's reception. According to investment banking firm ThinkPanmure, the wireless network operator has contracted with UK-based firm ip.access Ltd to provide femtocells for sale to AT&T customers. The carrier reportedly plans to sell up to 7 million units over the next five years, pricing them as low as $100 to its customers." Read in full.

Has anyone tried TouchBook v0.972 beta yet?

Has anyone tried TouchBook v0.972 beta yet? "TouchBook is a replacement for the default Address Book or Contacts application. TouchBook provides access your phones and addresses in a completely fascinating way: type or scroll, also including a favorites and a today screen! TouchBook lets you use your fingers or the stylus to scroll through the list of phones. Just touch the screen and flick through the list using only your thumb! TouchBook also provides the usual way of searching through contacts - by typing on the Treo keyboard. Just type JD to quickly find John Doe in your list! Send emails and SMS with ease using TouchBook! A powerfull skinning interface is a part of TouchBook. The user can create his own style of the program to fit his/her tastes. Add a wallpaper, fit it to the screen boundaries, choose text and selection colors and save it! Favorites and Today screens are also integrated into TouchBook. The today screen shows your undone tasks and coming appointments. The favorites screen displays small photos of your favorite contacts you can quickly access! "

IslandTips 1.01

IslandTips 1.01This seems a very useful program for working out tips while your in Restaurants."IslandTips is a tip calculator developed by the interface village of IslandLabs.com. The most unpleasant part of the meal is made a little better by the ease of use of this product. IslandTips allows you to quickly calculate the tip for your bill. IslandTips will also evenly split your bill among multiple people in your group. As always, gratuities are appreciated."

WineManager 2008 1.1.4

WineManager 2008 1.1.4This seems a very handy program to track the content in your celler and assistant you with buying wines."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.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."

Unit Converter PRO & Math Calculator 1.0

Unit Converter PRO & Math Calculator 1.0This seems a great program to help you with conversions etc,give it a try."Unit Converter PRO is the ultimate resource for unit conversion. Simply select appropriates category and subcategory and you are ready to make conversions. This is a powerful and well organized software utility that helps you make easy conversions between more than 2,000 various units of measure in 10 categories and more than 90 subcategories. Discover a universal assistant for all of your unit conversion needs. - Categories and their respective subcategories are listed below: • Common Converters - Angle - Area - Distance & Length - Mass - Pressure - Temperature - Time - Velocity - Volume & Capacity - Volume - Dry"