Lady Insomnia and I are spending the night together here in NJ; so, I decided to throw a few short thoughts/recommendations together for you faithful Addicts.
First of all, a little something that isn't really for your PDA or Smartphone (unless it supports Flash, like the Skyfire browser): TheRadio.com
This neat site has a vast library of music (everything from Broadway to Headbangers to Hip-Hop); and, an incredibly easy interface that gives you multiple ways of accessing the song/artist/genre.
The link was sent to me by our old pal, Wally Matsen. For those who are fairly new to Palm Addict, take a look at his Palm Addict Profile, here. Wally is one of PA's true originals.
Next, a few thoughts on the new Opera Mini v4.2 Beta...
For those who already love Opera Mini, this will take the relationship to a new level. First off, Opera set up a server complex in the USA. This not only greatly reduces the rendering time for USA users; but, since it frees up resources at Opera's existing servers, for all Opera users worldwide.
I have never enjoyed Opera Mini on Palm OS devices...it always froze after 2 or 3 uses; but, it worked very well on my Treo 755p. Sadly, after 2 days, it did the inevitable 'freeze' and I had to uninstall-reinstall it to resume normal performance. This is not the fault of Opera Mini, however...it is on the shoulders of the IBM Java environment (JVM) that has to be installed on Palm OS devices in order for Opera Mini to run. This JVM was always notoriously buggy; and, has had no updates in over 2 years. Needless to say, this is never going to be a good choice for the Palm Garnet. However, I also tested it on the (WinMo) TreoPRO...and, it roared.
Despite that, I have a few caveats that would keep me from using it as my main browser on any device/OS:
1) Opera doesn't provide 'hooks' to be recognized by devices; so, you can't set Mini as the default browser. That means you can't open links on emails, etc. directly into Opera Mini. Instead, you have to enter the URLs manually
2) You are forced to type the URLs into Opera Mini, because it doesn't support copy/paste
3) It doesn't support animated GIFs; so, I can't see animated weather maps (hell, even Blazer supports animated GIFs!)
4) Video support is still shaky, and is only officially supported on Nokia and Sony Ericsson devices.
If you don't mind using a browser that isn't integrated into your overall OS, then Opera Mini v4.2 Beta is really awesome (for non-Palm OS devices)...however for WinMo devices, Skyfire blows everything else away.
Finally, a plug for KeyToss Mobile Web Portal.
I have been a long-time user of Bloglines web-based RSS; and, always preferred it to RSS applications. However, I have gladly switched over to KeyToss, and strongly recommend it.
Along with robust (and simple-to-use) RSS functions, KeyToss will automatically customize content from sites like Fandango, to the location you have specified within KeyToss.
You have a multitude of search engines to pick from, along with a choice of the best mobile 'optimizers' (sites that will convert un-optimized websites to a format optimized for mobile devices). KeyToss also provides fast access to MSN weather, sports scores, stock quotes and the ability to transfer files from your PC/laptop to your mobile device.
If you want to have just the content you want...the way you want it...when you want it, then take a look at KeyToss. I think you'll like what you see.
Everyone have a fantastic weekend!
PJ Arts