PalmAddicts

Even older bluetooth keyboards work with the iPad

[From Dave Cryer, FL] You see even older bluetooth keyboards seem to work with the iPad.

I see the Palm Pre 2

I went to a press event in New York City last week just to see the new Palm Pre 2.  I have to say that I was very impressed.

The new Palm is very fast, has a very bright, crisp and clear screen and feels wonderful in the hand. It has a 320x480 screen resolution and better brightness and contrast than the earlier version because of the Gorilla Glass front.

According to Palm the hinge has been beefed up - this is the third design change to the hinge, and it is a evolutionary imporvement over the earlier model.  The processor speed has been doubled and there is vastly improved multi-tasking and an improved Just Type search.  Additionally, the tactile feel of the keyboard has been increased.

I've been getting rather fed up with my iPhone 4 lately.  It's a wonderful appliance, but it's not a very good phone.  As a matter of fact I've started using the iPhone as an iPod and have gone back to using my Nokia E72 for phone stuff.  I was so impressed by the Pre 2 that I may very well pick one up when they are released.  According to Palm they will have an unlocked GSM version.  No release dates were given, but they indicated that the Pre 2 might start appearing on US carriers next month.  It is currently, they said, undergoing the carrier certification process.

Here is a video I took at the event.  Unfortunately, the video isn't too good as the bright screen washes some of it out, but you can get a general impression and hear what the Palm rep has to say about it.  I'm really looking forward to seeing this hit the market.  It's nice to see the Palm name still alive!

Where to get the iPad Bluetooth keyboard

My regular readers will know that I have been, for the last few days using a bluetooth wireless keyboard with my iPad and so far I have been very impressed with it. In fact I am using it to type this editorial and keen eye readers will have noticed that at the bottom of my posts you will see those entries which I have updated from my iPad with the help of the keyboard. I'll post another video of it later today answering some of the questions that you guys have sent in over the weekend but I forgot to mention where you can get your hands on one of these awesome keyboard cases and here is the link, as I mentioned I have been very impressed and I can even touch-type on it which has surprised me somewhat. Just remember it is not the size of a full keyboard but it should suffice for traveling and portability. Anyway take a look and as I mentioned I'll answer some of your questions when I record a PATV Live a little later today. In the meantime I hope you are having a great weekend.

Special Offer - Get $2 off SplashID for Android

PalmAddict readers for those of you using Android then there diid you know SplashID for Android is on sale, it was $9.95 and now it's reduced to $7.96, saving you almost $2. Enter the code SAVE20 at the Handango checkout to get the $2 knocked off. Make the jump.

"SplashID safely and securely stores all of your sensitive personal information in a secure, encrypted database that is quickly accessible on your handheld and desktop computer. SplashID organizes and protects all of your user names, passwords, credit cards, PINs, and more in one convenient location.
Unlimited number of customizable record types
and categories for storing all kinds of personal information
Customizable List View supports color and icons
Password protection, using Blowfish encryption, keeps your data safe and secure
Synchronize data between the handheld and desktop using the desktop software (Sold Separately)
Field Masking (for sensitive data like passwords)
Customizable Field Labels on a per record basis
Enhanced Security Options
Automatic Password Generator - for generating passwords based on user criteria"
Enter the code SAVE20 at the Handango checkout to get the $2 knocked off. Make the jump.

TracyandMatt Blog unbox the Android running Desire Z.

TracyandMatt Blog unbox the Android running Desire Z. "Combined with Android 2.2, Sense UI and HD video recording the Desire Z should do quite nicely for those people that prefer a hardware keyboard rather than just relying on the touch screen for typing." Read in full.

Apple sues Motorola

[From Hans] Everyone continues to sue everyone, or countersue as the case may be and Apple and Motorola are showing no love as Apple sues Motorola over multitouch on nearly all its Android phones -- basically everything up to and including the Droid X. AndroidCentral has the full read.

Phonefavs, an excellent resource.

When bandwidth is tight and you wish to access browser light webpages then do check out the excellent Phonefavs webpage which makes for an excellent resource. "PhoneFavs is a mobile friendly web portal and social bookmarking service designed for the mobile web. PhoneFavs allows you to use your own bookmarks on your phone or any web browser. You can easily import, organize, tag and discover mobile web sites in a portable, mobile friendly format. PhoneFavs also provides a mobile web directory, a mobile software store, and a mobile web transcoder which "mobilizes" larger web pages, for better browsing on a small screen devices. PhoneFavs also works in combination with your main web browser. With the PhoneFavs browser buttons and mobile bookmarklets you can easily bookmark pages, save articles and store them on PhoneFavs for later reading on the go. Read on for more examples on how PhoneFavs can enhance your mobile web browsing experience." More after the jump.

Reminder that Pocket Informant for Android is available for a beta download

PalmAddict readers a reminder for those of you with Android devices that Pocket Informant is available for a beta download. "Pocket Informant is a fully redesigned from the ground up calendaring and GTD®-based tasks solution for Android devices. Our purpose is to integrate best-of-class calendaring with best-of-class tasks together into one great solution.
Features include
Full-featured events management integrated with Android Calendar plus a separate PI Calendar
Tasks management with synchronization to Toodledo
Both events and tasks can be displayed in 2 different day views, 6 week views, agenda view and month view
Plain list and grouped (by category, context, folder, action, status) task views for tasks
Optional category (for events and tasks) and status (for tasks only) filters in main views
Ability to show/hide different Android calendars
Optional timebars and mini-text (event details displayed directly in calendar grid) views for events month view
Templates for events and tasks (including default templates for new items)
Custom time/date selection controls for easy task/event modification and navigation in main view (including all month view features including mini-text in date selector)
Easily accessible commands for events or tasks directly from main views (assign category, move between calendars, move to a different date, context, folder etc.)
Highly configurable interface (with over 100 different options)
Configurable event and task edit dialogs (with ability to show/hide all event/task fields)
Search and notifications integration with standard Android services
Ability to assign colors to each individual event or task, category, calendar, different task statuses, work and free days etc.
Easy backup with ability to export/import all settings or copy whole PI database with simple copy of one file
Optional auto-deletion of completed tasks (on deletion or after certain period of time)"
More deets and download after the jump.

Are 2 cameras forthcoming in the new iPad?

[From Eric Mann] Are 2 cameras forthcoming in the new iPad? Well the rumour mill is a churning. "The research firm contends the new iPad will ship with two cameras, a 5 MP camera and a VGA camera, and likely will support Apple’s FaceTime video chat software. Detweiler says their early read is that Apple will build 2.5 million units of the next iPad in calendar Q1" Read in full.