Friday, March 30, 2007

1SRC Podcast 122



I have posted this week's 1SRC podcast, show 122. This week, I cover the following topics:


  • Palm announces a Windows Mobile 6 upgrade for the Treo 750.
  • New accessories are on the way for your favorite Palm.
  • 1SRC Editorial: Is It Time to Ditch Wired Data Synchronizaton?
  • More VersaMail tips for Treo users.
Listen to show 122...

Is It Time to Ditch Wired Data Synchronization?


"Is It Time to Ditch Wired Data Synchronization?" is the new editorial over on 1SRC this week.

Over the last eight weeks I have been dealing with a number of issues around the use of wireless computers in a corporate setting. The entire process starting me thinking that perhaps the time has come to rid ourselves of wired data synchronization.

All Tangled Up

My trouble started as I began to develop a project plan to upgrade a calendaring system for the company that I work for. I have been supporting this particular product for over 10 years and my team and I were confident that the upgrade would go off without a hitch. It was at that point that we discovered that the vendor had dropped support for wired calendar synchronization. I immediately saw that 40 of my customers would be directly impacted.


Read more...

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Windows Mobile 6.0 is Coming to the Treo 750


Palm, Inc announced earlier today the intent to release a Windows Mobile 6.0 upgrade for Treo 750 customers in the United States, Europe and Asia. Customers who have subscribed their wireless service from AT&T (formerly Cingular) will also receive a wireless network upgrade to the High-speed Downlink Packet Access networking standard.



"Palm continues to work closely with Microsoft to maximize the benefits of Windows Mobile and to deliver the best mobile experience to Treo customers," said Joe Fabris, director of wireless solutions at Palm, Inc. "Our hallmark Palm experience combined with the benefits of Windows Mobile 6 on the Treo 750 will continue to deliver a great productivity tool for businesses across the country and around the world."



Treo 750 customers are likely to welcome the news of the upgrade has the Treo 750 has just recently been released here in the United States. While Palm has committed to releasing the upgrade, the press release issued today states that the upgrade “will be available later this year.” This announcement will also likely generate cries of foul play from customers on the Sprint and Verizon networks because Palm did not announce upgrades for the Treo 700wx.



One possible reason that Palm didn’t reveal any plans to release upgrades for the Treo 700wx could have something to do with the rumors that new Sprint and Verizon Treo smartphones will be released in the coming months. According to rumors on the Internet, Palm and Sprint have been working to ready a new Treo that has been codenamed “Sherlock.” Many believe that Sherlock will be released in Palm OS and Windows Mobile editions just as the Treo 700-series is today. The Windows based Treo Sherlock is rumored to come loaded with Windows Mobile 6.0 and the new Pocket Office productivity suite. It is also widely rumored that this new Treo will have a new high resolution 320x320 square screen that has been a staple of Palm OS Treos for years. The rumors state that the Sherlock Treos will be launched in late May, 2007.



The Palm Treo 750 Windows Mobile upgrade press release is available on the Palm website.

Friday, March 23, 2007

1SRC Podcast 121

This week's 1SRC podcast has been posted. And I'm happy to say that Palm is still an independent company, sales of the Treo smartphone are up, and Palm is profitable. I guess the buy out rumors didn't pan out.

In show 121, I cover:

  • Palm has posted their Q3FY07 financial report
  • Palm has also scored a stay in their case with NTP
  • Gx-5 has released TreoMemo version 1.1
  • TreoVista Simple Installer has been released
  • 1SRC Editorial: Some Room to Grow
Listen now...

1SRC Editorial: Some Room to Grow

This week's 1SRC Editorial, Some Room to Grow, has been posted.

There are a few things that I feel need to be added to VersaMail. The first thing that I feel needs to be added is a way to select multiple mail messages using the 5-way navigator. I really hate having to pull out my stylus to check select multiple mail messages.

Even though Palm’s implementation of one-handed navigation on Windows Mobile is good, there is a still lot of room for improvement. Unlike one-handed navigation on the Palm OS, the navigation on Windows Mobile isn’t fully implemented. During my evaluation period with a Verizon Treo 700wx, I often found myself pulling out the stylus to tap pull down menus and other objects at the top or bottom of the screen.


Read more...

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Goodbye VersaMail, Hello ChatterMail?

Earlier this evening, ChatterMail author Marc Blank posted the following note in a discussion thread on TreoCentral.com:

“There's been a glitch due to the change in ownership of the website (it lost it's DNS entries). I've fixed the data, though it takes some time for changes to propagate through the DNS system. I'm pretty sure everything will be up and running by tomorrow morning.

Sorry about that!

Marc”


A TreoCentral member by the name “gene” looked up the domain chattermail.com and posted that the new owner of the domain “chattermail.com” is none other than Palm, Inc. Well, well, well. That certainly changes the picture of what could be going on over at Palm. It would seem that Palm acquired more than just Marc Blanc.

This is a very interesting development. Palm has been hiring hardware and software engineers at a very brisk pace over the last two years. Personally, I believe that Palm is preparing to bring out a host of new applications and compelling hardware solutions. Let the wild speculation begin!

Monday, March 19, 2007

1SRC Podcast 120


1SRC podcast show 120 has been posted (3/16/07). In this latest edition of the 1SRC podcast, I cover:

  • Palm rolls out the Treo in more countries around the world this week.
  • WCBS Talk Radio 880 has a new cool Treo traffic cam application - Download it here
  • Check out Think Outside's Stowaway Sierra Bluetooth keyboard.
  • 1SRC Editorial: Smartphones - The Time for Change is Now.

  • Listen now...

    Saturday, March 17, 2007

    Of Treos and 4GB SD Cards


    In an article posted on Gadgets on the Go, Jeff Hawkins, creator of the Palm Pilot and the Treo smartphone, was quoted as saying,


    "Throughout the day I use my Treo for email, voice calling, sms, and other miscellaneous things. I often watch movies on my Treo while traveling on a plane. I have a 4G SD card which can hold 6 full length movies. With a stereo headset and a pair of reading glasses it is quite good. My family often takes pictures and we email them to each other as a way to stay in touch. As you might expect, I use my Treo all the time."


    A 4GB SD Card?! The Treo 700p doesn’t officially support 4GB cards. (See the official Palm KB article here) Now, I'm not one to cry foul, but Mr. Hawkins isn't coming clean here. How is he using a 4GB SD card?


    Did he write his own driver? After all, Jeff designed the original Palm OS. Did he copy the SDHC driver off a Treo 680? He would have easy access to them. Or is he using the FAT32 driver from the LifeDrive? Inquiring minds want to know.


    Regardless of how Mr. Hawkins is using 4GB cards on his Treo 700p, I do appreciate him sharing how he uses his Treo with us.

    Thursday, March 15, 2007

    Smartphones - The Time for Change is Now

    I've posted this week's 1SRC Editorial, The Time for Change is Now.


    Ten years ago, when I got my first cell phone, I avoided making calls for fear of running up a huge bill. Back then; there were no plans with minutes. You simply paid per minute for each call you made or received. Today standard voice cell phone plans are finally affordable. There is a plan for everyone, even the chatterboxes among us. Two years ago, I was very cautious about using my Treo 600 because I was only allowed 5MB of data usage a month. Today, with my Treo 700p, I am finally free to use my device the way I want to. I have a plan with enough minutes (I don’t talk on the phone all that much) and my unlimited data plan is affordable.

    In a recent Q&A session Palm CFO Andrew Brown pointed out that one of the barriers of entry preventing people from purchasing a smartphone was the cost of the data plan. Without a data plan, that multi-function Internet device becomes an expensive cell phone and day planner. I’ve talked with people from around the United States and abroad who have said that they count their megabyte usage just like I did because data services can be very expensive. I tend to agree. $25 a month for a 5MB data plan seems a bit expensive. If carriers want to grow the subscriber base then now is the time to start phasing in some price cuts. And I’m not just talking about new subscribers either.



    Read more...

    Monday, March 05, 2007

    1SRC Interview - Tam Hanna



    The latest 1SRC Interview has been posted and this week Palm OS blogger Tam Hanna sits down (virtually) to discuss the Palm community, the WristPDA, and the Palm Binary Clock.


    Tam Hanna is an enterprising 18-year old living in Vienna. An active member of the Palm community, Tam runs his own Palm enthusiast website and develops interesting applications for the Palm OS platform. Tam’s mixed educational background ranging from finance to electronics gives him a unique perspective on life, software development, and blogging. Tam recently agreed to sit down with me (virtually) for another 1SRC interview.

    1SRC: Tam, can you share with us what first drew you into mobile computing? What was your first Palm OS device?

    Tam Hanna (TH) Well, my entry into the Palm OS area was actually an impulse purchase to fight boredom. I snatched myself a cheap IIIc off ebay...and was hooked for good.

    Read more...

    NYPC PalmPilot SIG Meeting March 7, 2007

    Grace and Ted dropped me a line to remind me that the NYPC PalmPilot SIG monthly meeting will be this Wednesday. I really do need to get down to the Big Apple to drop in on those guys.

    NYPC PalmPilot SIG meetings are held the 1st Wednesday of the month and start at 6:30 PM. All user levels are welcome.

    NYPC membership is not mandatory, but highly recommended to Palm SIG members.

    Location: Meetings are held at NYPC's offices in the New Yorker/ Ramada Hotel, 8th Avenue & 34th Street, Suite 551. Take the A, E, or C trains to 34th Street.
    (Map: http://tinyurl.com/yavrxj)

    March 7th Meeting: "Maintenance & Transition"

    Keep your palm/desktop/syncing running smoothly.

    So many sophisticated programs now run on the Palm OS that resources are used to maximum effect, resulting sometimes in errors and problems
    - incuding syncing

    These are easily remedied. Frustrations become merely quirks. Come see how using Palm devices remain a pleasure. Share your own tips and solutions!

    Take your PDA/Treo beyond a mere organizer/phone, use it more productively than your PC. Believe it!

    All questions and problems are welcome. See you on Wednsday!

    Best
    Grace & Ted
    ===================
    NYPC PalmPilot SIG
    Grace Lee & Ted Cohn, Co-Chairs
    email: nypcpalmpilot@gmail.com
    URL: http://nypc.org/palm.php

    Thursday, March 01, 2007

    1SRC Podcast 118


    This week's 1SRC podcast has been posted. In show 118 I cover:

    • Palm CFO Andy Brown presents at the 2007 Merrill Lynch Communications Forum
    • Treo rumors surface on the Internet - Will the Treo Sherlock be uncovered in May?
    • The Ridgefield Library's Mary Rindfleisch and Geri Diorio talk to me about Teen Tech Week
    Download 1SRC Podcast 118...