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| Fri Dec 8, 2006 - 8:27 AM EST - By Annie Latham | |
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This has been a really busy week. Guess everyone is settling down and focusing on getting things done this week and next before the holiday shutdown. No time for any "soapboxing" for me, that’s for sure (I got that out of my system last week anyway).
So let’s Talk Treo!
As of the close-of-business on Thursday, Palm stock was showing signs of trending upward.
Perhaps shareholder expectations have been properly managed – and there won’t be any further hammering of the stock when earnings are announced on Tuesday, December 19.
Other news from Palm HQ included a Treo 680 availability in Canada announcement and another one about the licensing of the source code for Palm OS Garnet, the version of the Palm OS used in several Treo(TM) smartphone models and all Palm handheld computer.
The Associated Press reported Palm will pay ACCESS Systems Americas, Inc. (formerly PalmSource, Inc.) a total of $44 million in the fiscal third quarter of 2007, which ends in February. The payment will be recognized as an expense over the next several years. Regarding the significance of this, Brighthand’s Ed Hardy stated:
"Whatever Palm does, it needs to do it quickly. Sales of smartphones and cellular-wireless handhelds are exploding, and Palm isn't going to be able to successfully compete for very long in a cut-throat market with devices based on an operating system that first came out in 2002."
TreoCentral’s Dieter Bohn weighs in with his thoughts too.
According to this story…Palm is close to releasing a new version of its PC synchronization software that will be compatible with Vista. Good thing too! Windows Vista (the first major Microsoft operating system upgrade in a long, long time) is going to have a major impact in the upcoming year.
But Windows Mobile Still Needs Work
Jamie Lendino, the editor of Smart Device Central writes:
"I believe Windows Mobile is almost there. I wouldn't necessarily hesitate to recommend a WM5 phone to a friend who wanted a smart device. But each time I do, I get a slightly queasy feeling, anticipating those inevitable tech support questions. And knowing I will be the first call."
In the January 2007 issue of Consumer Reports, the Treo 700p is is ranked best smartphone. Thanks to Jimmie for bringing this to our attention in his post:
"With this Palm you can access the high-speed EV-DO networks available from Sprint and Verizon…The Palm OS is also the most versatile and best OS for basic PDA functions, as long as they're running one at a time (the OS gets in the way of multitasking)."Rebate Forms - Read the Fine Print:
A member of the Treo community wrote in to tell us about Cingular’s rebate on the Treo 680.
He pointed out two interesting things:
1) The form shows the Treo 750, though that is only available in Europe at the moment.
2) This rebate is paid “with a Cingular Reward Card. Two Cingular VISA Reward Cards will be issued for the $100 rebate. Each Reward Card will arrive in a separate envelope."
This is the first time I’ve heard of a reward card being used instead of a check (perhaps an indication of things to come?). A word to the wise—read rebate forms very carefully.
People are definitely still talkin’ 680:
Everything Treo
Christopher Meinck writes:
"For those who are new to smartphones, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the Treo 680. The new smaller, antenna-less design makes it the smallest Treo to date and one that finally feels right in pant or shirt pockets. Palm has always been known for their easy-to-use operating system and the Treo 680 is no different. The new Phone application does a fantastic job of integrating the dial pad, wallpaper, contacts and call log making this Treo easier to use than any previous Treo smartphone."
Forbes: Compares 680 vs. BlackJack vs E62
This is part of the Treo 680 review series Andrew has been doing over at Treonauts.
"There are still too few custom made cases for the Treo 680. I expect many to be released in the coming months but at least this review will help to show you those existing ones that will already fit well."
Hardware Zone, based in Southeast Asia, posted this “First Look” at the Treo 705v:
"… the Palm Treo 750v is not cheap, but the upshot to it is that as soon as you start using it, you’ll realize that Palm has really done a very good job in making the 750v a truly ‘smart’ smartphone for anyone to hold their own in the business world."
Mobile Burn’s Samuel Chan did an extensive review of the Treo 750v:
"The Treo 750v represents a good effort from Palm, widening its consumer base and establishing its brand in competitor's territory. The device kept most of Palm's strengths, and some of the exclusive customizations are very handy - especially the comprehensive speed dial solution and the mechanical switch for silent mode."
He concludes:
"…the Treo 750v is a decent smartphone, but it definitely loses to RIM's Blackberry in terms of messaging and Nokia's S60 v3 devices in terms of web browsing. However, if you are a Palm fan, this Treo represents an important breakthrough in the company's history. With the creativity and reliability that Palm has proved throughout the years, we hope to see more exciting devices in the future."
Review: Kinoma Player 4 EX - By Harv Laser
Harv takes a look at the new Kinoma Media Player 4EX:
"In my opinion, 4 EX is simply the single most feature-rich, entertaining, well thought-out, best supported and powerful PalmOS media player I have ever seen or used. This is one VERY important new product, and I don't say that lightly. I'll make another audacious statement. If you own a Treo 700p and have an unlimited data plan, you'd be nuts not to plunk down the small price for 4 EX."
In Part Two, Harv talks more about the video capabilities, some upcoming features and provides his thoughts on what’s missing. He concludes:
"For a program of this quality, with this much power and such superb support, twenty bucks is a steal. If you're anything like me, once you're packing Kinoma Player 4 EX on your Treo, you'll be using it a LOT!""As for the twenty bucks he mentioned (SRP is $24.99), a link is provided where you can purchase the Kinoma Player 4 EX for $19.99.
Guess this was the week for multimedia play reviews. Here’s a look a mOcean 3 from MotionApps
Sound and mOcean - By Xious Sonenberg
Not only does mOcean (SRP $29.99) play music with a slick, stylish and easy to use interface, but mOcean will also play videos, display photo albums, play audiobooks, internet radios, podcasts and much more. Xious expresses his thoughts:
"Truly, mOcean has stepped into the spotlight as one of the most diverse and flexible apps for your Treo. While it’s true that if you’re one of the lucky 700p owners, you’ll have more media content available to you, even 650 users will benefit from all the amazing stuff MotionApps have crammed in this unique application, which is a bargain at twice the price."
Looks to me like we’ve got dueling multimedia players.
Roundup: Mobile Toting Systems - By Tim Hillebrand
As the saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention... or in this case (pun intended), a good excuse to check into case options – like the Nite Ize Office Utility Case for $14.95.
Tim writes:
"The Nite Ize line of cases should satisfy a wide range of needs for folks who have small gadgets to tote. These products are sturdy and can take rough usage. The unique belt clip on all the models is secure yet easy to remove. I found the one model with a magnetic closure to be sufficiently secure and wish all the models were magnetic instead of Velcro."
News: Agendus Headed to Windows Mobile
One of the most popular personal information managers (PIM) for the Palm OS has been iambic's Agendus over the years. With many users of the formally dominant wireless platform moving to Windows Mobile, in addition to Palm, Inc. now in the Microsoft-based Treo business, the developer says it is now time to create a Pocket PC version of the software. Also, this week iambic put out a release about other Windows Mobile titles they are carrying.
News: Howard & Martha on Your Treo
Sirius radio player (SiriuCE2) for Windows Mobile has been released. This means that with your Windows Mobile Treo, you’ll be able to listen to Howard Stern and Martha Steward live. SiriuCE 2 is a complete rewrite of SiriuCE to take advantage of the Microsoft’s .NET 2.0 compact framework. It works for both Windows Mobile platforms: MS Smartphone and Pocket PC.
Infinitycells.com (Infinity PCS Inc.) announced it has begun offering cell phone repair for Palm Treo 600, Palm Treo 650 and Palm Treo 700 smartphones at their repair centers. They had been specializing in on-site in and out of warranty repair of Motorola and Samsung cell phones at their Baldwin NY location (1302 Grand ave, Baldwin, NY) and Brooklyn NY Location (9318 Ave L, Brooklyn, NY).
News & Review: Seidio Announces “Super” Extended battery! Seidio Inc., the leading manufacturer of Treo accessories, released a new high end 3200mAh extended battery that boasts 77% longer talk and standy time than stock Palm batteries, and 33% more power than Seidio's high end 2400mAh battery.
Andrew of Treonauts reviewed it this week:
And John from MyTreo.net provided his thoughts (with extensive comparison pictures) of the new 3200mAh battery as used with his 700p:"Seidio have now fortunately come out with a very smart solution around this problem. On the one hand they have produced a new huge capacity Ultra Extended Treo Battery with 3200mAh (77% more than standard 1800mAh) priced at $54.95 and on the other they have also manufactured a new battery cover (bundled free but currently only for Treo 700) specifically designed to accomodate the extra thickness (some 3.0mm).
The result is a 3200mAh battery for your Treo 700 that incredibly provides over 10 hours of talk time and 22 days of standby time. The even better news is that because the added thickness is only 3mm you will still be able to use a great many of the existing Treo 700 cases such as the P6 Pouch Case, Seidio Shield 2 Holster, SPE UltraSlim Pocket Pouch and foofpod Pouch.”
"If you often find your Treo running low on power, you will definitely want to take a look at the 3200mAh battery because it will give you maximum power from a single battery. It saves you from having to frequently charge your Treo or keep an extra battery around just in case you are somewhere you can't recharge."
Christopher at Everything Treo has put together a review of the Foofpod Case
"If you happen to own an iPod and a Treo, then this case could server double duty. The FoofPod is clearly made from quality materials and provides full protection from the elements. This case may not be suitable for everyone, as it doesn’t pass the "flip test". Those looking for something out of the ordinary will not be disappointed. The FoofPod scores big on style points leaving your only dilemma as whether to choose Jaffa Jeanie Orange or Kind of Blue."
How about a "smoke break" emoticon? Apparently that’s what happens when you type a colon immediately followed by an exclamation point (:!) in an SMS from a Treo 650 or 680. According to the author of this story, it hasn’t been determined if this also happens on a Treo 700p, 700w, 700wx, 750v, or even the 600.
Looks to me like someone was having fun!
I Left My Cell in San Francisco…
According to a study sponsored by Pointsec Mobile Technologies, during the past six months, nearly 12,000 electronic devices were left in taxi cabs in the San Francisco-Oakland Bay (3,106 devices) and Washington, D.C.-Baltimore (8,701 devices) areas. YIKES!
The survey also points out:
"While most owners are reunited with their mobile phones eventually, they are the least often reclaimed devices. In the Washington area, 80 percent of mobile phones were eventually returned to their owners, while 65 percent were reclaimed by owners in the San Francisco area."
This is where a nice holster case or a case with a belt clip would come in handy.
That’s a wrap!
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