This is the first week in a long time that there hasn't been a review of the Treo 700p. Come to think of it, that device has had more than its fair share of reviews, so I guess it's natural for thoughts to turn to what's next. The big story this week was "the leak heard (and seen) round the world".
A Chinese web site published several pictures of what is supposed to be one of the next Treos. Before long, those fuzzy pictures showed up everywhere I looked. The buzz in the Treo community had reached "Apple-like" levels.
Okay. Let's take a deep breath. In fact, to paraphrase Yoda, "Patience young Skywalker." In due time, Palm will let us in on their master plan (they always do). Besides, there's plenty of other stuff to talk about-- So let's Talk Treo!
Palm News
Yelp Mobile Optimized for Treo Smartphones
This week, Palm and Yelp, Inc. announced a co-branded mobile website that will provide Treo users with easy access to information "that enhances their mobile-computing experience." Yelp, founded in July 2004 by Jeremy Stoppelman (former vice president of engineering at PayPal) and Russel Simmons (former lead architect at PayPal), is a city guide that taps into the community's voice and reveals honest insights on local businesses and services from "real people who are in the know."
This cooperative project with Palm is Yelp's first dedicated mobile effort. The Yelp Mobile experience allows users to either search or browse for local businesses, and more importantly, tap into the collective "local knowledge" that has been generated by the Yelp community. Sounds interesting and worthy of a review sometime down the road.
Recent TreoCentral Guides, Reviews & More
Palm Hard Case - By Jay Gross
Jay writes:
"The attractive, two-handed Palm Hard Case offers excellent protection, except against determined dunking. It makes a great peace-of-mind companion in a pocket, where it'll resist crushing, or clipped to belt or waistband. Careful of the metal closure, though, as you slide the Treo into the case."
Palm Hybrid Headset/Headphones - By Jay Gross
Jay remarks:
"The Palm Hybrid Headset/Headphones is a generally well thought-out product that comes at a very reasonable price. Tame its cord, somehow, and enjoy quality audio in your ears with little ambient noise to intrude. For phone calls, however, its mic won't win any awards for clarity."
Seidio Crystal Case - By James Hromadka
James states:
"If you have a Treo 700 and are looking for a skin case that can easily slide in and out of your pocket, the Seidio Crystal Case is perfect. It secures the Treo quickly and also provides protection from everyday scratches and bumps. My brother is very happy with the new case for his Treo 700."
Trippin with my Treo 700w - By Tim Hillebrand
The author hits the road with his 700w (not literally, of course). This story provides useful information on types of programs and hardware you can use with your Treo 700w while on an extended road trip.
"I am pleased to report that the 700w got us to our destination and back safely and efficiently (GPS). We were able to communicate along the way (phone/Wi-Fi) and record some thoughts and (impressionistic) visual highlights (camera). I used it as a word processor, a research librarian, and recorded financial transactions on it. I constantly called on its PIM functionality, and used it to entertain me with eBooks, music, and games. It even proved useful for making friends and for making a little money on the stock market. What more could you ask of a faithful pocket companion?"
News & Reviews from Elsewhere in the Treo Community
It's a Bird! It's a Plane! It's Supertooth!
In The New York Times, J.D. Biersdorfer just wrote a quick review of the Supertooth II portable speakerphone from BlueAnt Wireless.
"If you want to use your wireless phone in the car without tangled headset cords and earbud fatigue, a speakerphone is a common solution. If your phone doesn't have its own speaker, the Supertooth II portable speakerphone from BlueAnt Wireless can keep the conversation going on the highway."
He notes that its rechargeable battery can last for up to 20 hours of talk time and 800 hours of standby time. For comparison purposes, you might want to check out the review by TreoCentral's Jay Gross.
For 700 users � The Joys of Extra Memory
This week, Andrew at Treonauts gushes about using 4GB SD Cards:
"There is no doubt in my mind that one of the greatest things about both the Treo 700p and Treo 700w is the fact that they support the use of 4GB SD Cards."
Andrew details what he's doing with all this extra capacity. This story certainly gave me Treo 700 envy.
New to the 700p? Here are some Freebies to Consider
Susan over at MyTreo.net has some recommendations for those new to the Treo 700p. She focused on free programs that were easy to use. Her list includes: Initiate, Directory Assistant, LightWav, PowerRun, Personal Audio Recorder PRO (PAR PRO), The (incredible and FREE!) Core Pocket Media Player (TCPMP), and, of course, games.
A "Full Body Shield" for your Treo
TreoBits' Alex Matthews took a look at the invisibleShield, a plastic surface protector originally designed for military helicopter blades. He writes:
"I've had the invisibleShield on for the past week, and I have to say that I feel much more comfortable using my Treo naked. I am convinced that the surfaces of the Treo are scratch resistant. I'm sure a few of you think that the price tag of $24.95 is a bit steep, but something you have to consider is that it includes a lifetime warranty. If it needs replacing or if you need to remove it for some reason, you can return the used invisibleShield and receive a new one from ShieldZone. So, taking that into account, I think it's a pretty good deal for something that will definitely provide good protection for your precious Treo."
Training People OnTheGo
This isn't a story about an alliance between Nike and Palm (sorry, I know that's how rumors start). Rather, a company called People-OnTheGo has just introduced online training modules, currently available free of charge, to enable workers to better manage and organize their e-mail inboxes, manipulate their information and data in Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, as well as learn and use their handheld devices such as the BlackBerry and Treo 650. The company also provides additional training in the form of online live workshops, Web self-paced classes, or onsite classes.
Endnotes & Ponderables
Yo, Treo! Here's Your Talking Philly Tour
This week, Talking Street and The Constitutional Walking Tour of Philadelphia announced the launch of the first-ever, cell phone walking tour of Philadelphia. Their press release states that visitors can now experience a unique and exciting way to see America's Birthplace through user-friendly technology that's just a call away.
Humm� hope you've got a national plan with lots of minutes.
Baseball To Go
This story, care of Engadget Mobile, got my attention. Just as teams are gearing for the final stretch of this year's Major League Baseball season, Sprint inked a deal to provide every major league game via streaming audio to Sprint Vision and Power Vision-enabled handsets. This service, called "Gameday Audio," will run $5.99 and should be available this month."
I'll admit that I'm curious to try it out. However, I sense that I'll be frustrated with the quality of the experience. I still haven't quite recovered from the NBC Mobile Olympic adventure I had care of MobiTV. Oh well.
That's a wrap!
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