Ready for more playtime after work? The time is "a-changin" this weekend (three weeks earlier than last year), so don’t forget to spring forward on Sunday!

And before Sunday, you might want to hop over to Palm’s website and download the DST updater.

And speaking of changing times, there’s been quite a bit of "rumble in the jungle" causing volatility in Palm’s stock.

Published reports name possible suitors for Palm, and an Infoworld article suggested Palm should go private:

"A private buyout would make more sense, the analysts said. Palm is a basically sound company in a growing industry and could appreciate strongly over the next few years, according to Casey Ryan (of Nollenberger Capital Partners in San Francisco)."

Meanwhile, across the border, Research in Motion, maker of the BlackBerry, had their own "market shaking" news related to the seven-month probe into backdating of stock options grants. They will be restating $250 million in earnings and their co-chief executive, Jim Balsillie, will be stepping down as chairman.

Needless to say, the Investor Relations folks for Palm and RIM had a busy week.

With the stock market swaying wildly anyway, perhaps it is best to settle into a little music to take your mind off things. This week there were several music-related reviews and news stories. So without further ado, Let’s Talk Treo!

Palm News

Palm issued two global expansion press releases this week.

Palm Increases Commitment to China

On Tuesday, Palm announced the extension of its presence in China with activities that include:

• Cooperation with China Mobile Communications Corporation, the world's largest mobile operator, with more than 240 million subscribers;
• The establishment of Palm's first Research & Development and Operations Centre in the Asia Pacific region; and
• The launch of the new Palm Treo 680 smartphone in cooperation with CEC Telecom Science and Technology Co., Ltd. (CECT) and Treo 680 distribution partner, Beijing Riverwill Communication Technology Co. Ltd. (Riverwill).

Treo 680 in Peru

Also on Tuesday, Palm and Claro announced the availability of the Treo 680 in Peru. Claro utilizes the GSM technology as well as its GPRS and EDGE evolutions. They are the mobile telecommunications carrier with the largest coverage throughout the country (its market-share was 38.7% as of December 2006).

Talkin’ Treo 750

Crunchgear: It’s Worth it!

Blake Robinson says:

"Is it worth it? I think it’s important to consider that a product is the sum of its parts and that adds up to something pretty valuable here. It’s not a device for everyone, but few products reach universal proliferation — and few of those products are gadgets. So to answer my question, I’d argue yes. The Treo 750 from Palm is a worthwhile investment, but of course, I won’t be giving up my Blackjack anytime soon."

Recent TreoCentral Guides, Reviews & More

Guide: Treo for Newbies, Pt 2: Moving Music To Your New Treo - By Jay Gross

This should really be called Treo Music 101. Professor Jay steps you through what you need to know to get music into and from your Treo. It is part two of the "Treo for Newbie" series, which kicked off in late January.

Review: SPB Mobile Shell - By Tim Hillebrand

If you are using a Treo running Windows Mobile, Tim’s review of the "next generation" user interface, called Spb Mobile Shell, will be of interest. He writes:

"SPB Mobile Shell is a practical enhancement to any Pocket PC, for it gives you total access to all the operations of your device from the Today screen. Not having SPB Mobile Shell would be like trying to fly a space craft without a control panel. With this brilliant application, you can check system status, launch programs, manage tasks, perform a soft reset, and adjust almost any system control. And, you can do it all with your finger because of the large icons—no need for a stylus."

Review: Motorola S805 Bluetooth Headset - By Douglas Morse

Douglas looks at Motorola S805 Bluetooth DJ Headphones with A2DP* and AVRCP** for Treo 750. He writes:

"I love using these for music. I'll say it again, as a wired solution they are simply the best headphones I've ever used. As a wireless solution, they are enjoyable as well. I'll wear these around the house (the Bluetooth range is excellent) or plugged into my computer. As a headset, they are only fair. There are two options. When you pair the device, you can choose the wireless profile to be headphone only, not headset so you'll take calls on your Treo in the usual way. If you do use them as a headset, consider them a sort of back up, or convenience. Although the conversation is clear, the tones are not pleasant. If you can live with that, then this is a great combo."

*A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile) **AVRCP (Audio/Video Remote Control Profile)

For another Bluetooth stereo headphone option, see the Treonaut review for the Sony he SonyEricsson HBH-DS970.

Talkin’ TreoCast

In Episode 14, along with the usual news and reviews, listeners find out which applications and games our hosts think are tops for the Palm OS and Windows Mobile Treos.

Elsewhere in the World of Treo

Review: SonyEricsson HBH-DS970 Bluetooth Stereo Headset

Here’s another option for your listening pleasure. Andrew at Treonauts has put the SonyEricsson HBH-DS970 Bluetooth stereo headset to the test:

"Overall, the SonyEricsson HBH-DS970 is the smallest and lightest Bluetooth Stereo Headset that I have come across to date. It offers excellent A2DP and AVRCP functionality with clear call and music quality and controls (on Treo 750)."

Review: AudioManager

Alli Flowers at MyTreo.net writes about AudioManager, an application for cataloging your CD collection:

"My favorite option is the lazy man's method of adding a recording to the database. The second tab is the details screen. In this screen, you only need to enter the bar code from the CD's package and click the Internet button. What happens next is nothing short of magic!"

Sounds pretty cool.

Review: Seidio 2400mAh Battery – A Must Have!

The reviewer states:

"Don't sweat the weight or the price. The weight is not noticeable, and at $39.95 this battery is a "must have" for any Treo owner. I was so impressed with my battery that I bought one for my brother and my girlfriend and they love it! It is the best accessory for the Treo that you can buy, and it definitely gets the pdaBlast! Top Pick Award."

News: Seamless Security for Windows Mobile devices

Aiko Solutions has just released SecuBox for Pocket PC, encryption software for protecting private information you carry with you on PDA and smartphone. It is designed to encrypt information on the fly (using AES 256-bit encryption), as the user enters the data. This protection runs $39.95. A full-featured 30-day trial is available at www.aikosolutions.com.

News: WebEx Brings Secure Remote PC Access to Mobile Phones With PCNow 3.0

WebEx, the leading provider of on-demand applications for collaborative business on the web, has just launched WebEx PCNow 3.0, the first remote access solution to support both PC-to-PC and phone-to-PC access. Through an exclusive partnership with mobile technology provider SoonR, PCNow 3.0 enables the more than one billion wireless handset users to access the documents, emails, calendars and even VoIP applications on their home and work PCs.

News: – GolfTraxx Releases Latest Software for Pocket PC's and Windows Mobile Devices

Longer days means more time to play golf. Perhaps that was the motivation for the timing of the next announcement.

GolfTraxx has just released a new version of their software for Pocket PC and Windows Mobile devices that now selects the appropriate club for you to hit, based on your game, after determining the remaining distance to the target. According to their press release:

"GolfTraxx users can always update the club selection GolfTraxx makes, said Frank DeBenedetti, founder of GolfTraxx, "but initial reports are that GolfTraxx gets it right 80-90% of the time, after users have configured GolfTraxx for their clubs. More importantly, automatic club selection means that most shots can be played with just two clicks on your PDA device. This makes far easier to use on the course without holding up play."

The GolfTraxx database contains hole-by-hole information for over 21,000 courses in across the globe, several hundred of which already contain GPS coordinates, and all of which can be downloaded to PDA devices via GPRS or WIFI access. Free course data is an integral part of the GolfTraxx voice-enabled, 100% open standards Golf GPS solution for Garmin Ique, Treo, Palm One, Palm LifeDrive, Windows Mobile, Pocket PC, and Windows Mobile 5.

Game News – Project Gotham Racing Goes Mobile

This week, Glu Mobile, a leading global publisher of mobile games, unveiled Project Gotham Racing (PGR) Mobile for Windows Mobile. Developed and published by Glu exclusively for mobile phones, PGR® Mobile is the first mobile adaptation of the original award-winning Project Gotham Racing franchise developed by Bizarre Creations for Microsoft® Xbox® and Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment systems. PGR Mobile will be available for Windows Mobile phones this spring and is the result of the first-time collaboration between Glu, Microsoft and Bizarre Creations. Per the announcement, the Windows Mobile version of PGR Mobile exemplifies the increasing sophistication around development and publishing for mobile devices.

News: AT&T'S Wireless Unit Tag Teams With WWE

This week, AT&T Inc. announced an exclusive content agreement with World Wrestling Entertainment Inc., resulting in the largest collection of mobile WWE content to date being available to AT&T/Cingular customers. World Wrestling Entertainment has an exceptionally loyal and passionate fan base, with its television programming reaching more than 15 million viewers per week. These fans follow WWE across all media, including television, pay-per-view, online, DVDs, magazines, and theatrical films. Now WWE will work jointly with AT&T, formerly Cingular Wireless, to make the mobile device the next extension of WWE, allowing fans to experience a new generation of mobile video and interactivity.

ET Phone Homezone!

Speaking of the new AT&T, another announcement they made this week dealt with the integration of wireless phones and their Homezone service. Homezone customers can now manage their television recordings via wireless handsets. This new offering positions AT&T among the first major entertainment providers to offer this advanced feature. According to the press release, "Homezone customers with compliant cell phones can access their Homezone system to view listings and to search and schedule recordings of video content. In the future, this functionality will expand to include remote access to photos, music and other system content. The new wireless feature is included in the monthly $9.99 price for Homezone service; although, customers may be charged by the carrier for online data usage, depending on their specific plan with their wireless carrier."

Endnotes & Ponderables:

This column opened with times are a-changin’, and will close with something from the way back machine.

According to this story, at the upcoming CeBit electronics show in Germany, a company called Commodore Gaming is scheduled to release a new line of gaming PCs for the European market.

"25 years ago, Commodore launched the best selling personal computer of the late 20th Century, the C64, and defined the early computer games experience for millions of people worldwide," said Bala Keilman, CEO for Commodore Gaming. "We are privileged and excited to bring the Commodore brand back to the gaming community and mark a new chapter in its history with this exceptional machine. We're sure that it will deliver what gamers need and want."

What do you think? Next stop, Commodore Mobile?

Who ya gonna call?

That’s a wrap!

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