• avvenu,  foleo

    Avvenu Access ‘n Share Coming to the Palm Foleo

    Palm an Avvenu have announced that a Foleo Mobile Companion client for Avvenu’s Access ‘n Share service will be made available on the same day that Palm releases the Foleo.

    Previously available for Palm Treo smartphones and PC/Mac web browsers, this new version of Access ‘n Share was developed to take full advantage of Foleo’s large screen size and wireless capabilities. Foleo users can securely browse PC files and folders, preview photos, download and upload documents, and share files with others. Access ‘n Share also provides an optional personal digital locker that allows users to securely store and synchronize files from their PCs to an Avvenu server, providing remote access even when their PCs are turned off or not connected to the Internet.

    “Palm Foleo is a great way to display and edit documents and information available on a Palm Treo smartphone,” said Richard French, chief executive officer for Avvenu. “Avvenu Access ‘n Share completes the proposition by allowing Foleo users to remotely access and share files stored on their work or home personal computers, whenever they are connected to the Internet.”

    “The combination of a Foleo, Treo and Avvenu Access ‘n Share gives mobile professionals a direct route to access business-critical information without the worry of carrying everything with them,” said Mark Bercow, senior vice president of business development for Palm, Inc. “And the Foleo’s large screen and full-size keyboard is optimal for viewing and editing downloaded PowerPoint or Word documents.”

    More information on the Palm Foleo Mobile Companion can be found at the Palm website. Additional information on Avvenu’s Access ‘n Share service can be found on the Avvenu website.

  • foleo,  vpn

    Palm and Bluefire Announce Mobile Security VPN


    Earlier today Palm and Baltimore based Bluefire announced a virtual private network (VPN) client for the Palm Foleo Mobile Companion.

    “Palm is truly demonstrating its leadership by selecting Bluefire’s mobile VPN client for the Foleo,” said Mark Komisky, chief executive officer for Bluefire. “It is essential that device manufacturers, wireless carriers and other industry leaders be proactive about the growing threat of wireless attacks. Palm Foleo users can be sure that their mobile data is secure.”

    “Security features and service are a priority among companies, and we continue to work to make our products compatible with security standards,” said Mark Bercow, senior vice president of business development for Palm, Inc. “Teaming with Bluefire to deliver a secure VPN solution on the Foleo will help protect customer data.”

    The announcement of Bluefire VPN client application should be a big win for mobile professionals who will want to access the resources of their corporate network without having to carry their laptop. This should open the door to the corporate network’s secure web applications using the Opera browser and either a broadband cellular data connection from a Treo smartphone or the Foleo’s own built-in Wi-Fi radio.

    More information about Palm’s upcoming Foleo Mobile Companion can be found on the Palm website. Additional details about Bluefire’s VPN solution can be found on the Bluefire website.

  • treo

    Palm Reposts the Sprint Treo 700p Update


    Yesterday afternoon, Palm posted an update to their company blog stating that the Treo 700p maintenance release (MR) update had been made available again on the Palm website.

    Paul Loeffler writes for Palm:

    The SD card updater has been reposted to the Palm site – installation details can be found here. We are working to resolve the installation issue with the desktop updater and will make it available as soon as possible. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

    Verizon Wireless users, we will make the 700p MR available as soon as we can.

    It would seem that the problem is with the HotSync update method and not with the SD card install method. I’ve used the SD card method on a few Treo 700p devices now and all upgraded without a problem.

    Verizon customers are still waiting for their update. This may not be a bad thing as I have experienced some annoying issues with my Treo since applying the MR update. While these issues, which include a dial tone bug, do not out weight the number of things that Palm has fixed with this update. I only hope that Verizon customers get the additional bug fixes that Sprint customers didn’t get.

  • foleo,  motionapps

    mDayscape for Palm Foleo Announced

    MotionApps has jointly announced with Palm to develop mDayscape a complete personal information manager (PIM) for the Foleo Mobile Companion. The joint press release reads (in part):

    “Bringing a contacts, calendar and tasks application to the Foleo further increases usability of the Treo and enhances the user experience in a continued shift away from the desktop and toward a smartphone as a center of computing,” said Voja Lalich, chief executive officer of MotionApps. “All of us at MotionApps are very excited to announce the launch of mDayscape on Palm’s first mobile companion product.”

    By building the Palm Foleo on an open Linux-based platform and publishing all the tools people might need, Palm hopes to establish a vibrant developer community to create new applications that extend the mobile companion’s built-in capabilities. MotionApps demonstrates the ease with which exciting technology andapplications can be ported to the Palm Foleo Mobile Companion.

    “Using MotionApps’ Quick Add feature, a user can add a new calendar event in seconds, and the event will be mirrored automatically on the user’s smartphone. All this is done with the comfort, efficiency and convenience of the full-size keyboard and wide screen on Foleo,” said Mark Bercow, senior vice president of business development for Palm, Inc.

    MotionApps announcement to deliver a full featured PIM suite to the Palm Foleo is welcomed news. One of the criticisms of the Foleo was that it lacked basic personal information management tools that made Palm’s PDA handhelds and Treo smartphones so popular.

    For more information about Palm’s new Foleo Mobile Companion you can visit the Palm website. Additional information about mDayscape and release notification can be found on the MotionApps website. mDayscape will be available for purchase on the same day the Palm Foleo is released. Further details about pricing and availability has not been announced.

    Read the complete press release

  • astraware,  foleo

    Astraware Announces Titles for the Palm Foleo

    Palm and Astraware have issued joint press releases to announce Astraware’s support of the Foleo Mobile Companion. Two of Astraware’s most popular games, Soduko and Solitaire will be developed for the Palm Foleo with a pledge to release additional titles in the future. The press release reads (in part):

    “The Palm Foleo is a unique and exciting new type of device, and we’re thrilled to make two great popular games available for its users,” said David Oakley, chief technology officer for Astraware. “The Foleo is an ideal companion for high-powered, time-starved executives, and Solitaire and Sudoku are ideal games to let them relax once their work is done.”

    “Business productivity is a major driving force for mobile computing; however we also believe in the importance of balancing work and personal time,” said Mark Bercow, senior vice president of business development for Palm, Inc. “This is why we give mobile professionals the option to relax with a game of solitaire or a stimulating puzzle during downtime.”

    According to the Astraware representative that I spoke with, Astraware Sudoku and Solitaire will be available for purchase on the same day the Palm Foleo Mobile Companion launches. Pricing and availability is not known at this time, except in so far as Palm has committed to releasing the Foleo later this summer.

    More information about Palm’s Foleo Mobile Companion can be found on the Palm website. Additional information about Astraware’s line up of popular mobile games can be found on the Astraware website.

    Read the complete press release

  • foleo

    The Foleo Team Interviews Jeff Hawkins

    The Palm Foleo team has posted a new audio interview with company founder Jeff Hawkins to try to answer some of the questions that have been appearing in discussion forums on blogs like Foleo Fanatics.

    You can listen to the interview or download the .mp3 file here.

  • brighthand,  foleo

    Brighthand: Why I Like the Mobile Companion Concept


    Ed Hardy has a new editorial over on Brighthand. In it he writes:

    “A few weeks ago, Palm, Inc. unveiled the Foleo, the first product in its new “Mobile Companion” category.

    This won’t be a handheld, smartphone, or laptop. As its name suggests, it will be a special-purpose device intended to act in conjunction with a smartphone and not replacing it, letting people view the Web and their email on a larger screen and enter text with a full-size keyboard

    Even though Palm doesn’t want to admit it, it’s not the first company to develop something like this. The first one I can think of that that attracted worldwide attention was the Nokia 770 Internet Tablet, which was recently followed up by the N800.

    Whether you call the device a Mobile Companion or an Internet Tablet, this is a class of devices that I believe has a great deal of potential.”

    Keep reading

  • foleo

    IT Business Edge Foleo Article

    Rob Enderle has written an good editorial over on ITBusinessEdge.com on the state of computing, and discusses how an idea like the Palm Foleo can play a role in the transformation of computing. Mr. Enderle writes:

    “The Promise of Foleo

    You shouldn’t look at Foleo as a done product. It isn’t. Much like the first Palm Pilot, smartphone, or PC, this is the beginning of what could be a major change. Palm doesn’t have all of the parts, many are being created by others, some of whom are Palm partners, and some Palm likely doesn’t even know about yet.

    As cool as it looks, the Foleo is only the beginning. We are at the forefront of a major change, one that could make obsolete the PC as we know it, make products like the iPhone, as a class, look foolish in hindsight, and could provide us with a level of security, reliability, and portability we have only seen in science fiction.”

    Read the full article

    Thanks to 1SRC member bulls96 for sending in this tip.

  • foleo,  gartner

    Foleo Fails to Address Mobile User Needs

    Ryan, over at Palm InfoCenter, has posted an article called “Analyst Says Foleo Fails to Address Mobile User Needs“.

    In the article, Gartner’s PDA/Smartphone sector analyst Todd Kort goes on about how the Foleo is going to be a flop. While I don’t have access to the entire report, I have to wonder: Has Kort ever said anything good about Palm?

    Here is to hoping that Kort is wrong. (Again.)

    Read the PIC article

    UPDATE:

    6/11/07
    You can read the summary of Todd Kort’s Palm Foleo analysis on the Gartner website.

  • foleo

    Chad Garrett – Why I Think the Foleo is Brilliant

    Chad Garrett has posted an article over on Ranting…In a Mobile World titled “Why I think the Palm Foleo is brilliant”.

    At first, I did not know what to think of the Palm Foleo. What is it? A mobile companion? A laptop? It certainly is not the “new” Treo or device I was hoping for. That aside, it is just what I think any mobile professional or tech person needs.

    The Palm Foleo is essentially a very thin, light flashed-based, instant on/off, Linux powered “laptop”. I say “laptop” because that is instantly what it will be compared to. Every one I have spoken to says, “Why would Palm do this. I carry a laptop, Treo, now this? It’s too much!”. These people are missing one big point: the device is an accessory meant to sync with your smartphone to make your portable life easier- it is not meant to replace your laptop.

    Keep reading