• Uncategorized

    Guest Appearance on the Computer Outlook Radio Talk Show

    September 19, 2007 /

    Alan Grassia to have a guest appearance on the Computer Outlook Radio Talk show.

    Justin Nolan, the editor over at PDALive.com and co-host for John Iasiuolo’s Computer Outlook Radio Talk Show, has asked me to appear on Wednesday’s Palm handheld show. We’re planning on talking about Palm’s cancellation of the Foleo, “Palm OS II”, and the future direction of Palm.

    The Computer Outlook Radio Talk show airs in 35 markets. If yours isn’t one of them (mine isn’t either) you can listen to the show live via an audio stream (Windows Media Player, QuickTime/iTunes, Real Player) daily at 5pm PT.

    For more details, the live audio stream, and podcast archive RSS feed, visit the Computer Outlook Radio Talk Show website.

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  • dataviz

    DataViz Speaks About Foleo Cancellation

    September 19, 2007 /


    DataViz has posted a statement regarding the cancellation of the Foleo.

    “Palm has been a valued partner of ours for over ten years and we have been involved with Foleo for over three of them. As such, we have put a great deal of effort into building a Linux-based Documents To Go for the Foleo project.

    We see this Linux project as a necessary step in our journey and partnership with Palm. The decision to cancel the launch of Foleo is something that comes with the territory. It is a necessary bump in an otherwise great journey, and bodes well for Palm as it indicates they have tighter focus and better opportunities calling.”

    – Dick Fontana, President & CEO, DataViz Inc.

    Documents To Go was the first application that I purchased for my Palm IIIx device. I’m encouraged to hear that the relationship between Palm and DataViz is still intact. I’m looking forward to being able to use my Foleo with Documents To Go in the future since I already believe that Documents To Go is the best office suite for the Palm OS platform.

    Read the full DataViz blog post…

    [Via PalmInfoCenter]

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  • foleo

    Rumor: “Foleo II” Will Use New Hardware

    September 16, 2007 /

    It has only been a short while since Palm CEO Ed Colligan announced on the Palm blog that the Foleo mobile companion was going to be canceled to allow Palm to focus on the development of “Palm OS II” which would be used to drive future solutions from his company.

    As a result, beta testers of the Foleo I where asked to box their units up and send them home. (I should point out that I was not selected to be a beta tester.) An interesting post has shown up in the TreoCentral discussion forum. TreoCentral member Gameboy 70, who was a Foleo beta tester wrote:

    “I just found out yesterday that I have to return my Foleo to Palm. The email stated that development of the current Foleo has ended, and that “A Foleo II will have different hardware,” which was tantalizing. “A” Foleo II makes it sound hypothetical, while “will” sounds imminent. I originally thought Palm was going to take a few more months to augment the firmware and flash the existing units.”

    If this is true, I am encouraged by these developments. Many of the readers of Foleo Fanatics have already bought into the idea of the Foleo and the customer base it will support. This report of a new hardware design could signal that Palm could be making changes to the hardware that will allow Foleo II to return as an even more powerful device in the future.

    One of the well publicized “issues” with the Foleo was that it couldn’t play Flash video, like those used by YouTube, as well as Palm and their customers had hoped. (I know that this issue was software based.)

    Could new hardware be part of the future plans for the Foleo? The demo unit that I was able to play with did seem to be production grade. The keyboard felt solid and the lid and hinges seemed sturdy. Could Palm be mulling over a faster processor? More memory perhaps? Or could they be looking at newer battery technology to provide even longer run time on a single charge? Only Palm knows for sure at this point. Regardless I am encouraged by the prospects of a refreshed hardware design that could allow the Foleo to do even more than the original demo units.

    What are your thoughts on the prospects for a Foleo II? Let us know by clicking the Comments link below.

    Read Gameboy70’s post on TreoCentral…

    [Thanks to the tipster who sent this in.]

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  • dataviz,  windows mobile

    Documents To Go v3.0010 for Windows Mobile Smartphone

    September 15, 2007 /

    DataViz has released Documents To Go Premium Edition 3.0010 for Windows Mobile 5 Smartphone and Windows Mobile 6 Standard Editions.

    This new version of Documents To Go adds support for Microsoft Office 2007 XML files allowing customers to open, edit, and create Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents and email attachments on their smartphones. The “Zip and Send” feature, added with this release, will allow customers to compress and email the open document.

    “This version addresses our top customer request for full Office 2007 file support for Word, Excel and PowerPoint,” said Danny Tu, Documents To Go Product Manager, DataViz, Inc. “After many months of hard work and effort we are proud to produce a solution that stays true to the new XML-based Office 2007 file structure by retaining all file formatting through the use of our very own InTact Technology.”

    Documents To Go v3.0010 retails for $29.99 and is available for purchase directly from DataViz.com, other online mobile software retailers, and DataViz retail sales outlets.

    Full Documents To Go details…
    Read the full press release…

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  • Uncategorized

    Palm Shareholders Approve Elevation Partners Investment

    September 12, 2007 /

    Palm has just posted a press release indicating that the company shareholders have voted to approve the $325MM investment in Palm by Elevation Partners.

    “Palm, Inc., (Nasdaq:PALM) today announced that Palm stockholders have approved proposals that will permit Palm to conclude a $325 million investment by Elevation Partners, L.P., borrow up to $400 million in an associated debt financing, make a cash distribution of $9.00 per share to Palm stockholders, and make related adjustments to its equity plans.”

    “We appreciate our stockholders’ strong support of these proposals and look forward to an era of renewed innovation and focused execution at Palm,” said Ed Colligan, president and chief executive officer.”

    It will be interesting to see what becomes of this deal. Many Palm fans are hoping that this agreement will help put the company back on track with new and innovative products while avoiding the problems that plagued the recently canceled Foleo mobile companion.

    Read the full Palm press release    …

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  • Uncategorized

    Palm to Hold Annual Stockholder Meeting Today

    September 12, 2007 /


    Later today Palm will be hosting their annual stockholder meeting.

    Palm, Inc. (Nasdaq:PALM) will hold its annual meeting of stockholders on Wednesday, Sept. 12, at 9 a.m. PDT at its headquarters, 950 W. Maude Ave., Sunnyvale, Calif. The record date for this meeting was set as Aug. 8, 2007. The agenda for the meeting is outlined in the company’s proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Aug. 8, 2007.

    During this meeting, I expect the vote for approving the Elevation Partners recapitalization deal. If approved, shareholders will receive a $9 dividend, Palm will receive about $325MM from Elevation, and Elevation will gain to seats on the Palm Board of Directors and two existing board members are expected to step down.

    Read the full press release…

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  • treo

    Palm Launches the Treo 500v on Vodafone

    September 12, 2007 /

    Earlier this morning, Palm officially launched the Treo 500v, previously named as “Gandolf” in Internet rumors, for European Vodafone customers. (Note: The European Palm website has not yet been updated, however, Palm has issued the following press release at 6am, Eastern Time in the United States.) The new Treo will become available for sale this October, meaning Palm’s customers may still have to wait another 4-6 weeks.

    The Palm press release reads:

    “Palm Europe Ltd today announced the Palm(R) Treo(TM) 500v smartphone which combines multiple forms of communication and multimedia capabilities with high speed 3G/UMTS mobile internet access, allowing users access to popular websites such as MySpace, YouTube and eBay whilst on the move. The new Palm Treo 500v smartphone will initially be available exclusively to Vodafone customers from October.

    The Palm Treo 500v smartphone runs on a Windows(R) Mobile(R) 6 standard platform and has a full keyboard, large screen, video streaming capability and a comprehensive multi-messaging functionality covering Instant Messaging, SMS, email and phone and personal information management software in a new design(1). The compact form factor is available in two colours: glacier white and charcoal grey.”

    The press release goes on to list some of the features of the Treo 500v, including:

    • All-in-one smartphone with messaging, email and web
    • Full keyboard for fast and easy typing
    • Automatic delivery of Hotmail/MSN, Yahoo!, and Gmail, email as it arrives
    • Large, high-resolution screen
    • Internet Explorer Mobile full-featured browser
    • Access to Google Maps and eBay
    • Vodafone live! for news, sports, and entertainment on the go
    • 3G/UMTS network
    • Planner with address book, calendar, to-do lists, and more
    • View Microsoft(R) Word, Excel(R), PowerPoint(R), and Adobe PDF files
    • Windows Media(R) Player Mobile for music and videos
    • 2.0 megapixel camera captures video too
    • 150MB of memory, expandable with microSD expansion card
    • Windows Mobile(R) 6 Standard software
    • Microsoft(R) Direct Push technology for delivery of Outlook(R) email
    • Bluetooth(R) wireless technology
    • Device available in two colours: glacier white and charcoal grey

    Read the complete Treo 500v press release…

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  • centro,  treo

    Rumor: Is this the Treo 500?

    September 11, 2007 /

    Earlier today Palm community websites went nuts with a leaked picture of what is probably the new device coming to Europe this Wednesday, the Treo 500.

    The device specifications are still a bit sketchy, but if the rumors are true, this might be the first Palm device to run Windows Mobile Standard, which does not include touchscreen support. If the rumors continue to be true, there are likely to be two versions of this phone: a Windows Mobile/GSM device, and a Palm OS/EVDO device. It is not clear if there would be a Palm OS/GMS device here in the United States running on the AT&T network.

    Regardless of what what is true about these rumors or not, the world will find out what is coming to Europe on September 12th.

    [Thanks to Holvoetn for the tip.]

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  • centro

    Rumor: New Centro Details – Updated

    September 9, 2007 /

    (Updated 9/9/07 @ 4:15pm)

    Palm InfoCenter has some new rumored details about the upcoming device rumored to be launching on October 14th on the Sprint network.

    Kris Keilhack writes:

    “Based on the preliminary specifications, strong software bundle, and rumored $99 price point, the Centro appears to be a far better value proposition than its pricier 755p sister device in the Sprint lineup. Even if the Centro lacks Documents To Go, PTunes Deluxe is a superb choice to be bundled the device, especially if Palm is targeting the media-savvy youth market with this release. Previously leaked photos have confirmed that the Centro uses the updated Phone app first seen on the Treo 680 and not included on the Treo 755p. Earlier reports also indicated that the Centro will have EVDO Rev. A but this has not yet been confirmed at this time.”

    If this is true, I’m glad to see Palm including a full version of Pocket Tunes (pTunes) Deluxe with this new device. It is something that I have been advocating for a while now. All indications are that the Centro is intended to be a consumer device and not one targeted for business customers. In this context, I support the move to remove Documents To Go from the preinstalled applications list. I do wonder if the Documents To Go Viewer application will be loaded on the device. The Documents To Go Viewer application was a special read-only viewer that appeared on the Treo 600 to allow customers to view Word and Excel attachments from inside VersaMail.

    Read the full PIC article…

    Update:

    The website PhoneNews.com appears to be corroborating the information from the Palm InfoCenter article.

    More details via PhoneNews.com    …

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