• web os

    Palm webOS Update 1.0.3

    June 20, 2009 /

    On Friday night, Palm launched webOS 1.0.3 as an over the air (OTA) update for their Pre smart(er)phone. To download and install Palm webOS 1.0.3, use the Updates application on the Pre.

    webOS 1.0.3 does not install any new application on the Pre, but does address some of the issues that have cropped up during the Pre’s first full two weeks on the market. According to Palm, the webOS 1.0.3 update includes fixes for:

    • Power performance in areas where wireless coverage is sporadic or unavailable has been enhanced.
    • Non-SSL Exchange ActiveSync (EAS) mail servers are now supported.
    • Events created in Google calendar that contain a symbol or accented character in the event name can now synchronize.
    • Changes made to Google events on the phone now sync with Google online within a few minutes.
    • The sync interval for Google events has been decreased from every few hours to every 15 minutes.

    This update will also change the Sprint configuration version from 1.4 to 1.5, however, there is no mention as to what this change intails. I have read some speculation on the Internet that this update changes how the cellular radio works. I have not seen any change in coverage or signal strength after the update was applied to my Pre.

    You can read the complete list of webOS fixes address in the 1.0.3 update on the Palm website.

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  • apple,  iphone

    SplashTravel Comes to iPhone/iPod touch

    June 19, 2009 /

    SplashData has recently released its popular SplashTravel suite to the App Store, but with all of the travel utilities combined under one icon. Until now, the suite has been available for Palm’s Treo and Centro smartphones.

    SplashTravel for iPhone and iPod touch offers:

    • Trip Organizer for Air, Hotel & Car reservations
    • Flight Tracker with gate, plane, and status info
    • Unit & Currency Converter
    • Tip Calculator
    • World Clock
    • Time Calculator
    • Packing List
    • Expense Report tool
    • lists of country codes, clothing size charts, etc.

    Beyond the existing travel applications included in the suite, SplashData also added the powerful Trip Organizer and Home screen features to bring it all together in a cohesive user interface. I really like the idea of the trip organizer because when I travel for work, I always seem to forget something: black socks, a brown belt, toothpaste. I may have to book a trip to Florida just so I can test SplashTravel out!

    For more details, visit the SplashData website or jump right over to the Apple App Store.

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  • centro,  pre,  treo,  web os

    People Love Their Pre Smartphones

    June 18, 2009 /

    We tend to get a little fanatical about mobile technology around a site like Smartphone Fanatics. That said, people really love their new Pre smartphones! One example is a review from Jenny Levin, a librarian in Chicago, IL.

    Ms. Levin has posted a review of the Pre on her blog, The Shifted Librarian, which has been written from the point of view of a Palm Treo or Centro owner who is considering the jump from Palm OS 5 to webOS.

    “When I picked up my new Palm Pre smartphone last week, one of the store employees said, “You must have been waiting for this phone for a long time.” He could tell I was excited about it. I told him I’d been waiting for this phone for nine years, six of them on Palm Treos and a Centro, waiting for the next leap.

    And now that I finally have it, I can say that while it’s quite clearly a first generation device, I love it. This post will explain why, but it won’t be a comparison of the iPhone versus the Pre. I’ve only played with an iPhone a couple of times, so it wouldn’t be fair, plus everyone knows I’m not a fan of Apple, so I can’t really be objective about this. So instead, this will be a review of the Pre from the perspective of a Treo/Centro owner wondering if she should upgrade, because that’s the question I’m getting asked the most. Back in 2003, I started a popular page called What’s on My Treo 600 that listed all of the apps I used and as a result, I heard from Palm owners for years (and occasionally still do), so this is an area I know well.

    In fact, a lot of my issues with the Pre come from features the Treos/Centros did better, but I’ll also describe what’s new, both the good and the bad. As a result, this will be a long review, so skip this post if you’re not interested in smartphones or the Pre.”

    Keep reading…

    Ms. Levin and I share many of the same views about the Pre. Long time Treo users will find that some of the nice little refinements from Palm OS 5.4.9 didn’t make it into webOS 1.0.2; however, the big wins like multitasking and Synergy really make it all worth while. And yes, there have been issues with webOS 1.0.2 and the Pre including the erratic signal strength issue, weirdness with the Touchstone charging base, and Exchange and Gmail syncing issues. The good news is that Palm is aware of all of these issues and is working to resolve them. (There are some perks to be a Palm discussion forums moderator.)

    You can read the full review over at The Shifted Librarian website.

    Thanks to Geri for this tip.

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  • apple,  iphone,  itunes,  pre,  web os

    Palm Responds to iTunes Third-Party Support Note

    June 18, 2009 /

    Yesterday, John Paczkowski of the Wall Street Journal’s All Things Digital blog, reported that Palm has issued their own statement about the Pre’s ability to use the webOS Media Sync feature to sync with Apple’s iTunes jukebox software.

    “Palm’s media sync works with the current version of iTunes,” Palm spokesperson Lynn Fox told me. “If Apple chooses to disable media sync in a future version of iTunes, it will be a direct blow to their users who will be deprived of a seamless synchronization experience. However, people will have options. They can stay with the iTunes version that works to sync their music on their Pre, they can transfer the music via USB, and there are other third-party applications we could consider.”

    I really hope this doesn’t turn into a battle of wills. Once the technology is put out there, the hacker community is going to find ways around whatever road block that Apple tries to throw up to defend the walled garden that is iTunes.

    In my opinion, it is clear that Apple will end up fighting a cold war with Palm or the hacker developer community similar to the one that pits Apple against the hacks that have been jailbreaking iPhones since 2007.

    The long and short of it, if Apple’s iTunes users and iTunes Store customers want to sync media to the Pre smartphone, someone is going to cook up a way to do it. So why not just let Palm’s customers sync up with iTunes.

    Besides, Apple doesn’t think that the Palm Pre is a real threat to iPhones sales. Or do they?

    [Via AllThingsD.com…]

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  • apple,  itunes

    Pre’s iTunes Sync Feature Can Break at Anytime

    June 17, 2009 /

    I think we all saw this coming. I’m surprised, actually, it has taken Apple this long to bring it up.

    AppleInsider.com     is reporting that Apple has posted a new Knowlege Base article (6/16/09) stating that the iPod and iPhone maker doesn’t test for third-party media player compatibility with it’s software and that the new Palm Pre smartphone may no longer be able to sync with iTunes as Apple upgrades the software over time. In article HT3642, Apple states:

    “Apple designs the hardware and software to provide seamless integration of the iPhone and iPod with iTunes, the iTunes Store, and tens of thousands of apps on the App Store. Apple is aware that some third-parties claim that their digital media players are able to sync with Apple software. However, Apple does not provide support for, or test for compatibility with, non-Apple digital media players and, because software changes over time, newer versions of Apple’s iTunes software may no longer provide syncing functionality with non-Apple digital media players.”

    AppleInsider also writes:

    “Whether or not this is likely to happen with the Pre is difficult to tell. The feature works by identifying the smartphone in its hardware ID as an iPod and would require that Apple detect the difference between the Pre and a genuine iPod. Many of Palm’s current engineers — as well as its new CEO Jon Rubinstein — are former Apple employees who have worked on the iPhone or iPod and are familiar with iTunes’ current methods of recognizing plugged-in devices.”

    We will have to wait and see what happens. Apple and Palm have been dancing around each other like boxers in the ring. Will this become a slugfest similar to the games that Apple players with the hackers who jailbreak iPhones; with each side upping the ante? No one really knows for sure, but it has become clear that with Palm having people who have worked on the iPod and iPhone on staff, Palm should be well equiped to counter any unintentional or otherwise, breaks between the Pre and iTunes.

    [Via AppleInsider.com…]

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  • pre,  web os

    Capturing Palm webOS Screens

    June 16, 2009 /

    Sometimes a picture really is worth 1,000 words. I just found out that you can capture a screen image of what is being displayed on your Pre with a simple keystroke command.

    If you press the following keys in order, a picture of the screen will be written out to the Photos application on the Pre. The command is:

    Orange key + Shift key + P key

    To execute the command press and hold Orange, Shift, and then P. When you do, a new category will be shown in Photos called “screencaptures”. From there, you can do whatever you want with the photo. The above photo was taken on my Pre as a test.

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  • dataviz,  iphone

    More Details on Documents To Go for iPhone

    June 16, 2009 /

    As expected, DataViz issued their official press release for Documents To Go for the iPhone and iPod touch.

    Documents To Go brings iPhone and iPod touch users the culmination of over 10 years of DataViz experience providing mobile professionals a robust and easy-to-use mobile Office suite for “anytime, anywhere” access to their important documents. Users can view, edit and create Microsoft Word files, including Word 2007, and utilize a desktop application to provide 2-way file synchronization. A version with support for attachments is also available for Microsoft Exchange e-mail users who need to send, receive and edit attachments on their iPhones.

    “There has been an overwhelming interest in Documents To Go and we’re very excited to expand our product line to include the revolutionary iPhone and iPod touch,” said Dick Fontana, DataViz co-founder & CEO. “We started our company in 1984 around Apple and the Macintosh, so it’s personally gratifying to see everything come full circle with an App Store application as we celebrate our twenty-fifth year in business.”

    The feature highlights for this initial release of Documents To Go includes:

    • View, Edit & Create Microsoft Word Files
    • Synchronize Files With Desktop Application over Wi-Fi for Mac and PC users
    • Receive, Edit & Send Microsoft Exchange Attachments

    Pricing & Availability

    Documents To Go and Documents To Go with Exchange Attachments are available for a special limited-time price of $4.99 and $9.99 respectively from Apple’s App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore/.

    All customers who purchase version 1.0 will receive a free update which will include support for editing and creating Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, when available. Supported devices include any iPhone or iPod touch model running iPhone Software Update 2.2 or above. The Documents To Go Desktop software is compatible with Windows XP, Vista and Mac OS X 10.4.10 and above. For more information: www.dataviz.com/GetiPhone.

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  • apple,  dataviz,  iphone

    Documents To Go for iPhone/iPod touch Released

    June 15, 2009 /

    I received word from my contact at DataViz that Documents To Go for the iPhone and iPod touch has gone live at the Apple App Store! Documents To Go has been my must have application for many years on my old Palm OS devices and now the award winning office suite is coming to the iPhone and iPod touch.

    There are two editions of Documents To Go for iPhone and iPod touch: Documents To Go and Documents To Go with Exchange Attachments. Both editions provide the following features:

    • Create, edit, and view Microsoft Word documents (including Word 2007 and 2008)
    • View and synchronize Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Adobe Acrobat, Apple iWork ’08 files
    • View web pages and most common graphics files
    • Mac and PC desktop 2-way Wi-Fi synchronization application

    Customers who chose to purchase Documents To Go with Exchange Attachments will have access to the following features:

    • Exchange attachments are downloaded and processed by Documents To Go
    • Exchange attachments can be viewed or modified
    • Reply or forward to an existing email with the supported attachment types
    • Create new email messages and attache files for immediate transmission

    Also included in this edition of Documents To Go is the InTact Technology that ensures that your document’s original formatting remains the same regardless of where it is worked on. Another cool feature is DataViz’s built-in support for cut, copy and paste without the need for iPhone OS 3.0 installed.

    I have also been told that Documents To Go is iPhone OS 3.0 compatible so if you buy Documents To Go before you upgrade to iPhone OS 3.0, you can do so worry free.

    Documents To Go and Documents To Go with Exchange Attachments are both available now from the App Store and are being sold at a special two week introductory rate of $4.99 and $9.99.

    Both versions of Documents To Go require an iPhone or iPod touch with OS 2.2 or later.

    I’ll have more details about both versions of Documents To Go after the official DataViz press release is issued and I’ve had a chance to take Documents To Go out for a test drive.

    For more details, visit the DataViz website.

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  • motionapps

    Classic for webOS Updated

    June 14, 2009 /

    I noticed this morning that MotionApps has released version 1.0.2 of Classic for webOS. Classic is the Palm OS 5 emulation software that allows you to run the thousands of Palm OS applications on the new Palm Pre smartphone.

    I did not find any documentation that listed what issue was addressed with the minor maintenance release of the software.

    Classic can be purchased from online from the MotionApps website for $29.99. For more information about Classic, check out the MotionApps website.

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  • pre,  touchstone

    Pre Journal: Leather Side Case, Touchstone

    June 14, 2009 /

    Just a few days ago, I was talking about accessories for my new Palm Pre. A week later, I now have two.

    First up is the Palm leather side case. This is the belt clip case for the Pre. (Palm also has a leather slip case.) So far I like the case. The Pre fits snugly in the case and Palm has included a little ribbon to help lift the Pre out of the case, reducing the risk that you will drop the Pre while removing it from the case. That is a really nice touch as I had almost dropped my Treo 755p a few times while using the older Palm leather Treo case.

    The second accessory that I purchased was the Palm Touchstone. This is the super cool, if not super expensive, wireless battery charging dock for the Pre. (I purchased the cheapest of the three Touchstone kits.) There where two reasons that helped chanage my mind about Touchstone.

    The first is the microUSB door on the right side of the Pre. There is this tiny little piece of plastic that holds the door to the body of the Pre. I had visions of accidentally snapping that thing off the phone while I was fiddling with the USB cable to either charge up the phone or sync media of files on to the device in Drive mode or Media Sync mode.

    The second reason has to due with my complaint that Palm chose to go with the glossy finish on the Pre over the matte soft touch paint that was used on the Palm Treo 750 and 755p. You see, the Touchstone requires that you use a different back plate than the stock Palm back plate that comes with the Pre. The replacement Palm back plate that ships with the Pre has that soft touch paint that I like so much. So the phone is, in my opinion, easier to hold and feels nicer too. Oh, and the matte finish doesn’t pick up fingerprints like the glossy version does.

    I could have lived without the matte finish on the Pre, but I would have gone nuts if the microUSB door had broken off my Pre. If that had happened, I would have had to file an insurance claim with Sprint because it would have driven me nuts to have the port exposed.

    All in all, I’m happy with my purchases, and I hope you will be too. Both accessories, the leather side case and the Touchstone charging base are available from Sprint (retail location and online) and at Palm’s online store. As I understand it, both Palm’s and Sprint’s warehouses have ample supply of both accessories at this point.

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