• centro,  sprint

    Palm, Sprint Update the Centro

    October 14, 2008 /

    Looks like the Palm Centro for Sprint is about to get a holiday makeover. In a press release issued earlier today, Palm unveiled the Centro refreshes that were alluded to in the September quarterly conference call.

    The two new additions to the Centro family, currently only available for Sprint, feature:

    • Two new colors; olive green and vibrant rose
    • Soft-touch paint; similar to that used on the Treo 750 and 755p
    • 128MB of user accessible memory; increased from 64MB
    • Facebook for Palm OS preinstalled
    • Google Maps with My Location support

    The new Centro smartphones will begin to roll into select retail outlets on October 19, and will be come available at Sprint retail locations and online at Palm.com and Sprint.com starting on November 2.

    Palm is also relasing a trio (not Treo) of Cento accessories to compliment the new phones in the way of a new leather slide case, leather flip case, and car charger.

    According to Palm’s press release, the new smartphones will also have a new lower price when you agree to a 2-year contract, including a data plan that is $25 a month, and after a $100 mail-in rebate. When all is said and done, you can pick up a new Centro for $79.99; previously retailing at $99.99 at the Centro’s initial launch.

    There is a lot of like about the new Centro smartphones. I’m glad to see that Palm is actively marketing multiple colors for their smartphones. I also like that face that Palm has returned to using the soft-touch paint as it one of my favorite features of my Treo 755p. But the best part about this pair of devices is that Palm is pushed past the 64MB mark. There have been plenty of time where I wished my Treo had 128MB on board.

    For more details on the pair of new Centro smartphones, check out the Palm Centro website.

    Read More
  • 1src,  editorial,  palm os

    Editorial: Palm Needs an App Store

    October 14, 2008 /


    The 1SRC Editorial is back. This week I write about how Palm needs to build an App Store for Palm OS II/Nova powered smartphones.

    Palm is in the midst of a corporate transformation, that, if successful, will put the company back on the map as a mobile computing innovator. Palm executives have outlined the three-step plan as being: People, Design, and Platform. This week we take another look at “Platform.”

    In previous 1SRC editorials and podcasts, I have talked about Palm’s transformation and the possible products and services that might coincide with it. We’ve already seen the ramifications of “People.” Palm has been steadily recruiting top technology talent to help drive innovation across the organization. That recruitment process continues today. We have also seen the results of “Design.” The new Treo Pro is a radical departure from the smartphones that have their roots in the Treo 600 design. The last leg of the plan, “Platform,” refers to Palm’s efforts to develop a mobile operating system that will be the successor to Palm OS 5.

    We know that work on Palm OS II/Nova is still on going and that devices running the new mobile operating system my not appear in the market place until as late as June 2009. Palm OS II/Nova, I think, is as much a means as it is an end. Yes, when Palm OS II/Nova finally does ship on a Palm smartphone, many people will breath a sigh of relief. Many people question Palm’s ability to deliver a new mobile operating system at all. Having already created five mobile operating systems, I think Palm can handle the creation of a sixth. What is of more long term strategic importance to Palm is the value added services that will be launched alongside of Palm OS II/Nova powered devices.

    I have already talked about the possibility of Palm moving to a cloud computing solution to replace the current versions of Palm Desktop and the HotSync Manager for Windows and Mac OS X. A “Mobile Me Too” solution that Palm develops will be a boon for small business users and consumers. Even after the MyPalm.com portal shutdown, I still think that a cloud solution is in the works. Device backups will be another popular cloud service that Palm may provide. The Palm Backup beta, also closed, showed how easy device backups can and should be for people who do not fancy themselves as geeks.

    The last piece of the puzzle has to be an application marketplace and application delivery system. This concept is not new to Palm. Palm’s partnership with Bluefish Wireless to provide AddIt on Palm OS devices has been around since 2003. AddIt masquerades as My Centro and My Treo on many of Palm’s recent smartphones and offers customers a means to demo and purchase software from their phones without the need for a desktop computer. Apple’s App Store has no doubt popularized this feature. As Palm prepares to wrap up development of Palm OS II/Nova, they will need to have a new mobile application store ready to go live at the same time.

    When Palm OS II/Nova enters the market place, Palm’s competitors will be implementing similar solutions. Apple’s App Store is already online. Microsoft, RIM, and Google have all pledged to deliver similar on device shopping experiences. If Palm wants to be taken seriously as a mobile technology innovator, then Palm OS II/Nova will need an App Store of it’s own.

    The frustrating thing for many customers is that Palm already has an under utilized solution with AddIt. We know that the web will play a major role in Palm OS II/Nova, and it stands to reason that a cloud solution makes sense. The trick for Palm, and their developer partners, who will populate the new digital storefront with software for us to buy, is to rework what they have. Palm will no doubt leverage their existing relationship with Bluefish to develop a new front-end client to the backend solution that would be delivered by the new PocketGear. (For those not in the know, PocketGear, formerly associated with Motricity, is the outsource partner that runs Palm’s online software store, Software Connection.) I’m a big fan of leveraging what has already been developed, and it would seem that Palm already has a relationship with business partners who can help create a new solution in short order without having to throw everything away.

    In conclusion, I believe that Palm OS II/Nova represents more than a new mobile operating system that will be installed on smartphones from Palm. As I have attempted to demonstrate before, I believe that Palm OS II/Nova will be foundation for new products and services that are likely under development in Palm’s software labs.

    The proof will be in the pudding as the saying goes. To that end, Palm should be taking advantage of CES in January and the Mobile World Congress in February to generate excitement with their carrier partners and in the developer community about a new on device software purchasing and delivery solution. Having a strong third-party software ecosystem will be essential to driving the success of Palm and Palm OS II/Nova just like it was when Palm introduced the Palm Pilot some ten years ago.

    Read More
  • android,  t-mobile

    T-Mobile G1 Hands On “Review”

    October 10, 2008 /

    I saw this over on EngadgetMobile this morning and I wanted to share it with all the G1 fans.

    “Oh sure, you’ve already read over our (and Ryan Block’s) brief one-day impressions of T-Mobile’s G1, but one lucky (lucky!) user over at AndroidCommunity has been able to handle one for more than just a few hours. As a precious gift to the world, he’s penned a nice list of pros and cons along with a Q&A, and it seems that the “review” is actually growing with time. Right from the top, he notes that the G1 is lke a “SideKick on massive steriods,” albeit one with a minty fresh OS”

    Via EngadgetMobile…

    Read More
  • rumors

    End of the Palm PDA Era?

    October 10, 2008 /

    Kris Keilhack over at PalmInfoCenter.com has an interesting article posted called “New Palm Accessory EOL Notifications.”

    “After several quiet weeks following the launch of the new Treo Pro, Palm’s Channel Source ResellerPro portal has posted a few tidbits of information regarding product EOL status as well as Palm’s new Education Purchase program.

    After being announced barely five weeks ago, Palm has unsurprisingly decided to EOL one of the Treo 800w’s Palm-branded peripherals. The 3291WW Vehicle Power Adapter with micro USB plug has received its EOL notification. We covered this item’s release back in late August and discussed the unnecessarily overlapping SKUs . Presumably, Palm will be updating their remaining micro USB car charger, 3437WW, to reflect its compatibility with the new Treo Pro as well as the older 800w.”

    Read the full PalmInfoCenter article…

    Interesting. So Palm is going to be refreshing some accessories as we head into the holiday shopping season. In and of itself, that information is not surprising.

    However, I have to wonder about the graphic (above) and the announcement that the educational purchase program is changing. In the past, the education purchase program favored Palm’s traditional handheld devices like the Palm Tungsten E2 and TX. Is the changing of the educational purchase program the early warning sign that Palm’s PDA business will finally be coming to an end at the end of this year?

    During the most recent conference call, Palm CFO Andy Brown reported that “[Palm] saw handheld sell-though fall to 166,000 units representing a 49% decline year over year and as we
    look ahead, [Palm] expect[s] this trend to continue. Inventory held by our channel partners was 7.5 weeks at the end of the quarter. “

    About a year ago, on a similar quarterly conference call, Palm referred to their PDA business as a jet liner coming in for a soft landing. From last months sales and inventory figures, and this months EOL activity, it would seem like it is just about time to turn off the fasten seat belts sign.

    Read More
  • blackberry

    BlackBerry Storm Round Up

    October 9, 2008 /

    CrackBerry.com‘s Kevin Michaluk has done a great job of rounding up all of the latest news about RIM newest BlackBerry due out later this year.

    “Wow. I don’t even know where to begin. Fall asleep on the couch for an hour, wake up just after midnight and the Internet has gone BlackBerry Storm’n mad!!! You now have a WHACK LOAD of information about the BlackBerry Storm to browse through and digest… it’s crazy, and it’s good.”

    Dive into it…

    Read More
  • Uncategorized

    Handling Sensitive Smartphone Data

    October 9, 2008 /

    Clemens Schuchert, executive producer and host of Germany’s PUGcast – Sync Your Ears, has written a new article on securing your smartphone.

    “Data is sensitive, regardless whether it is personal or business related. You neither want anybody to know your bank transaction codes or PINs for the cellphone, credit card, etc. nor to know which customers you serve. Thus, data is sensitive and needs to be protected. Who of you really take care of data protection?

    From my experience in all regards of enterprise security issues, I may say that the most important security feature is the user himself, which often is left out in a pretty well designed enterprise security stratgey. This is fatal because the user is vital part of the strategy!

    There are severel protection levels, which make it quite secure to have all sensitive data on your smartphone.
    In general, there are five protection levels:
    (01) device based
    (02) user based
    (03) application based
    (03) file based
    (04) disk/card based (for expansion media)”

    Keep reading How to Handle Sensitive Data on Smartphones…

    Read More
  • blackberry

    RIM Introduces the Blackberry Storm

    October 9, 2008 /

    Not wanting to leave Apple alone in the “Uber-Cool Touchscreen Phone” market, Research In Motion (RIM) along with their US and European launch partners, Verizon Wireless and Vodafone, officially introduced the BlackBerry Storm smartphone earlier today.

    “Designed to satisfy the needs of both consumers and business customers, the BlackBerry Storm smartphone combines the powerful communications features, global connectivity and personal productivity advantages of the BlackBerry® platform with a revolutionary touch-screen technology that dramatically enhances the touch interface and enables easy and precise typing. The world’s first “clickable” touch-screen responds much like a physical keyboard and also supports single-touch, multi-touch and gestures for intuitive and efficient application navigation.”

    “We are proud to introduce the first touch-screen based BlackBerry smartphone together with Verizon Wireless and Vodafone,” said Mike Lazaridis, president and co-chief executive officer at RIM. “The BlackBerry Storm is a revolutionary touch-screen smartphone that meets both the communications and multimedia needs of customers and solves the longstanding problem associated with typing on traditional touch-screens. Consumers and business customers alike will appreciate this unique combination of a large and vibrant screen with a truly tactile touch interface.”

    “The BlackBerry Storm offers our customers more ways to stay connected to both their personal and professional lives – whether in their communities or around the globe,” said Mike Lanman, vice president and chief marketing officer of Verizon Wireless. “The BlackBerry Storm combines the reliability of our 3G network with the dependability and network efficiency of the BlackBerry platform to deliver our customers the ultimate wireless experience – all in one of the coolest smartphones available on the market today.”

    Moving touch screen aside, this new BlackBerry does have some great features packed into it, including:

    • DataViz Documents To Go
    • 3.2MP digital camera
    • Built-in GPS receiver
    • 1GB of built-in memory and a microSD card slot for up to 16GB of extra storage
    • 480×360 resolution display
    • Removable 1400mAh battery

    Read the full RIM press release here…

    The “clickbable” touchscreen sounds like an interesting gimmick. When you press down on the screen, it is suppose to have a little bit of give in it that gives you tactile feedback much like you would get if you where pressing a mouse button or typing on a keyboard. We’ll get back to you on that when the device is in wide distribution to figure out if this feature is a boon or a bust.

    At this time, RIM has not announced a release date or pricing for the Storm with or without new service contracts with Verizon or Vodafone.

    For more details about the new BlackBerry Storm, visit the RIM BlackBerry Storm website.

    Read More
  • apple,  blackberry,  htc,  iphone,  rim

    New Name, Expanding Smartphone Coverage

    October 6, 2008 /

    Today is both an ending and a beginning. After long and careful deliberation, it is time to say goodbye to “Foleo Fanatics.” In the year since Palm canceled the Foleo Mobile Companion it has become increasingly evident that the Foleo, in it’s original configuration and name, will never be released.

    The Foleo unit that I was able to use, even for a short while, showed amazing potential and I’m still looking for something to replace it.

    However, the time has come to look beyond the Foleo and, starting today, Foleo Fanatics has become Smartphone Fanatics.

    Smartphone Fanatics will continue where Foleo Fanatics has left off, providing you with the same great coverage of the Palm user community. We also plan on expanding our coverage beyond Palm’s products. Moving forward, look for increasing coverage of Windows Mobile devices from great vendors like High Tech Computng (HTC). We will also be covering the exciting new BlackBerry smartphones coming out of Research In Motion (RIM). And, lastly, we also plan to cover everybody’s favorite entertainment device, the Apple iPhone.

    Welcome to Smartphone Fanatics!

    Alan Grassia
    Editor, SmartphoneFanatics.com

    Read More
  • dataviz

    Passwords Plus Updated

    October 1, 2008 /


    DataViz, the makers of the award winning Documents To Go, today released an update for Passwords Plus that adds support for Microsoft Windows Vista and Apple Mac OS X 10.5.

    Passwords Plus 1.007 adds the following updates:

    • Support for Windows Vista and Palm Desktop 6.2 or higher
    • Support for Mac OS 10.5 (Leopard)
    • Minor bug fixes

    Passwords Plus 1.007 is a free update to all registered customers and can be downloaded from the DataViz website. Passwords Plus can be purchased for $29.99 from DataViz’s online store.

    The one thing that this update does not address that I wish it would is the Windows Mobile version of Passwords Plus for ActiveSync and Windows Mobile Device Center for Windows XP and Vista. A few years ago, DataViz chose to stop selling Passwords Plus for Windows Mobile/Pocket PC. With more Palm OS users migrating over to Windows Mobile devices, bringing back Passwords Plus for Windows Mobile seems like a win-win solution for DataViz and their customers.

    Read More
  • blackberry

    Agendus Comes to BlackBerry

    September 28, 2008 /

    iambic, earlier today, has introduced Agendus for BlackBerry smartphones. Of their new BlackBerry product, iambic writes:

    “Enthusiastically embraced by Palm OS and Windows Mobile users, Agendus has been especially tailored to work seamlessly on BlackBerry devices such as the BlackBerry Bold, KickStart, Perl and Curve. Our solution ties together the most frequently used applications on your phone (Calendar, Contacts, and Tasks) so you get more things done using fewer (and, in most cases, half) the button presses. Efficiency made easy!”

    Agendus for BlackBerry 1.0 comes in two pricing models: $19.95 for the BlackBerry only application and $39.95 for the BlackBerry/Windows desktop bundle.

    For more details on the new edition of Agendus, including the link for the demo download, visit the iambic website.

    Read More