The BoxWave FlexiSkin Case is a skin case that is made of a soft rubber polymer. Skin cases are popular since they provide an always there protection while keeping the Treo usable while the case is one. The added bulk of the skin case does make it a bit more difficult to use with most cradles and even cases when you want to give the Treo even added protection. There are options for holsters and pouch cases that can accommodate a Treo with a skin case on.
The iStyles Treo Privacy Screen Protector is different from your typical screen protector. The claim is that besides protecting the screen, it also obscures the view of the screen when viewed at an angle from the side. It is definitely a feature I know some would be interested in, especially those that have to commute on a train, subway, or bus. You don't always have the space to keep prying eyes a good distance away. People tend to be nosy or just plain curious about what you're doing when it seems to be interesting.
The Nite Ize Tooth Ferry Headset Carrier is something I've been seeing as a accessory that really needed to be created. I'm surprised that a carrier like this has taken so long to come out, since the problem it addresses has existed ever since the first Bluetooth headset was released to the consumer market. Now, trying to address this problem for just about every Bluetooth headset that exists on the market doesn't lend itself to a simple solution. Can a headset carrier that advertises itself truly be universal? The packaging is quite simple but does convey the purpose and intention of the product to be universal.
No Web 2.0 application's reputation precedes it like Twitter. It's the social network rage that everyone loves to hate or hates to love. Tech pundits recently converted are apt to write apologetics in the form of "why Twitter matters" introductions, explaining why critics just don't "get it," as though Twitter was the new EST.
Narcissism aside, the pundits do have one thing right. Twitter is certainly not a phenomenon that needs no introduction. Most web surfers either encounter someone's Twitter home page by accident, or by a friend's insistence ("you have to get on Twitter!"), only read messages — tweets, to use the technical term — like "Man, the burritos at Poncho's are dope!", "Ugh, have to drive Charlie to the airport" or "Watching all episodes of '24' in reverse order." Initial exposure to Twitter is like coming in late on a joke. No wonder people don't get it.
Overall, I think that the New Jawbone delivers on its promise of lighter, smaller and more comfortable noise cancellation headset – one that retains all of the best qualities of the original while adding a few of its own such as a more robust body, earbuds and earloop as well as a very complete accessory kit.
If money is no object then I can not more highly recommend to buy the New Jawbone – you will own the very best Bluetooth headset on the market with superb audio quality and great looks. Having said this, if you are more conscious of your budget then there is absolutely no doubt that the original Jawbone (see my review) costing $40 less continues to be a superb investment.
Comparing the 'feel' of the BodyGuardz vs the invisibleSHIELD I find that I prefer the feel of the BodyGuardz, as it is smoother and there isn't as noticeable of an 'edge' where the film ends and the surface of my Centro is exposed. As far as the look of the film, I cast my vote for the BodyGuardz, as the invisibleSHIELD looks rougher - sort of like an orange peel would look. The screen protectors both seem very capable of protecting your device equally, something I demand in a protector! Again, there is the slight orange peel look to the screen protector as well. I believe the invisibleSHIELD may be a bit thinner when it comes down to which is the thinner of the two, but from my experience - both are proficient at keeping your mobile devices protected and, hopefully, scratch-free.
I can't find fault with either brand when it comes to their protective properties, so I suppose it comes down to the matter of look and feel, which I give my vote to the BodyGuardz film. That, plus the fact that my package of invisibleSIELD was missing a protective film for the area of my Centro below my keypad, sways my overall vote for the BodyGuardz by NLU Products!
We're not sure where our tipster got these pictures (nor are we going to ask), but they appear to be screens from the Treo 800w's specification and knowledge training documentation. New tidbits include a 333 Mhz processor, 4.4.1 x 2.28 x 0.73-inch dimensions, 320 x 320 pixel screen, and a weight of 4.94 ounces. Windows Mobile 6.1 looks to be in full-force, the camera shoots at 2 MP, and the USB port is 2.0. As for other revealed features, you're looking at threaded SMS chat, but MMS is mysteriously missing in lieu of Sprint Picture Mail, a trend that continues to confuse us. If all this pans out, look for the 800w to be available on July 13th for $249.99. Hit the continue link to see the rest of the juicy shots and details.
SUNNYVALE, Calif., Jun 26, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Palm, Inc. (Nasdaq:PALM) today reported that total revenue in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2008, ended May 30, was $296.2 million. Smartphone sell-through for the quarter reached a record high, totaling 968,000 units, up 29 percent year over year.
"We continue to invest in Palm's future and remain focused on building long-term value," said Ed Colligan, president and chief executive officer for Palm, Inc. "Centro is a tremendous hit, we are gaining market share, and we believe with this momentum, and the launch of new Windows Mobile products, we will turn the corner and return to revenue and margin growth."
Net loss applicable to common shareholders for the fourth fiscal quarter was $43.4 million, or $(0.40) per diluted share. Net loss applicable to common shareholders included stock-based compensation of $5.5 million, amortization of intangible assets of $0.9 million, restructuring charges of $1.3 million, impairment of non-current auction rate securities of $6.7 million and accretion of series B convertible preferred stock of $2.4 million. This compares to net income for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2007 of $15.4 million, or $0.15 per diluted share, which included stock-based compensation of $5.4 million and amortization of intangible assets of $1.0 million.
Following my review of the New Jawbone last week, this best-in-class noise cancellation headset from Aliph quickly shot up to the #1 bestselling position for Bluetooth accessories in both our Treo Store and Centro Store (demand has in fact been so high that we temporarily ran out of stock).
At the same time, a lot of people wrote to me asking for recommendations as to which Bluetooth headset to get: the New Jawbone, the original Jawbone or another model altogether? Why? Putting this answer together proved to be considerably more difficult than I originally thought – particularly as everyone has different needs and budgets.
CellSpin Soft has released a Palm OS version of its mobile blogging software. The CellSpin application allows users to easily post video, images and text content to one or many of a user's favorite blogging, social networking, photo sharing and auction sites simultaneously. Sites include MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Pownce, Blogger, YouTube, Picasa, Flickr, Live Journal, Live Spaces and eBay, with more to come.
TreoCentral and The New York Times both posted lists of nifty free services that help you do everything from getting free directory service to dictating yourself a note and having a transcribed version instantly sent your to your inbox. (And did we mention these are free?)
Interacting with a Windows Mobile device can be tricky, especially when it comes to managing all your bits and pieces on a small screen. Dashwire provides a simple and intuitive way of viewing and editing your phones content from any computer.
There are a number of ways for you to utilise the functionality of your phone from your home computer, SOTI and mDesktop are two products that might spring to mind. As useful as they are they do not carry themselves from one computer to the next as you go through your daily routine.
Dashwire provides a portal for you to essentially upload the contents of your phone to their server, be it photos, videos, contacts, message and call histories, and even ringtones.
The long-awaited Opera Mobile 9.5 is nearly ready for the public. Opera has announced that an initial beta test is slated for July 15 at www.opera.com, and we'll all be able to get our grubby little hands on it.
Welcome to the future that should have been here years ago. Why airlines haven’t been doing this for years is beyond us but kudos to those who have finally started to get moving. Delta is by no means the first airline to play with the idea of mobiles to be used as boarding passes, but it has caught on. Starting with domestic flights at LaGuardia, Delta’s handset boarding pass trial is already launched and we can only hope that the practice spreads sooner rather than later. Delta passengers can now go to the company’s website on their mobile devices and download a digital boarding pass directly.
This is a happy, happy day for any AIM addicts toting around a Windows Mobile device. There are 3rd party solutions (JiveTalk, what up!), but it’s always comforting to get a piece of software directly from the source. AOL has finally released an updated AIM client, and boy does it look sexy! We’re giving it a go right now but sadly, it doesn’t look as if we’ll get file transfers at the moment. Let’s hope this feature makes it way into the final build as it is still in beta. It also is said to be compatible with just about every Windows Mobile device — Standard or Professional, 5 or 6. Anyone looking to give it a try? Hit us up and let us know what the verdict is!
Google has been hard at work on the Windows Mobile front these last months, and today they’ve released yet another Windows Mobile goodie: a Google Search Today Screen Plug-In. To get the free plug-in, just point your mobile browser to mobile.google.com. Looks like a keeper!
You can now get an unlocked Palm Centro smartphone (no carrier contract required). The new GSM device, which comes in white and sports grey accents, is available at Palm's online store for $299.
As the summer travel season ramps up, Centro users in the U.S. will also appreciate a new version of Google Mobile Maps (GMM) that includes My Location, which uses cell phone towers to approximate* your location on the map. This makes it even easier to get driving directions, find a nearby coffee shop or check local traffic.
My location is compatible with Palm Centro smartphones running on the AT&T and Verizon Wireless networks. The Sprint Centro will have the My Location feature available through a software update expected this summer. Check out GMM's site for details.
Here's a nice find from Gear Diary although folks outside of the U.S. won't benefit. If you point your mobile to http://www.fueleconomy.gov/m/ you'll get a mobile version of the EPA fuel-economy numbers for autos built from 1985 on. Checking the numbers makes me darn glad I dumped my 2001 Dodge Dakota 4WD for a 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. Aside from over 100% better fuel economy due to the change, I can see from the data that my car's carbon footprint is nearly half of what it used to be.
Answering a question for the WMExperts Podcast last night (going up later today!) got me looking around for the best solution for consumers for push email on Windows Mobile. The first bet is usually going to be Live Mail -- it's free and easy to set up. What if you don't want to change your email address, though? Well, there's forwarding to Live mail (or to a hosted exchange service like Sherweb), but there's hassles there. What I want is my Gmail email, calendars, and contacts pushed out. No, what I want is Exchange. Heck, I want Gmail to look and act like an exchange server to my phone.
Glory be: just such a service is coming soon from Cemaphore: MailShadow for Google Apps. Mailshadow acts as an intermediary between your devices (Windows Mobile, Outlook, etc) and Gmail -- and intermediary that acts just like a standard Exchange server but is actually just a conduit to your Gmail account.
Here's a heads up for those of you who are thinking about buying the new Palm Centro on Verizon. If you use the email app on your phone, you'll be interested to know a couple of things about the Verizon Centro
I've got a Verizon Centro review unit as I'm working on a short review of the device. I had written up a short article yesterday about Verizon Centros having the special version of VersaMail Personal Edition. So being curious about the app, I looked for it on the review Centro unit. Well, I sure didn't see it. I made sure that I was on the "All" screen, but there was no little "Mail" icon there. There is however an icon for WirelessSync Email. WirelessSync Email is the default Email app that ships with the Verizon Centro.
A ways back we said the date for the much anticipated (well, for a few of us at least) Palm Treo 800w was July 22nd.
Then newer info popped up suggesting it got bumped to July 13th.
Looks like that latter date is turning out to be correct as what looks like to be a scanned inventory sheet for Sprint was posted at HowardForums. The sheet also confirms our scoop that the 800w will sport a button on top of the device to toggle WiFi on/off.
The launch also appears to be available a few days earlier Wed, July 9th for business partners (BP) of Sprint which is not that unusual (Edit: klmsu19 in the comments points out "BP" probably stands for BrightPoint, "a global leader in the distribution of wireless devices and the provisioning of customized logistic services to the wireless industry").
If I told you that today’s e-column would change your life, would you mind that it’s sort of short?
The story goes like this. A few weeks ago, in my blog, I wrote this:
“OK, now I’m really, REALLY annoyed. Within a week, my wife and I have both started getting spam text messages on our Verizon cellphones. I know that this is nothing new, but it’s new for us, and it’s apparently getting worse.
“According to Wikipedia, this sleazy practice is described as ‘mobile spamming, SMS spam or SpaSMS, but is most frequently referred to as m-spam.’
Well the long awaited iPhone 3G announcement has come and gone and the July 11th availability date will be here in just a few weeks. The pundits have analyzed its capabilities, shortcomings and torn apart the new AT&T iPhone data plan. We've seen the experts critique the newest iPhone on a feature by feature basis and lament the exclusion of feature X or the shortcomings of feature Y. I'm here to tell you that just like the original iPhone these shortcomings don't matter in the overall scheme of things.
Thanks to coolgirl, we've become aware of some upcoming updates for the Treo 700wx, Sprint Centro, and the Verizon Treo 755p (see Centro and 755p details here). Some internal training slides have been leaked onto the internet that detail the updates.
The updates will be released sometime this "Spring and Summer," according to the slides. Update 1.24 for the Verizon Treo 700wx will update the OS to Windows Mobile 6 Professional! WooHoo! That's great! However, it's too bad that Sprint isn't getting the update. Also, Palm is going to put Windows Mobile 6 on the device even though Windows Mobile 6.1 is already out.
The capabilities and potential of a smartphone has very few limits. Beyond using smartphones such as the Palm Treo 750 and the Samsung BlackJack II as a phone, users have the ability to track appointments, contacts, surf the internet, check email, play games, create documents, and other tasks designed to help with your day to day lifestyles. One application that is growing in popularity is the ability to retrieve weather information. Several software developers offer such applications with a varying degree of success. Read on to see what the options are!
The FCC held public hearings on early termination fees on Thursday. The FCC’s Chairman, Kevin J. Martin, would like rules established to ensure early termination fees are in relation to the recovery costs and not abused in a manner to retain unsatisfied customers within a carrier. An example Martin gives is that US$500 phone shouldn’t have the same termination fee as a US$50 phone.
Martin also stated that termination fees should be prorated and the contract for service should be a “reasonable period of time”. Other guidelines he would like established relate to early termination fees not being extended if a customer renews their contract without receipt of new hardware.
Another area of concern the FCC Chairman would like addressed through FCC guidelines; is the ability for a customer to receive their first bill to verify the accuracy of the quoted monthly charge before an early termination fee kicks in.
I don't know about you, but I was originally pretty excited when Sprint first announced their Simply Everything Plans. For $99 a month I could get unlimited minutes, data, GPS, messaging, etc... Only to call Sprint and hanging up the phone feeling like I was being left for the cold out in left field because this was only for individual plans. If you have a shared plan for a couple members of your family you would have to pay $89 for the second line, $79 for the 3rd line, etc.. My four lines would have cost a whopping $339.96 a month!
Today Sprint FINALLY announced a huge step closer to offering a Simply Everything Plan for those who have Shared Plans! I called Sprint to confirm if this was really for real. Yes it is for nearly everything except unlimited minutes. Right now with my plan I have four lines, plus extra features like GPS for a couple lines, Sprint TV, etc... so I pay around $255 a month. With the new unlimited shared data and services for Shared Plans, I will pay around $185 with taxes included. That will be saving me $840 a year!
This week we cover the new VZW Centro, Facebook, for Palm OS, the 1SRC Editorial, and the Spectec 802.11b miniSD Wi-Fi card in the Windows Mobile Minute!
No Web 2.0 application's reputation precedes it like Twitter. It's the social network rage that everyone loves to hate or hates to love. Tech pundits recently converted are apt to write apologetics in the form of "why Twitter matters" introductions, explaining why critics just don't "get it," as though Twitter was the new EST.
Overall, I think that the New Jawbone delivers on its promise of lighter, smaller and more comfortable noise cancellation headset – one that retains all of the best qualities of the original while adding a few of its own such as a more robust body, earbuds and earloop as well as a very complete accessory kit.
Comparing the 'feel' of the BodyGuardz vs the invisibleSHIELD I find that I prefer the feel of the BodyGuardz, as it is smoother and there isn't as noticeable of an 'edge' where the film ends and the surface of my Centro is exposed. As far as the look of the film, I cast my vote for the BodyGuardz, as the invisibleSHIELD looks rougher - sort of like an orange peel would look. The screen protectors both seem very capable of protecting your device equally, something I demand in a protector! Again, there is the slight orange peel look to the screen protector as well. I believe the invisibleSHIELD may be a bit thinner when it comes down to which is the thinner of the two, but from my experience - both are proficient at keeping your mobile devices protected and, hopefully, scratch-free.
Following my review of the New Jawbone last week, this best-in-class noise cancellation headset from Aliph quickly shot up to the #1 bestselling position for Bluetooth accessories in both our Treo Store and Centro Store (demand has in fact been so high that we temporarily ran out of stock).
Welcome to the future that should have been here years ago. Why airlines haven’t been doing this for years is beyond us but kudos to those who have finally started to get moving. Delta is by no means the first airline to play with the idea of mobiles to be used as boarding passes, but it has caught on. Starting with domestic flights at LaGuardia, Delta’s handset boarding pass trial is already launched and we can only hope that the practice spreads sooner rather than later. Delta passengers can now go to the company’s website on their mobile devices and download a digital boarding pass directly.
This is a happy, happy day for any AIM addicts toting around a Windows Mobile device. There are 3rd party solutions (JiveTalk, what up!), but it’s always comforting to get a piece of software directly from the source. AOL has finally released an updated AIM client, and boy does it look sexy! We’re giving it a go right now but sadly, it doesn’t look as if we’ll get file transfers at the moment. Let’s hope this feature makes it way into the final build as it is still in beta. It also is said to be compatible with just about every Windows Mobile device — Standard or Professional, 5 or 6. Anyone looking to give it a try? Hit us up and let us know what the verdict is!
Google has been hard at work on the Windows Mobile front these last months, and today they’ve released yet another Windows Mobile goodie: a 
You can now get an unlocked Palm Centro smartphone (no carrier contract required). The new GSM device, which comes in white and sports grey accents, is available at Palm's online store for $299.
Here's a nice find from Gear Diary although folks outside of the U.S. won't benefit. If you point your mobile to 
Answering a question for the WMExperts Podcast last night (going up later today!) got me looking around for the best solution for consumers for push email on Windows Mobile. The first bet is usually going to be Live Mail -- it's free and easy to set up. What if you don't want to change your email address, though? Well, there's forwarding to Live mail (or to a hosted exchange service like Sherweb), but there's hassles there. What I want is my Gmail email, calendars, and contacts pushed out. No, what I want is Exchange. Heck, I want Gmail to look and act like an exchange server to my phone.
Here's a heads up for those of you who are thinking about buying the new Palm Centro on Verizon. If you use the email app on your phone, you'll be interested to know a couple of things about the Verizon Centro
The capabilities and potential of a smartphone has very few limits. Beyond using smartphones such as the Palm Treo 750 and the Samsung BlackJack II as a phone, users have the ability to track appointments, contacts, surf the internet, check email, play games, create documents, and other tasks designed to help with your day to day lifestyles. One application that is growing in popularity is the ability to retrieve weather information. Several software developers offer such applications with a varying degree of success. Read on to see what the options are!
I don't know about you, but I was originally pretty excited when Sprint first announced their Simply Everything Plans. For $99 a month I could get unlimited minutes, data, GPS, messaging, etc... Only to call Sprint and hanging up the phone feeling like I was being left for the cold out in left field because this was only for individual plans. If you have a shared plan for a couple members of your family you would have to pay $89 for the second line, $79 for the 3rd line, etc.. My four lines would have cost a whopping $339.96 a month!
This week we cover the new VZW Centro, Facebook, for Palm OS, the 1SRC Editorial, and the Spectec 802.11b miniSD Wi-Fi card in the Windows Mobile Minute!