Category: gadgets and technology

This new PVP (Portable/Personal Video Player) from Archos looks hot! No word on whether it’s a portable media center device or whether it runs linux… hopefully the latter.

The AV700 is Archos’s first move into the large-format PVP space, with a 7-inch screen and a 60GB hard drive. Archos will be adding satellite and DVB tuners in a future model that will ship later in the year. Lastly, the Gmini XS 100 is a 20GB player with a color screen and the typical Archos ‘do anything’ philosophy, so it’ll be able to handle video and audio in a variety of flavors just fine. [Gizmodo]

I finally got fed up waiting on T-Mobile to announce something formal on EDGE data speeds and switched both cell phones in our plan to Cingular. Now both my wife and I have EDGE capable devices and the coverage here in NYC is excellent. The speed is noticeable so I feel good for the switch on that regard and the port experience was very smooth. Both our phones (a new MOT v551 for her) and my unlocked Treo 650 were active within a few minutes and we were on our way.

In contrast to my switch on “Portability Day” last year when I moved a Nextel and Sprint number to TMO, this was simple and clean. I guess quite a few lessons have been learned (especially with the continual ATT to Cingular ports) in the past year.

The only Treo issue that is confounding me is getting DUN to work. I’ve got the settings correct as best I can tell, but for some reason my Powerbook refuses to connect to my Treo which is actively waiting to be used as a modem. If I nail this detail, I should be quite comfortable working on the bigger machine without WiFI if I need to…

Since the PSP launch last week, someone has already discovered how to redirect the built-in browser within Wipeout to load up a small portal page now to include mobile Bloglines. There are methods to convert Manga and eBooks to a picture format that looks surprising readable, and there have been many a tutorial posted about how both encode and transfer video content for mobile multlmedia. When the PSP launches in Korea, there will be a full streaming service in place for movies and probably other content as well which totally rocks. I can’t wait to see something like that in the US, either from Sony (if it’s Connect, please make it accessible directly from the PSP so it’s not Windows only) or some other content aggregator(s).

All in all, the PSP is an impressive device. When you see it next to the Nintendo DS, it really comes off as the more mature product — both in audience and in what it can really do. The main limitations are pure Sony. A new standard for the game discs, though that’s actually pretty cool. The UMD is a 1.8GB disc, which is an impressive amount of storage in such a small disc, though I suppose years of pushing MD helped design that one. It’s the Memory Stick that’s the real killer. A 1GB Memory Stick Duo Pro is about twice as expensive as a 1GB SD card and if you were to buy the Sony branded one vs the Sandisk (the only other maker) you’d pay even more… of course neither brand is available at all. Sony has an incredible opportunity to push more high capacity Memory Sticks out the door to enable the more than just gaming experience they seem to be marketing.

I think the PSP is a winner and am very interested to see what additional ideas come about as more time passes and people have think about ways to take advantage of all that power in their hands.

It’s been a week since the Treo 650 arrived and I have to say I generally really like the upgrade from the 600. I am however, incredibly frustrated by the memory issue and find myself bumping up against the limits frequently. The Treo updaters which are starting to roll out this week allegedly give you more memory – at least on the carrier versions. I have to hope that my unlocked unit will be as lucky.

This morning I suffered my first reset loop, which sucks, but from what I’ve read the fact that it took this long makes me luckier than quite a few others. My issue started when my Treo ran out of memory during a hotsync… no way to have avoided that one from what I can tell. Everything had actually been working fine, but then not. I had to hard reset in order to regain control, which while frustrating was not the end of the world, since I have nightly scheduled backups in BackupMan. After a restore, I was back in business… I noticed that Bejeweled2 had copied itself back into RAM as well as leaving a copy on my card through PowerRun. I don’t know whether this happened before or after the issue at hand, but clearly had closed the memory gap on me.

The Treo is definitely finicky as you get close to the end of the available memory… If you go lower than 3MB you are likely to have some issues with apps causing resets. The thing about having such a limited amount of memory is that you have to make certain decisions as well as “sacrifices.” In my case, I’ve decided I can live without Vindigo and without automatically updating QuickNews, though I am not happy about the loss of either. I don’t use either hourly or even daily, but certainly often enough that I enjoy having them available. I will now have to update specific channels within QuickNews or use a wireless portal for news on the go (though certainly not on the subway or out of range locations!). I can rely on Google’s wireless version or via SMS as well as Synfonic for quick lookups.

Memory issues aside, I am very happy with the Treo. I would certainly like for PalmSource to enable the use of expansion cards as in the same way an external drive works on my computer… SD cards have been used long enough in the hardware that you would think this might have been addressed by now. I don’t recall seeing anything about that in OS 6, though the Treo will most likely not be upgradeable anyhow.

PSPCasting via Om Malik …

Sajeeth Cherian, the wunderkid behind BitTorrent for dummies software, Videora, has come up with a unique new application, PSP Video 9. It will take any video and turn into a format that PSP can read. So now you can download videos using Videora, and then convert them to PSP friendly format within a few seconds.

OK – this is way too cool! I can auto download now through Bit Torrent (via Azureus and the RSS plugin), but auto video conversion and sync to PSP is very slick. I suppose I’d be able to do something like this with AppleScript and Folder Actions, but from what I’ve read Videora is much less DIY and really simplifies the issues (like downloading way too much at once thanks to broad search queries).

Windows only though… oh and I don’t have a PSP on order, though gadget lust is in effect. I will eventually have to have it. I love the portable media (video) player idea and can definitely see myself playing some games while traveling.

Overall the Treo 650 is an impressive device. It is certainly not revolutionary, but evolutionary and considering the success and praise for the 600 it’s hard to fault palmOne for not pushing harder.

First the Issues….
Of course there is the memory issue which before I got the unit I thought would be an issue and as it turns out, it really is. I had to move some things to the SD card ( I use a 1GB) in order to conserve space, but of course the hitch with PalmOS is that you have to leave enough space vacant on the main system in order to copy the application back over as you need it. This can be a pain, but with some proper management can be worked around. Utilities like PowerRun and launchers like zLauncher and Initiate can handle the task for you and keep the applications easily within reach.

Aside from the memory, I’ve only run into one glitch. The radio has turned itself off for no apparent reason. In speaking with another 650 user I know this to be a glitch which will hopefully be fixed by palmOne with a firmware upgrade.

Usage

Using the Treo 650 is very similar to the 600. The 5-Way navigator is simple and you can move through many applications, though I’ve focused much of my Treo usage on apps that actually support the 5-Way since first getting the 600.

The screen on the 650 is gorgeous! It’s 320×320 and not landscape capable, but I don’t care. The difference from the 600 is pretty shocking actually. I own a T3 and a TC and it appears to be much brighter and sharper than both of them.

The keyboard and key configuration are a bit different than the 600. I like the larger key size and the additional space and shape of the new keys. They feel easier to work with in my somewhat larger hand. It’s going to take a bit of getting used to looking above the keyboard for the home and menu key but I think I’ll manage and adjust soon enough. The hard keys for phone functions are nice, though I inadvertently killed a call tonight while messing with the Treo, so be warned they work! I wish palmOne had enabled the rest of the hard keys to wake the device so I could have deeper 1-tap access to applications. I don’t mind having the Option+Hard key selections, but the fourth key is a throw-away since it kills calls and only activates or turns off the screen. I’d rather have at least one more option to launch an app from standby. Perhaps the next device…

Speed seems good. Not noticeably different from the 600 even though it has a faster CPU. It’s more than adequate, not fast. It’s hard to really tell for the moment, but I think both the vibration and volume are louder so hopefully more calls will be heard while walking about NYC.

Applications

I know people have reported reset loop issues upgrading to the 650 from other devices, but so far I’ve been fortunate either with my choices, or perhaps just lucky. Here’s what I have installed:

• Vindigo – Great city guide software. I’ve used it for years now across quite a few Palm devices.
• Butler – Nice utility for alarms, reminder tones, keyboard lock and many other tricks.
• Initiate – a simple launcher which gives me easy keyboard access to applications, contacts, bookmarks, media files and memos. I actually only use it for applications, but have been debating configuring different views for the other functions.
• 2Day and 4Cast – 2Day is a nice (small) datebook overlay that gives you some quick at a glance functions and makes it quite easy to schedule and review appointments. 4Cast is both a standalone application as well as plugin which provides a 5 day forecast within the calendar.
• BackupMan – recently updated for the 650 and T5. Don’t be foolish, backup!
• Bejeweled2 – Just had to…
• ChatterEmail – Simply the best IMAP email for the Treo. Works in the background, with the screen off and can do quite a few tricks including pop-up over other apps if you want to notify you of new mail.
• Metro – Fantastic Subway software for systems around the world.
• Salling Clicker -Control your Mac over Bluetooth.
• Documents to Go (the full suite) and DatavizTech (direct download) which moves the whole thing to the SD card for when you need it.
• eReader Pro – now back to reading books in high resolution!
• Keycaps 650 – lets me tap and hold or tap quickly to cycle through the letters per key.
• Life Balance – a great way to GTD.
• LightWav – want callerID ringtones or use MP3 or Wav files?
• Missing Sync – the palm component to the hotsync manager replacement. This utility allows me to mount the Treo as a removable drive on my Mac.
• mo:Blog as it says… mobile blogging software.
• PocketTunes – Much more capable than Real handling streaming audio, background playback and quite a few other tricks. Not replacing my iPod, but good to have.
• SplashBlog – photoblogging software
• SplashID – password and serial tracking software – highly recommended!
• SplashPhoto – photo management software for sharing or simply viewing pictures while on the go.
• TimeCopy – updates my system clock on sync

Only the Documents to Go suite has been moved to my SD card at the moment and I am left with 3.3MB out of 22.4MB available. I’d love to kill RealPlayer and VersaMail to recoup their space, but they are built in the ROM. Bejeweled would be the first to go if I was to make any cuts.

Additional Observations
I am just getting started, but have already notices a few nice subtle changes in the UI. When you talk on the phone, the screen automatically dims and if you browse to an application (say your datebook for example) and continue talking the Treo switches back to the phone before dimming the screen again. Another nice phone feature I noticed is that if you use a wallpaper rather than the software keypad, the keypad automatically appears as you start dialing. Both of these things did not happen on the 600 and are appreciable changes.

All in all, I like the 650. I really do wish it had at least double the memory on board, if not much more. It’s a very capable device and more memory would easily cover the inefficient memory scheme palm has maintained since the introduction of expansion cards. I realize this would have impacted cost, but palm could have split the difference with the customer to attract a even wider group. I’d certainly have paid more – though I did get a sweet deal on this at $350.

I realize I complained pretty loudly for the past few months while waiting and don’t have any regrets there. palmOne needs to do a much better job understanding and communicating with the customer. We do after-all actually buy their products.

Well – after what seemed like forever (4 months actually) my unlocked Treo 650 arrived today and is currently charging and getting synced up!

My plan, in case you care is to take it slow adding applications and data so I can properly control the limited amount of memory. At the moment I am using Missing Sync to only sync my calendar and contacts. I’ll next add ChatterEmail, Butler and Initiate. From there… the rest. I’ll report back as I get things rolling…

I finally got confirmation on my order today and expect it to arrive by 3/15 – only 5 months after I ordered it!

One thing Michael Gartenberg needs to know is that while the Treo is not Truly multi-tasking, it can do certain communications in the background … like email. ChatterEmail, recently released from beta can kick some serious IMAP ass from behind the scenes. You can choose to leave it running in the background or have it sync on an interval, all without having to lose your foremost application or even having the screen switch on.

I can’t comment on the memory issues or compatibility issues until I load my soon to arrive 650 and upgrade from the 600.

The upside of the Treo 650 is that it’s a true one handed device and does balance the PDA/Email/Phone stuff really well. I can make calls, answer calls, check email, surf the web all with one hand. I can’t do that on any pocket PC phone. While smartphones are totally one handed, they do lack the keyboard of the Treo, so they’re not great for email. Downside is the Treo isn’t a multitasking device. So while you’re fetching email or browsing the web, you’re not doing anything else. Memory is also an issue. I don’t add that many programs to the mix and I still have only about 9mb free. That’s not a lot of room. I’ve also had some stability issues, every so often the device resets and goes into an infinite loop and needs a hard reset. That means all the stuff in the NV memory is lost so a third party backup program (one that’s compatible with the 650, not all are) and an SD Card is an absolute must. [Michael Gartenberg]