Category: gadgets and technology

Handspring had just released an update to Treo Mail enabling better connectivity for always on networks… I guess that will be the last one developed in-house. Considering the popularity and strength of mail on the Blackberry platform, I’d say this is a good thing for future Handspring communicators.

Handspring to license RIM patents: “The handheld maker sets the stage for licensing Research In Motion keyboard patents and paving the way to settle pending litigation.” Source: CNET News.com

It’s way too early to tell (it was just announced) whether this will have a real impact on the business of Nintendo and their GameBoy platform, if not the other handset manufacturers. It seems like a pretty intense move though … Nokia will act as publisher and platform for games on the Series 60 platform handsets which include licensees like Siemens in addition to their own. It’s a leap for sure but one that is not too far off from how they see themselves in the minds of youunger consumers.

Nokia makes play for wireless gaming: “The Finnish cell phone maker hopes to woo games fans to wireless play with a new combo handset and games console.” Source: CNET News.com

Apparently HDTV signals get downconverted to conform to what the TV can handle which is not ideal, but otherwise this is a great looking set. It is at the lower end, but bang for the buck is very high.

CNET on Gateway’s Budget Plasma TV: “CNET review of that new $3000 plasma TV from Gateway. They say there are some problems with black-level performance, but that overall it is “unquestionably the best value in the 42-inch plasma category.” Read…” Source: Gizmodo

John Markoff of the New York Times…: “John Markoff of the New York Times writes about Vivato, a smart antenna startup that claims it can extend WiFi to distances of 2,000 feat indoors and four miles outdoors. The exciting aspects of the technology are that it works with the established WiFi standard, and with a point-to-multipoint configuration serving several hundred users. If Vivato’s antennas work as promised (always a big qualifier), they could greatly expand the utility of WiFi as a broadband access technology.” Source: Werblog

If I had a bluetooth dongle and a Palm Tungsten T I might be able to try this… sounds very cool.

Share an internet connection with a Bluetooth…: “Share an internet connection with a Bluetooth device” Source: Mac OS X Hints

As I discovered with own cable set-up here in NYC, Time Warner does not actively promote that HDTV is available. It was easy to set up consisting only of a new cable box and some new cables to connect to the component video ports on my HDTV. I had to read about the potential availability through a magazine article, rather than a bill insert or even an email. I have 3 TVs with Road Runner bundled access and the premium package – you’d think I would be a prime candidate for them. Some simple promotions and customer communications would certainly assist the adoption rate…

While most households will own a high-definition-capable television set by 2008,

not even half will actually be using the service. Source: Cyberatlas

Have WiFi will travel…

Lighting up Manhattan with WiFi: “Marcos R. Lara of the Public Internet Project has unveiled an amazing map of WiFi access points in Manhattan, compiled by volunteers who drove along every street. As you’ll see, virtually all of the island is covered. Pretty remarkable for a technology that has been on the market for just three years, operates in unlicensed bands, and is deployed bottom-up by individuals and small businesses. Email Marcos if you want to see the full research.” Source: Werblog

Bluetooth GPS bundle for OS 5: “” Source: infoSync

This looks like a very cool addition to the few Bluetooth devices out there. Imagine a device about half the size of a credit card, though obviously thicker in your pocket or briefcase… On your Palm Tungsten T you are capable of location based services through Vindigo, or getting driving directions from Mapopolis.

The more I think about things like this, the more I really want the new Palm. While I don’t have a bluetooth phone, I would be able to take advantage of wireless sync and addressbook connectivity with my Powerbook…just need to add an adapter!

PalmInfocenter on the Tungsten T: “PalmInfocenter has a lengthy review of Palm’s new Tungsten T flagship PDA. The Tungsten T runs the new Palm OS 5.0, has 16MB of RAM, integrated Bluetooth, and SD slot, and has a 65,000 color TFT screen. Read…” Source: Gizmodo

Google Google Google. I love checking my referer rankings from both the Radio Community Server and through Site Meter and seeing that people are searching for things I have written about recently…

One thing though which must be frustrating for everyone searching is that once my blog changes days, the link from google, which only seems to be the home page makes it more difficult to find the entry being linked to. Sure, Google offers a cached verison, and that generally seems to solve the problem, but it is not to most intuitive way to get there. Shouldn’t there be some way for Google to recognize the permalink associated with each entry? I would think that the technical wizards of the world could solve this problem pretty quickly.

Even though the Tungsten T, the first device with OS 5 is barely coming off the production line, details have been released on the pending Palm OS 6. This version will integrate technology and probably some UI from Be which was acquired by Palm last year.

The new OS will feature multimedia and graphics frameworks drawn from BeOS, PalmSource’s Michael Mace told us. Mace says this is real BeOS code, but Steve Sakoman, the team’s former leader at Be Inc, and now PalmSource’s “chief products officer” has denied that Be code would be incorporated into the new OS. More likely, we suspect, the new OS will inherit some algorithms and architecture from BeOS.

PDABuzz reveals in their hands-on review that they have in fact had the new Palm for about a week already. The more I read, the more I want…

Now that the new Palms are here, it finally occurred to me that choices are going to have to be made… As I often discuss with friends, we use the Palm OS so that automatically leans us in that direction vs a switch to PocketPC/SmartPhone, Symbian or even Blackberry. The new Palms look really nice and seem to be what I am looking for, though the more I think about it the more I wonder what do I really want?

Right now I think I want:

• PIM functions like I have today that sync with my Mac.

• Color Screen

• Keyboard, add-on is OK

• Wireless connectivity

• Expansion

Wireless connectivity is where the problems lie… Do I want my email on and in-hand all the time? I need to figure that out because until I have a bluetooth phone I won’t be getting email while on the go without my laptop or like I do now – directly to my phone. As it stands today, Nextel, my carrier, does not make a bluetooth device. Though it is certainly possible that one is coming, nothing has been announced. In fact, the only future device that seems to coming from Nextel is an integrated Blackberry.

Nextel/Blackberry will give me PIM functions, and though different from Palm, they will work fine I am sure, though I don’t think there is a Mac solution for syncing…argh. There is no color screen option, and no expansion. The Blackberry does offer, always on email and a great keyboard.

Decisions…

Update Monday, October 28, 2002 at 9:50:04 AM

According to Wired News and Palm, the Tungsten T is designed only for periodic wireless access…

First, why the Tungsten designation? Two models will come with this new name but be differentiated by their concluding letter? Whatever.

The Palm Tungsten W looks like a winner though. Imagine a color Blackberry, that can handle up to 8 email accounts (pop or imap), make voice calls, browse the web, share voice and data connections over GPRS and topped off with a beautiful color screen and you are looking at the Palm Tungsten W. Except of course that the Palm, unlike the Blackberry will work with thousands of applications, sync with my Mac and not require backoffice integration to get my mail (assuming we don’t get forced to switch to Notes). The only thing strangely missing from this baby is integrated bluetooth and I can’t figure out why Palm did that…

Update – I just realized that this unit does not run Palm OS 5, and has the same processor as today’s units, the Dragonball VZ at 33MHz. Why Palm, why?

I received an email from Palm today announcing the Tungsten T today. Seems like a killer. It has a sliding button bar that moves down to reveal the grafiti area, keeping the unit as compact as possible. Palm OS 5 and the new Arm processor, plus integrated bluetooth and voice recording make this a very attractive PDA.

Unlike the David Coursey review I posted the other day, this more balanced and complete overview from InfoSync covers it all, rather than simply stating how great it is to have windows in your phone…

Now, with all of these applications you’d think that you need a task manager of some sort – right? Wrong. According to Microsoft, Smartphone 2002 uses the same smart minimize technology as found in Pocket PC 2002 and Pocket PC Phone Edition, and closes applications in the back of the stack if another application is started that requires more memory than what is currently available. Unfortunately, it didn’t take me long to figure out that just like on the Pocket PC platform, things start slowing down when you run a number of applications – and what’s worse, you don’t even have the option to access memory settings and shut down single or all applications depending on your needs (which to Microsoft’s credit isn’t a feature that should be present on a phone even though it needs to be in this case). The performance drop is however only noticeable and not a major issue, but I tell you this; I’ve seen the hour glass a couple of times and it’s like my worst nightmare come true – there should be no such thing on a mobile phone. Period.

InfoSync provides a solid commentary of the current smartphone landscape even pushing to state that while Palm OS is in devices called smartphones, it was not designed to be a smartphone…

While Microsoft shrinks its Windows platform to fit in a mobile phone fom factor device, the Symbian camp is made up from a number of phone manufacurers that beef up their devices from from using proprietary operating systems to an EPOC based one with vastly increased potential. So far, my experience with the two approaches leads me to say that Symbian OS devices respond faster and are more stable, whilst Pocket PC and Smartphone 2002 devices shine in terms of raw power. And yes, I know I’m generalizing.

The Orange Smartphone exceeds the capabilities of the current generation of top-of-the-line handsets, including Siemens S55, Sony Ericsson T68i, and the Symbian-powered Nokia 7650. Perhaps these companies have been sandbagging a bit, waiting for Microsoft’s entry into the market, but comparing a Smartphone to the rest of what’s out there is depressing if you’re determined to not buy Microsoft.

What’s the connection between Wi-Fi wireless networks, Weblogs and Web services? They are among the few technologies thriving amid the industrywide downturn. What’s more, they are examples of the trend toward decentralization.

This dazzling beauty is astoundingly feature-packed yet fully utilizes its compact design to the hilt in a chicly creative way never before seen on a mobile handset. The color is a fresh mesh of arctic pale blue with opalescent white trim. The buttons on the keypad are a bit more finger-friendly with fast-paced error-proof punching in mind. This same keypad flips open to reveal a 208 x 320 color screen (2.5″ x 1.5″) large enough to do everything a PDA and cell phone should do, but still small enough to disappear into a side pocket and forget about.

If there was a phone to get excited about, it is the pending release of the Sony Ericsson P800, which runs Symbian 7.0 with full Java support. It is a very slick phone, PDA combo device designed to run on GPRS networks, which means AT&T, T-Mobile and Cingular in the US.