In particularly embarrassing disclosures, Microsoft warns consumers about four critical new flaws in Windows. The company acknowledged problems in its software-publisher authentication technology and in its help and support system. [Wired News]
RSS2Mobile
We have launched RSS2Mobile as part of the growing set of RSS-related services on BlogStreet. RSS2Mobile is an RSS-to-WML service. It lets you read a RSS feed in your WAP enabled mobile. Benefits: read your favourite blog on the go, read any RSS feed, and no software download.
AvantGo Sync on OS X
Many people have found this site searching for AvantGo information thanks to a few posts I’ve made. (You can search the side there if you are looking for an older one.) I’ve even posted the AvantGo 5 files on my own server but that seems no longer necessary as AvantGo has finally released the device executables so you can install the official files now if you have a wireless device.
Today I discovered a new twist which seems to solve the sync issue on OS X… AvantGo has yet to release an official version for some reason, even though many other developers have done so, and their old partner in crime, Vindigo was early to the game. Anyway… Malsync is a UNIX tool that enables command line connectivity if you have a serial connection – not something many of us have anymore. AvantGo USB Sync takes it to the next level enabling (as you might guess) USB connectivity for local syncing on OS X.
I can’t confirm yet that this works for AvantGo 5, as I cannot yet get my laptop to connect with my Palm, but it does seem to be a valid solution to a long outstanding ommission in Palm/Mac connectivty.
Update 10/18/03… I did have an opportunity to speak with the developer and so far it seems that only certain devices are actually supported by the current USB sync function above. Newer devices are not yet supported unfortunately, so Tungsten users (at least the C, the one I have) won’t be able to use this just yet. Support is on the way.
I had a strange crashing issue on my Palm while trying to run AvantGo this morning and had to re-install. Thought I’d give the AG hosted (above) files a shot and fouund them all corrupted in some way (all versions). I went back to my own posted file and installed again with no issue. Not sure what is up with the AG hosted ones… if you need an install, I’ll keep mine up there.
Browser issues and the site…
I apologize for those of you getting errors on the site. I have not figured out what is causing the script error on IE/Win or what is making the CSS totally wacked out on Safari. Input is welcome… I’m working on it!
nice Treo 600 “review”
I can’t wait to see one of these in person…
All in all, as expected, the Treo 600 is the best smartphone on the market today. It’s an excellent phone, a good PDA, a serviceable wireless email and Web device, a decent cameraphone, and with the expansion slot, your choice of an MP3 player, a WiFi/Bluetooth node, or a location-aware GPS device. If you only want to carry one electronic device in your pocket or purse, the Treo is for you. [WERBLOG]
Palmsource in Talks with Sony Ericcson
PalmSource and Sony Ericcson are discussing the possibility of the mobile phone company releasing devices running the Palm OS.
In an interview last spring with AlwaysOn, the CEO of Sony admitted he wasn’t terribly happy with the arrangement his company has with Ericcson to make smart phones running the Symbian OS.
Nobuyuki Idei, Chairman and CEO of Sony, said, “In terms of our OS strategy, it is not clear whether Symbian … is the right way to go for the mobile phone. And I can’t tell you why Sony has a Symbian OS on its phones and Palm OS on its PDAs. Even Bill Gates asked me if I was crazy.”
Earlier this week, David Nagel, the CEO of PalmSource, mentioned in an interview with Dow Jones that his company is in talks with Sony Ericsson. However, he didn’t give any details. Still, it is a sign that there may yet be Sony Ericsson smart phones running the Palm OS from this partnership. [Brighthand]
American Mobile Thoughts
Take it from someone who just got off the boat from Europe, American mobile services is catching up and *fast* in terms of service and accessiblity. I’m amazed at how easy it is to get a cellphone here in the U.S. now – the same as how amazed I was back in 2000 how easily you could in Europe.
I’ve mainly been interested in the GSM providers here, but even the CDMA guys have made it pretty damn easy as well. First, the stores are all incredibly accessible here. In the past few days I’ve been to T-Mobile, Cingular, AT&T Wireless, RadioShack and MetroPCS stores. All have had some neat phones on display, lots of different plans to choose from and most importantly the first three had easy to buy pre-pay SIMs so I could just start talking without having to deal with a contract. That said, there are still some nits. Here’s my thoughts on the past few days exploring the options for GSM here in the Bay Area… [Russell Beattie Notebook]
Amtrak launching Wifi
Amtrak’s Capitol Corridor is the first U.S. intercity rail operator to offer Wi-Fi as a differentiated onboard service. It has installed PointShot Wireless’ RailPoint Wi-Fi solution on one car to gauge demand for Wi-Fi, establish operational parameters and determine the feasibility of expanding the program. The Wi-Fi solution will debut on Train 534 today, and cycle through other trains within the service. The first month of the Wi-Fi pilot will be free, with minor usage charges for the remaining two months. Amtrak’s Capitol Corridor passengers only need a Wi-Fi-enabled laptop computer or PDA to access the broadband wireless service.
The pilot program provides an opportunity for Amtrak’s Capitol Corridor to better serve the community of business and leisure travelers in the corridor. Informal polling of passengers by Amtrak’s Capitol Corridor found that customers, many of whom are technologically savvy, are eager to be more productive while in transit, leaving more time for family and other interests when they arrive home.
Howard Rheingold’s take on RFID,…
AOL Devours its Young
…I’m intrigued that AOL opted to use Netscape. Naturally the AOL brand can’t be tarnished by direct association with a value service. And when free-to-air ISPs became the rule in Europe, AOL launched a free service under the Netscape brand [Jupiter European Internet Research]. Very interesting to see history repeat itself here a few years down the road. But AOL has CompuServe, and the Journal article says they even tried using that brand for the value service, but Netscape tested better. Well, duh. AOL’s kind of let the CompuServe brand atrophy. Though “Netscape”‘s lost a lot of its luster too, it’s not surprising that more consumers (at least those who aren’t super net veterans) know and trust Netscape today.
Finally, this move will put MSN in an interesting spot. AOL will have Netscape (and Compuserve), Earthlink has PeoplePC. MSN will be the only premium ISP without a low-cost affiliate. I have a sneaky feeling that won’t stay that way for long.
This is a necessary move for AOL, but still a bold one. They’re going to have to show the Street that retaining someone as a $9.95 value customer is better than losing that person entirely. And that they can build enough of a value proposition around the Netscape ISP that it competes with the other providers targeting the late-adopter segment of the consumer online audience.
NYC Subway RSS Feeds…
Are search engines confusing surfers?
The FTC says search companies still have work to do in making sure that ads placed in search results are clearly marked as such, so consumers can tell them apart. [CNET News.com]
Just in case your were worried you’d miss it
AOL Launches 9.0 Online Ad Push….The company bills it as its largest online advertising effort to date, including a two-day blitz to reach 80 percent of Web users. [internetnews.com: Top News]
notes on the PowerBook…
While still getting used to things one significant detail is how much more responsive the system is…. I was just used to basic finder delays and lag in things like NetNewsWire that I did not even realize that is not how it was supposed to be!
The new system is virtually silent. I have yet to hear the fan or the drive and have only heard it go to sleep (with a gentle click). I love the screen, both the depth and the new angle that it rests when placed in full recline. The keyboard is softer, I think… but I like having some extra keys around like the second Apple even though I am mentally trained that is my former enter key which has now shifted one to the right.
The trackpad is a completely new material, or perhaps just new material. My old machine’s pad is actually shiny from my finger after these past years of use. It gets warm, but not hot even on your leg with shorts.
My plan is to reinstall things as I need them. I had way to much crap on my old machine, much of which I did not use regularly enough to consider keeping. Must keep this system clean and running fast…
Samsung Shows New SGH-i505 Smartphone
Samsung is showing a new Palm Powered smartphone at the ITU World Telecom Conference. The SGH-i505 is a Palm OS 5 smartphone that has a rotating display and built in VGA camera. [PalmInfocenter]
Looks very cool, though you will have to use Graffiti instead of using a keyboard which will be a requirement for me on any new connected device.
Sunrise in NYC
I woke up a bit earlier than I usually do and caught this shot outside our living room:
Usually the sun is already blasting inside, but today it was still cooking…
all is VERY Good…
My 15inch PowerBook was configured and delivered today… wow is this a beautiful computer!! So far I am just getting things re-established from my previous trusty friend. I used my TiBook pretty hard. Daily for over three years… by far the best computer I’ve had so looking ahead – this one has some work to do. Somehow, I don’t think that will be too hard. 😉
Comment Spam
A possible solution for everyone?
The problem has intensified in the past couple of weeks, but the good news is that as more people have been hit by comment spam, actual solutions are beginning to emerge.
Specifically, Jay Allen’s MT-BlackList is a blacklist-based solution to comment spam for Movable Type weblogs. It checks the comment fields (body, URL, author, etc) for URLs commonly found in spam comments, and rejects the comment if it looks like spam. The core plugin is set to be released today (Monday), but one of its neatest features-in-development is the ability for weblog systems to share blacklist data using XML-RPC. This provides the basis of a collaborative system similar to Razor, with the option for more management over the items in your own system’s blacklist.
We’re deeply committed to finding a way to combat spammers and we’re determined to do it on a core system level so that everyone can take advantage of spam prevention. We’re working on integrating comment spam blocking for MT and TypePad, and the great thing about Jay’s solution is that it could be the start of a distributed spam blocking network for comments, an implementation of which could be included in multiple tools. But, like email, there isn’t one simple solution that can be switched on and end spam completely. Hopefully we’re moving a step closer.
[Six Log]
This is great news! I’ve been looking into MT-Blacklist and thought exactly the same thing… that it could serve as a universal spam blocker. It’s clear from checking blogdex and daypop that we are all getting hit by the same porn comment spam and (once this can be implemented) we can knock them out together.
Consumers Get Spam Savvy
The importance attached to e-mail has led consumers to take a mostly low-tech approach to dealing with spam. Just 16 percent said they downloaded spam filters and 36 percent said they used spam-reporting buttons provided by Internet service providers and e-mail programs.
Instead of relying on technological fixes, consumers are using common sense. Over 63 percent said they scrutinize the “from” line in e-mails to determine if it is legitimate e-mail. The method squares with consumer definitions of spam: 95.5 percent said spam is e-mail that uses deception and 93 percent said it was e-mail from unknown senders. [InternetNews.com]
Revised Palm apps…
Seems that Palm has nicely revised the internal core apps but has only made them available for new purchasers… existing Tungsten owners are out of luck for now. GearBits had a nice review which got me thinking we should be able to get this as well. They are afterall just OS 5 applications and I do have a high res unit…
I’ve emailed PalmOne via the customer support form on their site. I suggest you do the same if you’d like to see these become available.