Engadget is reporting that on the release date of the iPhone the speed of EDGE data connections in the US is increasing significantly. This does not surprise me, as Apple is definitely committed to making their products look good on release. Also, some of you may know that the iPhone will have a feature called visual voicemail, where all a users voicemails will be listed on the screen, allowing the user to select the ones they want to listen to. This means AT&T has already shown they are willing to change aspects of their network just for Apple. Have any US based Tamspalm readers seen an increase in EDGE connection speed today?
Thats right, today is the day…June 29th. There are already people waiting in line to get them at many Apple stores, and no doubt they will all sell out within a couple of hours. I however, will not be getting an iPhone. Here are a few simple reasons why the iPhone is not the phone for me. Ill start with some background.
Currently, my cell phone is a Samsung D807. It is a small slider phone with a relatively large screen and a 1.3 megapixel camera. It is a good cell phone and I enjoy alot of its capabilities such as:
- EDGE network capability (although its slow, it is faster than GPRS)
- Bluetooth connectivity (I use it for handsfree in the car)
- Camera
- MicroSD expansion
However, more importantly, my phone has its drawbacks, which would prevent me from recommending it to others. The EDGE network is slow, even with the excellent Opera Mini browser installed. It has proprietary connectors, which means I would need an adapter to play music through my regular headphones. Most importantly, although it uses the Java platform, the actual OS of the device is proprietary. That means it only uses Java, and can run no native apps. This means I cant replace the interface or add a new launcher, or even move categories on the phones menus around.
This is the absolute biggest problem with the iPhone. Its running FauxSX. They claim its OSX, but it cant run OSX apps. Now, I believe that at some point either hackers will figure out a way to run native apps on the device, or Apple will open it up to developers, but for now, if you get an iPhone, you are stuck with what you got. Here are my top 5 reasons why I am not getting an iPhone:
- Lack of 3rd party application support
- No 3G network, just EDGE (this is supposed to be a revolutionary device, EDGE doesnt cut it)
- Only 8GB of space in the premium version? (that wouldnt hold my entire music collection (About 9GB), not to mention my collection is all in WMA)
- $599, you have to be kidding me. What are the chances it will even last me two years (no gadgets of this type last me longer than 2 years).
- No stereo BT headphone support (was apple just being lazy or stupid here, it must be one of those two options)
There you have it, those are my reasons. If you want a truly good converged device, you are going to have to look further. If you are like me, and you want to be able to customize your devices, the iPhone is not for you. I will likely either be getting a Treo or a WM based device for my next phone. I am not sure which yet, but I can tell you one thing. It will not be an iPhone. What do you look for in a phone, and is anyone considering the iPhone?
PS: For reason number 4 above, you must understand that even if the iPhone does not fall apart after two years, there are other drawbacks to keeping it. By then, we will likely be seeing the second or third iteration of the iPhone, which will have either 3 or 4G network capability. Even if your iPhone works in two years, you will probably want to get a new phone.
Jun 282007
A big PocketPC developer has recently issued an open letter to users of pirated programs…
While I do acknowledge the problem of piracy, I think that begging users to purchase is the wrong way…forcing them do so will work better. I have outlined a few anti-piracy methods at TamsPPC’a and currently wait for feedback – what about chiming in below?
http://tamsppc.tamoggemon.com/2007/06/28/an-open-letter-to-warez-sites-and-what-i-think-about-it/
According to an unconfirmed Unstrung report, Palm has recently laid off wifi developers:
It appears that the WiFi team may be among the layoffs. (See Palm Sells 25% Stake.)
Our sources vary on exactly how widespread the cuts were to the team. One industry source says that the whole team has been canned. Another simply says that there have been layoffs.
A further industry source says Palm cut senior staff members, including the leader of the WiFi program and another senior engineer project manager.
“From our perspective it would be fair to say their WiFi technical team was decimated,” the source says.
It’s not yet clear how the changes might affect Palm’s WiFi plans. The company hasn’t replied to calls on the issue yet.
While most commentators have seen this as the end of Palm’s WiFi plans, I am not entirely sure about this. While Palm’s TX and TC handhelds have had pretty good WiFi implementations(for my taste), they still couldn’t quite keep up with Windows CE devices. So, someone at Palm’s could just have decided to “bring fresh blood” into the company by kicking out the existing WiFi people and replacing them with a new batch of people coming from another company(headhunted from, e.g., HP).
Palm managers have repeatedly hinted at WiFi coming to Treos eventually in the past, and ignoring an industry trend forever is a no-go thing too. In the end, Palm will not be able to resist the WiFi train forever…its only a question WHERE the software comes from(outsourced, vendor or custom)…
What do you think?
Jun 272007
Resco Neeews is one of the most amazing programs for Palm OS from a technical standpoint; and it also is really useful for everyone who has an always-on internet connection on his Palm OS device.
For me, Resco Neews is the best news reader application for the Palm OS – check out the review to find out more about this amazing program(I know the technology behind it…). Anyways, get 20% off the programs price at the TamsShop with the discount code DONTSPLASHMYNEWS.
Jun 272007
Aceeca’s Meazura is especially interesting because of its MZIO slot that allows hardware to be added without significant effort. Aceeca has created a lowcost developer module to simplify development…and vivomobile sent us a few free samples.
When you first get your developer module(pictured below), you will probably feel overwhelmed by the plethora of contacts and connectors. But fear not – the TamsPalm team is here to help!
Basically, your module consists of three separate PCB’s as shown below. The ‘main’ PCB contains the soldering isles where you connect to the bus. The side PCB usually mates with connectors…but these aren’t present on the cheaper(I prefer this one to the one with endcap) version. Instead, you can route wires through the holes. The IR PCB is completely useless most of the time…it just contains the IR transmitter:
Essentially, you solder wires to the main PCB and route them outta the holes to your circuit. However, there are a few FAQ’s which are answered below:
Is the IR board always connected to the Meazura
Yes. The signal path is shown by the arrows in the figure above…you can easily trace them on your board. As long as the circuit you build doesn’t interfere with the Meazura’s UART2, the IR system will work like it would with any other module.
Is there any kind of protection for the Meazura on the board
No. 5V or a short circuit…and the Meazura is done for…
Is the Meazura waterproof with the board installed
Nope! Treat a Meazura with a dev module inside like a Palm IIIc or a similar, very sensitive handheld…
If you have a burning question, just post a comment and get it answered!
Margi’s Presenter-to-Go was a very interesting add-on for Palm OS handhelds. It allowed these machines to output data to a monitor or beamer attached via an analog VGA port. However, the manufacturer gave up on the product some time ago…and the drivers are said to be incompatible with the LifeDrive.
Anyways, 1src user Caitoz reports a way that made the Presenter-to-Go work on his LifeDrive. Get the full scoop here:
http://www.1src.com/forums/showthread.php?t=128551
We don’t have access to a LiveDrive and thus couldn’t test this approach. If you manage to try it out, please let us know about your results!
Resco has just updated Resco Explorer to version 3.10. The application now supports SMB file sharing(aka Windows Shares). TamsPalm had the opportunity to play around with the product a bit…here’s our verdict:
Accessing Windows Shares is possible via a graphical browser – there is no need to enter the path manually. However, accessing the browser is a bit difficult – it is hidden in the menu:
The browser itself works very well. It scans the network for approximately 10 secs, and then shows a list of all workgroups and workstations in “range”. Each one of the workstations can then be “scanned” for its shares:
Clicking on a share allows you to enter a user name and a password:
After that, you are set to go. Resco Explorer integrates the share into the “directory tree” transparently – you can copy files to and from it, zip/encrypt files,.. like with files on a memory card:
Overall, if you have a WIFI or bluetooth network at home, getting Resco Explorer is a must! Accessing files on your PC has never been so easy and convenient before. The program is currently on special offer in the TamsShop – the price of 25$ is more than justified!
The never-ending tale of the Palm Treo 700p patch has just become richer by a chapter…Palm has just reuploaded the SD Card installer for the Treo 700p maintenance release:
http://blog.palm.com/palm/2007/06/sprint-700p-mr-.html
Of course, we are dealing with Palm here, so there is a catch – there is no PC-based installer. Instead, you need to follow the SD card path irregardless if you are on Windows 2000/XP or not.
As of now, we are waiting for more reports of fried Treos…
P.s. If you want a good laugh at the (not at all funny) matter, look at our Paul Loeffler masquerade contest.
In the last few days, a few developers shared their opinions on Palm’s “secret business” aka Foleo. Now that the first round of interviews is done, I think that its time for a “conclusion” and a list of opinions.
First of all, here is a table with a few “characteristics” of each interview(descending order from positive to negative):
| Interview partner | Will provide services |
Expects successor |
vs iPhone | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andreas Voigt | if demand | yes | Foleo wasn’t hyped | Very positive |
| Donald Kirker | yes | yes | Foleo wasn’t hyped | cool |
| Iain Barclay | yes | hopes | neither deserves hype, rather iphone |
rather positive |
| Tunji Afonja | if adopted | maybe | iPhone | Neutral |
| Jan Slodicka | waiting | maybe, but unlikely | iphone | Rather negative |
| Radoslav Nowak | no | unlikely | no comment | Negative |
| Dmitry Grinberg | maybe, if below 200$ and Linux platform open |
Laptops | none | Extremely negative |
The interviewers had very diverging opinions, yet every one of them presented a coherent and “possible” scenario for the Foleo’s future. Here is each interview, along with a short summary(from positive to negative):
Andreas Voigt
Andreas Voigt(PDA repair house, Meazura king) is very positive about the Foleo. He thinks that the product can sell very well if marketed correctly – as smartphone addon to fulfill the infinite need for a bigger screen and keyboard…as well as the need for simple-to-use computers for the “masses”.
Donald Kirker
Donald Kirker(Universe3 developer) is pretty excited about the Foleo…although he thinks that its main use will not be email. His company plans on delivering applications for the machine, he expects it to sell decently well, but not blockbuster-style.
Iain Barclay
Iain Barclay(ElectricPocket) feels that the Foleo will be a “Web 2.0″ platform of some sort or the other. He thinks that it will make a “laptop lite” for people who don’t need the hassle of a full laptop(“I hope it is the perfect computer for my Mother and my kids!”), and plans to offer products for it.
Tunji Afonja
Tunji Afonja(GX5) thinks that Palm’s “gamble is very bold”. He thinks that the device has a good standing against UMPC’s(if only because of Vista’s various quirks); and could possibly sell well in the market for “simple” computers.
Jan Slodicka
Jan Slodicka(Resco) is rather negative about the Foleo. He expected a device that will at least somehow support the Treo market; which he feels that the Foleo does not. Jan cannot envision Treo users carrying an extra bag for the Foleo…
Radoslaw Nowak
Radoslaw Nowak’s position is short and simple: there isn’t enough space for the Palm Foleo between laptops and smartphones…
Dmitry Grinberg
Last but not least, Dmitry Grinberg goes into “full-scale” attack mode on Palm and delivers an amusing-but-accurate depiction of why the Foleo will fail and why it all doesn’t surprise him. His writing style alone makes this a must-read…
Overall, the Palm OS economy has spoken – and we aren’t wiser than we were before. We got very negative interviews, very positive ones and neutral ones, too. In the end, time will tell – what do you think?
Approximately one week after removing the software installation CD from all Meazuras leaving the company, Aceeca(the maker of my favorite industrial PDA; the Meazura) decided to put it back in – the official press release is below:
We have received a lot of feedback from the e-mail sent a week ago regarding
the Installation Software Update. Aceeca would like to thank you all for this.While making a website link available for the installation software in place of
a CD-ROM was intended to provide up-to-date files to our users and streamline
our production line, we realize this will cause an inconvenience to some of our
customers.Therefore, we have decided to continue to provide the CD-ROM as a standard item
in our kit, while having the download link always available for the latest
updates.
We believe this will better meet our customers overall requirements.Thank you for your continuous support and if you have any comments, please
e-mail me direct, cmesmin@aceeca.com
For me, this is the (disappointing) end of a very interesting experiment. As I already said in the original announcement, I think that this step was a great idea, as it allowed Aceeca to keep on improving the device’s software/firmware platform even in the product’s lifetime – with minimal interaction on customer end.
But, apparently, many of Aceeca’s customers weren’t ready for this (radical) step – and it shows Aceeca’s commitment to their customers happiness that the CD was reinserted. Kudos to them for that.
Nevertheless, I would like to see if Aceeca kept the web firmware idea. A possible method for this would be to put a red ribbon around the CD saying sth like “if possible, visit www.foo.com for drivers and updates instead of using this CD”; informing customers of the existence of this URL…
With CD? Without CD? What do you think?
P.s. TamsPalm and TamsPPC get read by Aceeca folks – I am sure that they will chime into the discussion. Commenting is free and anonymous!!
While my contacts currently don’t report any fluctuations in terms of the Gandolfini, Gizmondo has just posted extra information on the box. They claim that it will cost less than 200? at Sprints and is targeted at teenagers(they already declared it a hoax…but since it fits with a statement made at the PUM, let’s follow suit). The box will probably sell well – but developers won’t benefit from it. The reason for this is simple:
Most teens pirate software
I attend an austrian technology school – and am among the select few(less than 5 percent) who purchase their handheld programs legally. Most people around me resort to piracy – cracks are available in abundance, and piracy is rampant.
Essentially, the Gandolfini will be a device to attack Series 60 smartphones and Java dumbphones – and it’s content offerings will need to follow the same distribution channels. Either you get on MTV and scam em off with abonnements – or you don’t make significant money in this sector.
Of course, Palm could implement a heavy DRM system of some sort or the other – but I dare to doubt that, as it would make the device less interesting for its target clientele. Teenagers are not very inclined to spend money on software, and the ‘expensiveness’ of games&stuff can easily become a deciding factor for them. And since Palm’s primary interest is customer aquisition – we know who has to give…
What do you think?
From the moment the first NVFS devices hit the market, users and developers alike wished for bigger DB caches. Soon, developers found out that removing unneeded applications from the machine’s ROM increased the DB cache – and so-called custom ROM’s began to spread like wildfire(in fact, they spread so much that the Treo 680 includes a warning about them).
While Treo 650 users could customize their ROM’s for quite some time, Treo 680 users can now follow suit. A few TreoCentral users posted a few custom ROM’s complete with instructions – and users are already reporting successes!
Get the full scoop here:
http://discussion.treocentral.com/showthread.php?t=144028
If you take the plunge, please tell us how you fared!
Addon by Tam Hanna:
Please be ultra mega hyper careful if you have a Palm Tungsten E2. This machine has already proven very unreliable with older versions of UDMH – I recommend all E2 users to keep their fingers off!
Today, GoogleReader brought me this gem:
More Heap Hack
I´ve developed a tool for Palm OS 5.0 which enlarges the dynamic heap using free memory from the storage heap. This is useful if you want run programs which needs much working memory on devices with a small dynamic heap. (like Tungsten T, T2, E)
The tool was build with NaPP, PP, Bird, Piaf & Pyaf on a Tungsten T2 and a Tungsten E.
So, I haven’t got home yet to try this out, but it looks to me like this is a free, opensourced UDMH-like hack. More tonight perhaps (if I work up the courage to try it 
), just thought it is worth mentioning this is out there!
See here for the whole story and a download link.
BTW, please don’t yell at me if this doesn’t work. Don’t kill the messenger… I take 0% responsibilty if your device dies because of this… BACKUP BACKUP BACKUP!
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