Foleo Mobile Companion Brings Large Screen and Full-size Keyboard to Smartphones

CARLSBAD, Calif., May 30, 2007 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Building on its vision that the future of personal computing is mobile computing, Palm, Inc. (Nasdaq:PALM) today announced the Palm(R) Foleo(TM), its first smartphone companion product. The Foleo mobile companion has a large screen and full-size keyboard with which to view and edit email and office documents residing on a smartphone. Edits made on Foleo automatically are reflected on its paired smartphone and vice versa. Foleo and its paired smartphone stay synchronized throughout the day or at the touch of a button. This powerful combination is for productivity-minded business people who want a more complete mobile solution for email, attachments and access to the web.(1)
The Foleo mobile companion turns on and off instantly and features fast navigation, a compact and elegant design, and a battery that lasts up to 5 hours of use. Its applications include email, full-screen web browser, and editors or viewers for common business documents such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF files. The Foleo stays synchronized via Bluetooth(R) wireless technology and uses the smartphone's radio or the Foleo's built-in Wi-Fi radio for general Internet connectivity.
"Foleo is the most exciting product I have ever worked on," said Jeff Hawkins, founder of Palm, Inc. and the visionary behind the Foleo's concept and definition. "Smartphones will be the most prevalent personal computers on the planet, ultimately able to do everything that desktop computers can do. However, there are times when people need a large screen and full-size keyboard. As smartphones get smaller, this need increases. The Foleo completes the picture, creating a mobile-computing system that sets a new standard in simplicity."

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CNET Podcast: Taking stock of Palm's new hand

I just got done listening to CNET's podcast on Palm's announcement tomorrow. Some interesting thoughts here, but nothing new. I hope Palm can produce a solid device tomorrow.

"CNET News.com's Tom Krazit talks about what Palm co-founder Jeff Hawkins is up to and the company's ambitions to steal some of Apple's thunder.

Did Hewlett-Packard spy on one of its chief rivals? So says a former executive, according to a published report that's stirring up a new storm.

Researchers say they have uncovered more than 200 planets outside of our solar system--including one where there's an abundance of water, one of the key requirements for sustaining life."

Palm officially announces their plans to reveal a new device tomorrow!!!

SUNNYVALE, Calif., May 29, 2007 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Jeff Hawkins, founder of Palm, Inc. (Nasdaq:PALM), will host a live video webcast on Wed., May 30, to describe a new category of mobile device. The webcast will follow the announcement of this new product at the D: All Things Digital conference in Carlsbad, Calif.

Credentialed media plus industry and financial analysts are invited to join the streamed webcast at 11:30 a.m. Pacific. Hawkins will discuss Palm's vision for this new category and demonstrate the new product's capabilities, followed by a Q&A session.

Palm Webcast Details

-- For media, industry and financial analysts only.

-- Wed., May 30, 11:30 a.m. Pacific Time

-- The live webcast can be accessed using the following link: http://www.visualwebcaster.com/event.asp?id=39613

-- Call-in number: 866.682.6100 or 201.499.0416

-- A replay will be available using the link above at approximately 3 p.m. Pacific on May 30.

Broadcast Video and Other Materials

Video and photographs will be available from several sources, including the following:

-- Palm's Multimedia Library (www.palm.com/MultimediaLibrary). Pre-registration is required to access broadcast-quality video and stills.

-- Business Wire (www.businesswire.com)

-- Virtual Press Office (www.vpoinc.com)

SOURCE: Palm, Inc.

Mobile Google Calendar.

If you haven't checked out Google Calendar for yourself or for your church's calendar (makes a easy place for your congregation to see upcoming church activities), the folks at Google have just made it accessible from a mobile device like your PDA or mobile phone. I've yet to try this on my cellphone, but on my Lifedrive it works rather well. Being a Gcal user, it has almost replaced my PDA as my calendar organizer. It's worked for me and I'm glad to see this feature added to Gcal.

Source: Official Google Blog

Tips to protect your identity online.

FOXNews.com has 12 steps to protecting your identity online. While it's hard for me to advocate their second step, sometimes it is better not giving away all your personal information to an online website. I've bought many an item on the web and thankfully I've not experienced identity theft. Of course, I only shop for companies that I trust, but that doesn't eliminate identity theft in this day and age. There are phishers on the web who designed websites that look just like the real thing, but they are meant only to take your personal information like user names, passwords, social security numbers, etc. Falling to one of these sites is terrible to say the least.

If you happen to be a frequent shopping online, then you might want to take a look at this 12 steps, because you can never be too cautious when it comes to protecting your identity!

"When you hand your credit card to the waiter at an unfamiliar bistro, there's a possibility he'll copy the number and go on a spree with your card.

It's not likely, though — too many chances for him to get caught!"

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Palm to release a device next week.

Hawkin's New Device Expected Next Week is a new article at Palminfocenter and this could put Palm back on the map, but likely for only a few weeks as the Apple iPhone will be out in late June.
Palm's Jeff Hawkin's should be revealing what his 3rd business is that he has talked about for the last couple years.
Honestly, I'm not that excited about this as I'm quite afraid that Palm will somehow botch this product. Palm seems to have lost their ability to innovate. However, if this device turns out to be a solid performer, it could steal some thunder away from the iPhone, especially if the iPhone turns out to be mediocre. It's definitely been Palm's best kept secret in recent years, so I will be awaiting the announcement to see just what has been up Palm's sleeve in the past couple years.

Most people believe it will be a UMPC-like device that runs a Palm-flavored Linux. It will have a large storage space and some form of wireless abilities (cellular, WiFi, etc.). This should be an interesting week.

"After years of hints, veiled references and rampant speculation, the fruits of Jeff Hawkin's secret project are expected to be revealed next week. Hawkin's is scheduled to present at the Wall Street Journal’s D: All Things Digital next Wednesday in Southern California.

Hawkins himself has hinted earlier this year that Palm fans "should keep a close watch on" what he reveals during the elite technology industry conference. Numerous theories abound as to exactly what we will see, but a number of recent hints from Palm executives and a look back at some of Hawkin's quotes provide some rough clues. In this article we take a look back at all the events leading up to the announcement and try to piece together a preview of what to expect."

UPDATED: Paper thin TV screen from Sony

I saw this mentioned on the Drudge Report. It is a paper thin screen that can display video and bend like paper all at the same time. Quite amazing and this would definitely be cool to have on a PDA or cellphone.

"In the race for ever thinner displays for TVs, cell phones and other gadgets, Sony may have developed one to beat them all - a razor-thin display that bends like paper while showing full-colour video.

Sony Corporation posted video of the new 2.5 inch display on its' web page.

In the video, a hand squeezes the 0.3 millimetre (0.01 inch)-thick display, which shows color video of a bicyclist stuntman, a picturesque lake and other images."

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UPDATED:

I've added the video of Sony's new screen which they say they want to have an 11 inch screen out sometime late this year. Cool beans! Thanks to Michael for the tip.

The Cyber Hymnal

The Cyber Hymnal ™ is a great place to find the lyrics of hymns, topics on hymns, MIDI files, history, etc. While you could find many of these things in your church's hymn book, many don't have their own hymnbook at home and sometimes it can be much easier to search for the hymn you are looking for. The site has over 6,300 Christian hymns and gospel songs.

Keep track of your goals, projects, etc. on your PDA with Traxitall

Traxitall has now become an even better goal and performance tracking program for your PDA. You can now print off your reports via your desktop computer with the Traxitall Desktop module. This program has been quite useful for me. You can easily set your goals and see how successful you've been with a progress report. You can check out my review of the software here. With a desktop module this program will be even more useful for you in managing and keeping track of your goals.
As pastors, missionaries, deacons, teachers, etc. I believe it is important to have goals and work towards them. This helps us improve ourselves and our ministries. Traxitall could easily be a help in during just that. Here are just a few features of the software:

" TraxItAll now comes in two parts: the Palm OS program and the desktop module for Windows computers (XP and 2000).

In essence, TraxItAll is a daily, electronic log sheet. It gives your Palm OS device the ability to track any statistic that you could track using a paper log sheet.

You can set goals, enter your data, and then quickly and easily create reports for any time period you desire. The reports not only give totals, but show you how you performed in relation to your goals. This makes it a great goal-setting tool.

And now, using our new desktop module for Windows, users can print out their reports! When using 3rd-party software for creating PDF files (such as the free CutePDF program), you can even email these reports to doctors, caregivers, coaches, employers, colleagues, support groups, and others."

Frozen Bubble for Linux

I've been using Ubuntu as a second OS on my desktop. I do not think I'll totally make the switch to it, but I most admit that it is tempting. One of those temptations is Frozen Bubble. It's a highly addictive game that will keep you entertained for hours. I've played it already too much! If you are a Linux user or you tinker with ubuntu, you need to check this game out.

"Colorful 3D rendered penguin animations, 100 levels of 1p game, hours and hours of 2p game, nights and nights of 2p/3p/4p/5p game over LAN or Internet, a level-editor, 3 professional quality digital soundtracks, 15 stereo sound effects, 8 unique graphical transition effects, 8 unique logo eye-candies.

More than ever, you really need this game."

Envelope Budget software for PC or Mac

Let's face it, managing our money is a necessary evil. I try to find every avenue I can to simplify the process, but it is still work. Growing up my parents taught me to use an envelope system to help me budget my money. Well, today on Lifehacker, they mentioned a piece of software that does exactly that- allow you to use virtual envelopes to organize your finances. Talk about a useful piece of software. I've downloaded it and I'm giving it a try for the next few days to see how it works for me. I like the concept, I just hope it helps my family out. The program cost $30, so that could be a draw back for some, but still it's sure to be a big help for those wanting to managing their finances right. This could also be a help to your church as well.

• QIF Import: Convert data from other applications, or download your transactions from a bank.
  
  
• Bank Account Management: Record checks, debits, and deposits, and easily balance your checkbook.
  
  
• Define Pay Sources: Set up your income to automatically distribute funds to various envelopes.
  
  
• Multiple Bank Accounts: Define as many bank accounts as you need.
  
  
• Credit Cards: Track your credit card spending, and stay out of debt.

More Dell news... Ubuntu on a dell coming next week???

Dell is apparently ready to release systems with Ubuntu on them. I've tinkered with Ubuntu and with it's latest release, I'd almost switch to it, if it wasn't for my iPod and my wife. She's not a fan of it- yet! I'm wondering how much money a person could save by installing a free operating system on their PC instead. I'm guessing the savings won't be much.
Would a Dell computer with Ubuntu on it be of interest to you? I've ready a lot of reasons why to make the switch from Windows to Ubuntu and Linux does have a lot to offer with open source programs. One of my difficulties to switching was understanding the terminal window. I like the double click on the setup icon and that begins the install. The Linux way was difficult for me to grasp at first. Automatix was a huge help as well.

Dell confirms the Latitude tablet for 2007

Engadget reports that Dell will be releasing a new Latitude tablet PC this year. It will be thin, widescreen, touchscreen/pen input, and should be available this year. From the looks of the picture, this looks like a very thin laptop. I would like to see something like this, but in a smaller form factor- but this is a laptop, so I should just appreciate it for what it is and not what it is not.

Vista sells 40 milion licenses in 100 days

Despite all the flak and criticism it has received, Vista is the fastest selling OS in history. I must admit that my short time will Vista was good, despite my driver issues, I did like the new OS. It may not have much over XP, but the eye candy was sweet. I have to wonder though how many of those folks who bought Vista went back to their former OS, like I did. I would like to know how many Vista users there are compared to XP users. That would be interesting!

"SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) -- Microsoft has sold nearly 40 million Windows Vista licenses in the first 100 days that the latest version of the operating system has been available, Chairman Bill Gates said Tuesday.

Gates said an accelerating consumer shift to digital lifestyles had helped make the operating system the fastest selling in history, and that premium editions have accounted for 78 percent of Vista sales."

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Brando's Nintendo Wii Accessories

While I was shopping at Walmart today, I stopped in the electronics department to see what kind of Nintendo Wii accessories they had to offer. They had a modest selection, so I went surfing this evening on line and found a good selection at Brando, a popular gadget accessory maker. They've got tons of cool stuff and its a place worth checking out. Here is just a few of the Wii accessories they offer.

Wii WeDock	Wii Crystal Cooler	Wii Combat Pack	Wii Wireless Sensor Bar
Wii Controller Crystal Case	Wii Rechargeable Battery & Charger Stand	Wii Sensor Bar (3rd Party)	Wii 360 revoloving receiver stand

Apple makes minor updates to their MacBook consumer line

As expected...

CUPERTINO, California—May 15, 2007—Apple® today updated its MacBook® consumer notebooks with faster Intel Core 2 Duo processors, 1GB of memory and larger hard drives in every model. The MacBook is just one-inch thin and features built-in 802.11n wireless networking for up to five times the performance and twice the range of 802.11g.* Every MacBook also includes a built-in iSight® video camera for on-the-go video conferencing, Apple’s MagSafe® Power Adapter that safely disconnects when under strain, and iLife® ‘06, Apple’s award-winning suite of digital lifestyle applications.

"The MacBook is a huge hit with customers, and is one of the reasons that Mac sales are growing three times faster than PC sales," said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "The new MacBook is faster, has even more memory and storage, and is an ideal notebook for customers’ growing library of digital music, photos and movies."

Featuring a gorgeous 13-inch glossy widescreen display, the one-inch thin MacBook comes in three models: sleek white 2.0 GHz and 2.16 GHz MacBook models, and a stunning black 2.16 GHz MacBook model. The MacBook includes a built-in iSight video camera for video chatting on-the-go with friends or family using iChat AV,** recording a video podcast or iMovie® using iLife ‘06, or taking fun snapshots with Photo Booth. Designed for the mobile lifestyle, the MacBook includes Apple’s MagSafe Power Adapter that magnetically connects the power cord to the MacBook and safely disconnects when under strain, and the latest generation of 802.11n wireless networking for up to five times the performance and twice the range of 802.11g.

The MacBook comes with iLife ‘06, the next generation of Apple’s award-winning suite of digital lifestyle applications featuring iPhoto®, iMovie HD, iDVD, GarageBand™ and iWeb™. The MacBook also comes with the latest release of the world’s most advanced operating system, Mac OS® X version 10.4.9 Tiger, including Safari™, Mail, iCal®, iChat AV, Front Row and Photo Booth.

Jerry Falwell is in heaven tonight.

As many of you have probably heard, Dr. Falwell is in heaven tonight. Many years ago, our church had Dr. Falwell come and speak. I was not there, in fact, I don't think I was even born yet. While some may disagree with his views, he definitely left a legacy that will last for years to come. I think it would be wise of us to learn from some of his accomplishments and his failures. Many of the great men of God are passing from the scene, and there are gaps forming in the line.

Who will stand in the gap?

"And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none."

Ezekiel 22:30

"Falwell was found without a pulse in his office at Liberty University and pronounced dead at a hospital an hour later. Dr. Carl Moore, Falwell's physician, said he had a heart condition and presumably died of a heart rhythm abnormality.

Driven into politics by the 1973 Supreme Court ruling that established the right to an abortion, Falwell founded the Moral Majority in 1979. One of the conservative lobbying group's greatest triumphs came just a year later, when Ronald Reagan was elected president..."

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Internet out again!

OK, I'll admit that I was not a happy camper yesterday. Our internet was out once again as our broadband provider makes some changes with their service. This is the second time that we've experienced internet outage in a week. Our first time lasted two days, this last time only lasted one day. It was good for me to be away from the internet as I saw that I am quite hooked to it at times.

Wouldn't it be amazing if all believers were as passionate about God as they are about their internet, email, cellphone, TV, etc. What a difference that would make in our mission here on earth.

Rumors: Details on upcoming Apple laptops

Mac Rumors has a good roundup of the rumors and speculation of upcoming Macbooks, MacBook Pro, and an ultra-portable MacBook which could possible have no optical drive. Interestingly, some of these rumors could become reality by next week according to Macrumors. Keep in mind that all this is speculation and is still rumors at this point.

"ThinkSecret updates with claims that both MacBook and MacBook Pro updates are coming sooner than expected.

The rumor site had previously pegged MacBook Pro updates for WWDC, but now expects an announcement "as early as Tuesday," echoing a previous page 2 rumor by Gizmodo. The new MacBook Pro is expected to utilize features from Intel's recently introduced Santa Rosa chipset.

Appleinsider concurs with this report with their own claim that the MacBook Pro will see features such as "faster front-side bus speeds of 800MHz, and second-generation Core 2 Duo mobile processors that scale up to 2.4GHz." They also believe the new MacBook Pro will house the new LED backlit displays. Appleinsider, however, gives no time frame for the revised Pro laptop..."

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Palm Releases the Treo 755p

Today, Palm has announced their latest Treo smartphone, the Treo 755p. Overall, it is a minor upgrade and there are really no new features to this phone- well, unless you mean this new Treo uses a Mini SD card or that it comes in two colors, midnight blue and burgundy. Seems most people are not too thrilled about that new feature. I think it is high time that Palm releases something with a "wow" factor. I mean seriously, the Treo 755p will never be able to compete with the iPhone in looks of style and it may loose in terms of user friendliness as well. Grant the Treo has the iPhone beat in the applications category, but Palm better have something up their sleeve if they want to be around for the long haul.

Here are the specs for the Treo 755p.

In the box

• Palm Treo 755p smartphone
• Rechargeable battery
• AC power charger
• USB sync cable
• Stereo headset
• Stylus
• Palm Software Installation CD with desktop synchronization software
• User documentation
  

Software on device*

• Blazer® Web Browser
• Bluetooth® Manager
• Calculator
• Calendar
• Camcorder
• Camera
• Card info
• Contacts
• Documents To Go® 8.0
• Google Maps
• HotSync® Manager
• Memos
• Messaging
• MyTreo™
• Phone
• Pictures and Videos
• PocketTunes™
• QuickTour
• Tasks
• VersaMail®*
• Voice Memo
• World Clock

Software on
CD-ROM*

• Audible®
• Bejeweled
• Documents To Go® (for your desktop)
• eReader
• HotSync Manager*
• Palm® Desktop Software 4.2
• Palm® Files
• Remote File Access
• Solitaire
• Traffic for Treo™ smartphones
• Treo™ Voice Dialing

Palm OS® 5.4.9

Operating System

128MB (60MB persistent user storage)

Memory

Intel® XScale™ 312MHz processor

Processor

320 x 320 pixel TFT touchscreen displays over 65,000 colors

Screen

Dual-band CDMA2000 EvDO
Backward compatible with 1xRTT and IS95 networks

Bluetooth® 1.2 wireless technology

Wireless

Personal speakerphone

Hands-free headset jack

Microphone mute option

TTY/TDD compatibility

Support for 3-way calling

Phone Features

1.3 megapixels with 1280x1024 resolution

Automatic light balance

2x digital zoom

Integrated self-portrait mirror

Video capture with 352x1024 resolution

Digital Camera

2.5mm headset jack is stereo headset compatible. The use of standard stereo headphones requires a stereo headset adapter, sold separately.

Speaker

Polyphonic MIDI & WAV ringtones

External ringer on/off switch w/ vibrate mode

Vibrate mode

Audio

Full QWERTY key layout with backlighting

Integrated number dial pad

Keyguard feature

Keyboard

Support for miniSD cards

Expansion Slot

Removable, rechargeable lithium-ion battery

Talk time: up to 4.2 hours

Standby time: up to 240 hours

Battery

Multi-connector on device

USB sync cable

AC adapter (108-132 VAC/60Hz)

Power/Sync

2.3" W x 4.4" L x 0.84" D

59.3mm W x 113mm L x 21.3mm D

Size

5.64 ounces / 160 grams

Weight

Palm offers free technical support for 90 days after purchase

New Mac vs PC commercials

I just saw a new Mac vs PC commercial during "24". This time Apple pokes fun at the different versions of Vista and then states that Mac OS X has only one version making your decision a whole lot easier. While I do not own a Mac (I would like to), I think Apple has an excellent marketing campaign with these commercials, but really credit should be given to Microsoft for making it so easy for the Apple's marketing department.

If you want to watch the three latest installments, you can do so at Apple's website and by clicking here.

The best selling cellphone with over 200 million sold world wide

Engadget is reporting that Nokia's 1100 handset is the best selling cellphone ever. It even beats out other popular gadgets like the iPod in number of units sold. Interestingly, the cellphone is a low end phone and is not feature rich at all. The most exciting features would be its flashlight, Xpress-on color covers, and its 2 games: Snake II and Space Impact II. There's a "wow" factor for you! Despite its lack of features, it still has managed to be Nokia's best selling phone.

I've included the specs from Nokia's website below.

Nokia 1100 Phone Features

Phone Features

Mobile Messaging Text and picture messaging1 Send up to 3 linked messages with up to 459 characters of text1 Instant messaging1 Predictive text input 8 picture message templates and 8 text message templates Organization Phone book Reminders Alarm clock Stopwatch and countdown timer Date and time screen saver Personalization & Fun Screen savers Built-in flashlight Xpress-on™ color covers (sold separately) Compose your own ring tones Downloadable ring tones and picture messages1 2 games: Snake II and Space Impact II Specifications High-resolution, easy-to-read display (96 x 65 pixels) Anti-slip sides, large keys and a user-friendly menu Internal antenna and vibrating alert Hearing aid support with the LPS-3 Loopset TTY/TDD (Telecommunication Device for the Deaf) compatibility with phone adapter HDA-9 (sold separately)6 Weight: 3.26 ounces 4.16 inches long x 1.78 inches wide x 0.77 inch thick Service GSM 850/1900 MHz 1100 Phone Battery Life Extended Li-Ion Battery 850 mAh -- Digital Talk Time up to 3 hours* -- Digital Standby Time up to 16 days*