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Nokia adds support for Lotus Notes in Symbian S60
There's hardly anything more embarrassing that admitting that your company still uses Lotus Notes, but for the millions upon millions (140 million, in fact) of licensed users who'd love the opportunity to check in via their S60-based handset, this one's for you. Starting next month, Lotus Notes support will be granted for Symbian S60 3rd Edition, meaning that anyone with a fresh S60 device can soon tap into Lotus Notes Traveler and access real-time email, calendar, address book, journal and to-do list data. On second thought, maybe you shouldn't be so enthusiastic -- leaving work at work is a blessing too many take for granted.
Peek wants your input on hacks / tweaks to make e-mail handheld better
Well, would you have a gander at this spectacle. Some "Dan" character over at Peek has gone and stolen our thunder, completely dashing our hopes of hosting up a "How would you change" article on the outfit's e-mail only handheld. All (nonexistent) personal beef aside, we'd wager that this scenario is actually far more beneficial for end users, particularly since you know the company is all ears. Over at the Peek blog, the outfit pleads with users and spectators to chime in on how the handheld could be tweaked (in "minor" ways, mind you) in order to be superior. Additionally, it's looking to open up a set of APIs for the public in order to facilitate the hacking of Peek for its own betterment. We always said this thing would be way more appealing with Opera Mini loaded on there alongside a VoIP application, and lookie here, the price has stooped to $80 with no contracts attached. Consider our interest finally piqued. Ugh, that was awful.[Thanks, Jacob]
Switched On: The Peek of popularity
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. Last week's Switched On delved into Celio's REDFLY, an austere smartphone accessory designed for enterprise users who manage their digital lives on their smartphones. REDFLY has faced scrutiny from the geek elite who have noted that, for about the same price as a REDFLY, one can get an independently functioning netbook that does so much more. A similar argument has also been levied at Peek, a wireless e-mail appliance that delivers only a part of what most smartphones can do. But the two products could hardly be more different. Whereas REDFLY is a smartphone companion, Peek is a smartphone alternative featuring a slim design and a commitment to simplicity that borders on obsession. For example, Peek, like many modern smartphones, will attempt to guess your mail server information by your e-mail address. But if your e-mail address stumps it, there is no way to enter a server name or IP address manually. This omission is intentional, according to Peek, which didn't want consumers to have to find out technical settings. Instead, customers are directed to contact the company's support line where a customer service representative will set up the account for them. The approach is in lockstep with the device's target market -- busy and less technical consumers, particularly young mothers, who find themselves increasingly dependent on e-mail and don't want the complexity of a smartphone or the high cost of running one on a 3G network. Peek provides an alternative to a growing movement within the cellular industry to force minimal data plans on advanced phones. And for consumers who find carrier stores less than inviting, Peek is sold at Target, and it works.
Mobile Gmail goes 2.0 for J2ME and BlackBerry phones
Right about this time last year, Google updated its mobile Gmail client to be leaner, meaner and altogether more awesome. Now, we're looking at version 2.0 of the app for use with J2ME-supported and BlackBerry phones. The team behind it rethought how mobile users interacted with Gmail, and they attempted to provide solutions for each instance in which your connection may be spotty. Furthermore, the entire client was made to operate faster and be more reliable than ever, and there's even support for keypad shortcuts, multiple drafts, undo, 35 languages and background mail sending. Hop on past the break for a demo vid, or better yet, just point your handset to m.google.com/mail and have a look for yourself.
Peek: the handheld that does e-mail, and only e-mail
Ready for some excitement in the form of watching a startup squirm as it waits for its product to gain traction? Take a glance at Peek, which is churning out a dedicated handheld that handles e-mail, a few chain forwards, and more e-mails when you're done with that. At first glance, one may consider such a one-trick-pony quite ridiculous, but it's hard to say what will end up catching on these days. The biggest problem facing Peek is the pricing: it'll be $99.95 up front when it lands in Target next month, plus $19.95 per month to send unlimited e-mails over T-Mobile's network. Of course, if anyone figures out how to load Opera Mini up here, the Bulls-eye Shop won't be able to keep the shelves stocked.[Via Silicon Alley Insider]
Blizzard confirms Beta invites to opt-ins on their way
Blizzard poster Belfaire has confirmed over at the forums that the first wave of Beta keys for subscribers who have opted in have been sent out. If you opted in, you might want to check your inbox for a Beta key as Blizzard has said that the invites are random. If you're one of the lucky few, you just might be roaming the new (but not necessarily improved -- we hear there are lots of bugs, and not the Silithus kind) build of the Beta. If you didn't get a Beta key, fret not as Belfaire also mentioned succeeding waves but did not give an ETA. You can check out WoW Insider's extensive beta coverage while you wait.
How to constantly check your email for a Beta invite
If you're like me, you're constantly refreshing your email box right now waiting for a beta invite. Also if you're like me, you'll probably get bored eventually and go find some Horde to kill in a Batteground. After all, taking out your aggression on Orcs is what it's all about. But after that PvP session, you'll probably go right back to checking.There's a few key things you can do to constantly check your email and make sure you know when the beta key comes. Let's take a look at them.Press F5That's the magic refresh key. It works on all browsers, and is a throwback to the old days of computers.Press Control-R or Apple-RDoes the same thing as F5.Auto check your email every minuteMost email programs allow you to "grab" email off the server as often as every minute. This is how I have my clients setup, and it will more or less let you know as soon as you get an email.
TUAW Tip: How to disable automatic hyperlinks in Pages '08
Do you find it annoying when you go to type in an e-mail address or hyperlink into Pages and it automatically thinks you want the text turned into a hyperlink? Well, you can easily change this setting in the preferences. Just open Page's Preferences (Pages > Preferences, or use command + , (comma) to open preferences). Once there, select the "Auto-Correction" tab and un-check the box labeled "Automatically detect email and web addresses." Now when you start typing a link or e-mail address inside of Pages it will appear as text. [via New Mac User]
.Mac mail down, speculations abound
If you're a .Mac mail user, then you probably know that .Mac's mail system has been down for almost 6 hours. According to the .Mac system status, 100% of users are experiencing the problems. Here's what Apple says: 100% of members might experience slower than normal response when using IMAP mail. Mail can be sent and received using .Mac webmail. Normal service will be restored ASAP.This comes after .Mac has been rumored to undergo re-branding around the time of WWDC (which is next Monday). Update (8:38p EST): Apple just updated the system status to report that some may not be able to access the .Mac welcome page. Stay tuned to TUAW for updates on the .Mac outage.Update (9:37p EST): Apple is telling users that they can access the .Mac mail by using the webmail system; however, most users cannot access the entire .Mac website. We're currently experiencing a "504 Gateway Timeout" error when trying to load both the homepage and webmail. Looks as though the same services are down. Update (10:40p EST): Some commenters are noting that they are now able to retrieve their .Mac mail. Apple has yet to update the .Mac system status. Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
Mac Automation: Get remote screenshots via Mail
I've talked about getting your Mac to shutdown via an e-mail (or even take a picture from your iSight and e-mail it back to you), but I have received some comments and e-mails about using this script to send a snap of your computer screen when you want to "check up." So, in this Automator tutorial, I am going to show how to get a screenshot of your Mac no matter where you are -- via e-mail.Continue reading to learn how to generate screenshots via Mail.
Mail Unread Menu 3.1
We've all been there: you have the Dock set to auto hide and you miss the Mail.app notification telling you there's new mail. Well, don't miss that presidential e-mail again with Mail Unread Menu. This little app sits in your menu bar awaiting your e-mail.This menu bar application can replace right-clicking on the Mail.app icon in the dock. You can check for new mail, compose a new message, and view the new messages broken down by mail boxes. This application did, however, seem a bit laggy in updating the unread mail count. You can download Mail Unread Menu 3.1 for free (donations accepted) by visiting the developer's website.
Mac Automation: create a Mail-triggered "spy cam"
Have you ever been away from your Mac, then come back only to find that your co-worker has stolen your favorite Apple pen? Well, I am going to show you how to catch them in the act by creating a Mac "spy cam." For this how-to, you will need to create an Automator workflow, AppleScript, and some Mail rules. So, cue the James Bond music, and let's begin. You do need an iSight or a newer Mac with a built-in camera. (Yes, I know there are some tools prebuilt to do this -- but what's the fun in that?)Continue reading to learn how to create the Mac spy cam.
AppleScript: Control iTunes with an e-mail
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/apple/Control_iTunes_with_AppleScript_using_e_mail'; Last week I talked about controlling your Mac with an e-mail; this week, as promised, I am going to show you how to apply this same idea to iTunes. So, without further ado, let's get started with writing some AppleScripts. Continue reading to learn how to control iTunes.
The missing iPhone e-mail feature
Ryan Block from Engadget shot us an e-mail about a blog post that he recently wrote on his personal blog. In his post, he reminisces about Macworld '07 where Steve Jobs first showed off the iPhone's e-mail application. He reminds us about the double-pane e-mail that was demoed -- and never made it into the final release. What gives Steve? Some people actually would like this view to quickly look through their e-mail. Many have said that the iPhone's e-mail client isn't the best feature out there, as it lacks smart folders, multiple message deletion, and the double-pane view. Not to mention the fact that there are multiple bugs that still remain, even with firmware version 1.1.3 (Ryan mentions the fact that the iPhone idles while parsing HTML messages for quite some time). Is iPhone's Mail worth your time, or a pain in the finger?
Run your company like an online game
Do business culture and the principles of online gaming belong together?Two entrepreneurs in Palo Alto think so. Inspired by Second Life and World of Warcraft, they theorized that principles used in the management of online game communities could be used to manage businesses. They formed a company called Seriosity and its maiden voyage is a product called Attent. It's their first gaming-inspired product, but they want to launch more in the future. Learn more about it after the jump.
E-mail phishers targeting Xbox Live accounts
Stealing your bank account or credit card information is one thing, but now e-mail phishers are going after something truly important: Your Xbox Live account. Xbox.com forum-goer Whagi reports on an e-mail he received, purportedly from Xbox Support, announcing new features on his Xbox Live account. The e-mail links to a supposed Microsoft passport login page that's actually a phishing site designed to capture your login information.The problem goes deeper than your Xbox -- if you use your Passport account for other Microsoft services, the phishers could have access to a lot of sensitive information. The same e-mail has reportedly been received by other users in the U.S. and U.K.It probably goes without saying, but if you get a similar e-mail, delete it immediately. If you accidentally use the link, change your password immediately. And don't trust random e-mails to notify you about new Xbox Live updates -- that's what we're here for, after all.[Update: Microsoft has acknowledged the scam and reportedly taken action.]
Are you Wii-less? We can help [update 1]
[Update 1: Our apologies; we had simply assumed the service was free. Thanks to our trusty commenters, we found a better one! For free! WiiSearcher.com!]All right, well, maybe not us. We're too busy having way too much fun slamming our parents into the ground in Wii Tennis (except for Nikki, of course). The internet is a vast place, however, and the local denizens are sure to help you find your way if you ask nicely enough.Welcome to NintendoFinder.com WiiSearcher.com, a wonderful place that uses voodoo and sorcery to immediately discern availability of the Wii at pretty much every retailer ever. As soon as a store restocks, torrents of E-mail are sent to any and all subscribers to the system, letting them know to get their click on. It's a great tool for those of you worried about getting a system before Christmas, and we recommend you tell your parents (nudge nudge) to check it out. You know. So they can let Santa know, too.(Santa is a universally understood figure used for the purposes of a substandard joke. Please, no religious quarreling.)[Thanks, Matt, for shamelessly plugging your own site! ^^]
E-mail client for homebrew users
Sony once considered adding e-mail as an official feature for upcoming versions of the PSP's firmware. Well, it looks like the homebrew community (as usual) has beaten Sony to the punch. "PSPoste is the first fully functional email application for the Sony PSP. It supports the SMTP and POP3 protocols (possible future IMAP support), and provides a skinnable user interface allowing the user to retrieve, compose and display messages from multiple email servers." It has a nice, clean interface, with a less frustrating keyboard method than what the PSP currently has. It still won't be the most comfortable e-mail application, but for people that are constantly on the go, this feature may be a life-saver.[Via PSP Hacks]
How the PSP can overcome the PSP-inspired mylo
David Carony, executive editor at CNET, has a lot to say about Sony, the PSP, and their newly announced mylo. Sony's attempting to market the device at a whopping $350, which is ridiculous when many, if not all of its features can be implemented in the PSP, or a PSP redesign. With the right accessories and firmware upgrades, the PSP can do every thing the mylo can... plus it can play games. And at $199, it would be a bargain for the consumer. Here's a list of what Carony believes will make the PSP better: Skype support to make Internet (VoIP) calls (using the SOCOM headset). Support for Slingbox (a competitor of Location-Free TV). Sony could make some bling by not selling hardware, but selling a Slingbox application. Built-in IM applications, similar to mylo's support for Yahoo! and Google. Better e-mail integration. Keyboard accessory. Video output for TV. Stop making Connect so crappy. Where's the revamp? These are all great, plausible and reasonable upgrades that Sony can provide. If Sony actually took these suggestions to heart, I know a ton more college students and business people would pick up a PSP. Let's hope Sony has the brains to follow through on some of this.[Via PSP World]
New Password Scams
Apparently there's a new set of password scams going around. These e-mails, apparently from security@blizzard.com, will request your account and password information. Community manager Drysc reminds us that Blizzard will never send ask for your account password via e-mail, and any messages you may receive requesting passwords information, no matter how legitimate looking, is most likely a scam to steal your account. If you've gotten an e-mail that looks suspicious, you can write billing@blizzard.com to confirm its validity. Additional information about scams and account security can be found on Blizzard's support page, as well.
