lifedrive
Latest
SDHC driver released for Palm OS devices
It looks like those still hanging onto a slightly aging Palm OS device now have a new option that'll let 'em breath a bit of new life into it, as one Dmitry Grinberg has released a driver that adds SDHC card support to a whole host of the devices. That includes the Tungsten T, C, E2, and T5, the LifeDrive, the Palm TX, and the Zire 31 and 72 -- support for other devices, including the Tungsten T3 and, yes, even the Tapwave Zodiac, is also promised. That boost in storage doesn't come free, however, but we're guessing there's at least a few Palm loyalists out there that'll gladly accept the $21 price tag to get a taste of what 32GB of storage is like.[Via TamsPalm]
Engadget Podcast 099 - 2.2.2007
It's about time we got back in the groove of things post CES, and not a moment too soon. Vista's finally officially landed (we never thought we'd see the day!), Verizon dropped the bomb that they passed on the iPhone (and had another, smaller, Rev. A-launch related bomb), Palm killed the LifeDrive, and our own Ben Heckendorn built us a Wii laptop! All this and more in our last Engadget Podcast before our centennial celebration, enjoy! Get the podcast [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC). [RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator. [RSS OGG] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in OGG) to your RSS aggregator. Hosts: Peter Rojas and Ryan Block Producer: Trent Wolbe Music: Solvent - Instructograph (Ghostly International) Program: 01:05 - Clean install workaround for Vista upgrade discovered 10:47 - Verizon passed up Apple iPhone deal 14:13 - Verizon launches EV-DO Rev A network 17:08 - Meizu's M8? Apple lawyers, start your engines 20:45 - Dell working on a gaming handheld? 24:39 - Palm's LifeDrive getting the axe, marked "end of life" 31:21 - ZINK bringing printers to your handheld gadgetry 35:23 - The Wii Laptop! 36:59 - Engadget photo contest gallery! LISTEN (MP3) LISTEN (AAC) LISTEN (OGG) Contact the podcast: 1-888-ENGADGET, Engadget (Gizmo Project) or podcast at engadget dawt com
Palm's LifeDrive getting the axe, marked "end of life"
In a move that could be considered somewhat insensitive to those still grieving over Palm OS' official departure, Palm has now gone and axed a little bit more of itself, as the firm's once-popular LifeDrive device has been marked "end of life." Not even two full years after seeing the device get legit, go on sale, get photographed, and hit the chopping block, the media-centric Mobile Manager is on its way out. Notably, the unit has also vanished from UK retailers after reportedly "having fallen foul of EU regulations on the use of hazardous materials." Yeah, we've still got a few Treos and whatnot to keep us occupied, and there's always an (admittedly dim) glimmer of hope that Garnet solves all the Palm-related woes, but it looks like the LifeDrive has finally suffered the same fate that so many other dedicated PDAs already have.
Switched On: Get the show on the road
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a weekly column about the future of technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment:Digital convergence makes for some strange bedfellows; these often turn out to be little more than a one-thing fling. Last year, for example, Olympus fumbled after spending big on a SuperBowl ad with the m:Robe 500, an attractive hard disk-based digital music and photo display device with a camera unworthy of the company's heritage. The m:Robe 500 could not play video, but its large screen indicated a dilemma common to many products in this emerging category. Go too small and you have an unsatisfying visual experience. Design a player too large and you lose portability.The most successful digital portable video player to date has been Apple's iPod with video, the apologetic name of which serves as evidence that Apple was unwilling to compromise the device's appealing size for a very large screen. But Apple's competitors have been missing the mark in terms of targeting the video player at a market that has embraced wisps of products such as the iPod nano. Forget the jogger; the driver is a better target for portable video. As the portable audio market has been adding such features as PIMs, podcasts, and pictures, the portable GPS market has also been adding functionality while shrinking size and prices. As a result, the traditional boundaries between automotive and personal navigation products is starting to blur and the product category has attracted domestic interest from Sony, JVC, and other consumer electronics companies.
Revisiting the LifeDrive
A while back, I noted my first impressions about my new PalmOne LifeDrive. Now that I have spent several weeks, day in and day out, using the device as a PDA to work with my Mac (a PowerBook G4 12-inch), I have a few additional observations to make, and corrections of some of my original comments.
