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Palm pulls faulty updates for Verizon's Treo 700p/w/wx
Responding to an apparent groundswell of customer complaints, Palm has pulled recent software updates for its Treo 700p, 700w, and 700wx smartphones operating on the Verizon network. Palm calls the problems "network connectivity issues," frequently accompanied by an Error 3000 that prevents the device from consuming data. For what it's worth, Palm says that the error "does not affect your device or personal data in any other way," though we imagine that's little consolation for folks finding themselves without email access following an update. The company promises to repost the patches once the problems are worked out; no ETA has been given at this point.[Via Brighthand]
Treo 700w, 700wx get upgraded features via update
We like unofficial Treo 700w updates just like anyone, but it brings bigger smiles to our faces when official updates come down the beaten path via manufacturer downloads.That's right -- Palm has released an update to the Verizon Wireless 700w that includes some nifty additions. WM5 gets upgraded to version 1.22 as well as new support for DUN tethering over USB and Bluetooth. Laptop tetherers will feast on that one. Anyhoo, official A2DP stereo Bluetooth is in there too, as well as single-touch speakerphone and mute buttons sitting right on the home screen. Usability enhancements get us giddy, and this update from Palm serves it up nicely. Sadly, the 700wx upgrade for Sprint customers also available just gets A2DP and DUN support over Bluetooth but nothing else of real substance. Pity.[Via Boy Genius Report]
Treo 700w, 700wx get their A2DP on
Depending on the model and the manufacturer, getting A2DP enabled on your Windows Mobile 5 device has been tricky at best, nigh impossible at worst -- despite the fact that the platform itself fully supports it. Thankfully, dedicated hacker communities have rallied around most of the devices out there, and the Treo 700w and 700wx are the latest devices to have their iron curtains of stereo Bluetooth discrimination fall. A simple install, a few lines of instructions, and bam, that old Treo's taken on a whole new (and very musical) life. Let us know how it goes, folks![Thanks, Travis]
Verizon's Treo 700wx launch detailed
Palm pretty quickly realized the error of its ways in stuffing the original Treo 700w with a meager 32MB of RAM; the mistake was rectified in time for the launch of Sprint's 700wx, but that's been little consolation for Verizon customers unable to get the re-upped unit. Details are now starting to filter in on just how Verizon intends to right Palm's wrongs, scheduling its own 700wx for a February 20 release date. Sticker shock will be in full effect here: $620 at retail, $450 with a one-year agreement, $400 if you relent to a second year, though an additional $100 rebate makes it all a little easier to bear. Even better, the 700wx should come with tethering support out of the box. Too bad Windows Mobile 6 is left out of the equation, eh?[Thanks, anonymous tipster]
Verizon signed up to get Treo 700wx
Sprint scored a rare rib on CDMA rival Verizon when it went straight past the Verizon-exclusive Treo 700w to launch the 700wx, but as the old saying goes, all good exclusivity agreements come to an end. New rebate verbage spotted by a customer on Verizon's website makes mention of a $100 rebate on the 700wx -- $150 for the soon-to-be-outmoded 700w -- and even better, the rebate expires February 19, suggesting that there's a sliver of hope we'll see a launch in the next few weeks. To be fair, the re-upped model is nearly identical to its predecessor save for an extra 32MB of RAM, correcting a major complaint from current owners but otherwise adding little to no excitement value. No word on pricing, but hey, at least we know we'll be getting $100 off whatever it might go for.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
A Treo 750w on Sprint: is CompUSA confused?
So, last time we checked, the Palm Treo 750 was a GSM / GPRS / EDGE / UMTS / HSDPA handset destined for the likes of Vodafone and Cingular. So why is it, then, that a couple images have leaked out of a draft CompUSA ad offering a Sprint 750w with "EDGE/EVDO technology" for a cool $300? Hey, if Sprint wants to rock an upgraded 700wx with GSM for global compatibility, far be it from us to complain -- but something tells us our friends at CompUSA just got a little confused while getting their ad flyers ready.[Thanks, Akijikan]
Palm Treo 700wx for Sprint in the wild
The 700wx looks to be trickling into Sprint retail locations as we speak, and it seems everything we've been told about the device so far has been spot-on: it really is bound for Sprint, the addition of the "x" to the name is legit, and it rocks double the RAM (much to the chagrin of plain ol' 700w users everywhere), though we weren't necessarily expecting the big, scary floating head on the box. Still no solid word on an official availability date, but stores who've received them have apparently been instructed to keep them under lock and key until Sprint proper starts offering them, meaning the previously-reported August 27 date for business customers still seems perfectly plausible. Now if you'll excuse us, we have a Treo 750 rumor mill to attend to.
Beefed-up Treo 700w for Sprint on September 3?
It's been no secret that Sprint customers could expect their very own Treo 700w once Verizon's exclusivity clause ran its course, but until now, we haven't had a date on when it'd all go down. Well, things are finally starting to come into focus, and if the rumor mill's aim is true it looks like it'll drop on August 27 for business customers and September 3 for us lay folk. But here's the real scoop: folks are whispering that the device Sprint will bring to market is a souped-up 700w re-dubbed the "700wx," rocking twice the RAM (amid other tweaks). So far this is all unconfirmed, but given the 700w's paltry 32MB of the stuff, it seems like a reasonable change -- and it shouldn't take long to get this all confirmed with the rumored release date looming near.
New Treo "coming soon" on Vodafone
Vodafone UK's gone live with a site promising a WM5-based Treo "coming soon" -- we know very little here, but let's put the pieces of the puzzle together. First, we know that Palm's done with the 650 in Europe. Second, we know that it won't be a CDMA 700w, it'll have to be GSM. Third, they're saying the device will be "using Vodafone's high-speed network." We'll let you draw your own conclusions, but we're thinking antenna-free UMTS version of the 700w.[Via CoolSmartPhone]
Another blurry Treo "Hollywood" shot, plus specs?
Palm's sieve-like reputation for keeping a lid on unreleased devices continues to the current round of Treos in the pipeline, and we're happy to feed the fire today with possible specs of the upcoming "Hollywood" accompanied by the obligatory hastily-snapped shot (blurred here to protect our valiant tipster). Though we still don't fully understand the relationship between this bad boy and Cingular's upcoming "Nitro" and "Lennon," it's said that we're looking at an antenna-less GSM Treo rocking Windows Mobile 5, 128MB of internal storage, and a 412MHz XScale core, all gussied up in a package "considerably lighter" than its 700w stablemate. If our source is accurate, all this goodness will drop sometime this September -- not a moment too soon for Treo fans on GSM carriers getting a little jealous of their CDMA brethren. Naturally, skepticism is in order here, but the engraving on the device lends some validity to the thought that it's a prototype, and this all lines up pretty nicely with Cingular's roadmap, no?[Thanks, anonymous tipster]
The Pipeline: Pundits dish on MacBooks, XM Inno and Treo 700p
Welcome back to The Pipeline, a weekly feature where we dig through the mainstream media and see what the pundits, prognosticators and and pencil pushers have been discussing over the past week. Unlike some recent weeks, there was no single tech story that dominated the mainstream media this week. Yes, most journos dutifully covered Apple's two big events -- the launch of the MacBook and the opening of the company's New York store -- but Apple didn't get the same sort of monolithic coverage that, say, the Samsung Q1 garnered a couple of weeks ago. In fact, one of the few mainstream media MacBook reviews we came across this week was written not by The New York Times' David Pogue or The Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg, but by blogger Glenn Fleishman, slumming it in his day job at the Seattle Times. Fleishman praised the new non-laptop for its upgradability, iSight camera and ability to add a second display, but pointed out that its integrated graphics make it a less-than-ideal choice for anyone doing video-intensive work -- which we assume is part of Apple's plan to find a way to get at least some consumers to pay $2,000 and up for the MacBook Pro, with its ATI Radeon X1600 GPU.
AKU2 for Treo 700w available for download again
Just as suddenly as it disappeared from the Palm website, the AKU2 update for Windows Mobile 5.0-powered Verizon Treo 700ws has reappeared for download, giving Palm customers access to the push email that they've been so eagerly awaiting. According to Brighthand, Palm pulled the original version of the firmware because of a "glitch" that made some users unable to update. Besides the Messaging and Security Feature Pack that enables synchronization with Exchange servers, the Treo 700w Updater 1.10 also includes some minor tweaks to the device's image and video application, and a new interface for the wireless connection manager.
Treo Hollywood nothing but a rumor?
Brighthand, a site we happen put a good deal of credence in, is reporting that "very reliable sources" have informed them that there is no such creature as the Treo Hollywood. The Hollywood, which first appeared in a Saigo Investments report last year along with another model known as the Lowrider, was said to be a more stylish 3G-enabled Treo for the antenna-hating European market. Even more intriguing were pictures that have been steadily leaking out of an antenna-free Treo with blue highlights that were said to be Hollywood, but which Brighthand is now discounting as possibly just a restyled GSM version of the 700w. Stay tuned to this station folks, because Palm's plans for this year just got a lot more open-ended.
Palm Treo 700w Updater for AKU2 / MSFP on the web
We hit you guys up a couple weeks ago with the news that Palm was going to be releasing the AKU2 update for Windows Mobile 5.0 for the Treo 700w in short time. Well, hope you got all your biz backed up, because it's time to get it on! The 35MB Palm Treo 700w Updater 1.10 is up over on their site, but caveat emptor: Palm advises you absolutely do not restore from Sprite Backup backups if you've backed up your registry. We can imagine why, so we suggest you heed their advice if you're the WinMo registry hacking type.[Thanks, Andrew]Update: Looks like Palm pulled the update already! We don't know why, but it'll supposedly "be available at a later date." Anyone want to leave some links to hosts? We'll be happy to put 'em up on here. Thanks, Alexander. Astute reader Curt points out that you can still go through the download rigmarole by following the Google-cached download link. Reader beware, though, we can only imagine what bugs in the update(r) caused Palm to pull it.
Palm's Treo 700w gets its AKU2 on
Yup, here's the moment you've been waiting for since you snagged that Palm Treo 700w -- Palm's announced their Windows Mobile Messaging and Security Feature Pack (MSFP) upgrade (aka AKU2), allowing, among other things, support for push email (and hopefully a rolled out fix for that DST bug). You all know the drill, so prepare to backup all that data -- and we mean all of it, AKU2 will wipe that phone clean as a slate -- and head over to Verizon's or Palm's support site later this month so you can get your AKU2 on, too.
Treo 700w daylight savings time bug?
Nope, this ain't no April Fool's joke, people, this is the real deal: when everybody's clocks skip forward an hour for Daylight Savings Time this year (at 2:00AM on the first Sunday in April -- i.e. early tomorrow morning), your Treo 700w's calendar appointments may not. Like putting your WinMo phone in travel mode to another time zone, apparently a bug in the 700w may cause your appointments to time-shift back one hour -- so your noon appointment will stay put, so to speak, at 11:00AM. Palm's got some workarounds on their site so you shouldn't be too put out, so make sure you sort it out soon before Monday morning when you're an hour early to all your meetings. Of course, this wouldn't be a problem if America would just get rid of DST -- Arizona, Hawaii, and portions of Indiana excepted, of course.[Via TreoCentral]
