treo
Latest
Palm Treo 750 for Cingular launching at CES
We can't yet say for certain when Cingular will actually be selling the Treo 750, but they do like announcing new devices at CES (or not so new devices, as it were), and it looks like the US launch of the 750 is due this Sunday. Kind of a bore at this point, we know, but it doesn't look like they're going to be launching any other new Treos for CES, let alone the thinner, WiFi-enabled device we've all been waiting patiently for. In other words, learn to love it, and keep an eye out for the price and release date this weekend.
Palm Treo hack enables SDHC support on the 700p
Just in case you haven't already told us what shiny new toys you unwrapped this morning, a few clever hackers are giving you one more gift to top things off. While those of you toting the recently-unveiled Palm (sorry, WinMo users) Treo 680 can boast about your "exclusive" SDHC support, we folks using the 700p simply don't have that luxury. If you've been clamoring about getting SDHC support on the 700p, and were let down that the "big patch" didn't include even a whisper about such support coming your way, take heart. Apparently, copying the slot driver from the 680 onto the 700p allows it to use SDHC cards, and while it hasn't been confirmed quite yet, it looks the ole 650 may get a bit of that high capacity lovin' as well. So if Santa wasn't quite as good to you as you thought he'd be, be sure to hit the read link to make even better use of that (presumably costly) SDHC card you (hopefully) just received.[Via Phone News]
Treo 750 demo units in Cingular stores?
Looks like Palm's Windows Mobile powered Treo 750 might indeed hit this month like we heard. The Boy Genius snap above is of a reported demo unit said to be hitting "various Cingular stores" across The Nation over the weekend. Who knows, with the rumor-mill in a frenzy about a possible launch as early as today, things sure look promising for a stub-free, HSDPA holiday after all. Another shot 'round back after the break.
Keepin' it real fake, part XXXIX: Apple teams with Palm for... wait, nm
Our iPhone-addled brains almost ran the wrong way with this one. Turns out it's just another one of those ubiquitous iPod nano ripoffs, with a very special branding twist. Friendly tipster Alberto sent this one in, after spotting it in Fortaleza Brazil for a whopping 579 reais ($270 US). But we suppose that's just the kind of reais you have to be willing to drop for a piece of the future.
Palm prepping big Treo 700p patch
Good news, 700p users: your complaints have not gone (entirely) unheard. Steve Sinclair, Senior Product Manager for Palm's Palm OS Wireless Products group, has taken the time to cobble together a pretty comphrensive response to ongoing issues owners have been leveling against Palm's flagship Palm OS-based handheld since its release. In short, there is a big firmware update in the works that should clear up some of the most glaring deficiencies: Bluetooth headset and carkit troubles (though Mr. Sinclar is careful to note that they won't be able to test every model out there), stuttering during music playback, and "a number of other enhancements to system stability, reliability, and performance." Not scheduled to be fixed, however, is generally slowness some users have bellyached about when switching apps; Palm says there's not much they can do about it, and it has to do with the platform sharing between the 700p and its Windows Mobile sibling, the 700w / wx. Look for the update should drop some time in late Q1 of 2007. [Warning: PDF link][Via SmartPhoneToday]
Palm's Treo 700wx heads over to Alltel
Okay, we'll spare you the pictures, videos, launch materials, and Sprint's bragging rights -- the Palm Treo 700wx is coming to Alltel. Aside from knocking the Sprint logo off the top right corner, and upping the Windows Mobile version from 5.0 to 5.2, everything else remains the same on this sucka. Per usual, this one plays nice with CDMA, touts 1xRTT / EV-DO connectivity, and rocks a 1.3-megapixel camera, Bluetooth 1.2, QWERTY keyboard, MMC / SD / SDIO expansion slot, 128MB of built-in memory, speakerphone, IR, and support for DUN. Alltel also throws in ActiveSync 4.2, Microsoft's Office suite, and Picsel's PDF viewer as well. Interestingly, Alltel's saving new customers an extra $150 right off the bat, as it only charges $349.99 (compared to Sprint's $499.99) with a two-year agreement, but those looking to pick this up at retail will be forced to throw down $669.99.[Thanks, Steve]
Rogers gets Treo 680
Hey, Canada: it looks like Cingular was just the first stop on a comprehensive North American tour for Palm's new entry-level Treo 680, and your own Rogers is next. In fact, if you head on over to Rogers' website as we speak, you'll find it listed for $300 CDN on a three-year contract after rebates. Yes, that's right, we said "three-year contract," so we'd like to caution would-be owners that there's very little chance they're going to want the same phone a full 36 months from now -- especially seeing how Rogers is only offering the plain-vanilla Graphite variety.[Thanks, Darien]
Switched On: A Pearl in the Palm
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment: Most consumers prefer a mobile phone with an integrated antenna to one with a small stub protruding from a corner, silently awaiting its ideal window in which to poke them. Yet, for Palm, which has been on a hot streak with its methodically evolving Treo line, the process of integrating the antenna was far from a no-brainer. According to CEO Ed Colligan when he introduced the Treo 680 that recently became available through Cingular, Palm worked carefully to ensure that reception was at least as good with an integrated antenna as with the stub antenna and had finally succeeded. Palm relayed this bit of Treo trivia to exemplify its commitment to preserve a good user experience even in the face of competitive pressures or fashion fads. Another such example is the trend toward sleek, slim smartphones such as the Motorola Q or T-Mobile Dash. The Treo 680's sculpted exterior slightly reduces its profile, but the phone still appears chunky compared to the pocket-friendly profiles of some competitors. Critics are vocal in wanting a thinner Treo or other smartphone from Palm, but are silent in acknowledging the reduced battery time that would likely mean. Should Palm be commended for its convictions or persecuted for its pigheadedness? For now, high-mindedness is yielding high returns. Contrary to many reports, the Treo 680 is not aimed at consumers per se, but rather at a wider net of mobile professionals. Palm has sweetened the deal in more ways than one by adding candy-colored shells to its venerable design.
Palm delays US Treo 750 into oblivion
Clamoring to get your hands on a Treo 750 here in the States? Does the very thought of a HSDPA, stub antenna-free, Windows Mobile-equipped slice of Palm goodness leave you dizzy with desire? Well, get ready to wait. And wait. And, oh yeah, then wait a little more -- just until you get to the point where the by-then-dated phone is a distant memory in your mind and you couldn't possibly care less about its release (much to Palm's chagrin, undoubtedly). Despite repeated rumblings about the Treo 750's imminent release on Cingular, Palm has dropped the bomb today that the 750 is now targeted for a US debut in the third frickin' quarter of 2007 in a report detailing its revised guidance for Q2 of next year. The slip is allegedly due to a "delay in certification," suggesting that the FCC might be responsible for gumming up the works here -- but any way you slice it, this doesn't bode well for folks looking to get their high-end Palm on who don't have the benefit of Vodafone coverage. Maybe we can occupy ourselves with the 680 in the meantime?[Via PDA247]Update: False alarm! Apparently these newfangled "fiscal years," as they're known, are way ahead of the calendar we normally know and love. The third quarter of fiscal '07 starts next month, so we might see some 750 action before the year's out after all. [Thanks, Dayton]
Treo 680 review roundup
Featuring the same 312MHz Intel processor, 320 x 320 pixel display and EDGE modem as its 650 predecessor, the Treo 680 isn't by any means a revolutionary smartphone. Frustratingly for aficionados of Palm's software design, the 680 improvements are for the most part a consolidation of small tweaks that have been made to other models in the Treo line-up which have been coupled with a slight slimming down in dimensions and weight. Fortunately, the incremental improvements are numerous: usable memory has been increased to 66MB, version numbers of bundled-apps like DocumentsToGo and the Blazer web browser have been upped, and according to LaptopMag, the new dimensions and 0.7 ounce weight reduction results in a device that "feels a lot lighter than it looks." Unfortunately the lack of WiFi, the appalling VGA camera -- which Palm claims isn't much different than a 1 megapixel camera (right) -- and the staid design results in a device that PC Magazine says has "a strong whiff of 2004 about it." (Say, didn't we state just that a few days ago?) Ultimately it's up to you whether you think the relatively low price ($199 w/2 year Cingular contract), incremental updates, and the ever-brilliant Palm OS are good enough to distract you from the weak hardware and budget-price feature set.Read - LaptopMag, 4/5 "Priced for the masses but also designed for the masses"Read - PC Magazine, 3/5 "The masses will find it helps them get organized, but for early adopters, there's just not enough spice here"Read - CNET, 7.0/10 "...the Palm Treo 680 is a good smart phone for the first-time buyer"Read - MyTreo "It feels nicer in the hand than my Treo 700p with its external antenna"
TeleNav expands to Nokia E62, Treo 680
After initially announcing availability on a handful of devices last month, Cingular and TeleNav are expanding their partnership by bringing navigation to the recently-launched Nokia E62 (and, oh yeah, the Treo 680, too -- though there's no specific mention of Big Orange involvement on that one). The software package rings in at $6/month for 10 trips and $10/month for unlimited use, offering all the same navigational features that you'd find on TeleNav's previous Cingular offerings -- the 8125 / 8525, Treo 650, and HP hw6925 -- with a couple of added bonuses on the E62: the new "fuzzy search" feature, as the name implies, completes user entries based on predictive logic and previous searches, while 3D maps also make an appearance for the first time. Sorry, 680 users... maybe next version.[Via Slashgear]Read - Nokia E62Read - Treo 680
Palm Treo 680 launches on Cingular, $199
We got a Treo here, everybody, the 680 to be exact. It is, as we all well know by now, going to go for $200 after two year service agreement (with unlimited data plan), and will be available as of Black Friday. Wii for the kids, Treo 680 for yourself. Decisions can be difficult to make, wouldn't you say? P.S. -It's not without at least one review, either. Read - Laptop, 4/5, "does the best job of making it simple to juggle voice calls, messaging, the Web, and PIM functions"[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Palm taking orders for Cingular-branded Treo 680
It's not entirely clear whether someone at Palm jumped the gun here, but a page on Palm's own online store now tempts us with a "Palm® Treo™ 680 Cingular, GSM" in exchange for 349 of our hard-earned dollars. While it's no secret that we expect the 680 to grace Cingular with its presence any minute now, Inventec's apparent failure to implement a little something called quality control seemed to put the handset's release date in doubt -- alas, Palm's page alleges that their new low-end Treo is in stock with shipment in 1-2 business days. Sadly, we're not seeing a place to select which of the 680's tasty colors we'd like in our pocket, suggesting that this might just be the drab gray one pictured here ("Graphite," as it's known). What, are Crimson, Copper, and Arctic not good enough for you, Cingular?[Via Reaper PC/PDA]
Inventec allegedly flubs 144,000 Treo 680s
It's alright, Inventec; we know that your ODM relationship with Palm is in its early years and you're still learning the ropes. Still, we have to admit, forgetting to connect the microphones on those Treo 680s before you ship 'em out the door is a pretty big no-no! Rumor has it that Inventec rendered not 100, not 1,000 -- but 144,000 of the new entry-level smartphones deaf and still managed to send them out to retailers. Needless to say, this isn't the kind of thing that can be fixed with a firmware update; every last one has had to go back home to get reworked. Oopsie![Thanks, big8tenor]
Would you buy an iPhone?
You've surely heard about the iPhone concept design that recently surfaced and you've probably heard about the Foxconn Electronics iPhone order from Apple. So would you buy one? Jason O'Grady over at ZDNet says he wouldn't. So he's running a poll over there to see who would and would not lay out the hard cash for an iPhone. At issue, whether it's worth giving up your current phone, whether it's a Treo or a sweet little camera-jobbie, to become an iPhone switcher. I'm not holding my breath for an iNewtonphone but I bet you that Jobs isn't going to zune the iPhone by leaving off all the bits people want and need. So what do you think? Would you switch? And what would be the features that would either sell you or keep you from switching?
Hyatt Hotels to offer BlackBerry Massage for overworked hands
Are your thumbs tired, cracked, or bleeding from your Treo or BlackBerry? Hyatt Hotels recognizes the stresses of it and has come up with a program especially for those overworked hands of so many PDA users. The massage is 30 minutes long and runs about $30.00 and begins with a heat treatment and "BlackBerry" balm. It ``focuses on counteracting tension on various hand and arm muscles, specifically in the thumbs and overworked wrists,'' according to a Hyatt statement. Ever since RIM came on to the mobile scene in the late 1990's, the amount of number seen by doctors for "Blackberry Thumb" have increased. Known to many as CrackBerrys, the addiction is real and is even now recognized by the American Physical Therapy Association. We don't think the amount of cases are going to go down either seeing what RIM has up their sleeve.
Sprint's Treo 700wx can't text Verizon, T-Mobile
Is there trouble in paradise? In a story that's been developing for a few weeks now, it seems that at least some of Sprint's Treo 700wx user base has been stripped of its ability to send SMS messages to Verizon and T-Mobile customers. Now, we would never take the conspiracy theorist route (that's not true, by the way) and accuse Sprint of purposefully hosing outbound text messages to its bigger CDMA rival Verizon, but it does seem like a huge, inexplicable, and unacceptable screwup of epic proportions. For its part, Sprint is promising a fix by the end of November (feel free to take your time, fellas) but in the meantime, rumor has it that affected customers can call up Sprint and get some sort of compensation for their troubles.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]Read - mytreo.netRead - TreoCentral
Treo 750 passes FCC muster
We don't need to tell you what it means when the Treo 750 passes FCC muster, nor do we need to explain to you what carrier on which to expect it. All you need to know is that whenever you see that confidentiality agreement slide by and that FCC ID label plastered up, you know it won't be long until you'll be holding one in your hands -- if you love Treos, anyway.
Cingular's latest rebate form hints at holiday releases
Cingular's rebate forms are about as accurate at predicting the carrier's releases as weathermen are at predicting blizzards, but nevertheless, there are several juicy tidbits in the latest form (dated November 5 to December 30, 2006) worth pointing out. First up, the Samsung ZX30 and LG CU400 make appearances, both presumably destined to bring yet more clamshell love to the HSDPA game, and it'll be interesting to see how the ZX30 slots in against its SYNC stablemate. Also showing up to the party is the CU500v -- a phone we know nothing about -- but we're guessing it represents some sort of incremental upgrade to the CU500 (video calling, perhaps?). Next up, the SGH-i607 seems to have been officially christened the "Blackjack" for Cingular's release of the slim, 3G, QWERTY smartphone. Finally, the Treo 680 and 750 get some rebate love with both models coming in camera and non-camera variants. Conspicuously missing from the form, though, is the hotly-anticipated Nokia N75, suggesting that American S60 fans might be waiting until early '07 to get some 3G action.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]Update: Looking closer at the form, we find a couple other goodies in the mix -- the Motorola K1 KRZR (in its GSM flavor, of course), the V3r (basically a red V3i, we hear), and the Pearl, a phone we'd previously heard wouldn't drop until 2007. Oh, and if you look really close, the ZX30 actually reads "ZX20" (how boring!). [Thanks again, everyone]
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]
