my Treo 750v and I

Moving on..

2011-09-03T12:22:00.000+07:00

I'm finally moving on to a new site, hope you'll join me there.. :-)

The donut land on Googleplex

2009-09-11T20:02:00.000+07:00

Before you run out of breath hearing the news that the donut update for Android is ready for primetime, please inhale a long deep mouthful of air, use a paper bag if necessary, because the donut you're expecting isn't exactly a firmware update; it's a real donut.

Well, not a real donut as in the one you usually buy and eat, it's a statue. One hella big donut statue to be precise, its size is bigger than a grown man. Google sure is one of a kind company, who has a sense of humor to placed the donut next to the already existed Android and cupcake statue at Googleplex, like you can see at the photo above.

Source is from Phandroid.

The one thing iPhone users want that Apple can't give

2009-09-08T10:41:00.001+07:00

The Apple iPhone is one of the most savviest smartphones available right now on the market today, not just because it is so slick and sexy-slim, but also because of many things it can do with help from the abundant apps offered in App Store.

This fact has been backed up by O2, the wireless carrier who has an exclusive right to sell the iPhone in UK, a spokeperson said (via TG Daily): "The iPhone is our fastest selling handset ever and has been a phenomenal success for our business. Customer demand for both the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3G[S] has been outstanding."

Apple also has been improving, and still doing it, the iPhone "experience" with the new iPhone OS 3.0 software update, giving users many new features of what they've been asking for since the first gen. Like for examples are the 'cut&paste' feature, MMS, tethering, etc. But there's one thing that Apple still can't give...

According to a recent report from Strategy Analytics, called "Retaining and Attracting New Customers: Profiling the Apple iPhone User," iPhone users are demanding for better battery life. The report was made to project what iPhone users like and dislike, so it can be used to know what kind of improvements the users want in a new model.

"iPhone owners use more features on a regular basis than non-iPhone owners, with two-thirds browsing the Web and sending personal e-mails daily -- features which will considerably drain battery life," according to Paul Brown, Senior User Experience Analyst at Strategy Analytics (via PC World).

On its Technical Specifications page, Apple is stating that the iPhone 3G[S] battery has longer life than previous models:

Talk time: Up to 12 hours on 2G, and up to 5 hours on 3G
Standby time: Up to 300 hours
Internet use: Up to 5 hours on 3G, and up to 9 hours on Wi-Fi
Video playback: Up to 10 hours
Audio playback: Up to 30 hours

Those are what Apple is claiming, but in real life that isn't all come true. iPhone users are complaining how the battery is drained too fast for a single day charge, one user called 'aart12' said: "My iPhone usage is hardly more that my use with other phones, but it barely lasts 9 hours from full charge. I have even experimented with not using the phone at all, turning off wifi, and push, and even then the full charge only lasts 10 to 11 hours. THAT is ridiculous."

Although other users are taking the battery life issue with more logical reasoning, 'tregan01' said: "The argument for a longer battery life on the iPhone is relative. If you used it as a phone, like it is, the battery life is fine and will last you all day. If, however, you're like myself and I assume most iPhone users, and use it to continuously check email, connect to the Internet, etc, then you're using the iPhone more like a portable computer, and the battery is comparable to that of any standard laptop."

Battery life has always become an issue for mobile users, because while the technology and software are keep improving rapidly from time to time, engineers haven't been able (yet) to pack more cells into smaller containers to create a long lasting battery life. Palm Prē™ users also have similar problem with battery life, especially since Palm's latest smartphone packs smaller battery size than in the iPhone 3G[S].

It is safe to say that the argument of having longer battery life in any smartphones nowadays is impossible, since we're transitioning from mobile phone to smartphone and to smaller-more-portable laptop. With more features thrown into a smartphone, it's becoming a netbook-alike even when it is already capable of taking you to surf the web with desktop experience, close but not the same.

But if you do prefer more 'dumb-er'* iPhone in exchange for better battery life, then that's probably what you're getting these days... ;-p

* Note: please forgive the pun of using this word several times on my posts, it is un-intended and the word seems to be picking up the pace lately on the net..

Scientist says Twitter makes you dumb

2009-09-08T09:55:00.001+07:00

What is your initial reaction upon hearing that scientist believes Twitter makes you dumb?

Some will say something like; "I can't believe it!" or "Heh, I thought so.." or "Told ya..!"
Or perhaps you'll say; "So what..?"

During the British Science Festival at the University of Surrey in Guildford, Dr. Tracy Alloway of the University of Stirling revealed that Facebook users can boost their intelligence, while microbloggers are 'tweeting' their brain cells away.

Dr. Alloway learn that spending time on Facebook requires you to work on your memory, means social networking can stimulate memory skills of your brain, an important key to success and happiness than IQ. While using Twitter or watching videos on YouTube requires little use of working memory, and can have a negative effect on intelligence.

"It was a massive effect. On Twitter you receive an endless stream of information, but it's also very succinct. You don't have to process that information and your attention span is being reduced and you're not engaging your brain and improving nerve connections," said Dr. Alloway.

So what do you say? Have you been using Twitter lately, how are you feeling today? ~LOL~

Source is from TG Daily.

PA's 4th edition of "There's an app for that!": Alien attack survival kit

2009-09-06T23:39:00.001+07:00

Another week went by since the third edition of "There's an app for that!", and now we've arrived at the fourth edition. Enough of all the serious tools and apps, it's time for something more serious than that. A couple weeks ago I've just watched District 9 movie, great movie by the way, bottom line the moral story that can be drawn from the movie is that everyone can be turned into an alien. You'll never know...
So with that serious thought in mind, I'm gathering around three apps to help you survive or thwart aliens attack, because who knows perhaps they'll come in handy for you someday.
I'll periodically release another edition when I found some interesting apps. Have a great start of the weekend y'all, and hopefully these apps can cheer you guys up.

Alien Detector

Got the feeling you're being followed by an alien that look like a human? Feeling like your best friend act strange lately? Or do you ever wonder if you were once abducted by aliens and they put bad things in your brain?

Then don't wonder around clueless any more, there's an app for that: Alien Detector. The 0.99 cents worth app will help you detect the person you suspect as an alien, here's the description from the developer: "Alien Detector is a high-tech app that with the advanced use of accelerometer simulates a sophisticated alien life form detecting device. Just tilt your iPhone/iPod Touch a little to start the measurements."

Remember, the first step to stay out of alien's way is to spot one nearby.

Zombie Survival Kit

Aliens, zombies, what so different about them if they're all after your life.
But how about if you're done chasing or running away from aliens and zombies, you're cornered and forced to face them? There's an app called Zombie Survival Kit ($0.99 cents) to help you to talk your way out with one of its many features; the Zombie Translator.

Here's the description of the aforementioned feature by the developer: "When they do approach you, try and reason with them by using the zombie translator. We have carried out market research to identify the most useful sayings to say to zombies, and have converted these sayings to audio."

Besides that, my favorite feature would be the Zombie Insulter. But use it at your own risk, because not all zombies are alike, not all of them like to be insulted by mere mortals like us.

Wave Writer

Sometimes you just can't reason with aliens and zombies, because they're basically different from us, so the best thing to do is run. But like in any horror movies, we usually end up locked in a tall building or in a remote area.

And when help is coming, which a platoon of tough soldiers in a chopper is searching for you, screaming and shreaking like a little girl won't do any good. What you can really do is to use your iPhone/iPod Touch as a beacon light to attract the rescue team, there's an app up for that task: Wave Writer.

The free app is for creating a scrolling banner that matches to the speed of your phone as you wave. The effect is that of stationary text in space exposed by the phone. It's good for attracting people's attention, just becareful on attracting alien's attention as well while you're doing it.

iSplosion

The last effort, when all things fail.
Inspired by the recent reports of exploding iPhones, this app will blow off your iPhone automatically once activated. Just don't forget to throw your iPhone at the aliens & zombies, otherwise...
Watch the video on how to properly use it, or how you'll end up if you don't.

SMiT joins the tablet foray with an Android MID-560

2009-09-06T15:17:00.002+07:00

Another week means another one of those tablet topics you've been hearing lately. But this time is not from Apple or Toshiba, this time around is coming from a China-based company, in Shenzhen to be exact, called State Micro Technology Co. Ltd (SMiT in short).

The SMiT introduced its Android tablet protoype at IFA 2009 event and it's called MID-560, MID which you may already knew it stands for Mobile Internet Device is a brand and a hardware design made by Intel. The specs of the MID-560 are a bit scarce right now, but here are what we know right now:

4,8" touchscreen with 800x480 resolution
GPS
8GB Flash Memory
WiFi
3G
miniUSB
3.5mm headphone jack
Android OS

No price and release date are mentioned yet. At the end of the video, the device is put into a car mount dock station, showing the MID-560 is going to be very useful as a GPS device on the road. How's that for you GPS lovers?

What interesting is when the MID-560 got handled on the video and the back of the device immediately reminded me of iPhone 3G's back, shown at the inset picture above. During the hands-on in the video, you'll notice there's no home button or back button on the MID-560, which is why I always hate prototype device; it shows how the manufacturer is rushing things to show off an unfinished product.

During the video interview, I can't help but to noticed that the laptop used at the SMiT's booth is a unibody MacBook running Windows XP. I bet many Apple fan(-anatic)s out there are crying to see a MacBook is being used that way... ;-p

Sources are from TechVideoBlog, via AndroidGuys.

A disguise in plain sight

2009-09-05T01:56:00.001+07:00

The best place to hide is in plain sight.

With the increasing immoral endeavors to have Apple's MacBooks in any way they can, you should worry not only when you walk into an alley alone at night, these days you could even mugged in the middle of the street at daylight while carrying an "over-priced" laptop in a closed tight messenger bag.

An unordinary design firm in Barcelona called MiteMite is offering unusual case to disguise a laptop as a newspaper, sounds and look unnecessary? That's exactly is the point why MiteMite made it, to hide your precious device in plain sight.

MiteMite says it specialises in creating products which will spread a few more chuckles in a somewhat mundane reality (great slogan by the way..), but for a case worth $85 like that, I suppose it generates more chuckles to learn that you can actually spend just few cents for a real newspaper to cover your laptop. But for those who want to do it with more style and fun, MiteMite's product is the one for you.

Sources are from MiteMite, via New York Times blog, via Valleywag.

You can now buy friends on Facebook

2009-09-05T01:25:00.001+07:00

Guess it all comes down to money and riches.
Got 7.6 cents? For that price, you can have a total stranger who don't really care if you're alive or not to be your friend in Facebook.

An advertising service firm called uSocial is offering friends for the right price, or if your prefer a more subtle word; for those who need friends in this dire time. Based on uSocial's calculation, one Facebook friend is worth $1 to your business in return revenue. So by linking new friends who'll become potential customers for your business, you'll be able to get in touch and give updates via Facebook or email.

The uSocial promise to deliver 5000 new friends to an appointed Facebook account, that means you'll have to fork out $654.30 for virtual love. It's the highway road to make instant base of fans, painless, no more awful rejections and blocks to deal with.

Sneaky? Nah, it's just business, nothin' personal. ;-p

I just can't imagine how long the wall in my Facebook account will be with posts from 5000 people I barely know, Brennon Slattery from PC World said it perfectly: " With Facebook friends like that, who needs spam?" ~LOL~

Sony Ericsson XPERIA Pureness is today's untainted beauty

2009-09-05T00:40:00.000+07:00

Words are not enough to describe this minimalist beauty, you simply have to see it yourself to know why Sony Ericsson finally able to make lots of buzz around the blogosphere after a very long time of failure. The Pureness is the future of the XPERIA family line-ups, which is Sony Ericsson's brand for high-end smartphone.

Although the transparent screen of Pureness is still in monochrome, it is the first we ever see used in reality. Yeah sure, in the next 3-4 years to come, or a century later our children will laugh on how we were admiring this while they're experiencing full color transparent screen, just exactly how we laughed at the brick-sized mobile phone back then.

But nevertheless, for now let's salivate and savor the images of this XPERIA Pureness. See all of them at AreaMobile site. The smartphone is said to be offered at around 699 Euro (about US$1,000) on November.

Google's dead-simple home page design is patented

2009-09-05T00:35:00.001+07:00

Who would have thought...
Do you know that simple yet boring Google search home page? Of course you do! (If not, just "google"-it-up ~LOL~) Well, apparently Google think it is more than what meets the eye and patented the design.

It has been five years since Google first submitted the patent design of its search result along with the home page on 2004 back then, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office awarded the patent of what Google calls it as: "Graphical user interface for a display screen of a communications terminal"
Wow! Guess all of patents in the world always have long names for every little-short things...

So beware all of you web designers, if you're planning or already use Google's famous search home page design. Because like Ryan Tate from Valleywag said it: "In other words, ... Google owns the idea of having a giant search box in the middle of the page, with two big buttons underneath and several small links nearby" ;-p

Read the whole story and full pictures of the patent at the link above.

Toshiba starts the race for a tablet with JournE Touch

2009-09-05T00:15:00.002+07:00

Ohkay, I admit it.. I am a bit obsessed with everythin' related to tablet right now ever since the rumors about Apple's tablet sprouted all over the net. But I guess I'm not going to be the only one, because looks like Toshiba also believes in tablet, the computer manufacturer which is largely based on Japan has started the race to market a tablet with an early introduction of its JournE Touch.

JournE Touch is a 7-inch touchscreen tablet powered by Windows Embedded (CE) OS and ARM processor, supports many media formats like: JPEG, MP3, Windows Media audio & video files, MPEG4, H.264, and including Divx.

The idea is to use the tablet with WiFi to access internet services such as YouTube, MSN Messenger, Picasa, Flickr and RSS feeds with the pre-installed IE and Windows Media Player 9.0. Toshiba plans to market the device in Europe with a different model that'll support access to the Acetrax video on demand service.

Erica Ogg from Crave reported that applications for the JournE is "when you want to access the Internet without booting your PC," said Toshiba executive Marco Perino. And it's an alternative to a smartphone, which Perino says "is not so practical because the keyboard is not the right size."

According to Martyn William's report from IDG Service (via PC World); an optional cradle adds a USB and HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interactive) connector. The latter will enable it to be hooked-up to a TV set so content photos, video or content downloaded or streamed from the Internet can be viewed on a television. The JournE has 1GB of internal memory that can be extended to up to 32GB with a plug-in SD card.

Battery life is around 14 hours, according to Toshiba, so it will last considerably longer than a laptop. It will be available later this year and will cost €249 (US$356).

Gone in 31 seconds...

2009-09-04T23:08:00.001+07:00

I remember how my ex-girlfriend loved to watch the "Gone in 60 seconds" movie which stars Nicholas Cage and Angelina Jolie whenever it's played in tv, me myself didn't really get what about the movie that excite her.

But upon reading the news about the burglary at Sagemore Apple Store in New Jersey a couple days ago, and after watching the video footage of the store's security camera, I think I'm beginning to understand...

Earlier this week, exactly on Wednesday, five burglars broke into the Sagemore Apple Store after smashing the glass door with a brick around 2:05AM and quickly clean up the Apple devices displayed in the store. They took 23 MacBook Pros, 14 iPhones, and 9 iPod Touches!

The burglars timed their break & entering plan right after the security guards made his rounds, they saw what they like, they entered the store, and then they all gone in only 31 seconds. Plain simple as Vini, Vidi, Vici...

Perhaps it has got somethin' to do with the excitement from rushing in and grabbing everythin' you can get your hands-on, maybe that's why women are so good whenever it comes to cleaning up the goods at the big sales... ;-p

But still, about those stolen MacBook Pros, iPhones and iPod Touches, I do hope Apple will be able to get them back in one way or another. Hopefully that "Find my iPhone" feature will finally come in handy for the company itself who made it, and let's just hope the thieves are not that stupid to bring the laptops to a Mac Genius Bar for repair. ~LOL~

A gigantic virtual keyboard in Snow Leopard signals Apple's tablet is imminent

2009-09-02T17:36:00.000+07:00

Well, well, well.. will ya look at that.
That's an awful big-sized virtual on-screen keyboard even for a person with low eye sight, and what is it doin' in the new Mac OS X Snow Leopard?

If it's not enough with just rumors about Apple's tablet, then we finally have a solid proof that Apple is indeed have a tablet on the work, or in fact already prepared to launch as we speak. A senior editor at Cult of Mac, Leander Kahney has found what he calls it as virtual keyboard in Snow Leopard. Quoting from Leander himself: It’s a big, bold version of the iPhone’s virtual keyboard with large keys that scream “type me!”

Leander also reminded us how different the virtual keyboard now compared to the older version in previous Mac OS versions, which the old virtual keyboard usually hidden in the “International” tab of System Preferences, and obviously it was not as big as this new one. Snow Leopard's virtual keyboard now can be stretched as wide as your screen, and Apple doesn't even bother to hide it anymore, you can activate it through these steps:

Go to System Preferences> Keyboard
Click the box “Show Keyboard & Character Viewer in menu bar”
Go to the menu bar at top right and click “Show Keyboard Viewer”

According to Leander; right now the new virtual keyboard just records the keystrokes on your physical keyboard and shows the characters that will be typed when the Option key is held down, and so on.

The huge virtual keyboard is not the only sign that Apple has prepared Snow Leopard to be used in touchscreen device, such as a tablet. Leander shows some good examples like how new features in Snow Leopard are more touch-friendly: "Look at Expose in the Dock — the new feature that reveals all an application’s open windows when you click and hold the application’s icon. It’s tailor-made for fingers. Even more convincing is Stacks in the Dock. Hit a folder icon in the dock, and up pops the folder and all its files."

That's true, lots of Snow Leopard's features have big icons (or windows). Sometimes we easily missed what is obvious in front of our eyes, and rather try too hard to see what is on the other side. Like for examples: Snow Leopard users now can see their files and documents in Cover Flow style, this again is fitting for finger-scrolling on touchscreen. The included new Safari 4 in Snow Leopard also features at-a-glance preview of users' Top sites up to 24 thumbnails on a single page, and making them accessible with just a touch.

Could these all be indicating that the Apple's tablet arrival is imminent?
Have you drool too much already, and enough to fill in a bucket? ;-p

If not, then perhaps the images above can be an assistance for you. Made by Seb_or_Sam (Flickr link), is Apple's tablet mockups of how it would work. Of course, there are some pros and cons, there are some likes and dislikes, but nevertheless the mockups help to make us dream more of the Apple's tablet.

Black Centro spotted in Entourage tv series

2009-09-01T20:34:00.001+07:00

I've just watched the latest episode of Entourage, and spotted an obsidian black colored Centro being used by Andrew Klein (played by Gary Cole). It's pretty rare to see a character in there flashes around their cell phones for a full blown-off scene like the one above, so yeah of course I immediately noticed it. ;-p

The other phones used in Entourage new episodes lately are mostly the popular ones: the BlackBerry Bold and the iPhone 3G. Although the super agent Ari Gold (played by Jeremy Piven) is no longer use Trēo™ 650, he now use the BB Bold, it's nice to know that one of Palm's smartphones is still used in there.

Apple has prepared iPhone tethering in Snow Leopard

2009-09-01T20:21:00.000+07:00

JPCaine (Twitter link, via the iPhone Blog) has found this little gem inside Apple's newest Mac OS X Snow Leopard: iPhone tethering icon ready in System Preferences > Network settings, like you can see at the screenshot above.

This precious small finding once again bring the question back onto the plate on the table; is AT&T the real culprit who prohibited tethering practice in iPhone? Because it's getting obvious each passing days with the mounting evidence, that AT&T is dragging down iPhone's true capabilities although Apple has made it available to be harness anytime.

And perhaps this quite obvious and a daring show-off of iPhone tethering icon in Snow Leopard could mean that Apple is about to cut loose AT&T's exclusive deal on iPhone, well I'll say it's about time don't you think?

And the owner of that butt is...

2009-08-31T00:47:00.002+07:00

So this is the moment that you've been waiting for, the unveiling of whose butt is that crouched like in the previous photo.

Well, it's none other than the Hill's cutie: Ms. Audrina Patridge. *gasp!*

Yup, I'm sure you're as shock as I was when I first saw the photos.

I mean, c'mon.. The reality tv star is definetely has a hot body with very nice curves, like what you can see up there above at the photo set. But why, oh why did she crouch like that...

Ms. Patridge was spotted visiting some local boutique stores and shopping district along with friends when her purse fell on the floor, she must've spontaneously picked it up with a never seen before "mischievous-crouch" style and that's when the photographer took a picture of her.

It was priceless... ;-)

Does Apple want your iPhone to stay dumb?

2009-08-31T00:45:00.000+07:00

On an unexpected turn of hand, Apple has asked Bjango to take off their most powerful feature in iStat app for iPhone: Free Memory function, which allow users to free used up memory stored in RAM of their iPhone. Here's a quote from Bjango's website:

iStat’s Free Memory function was removed at Apple’s request.

We are very committed to ensuring iStat is the best iPhone and iPod Touch monitoring tool. Free Memory has been removed, but a lot of other useful features will be added in its place.

For you who didn't know yet, iStat is an app that allows you to see your iPhone’s stats for battery, memory, disk space, WiFi and Cell IP addresses, uptime & load averages, plus view and email your iPhone’s Unique ID and MAC address.

With the main star is now being pulled off from the center stage, Bjango had to lower the price of iStat from the normal price $2.99 to $1.99, and added some minor new features to temporarily fill in the empty slot.
But even Bjango informs iStat users who wish to keep the Free Memory function alive to keep running the v1.0, or if users have already updated iStat to v1.1 then it's possible to re-install the first version again.

But by keep using the iStat v1.0 means you'll never again able to click on the "Update All" again...
Talk about being smart, or being stupid? Which one do you want; update the app and feel the warm fuzzy feeling in your chest that you have the up to date version, or keep the important feature and go through the endless time on updating every apps installed within your iPhone one by one?

Actually to think of it, there's a good reason why Apple do this; when a user free used memory then it's possible there's certain important service that needed to run is being turned off and causing the iPhone to crash unexpectedly.

For instance is what happened everytime I stopped apps in my Trēo™ 750v using the memory management feature in Windows Mobile, it sometimes freeze up and I had to do a soft reset to fix it. This got me to think of Apple's policy to restrict multi-tasking in iPhone, could this is an attempt from Apple to create a more stable platform than the other crash-prone mobile platforms?

But by doing so, Apple has disabled the ability for users to have VIP access behind the velvet curtain of iPhone system. Users can't take full control over their own iPhone, nor allowed to see what's happening behind the scene, behind that glossy screen and curvy body contour of their iPhone. "It's just work," that is Apple's slogan for every and each of its products, Apple wants its users to believe that everything work by magic or there are Oompa Loompas in there churning up the gears..., and that's pretty much what the iPhone users can get.

But then what is the use of owning one of the most cutting-edge and savviest smartphones in the market, if you can't make the most of its prowess through the features provided by the apps?
Perhaps that's the way Apple want your iPhone to be, to stay dumb for good...
Oh wait, or is it you're the one that Apple wants to stay dumb...?
Darn, it beats the hell out of me to think of it... ~LOL~

Are Android users more cheapskates compared to iPhone users?

2009-08-30T18:42:00.001+07:00

According to a recent AdMob's survey; 81% of Android users asked are more unlikely to buy apps, while half of the iPhone users are regular App Store buyer.

Is this got something to do with the open spirit of like what the Linux users are having toward the open source platform: why pay for a dime if you can have it for free? Someone will finally made it and then release the app for no charge in the spirit of openness. After all the best things in life come for free. ;-p

But other than that, the survey indicates that Android and iPhone users are not that different and much alike. More than 1,000 Android, iPhone, and iPod Touch users were asked about their habits for downloading apps; the overall of participants said they spent roughly $9 a month for around five apps.

On average, Android users downloaded 8.1 apps per month, and iPhone users downloaded 7.6. Both users spend about the same amount of time: 80-90 minutes for browsing new apps.

Sources are from AdMob survey via PC World.

PA's 3rd edition of "There's an app for that!": Privacy, Movement and ShapeWriter

2009-08-30T18:02:00.000+07:00

Another week went by since the second edition of "There's an app for that!", and now we've arrived at the third edition. Hope you'll like this one too..

With more and more apps are flooding into the App Store every day, it's imposible to keep track each and every one of them. Especially since there are more crap apps in there, rather than the one that's really useful for your need. Apple is proud with the abundant of apps inside its App Store, and even came up with a slogan for it: "There's an app for that!"

So with those facts in mind, I'm gathering around three of them, because who knows perhaps they'll come in handy for you someday, and I'll periodically release another edition when I found some interesting apps. Have a great start of the weekend y'all, and hopefully these apps can cheer you guys up.

PrivaCy

It was a quite of debate when news about how iPhone apps are sending data to 'home' (the developer who created the app) broke out on the net, in fact it is still now. It's a love and hate situation for iPhone users, since first of all the data sent 'home' is sensitive information for some users, and secondly the data can be used for good like for improving the apps by developers.

But nevertheless, for you who are not comfortable on knowing that some of the apps installed in your iPhone might be sending data without your consent, there's a free app in Cydia just to block all of those data tracking on (jailbroken) iPhone; it's called PrivaCy.

According to Patrick J from JAiB; the app adds a new item to the Settings app, right below ‘Store’. When you tap on it in Settings you’ll see a screen labeled ‘Send Anonymous Usage Statistics’ –and you can toggle On and Off this data collection for four leading companies (that provide this function within thousands of apps). Read Patrick's extensive blog to know more about data tracking by Pinch Media.

With this app installed in your iPhone, you can finally sleep tight again tonight. ;-p

Movement

Having hundreds of app within your iPhone is like collecting trophies, so some say, it's like a good reason to brag at your geek friends when all of you are hanging out in a bar. For an avid App Store visitor, having up to 100 or above apps seems like a normal behaviour, not to mention whenever new free apps are being offered for a limited time.

But managing each and one of the apps is just plain a headache to do, from the moment the newly installed app appears in home screen to the time you spent minutes / hours to rearrange it with the other app icons. It get worst when something bad happened, you have to restore the iPhone and later the app icons are scrambled again.

Thank goodness a developer name Jeff Stieler has created an application called Movement to manage the app icons arrangement on your jailbroken iPhone, but it is done through your Mac (at least OS X 10.5). And for you Windows users, too bad because Jeff says he is not going to create a Windows version of his app. Here's the quote from Jeff:

I am sorry, but I have no plans of porting Movement to Windows.
Instead, I will focus my free time into improving Movement as it currently exists.
My apologies to all the Windows users wanting Movement, I just don't have the time!

Perhaps it's about time you PCs switch to Mac. ~LOL~

ShapeWriter

This isn't exactly a new app because it's actually has been around for quite some time, ShapeWriter is an amazing and a well known app for helping those who have trouble writing with virtual keyboard on touchscreen smartphone. Users don't have to punch the desired buttons like they used to, but simply by dragging their fingers across on-screen keyboard to produce the words they want. Here's the explanation from the developer:

Shape writing, based upon nearly 10 years of research and development, is an easy, fast, and fun way to write on a computer or mobile device. Instead of “hunting and pecking” letters, single gestures on a touch keyboard produce an entire word. For example: a stroke that roughly connects “w” to “o” to “r” and ends on “d” is recognized by ShapeWriter’s intelligent algorithms as the word ‘word’.

According to Jason D. O'grady from ZDNet; the app is based on research that began in the late 1990’s at IBM. Its Almaden Research Center published the first rigorous mathematical optimization result of touch keyboard based on the Metropolis “random walk” algorithm — the same algorithm used by scientists to understand molecule structures. *wow!*

There are two version of ShapeWriter app in App Store; one is free and the other one is the pro version worth $5 per license that will give you cut/copy/paste, landscape support, custom colors, fonts and appearances, a practice game and the ability to turn off the email footer and ads.

ShapeWriter has been gaining numerous praise not only for iPhone, but also for Android.

Dev-Team: it's all "snowy" and safe with Snow Leopard

2009-08-30T15:54:00.000+07:00

It's been awhile since Apple overhaul its successful operating system for Macs, so it got everyone excited to see the next generation Mac OS X when it was finally made available for every Mac users on August 28th. But Snow Leopard is not an entirely new operating system, it's more like a tuned-up from the previous version.

"Refined, not reinvented." That is Apple's slogan for the new Snow Leopard, and Apple claims the new operating system will still have its simplicity and ease of use like Mac users love it. Simply put, Apple intend to make Mac OS X better and faster. It is possible this is needed to be done in order to put Snow Leopard in battle head to head with Microsoft's upcoming Windows 7, which is said to be the best Windows OS since the aging XP.

Most of Mac users immediately made a jump to download and install the new operating system, some already giving out positive feedbacks on using it for few days. But as good as it gets, a jailbroken iPhone owner should remember to think twice before hitting that update button, is it safe for my bricked iPhone?

Apparently Dev-Team also made a quick announcement that the new Snow Leopard is safe enough to use with the 'redsn0w' and 'ultrasn0w' unlock tools, here's the quote from their website:

Snow Leopard, the OS released for Mac on Friday, poses no new wrinkles for the redsn0w jailbreak or ultrsn0w unlock.

To summarize the status of our tools (all of which are available through the links at the left):

You can use redsn0w to jailbreak any iPhone or iPod Touch using OS X, Windows, or Linux. For both 3.0 and 3.0.1 firmwares, you should point redsn0w at the 3.0 IPSW. If you see it hang at “waiting for reboot”, just unplug and replug that USB cable.
You can use ultrasn0w to unlock the iPhone 3G/3GS, or BootNeuter to unlock the iPhone 2G. Both ultrasn0w and BootNeuter are available via Cydia.
You can use PwnageTool for Mac to create custom IPSWs with pre-installed packages.
For detailed guides on how to run any of these tools, sites like iClarified have some great tutorials. For specific help on any problems, feel free to use our comment system below. angiepangie and Confucious are your friendly moderators and they’re joined by a number of other very knowledgeable commenters too!

We’re glad to see Apple joining in on the “snow” theme. If only Apple had called their new OS “Sn0w Leopard”!

Hopefully that is indeed a good sign of Apple is "blessing" the unlocking tools for iPhone. That's what we all really want right? One big happy family of white "sn0w" Mac OS X. ;-p

Be bad, have WiFi in your smartphone

2009-08-30T15:17:00.000+07:00

Here's a thought: do you need WiFi in your smartphone nowadays?

Like tangled tentacles, it's like a plant is trying to get in touch with other plants, finding a way or another to get connected. And so are we, back in the old day when the first phone invented, we found ourselves communicating with land-wired phone even up until today. Then came advanced telecommunication with wireless technology, like the one you're currently enjoying so much in your palm: mobile phone.

Technology keep on advancing, soon enough data is also transfered wirelessly. Not satisfied enough with the ability to communicate anywhere and whenever we want, mobile users are demanding to have for more and more data transported to their smartphone. Unable to coop with data demand from subscribers, wireless carriers turn their head in slow adaptation for faster data network (EDGE to 3G / HSDPA) and offering high priced data packages. Thus resulting users to look for alternative; WiFi.

According to global consulting and advisory firm Ovum in a recent data research, consumers nowadays are demanding WiFi to be a standard part of technology in their smartphones. From 77 smartphone models identified, there are 59 handsets had GPS (Global Positioning System) capability and 49 had WiFi. Tim Renowden, an analyst at Ovum said WiFi and GPS are now key features across nearly all smartphones, not just high-end models.

"Some operators still have a reluctance to admit WiFi-equipped handsets onto their networks, but Ovum believes consumers now expect WiFi to be present in smartphones," Renowden said.

There's a very good reason for wireless carriers to hate WiFi present in today's smartphones, besides the worry of network stress from massive data transfer; it's VoIP. Because using VoIP in their smartphone, mobile users are able to replace the need of subscribing monthly to make and receive calls on their phones. It's definetely cheaper, though not at all practical, especially when one is out of WiFi network reach. But still, it worry much enough for wireless carriers to ask mobile manufaturers not to put WiFi into their handsets.

I don't have to give you a too far away picture, a fine example can be seen in Palm's old smartphones: the Trēo™ 680 and 750. When these two smartphones were out in the market, WiFi already became a new trend, but unfortunately Palm's policy on not to include the technology in those Trēos is still baffled me.

Another good example of how the combination of WiFi and VoIP scares the hell out of wireless carriers is shown by the currently under investigation Google Voice app blockage in iPhone, when FCC is poking both Apple and AT&T for answers on the real reason behind the disappearance of the app, indirectly both companies admitted that they have a deal to block VoIP on iPhone.

Apple says the Google Voice app is merely still under evaluation to be given entrance into iPhone or not, Apple's reasons are because the app is duplicating iPhone functionality and thus altering the user experience. While AT&T says the wireless company didn't know nothing about it, and in a press statement said: "any AT&T customer may access and use Google Voice on any web-enabled device operating on AT&T's network, including the iPhone, by launching the application through their web browser, without the need to use the Apple App Store."

So when a giant wireless carrier like AT&T enforces an undisclosed agreement on not to use VoIP on its network, and a big mobile manufacturer like Apple is compelled to play along, then that's when consumers' rights is violated. Basically, the WiFi technology has been slowed down because of practices like that. The inability to use their rights of those who are powerless and defend it against those who have power, we should shudder at the thought...

Like it or not, WiFi is the current and future technology (as we're nearing the ratification of 802.11n Draft 2.0) for smartphone. So if you're about to buy a smartphone without WiFi in it, why don't you ask yourself the question I asked you on the top of this post.
Be bad, have WiFi in your smartphone and rebel for a cause with VoIP. ;-D

Whose butt is that?

2009-08-29T01:01:00.004+07:00

There's a lyric in a song that says something like this:

I like big butts and I can not lie
You other brothers can't deny
...
'Cause you notice that butt was stuffed
Deep in the jeans she's wearing
I'm hooked and I can't stop staring
Oh baby, I wanna get with you
And take your picture*
* taken from "Baby Got Back"

I don't want to be rude, or posting up an inappropriate post, but then hey maybe that's what so good of having a blog of my own, rite? ;-p

Anyway, it was not my intention at first but I can't help to keep this to myself.. Gotta share this one with you guys: whose butt is that on the left photo there? I mean... who's that crouching down with a pose like that to get a dropped purse?

She's gotta be desperate, or she's just having a back-pain... But wait, is that a she? You sure? Could be some sort of a sick guy who dressed like a woman.. Nah, can't be.. That fur jacket, tight blue jean and pretty high heels, that gotta be a chic girl. But... to think about it, what kinda chic girl who bend over with a pose like that..?

The lyric really hit the right spot eh? Now you're hooked after seeing the photo there, can't stop staring at the butt, thank goodness somebody took a picture for you.. ~LOL~

Here's some hints for you: yes that is a she, she's a fashionita who stars in one of MTV's reality shows, and she's also a Crackberry (uses BlackBerry). Can you now guess who she is?

Find out who she is at the end of the weekend, I'll post her whole photos on Sunday. I'm pretty sure you'll be surprised.. ;-)

Why a tablet, Apple?

2009-08-23T12:29:00.002+07:00

Tired of hearing the rumored Apple's tablet?
If yes, then you ain't seen nothing yet. We're only half way to the next month Apple's [music] event, as we're nearing the September 9 (if the rumor is to be believed), you'll be seeing / hearing more rumors and topics about Steve Jobs' greatest next invention.

So today is no exception, like yesterday I'll be talking some more about Apple's tablet. Apart from that, what is the better way to tease you guys with those drool worthy images of how the tablet might be, than by keep talkin' about it over and over and over and... ~LOL~
Previously I've talked about what we know so far about the Apple's tablet, and if the deadline to introduce the device has got something to do with how many Steve Jobs' spare lives left, but the biggest question still remain: Why a tablet?*

* Note: the following discussion (ranting is more likely) only assume that Apple is indeed working a tablet computer for the Sep. 9 event

If you watched the latest PATV, Sammy was talking about the Apple's tablet too and his reason on why he much prefer a MacBook Pro rather than a tablet is a spot on. Many of you must've also agree at some point and wondering on why would Steve Jobs pick a tablet as the incarnation of his next idea to change the world, so we to speak. With the big wide blank space left out cold lying somewhere without answer, let's have some fun by trying to assess the posibilities and try to burrow inside the unfeasible mind of Steve Jobs.

The survey says...

According to a new survey conducted by Retrevo (via AppleInsider), an electronics product review search service; 34% of 300 students surveyed said they prefer "small lightweight netbook," while only 17% are planning to buy an Apple MacBook, the rest said they're going to get PC laptop. This is an obvious and clear sign that netbook is gaining popularity in the academic circle, a society which is populated by 20-something crowd, the age of consumers that are most likely to buy an Apple MacBook because of its "coolness".

In the contrast of high-priced MacBooks compared to the low budget netbooks, Apple need to act fast to attract that 20-something crowd back to its embrace. Analysts believe, tablet is Apple's answer, and it will become a very different device (from other similar devices) that will target a very niche market. Something Apple loves to do.

But on the contrary, Apple dislike survey and never did market research (that we know of). “We do no market research. We don’t hire consultants”, said Jobs in an interview with Fortune magazine. "But we never hire consultants, per se. We just want to make great products.”

Because for Steve Jobs, there's only two kinds of product he acknowledge: amazing product or trash. There's no in between, there's no a so-so product for him, it's either a good end result (for him) or simply just trash. That's why he often taunt his engineers to create the impossible, and sent them back to the drawing board again to start from scratch if he sees something he doesn't like. And for that very reason, Jobs believes that the customers are paying Apple's gadgets for the right price.

If the price is right...

With the global economy crisis slowly past us all, yet still leave an unsecure financial feeling behind, and the irresistible price of netbooks looming restlessly on Apple's most potential buyers, I don't think Apple is only planning to sit pretty and do nothing. That is just not right for the company who has won Fortune's Most Admired Companies this year for its innovation, there's got to be something brewing at Apple's kitchen...

But here's one small fact; no matter how good Apple make their Macs, price is still the crucial part on deciding to buy a laptop, especially for students with limited budget. Money talks, but not the way the saying is originally intended. But Apple still won't make a computer under $500 price tag, Steve Jobs even has said something like this when he was asked about netbook's attractive price: "We don't know how to make a $500 computer that's not a piece of junk, and our DNA will not let us ship that."

That's why rumor has it the Apple's tablet will costs around $700 or above, even though Apple is going to positioned its tablet against netbooks. The tablet itself along with the price tag will fill in the gap between the iPod Touch and cheapest MacBook, creating another option for users to pick according to their need.

What a tablet can do?

Let's toss aside the "coolness" factor that we know for sure the netbook's can not and will not compete with Apple's tablet, and while we're at it let's also throw away for a moment the price tag predicament that we know for certain Apple's tablet price can not be the same and will never be under netbook's. With those two factors out of the picture, the only remaining left is the features comparison.

The first idea of netbook is as simple as its name; it's only for surfing the web, email, chatting, read/compose documents, and all other light tasks that don't need powerfull hardware. And as long as the users are not using netbook for heavy multi-tasking, it's not designed for that. All because of the netbook's design, it must be small and lightweight so it'll be easy for users to carry netbook.

A tablet's design is pretty much close to the netbook's I've just described above, in fact a tablet has to be better since there's no physical keyboard attached to it. A tablet is smaller and more lightweight than a netbook, thus it's unlikely to be more powerful than a netbook. And let's not forget Apple's multi-tasking policy in iPhone/iPod Touch: there's no multi-tasking allowed. Combining them all, a tablet will have to rely more on the "cloud" to do more tasks.

If the "cloud" is the limit...

The netbook popularity marks a new dawn of how people use their mobile computer, and it's going up onto the cloud computing. Apple realized this very well, that's why the company is building a gigantic new data center in Maiden, North Carolina. So big, that Rich Miller the editor of Data Center Knowledge called it as "a big-ass data center.”

“The companies that are building the biggest data centers tend to also have the biggest cloud ambitions,”says Miller. And that is for a very good, and also for a very BIG reason. Apple is selling more and more iPhone and iPod Touch every year, App Store is growing larger every day, Push Notification needs more power to move around the cloud. And with the coming of a new family member into the products line-up, Apple must think of expanding its cloud services. It's only natural, a family always move to a bigger house when a baby is coming, or expand the house to make room for the new offspring.

We all familiar with how Apple do its business, there's no way Apple is only planning to sell its tablet just like that without any new features in it that will make it more than just an ordinary tablet amongst the existing similar products in the market. For all we can imagine, it's possible that Apple is preparing some kinda cloud services to compete with Google.

The search giant company is the biggest threat to Apple, all of you remember how Apple blocked Google Voice app in App Store, and now the issue is currently being investigated by FCC. The Google Voice app can turn iPod Touch into an iPhone, because of the VoIP service provided by Google. The aforementioned app basically eliminates the main thing that differentiate iPod Touch from iPhone: voice call, no wonder AT&T is so pesky about the app existence.

While on the other hand, there's a theory that Apple blocks Google Voice app because the company wants to have similar service pre-installed within the tablet, avoiding such trouble with AT&T and FCC, since the device is physically different from iPhone/iPod Touch.

Killing two birds with one stone...

But wait, can't the iPod Touch do everything the tablet can do?
To tell you the truth, from what I've talked so far above, all in all if I may say: Apple's tablet will most likely like a giant iPod Touch but with bigger body and larger screen. It can do pretty much the same of what iPod Touch can do already.

So far Apple has keep improving and adding more features into the iPod Touch, blurring even more of its function from an entertainment mobile device or a PDA. But what is the difference of iPod Touch from its siblings, the other iPods? The big wide screen of course, its a better solution for people who wants to watch a movie or read an e-book on iPod but the screen is too small.

And there's also a problem of storage, every iPod line-ups including the Touch have limited storage capacities. The biggest capacity iPod Touch got is max at 32GB, it's barely enough to fit in one or two HD movies. A tablet has more space inside to host bigger storage capacity, along with bigger battery, hopefully. So with a tablet, Apple hopes to give an ultimate entertainment mobile device which can perform as PDA as well. In short, Steve Jobs is going to "kill two birds with one stone."

Love it or hate it?

Then where does that leave us with the Apple's tablet? Like it, or hate it? Or perhaps you don't vote? Hear... hear... If your choice is the latter, maybe it's because you haven't seen the device yet. Same here. Previously, there's a live shot of the purpotedly Apple's tablet circling around the blogosphere, it was coming from a French blog. But I don't believe it's the real deal, since the device is so not Apple-like quality design, it's lacking that "cool" minimalism aesthetic you see in every Apple's products.

Actually, for me the closest live photo shot of the highly rumored Apple's tablet was coming from Pocketables. The gadget blog received two sets of photos from an anonymous tipster showing an unidentified MID that runs Android OS, but when you see it closely (pictured above) it does have some similarity to Apple iPod Touch. Such as the silver/chrome finish of the mysterious device's round bezel, and the dark glossy screen reminds me of the MacBook's screen. Could it be the real deal?

Unfortunately we'll have to wait few more weeks till Apple's rumored September 9 event to see the real tablet... *sigh*

PA's 2nd edition of "There's an app for that!": Safari Download Manager, ActivateMMS2G, Spell Numbers

2009-08-23T12:14:00.001+07:00

Time flies by so quickly when we're busy doing things, it's already been a week since the first edition of "There's an app for that!". Hope you'll like this one too..

So with those facts in mind, I'm gathering around three of those funny yet quite useful apps, because who knows perhaps they'll come in handy for you someday, and I'll periodically release another edition when I found some interesting apps. Have a great start of the weekend y'all, and hopefully these apps can cheer you guys up.

Safari Download Manager

Downloading large files is considered a common thing in today's digital era of HD (High Definition) movies and audios, music sometimes offered not only per one song but in albums, and sometimes you need to download a bulk of documents on the go, what can you do when you left your laptop behind?

This is when Steve Jobs' words really proven right: ”You know, one of our entrants into that category if you will is the iPhone, for browsing the Internet, and doing email and all the other things that a netbook lets you do. And being connected via the cellular network wherever you are, an iPhone is a pretty good solution for that, and it fits in your pocket."

That's right, you got your iPhone/iPod Touch in your pocket. It can help you to download those files you needed right away, but wait a sec, how do you do that exactly? Enter the Safari Download Manager (SDM), a $2 dollars worth app that helps you to manage your downloads on your iPhone. From finding the files in a website, to lets you continue browsing while the downloads keep moving, with the app you can download several files and put them in queue or download simultenously,.

The geniuses behind SDM are Dustin Howett and Youssef Francis, here's a quote from them:

"This extension brings a full download manager to Safari, complete with running and controlling multiple downloads, accessible via a new toolbar item. This is an improvement on other existing extensions that take over the currently displayed document to display status information, hindering your navigation. Safari Download Manager (SDM) allows you to continue browsing while downloads are taking place (and can even download in the background, as Safari will not exit if there are any pages loaded).
Users can configure filetypes to download and add their own extensions and mimetypes to the download list."

The SDM app will add a new tab at the bottom bar of the Safari, and once you start downloading, a badge will pops out to show you how many downloads are going. At the download tab, you can view your downloads and the progress bar, still in there you can cancel any downloads too.

Safari Download Manager app only available in Cydia App Store, Apple should've let this app in the official App Store, it's about time iPhone users make use the 3G connection don't you think?
* SDM screenshots are courtesy of ModMyI

ActivateMMS2G

Don't believe everything you heard from big companies, not even if it is Apple. Only a fool take everything they say for granted... ;-p

They say the iPhone Classic, you do remember this poor first gen iPhone with only EDGE connection, can't have MMS because of hardware limitation. Creating a wave of jealousy from the brave first adopters to those who have the iPhone 3G / 3G[S]. But is it? Or is that only another Apple's marketing strategy to lure people to buy the new iPhone? Either way, not everyone is jumping to buy a newer iPhone whenever Apple releases one, in fact there are people out there who still linger to their iPhone Classic.

So fear not, o' you brave souls, there's an app for that, to enable MMS in your iPhone Classic. ActivateMMS2G is can be considered as a hack app that will patch your iPhone 2G (EDGE) to allow it to receive and send MMS, the app can be found in Cydia. All thanks to the creative genius iSpazio who have made this happen, here's the detail on how to install the app (via iHackintosh):

Pre-requisites:

iPhone 2G OS 3.0 Jailbreaked with Cydia.
Uninstall "asBattery" if you had installed previously.

Instructions to enable MMS on iPhone EDGE:

Go to Cydia and download the package ActivateMMS2G available in the repository of iSpazio.
Restart the iPhone.
Next go to Settings > Messages and make sure MMS Messaging is ON. If it’s not, restart your iPhone one more time.
Go into Settings> General> Network> Cellular Data Network, and add the MMS info for your carrier. You can check out their website or just call them and ask them.

* Note : Do not install the hack on Firmware 2.2.1 or view a black screen with the Apple logo and will have to restore. If you haven’t jailbreaked your iphone 2G with OS 3.0 yet then follow the easy steps Unlock/Jailbreak iPhone 2g OS 3.0 Using RedSn0w on Windows Mac.

Good luck!

PS: there's also a hack from iHackintosh on how to activate video camera in iPhone Classic (2G) and iPhone 3G using the iPhone OS 3.0 software, but looks like it's not easy as it look...

Spell Numbers (to activate Emoji)

According to a market data from Gfk Japan, the 32GB iPhone 3G was the most popular smartphone in Japan on July. Do you know why? I think I know why, it's probably got something to do with Emoji icon allowed in Japan's iPhone 3G. ~LOL~

Anyway, for you who don't know yet; Emoji is the Japanese term for the picture characters or emoticons used in Japanese wireless messages and webpages (taken from Wikipedia). Emoji is very popular in Japan especially among the teens, but apparently Emoji also become more and more popular world wide thanks to iPhone. However, there's a small tiny problem in using Emoji: it's not standardized yet. Each Emoji icons are different from one smartphone to another, and also not every wireless carriers allow Emoji. This is why Apple has stated that viewing Emoji picture characters on an iPhone requires iPhone OS 2.2 or later and a SoftBank SIM.

But thank goodness it was not the end of the world when Apple said that, like the saying goes like this: "there's a way if there's a will," there's an easy hack to enable Emoji in iPhone using a free app called Spell Numbers. But before the Emoji is activated in your iPhone, you need to activate the easter egg in Spell Numbers app first, here's the instruction complete with screenshots. Furthermore, the instruction says that Emoji on/off setting will still be around even if you delete the app.

There's a good news though for those who love Emoji icons; Apple and Google is joining hand in hand to propose an encoding for these emoji. But it looks like going to take some time before the proposal is finished, because so far there are 674 icons already and lots more to come. Read the proposal document (via What Japan Thinks) for more technical details.

Jennifer Aniston strikes a pose when taking a call

2009-08-22T09:57:00.003+07:00

So this is how Jennifer Aniston pose when she's taking a call with her cell phone (pictured above), she really knows how to pops out that curvy line of her body to the max. Mmm... mmm..

It's been awhile since my last post about Hollywood celebrities, and I'm glad this time around is everybody's princess of sweetheart; Ms. Jen Aniston. She's the only one from the entire cast of "Friends" tv series who is continue to be sucessfully keep existing in the wide screen even until now, Jen is currently spotted working on her new movie called "The Bounty" at the downton Manhattan on Friday morning.

There's a hot rumor about on set love between Jen and her co-star Gerard Butler, everyone involved in the movie kept saying that there's a special kind of chemistry between them two on and off the set of the film. That's a relief to know actually, perhaps the always gorgerous-looking Jen can finally find love again with him, after all a princess deserves a king (Gerard Butler played King Leonidas character in the "300" movie).

Glass Platform sets new size for Android phone

2009-08-21T23:59:00.000+07:00

Are you one of those people who are not satisfied with the size of your mobile phone and wish your desk phone is better than it, and your shout out is often something like this: “Why does my cell phone have ten times the functionality of my desk phone?”

Then your prayer is going to be answered, in big sized. Cloud Telecomputers has introduced Glass Platform, an Android-powered desk phone for business. The idea to build a desk phone that can perform like today's smartphone is based on that particular inquiry above, and the company believes many 21st century business professionals need such powerful phone on their desk. Here's a quote from the announcement:

“Glass makes the desk phone relevant again,” said David McMorrow, Cloud Telecomputers CEO. “It thoughtfully integrates business applications with IP telephony to bring the office phone into the 21st century. It’s a technological leap forward in terms of applications and usability, helping professionals to be more productive and informed in their everyday communications.”

The very reasons for Cloud Telecomputers to adopt Android is because of its prowess and openness, so partners and software developers can immediately jump into the already thriving platform. So far, the prototype model (pictured above) features are:

8 inch color touchscreen
Tap to dial by name or phone
Click to dial from Microsoft's Outlook
Bluetooth connection to answer your mobile phones
Voice dialing and voice notes
HD speakerphone
Android OS

The company anticipates Glass-enabled phones being available in first quarter 2010, with suggested retail prices ranging from $599 to $699, depending on features and configuration.

What more impressive is that according to an interview with David McMorrow the Cloud Telecomputers' CEO, Rob Jackson from Phandroid found out that: "Cloud Telecomputers is a small company with less than 10 employees…!" And I must agree with Rob, that how come a small company like Cloud Telecomputers can build such a nice Android phone, while multi-billion dollars worth giant companies like Motorolla and Sony Ericsson who have hundreds of people concentrate to build Android phone haven't announce something solid so far..?

Makes you wonder doesn't it? Big wonders are often came from small package... ;-)

Duracell's myGrid charger is almost as cool as Palm Prē's TouchStone

2009-08-21T23:13:00.001+07:00

Wow, what you see up there is for real. Wireless charger for our lovely little cute gizmos is going from just a dream to have into a reality, and the exclusivity is no longer only for Palm Prē's TouchStone owners, because Duracell has announced its own version of wireless charger: myGrid.

Unlike the Palm Prē™ which simply use a special back cover to work with the TouchStone for quick and hassle-free charging, Duracell's myGrid still needs you to use a special mount for your mobile phones, called Power Clip™, other kit includes Power Sleeve. But the best thing about myGrid is it allow you to charge multiple devices at once (up to four devices), and promised to work with four famous smartphone brands: Apple, BlackBerry, Motorolla, and Nokia.

Another feature of the myGrid's ultra-slim profile is it can detect when being touched and shuts off, it also detects moisture and metal like keys or coins. Duracell claims that charging with myGrid is as fast as using standard charges, based on USB 2.0 specs.

The myGrid will be available in October this year, but Duracell hasn't disclosed any pricing and exact date yet. Sources are from PhoneMag, via Engadget Mobile.

Google Listen for Android

2009-08-21T20:34:00.002+07:00

Google really is one scary tech giant, well at least for me, because the company which is famous for its on-line search engine seems to keep on inovating and releasing new services, apps, softwares, etc. And recently Google has just released another new free app for its own Android OS: Google Listen.

Google describes Listen as an audio search app, user can type in the keywords and the most relevant results will be shown, after the desired audio feeds downloaded over the air users can listen using the app.

In the layman's term, Google Listen is kinda podcast manager app. But Google prefers to call it as a digital magazine, because user can download as many podcasts he/she want and then put them in queue to be played later.

* Note: As I'm writing this post, Google Listen website is currently down. Probably caused by the heavy traffic of Android users who are trying to download the app, the website stated: "Over Quota". Even Google can have a bad day, huh? ;-p

Apple's new patent features 'file transfer in call' for iPhone

2009-08-21T17:20:00.001+07:00

Apple is working another new feature for iPhone, that once again will help change the way we use our mobile phone; or in this case is Apple's iPhone. Apple has filed a new patent called “Auto messaging to currently connected caller”, which is basically will allow you to send text message, email, file, phone book contact info, etc. while the user is making call.

Here's a snipped explanation from the patent (via ModMyI):

While a user of a mobile device is using telephony services, the user may want to send a message or a file to another part . . . To send this information, the user may have to disconnect the call, and then perform a lookup of the caller's contact information prior to being able to send the message or file. This multi-step process can be tedious for the user.

This feature isn't entirely new for smartphone, but its potential hasn't been fully tapped yet. And if Apple can truly bring this new feature for iPhone come true to realization, then there'll definetely more satisfied iPhone users in the future.

Why? Well, I can't describe a way to use it better than what Staska from Unwired View did:
"It pisses me of, when a friend calls and asks someone’s contact info, and then I have to hang up, look it up and send it via SMS. And why do I have to do that? What’s wrong with keeping the call session open, giving me easy access the usual UI elements, and then giving me an easy way to use other messaging app to communicate with a person I am talking to?"

That's true you know, why hasn't anyone think about this before?

Could it be Steve Jobs' health linked to Apple's tablet deadline?

2009-08-18T15:09:00.002+07:00

There's a riveting story around the blogosphere last night, as I was climbing into my comfy bed and tried to doze off to sleep with reading the latest news on my Trēo™ 750v, I read another article that covers Apple and its psychedelic CEO Steve Jobs.

Bryan Appleyard from U.K. Times Online (yes, his last name alone can easily fooled you like he's from Apple Inc. ~LOL~) has wrote an article that caused quite a buzz, it's not because his writing reveals hidden dark secrets of Apple that we haven't know already or telling us how "obnoxious" Steve Jobs is. But the reason is because Apple was trying so hard to block the article to be published, here's a quote from the article:

Apple hates personality stuff and press intrusion. “We want to discourage profiles,” an Apple PR tells me stiffly, apparently unaware she is waving a sackful of red rags at a herd of bulls. Another PR rings the editor of this magazine to try to halt publication of this piece.

Aside of how the witty words twisted with sarcastic humor managed to keep my sleepy eyes wide open, a blazing speculation stroke inside my tired mind when I read this particular information in the article:

Rumours suggest he is, in spite of the transplant, about to do it (Apple keynotes) again in the next few weeks. It will be a dual sensation: the sight of a walking, talking Jobs and of a new tablet computer, a sort of giant iPhone, which, some say, will yet again change the world.

If we are to believe the credency of the article's source that says: Excitement intensified early this month when an unnamed "analyst" was reported as having actually held the tablet. He said it was "better than your average movie experience", and we are to believe the Apple's tablet is to be introduced at next month Apple's September event, then just take a moment of pause to think about it...

First of all, Steve Jobs never missed an important key notes and the only stopping him from standing on the stage is because of his health issues. Secondly, Apple's tablet is supposedly to become the next great thing after iPhone. In the article, Bryan Appleyard describes how Apple has changed the world when Steve Jobs introduced iPod families and the all wonder iPhone. In fact, Andrea Cunningham, a PR hired and fired four times by Jobs has said this about the Apple CEO: “My God! He’s single-handedly changed the world, like, at least three times!”

Third and the upmost delicate inquiry is how well Steve Jobs? Apple has been keeping its CEO's health issues as low as possible from the mass media, and so does Jobs himself. He was dead at least a couple of time before, first when he was diagnosed had a pancreatic cancer, second when he had to undergone a liver transplant in which to get one means you must on the top of the death list.

When Jobs took an absence of medical leave on January this year, he swore to every Apple loyalists out there that he will still be working at home and make all of the important decisions for Apple, and even without mentioning it we all know he's watching over his next biggest project: the Apple's tablet. A project that was certainly stalled because of his health issues at that time.

I dunno if Steve Jobs has nine spare lives (which is only 7 left if we took account of above almost death experiences) in his closet, or if he has the uncanny ability to cheat death itself, but don't you think at this point at least he's thinking like: how about if I don't make it the next time around when the grim reaper comes to visit me again? If so, don't you think Jobs is thinking that he should hurry and announce one of his latest brain-child gizmo before the time really is running out? After all, the Apple's tablet is supposed to be another Jobs' creation that will change the world, so we speak...

I'm not saying nor wishing bad things to happen to Steve Jobs, but even though I'm not an Apple fanboy, I still wish to see him to wow us all again with his usual spectacular keynote. And I believe the Apple stock holders can't be agree more than to see Jobs introduce a gadget that will make all of geeks and Apple fanboys to queue over night to get it, an Apple device that still have Steve Jobs' signature on it and that will last long enough even if an "unwanted" situation happened.

All of us are in favor to see the mysterious and highly rumored tablet at Apple next event, an event that has been reported by John Paczkowski from All Things D that according to sources close to the company, the date is Wednesday, Sept. 9. But again the source emphasis that there will be "NOT involve any discussion whatsoever of the tablet Apple is reportedly developing."

But hey, don't take my words or any rumors for granted. Because like Bryan Appleyard has wrote in his article about Apple's 'mafia code of silence': "Executives feed deliberate misinformation into one part of the company so that any leak can be traced back to its source," as far as we know it Apple could be giving misinformation of there's no tablet involved on the next September event. Like the company did before when asked if there will be a small and cheap iPod, the next day Steve Jobs introduced the Nano.

That's the hard thing about Apple is, the Cupertino-based company is not affraid of lying and giving out misinformation, which is why Apple has always been a favorite target for journalysts to write about. No joke, a $140 billion dollars worth company who is not affraid to lie to the press, how twisted and cool is that? ;-p

Because one we're certain of, Apple has been caught red-handed on shooting an ad at Jax Truckee Diner some time ago (pictured below). “Apple found us, they're trying to show us as a hip and cool spot for the 20-something crowd,” the owner Bud Haley said. But looks like anyone involved in the ad shoot were sworn to a secrecy on what the ad is for.

For all we know, the new ad shot at the restaurant which is located “At The Tracks” on 10144 West River St., California, could be for any new products including this Apple's tablet. Or it may also for the most likely rumored new iPod Touch with camera, which has been leaking out on the net for the last couple of days ago.

Whatever Apple has prepared in store for us on September 9, I believe it'll be a blast no matter what, because the real caveat is to see Steve Jobs back on the stage once again and when the keynote is about to end he'll end it with the usual “and one last thing”, and then like a child we will once again drop our jaw seeing the new shiny toys... ;-D

A Sense of Hero on your Magic

2009-08-18T11:49:00.000+07:00

Love playin' those catchy words... ;-)

Rejoice you HTC Magic owners!
Because HTC has just officially announced that its latest HTC Sense UI (User Interface) is coming to Magic for free, but only if you have the one that's without the "with Google" logo on the back. Here's the snipped news taken from the HTC's announcement:

"From August 29 onwards, will also hold large-scale outdoor activities, so that more consumers have the opportunity to experience the HTC Hero. In addition, until early October ended October 31, where to buy HTC Magic of consumers will be able to HTC official website to download the latest software free of charge..."

Mark your calendar for October, because the software upgrade will only be available for a month. Although from what I'm hearing on the net, that HTC Sense UI software upgrade is only going to be offered through Taiwanese wireless carrier Chunghwa, but I believe it's more likely it'll find a way into every Magic in all over the world.

While for you who own the handset with "with Google" logo on the back of your Magic, means it'll depend on each wireless carrier who issued the handset whether to release the software upgrade or not.
Feeling down? You're not alone...

For you who have been brave enough to became early adopters and bought T-Mobile G1 when it first came out, unfortunately you G1 owners won't be able to receive any more software updates after the 'Cupcake'. The reason is as what Android Engineer Jean-Baptiste Queru has explained in his Twitter account: the internal memory of G1 doesn't have enough capacity to host future Android OS, including 'Donut',

Chiming in about Apple's tablet

2009-08-17T16:54:00.003+07:00

Everybody have their own opinion about the rumored Apple's tablet, it's the hottest topic around right now. Whenever the subject pops out, it attracts everyone's attention right away. Ranging from analysts to bloggers, they have been adding the fuel to keep that rumor mill churning up and burning for months. So at the end of the day, I can't help but to chime in my little squeaky voice about the anticipated yet never-existed (as far as we know it in real life) tablet device...

The facts or simply just rumors?

On early August, Kaufman Bros. a Wall Street analysis firm revealed that Apple had investigated screen sizes ranging from 4 inches to 12 inches. What for? Well, what else than for a tablet sized computer.

And not long after that, Piper Jaffray the senior analyst Gene Munster chimes in about the possibility of Apple's tablet: "Last week we spoke with an Asian component supplier that has received orders from Apple for a touch-screen device to be fulfilled by late [calendar year] '09," he writes. "This data point underscores our thesis that a tablet will likely launch in early [2010]."

Apart from the excitement of another highly rumored Apple event to be held on September, many have raised some voice about how the tablet won't even be announced at the event, in fact it's planned for early 2010.

The tablet is a no go for September event?

For those who have been keeping records of Apple events over the past four years, it is highly possible that Apple will hold a keynote event in early September like it did before. MacRumors has done us a favor by reminding us of the events in the past:

2005: Apple’s “Here We Go Again” event introduced the Motorola ROKR mobile phone with iTunes support alongside the release of iTunes 5 and saw the introduction of the original iPod nano to replace the iPod mini.
2006: Apple offered the “It’s Showtime” event introducing iTunes 7 and iPod updates, as well as a sneak peak at the “iTV” that launched several months later as the Apple TV.
2007: Apple held a “The Beat Goes On” event introducing the original iPod Touch alongside updates to the remainder of the iPod line, an iTunes 7.4 update, and iPhone price drops.
2008: Apple held a “Let’s Rock” event to introduce iTunes 8 and new iPod Touch, Nano, and Shuffle models.

The similar event, if it does happening next month, will focus on music and entertainment. Jim Dalrymple from Loop Insight added in his point of view:

"Very reliable sources familiar with the product have said speculation of the tablet being introduced during the September event are flat out wrong. The Apple tablet, they said, would not see the light of day until the first part of 2010.

The event in September will be focused on music, which means we could see new iPods and perhaps some updates to iTunes. The tablet computer will not even be mentioned as part of the event, my sources said."

That is one disheartening rumor to be heard. One can only speculate that the tablet could not be announced at the September event because Apple is going to announce the all new iPod Touch with camera (also rumored) to compete with Microsoft's new Zune HD. But this is Apple we're talking about here, Steve Jobs could even introduce both the new iPod Touch and the tablet at the same time next month. You know how his mind work; unfathomable...

What is a tablet for?

That is a very basic question for everyone, including Apple themselves and end-users. Because the current tablet computers I know in the market today are not doing so well, but most of them are Windows-powered. So Apple ought to think how to turn around the mistakes made by Microsoft (and Linux) to market a failing category of mobile computing, Apple should have more tricks in their sleeves to impress the nowadays greedy consumers.

Again, Piper Jaffray the Senior Research Analyst at Gene Munster states in a report about the use of Apple's tablet:

"Key apps, like Safari and Mail, could be made larger to make use of the larger screen resolution, making Apple's tablet appealing for more extended use, and the company could continue to leverage its primary asset in mobile computing, the App Store, in this scenario. We believe this is the most likely scenario given the success of the multi-touch platform and the App Store ecosystem, which could be accelerated with a tablet device."

All in all, the tablet will be used primarily for web surfing, e-mail, and digital media, competing with netbooks without being a netbook. That is in rhyme with Steve Jobs' statement about netbooks: "We don't know how to make a $500 computer that's not a piece of junk, and our DNA will not let us ship that." So Apple is going to make a mobile device that works close like a netbook, but doesn't look like a netbook and obviously won't call it as a netbook.

Look and name can be different, but the guts inside can bring close the similarity. Jason D. O'Grady from The Apple Core blog said he has received a leak from a source back in May:

"According to my source said tablet could arrive in the September or October, it will run the full Mac OS X, have a slot loading SuperDrive, an “iPhone-type” GPS chip and an Intel Core Duo processor – presumably Intel’s Atom."

Speaking of hardware specifications, Apple has already arrived to the point where it can make a gorgeous tablet computer. Apple has managed to put in so many small sized hardwares into constrainted and limited space in almost its product line-ups. Take MacBook Air for an instance; all Apple need to do is replace the screen with multi-touch display like the one used in iPodTouch, flip the thin display to always face upward, remove the hinge, remove the keyboard and then voila! You got yourself an Apple tablet.

O'Grady goes on saying that a tablet is perfect for student to take to school, because it's "a Kindle-killer and the ultimate eBook reader." Then comes in a backing rumor from Gizmodo, where its Editorial Director Brian Lam received a phone tip from an insider at Apple which stating that the tablet "will come in two editions, one with a webcam and one for educational use."

The tipster continue and said that the tablet "would cost $700 to $900—More than twice as much as a netbook." That does sound very Apple-like devices, the high price tags. But to put that kinda price tag for students, or for educational use device? That's a pretty steep price for average students, I suppose if that's the price then Apple is targetting a very niche consumer market...

I don't want to argue if that's a wise decision or not for Apple to market a tablet, because the Cupertino-based company has done wonders of its products while the competitors are still trying to figure out why and how.

The look that can kill

There's nothing more intriguing and appealing than a new gadget with its new sexy look, any Apple fan-boys are willing to kill to have a first look of the tablet, literally speaking. BGR has stated that there are around 3,563,849th images of Apple’s tablet so far in the net, but it got one that is close enough to the real deal.

Unlike the others, which are mostly only generated from computer graphic rendering, the photo above looks to be showing the Apple tablet in real life. A French blog has posted up the photo, but not saying anything of its origin nor its source. Nevertheless, the photo shows almost everything like the tipster has said to Gizmodo:

"The device, which I've held mock ups of, is going to have a 10 inch screen, and when I saw it looked just like a giant iPhone, with a black back— although that design could change at any time" they said, "with the same black resin back, and the familiar home button."

If that is the real thing, then although I can't speak for everyone, it's quite dissappointing. Not exactly what we have in mind, especially when you've seen Jesus Diaz's (Gizmodo) "wet dream" concept of his own iTablet.

But what do I know, right? I'm not an Apple analyst, even the real ones were often wrong. As for me; the iTablet, or iPad, or whatever Apple will call its tablet is just like a giant iPod Touch. If the Apple's tablet look is just like how Jeroen (Flickr link) pictured it at the top of this post, then that's enough for me to buy one. ;-D

PA's 1st edition of "There's an app for that!": RunPee, Haircaster & Drinkspiration

2009-08-17T11:52:00.000+07:00

RunPee

Imagine this; you're in the middle of the movie you've been dying to see since last week, and all of a sudden you can't hold on much longer to go to the bathroom for a small leak, blaming it on that huge glass of diet cola you bought won't help. Unfortunately the story of the movie is just beginning to get more interesting as your bladder feels like to explode any moment, and you definetely don't want to miss those exciting scenes of the movie.

RunPee is a $0.99 worth of app for giving out information about the movie you watch, not the summary of the movie, but the timing in the movie that safe enough for you to run to the restroom and release that annoying bladder of your of its pain without missing too many significant parts/scenes of the movie.

Don't laugh, although this app is kinda funny the first time you heard it, you'll be grateful for its service to help you lessen the frequency of getting scolded by the people in the same row you sat because you stepped too many times on their feet when you're trying to take leaks.

RunPee claims it is already very popular in China, where it gets more visits than the next 10 countries combined. And the RunPee creator Dan Florio describes his app perfectly:

"Our iPhone app gives movie goers “immunity” from the effects of mega-sized sodas and flushes away those grueling post-movie restroom lines where you have to wait your turn in pain and avoid awkward eye contact with the 30 other people in the restroom with you….a bladder is a terrible thing to hold."

But you must be warned though, that how important scenes in a movie are different from one individual to others.

Haircaster

Everybody must had one or two bad hair day once in awhile, either it's because of the way you sleep last night or the way you abuse the use of hairspray in that particular morning, or maybe the most common excuse for everyone is to blame it on the fine weather. The sun is shining bright, the air is just about right, but for no apparent reason your hair just won't cooperate with you today to make you fabolous like usual.

Well, what do you know? There's an app for that; Haircaster is another $0.99 worth of app to help you deal with one of those fundamental things in our life, the hair style for today. The app description says that it uses a "proprietary formula developed in consultation with hair care professionals" to analyzes the actual weather conditions including: humidity, wind, rain and temperature – anywhere in the US to tell you what kind of hair day you can expect outside.

And one of its ultimate advice for you, God forbid if your hair ever falls into the wrong direction because how the wind blows, is to "STAY HOME!" Meaning you'll have to cancel those important meetings, the multi-billion dollar contract ready to be signed today, the hip parties you need to attend, etc.

Drinkspiration

Drinking has always become a sensitive topic to discuss, whether it's because of the effect or worst is what it can cause to others too, but even as in present day it is still a lifestyle. The most important thing is to be responsible, and not to drink before or when you're driving.

Absolut has launched Drinkspiration, an app that works as an interactive encyclopedia of recipes that helps you find and share personalized drink recommendations based on spirit, taste, weather, time of day, bar vibe, sound volume, real-time drink trends, etc using help of GPS, Twitter and even Facebook.

"Have you ever found yourself in a bar without really knowing what to order? With Drinkspiration you'll never have this problem again. Drinkspiration is your best friend in the bar, giving you guidance, personalized recommendations and an all-encompassing gateway to the drink universe, right in the palm of your hand," said Fredrick Tallroth, senior manager, Interactive Marketing at the Absolut Company.

Users can also sign up for an account at absolutdrinks.com and the drinks ordered in your mobile app automatically create top lists in your profile. The company says the app has been downloaded 43,000 times in its first 13 days on the iTunes App Store.

Just remember, alcohol drinks are for adults and not good for those who're pregnant.
Don't drink because you've just watched Madmen, and think that drinking made them successful. ;-p

Zune HD is now official

2009-08-14T01:13:00.001+07:00

After long of unintentional and intentional leaks, Microsoft finally came clean of its newest entertainment mobile device that's made to directly compete with Apple's ever popular iPod: the Zune HD. There's no drum beat or even the sound of breath-holding (that silence moment before the the velvet curtain opened) for the announcement, since we pretty much already knew it is coming.

Nevertheless, it's worth the news coverage because Microsoft apparently has packed in some serious specs inside the Zune HD. The most notable and worth mentioning is none other than NVIDIA's Tegra chip ultralow-power HD processor, which is why the Zune HD is capable of HD video playback to an HDTV in 720p resolution! A Monsterous beast...

The other specs and features include:

Built-in HD Radio™ receiver. Allows you to listen to higher-quality sound than is available from traditional radio channels, as well as access additional programming through HD2 and HD3 multicast channels from many of your favorite local FM radio stations at no extra cost.
HD video output capabilities. Supports HD video playback from the device through a premium HDMI A/V docking station (sold separately) directly to an HDTV in 720p, making it easy to enjoy better-than-DVD-quality video on your own big screen at home.
OLED touch screen. Allows you to easily flip through music, movies and other content. The 3.3-inch glass screen and 16:9 widescreen format display (480x272 resolution) offer a premium viewing experience.
Built-in Wi-Fi. Allows for browsing, streaming or downloading new music from Zune Marketplace.
Internet browser. Full-screen Web browsing, optimized for the multitouch screen with zoom-in and zoom-out gestures.
Accessories, at home and on the road. Zune HD and AV Dock charges and syncs players while playing supported 720p HD videos on HDTVs. Play HD Radio, music and podcasts from your Zune HD device through your car stereo using the Zune Premium Car Pack.

The Zune HD is set to hit store shelves on Sept. 15, available in 16GB ($ $219.99) and 32GB ($289.99) capacities. Pre-order starts on-line on Thursday, Aug. 13 but only for Zune HD in 16GB Black and 32GB Platinum. Afterwards, on Sept. 15 both 16GB and 32GB capacities of Zune HD will be available in five different colors with the option to customize your player with one of 10 new engravings designed by guest artists.

Have you started drooling and feeling confuse on which one you should get between Zune HD or iPod Touch? Then perhaps you can see the obvious differences with the help of below comparison chart of the two entertainment devices, courtesy of PC World.

iPod Touch used for taking orders in a seafood restaurant

2009-08-09T22:33:00.003+07:00

Like Sammy who's currently in the big city of New York, I am also in the big city of my own country: Jakarta. Just arrived yesterday for running a small errand and having a(nother) week off before a crazy month full of works ahead, for the next week I'll be having the busiest month of the whole year at work. A very good reason to have a week off for myself, don't you think? *wink*

So here's what happened: Me, my big sister and her husband went to this new seafood restaurant near their home. It's a new establishment, everything is new and shiny including the tables and the chairs, along with the awkard new trainees who were serving us. But what really attracked me right away was not how yellow the color of the waitress' teeth (yes, I took notice of the small thing like that), it was the shiny iPod Touch hanging on her neck.

Soon enough after we sat down on the un-comfortable chairs, the waitress immediately held the iPod Touch and began playing with it as if she was browsing the music in it. Apparently, the waitress was preparing a list of order for our dinner, she kept flicking the iPod Touch while she asked on who's name the order should be. I couldn't hold on my curiosity no more, so I deliberately stood up so I can have a clear look on the iPod's screen.

And what do you know? The restaurant has installed a special app inside each and every iPod Touch carried by the waitresses, for taking orders of the customers with it. Neat. The app is very simple,seemed to work and look like the mobile Safari. It shows many lists of menu available in small fonts, making the waitress to zoom in/out using the pinching finger gesture feature. After we finished ordering, the waitress pressed a print button and our order is quickly printed out with a small printer nearby the counter. Again, pretty neat and impressive. WiFi plays a great deal in transferring data across the crowded room, both for mobility and ease of use.

I tried to take a picture with my Trēo™ 750v, but unfortunately the manager politely asked me not to. Perhaps they are affraid competitors will try to steal the ideas, or the designs...

When I was paying for the dinner at the cashier, I asked the owner on why he uses a cutting edge device like iPod Touch for his restaurant, and he told me that way he managed to cut off half of the hassle of having to write down the orders again to the kitchen. That does make sense, and if I may say that method is working. Customers were pouring into the restaurant like rain, there were no long waiting to order the food, except of course waiting for the food to be served; it's a proof that the diners are pleased with the quick service.

But here's the thing that still bothers me even until now after we left the restaurant: is it profitable enough to use iPod Touch for a restaurant that offers foods priced below average like that one? You see, that seafood restaurant is offering foods priced below the average price of other restaurants in order to attract customers. It's not a fancy restaurant that charged high price, heck there's even no service fee included in the bill (it's supposed to be a mandatory in big cities). The price of the food is indeed quite cheap, comparing to the other restaurants in the capital city.

While the iPod Touch itself is roughly priced around US$315 in here, and if I'm right on the head count of the waitresses in the restaurant; there were about 10-12 of them who carried iPod Touch around their neck. It can be considered a big investment for a start up business which hasn't yet have a constant customers flow... Have in mind though, using traditional method: paper & pen is by far cheaper than a cutting edge device like the iPod Touch. And you have to think about a unit replacement whenever one gets broken, or worst get stolen. Because in real life, business is all about profit: more income and less spending.

Does the use of iPod Touch more favorable (if not, more profitable) than the price to afford it?
Have you ever see similar use of iPod Touch, or even iPhone, for business use? If yes, then please don't be shy to share the story with us.
Have a great weekend y'all!

Trēo 650 appears in "Mr. Woodcock" movie

2009-08-05T22:14:00.002+07:00

Don't ask how I spotted this in "Mr. Woodcock", a movie released back in 2007, in which the part where Palm Trēo™ 650 make an appearance is more important to discuss right here right now.. ;-p

As you can see at the pictures above (click to enlarge them), the Trēo™ 650 is being used by Amy Poehlr, the talented comedian from Saturday Night Live show. And Seann William Scott, playing as John Farley character in the movie, is jaw-dropped when seeing the Trēo™ 650. Just kidding... he actually surprised about the email shown on the Trēo™.

Wow, everybody is saying the Palm Trēo™ line-ups is old and not trendy anymore compared to the today's new cutting-edge smartphones out there in the market. But even the oldest of them all, the Trēo™ 650 is still making appearances in Hollywood movies. Yes, although the movie itself is not new... But still, the Trēo™ is close to the heart of everyone, and refuse to die just because it's called old fashioned by those who never know it personally...

'My Tether' app turns your Palm Prē into 3G WiFi Router

2009-08-05T19:09:00.000+07:00

The nightmare is approaching fast for Sprint, the one and only wireless carrier in the world right now who's officially offer Palm Prē™ is going to face its worst nightmare: data bandwidth clog. Where previously, Sprint (including Palm) was caught off guard with the found of Palm Prē's data tethering capability and tries to make the news low profile ever since then.

But now, there's a new app for the Prē™ called 'My Tether' that will allow the smartphone to become a 3G WiFi Router. "This app allows you to use your Pre to connect to the internet. It allows you make your Pre into an WiFi hotspot to share your EVDO connection, as well share your EVDO or WiFi connection to tether over USB, or Bluetooth PAN," says Raja Kapur the app developer at his website.

There are two versions of the app, version 1.5 is offered free but requires you to hack your Palm Prē™ first, the updated version 2.0 needs $10 worth of donation and offers more features such as:

Added WiFi network name & WEP key customization options
Added option to disable sleep mode on Palm Pre
Added ability to turn off the LCD only, doesn't put the device into sleep
Removed dependence on webosinternals.services
My Tether remembers your last tether option & opens to same one
My Tether now sets your screen timeout timer setting back to what it was before it was disabled
Added checks on WiFi tether screen to existing WiFi connection & prompt with option to disable WiFi
Added dashboard notifications on status of WiFi Tethering
When WiFi Tethering is turned off the old WiFi connection is automatically re-enabled

Although 'My Tether' app v2.0 only offer WEP encryption, it's much better than none at all. But if you're still interested in the free version, then follow the instructions from PalmPreHacks on how to hack your Palm Prē™. Watch the embedded video below for more information on how to hack your Prē™ and turn it into a hotspot in under an hour.

Days of relieve with help from my Trēo

2009-08-05T18:17:00.000+07:00

Hey PalmAddicts, how's it hangin'?
It's only been a while since my last post, and it already feels like for a very long time.
I've been given more responsibilities at work, thus I now have less time for my own personal leisure time; blogging for PalmAddict. It has been a crazy weekend, with a close relative's wedding to piling works, I've caught a cold in between of the time. Thank goodness they all worked out by themselves...

But during those hectic moments, I found how valuable my trusty Trēo™ is. Sure, my Trēo™ 750v is an aged product compared to iPhone or BlackBerry Bold, but that aging smartphone still work fine for me and it does what I know it's capable of. Ohkay, I admit there's this one time where I must do a soft reset, but other than that the Trēo™ never dissappoint me.

The temptation to replace my old Trēo™ has crossed so many times in my mind, but at the end of the day I hold it in my hand and while I'm trying to remember what I've done with it the whole day, I always question back to myself on why I should replace a fine working device I love so much with something else.

Listening back to the old songs of Michael Jackson with my Trēo™ when the King of Pop died...
Took precious and important pictures with my Trēo™, sent them with email & MMS...
Make calls, reject calls, make missed calls, make prank calls and other usual phone stuffs...
Wrote funny, sarcastic and few love SMS with my Trēo™...

It's inevitable to replace my aging Trēo™, it's only a matter of time I guess... But until that time comes, I'll keep on making the most of it while it lasts. Sometimes I wonder, and I'm pretty sure most of you have too, how we are if we don't have a smartphone in our life today..?

HTC debuts an Android phone with a 'Sense' of 'Hero'

2009-06-26T00:13:00.000+07:00

Never mind the title up there, I was just trying to play a catchy mis-match of words for the new announcement* of HTC's latest Android-powered smartphone: the HTC Hero. ;-p

It's pretty darn amazing to watch on how HTC managed to keep producing new products every now and then, right after HTC Magic made a splash to some countries including Indonesia and U.S. T-Mobile as myTouch 3G, HTC unveiled a(nother) Android-powered smartphone called as HTC Hero.

Trail blazing the success of HTC's long known Windows Mobile powered smartphone line-ups, the Taiwanese mobile manufacturer is trying to up the competition with new handset that's jam-packed also with new features and latest technologies can be found in today's smartphones.

If Apple is adding 'oleophobic screen' technology into iPhone 3G[S]; then HTC is using a Teflon coating which is said to improve durability on its white surface that is also soft to the touch. Not wanted to be left behind, the Digital Compass technology first found in iPhone 3G[S] is also present inside the HTC Hero. But unlike any Apple's iPhone generations, the HTC Hero will come naturally with embedded Adobe's Flash 10 support for better web surfing experience.

Unfortunately, nothing is perfect. HTC is still using slower processor for Hero: the Qualcomm's MSM7200A clocked at 528MHz, considering how iPhone 3G[S] and Palm Pre™ are both trying to compete with the fastest processor clocked at 600MHz. Thomas Ricker from Engadget Mobile got to try out the HTC Hero, and he noticed that "the graphic transitions to stutter a bit and results in screen rotations that feel dangerously uncomfortable" most probably from using the not so fast processor. Here's a quick peek at HTC Hero specifications:

Processor: Qualcomm MSM7200A 528MHz
Operating System: Android
Memory: ROM: 512 MB
RAM: 288 MB
Display: 3.2-inch TFT-LCD touch-sensitive screen with 320x480 HVGA resolution
Network: HSPA/WCDMA 900/2100 MHz, Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
Device Control: Trackball with Enter button
GPS
Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
HTC ExtUSB (11-pin mini-USB 2.0 and audio jack in one)
3.5 mm audio jack
5MP camera with auto focus
Battery: 1350 mAh LiOn
Expansion Slot: microSD memory card
G-sensor
Digital Compass

The original HTC Hero will shipped without the "with Google" logo on the back like the one you can found on T-Mobile's G1, meaning you won't get the whole "Google Experience" thing. But of course HTC gives the Hero users something else: Sense, HTC Chief Executive Officer Peter Chou is touting the new UI as: "HTC Sense is a distinct experience created to make HTC phones more simple for people to use, leaving them saying, ‘it just makes sense'."

The HTC Sense comes with a pack of three new user experience: Make It Mine, Stay Close, & Discover the Unexpected. Overall it is similar to the TouchFLO UI that users familiar with HTC's Windows Mobile powered smartphones, and HTC has said to make its Sense UI availabe to older Android handsets.

"HTC sense will be available on some other existing devices", confirmed the company's CEO, Peter Chou, to Pocket-lint after the HTC Hero launch.

The HTC Hero will be available to people across Europe in July and in Asia later in the summer. A distinct North American version will be available later in 2009.

The latest news on the HTC Hero availability just came in; apparently T-Mobile in U.K. is to join U.K. Orange in offering the HTC Hero to their subscribers. And like T-Mobile we know, the wireless carrier will be changing the name into G1Touch. While the U.K. Orange claims to have exclusivity on the graphite finish color for their HTC Hero, looks like U.K. T-Mobile is going to have some sort 'generic gray' finish color for their G1Touch (pictured below).

According to AndroidCommunity; the T-Mobile G1Touch will be available from mid-July priced free as long as you take out a minimum of a £40 ($60) per month contract, that will get you £225-worth of credit to be spent on calls, SMS and MMS messages, together with free on-device data access.

Confirmed: Steve Jobs is back!

2009-06-23T15:46:00.001+07:00

It's hard to imagine Apple without Steve Jobs, so when the Apple CEO took an absence of medical leave on January many have missed him since, including his frenemies (read: friends and enemies).

And the rumor has it that Steve Jobs has undergone a liver transplant two months ago, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The hope to see the psychedelic CEO back in action was getting thinner, thin as his latest physical appearances.

But rejoice, you Apple stock holders and fan-boys! Because a Reuters reporter has spotted Steve Jobs leaving the Apple campus in Cupertino, California dressed in his trademark black turtleneck and jeans: "He walked out chatting with another person before climbing into a black car that then drove off."

And signs of Steve Jobs come back has also been confirmed by CNBC's Tech Check: Jim Goldman; "Steve Jobs did report to work today, as I suggested in an earlier post, at Apple's Cupertino headquarters, according to employees who have seen him on campus."

The Apple CEO has been expected to come back before when he also been cited in Apple's last press release to announce that the company has sold more than 1 million iPhone 3G [S] in the first three days since its launch, "Customers are voting, and the iPhone is winning," Jobs said in the statement.

"This is the first time we've heard from Steve Jobs since he reported he was taking medical leave," said Oppenheimer & Co analyst Yair Reiner as quoted by Reuters. "It's a sign Apple has its CEO back."

So Steve, welcome back ol' buddy. We missed you. And since you've came back and take everything back into your own hands now, when will we ever see those rumored MacTablet or MacNetbook we've been hearing lately...? ;-D

Off topic: Shia LaBeouf calls Wii an "amateur console"

2009-06-23T11:14:00.000+07:00

We've been having a marathon news coverage on Palm Prē™ and iPhone 3G [S] for the whole weekend, so let's have a little off topic post for today, shall we?

Who doesn't know Shia LaBeouf? I recognized his natural-born play when he landed a small role in 'Constantine', where he play with Keanu Reeves and Rachel Weisz. And Shia LaBeouf got bigger when he starred in Transformer first movie and the sequel, sharing the spotlight together with the sexy Megan Fox. His name also will always be mentioned by movie fans ever since he starred in 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of Crystal Skull' with Harrison Ford, a role any young and rising Hollywood stars would give anything to have it.

Aside from being a famous movie star, Shia LaBeouf is a big fan of videogames and game consoles like Xbox 360 & Playstation 3, but apparently he dislikes the popular Wii. In an interview with Big Download (via GameSpy), LaBeouf referred Nintendo Wii as an "amateur console", here's the snipped interview:

Q: Have you checked out the Wii Transformers game?

A: I haven't been able to play the Wii game because my hand is broken. I've just been playing Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. I would imagine that the Wii experience will be like...I don't mess with the Wii, to be honest with you. It's kind of an amateur console. I'm not into the Wii thing.

Q: What's wrong with the Wii?

A: This is how in a simple way you can find out if it's a gamer you want to play with. Ask them if they have a Wii. If they say yes, get the f*** out of there.

Despite dishing out the Nintendo Wii gamers, LaBeouf did praised some of the games like: Mortal Kombat, Doom, Donkey Kong, Sonic the Hedgehog, Mario Kart. "Buddy, I'm a gamer. Not just the fake ones you read about," said LaBeouf in the interview.

But that's not the real pincher for me, what is that LaBeouf said he rather "eat glass" than spending some quality time with Megan Fox! What!? Here's what he really said:

Q: Is that why you wouldn't play LEGO Star Wars with Megan Fox on the set of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen?

A: Correct. Who wants to play the Wii version of LEGO Star Wars. I'd rather eat glass.

Oh my, LaBeouf buddy, you don't know what other guys are willing to give just to spend time and play a game with Megan Fox no matter how lame the game is... That's Megan Fox you're talking about for heaven's sake! ;-p

When Palm and Apple play a poker game

2009-06-20T02:32:00.000+07:00

In a poker game, you must answer to the call when your opponent is bluffing, otherwise you'll be forced to fold your cards and that means end of the game for you.

It all started back then before the Palm Prē™ itself was launched all across the U.S. on June 6th, to be exact was at All Things D conference when Walt Mossberg asked Palm's executive chairman Jon Rubinstein what lessons from Apple has Rubinstein brought to bear on his new work at Palm? Rubinstein's answer was:

“I worked with Steve for many years and learned a tremendous amount from him, the value of user experience and design–taste. I also learned the idea of great marketing…On the engineering side, I helped create the engineering culture at Apple, so obviously, the engineering culture at Palm bears some similarities to it.”

And apparently Rubinstein has brought his engeneering skill in the past as the head designer of Apple's iPod division to create more than similarities for the Prē™, still at the conference when the big demo screen showed the Prē™ instantly sync with Apple's iTunes, Rubinstein dodged questions from Mossberg over how Apple might feel about the sync capability. But then later after the conference, he conceded: "We designed Palm Media Sync to be an easy and elegant way for you to take the content you own and put it on Prē™."

Proves began to emerge showing that in order for the Prē™ to be able to sync with iTunes effortlessly, Palm must disguise the Prē™ as an iPod so then iTunes will think it as one of its own and sync. According to Jon Lech Johansen's blog the co-founder of doubleTwist; when the Pre is in “Media Sync” mode it identifies itself as an Apple iPod, however it’s only the Mass Storage interface that identifies itself as an iPod. So Apple can very easily update iTunes to block the "Media Sync" in Prē™.

That's a very risky plan for the Prē™, Palm's new hope and savior. Dare I say that Palm is desperate? There's another way to look at this, the iTunes has became so big that dominates the music industry including movies and people are actually accepting this simple fact just like that. Even Roger McNamee also said this during the All Things D conference: “We’re recognizing their market dominance…and they can’t tell people what to do with their music."

So why should Palm try to trump over iTunes dominance, and start a new service from the scratch to compete with it from the already depleted resources? It's easier to piggy-back the widely popular and well spread iTunes, than fight against it. And with Jon Rubinstein's knowledge of how iPod and iTunes works, things look a lot easier for Palm to do that.

Apple initates the first bluff

On last Tuesday, Apple posted up a technical note that warns about no guarantee is given to unsupported third-party digital media players:

"Apple is aware that some third-parties claim that their digital media players are able to sync with Apple software. However, Apple does not provide support for, or test for compatibility with, non-Apple digital media players and, because software changes over time, newer versions of Apple's iTunes software may no longer provide syncing functionality with non-Apple digital media players."

The timing of the note, and the words in it are clearly although not directly pointing at the Palm Prē™ media syncing with iTunes.

Palm calls on the Apple's bluff

To respond Apple's passive tech note, Palm's spokesperson Lynn Fox (a former Apple employee herself) spoke up aggressively to All Things D's John Paczkowski:

“If Apple chooses to disable media sync in a future version of iTunes, it will be a direct blow to their users who will be deprived of a seamless synchronization experience. However, people will have options. They can stay with the iTunes version that works to sync their music on their Prē™ , they can transfer the music via USB, and there are other third-party applications we could consider.”

It's actually a rather quick respond coming from Palm camp regarding the media sync matter, because it is too soon to know if Apple really is going to cut off the Prē™ ability to sync with iTunes or not. Like you, I also have been waiting if Apple is giving a respond back to Palm, or better yet maybe Apple will release a new version of iTunes that breaks the sync harmony of the Prē™. But it's already end of the weekend, and it's all silent and quiet...

Why mad at Palm and not to others?

"I bet there will be some legal maneuvering by Apple over this," said Jack Gold an analyst at J. Gold Associates. "Apple protects everything." (via PC World) Yes, sure Apple wants to protect its intellectual properties like when Apple threatens to do so about its iPhone multi-touch patent. And now this, but the question is why it has to be Palm again?

Why is the mother of all question, so before we get into the Palm part let's understand that there are already several sofwares out there to help non-Apple devices to sync with iTunes, then why would Apple mad at Palm instead of those softwares in the first place?

Is it because Palm Prē™ ability to sync directly from the device itself? Is it obviously the Prē™ introduces itself as an iPod to iTunes and Apple don't like that? Nope, the answer is much simpler than that. It is because Palm is the very reason itself, it's because from all of the big companies out there Apple sees Palm as one of them who could actually become a serious threat in the future. Especially when Jon Rubinstein is now appointed as the new CEO, replacing Ed Colligan the longest running leader of Palm.

It's not about who will win...

What exactly will Apple get if the Cupertino-based company really take the matter further, for an example by eliminate Palm Media Sync method in newer iTunes versions? First of all, Palm or any other companies / softwares will always find another way to sync with iTunes anyway. I don't think Apple want to burden its head with headaches of playing a game of cat-and-mouse, it's not worth the troubles.

Secondly and perhaps the most important result Apple should've thought of, is how the above action will make Apple look like a big bad company who bully others. This could really hurt Apple's image, while Palm will have the opposite result. Apple definetely don't want that to happen.

And how about Palm, what will it get with all of this? It's none other than sharing the spotlight with Apple, Palm is getting more attention again from the blogosphere and the company really need it to boost its stock share. It's a win-win situation for Palm; get a smooth media sync with iTunes and receive lots of coverage while doing it. But Apple also get the same attention from this.

For both companies, it's not about winning this trivial matter, but getting the most out of it while it lasts. And like playing a poker game, one needs to raise the stakes when the other is bluffing, and the remaining question is how far will the stakes go...?

Source is from Dan Moren - Macworld.

Don't be fooled by iPhone OS 3.0 software update

2009-06-19T00:20:00.003+07:00

For the last couple of days, there were plenty of people who bought a new mouse to replace the broken one because it had been clicked so many times on the "Check for Updates" button in iTunes, the result of impatience waiting for the new iPhone OS 3.0 software update. And after it's actually launched, Apple had to re-connect the download connection to new servers since the old ones were caught on fire because had too many hit they could possibly handle. Figuratively speaking...

On the day that many of you happy iPhone owners called it as "Happy iPhone 3.0 day," there were some who would disagree with the word "happy" to describe that particular day. First of course were the iPhone users who couldn't get through the heavy traffic into Apple's download server, although they finally made it. Secondly are the ones like me, who don't own an iPhone and had to envy those who were on a rampage for iPhone craziness even for one day. ;-p

All in all, I just wanted to say how crazy it was. It was just a software update, yet has generated such a huge glut for iPhone users.

Perhaps it had to do with the way Apple made us wait for it, or maybe we're simply just suckers for anything related to the iPhone. One way or another, there are too many iPhone users who are willing to jump without thinking to hit the update button. Here's a quick reminder on why second thought really worth a second chance.

Like a virgin once more...

Don't start singin' that Madonna's song, I know because whenever I heard that first line: "Like a virgin, touched for the very first time...," I can't stop but to have strange naughty imagination. ~LOL~

But that is what will happen if you upgrade to iPhone OS 3.0, your jailbroken iPhone will become like a 'virgin' once more. You'll loose those favorite themes of yours, no more access to those forbidden apps, and many-many other possibilities you had with your jailbroken iPhone. Do you honestly really-really want to let all of them go, just to be with your 're-virginized' iPhone?

You must be thinking; there's got to be a new iPhone OS 3.0 jailbreaking tools out there somewhere, right? Unfortunately, it hasn't arrive yet.

No 'official' jailbreaking tools yet as of today...

What I meant by 'official' jailbreaking tools is the ones released by iPhoneDevTeam, the upcoming tool is called as the 'ultrasn0w'. The iPhoneDevTeam is currently working hard to make the final release of jailbreaking tools for iPhone OS 3.0, they're in the middle of testing new PwnageTool and QuickPwn tools which will work with iTunes 8.2 (latest version).

According to iPhoneDevTeam's new update of the progress on Thursday morning, there are two issues that they’ve been trying to resolve: complications with YouTube.app and a bug in Apple's new version of asr (nerdy stuff that you wouldn't care enough to know ;-p).

So if you update now, you'll have to wait for indefinite time to jailbreak the new iPhone OS 3.0 software update. Usually iPhoneDevTeam will wait until it looks like Apple has released the final version of the software, they don't want to play the cat-and-mouse game with the iPhone maker.

12 bugs already found in iPhone OS 3.0 software...

The guys at Woot! (via JAiPB) have found early 12 bugs in the new software update:

Multimedia messaging does not support sculpture, macrame, or interpretive dance.
Voice memo recordings totally don't sound like me. I don't sound like that, do I? Seriously?
Turned on adult content filter but everybody in my videos still has their clothes on.
Adding a task to calendar did not result in task getting done.
Clicked this blue "compass" icon but kept getting some stupid web browser.
Still no apps to cure the nagging feeling that I should've bought a Palm Pre.
The touchscreen is now on the back of the phone instead of the front.
Gone to the bathroom four times already today, and Remote Wipe hasn't worked once.
Spotlight search crashed with memory overload error trying to index my Harry Potter cosplay photo collection.
Tried out tethering, but I think I broke my finger smacking that phone around the pole.
Apple still hasn't fixed the no-hardware-keyboard bug.
"Cut" function does not apply to monthly AT&T bill.

Now, those 12 small-tiny-little bugs don't scare you, don't they? ;-p

I noticed a very interesting solution to avoid the bugs at no. 6 above, somebody at Elevation Partner is going to feel proud. ~LOL~

It feels like I was talking about bad things about iPhone OS 3.0, that is not true. Aside from the obvious facts you've already knew about the abundant new features that come with the new software update, don't be fooled thinking that was it. Apparently, there are more reports coming in about the newly found new nifty little features in iPhone OS 3.0, the reports are pouring in almost every hour.

PC World: 10 Hidden Features in iPhone 3.0 Update

Adjustable Song Scrolling Speed, ... you can scroll through songs at various speeds. Put your finger on the scrolling point and it will start glowing.
Special Characters In Messaging, the 3.0 keyboard has a few extra special characters when holding certain signs down.
More Ways to Access Spotlight, you can also access Spotlight while pressing the home button when on the first Home Screen page. Alternatively, Mail and Contacts have now search bars at the top of the list.
Quote Fragment Within Reply in Mail, ... you tap and hold in an e-mail (just as with copy/paste) and select the portion of text you want to quote.
Remove Individual Texts from A Conversation, ... there is an Edit button (it's in the top-right corner when inside a conversation), which allows you to select and remove individual text messages from a certain thread, similar to the way it is done in the Mail app.
Open Link In New Tab In Safari, if you tap and hold on a hyperlink (hyperlinked text) on a Web site within Safari, a dialog will prompt you to open this link, copy it (link locations) or open it in a new page (which opens a new tab in Safari).
Force Quit Unresponsive Apps, to force quit an application in 3.0, you have to hold the sleep/wake button at the top until the red power off slider appears.
Shake Phone to Undo Typing, ... just shake the phone and a pop-up will appear, asking you whether you want to undo what you have just entered.
Change App Store Account On The Fly.
Unlimited Number of Apps Installed.

ZDNet: 96+ new features in iPhone 3.0

MacRumors forum user bndoarn has a list of over 96 individual new features so far found in iPhone OS 3.0, the highlights include:

There is no limit to the number of apps that can be installed (beside storage space). Once you reach the home screen limit, Apps installed after that are installed without an icon but can be accessed in Spotlight. You can also use this to hide any apple application (i.e. weather and stocks)
In the Settings -> General -> Home Button you can now set the double click to the new search feature or the camera
Notes now has data detectors. Links are clickable, phone numbers are callable, email address are emailable, and address are locatable (using Maps)
When a phone call interrupts you, after the phone call you are taken back to the app you were in before you were interrupted
You can now have 11 home screen pages instead of nine
Now there is a different way to force quit apps. now you have to hold the sleep/wake button until the red slider appears, then you press and hold down the home button to quit the app

iPhone Atlas: Apple plugs 46 security bugs in iPhone OS 3.0

Apple has issued an advisory regarding security enhancements included in the iPhone OS 3.0 release, here are some of them:

CoreGraphics
Exchange
IPSec
Mail, changes were made to the Mail app to give users control over the loading of remote images in HTML messages (see image on the right).
MPEG-4 Video Codec
Profiles, changes to Profiles will prohibit the installation of a configuration profile that may weaken the passcode policy defined by Exchange ActiveSync.
Safari, ... now search history is actually removed.
Telephony
WebKit, they included many fixes to prevent arbitrary code or script execution, when visiting maliciously crafted Web sites.

And for you the owners of iPhone Classic, the first gen of iPhone, you might not get all of those exciting new features that will only available in iPhone 3G and upcoming iPhone 3G [S]. Some of them can't be used in iPhone Classic because of hardware limitation, and iPhone Atlas has also posted up the first impression of running iPhone OS 3.0 on the original iPhone:

"The other highly-touted features of iPhone 3.0 sadly will not be experienced by my original iPhone. Auto-focus camera lens, video recording and editing, and voice control are all hardware specific features available on the iPhone 3G S. And although I sorely covet those things to the point that I may actually throng about in the crowds at the local Apple Store on Friday simply to get a glimpse of the new features in action, the iPhone 3.0 update for my original iPhone is great."

So, what will you have? Update now to iPhone OS 3.0 and loose all of those jailbroken features goodness, or will you even wait in the line and get the new iPhone 3G [S] instead? Perhaps the best solution right now is to go with the new software update, why? Well, I can't put it better than what David Murphy from PC World has said it:

"... the expansive feature list of both the iPhone's 3.0 firmware and the new abilities brought on as part of the iPhone 3GS have made many of my Cydia customizations . . . irrelevant."

So true, it is so true.

Haier also introduced an Android phone at CommunicAsia 2009

2009-06-18T15:04:00.001+07:00

Still coming from CommunicAsia 2009 floor which is held at the Singapore Expo, the China-based electronic maker Haier introduced its very own Android-powered phone called simply as H7.

Unfortunately the H7 displayed in the event was just a mock-up but Haier rep said it'll sport 2.8" LCD TFT, 2MP camera with on-board flash, miniUSB, GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth, and FM Radio. Haier indicates the H7 will ship with Android 2.0 when launched at France first, on September, the handset is estimated to cost around US$150.

Source is from Crave - CNet Asia.

HTC Magic becomes Indonesia's first Android phone

2009-06-18T13:46:00.001+07:00

While Android users in the U.S. are still waiting for confirmation of T-Mobile's second Android-powered phone to be called as myTouch 3G, mobile users in Indonesia can rejoice to know that HTC Magic is officially announced as the first Android smartphone to arrive into the local market.

The HTC Magic will be offered by Telkomsel, the same wireless giant that offers iPhone 3G in Indonesia not so long ago. Telkomsel plans to bundled the HTC Magic with its pre-paid wireless service Simpati, and the official price tag is around Rp. 6,500,000.- (US$625).

With few quick phone calls, I found out the HTC Magic hasn't arrive yet but they say it will in just few weeks in the future, probably almost at the same time T-Mobile launch its second Android smartphone too.

"HTC Magic is a sophisticated and elegant smartphone," said Peter Chou, HTC CEO at the launch in Jakarta, June 11. Telkomsel VP Channel Management Gideon Edi Purnomo said, "This is an evolution for us, that every wireless carriers will make the transition from traditional base (voice and SMS) to become data oriented base." Telkomsel is said to add 3G technology network from 4500 Node B to 7500 Node B.

Source is from Kompas.

Huawei showcased Android & WinMo smartphones at CommunicAsia 2009

2009-06-17T13:08:00.002+07:00

Fresh from the CommunicAsia 2009 event in Singapore, Huawei just showcased two new smarpthones: the Android-powered "U8230" and the "C8000" which utilizes the Windows Mobile operating system. Both smartphones are slated to arrive in second half of 2009, no pricing and exact dates are mentioned yet, but detailed specs are scarce at the moment.

The most exciting one is of course the U8230, which sports Android operating system. Other than that; it has a 3.5-inch LCD touch screen, 1500 mAH battery and what interesting is the U8230 uses the Google Chrome web browser which supports a variety of Google applications such as Google services (Map, Search, Talk, etc.).

The C8000 is using Windows Mobile but the UI a different 3-D menu, a unique independent display adapter which enables the smooth presentation of video files and DVD-quality pictures on a 2.8 inch touch screen. Huawei said this handset's battery is capable of playing video files continuously for six to eight hours.

"Having joined the Open Handset Alliance in 2008, Huawei is rapidly moving forward with the development of cutting-edge high-end handsets, especially smartphones powered by Android and Windows Mobile operating systems," said Glory Chueng, the spokesperson of Huawei Terminals.

Source is from Huawei.

Palm Prē battery is its "Achilles' heel"

2009-06-17T00:28:00.002+07:00

The use of “Achilles’ heel” as an expression used for “area of weakness, vulnerable spot” dates only to 1855 (Merriam-Webster). It derived from the Greek "Achilleios pterna" literally meaning Achilles’ heel (via Wikipedia).

Even the fabled mighty Achilles has his weak spot, and so is the potent savior for Palm: the Prē™.

After its most anticipated launch, the Prē™ finally lands on users' hand and put to the real world test. For those who are lucky enough to get one, and play with it to their heart's content, soon enough they found out the Palm Prē™ "Achilles' heel". It is Prē's small sized battery.

It is a no brainer, really. Anyone who have a smartphone knows this, that the battery life has always become the biggest obstacle for them to keep on using the smartphone for heavy duty tasks. Which usually includes multi-tasking, never ending calls, text messaging, tweeting, chatting, surfing on the net, tasks organizer, etc. The list can go on, and because of that smartphone's battery will not even last for one day. That is why mobile manufacturers will opt for big sized battery with bigger capacity to juice-up the hardware, but unfortunately Palm uses such a small sized battery for the Prē™ because of a design consideration.

Many users have said the same about the Prē's battery life, here are some of them:

Matthew Miller from ZDNet: "I went about 5 hours with pretty light usage of the Prē™ that included something like 25 emails (Gmail and Exchange), 5 minutes of calls, several Tweets made using Tweed, no Bluetooth or WiFi, about 15 minutes of Google Talk, and no music or video playing."
James Kendrick from jkOnTheRun: "The weak area of the Prē™ hardware is the battery life. This is not that surprising, given how small the battery is, and those who are heavy users, especially of data, should plan on carrying a second battery along."
Dieter Bohn from PreCentral: "...the Pre's battery gets me through a day of moderate use, but with heavy use cuts out rather quickly. .. So yes, let's come out and say it: battery life isn't good on the Prē™ and hopefully Palm will be able to alleviate it with some software fixes (we know some are in the works)."
Sascha Segan from GearLog: "The Palm Prē™ is a great device, but the battery needs a little help. Like with the iPhone, you shouldn't expect this phone to last more than a day or two on a charge."

Lucky enough for you, those nice gentlemen have provided us all the tips and tricks to improve the battery life of your precious shiny Palm Prē™:

Reduce the interval for email synchronization. Set the email settings to check every 15 minutes, this will help to save battery.
Log out of IM, especially AIM. There's a bug in the AIM client that sucks up battery way too quickly (Palm's fixing it) ... Remember, you can't just throw the IM program's card away; you have to click on "Sign Out" in the IM applications.
Turn on Wi-Fi. When the Pre's Wi-Fi is running, it uses Wi-Fi rather than 3G to make Internet connections. So connecting via Wi-Fi saves battery rather than wasting it.
Turn off Bluetooth
Turn off GPS
Tone down the screen's brightness

The Palm Prē's battery life is not the only problem which users must face, several users have started reporting an unsettling issue at PreCentral forum: closing or opening the slider causes the Prē™ to perform soft reset automatically. But thank goodness they have found out both the cause and the solution; the battery in some Prē™ is loose/slightly too small, and any sudden closing the slider like snapping it shut will cause it to disconnect just in millisecond of time that is enough to kill the electricity flow to the phone and force a restart.

The solution? This may sounds silly, but at least it works: stick in a few layers of paper in along the top of the battery compartment to make the battery fits perfectly at its place (see the picture on the right). After that, it's up to the owners whether to demand a replacement battery to the nearest Sprint local stores or not. After all, the Palm Prē™ is still a rare commodity these days.

And if that still doesn't work for you, you might want to try ukdiveboy's ingenious method below called "Mintyboosting my Palm Prē™." ~LOL~ Here's ukdiveboy (Flickr link) explanation on how it works:

Just built my Minty Boost. Thought I'd try charging my Pre with it. Works a charm :)
I couldn't find the small Altoids tin, so I reluctantly went with what they had in Safeway. It's worked out well though - there's room around the battery holder for a couple spare batteries.
My battery meter is up 5% in the time it's taken to do the Flickr post - Minty Boost is awesome.

Well, what can I say? A genius' work is found in the most modest invention... ;-p

Sprint is holding back Palm Prē full potentials

2009-06-16T22:17:00.002+07:00

They say in fairy tales the giants are not affraid of anything, except for small-delicate creatures. And as in modern time like ours today, there is this one little feature in today's smartphones that big wireless carrier companies fear most: data tethering. For you who are not familiar with the term; tethering allows you to use your smartphone as a modem for your laptop / computer.

Because of this 'tethering' ability in smartphone nowadays, many wireless carriers disallow or even disable this feature to control limited data bandwidth. Too much data transfer over the air will easily overwhelm the traffics at their base-station and main servers, resulting drop calls and poor wireless performance in overall. The only possible way to workaround this problem instead of disable tethering feature itself, is to expand the wireless data bandwidth along with adding more servers to tackle the requests. Unfortunately, the latter solution might not be suitable for the ailing Sprint.

When Sprint launched Palm Prē™ on June 6th, the smartphone comes with abundant new features that competitors are lacking, except that particular tethering option. Users who bought it, can't found tethering option at the Prē's Launcher app menu. But that doesn't mean the tethering ability is not there in the first place, one can quickly make a speculation that such a powerful smartphone must have tethering ability inside it. So thus begun the search of ways to look for and activate the perk by hackers: the Prē Dev Wiki team.

But before the Prē Dev Wiki team make a finding, or they have but yet to post it up, surprisingly Palm contacted them and warn not to try to unlock the Prē's tethering ability during the handset's exclusivity period with Sprint. Palm's main concern is not about the finding of Prē's hidden perk, but because Sprint could force Palm to take legal action against the hackers team. Here's the message from Palm:

"We have been politely cautioned by Palm that any discussion of tethering during the Sprint exclusivity period (and perhaps beyond—we don't know yet) will probably cause Sprint to complain to Palm, and if that happened then Palm would be forced to react against the people running the IRC channel and this wiki.

We want to retain a good relationship with Palm, hence we are not allowing discussion of tethering on the IRC channel, or in this wiki.

Note that Sprint does not have a plan available for use with the Pre which allows tethering under the Terms Of Service.

Once there is a version of the Pre available for a carrier that does allow tethering, or an unlocked GSM version, then we may be able to change this policy."

Unlike Apple, who use a different approach to accept the presence of iPhone hackers known also as iPhoneDevTeam, Palm's warning can be considered as a good sign for those who wish to unlock the raw power of the Prē™ with unofficial tools. Albeit at the same time the harmony of both camps is not so good for us, end users. Because of those hackers, like the iPhoneDevTeam, iPhone has become a more exciting smartphone than what Apple meant it to be on its first iteration. Thanks to hackers, iPhone users had a workaround of using 'cut&paste' feature long before it is now available in iPhone OS 3.0 software update, and also thanks to hackers that iPhone has become so widely popular around the world because of the jailbreaking tools.

And in Palm Prē™ case, thanks to hackers that the tethering ability can be unlocked even though Palm (on Sprint's request) hid it away from the naked eyes to see. Eric Nguyen from IsYouGeekedUp has posted up the world's first set of instructions on how to tether Palm Prē™, "Basically, you setup an SSH tunnel to the Pre, which supports running as a SOCKS proxy. You then configure your browser to point to this proxy and BAM, you’re tethering away."

It is because of hackers like Eric, we can have our smartphones perform its potential at the fullest. Otherwise we'll have to take everything for granted, and suck up anything thrown at us from those corporate giants. Now, Palm has done the right thing by supporting developers through open parties such as the Prē Dev Wiki and prēDevCamp, but what we really should be worried is when the hackers chose to go along with Palm which then the results are we never see the daylight of webOS™ true potentials and what it can really do without the barriers.

Palm Prē™ tethering ability is not the only hidden gems that got unlocked and shown to the world, Prē Dev Wiki has uncovered hidden functionality to show call duration in the call log. They found out that this feature is fully developed and available in the Prē™, and proves to be very handy to keep track of your call duration time so you can save the talking time fees. Which is precisely why any wireless carriers, including Sprint, don't want their subscribers to be aware of. It is highly possible that Palm has cooked webOS™ with complete features, but then few of them got axed out because of Sprint's request...

Another handy but hidden feature to have been discovered is to enable adding / removing pages in the Launcher app, why this feature is not enabled perhaps like what the Prē Dev Wiki assumes: "I'm guessing this was disabled due to usability concerns. Especially with the limited number of apps available right now, there's not a huge need for multiple screens, and deleting a page would result in shifting around icons, which can be a frustrating experience."

So Sprint, how long are you gonna hold back Palm Prē™ full potentials just to satisfy your needs? Don't you think your customers deserve more?

Sources are from:

The bitter sweet deals of the new iPhone 3G [S]

2009-06-16T02:52:00.002+07:00

Ever since the new pricing plans to get iPhone 3G [S] have been laid out at (and after) its presentation on WWDC '09 by Apple's current acting CEO Phil Schiller, there have been many voices raised to show disapproval of the upgrading plans from old models to the new one.

In its official statement, Apple says the new 16GB iPhone 3G [S] will costs only $199 and the 32GB is $299, while the old 8GB iPhone 3G is now only costs $99. Sounds very tempting, but the catch is you gotta be a new AT&T subscriber. For you who are not, who already own an iPhone and an on-going subscription with it, you'll have to fork out more dimes and dollars from your pocket to upgrade to the newest model.

Previously, an AT&T spokesman said that to upgrade the 8GB iPhone 3G will costs $299, the 16GB iPhone 3G [S] is $399, and the 32GB iPhone 3G [S] costs $499. In addition, AT&T subscribers will have to pay an $18 upgrade fee. Plus only if AT&T deems eligible the subscribers for an upgrade, which depends largely on how far along they are in their contract. Does that sound not too shabby for you? Well, since the upgrade price differ from each subscriptions, it is hard to say that it is fair and square.

You'll probably won't say it is when you found out that you're paying more than you're expecting for, worst is you're paying more for less. Just like what Dr. Macenstein has found out when he plugged in all of his information into Apple's iPhone upgrade eligibility site and was offered this sweet deal: he can “UPgrade” his old 16GB iPhone 3G for a 8GB model (of the same iPhone 3G model) for only $300! ~LOL~ (see the screenshot below for better laugh)

In general, we all think that AT&T is such a greedy company who wants to make a big profit from the new iPhone 3G [S] crazeness. Making the most of those who can't help themselves but to have the latest and the newest iPhone... But is it? Is AT&T really the one screwing with us? Apparently not according to Dr. Macenstein, who has done a little bit of math of his own. Here's a quick breakdown from his math theory:

When you bought a 16GB iPhone 3G last year, AT&T actually paid Apple an extra $400 in subsidies for its price tag.
If AT&T had to lay out the same subsidy on a new iPhone 3G [S] and all the other iPhone 3G customers now, before their contracts expired, AT&T would either have to lock them in for 4 more years to keep from losing money, or go bankrupt.
AT&T is charging $699 for the iPhone 3G [S] without tied on a long-term contract, while Apple sells a 32GB iPod Touch for $399, that is around $300 in price difference. What iPod Touch got anything to do with iPhone? Because there are only few extra features of difference between the two devices that separates them, like the phone, camera and compass.
Based on last year's iPhone 3G teardown has revealed it only costs under $100 to build an iPhone 3G, Dr. Macenstein arbitrarily pull the generous figure of $130 for the total cost of all the new things added to each iPhone (including the new chips for compass and faster processor).
Subtract that arbitrary $30 figure from the difference in cost between the 32GB iPod touch and the 32GB iPhone 3G [S], so in the end we have $270 figure of extra cost that we give to Apple in order to get the new iPhone!

You may argue about the math up there, but Dr. Macenstein already stated that all of the figures above are subject to scrutiny and your usual criticism of how wrong he has it. ;-p

Naturally we know and realized it; that Apple is and always charging way too much for its products, not just the iPhone but also the Macs. And it's up to users on deciding whether or not it is worth it to pay for the "Apple-tax". Most of us will instantly try to weigh the "Apple-tax" based on comparison of the previous models with the new one, the specs and everything inside. But this is exactly where it gets a wee bit more tricky, since Apple is known to avoid talking about the actual tech specs of iPhone's guts.

Although Apple has openly described every new features in iPhone 3G [S] compared to older models, the company never mention the processor speed and how much RAM it has. Apart from how big the storage space available, Apple keeps specs for the iPods and iPhones to a minimum.

Jason Snell from Macworld wrote an excellent article that pointed out Apple’s reluctance to go into technical detail on most of its products as an extension of the company’s entire product-design philosophy:

"Apple excels at creating products that the general public likes because the company is driven by design, not by engineering. ...

Bad software is written by people who are experts at knowing how a computer works and how to write code to make it do what they want, but no idea about how regular people behave and how those people expect to interact with that software. ...

Apple’s the kind of company that makes decisions based on people, on users, and then challenges its engineers to find ways to fulfill those needs. ...

People don’t need to care that their iPhone has a 412MHz processor and 128MB or RAM — they just want to tap on an App and have it load fast. ...

But people who aren’t into this stuff — the 'not-we,' if you will—won’t care. And you know what? That’s okay. Because Apple’s right—most people shouldn’t care."

Jason then sat down with senior director of worldwide iPhone product marketing manager Bob Borchers, he was clear that “the usual speeds and feeds” aren’t the way Apple likes to talk about the iPhone.“Overall, it’s just a snappier experience. There are so many different facets to it — it’s just faster, better, quicker, snappier, and a great experience.”

But even though Apple is trying hard to avoid talking about geeky tech stuffs of its iPhone, they can't stop others from revealing all of the goodness inside of Apple's one and only smartphone. T-Mobile Netherlands website (via Macworld) has recently posted specifications for both the 16GB and 32GB of the iPhone 3G [S], the new iPhone is indeed powered by a 600MHz processor (compared to the 412MHz processor of the iPhone 3G) and sports 256MB of RAM (versus 128MB on the iPhone 3G).

Apple's marketing philosophy is definetely different from other companies who love to boast of their products' hardware prowess, but then again that's what we love so much from Apple, because Apple is different. Just like Apple's famous ol' theme: "Think different..." ;-)

Talking about marketing strategy, AT&T also recently has revealed their plan to offer free MMS with a text-messaging plan at some point later this summer. Like David Martin from iPhone Atlas has reported: "Until now, some current customers have feared having to pay an additional fee for texting. Considering all the negative feedback about iPhone 3G to 3G S upgrades, this is probably a strategic decision on AT&T's part."

So, do you think you'll take that iPhone 3G [S] upgrade deals now? There'll be bitter sweet taste included in it, waiting for you take the first bite until the time for another new iPhone next year...

iPhone 3G [S] dates that matter most

2009-06-15T17:03:00.002+07:00

The introduction has been done, the release dates have been announced, and people are already pre-ordering the new iPhone 3G [S] on-line at AT&T and Apple Store.

Little do we noticed that the new iPhone OS 3.0 software, which will be available as a free download for iPhone owners and $9.95 worth-upgrade for iPod Touch this summer, is still sporting the same 'Calendar' icon showing Tuesday, 9, like we've seen since the first iPhone models introduced back in 2007.

Yes of course, the 'Photos', 'Camera', 'Notes', 'Clock', 'Calculator', etc. are also still using the same icons. There are only two obvious difference of iPhone OS 3.0 software's Home Screen icons from the previous icons; they're the text messaging icon name and the new Voice Memos icon.

The text messaging icon is indeed still using the same ol' icon you're already familiar with, it's a simple empty text-baloon on top of a green colored box. But the naming has been changed into "Messages" because the new software update is now capable of sending MMS, unlike the older versions which limit the iPhone to only sending text messages.

But enough talking about icons detail, let's talk about something more realistic like the release dates of iPhone 3G [S] itself. “Cheer for your favorite country,” says Phil Schiller as people are shouting (as reported by Gizmodo's live WWDC '09 coverage). Apple has announced the iPhone 3G [S] launch date for over 80 countries, here are the dates:

June 19

Canada
France
Germany
Italy
Spain
Switzerland
United Kingdom
United States

June 26

Australia
Austria
Belgium
Ireland
Japan
Netherlands

July 9

Bulgaria * Malta
Colombia * Mexico
Croatia * Moldova
Czech Republic * Montenegro
Denmark * New Zealand
Dominican Republic * Norway
El Salvador * Philippines
Estonia * Poland
Finland * Portugal
Greece * Romania
Guatemala * Singapore
Hong Kong * Slovakia
Hungary * South Africa
Latvia * Sweden
Liechtenstein * Uruguay
Lithuania * Macedonia
Luxembourg * Malaysia

August 9

Argentina * Nicaragua
Botswana * Niger
Brazil * Panama
Cameroon * Paraguay
Central African Republic * Peru
Chile * Russia
Ecuador * Saudi Arabia
Egypt * Senegal
Guinea * Taiwan
Honduras * Thailand
India * Turkey
Indonesia * United Arab Emirates
Ivory Coast * Venezuela
Jamaica * Madagaskar
Jordan * Mali
Kenya * Mauritius

Looks like I'll be cheering for August 9 for iPhone 3G [S] to arrive at my country, how about you?

But seriously guys, is it just me or is Apple really love to use no. 9? Like those June 19, July 9, August 9 releases date and the $9.95 upgrade fee for iPod Touch owner for iPhone OS 3.0 software... ;-p

Source is from iPhone Atlas.

iPhone 3G [S] buying rage has started early

2009-06-14T15:14:00.000+07:00

Don't you hate it when you have to wait in a long line just to get the new iPhone? Well, it looks like it can't be help...

Just less than a week since the introduction of iPhone 3G [S] at WWDC '09, and despite the high upgrade fees for those who have bought older models, AT&T has begun spreading words to customers that they've sold out the iPhone 3G [S] pre-order stocks at launch day.

BGR has received a tip showing an AT&T's internal sales system note which stated:

"Due to the extraordinary demand for iPhone 3G [S], all customers placing preorders on Saturday, June 13, 2009, and later, should be informed that their order will arrive at the store 7 to 14 days from the order date.

Only preorders placed Friday, Jun 12, 2009, or earlier, are expected to arrive in time for the 7:00 a.m. opening on Friday, June 19, 2009."

That means for you who are lucky enough to have placed pre-orders before June 13 yesterday, will have your iPhone 3G [S] delivered to your front doorstep. While for you who are lazy ...*cough*... I mean unlucky ones who placed your pre-orders on & after June 13, then you'll have to wait 7-14 days later. If you think you won't survive that long without holding the newest and the latest Apple smartphone right away at the launch day, then there's no other way than start camping in front of your nearest AT&T or Apple Store at your local area.

But so far, both Apple and AT&T have not make any statement of iPhone 3G [S] stocks at each stores. Although both companies are giving out signals that for those who are lining up will not be dissappointed of not owning an iPhone 3G [S] at launch day, but keep in mind that we've yet to see how long the lines of people who want to get the new iPhone on June 19.

If you're beginning to feel the cold sweat running down on your neck after knowing this news, then fret not because there's still one left hope of miracle for you. I said "miracle" because this following method might not working anymore... According to iTalkiPhone; you can hack into Apple Store on-line with simple steps to place an order for iPhone 3G [S] and deliver it to your address on June 19, the same day as the official launch day! Here's how:

First install Firebug into your Firefox web browser.
Go to any non-apple product in the store.apple.com (example: http://store.apple.com/us/product/TV...mco=NjM0MTMwMw)
Click on the little FireBug icon on the bottom of the screen, now Firebug pops up and click "Inspect", and choose the "Add to cart Icon"
In firebug, right above where it's highlighted, you should see "". Click on "TV943VC/A" and change it to the value of the iPhone you want. (see code below):

iPhone 3G 8GB ($499): MB046LL/A
iPhone 3GS 16GB Black ($599): MB715LL/A
iPhone 3GS 16GB White ($599): MB716LL/A
iPhone 3GS 32GB Black ($699): MB717LL/A
iPhone 3GS 32GB White ($699): MB718LL/A

Now click on the Add to Cart button, and the iPhone should be in your cart. Proceed to buy it if you want.

The 'admin' of iTalkiPhone even said have talked to an Apple representative about this method, and they confirmed that you can do this. But remember, this way you're buying an un-subsidized iPhone. For more thorough process, you can visit the link above and see pictures attached on how to do the steps.

Too much? Are you the kinda person who much prefer to wait till this iPhone 3G [S] buying rage cool down, and leisurely waltz into an Apple Store without lining up (and sweating, and elbowing, etc.) to get it? Then why don't you just enjoy the pictures of iPhone 3G [S] first unboxing, entice yourself with an early live shots of the new iPhone before you get it later. The unboxing pictures were posted by Engadget China, unfortunately the post has been pulled which most probably because Apple asked them to.

But thank goodness iTalkiPhone has downloaded all of the live shots, and posted them up at their own website. You'll have to register first in order to view them, but I doubt such trivial thing will stop you. Right? ;-p

WWDC '09: iPhone 3G [S] it is!

2009-06-10T01:45:00.001+07:00

Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in... it's a new iPhone, and it's called: iPhone 3G [S].

If you were following the live coverage of yesterday Apple's WWDC '09 or if you've been keeping up with the latest news, then you must have knew it already that the rumors were right; Apple did introduce a new iPhone after all along with refreshed MacBook line-ups and upcoming new Snow Leopard.

Like me, some of you might have been surprised to learn that one of the last minute rumors and the most unlikely to be taken serious rumor was actually the right one. When I heard about how John Gruber of Daring Fireball got a tip that there's a new iPhone model passed around at Apple with codename: "iPhone 3GS", I thought that was just a(nother) rumor. But apparently the tip and John's hunch were right on the money, he speculates the "S" moniker stands for "speed" and he's right.

Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing confirmed what the "S" means when he was on stage at WWDC '09:

"The S stands for SPEED. Because 'this is the most powerful, fastest iPhone ever made.'
Averages 2x speed increase. OpenGL ES 2.0 support. 7.2Mbps HSDPA.
Launching messaging is 2.1x faster, loading SimCity is 2.4x faster, viewing Excel 3.6x faster, loading NY Times 2.9x faster.
The new iPhone 3G [S] is a REALLY fast phone."

There are of course many other features that come with the new iPhone hardware, the iPhone 3G [S]. But I don't think you need me to write them all over again here, you must have memorized them all and you can even mention them one by one with your eyes closed. But just in case you haven't know what to expect from the new iPhone 3G [S], then you can visit Apple's iPhone website for further information. And for more thorough and complete feature guide, including the whole WWDC '09 coverage (MacBooks, Mac OS X, iPhone OS 3.0, etc.), I recommend Gizmodo's WWDC '09 round-up.

Is it really worth it?

Even though Apple has jam-packed the new iPhone 3G [S] with some new features which can't be found in the previous models (iPhone Classic & 3G), for users and consumers that really is not what matter most. Talking about a new model means only one thing for owners of the old model: is it really worth it to upgrade?

Before we get into that, let's take a quick look at the iPhone pricing plans now: the 16GB iPhone 3G [S] will costs $199 and $299 for the 32GB model, meanwhile the old 8GB iPhone 3G is reduced to $99. See the live photo shot below of Phi Schiller's presentation of iPhone pricing plans, photo is courtesy of Gizmodo.

So Apple maintains the low price of its iPhone models most probably in order to fight the newly launched Palm Prē™, the prices sound great for new AT&T subscribers. But not for current AT&T subscribers with on going contract, they must pay higher price to get the new iPhone 3G [S].

AT&T spokesperson Mark Siegel told Macworld that to upgrade the 8GB iPhone 3G will costs $299, the 16GB iPhone 3G [S] is $399, and the 32GB iPhone 3G [S] costs $599. In addition, customers will have to pay an $18 upgrade fee. Plus only if AT&T deems eligible the subscribers for an upgrade, which depends largely on how far along they are in their contract. AT&T subscribers should check their eligibility status, which they can do via Apple's online store or AT&T's web site before purchase, just to make sure.

With these kinda pricing plans, can Apple still sway the iPhone users to buy the new model instead of tempted to switch to the other side? (the cué goes to Palm Prē™ *wink*) Apple-fans' loyalty is currently put at test...

iPhone 3G [S]: Newer, faster & packs 'oleophobic coating'... (Huh, say what?!?)

From all of those exciting new features in the new iPhone to make you drool for it, there's one particular feature that you and I need to learn before we perfectly know it. Apple is touting the new iPhone 3G [S] carries a new featured technology on its screen called "fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating." Yeah, ohkay I understand completely the first line: "fingerprint-resistant", but how about the latter? "Oleophobic" sounds like a disease, or like a scary new symptom to me. ~LOL~

An eagle-eye JAiB reader named Everette has spotted details within Apple’s ‘How To’ pages for the new iPhone 3G [S] about that "oleophobic coating" thingy:

To clean iPhone, unplug all cables and turn off iPhone (press and hold the Sleep/ Wake button, then slide the onscreen slider). Then use a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth. Avoid getting moisture in openings. Don’t use window cleaners, household cleaners, aerosol sprays, solvents, alcohol, ammonia, or abrasives to clean iPhone. If your iPhone has an oleophobic coating on the screen (iPhone 3G S only), simply wipe your iPhone’s screen with a soft, lint-free cloth to remove oil left by your hands and face.

So after the long explanation, basically in short "oleophobic" means oil-resistant. Thank you to Everette for the find, thanks to Patrick J. from JAiB for the news, and of course many thanks to both of them for helping us learn a new word today. ;-p

iPhone 3G [S] out June 19th, but accessories are out now

Unlike the MacBook lines which become available right away after the WWDC '09 event, the new iPhone 3G [S] is set to be released into the market on June 19th. But even though the handset is yet available right now, third-party add on makers like iLuv has already launched a new accessory line designed specifically for the iPhone 3G [S]. According to Jasmine France from iPhone Atlas; iLuv's accessories selection is made up almost exclusively of cases with one car accessory thrown in for good measure. Check out iPhone Atlas' gallery for pricing and details.

What's up with the new iPhone naming?

No pun intended at the beginning line of my post up there, but seriously what was Apple thinking when they decided to add an [S] behind the already exist iPhone 3G name? Can't they come up with a better name? To think of it, at first I thought it was kinda silly but now I much more like the sound of "iPhone Video" instead...

I have to agree with Nilay Patel from Engadget who said about the new iPhone's name: "Let's face it, 'iPhone 3G S' is a pretty clunky name." ;-p

There are two kind of ways to write the new naming which is widely accepted: iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G S. But I wanted to use [S], so it would be more like how Apple writes it in the official logo.

These days we're being bombarded with unique and catchy names for smartphones; beginning from BlackBerry Bold, T-Mobile G1, HTC Magic, Palm Prē™, and now iPhone 3G [S]. It's getting weird-er, and funni-er. Thank goodness that Apple didn't call the [S] as "Super", like what Dr. Cullen did with his own version of iPhone 3G [S] below. (* Note: the Flickr link has been deleted for copyright reason)

But perhaps to call the new iPhone with nickname like "Super" is quite befitting, just like what Mr. Besilly from iPhone Savior has said about Dr. Cullen's image: "The fantastical idea of the (S) in iPhone 3GS being more appropriately fitted with the correct Super Hero emblem is not that far off from what true cult of iPhone fanatics would like to believe about Apple's epic 2009 upgrade. It's much more powerful!" ;-)

Look! It's a phone! It's a smartphone! No, it's an iPhone 3G [S]!! ~LOL~

Counting down (few minutes left) to WWDC '09: Last minute reality check

2009-06-09T00:41:00.004+07:00

If you're reading this means either you're currently awake and staring at your monitor, waiting for the WWDC '09 to kick start in just few more minutes to go; or you just happened to be re-reading the old posts archive and missed the live coverage. ;-p

Today is a big day for Apple and iPhone fans, as in a matter of minutes away Apple's Phil Schiller will deliver his keynote and soon we'll know what Apple has been up to these days. There have been many rumors going on for the past weeks about the new iPhone, but no matter how good they are, rumors are just whispers in the wind.

Nonetheless, we're all suckers for juicy rumors. If we're not careful, the fake excitement we're getting from rumors will only lead to huge dissappointment. So what we really need is a reality check, something to bring us back to the ground before we float way too far. Here's what we really sure know what will be the topics in this year's WWDC based on the banners hanging around the event: iPhone OS 3.0 software & 64-bit Mac OS X (pictured below).

Without doubt, the main topic of WWDC '09 will be about the iPhone apps. The WWDC banner located at the registration hall shows that crystal clear, saying: "One year later. Light-years ahead." (pictured at the top) And just in case you you didn't see it, there's a man on the left moving away from the registration counter carrying a black-colored bag wrapped in plastic; that's the WWDC '09 schwag for the attendees. The schwag consists of a black WWDC 2009 tee shirt and black vinyl backpack (pictured below).

So, the WWDC '09 is about to begin soon. I'm going off to watch it live on various tech blogs, and I'm sure you are too, enjoy!

Sources are from: Aallan's photos, Engadget, and Karl Baron's photo (via iPhone Savior).

Spb Brain Evolution for iPhone

2009-06-09T00:28:00.002+07:00

Just received this today from Victoria Krasilshikova - Spb Software House: Spb Brain Evolution - the world's number one bestselling Windows Mobile game of 2008 - is now available for users of iPhone and iPod Touch.

Spb Brain Evolution is a braintrainer: an intellectual game that helps to improve memory, logic, arithmetic, and puzzle-solving skills. The application is an intriguing suit of addictive 10 games, which have to be played in sequence: only good results in one game unlock the next one for playing.

Spb Brain Evolution supports two independent game modes: Brain Marking and Brain Training: for evaluating the current 'brain fitness', and for improving the score, respectively. Logic, orientation and patterns, memory and calculation, facts and statistics - all can be worked on while playing Arithmetics, Balltracker, Encyclopedia, Guess Who, Matches, Memorics, Minesweeper, Numbers, Quadronica, and Sudoku.

Spb Brain Evolution keeps overall game statistics, builds progress reports, and supports profiles for multiple players. Brilliant play with high scores is rewarded with special achievement certificates, which can be printed out and used to intimidate the more novice Spb Brain Evolution players, be it family of friends. Spb Brain Evolution also cites an interesting fact at the end of every completed training.

Spb Brain Evolution Main Features:

10 games (Sudoku included)
Brain Marking and Brain Training modes
Game statistics & progress reports* Multiple user profiles
Cool facts knowledgebase
Rewards for better play
Addictive sequential game play

Pricing and Availability: Spb Brain Evolution for iPhone is compatible with iPhone OS 2.2 and higher, and may be purchased for 4.95 USD from the Apple AppStore. Spb Brain Evolution is also available for smartphones running Windows Mobile and Symbian S60 OS.

Further Information and Downloads: Spb Brain Evolution web page for iPhone

Palm Prē launch: Vaja also launches luxurious Prē leather cases

2009-06-08T20:20:00.000+07:00

Right on time, when Sprint launched the highly awaited Palm Prē™ yesterday on June 6th, Vaja also introduced four handicraft leather cases for the smartphone. Vaja is known as a company who make luxurious leather cases for mobile devices, and it is said only uses only 10% of Argentina's finest leather. And to welcome the arrival of Palm's latest smartphone, Vaja has launched first two of its Prē™ leather cases:

Leather Pocket (Black), is available right now for $60 and ships in 3 business days.
Classic Leather Pocket, also starts at $60 but its colors can be customized to your liking and will take 20 days to process your request.

While the other two leather cases for the Prē™: the ivolution Deco and Pouch (pictured above) are coming soon. So, Prē™ owners which one will you choose to carry & protect your newly beloved smartphone?

Sources are from Vaja, via IntoMobile.

Palm Prē launch: The Touchstone's 'chic' secrets revealed

2009-06-08T01:51:00.002+07:00

This is the first I ever witnessed it myself when a new smartphone is launched; an accessory as popular as the handset itself: the Touchstone™. For you who have not know it yet, (just in case you've been living in the jungle and got right back into the civilization right in time for the Prē™ launch day) the newly launched Palm Prē™ can be charged in two ways: an old fashion way with microUSB that comes along in the original box, or a new and cool way with the wireless charger Touchstone™ which is sold seperately at $70.

Michelle Koh, a member of the human interface team at Palm who played a large part in designing the user experience for Palm’s new webOS™ platform and the core Person Information Management (PIM) app; said this when asked by UXbyDesign about the Touchstone™ in an interview:

"This is just so cool because what was only possible in movies, is now possible in real-life for a mass consumer product. It’s always exciting when something considered 'geek' becomes 'chic'. Not only does this matter in the way a device is charged, but also for human behavior and cognition."

The Touchstone™ seems indeed have a certain sex appeal that makes it to become the center of attention, a mysterious masterpiece no one has ever knew before... But lucky for us, it is not mystery anymore on how the Touchstone™ works because iFixit has teardown the wireless charger, and reveal its guts inside for all of us to see just hours after they bought it. *gasp!*

The inductor charging base assembly

The new Palm Touchstone wireless charger works on the principle of resonant induction. When you move a magnetic field near a coil of wire, it induces a current in the wire.
Taking advantage of this principle, the Touchstone creates an electrical coupling between two coils of wire that are not physically connected. It does this with a primary coil of wire in the base unit which transmits energy to the secondary coil of wire in the phone via a magnetic field.

The Touchstone rear panel includes a secondary induction coil

The magnetic field generated by the base unit turns on and off rapidly, generating a magnetic pulse that is carefully tuned to the dimensions of the wire coil inside the phone. This oscillating magnetic field induces a current inside the phone, allowing the battery to be charged.
Similar technology is used to transmit power to some battery-operated toothbrushes, razors, etc.
This explanation is an oversimplification of a very specific field of electrical engineering.
You'll note that the location of the induction coil is in the center of the device, well away from the antennas that line the perimeter of the phone.

Palm Prē launch: The lines, the smiles, the pride, the comments and... the joke

2009-06-07T20:19:00.001+07:00

The wait is finally over.

Yesterday, on June 6th, the most anticipated smartphone of the year: Palm Prē™ was finally launched at Sprint's 1,100 stores across the (U.S.) nation. Unlike the launch of Apple's iPhone last year and the year before, the launch of the Prē™ can be considered as more modest and calm, although prior yesterday's launch Palm's latest smartphone has gathered huge attentions from the blogosphere and analysts.

Palm has played well in promoting the Prē™ ever since the company introduced it at CES 2009 on last January, and despite the lack of trust from Palm to lend the smartphone to any analysts, the action however brought curiosity to the peak level and create enough enthusiasm for not just Palm loyal fans but also tech geeks around the globe. On the other hand, Sprint as the exclusive wireless carrier to offer the Prē™ understand well that they simply can't compete with the iPhone, so they tried to downplay expectations for iPhone-like crowds before the Prē™ launched.

Sprint spokesman Mark Elliott told The New York Times (via Wireless blog) earlier this week, that the company not only didn't expect long lines for the Prē™, but that Sprint even didn't want them (people lining up for the Prē™). And it seems that was what happened, salespeople at Sprint stores in New York City said there are only handfuls of people lined up outside on Saturday morning, but salespeople in Manhattan said they had a steady stream of customers for most of the day. Mark Elliott characterized the launch in East Coast cities as "a nice flow of customers," with some stores attracting crowds of 40 to 50 people waiting to get in at 8AM when many Sprint stores opened.

But overall the Prē™ sales has been a success: the Sprint store on Fifth Avenue is said only had six phones left as of 2:30PM on Saturday, in Boston the store sold out of its 55 Prē™ by 11AM, and the Framingham Sprint store had sold at least 20 Prē™ in the first 90 minutes since the opening.

According to an Engadget report, people started queuing around 5:00AM outside Sprint's New York store in the Flatiron Building, with Chris Lee and Randy Williams the first through the door (pictured below). After 40 minutes of activation and phone book transfer, the both gentlemen came out from the store with a big smile on their face, and of course a shiny new Palm Prē™. ;-)

Kevin C. Tofel from jkOnTheRun even woke up early and started heading to the closest Sprint store at local mall which was opened early at 7:50AM, the Sprint reps there told him that they only have 25 Prē™ handsets and just a “few” Touchstones, so in the end Kevin snatched the last TouchStone charger and got out from the store at 9AM. Is he happy? Sounds like he does, like how he express it from some of his early impressions on the Prē™:

"The design of the package is very Apple-like, for lack of a better term. ... Very elegant!

I love the screen. It’s bright and vibrant, ... Everything looks super-clear.

I can already type as fast as I can on my iPhone keyboard, so I anticipate that with further experience, I’ll exceed my iPhone typing speeds.

I’m finding WebOS to be snappy. Multi-tasking with cards is (dare I say it?) fun.

I hated to get the last Touchstone at my store, but I’m already glad I got it. I haven’t even used it yet, but I’m happy because the little door that covers the Pre’s USB port is small and hard to open for me."

That's how Kevin feels about his brand new Palm Prē™, how about the others? Many of them who bought a Prē™ considered it as an investment, because of its revolutionary webOS™. Which Palm CEO Ed Colligan himself has said before that the new platform will power Palm's devices in the next (hopefully) 10 years to come. But for Palm loyal fans, the buying spree can also be considered as a way to support the ailing company...

Skip Tannen, an IT operations engineer at Babson College in Wellesley, Mass. said: "As an original Palm Pilot user, I want to support Palm and see them make it, but this Pre is also just a bloody cool device." Tannen was the first in line at 8AM when the store opened, having left his home three hours earlier. Jennifer Stoner, a private tutor from Newton, Mass., has a four-years old Treo and needs to be replaced said: "I hope the Pre helps Palm, since Palm has always had the greatest apps."

Matt Hamblen from Computerworld was reporting that seven successful Prē™ buyers in Boston who were interviewed at the Framingham store said they wanted a new smartphone with a bright screen and a hardware keyboard. All of them said they had tried the iPhone, or owned one, and wanted a hardware keyboard instead of a touchscreen, finding the touchscreen hard to use.

Richard Rosmarin, another longtime Palm user, said he was eager to have a multitasking smartphone like the Pre so that he could read his e-mail while also listening to music from it in the background. "Of course my wife asked me if having this Prē™ is critical to my life, but I'm getting it anyway," he said.

Yes, true. The Prē™ has brought Palm back into the game, for the past weeks the Prē™ has become the talk of the town and its launch has generated enough buzz to make people remember Palm once again. Because of that, it's inevitably for people to compare it with the success of iPhone launch and make jokes of the comparison. One in particular which is managed to caught everyone's attention is coming from Peter Yan, a 23 years-old amateur graphic/web designer who made a comparison photo of the iPhone opening day launch against the Palm Prē™ launch (pictured below).

Harsh? Nah, that's just a reality. Something to whip both Sprint and Palm, to keep thinking forward and keep on introducing better products in the future. But for now, personally and perhaps for you too, this whole Prē™ thing is enough to welcome Palm's comeback to the competition. Here's a big cheer for Palm!!

Counting down (2 days left) to WWDC '09: Are these the new 3rd gen "iPhone Video"?

2009-06-06T20:03:00.002+07:00

Tease... tease... and tease. That's what you'll get if you're following every news and rumors about what kind of new iPhone to be introduced at WWDC '09, either they're right on the money or just some pranks made to enfuel the excitement. But you've gotta admit it, you love it don'cha? ;-p

One of the latest juicy rumors arrived this weekend is about the new nickname to call Apple's 3rd generation mobile device: "iPhone Video", TUAW has received an anonymous tip stating that AT&T's support website will be updated with "iPhone Video" as one of the model choices when choosing Apple as the phone manufacturer. The tipster even included a live screenshot of the purpotedly new model choice (pictured on the right).

AppleInsider also has received a tip with live screenshot which is showing new iPhone model placeholders at Carphone Warehouse labelled as "V3", althought there's no further confirmation whether the "V3" stands for "Version 3" or "Video". Again, we're still in the fog about this "iPhone Video" nickname...

But you know how it always goes, rumors won't complete without a blurry image to back it up. So came along an Italian iPhone blog called iSpazio, who contributed to the boiling rumor nickname with a live screenshot of the device. The blurry image you see on the left shows a very weak green-light dot just below the ear-piece, could it be a face-front video camera for tele-conference call?

It is very unlikely for a face-front camera to be in size that small, however it does go along with the "iPhone Video" nickname. In which the nickname unconsciously makes us to believe the 3rd gen iPhone will be capable of full video features such as video recording, editing and even tele-conference call as well. These all are just a wishful thinking, although we can only rely on two things for certain: Apple needs to raise the competition bar once again since the Palm Pre™ is launched today on June 6th, secondly Apple is one of a kind company who loves to surprise us all with the 'unthinkable' new products.

Is that all? Not quite yet, there's one left. But you better be prepared for the most uncommon rumor: the new 32GB iPhone will be available in "green with pink flowers" & "yellow with fluffy bunny" option models! Macenstein has received an inventory screenshot taken from a Hungarian T-Mobile store showing what appears to be the full line of new iPhone colors and capacities (pictured on the right), Macenstein then reminds us that Apple briefly toyed with flowery patterns on the original iMac, releasing a short lived “Flower Power” model. Uuuhh... I'm speechless about this one. ~LOL~ But hey, at least if this is true there's still the "plaid" option model to choose from.

There you have them all, the "iPhone Video" rumors. Which one do you prefer? Me, I much rather hope the 3rd gen iPhone will look like the 3D-rendered image at the top of this post or like the "iPhone Video" image below. *wink*

Counting down (2 days left) to WWDC '09: "The Cure for iPhone Envy" funny ad at Apple's SF store

2009-06-06T18:32:00.004+07:00

Here's something to laugh at, after all of those stresses from waiting the day WWDC '09 to arrive on June 8th the day after tomorrow; a funny ad is placed under Apple's San Fransisco store at One Stockton street and it reads: "The Cure for iPhone Envy." (pictured above)

The billboard ad belongs to a person called as DVD Jon (real name Jon Lech Johansen), who happens to be the co-founder of doubleTwist. For you who don't know yet, doubleTwist is a software that allows non-Apple devices to be connected and sync with iTunes. The software is legal, but of course you know how Apple feel about it. Wait a second, then how did doubleTwist ad ends up right next Apple's SF store entrance and underneath the Apple gigantic logo?

This is where DVD Jon's clever mind took place: the billboard ad space is actually own by BART (the Bay Area’s commuter transit system) and he simply rent it to advertise his doubleTwist software. This is a perfectly legal action, just like the software itself, and there's nothing Apple can do about it. TechCrunch (via Valleywag) is reporting: "We’re hearing that Apple employees are currently scratching their heads as to how this appeared." ~LOL~

If Steve Jobs really is going to make a surprise come back at WWDC '09 event tomorrow, then his employees should do something about this before he sees this doubleTwist ad. Somebody's job is going to get cut off by Jobs soon...

* Note: Is it just me, but when I first saw the billboard ad, I thought the spoon is Palm Pre™... Maybe I stared too long at Palm Pre™ pictures from all of those reviews, but the spoon's shape really close in resemblance to the Pre™ lines of body, no? ;-p (I've included the side view of Palm Pre™ below for comparison...)

Counting down (½ day left) to Palm Prē launch: The Prē premiere in NYC

2009-06-06T15:27:00.002+07:00

Many people are still holding their breath until few more hours to go before the initial launch of Palm Pre™ by Sprint, but looks like few of lucky New Yorkers have already grabbed a Pre™. Ubergizmo was reporting on June 5th at 14:59 PT that there were at least 10 people lining up at Sprint's 6th Avenue store in Manhattan, reporters also spotted there interviewing them.

The first in line is Alfredo R. (pictured above) and he's the first customer to get a Pre™, followed by Ellen (in yellow rain coat). Let the riot begin!! ;-p

Update: Engadget has posted up a slew of photos from the Palm Pre™ premiere launch at NYC.

Counting down (½ day left) to Palm Prē launch: The apps & App Catalog first closer look

2009-06-06T15:12:00.003+07:00

For the past two-three days of this weekend alone, we've been showered with many Palm Pre™ hands-on and reviews, if I may say they're too many... ~LOL~ But only a handful is talking about the apps inside the Pre™, and of course Palm's very own app store which is called as "App Catalog".

Palm Pre™ apps and Palm App Catalog will become the highlight as the buzz surrounding the Pre™ launch finally over, and that's where the real test begins. Ever since Apple successfully launched App Store, the iPhone/iPod Touch can't be seperated from the App Store itself. Users will always talk about the apps they can find, download and use in their iPhone. App Store has became a crucial part for the succes of iPhone/iPod Touch. So how about Palm Pre™?

Ginny Mies from PC World takes a closer look on Palm Pre™ apps and App Catalog, here's the snipped news:

"Palm's App Catalog for WebOS can be accessed via the Pre's Launcher menu. The home screen of the App Catalog lists Featured apps and Popular apps horizontally, accompanied by each app's title and star rating. Beneath those two rows of listings, the Top Tags content appears; it consists of entries in various app categories such as Most Recent, Top Rated, Entertainment, and News.

Another option is to use a WebOS feature called Universal Search to search for an app. Simply start typing the name and a list of matches will come up. At launch, the App Catalog will contain only a dozen or so available apps."

Ginny also noted an important features in Palm App Catalog that will make it better than Apple's current App Store: "If an update becomes available for an app that you've already purchased, an 'Update' icon will appear in place of 'Download' on the app's info page."

Further more, Ginny added that Google Maps and a YouTube app will come pre-loaded in the Pre™. While Fandango and Pandora will both become available from the App Catalog, and MotionApps' Classic app will also be available at the Pre™ launch.

Ryan Kairer from PalmInfoCenter says the Palm App Catalog organized the apps and view them accordingly: featured, popularity, most recent, top rated, and it even throws in a tag cloud view for good measure and of course you can also easily search the catalog.

Dieter Bohn from PreCentral found an issue with the "Beta" App Catalog: "One issue that you cannot leave the page for the app you're downloading until it's downloaded otherwise it won't install (you can leave the entire card open in the background if you like). But the apps are all HTML-based so downloads are very speedy and - yes - you can download over Sprint's 3G network."

Counting down (3 days left) to WWDC '09: A $99 iPhone is already here!

2009-06-05T01:31:00.001+07:00

Another day passes by, it's getting nearer to Apple's WWDC '09. While some of us awaits impatiently for June 8th to arrive, the wait has just become much of a burden, especially for Apple & iPhone fans; because on the other side of the camp they've already kinda half-celebrate the launch of Palm Pre™ with so many instant reviews which pop out altogether on the same day.

Who can resist a shiny new gadget? I, for one, will definitely get one that is if I got the money. For many of us, the price of the new gadget will somehow becomes a certain kind of 'burden' we must carry if we choose to replace our old device with the new one. Not to mention a freshly new gadget which came out right from the oven, served hot on a silver plate, along with the dressings on the side; the price is insanely too high to pay.

So that's why when the rumor about $99 3rd gen iPhone surfaced not so long ago, it gives a ray light of hope for people like me. BGR was reporting that the Canadian wireless carrier Fido has leaked a roadmap slide showing a 4GB iPhone priced at $99, it got the same 3G connection and 2MP camera as current model. One can only assume this is just a 'photoshop-ed' image to tease us all about the possibility of cheap iPhone, but is it?

Well, this might not the same as the new iPhone hardware that is said to be introduced at WWDC '09, but then you know how the saying goes: "Beggars can't choose..." You can actually own a $99 iPhone now, but there's a big catch with long string attached: it's a refurbished 8GB iPhone 3G. Rick Broida's (from the Cheapskate blog) eagle eyes have spotted this rare offer from AT&T, and he also found out that its warranty is only 90 days instead of the usual 12 months coverage.

Aw, shucks... This isn't exactly what you were hoping for eh? ;-p

Counting down (4 days left) to WWDC '09: 3rd generation iPhone graphical rumors round-up

2009-06-04T15:55:00.005+07:00

Have you been keeping tabs on the latest rumors surrounding the new 3rd generation iPhone, which is said to be unveiled at Apple's WWDC '09 on June 8th? Or are you following every bits of rumors that are linked to the new iPhone? If you are, then you know how hard it is to remember all of them at once.

But either you do follow every 3rd gen iPhone rumors or not, let's just say you were on a vacation thus can't keep up with every news squeezed out from rumor land, then you're in luck. Because Rémy from The Green Room has created what he called it as "3rd generation iPhone graphical rumor round-up," and he has done a pretty good job on compiling all of the rumors into one graphical image of the iPhone itself. Here's few foot-notes that you need to know:

Rémy has put some source numbers beside each arrow, these are the references for each rumor and are published at TGR post.
The rumors (such as release date and price) that don’t really match a particular part of the iPhone’s hardware/software have been placed at a random point on the back of the iPhone.
The prediction key is based entirely on Rémy's own opinion, and is by no means accurate.

--click on the image above to enlarge it--

Rémy promised to keep it updated with the latest rumors, so if you don't want to get lost in all of those mean words of rumor, then you can view them all on Rémy's 3rd generation iPhone graphical rumor round-up. ~LOL~

Counting down (2 days left) to Palm Prē launch: Eight and a half Prē reviews released already

2009-06-04T15:29:00.006+07:00

Ladies and gentlemen; please strap-in your seat belt, girt your loins, and hold on tight to something, because we've got not just one but eight and a half Palm Prē™ reviews coming up right now. Just in two days before Sprint officially launch the most awaited smartphone of the year: Palm Prē™ on June 6th tomorrow, tech blogsites are all in race to release their own hands-on, we are literally flooded with reviews of the Prē™ and all I can say is they're just going to make us want more to get the Prē™.

But why do I said eight and a half Palm Prē™ reviews?

Because aside from the already released reviews from Gizmodo, Engadget, PC World, PreCentral, PalmInfoCenter, Walt Mossberg (from WSJ), Rob Enderle (from TG Daily) and Sascha Segan (from PC Mag); there's one that has not publicly released yet and that belongs to NYT's famous tech pundit: David Pogue. There's no confirmation on whether or not the article really written by Pogue, as it seems his article leaked to an Indian news site called mydigitalfc.com and clearly put "by David Pogue" on the beginning of the article, Pogue's words of signature can be found all over the article.*

* UPDATE: David Pogue has finally posted up his review on NYT site

Without spoilling out all of the beans and funs, I'll just going to get the final thoughts or conclusion from each of the reviews. For a more thorough reading, you can visit each of the reviews at the respective links above. I know you're craving every day for even a single drop of Prē™ rumors & news. So, let's dig 'em right away shall we?

Gizmodo's Palm Prē™ review

"Think of it like this. The software is agile, smart and capable. The hardware, on the other hand, is a liability. If Palm can get someone else to design and build their hardware—someone who has hands and can feel what a phone is like when physically used, that phone might just be one of the best phones on the market.

I'm bored of the iPhone. The core functionality and design have remained the same for the last two years, and since 3.0 is just more of the same, and—barring some kind of June surprise—that's another year of the same old icons and swiping and pinching. It's time for something different. The Pre may have hardware that's worse than the G1/G2, but the whole package—the software and the hardware—isn't bad. It's good. It's different. That's something we can get behind. I can't wait to see what Palm gets dealt in their next hand."

Engadget's Palm Prē™ review

"There's no question that Palm has built this phone on the foundations laid by numerous devices before it -- most obviously the iPhone -- but the Pre clearly carves out its own path as well. Some of the ideas and concepts at play in webOS are truly revolutionary for the mobile space, breaking down lots of the walls that separate the experience of using a dedicated PC versus using a handheld device. ...

To put it simply, the Pre is a great phone, and we don't feel any hesitation saying that. Is it a perfect phone? Hell no. Does its OS need work? Definitely. But are any of the detracting factors here big enough to not recommend it? Absolutely not. There's no doubt that there's room for improvement in webOS and its devices, but there's also an astounding amount of things that Palm nails out of the gate."

PC World's Palm Prē™ review

"The long-awaited Palm Pre lives up to the hype with a responsive touchscreen and an engaging interface, but a few hardware design flaws keep it from being the perfect smartphone.

Hardware flaws aside, the Palm Pre made a solid impression on me. Its eye-catching design and smooth operation make this smartphone the most exciting device I've seen in a while."

PreCentral's Palm Prē™ review

As a blogsite that dedicates themselves to Palm Prē™, PreCentral managed to put together a solid and one of the most complete reviews of the upcoming Prē™ which I've ever read. So two thumbs up for PreCental for this throrough review of the Prē™, and they even recorded a 10 minute video review if you're bored to read.... ;-p Here's their conclusion of the Prē™:

"So what's our verdict on the Palm Pre? Simple: The Palm Pre is a stellar 1.0 product. ...

The Pre's hardware is very good and it's obvious how much thought went into making it feel organic. More importantly, the merging of the software and the hardware is as close to seamless as I've ever seen on a device. Heck, the status bar at the top with your signal strength and what not is designed to look like it's part of the hardware. Having the touch-sensitive zone extends below the screen into the gesture area isn't just a gimmick, it actually improves the experience of the device, adds functionality, and helps to make the Pre feel seamless."

PalmInfoCenter's Palm Pre™ review

PalmInfoCenter has a long history as one of the most reliable sources for everything related to Palm, and their recent Palm Pre™ review proofs that very well. Ryan Kairer from PalmInfoCenter has just posted up a very well written Pre™ review, and here's his conclusion:

"The Palm Pre delivers on Palm's promise of a bringing a next generation differentiated product to market. WebOS is a powerful and compelling new mobile platform. Despite being a 1.0 product, the Pre is pleasantly functional and it users in new level of simplicity and ease of use. Coupled with the attractive hardware design and charming display, this adds up to a distinctively agreeable experience for mobile phone users. Palm has a lot ridding on the Pre and it now appears to be fully back in the game with a superb combination of software and hardware."

Walt Mossberg's Palm Pre™ review

Everybody who lives in digital and computer world knows and respect Walt Mossberg, he has an extensive knowledge than anybody else in the industry. Although there's no solid evidence, we always assume that Mossberg has a close relationship with Apple, so it's said he got to know what Apple is doing before anyone else. In his Pre™ review, Mossberg accidentally (or is it not?) confirm twice of a new iPhone hardware coming on WWDC '09:

"I consider the Pre to be potentially the strongest rival to the iPhone to date, provided it attracts lots of third-party apps, which it sorely lacks at launch. ...

Whether the Pre is better than the iPhone depends on your personal preferences, though I’d note that the new iPhone to be unveiled next week will have lots of added features that could alter those calculations. ...

Unfortunately for Palm, Apple has both a new iPhone operating system and new iPhone hardware coming, likely available within a month, that could obviate many of these advantages."

Sascha Segan's (PC Mag) Palm Pre™ review

"The Pre is full of the sort of mind-expanding innovations that make you greedy. Take Synergy, for example: Every device should work like this. Why don't I have one address book and one calendar comprising everything I've scattered around? But now I want complete synergy. ...

Still, the Palm Pre has the magic that the iPhone has, that Android doesn't have, and that the BlackBerry Storm might have had if it had worked properly when it was first introduced. It's far cooler than any other phone on Sprint, or even any phone on Verizon Wireless... Overall, though, webOS is the most exciting mobile platform I've used in quite a while, and the Pre is pretty impressive, so it nabs our Editors' Choice for smartphones on Sprint."

Rob Enderle's Palm Pre™ review

"I've been playing with the Palm Pre for the better part of a day and you really get the sense that if a product could be designed that said "screw you Apple" this is how you would build it. It is very much like they took everything folks have complained about regarding the iPhone that folks at Apple said couldn't be fixed and fixed them.

...This is one hell of a test for Apple. But until they respond, the Palm Pre sets the new bar as the best phone I've ever had the honor to carry. Congrats, Palm! Incredibly well done."

David Pogue's "unpublished yet" Palm Prē™ review*

"All right, then: the Pre is a spectacular achievement. Zero to sixty in one version. But is it an iPhone killer? Silly bloggers! The Pre will be a hit, but the iPhone isn’t going away. First of all, Apple’s 20 million-phone lead will only grow when the new iPhone 3.0 software (and, presumably, a third iPhone model) comes out shortly.

Second, Palm’s audience for this model is limited to the United States. It requires a CDMA network, so it won’t work overseas.

Third, even the Pre has its annoyances. Opening certain programs can be very slow—sometimes 8 or 9 seconds—and there’s no progress bar or hourglass to let you know that it’s still working. There’s no memory-card slot to expand the 8 gigabytes of storage, and no Visual Voicemail (where messages are listed like e-mail). The onboard search function won’t look through your e-mail or calendars. There are a few bugs left to exterminate, too.

Finally, the Pre is not quite as simple as the iPhone. All those extra features, by definition, mean that there’s more to learn."

Counting down (8 days left) to WWDC '09: the drop of Indonesia's iPhone 3G price to almost $100 hints at upcoming new model

2009-05-31T22:54:00.000+07:00

It hurts so much when it hits the right spot, and that is your pocket. I don't even want to ask my friends who have bought the iPhone 3G when it was first released here, in Indonesia just less than two months ago.

Telkomsel, one of the largest wireless carriers in Indonesia and the only one who offers iPhone, is using its 14th-year of anniversary as an excuse to cut the price in an amount of one million rupiah. The 8GB model is now offered at Rp. 2,999,000 (US$287), and the 16GB model at Rp. 3,999,000 (US$383). --according to the currency at the time I write this post--

We've been hearing plenty of rumors surrounding the upcoming new iPhone model at WWDC '09 which is slated on June 8th, there are also many signs that suggest both Apple and every wireless carriers who have the exclusivity to offer iPhone are trying to get rid the last stocks of the current model to make room for the new one. But Telkomsel's latest move by cutting the price of iPhone 3G price to almost $100, is can be said as an obvious effort to attract consumers to get the Apple's smartphone right now before the new model introduced in just a week later.

Although iPhone has been a huge success in the U.S. and many other countries, Aulia Masna from Macworld was reporting that: "When Telkomsel announced iPhone 3G pre-order in January, roughly 39,000 people registered interest within the first month, but less than 6,000 actually purchased the iPhone when it was finally made available in late March."

I wonder if I'm going to see the new iPhone as soon as Apple announced it at WWDC '09 on June 8th *sighs* It's really painful to live outside the U.S. especially for a mobile-geek like me, all I can do is hope that Apple will pressure Telkomsel to stop offering the old model and start selling the new one immediately. Heh, I wish... ;-p

Counting down (6 days left) to Palm Prē launch: BGR's Prē-view

2009-05-31T22:10:00.000+07:00

While the world at large is waiting for Sprint to launch the Palm Prē™ just in few days on June 6th, we were made jealous on certain kind of boys for getting an exclusive hands-on the most awaited smartphone of the year, who am I talking about? Oh you must've heard it too, they're the Boy Genius Report (BGR).

The boys at BGR really have done it this time, landing their grubby-mits on Palm Prē™ while other tech blogs, and not even Palm-centric sites can't get one minute of intimate moment with the Prē™ without a Palm's representative staring at them within less than one metre radius; we're all officially and morally jealous of them. ;-p

In the most recent update to BGR's hands-on the Palm Prē™ part 1, they mentioned that the handset they're currently testing is a 100% retail unit, but they weren’t able to test things like the simplest task: a phone calling. BGR promises more thorough review on the retail unit, and another full review will be coming soon. The conclusion so far, BGR's verdict on the Palm Prē™ is:

"The OS is great. There’s no ifs ands or buts; it’s really refreshing to see something that’s brand new with a UI unlike anything else out there. The only problem with this is, Palm’s never been a hardware company that anyone’s really cared about. They have been the furthest thing from innovative since circa-2003 — their hardware has always been second rate at best and it doesn’t seem to be changing now."

I don't want to spoil all of the excitement, read the first part of the review directly at BGR's page. And for the last comment, all I can say is: "C'mon Palm, release the unlocked Prē™ already for the whole wide world to enjoy!!" ;-)

Counting down (9 days left) to Palm Prē launch: So these are what have made Apple so mad at Palm

2009-05-28T03:49:00.001+07:00

Hey do you remember what made Apple so mad at Palm back then, when U.S. Patent Office rewarded the Cupertino-based company with a 358-page thick patent on its iPhone multi-touch technology? Which later on turned into a brawl talk between them two: Apple and Palm, it sure is interesting to know what exactly Apple COO Tim Cook was referring to when he said: "We will not stand for having our IP (Intellectual Property) ripped off and we’ll use whatever weapons we have at our disposal. I don’t know that I can be more clear than that."

At that time and even until now the Prē is not released for public yet, so we can only assume that some of Palm Prē's touch gestures mimic iPhone's multi-touch gestures too close. But as days go by and we're nearing the launch date of Palm Prē, new videos and images are leaking everywhere on the net, revealing newly found Prē's features we've never know before.

One in particular for the case of iPhone multi-touch patent that Apple so madly want to defend, is being revealed in the leaked Palm Prē Gesture Guide. A little brochure which seems to be included in every Palm Prē box, to quickly introduce users on how to make the most of Prē's touch gestures technology. As you can see at the images above, the Prē's touch gestures really work like the way iPhone's do. There's 'Zoom In & Out' by using two fingers gesture at once, or the most close one is how the 'Scrolling' works: by 'flick'-ing your finger to the desired direction. The term 'flick' is basically became popular ever since Apple introduce it in the first iPhone, and it is now being adopted by others in similar function for finger-friendly touchscreen apps, and now in the Palm Prē.

Another worthy tid-bit for you to know, is about the background story on how the Palm Prē got the same touch gesture like in iPhone's. Fortune Magazine (via PreCentral) interviewed Palm executive chairman Jon Rubinstein when he decided to use capacitive touchscreen for the Prē, instead of the ol' resistive touchscreen which is used in Trēo and Cēntro:

Rubinstein started, in his words, "hanging out" with Palm people in late June. He didn't like what he saw. The hardware for the Pre needed to be scrapped and rebooted. For one thing, prototypes were using old "resistive" touchscreen technology that responds to a user physically pushing the screen, not the newer "capacitive" technology manipulated by the electricity in the user's body. Rubinstein tossed out the old phone's hardware and built a new one in about 15 months. "We were basically running a marathon and doing a heart transplant in the middle of it," says Rubinstein.

It is true that resistive touchscreen requires the use of a stylus in order to accurately pin point on it, obviously it is an old technology and Palm need to replace it with newer one: capacitive touchscreen. So by adopting it, Palm automatically must use the same touch gestures that iPhone has.

IMHO it goes back to the basic question I've asked in my post about iPhone multi-touch patent: will it stifle the touch technology? Since the patent covers all of the basic ways to use multi-touch technology that anyone can think of...

Counting down (11 days left) to WWDC '09: The new iPhone & iPod might look the same as ever, but what if the 'current' Palm designed it?

2009-05-28T02:37:00.000+07:00

Searching for images or even one live shot of the rumored new iPhone before Apple announced it officially at WWDC '09, is like trying to find a needle in hay stacks. Or more likely, you'll never going to see a real one because the company is known to keep everything closed tight before the official announcement.

But it looks like Apple has finally made a tiny mistake when the Cupertino-based company released the iPhone OS 3.0 SDK Beta 5 to developers, a member of MacTalk forums has found an icon set buried secretly deep within the framework that shows of what seems to be the new iPhone. And it is called as "iPhone 2,1" which is the internal code name usually used by Apple to numerically label the iPhones, starting from the first gen labelled as "iPhone 1,1" to iPhone 3G labelled as "iPhone 1,2". --pictured above--

The numerical numbering may sound strange to us, but that is Apple's method to differentiate hardware changes in each new models. When there's only minor hardware changes made, then the number on the second string increase. And if there's major hardware changes, the first number in the string will be the one increased.

If after you saw the blown up picture of "iPhone 2,1" above you feel somewhat don't want to jump on the coach like Tom Cruise did in Oprah's Show, then you're not the only one. But it's not like we're completely surprised at all, because previously the rumors have it that the new iPhone to be unveiled at WWDC '09 will not has a total make over, but instead it'll only received a little cosmetic touch-up. On the outside, the look and the dimensions will be the same as ever. On the other hand, the inside will offer more powerful hardware parts than the both older models.

The "iPhone Slider" concept

Back in the days where Apple first introduced its one and only 'brainchild' smartphone; there was this rumor about how Jon Rubinstein pressed the need for a physical keyboard on the iPhone when he still works there, but Steve Jobs disagree and went with his own design for the iPhone as we all know today. So what if the very 'soul' of current Palm, Jon Rubinstein, did have his iPhone design approved? Would the iPhone has a slide keyboard just like Palm Prē™? That's when people started to dub the imaginery device as the "iPhone Slider"...

But that's not what happened, the iPhone we know as today doesn't have a physical keyboard. Although what we know for sure is Jon Rubinstein did design the Palm Prē™, and he did a major change from the original design. Fortune Magazine managed to interview Jon Rubinstein about it, here's a snipped info of the interview:

"Rubinstein started, in his words, 'hanging out' with Palm people in late June. He didn't like what he saw. The hardware for the Pre needed to be scrapped and rebooted. ... Rubinstein tossed out the old phone's hardware and built a new one in about 15 months. "We were basically running a marathon and doing a heart transplant in the middle of it," says Rubinstein."

I got the feeling that Jon Rubinstein has a certain fondness to a sliding keyboard mechanism, don't you think? Would it be good or bad, it's hard to know since there are pros and cons on having a physical keyboard that slides out underneath the screen. The debates are way too long for this post to contain. But thank goodness we have this greatest gift from God when things were not how we thought they would be: imagination. And with helps from various design artists, we've got two cool "iPhone Slider" concepts below for you to drool over. ~LOL~

Which one do you prefer? Personally, I like better the left one with less cramped keyboard and bigger buttons. One of the most things I like from iPhone is its user-friendliness for our big-bulky fingers. ;-p

The new iPod nano with camera

The latest juicy rumor is saying that Apple prepping a new iPod nano with a wider screen and built-in camera, and iLounge added more fuel to the rumor by creating a rendered image of the new iPod nano. But still in the thought of what if Jon Rubinstein is still at Apple and he's designing the new iPod nano, how would it turns out to be? Could it become like the right image below? Another slide out physical keyboard under the iPod nano's screen and click-wheel? Ouch, I guess I'm being a mean person right now, but like I said above; I got the feeling that Jon Rubinstein is a 'slide-keyboard-out' kinda person... ;-)

Sources are from:

Google's paid apps arrive in Singapore

2009-05-27T23:18:00.001+07:00

Not many of us know about Google's paid apps since, well let us be honest here, most of us only use the free apps. So it's kinda weird to hear the news of Google apps offered...

But nevertheless, after shook off the shock from hearing there are paid services from Google (yes, it's more than one! ;-p), let's hear more about it. According to a PC World article; a Singapore-based company called PointStar has start offering Google Apps Premier Edition and will provide consulting and support services for local customers.

Google Apps Premier Edition is the version of Google's online application suite designed for companies with more than 50 users. Unlike the free version designed for companies with up to 50 users, Premier costs US$50 per year for each user. For that fee, companies get 25GB of storage per user, instead of 7GB, as well as migration tools and more support.

Google is looking to recruit more resellers for Google Apps Premier Edition in Singapore, and plans to expand the program to Malaysia, Indonesia and India in the coming months, Ramanathan said. The service is already available in other Asian markets, including Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, said Deepak Ramanathan, Asia-Pacific head of enterprise marketing for Google.

This move will clear the way and smooth the path for the arrival of Google's Android smartphones, which naturally will also use Google's services (Gmail, Docs, Calendars, etc.) either they're paid or free versions. And by aiming for small to middle businesses, Google will be able to plan a stronger base in yet to be untapped potential of Asian markets.

Say, what about you Palm (the cue goes to the Prē™)?

PalmAddict marks a decade of dedication & friendship

2009-05-27T19:07:00.001+07:00

Oh, woops... here I go again. While everyone has congratulate PalmAddict on its 10 years birthday, here I am late as usual to pen down my own congratulation for PalmAddict. I intended to do this since two days ago, but I was so busy and the workloads prevented me to post even a tiny-bitsy thought.

But before I get to that, I just want to say exactly the same of what Sammy has also come to realized when on May 25th, 2009 our beloved PalmAddict weblog turns 10 years old: "...wow cannot believe I am using the word 'decade' to mark my site."

I know I was not there when PalmAddict first established, nor when PalmAddict grew for the past years after its birth, because I only joined PalmAddict last year. But even without witnessing it, to mark a website or a weblog for a decade long is remarkably awesome! For any kind of establishments, a decade means you'll have to have a large amount of dedication to make it this far. To think of PalmAddict has been always fueled by users' thoughts and contributions, it is so awe-inspiring to know you're not alone out there, and there are a lot of fellow Palm and mobile users who feel the same way we do about the brand which has pioneered the PDA road into our digital life.

Because of that, there's no site or blog like PalmAddict. And to tops it all, in my personal humble oppinion, it is the great atmoshepere at PalmAddict that makes it to become such a heart-warming community for me to call as 'home'. Where everyday, every hours and every minutes, I'll come here whenever I can to check what's new and to see familiar faces (I mean names... ~LOL~). In this vast world of internet, I've marked PalmAddict as my 'virtual home' and I'm sure many of you do the same whether you've realized it or not.

In this very special moment, I believe it's the most appropriate time to thank you all of you: readers, associate writers & editors, who have made PalmAddict what it is now. It's because of you, PalmAddict exist and stay strong even in these harshest times. And of course, we all can't thank you enough to Sammy for all he has done to PalmAddict. He is the rarest kind of fellow you can find in this short life of ours, and I've learned a ton from him ever since I joined this one-of-a-kind community.

But the biggest treasure I found in PalmAddict is not those lavish gifts that Sammy love to throw so often, like the PalmAddict 10 year birthday throwaway, it's not that really. But it's a chance of a lifetime to let yourself be heard in a big community like PalmAddict, to be a part of it, and to learn lots of new things from others whom you can call as 'friends'. For me, it's really an honor to be allowed to contribute for PalmAddict. But the real shiny jewel I've received from you and which I'll always keep close to my bosom; is what I'm proud to call as: 'friendship'. Life is short, and to have crossed path with you, and to be allowed to call Sammy and most of you as 'good friends' is every man's riches to die for.

Happy birthday PalmAddict!!! All of the best wishes for another decade to come, where hopefully we're all can say this together out loud: "Whoops... here we go again!" ;-)

Counting down (12 days left) to Palm Prē launch: Palm finally decided to support prēDevCamp

2009-05-25T01:21:00.003+07:00

Sammy has just posted up prēDevCamp date announcement from Michael McAsey, and the date is set at June 13th. And as I was keeping tabs with the prēDevCamp website, there's a big and joyful announcement for all of us Palm Prē-fans: Palm supports prēDevCamp!

Before I lost you on the basic questions such as: "Why is the news such a big deal?" or "What is that suppose to mean? Did previously Palm disacknowledge prēDevCamp?" or even question like "What is prēDevCamp anyway?!?" I think I should start over from the scratch before the latter question pops up for real, but don't worry I promise I'll make it as brief as possible. ;-p

In essence; prēDevCamp is an upcoming not-for-profit gathering to develop applications for Palm Prē using both the Mojo SDK and traditional web standards, the event inspired by the original iPhoneDevCamp and other similar events. The founders and organizers of prēDevCamp are consist of three great whiz people with their own unique backgrounds: Giovanni Gallucci, Dan Rumney and William Hurley (a.k.a. 'whurley').

The community quickly captured the attention of many developers and mobile fans, who are willing to line up and commit to local events. Just in the first week, they saw 10 cities sign up for the event. As in today, prēDevCamp already has a camp that is scheduled to host over 1000 developers in almost 100 events around the world. A testament to the huge, sleeping community/fan base that Palm has been ignoring over the past several years.

From the very start, prēDevCamp has agreed that the community would live and thrive with or without Palm, Inc.’s support or participation. The fast growing popularity of prēDevCamp soon enough made Palm Inc. interested, but Palm Inc. asked the organizers to put a disclaimer that they were not affiliated with them, before Palm Inc. would enter into a relationship with prēDevCamp. So thus now you'll see the said 'disclaimer' on the top of prēDevCamp website whenever you visit there.

Since the first contact, the conversation began to developed some kinda theme that sounds more or less like these: “do you work for Palm?” or “why are you doing this?” and better yet: “why would you do this if we’re not paying you to?” And so, Gio's (one of the co-founders) answers would seems to answer your question too about what is the nature of prēDevCamp event:

"We hoped to help breathe new life into the mobile development marketplace via a grassroots effort by building a developer ecosystem around the first mobile device, The Palm Pré, to generate widespread excitement in and out of the tech press since the iPhone."

"The event is not about Palm. It’s about the community. The brand is a vehicle to rally a number of like-minded people around, but it’s not the reason for the event. We do this because we want to build community, connections, cool products, make great software, solve problems, meet new friends."

What happened next, without spilling out the whole ugly nitty-gritty, there was a misperception on both sides of prēDevCamp and Palm Inc. about the NDA they've agreed upon. I won't spoiled the emotional story, so I'm sorry my good readers but you'll have to read Gio's side of story to know the entire chronology. In the end, the 'never real to begin with' relationship between prēDevCamp and Palm, Inc. was over. The experience from the contacts left a certain bitter taste for prēDevCamp...

But now, to put aside the differences and the bitter taste from the previous mischief relationship, Palm Inc. has decided to fully support prēDevCamp. This mirrored in a recent post on the Palm Developer Network blog from Pam Deziel, VP of Developer Marketing at Palm:

Palm supports prēDevCamp 100%
We overreacted to the whole disclosure issue. We’ve been in stealth and super secret mode for so long now, we needed a real world conversation to see how we needed to work things so everybody can operate in their own environment.
As messy as it feels right now, the passion of the community is incredibly positive

The announcement carries a very good sign from Palm Inc., which soon later one of the prēDevCamp co-founders Dan Rumney responded with a wise comment: "prēDevCamp cannot exist without support from the community and we’ve seen that in spades. With the addition of Palm’s support, we can expect prēDevCamp to thrive."

After a heart-warming conversation and an exchange of 'virtual hug', Giovanni also posted up his own take about those recent discouraging events: "Everyone now has a better understanding about the reasons why folks made certain decisions, internal workings on each side, and some of the thought processes that led to these recent events. ... With all that being said, the end result has been a more active, genuine, intelligent, and serious relationship between Palm and its independent developer community. Everyone wins!"

This is how it all should worked out from the beginning, and we at PalmAddict camp can't be more happy for both sides (prēDevCamp & Palm Inc.), and wishes the best of luck for prēDevCamp to become a major contributor to the success of the Prē. After all, the success of Palm Prē may very well depend on developers. Namasté.

* Special note about this blog post's title: as I'm writing this blog, the time in my country already gone to the next day so it's '12 days left' for me since the previous post. ;-p

Counting down (13 days left) to Palm Prē launch: Palm & Kris Allen, the American Idol 2009 winner

2009-05-24T18:43:00.001+07:00

A little off topic; last night I just got the chance to watch the final episodes of American Idol season 2009. The final match between the two last contestants: Adam Lambert & Kris Allen, and the crowning of the winner. I know I'm late to watch the shows and I already knew who the winner is from the internet, but that's because I was so busy for the last weeks.

But wait, what this got to do with Palm? Why do I start blabbering about a singing competition in here? So if you could just bear with me for awhile...

First of all, I usually don't give much of attention about American Idol (AI). I don't even know who wins and at what season after Ruben Studdard, the winner of AI season two. Yes I know, you must be sayin' how lame I am. I used to only watch the auditions to see the funny people so desperately trying to sing a song, and think they're THAT good. And I also used to stop watching it when the contest starts moving to the big stage.

But this year's season, it caught my attention especially when the 'underdog' contestant Kris Allen sung Bill Wither's "Ain't No Sunshine" with such amazing and fresh composition that no one have ever heard, or in this case; no one have expected that from him. Kris continued to surprise everyone when he changed Kanye West's "Heartless" song into an energetic coffee house jam with his guitar, all of a sudden he turned from an 'underdog' into a 'dark horse' in the competition. Kris' uncanny ability to made every chosen songs into his own version, has helped his modest yet charming personality to win more votes than the favorable contestant Adam.

No one remembered or recognized Kris from the start of the show, the AI producers didn't even bothered to show Kris until he reached the semi-finals. In contrast to the other contestant, Adam who received plenty of attention both from the judges and fans, including from the producers. Adam often overly publicized and given better stage effects like special lighting, stage smoke, etc. than Kris. And on the finale the judges literally handed the crown to Adam, while they tried to comfort Kris by saying he should be proud to make it this far. Everybody, including Kris himself was so sure that Adam will become the winner of this year's AI.

When the results announced, everyone's jaw drops and eyes were wide open. Kris was speechless and said this when Ryan Seacrest the show host asked him how he feels: "It feels good, man, but Adam deserves this." Too bad they didn't show Adam's reaction at that moment...*

This is where I feel the resemblance of Palm's situation right now with what happened to Kris Allen, Palm had been ridiculed so many times before the Prē introduced. And with new features of the Prē spilled out in almost monthly to weekly basis, everyone are beginning to see how good actually is the Prē. The once 'underdog' company now turns into a 'dark horse' to be reckon with by every other competitors in the market right now.

As Kris has been crowned as the winner and is now doing his victory laps at his home town (and presumably at his room too ~LOL~), Palm is yet to receive the same situation, not at least after the Prē released on June 6 next month. That is, if the fabled webOS™ is as good as we've seen it so far.

And even though Palm will do its own victory dance after the Prē becomes a success, Palm will still face a tough time ahead when Apple is also rumored to introduce a new iPhone just two days after the Prē launched...

* If you still want to read more about Kris Allen and American Idol 2009, then visit Alan Sepinwall's excellent article at NJ.com. And whilst you're there, perhaps you'll want to pen down your own oppinion at the article's comment section which has reached 281 comments as I write this blog. ;-p

Counting down (15 days left) to WWDC '09: New iPhone model rumors round-up

2009-05-24T14:40:00.007+07:00

Do you really believe Apple will introduce a new iPhone in WWDC '09 on June 8th next month? Even though Apple is like usual never give an official statement on its upcoming hardware line-ups, either it's Macs or iPhone, we're emotionally believe that Apple will follow through its own tradition to introduce a hardware refresh when it comes to WWDC events. Like last year, Apple CEO Steve Jobs presented the iPhone 3G, also at WWDC.

But based on tradition alone, does not guarantee the arrival of third generation of iPhone. Except, it's Apple we're talking about here. A company which always managed to surprise us all whenever it comes to a new fine build product, along with nice looking and fluidly smooth software. However, talking about new iPhone software is not something wholly new, because Apple already unveiled the iPhone OS 3.0 software update which is also coming in summer later this year, most probably to accompany the new hardware.

With that in mind, that leaves one big hole absence of heart yearning for a new iPhone model. At first, we can only assume. Later on, rumors are beginning to pour in and hint that new iPhone is on its way. And as we're nearing the WWDC '09 event just in more or less a couple weeks, signs are emerging to back up the evidence of new iPhone. Apple is trying so hard to close tight the lids, but no matter how good Apple is, unintentional blunders or deliberate mistakes are made and thus make it harder for Apple and non-believers to deny.

The rumors

While we're counting down the days left to WWDC '09, let's take a quick flash back from the old to the latest rumors that hint the arrival of a new iPhone:

Apple is now selling iPhone 3G online. Starting on the early weeks of May, Apple Online Store began offering to ship iPhones to new AT&T subscribers for free. The price remains the same at $199 for the 8GB model and $299 for the 16GB model. Why all of a sudden Apple had a change of heart? It's obvious that Apple is trying to clear out its warehouse of old iPhone stocks, in order to make space for the new model.
AT&T is running out of iPhone 3G stocks and starts offering refurbs for sale. Some subscribers are reporting of iPhone 3G shortage in their area when they called AT&T call centre, of course AT&T denies any shortage and spokesman Brad Mays claims that sales representatives provided "incorrect information," but doesn't elaborate further.
Vodafone Australia puts 16GB iPhone 3G into the EoD (End-of-Life) list. One of Apple's authorized wireless carriers in Australia has sent out an advisor note to its retail staffers saying that the 16GB iPhone 3G is discontinued by its distributor Brightpoint. "This is an opportunity to take advantage of these devices whilst they're still available," the carrier said.
AT&T's BlackBerry Bold trade up program includes 32GB iPhone 3G. 'Fishy' thoughts and rumors are flying around when AT&T includes its hottest selling handset into the BB Bold trade up program, why would AT&T do that unless to show that its cutting-edge iPhone 3G is old and new model is coming right up. And to tops it all, AT&T 'accidentally' spilled the bean of a 32GB iPhone 3G themselves.
T-Mobile Austria "accidentally" posted up a dummy placeholder page for a 32GB iPhone. Aaanndd... it's gone now. The 32GB iPhone placeholder has been removed shortly after the blogosphere is on fire because of the dummy page. *sigh*
Rogers is also expected to launch the new iPhone in Canada. Rumors has it, or in this particular rumor: BGR's ninja has it that Rogers will launch the new iPhone on the same day that it lifts off in the US. Purchases will be limited to one iPhone per customer on opening day and there will be active demos on display in stores.

The specs

Those are the rumors, but they are not complete without specifications. Unlike like the rumors, these specs are confirmed by findings in the iPhone OS 3.0 software registry system, and backed up with reports from various sources. So without further ado, let's have 'em already shall we:

32GB and 16GB storage capacities
600MHz processor speed
256MB RAM
3.2 Megapixel camera
Video recording & editing
OLED screen
Built-in FM transmitter
Built-in digital compass (magnometer)
Direct movies & tv shows download
Apple logo on the back to light up*
Rubber back*
$199 and $299 price-points to be maintained
July 17th, 2009 release date

* These aren't confirmed, just some iPhone-fans wish list. ;-p

** Also, don't forget to tune in to PalmAddict Podcast #156 in which Tyler Faux discuss about the rumored new iPhone too.

Last thoughts

Apple knows exactly what excite people most is a new hardware, not just a software update, the beauty inside does not apply right for this time. Especially when the Palm Prē launch date is so close to WWDC '09, the time will come soon where Apple need to battle the Prē head-to-head.

Although it looks like we won't see much different of the new iPhone from current existing model, again by knowing apple's tradition of hardware refresh like its Mac line-ups. It's most likely Apple will only add light cosmetic touch on the exterior of the new iPhone. Because Apple has already struck a gold with iPhone's look, its minimalist and pure aesthetical look is in line with Apple's own famous philosophy. We might only going to see small changes on the back of the new iPhone... maybe.

A motherload of Prē screenshots released to tease us of webOS goodness

2009-05-23T12:04:00.008+07:00

Aaargh... This just ain't fair!

With the official release date of Palm Prē™ is just around the corner on the early month of June, we are being teased so many times with numerous Palm Prē™ hands-on in the wild by those 'generous' yet morally cruel beta testers, who consciously take pictures and worst is leaked out the video of the Palm Prē™ test handsets in action.

Oh, the torture never ends! When will I can get one for myself...

And if that wasn't enough, here comes another one. Palm Goon (via Engadget Mobile) has released a motherload of Palm Prē™ screenshots which have never been seen before. This confirms some of the Prē™ features, and better yet reveals three new features: auto-backup, auto-update & First Use utility.

Like any of you, I quickly rushed to the Palm Goon but just to found out that the website's server is heavily populated and busy so I couldn't get the pages rendered perfectly. Thank goodness it's weekend, otherwise I wouldn't had the time to keep pressing the refresh button. So after tiresome attempts to see them all, I took the liberty to re-post the screenshots here so my fellow addicts can also enjoy them. Excited? Well, so am I. Let's dig 'em! (Note: click on the images to enlarge them)

Things You Might Not Know...

Looks like Palm has created the Prē™ to stay updated and backed-up automatically, so you won't be bothered doing all of those routine but technically important actions. Of course you can turn on/off the backup feature, or even do a manual backup. There's a "First Use" utility to help you set up your Prē™ for the first time, and create or link up to a Palm online profile. Other little thing I love about the Prē™ is those large menu buttons, they're looking very finger-friendly, so who says we still need a stylus these days? The Prē™ will challenge the iPhone in terms of finger-friendly touchscreen, that's for sure.

Meet the "Tasks" app

One of the important features in smartphone is its ability to create a list of tasks and to-dos for your hectic schedule, easy to make and easy to manage, those are the keys for the Prē™ to win the hearts of busy multitaskers (the cue goes to business men/women & housewives ;-p). It doesn't look like going to take a rocket scientist to use the task and to-dos list in the Prē™, in fact judging from what Palm Goon demonstrated with the above screenshots, seems like it's so enjoyable and easy to use.

The Prē™ comes with "copy & paste" feature in almost every utilities and apps in it, so is including in here. iPhone, you better watch out.... And in case you're wondering what is that circled "i" button on the next of each tasks made in the list, clicking on it will open up notes for the given task as you can see on the second screenshot from the right. Still on the particular screenshot, you can also see there's a small "envelope" icon on the right corner below the screen, that's just how the Prē™ will notify you when there's a new email. Neat, eh?

Meet the "Memos" app

This "Memos" feature in the Prē™ is just as useful and intuitive as the “Tasks” but simply serves a different purpose, said Palm Goon. The "Memos" home screen is simply eye-catchy, as pictured on the most left screenshot above, and looks as good when viewed with the Prē™ cards system (far right screenshot). Clicking on the "New Memo" sticky pad icon at the "Memos" board will open up a new sticky pad memo with random color, to change the color of the new memo is simply by tapping on the slightly folded memo on the right corner at the bottom screen, and then choose from the four colors available. And not to be forgotten; you can also "copy & paste" in here. Another "uh-oh" for iPhone... ~LOL~

Meet the Web Browser

The Prē™ web browser looks to take the battle head-to-head with iPhone's Safari web browser, a true worthy contender for Apple to worry. Palm Goon noted that the Prē™ web browser is "truly fast, intuitive, full-featured web browsing, and what you get is the full HTML version of the page. No mobile watered down version. You get all of it. Lightning fast and incredibly accurate to form."

The Prē™ web browser home screen shows you an input bar on the top, and the bookmarks are hanging out as thumbnails in the background as you type. Another feat for our eyes is how the Prē™ can handle multiple web pages opened up at once and displayed them all together on the cards system, as pictured at the most right screenshot above. This really shows the Prē™ raw power to do real multi-tasking, something Apple tries so hard to avoid in iPhone. A very big double "uh-oh" for iPhone... ;-p

Head on to each of Palm Goon's links to see all of the screenshots in their full size, just get ready to drool for more of the webOS™ goodness. Remember, you've been warned... And just in case you didn't notice, Palm Goon also throws a Palm Prē™ giveaway contest so be sure to check it out.

If the Palm Prē™ is really going to be as good as advertized, then I can't wait for Palm to release a slew of webOS™ devices in near future. Because based on what I've seen so far, including from these Palm Goon's screenshots, I'm quite sure Palm has a real ace in its palm. Let's just hope Palm does make the webOS™ versatile enough to power up various kind of devices for the next years to come.

An encrypted fashion advice from Apple support

2009-05-21T13:30:00.006+07:00

These days you gotta have to be an 'Apple genius' or a real hardcore Apple fans in order to decrypt the messages coming out from the Cupertino-based company, and one of the latest resolutions from Apple support regarding the recent static shock that comes from iPhone/iPod earbuds is just another example.

Users have been complaining the experience of a small and quick electrical (static) shock from their earbuds while listening to iPod or iPhone, the grumbles are pouring all over at the company's support site thread.

"I get a small shock in my right ear only when I am on the treadmill at the gym. Really weird!" said one user. Other user also wrote: "Maybe it's just me but for a couple of weeks now my earphones are delivering little electric shocks into my ears."

Apple quickly respond at its support page by explaining that the condition does not necessarily indicate hardware issues with the iPod, iPhone, or earbuds:

This condition is very similar to dragging your feet across a carpet and receiving a static shock by touching a door knob.
Static buildup on your electronic device is largely due to the environment that it is used in. Certain environments and actions can encourage static electricity buildup:

Very low humidity (dry) environments are conducive for static buildup.
Very windy environments are conducive for static buildup.
Taking your device in and out of your pocket can create a static charge.
Jogging or exercising with your device can cause a static charge.
Clothes made with synthetic fibers (like nylon) can easily become charged with static electricity.

Apple offers some methods to remedy the condition such as suggesting users to try wear different clothes with natural fibers, since synthetic fibers are more likely to hold a static charge. But this would mean that users are more prone to wet their iPhone or iPods, because clothing with natural fibers are easier to absorb sweat from sports excercise. Users should be aware of their devices' warranty, which has limited coverage on submerged condition.

That isn't the best part, an eagle-eye TG Daily writer Emma Woollacott spotted the fashion tip behind the particular Apple support on this static shock case: "Leave your iPhone/iPod in your bag or pocket." Apple's argument is because removing your device from your pockets frequently as rubbing the device on certain materials can cause a static build up. Well, for a function point of view that might be the right thing to do. But why would you want to conceal the cool device from everyone's sight, when the main purpose of getting it out from your bag/pocket is to show it off to everyobody. ~LOL~

But hey, perhaps you can pick one of this handmade iPhone felt-case, it's a handstitched case imitating the iPhone's stunning home screen. The $49.5 worth case is made from sheets of SOFT felt and measures 14.5 cm x 8 cm, covers almost every iPod and cell phones as said by the maker (via iPhone Savior). This way you can protect your iPod while keep on showing it off to everybody that you own and use an iPhone, or maybe you can fool everyone that you look like have an iPhone but instead use a lame 'dumb' phone inside it. ;-p

Interested? Too bad, as I'm writing this blog that handmade iPhone felt-case is already sold out... Dang! Better luck next time. Or in my case, better write it up faster next time.

"Rosie" UI shows how good Android can be

2009-05-19T23:05:00.000+07:00

I couldn't put it better than how AndroidGuys put these latest "Rosie" Android UI (User Interface) screenshots into words: "Forget cupcakes and donuts. This looks like a wedding cake." ~LOL~

In the not so-so far away land called rumor, in the not so-so long ago, we were served with such delicious offerings: 'cupcake' and 'donut'. And now, comes a new delicate ice-topping to arouse your gluttony and it's called "Rosie". No, it's not cherry on top like usual. But rest asure, it is better and will leave your mouth-watering yearn for more.

The instant super-kid named Haykuro who became famous since he shown off the HTC Hero firmware in his possession to the world without actually sharing it, has come back with another brand new teaser this time and make us drool for more.

It's still uncertain whether this so called "Rosie" UI is just another customized Android 1.5 ('cupcake'), or just an upgrade from the previous HTC Hero firmware. So far, all we know the nickname "rosie" is used several times during the video demonstration below, so it might be the real code name for this cool new UI after all:

rosie_arrange
rosie_add_to_home
rosie_navi

But the biggest question is, how come a 17-years old teen can have this next gen Android UI from a huge multi-dollar company like HTC? Is this just a prank, just some sort of photoshopped & animated pictures? Or is this a deliberate leak from HTC to make some noise before introducing the HTC Hero phone? First thing first; considering how often it is for HTC to make its own customized UI in Windows Mobile handset line-ups, it's highly possible this so called "Rosie" UI could be a real thing.

And the timing couldn't be any better: HTC is about to face an uphill road in June when iPhone 3.0 and Palm Prē are both going to be launched almost at the same time. So it is best to create some kinda buzz no matter how small to stimulate the market and send a message to the consumers that Android too can be as good, or yet better, as those two over-publicized smartphones.

Then what are you waiting for, HTC? Bring it on! Let the war begin, and may the best of all win.

See more of this "Rosie" UI screenshots here, via Android Community.

It's official! Sprint to offer Palm Prē nationwide on June 6

2009-05-19T18:57:00.001+07:00

We finally have a major break through today, Sprint has spoken on the official date of Palm's most awaited smartphone of the year: the Prē™, and that is going to happen just two days before Apple's WWDC '09. Yes sir, you got that right. The rumor seems to be true after all, Palm helped with Sprint is planning to take the battle a head start before Apple had the chance to announce a new iPhone (if it does exist). Here's the snipped information of Sprint's official announcement:

-May. 19, 2009-- Sprint (NYSE: S) today announced pricing and nationwide availability for the highly anticipated Palm® Pre™ phone, offered exclusively from Sprint. Palm Pre will be available nationwide on June 6 in Sprint stores, Best Buy, Radio Shack, select Wal-Mart stores and online at Sprint.com
“The argument that you need one phone for work and another phone for play, or that you have to make compromises between business and lifestyle productivity, is over,” said Dan Hesse, president and CEO of Sprint. “With Pre, compromises of the past are history.”
“Pre is truly a new phone for a new web-centric age,” said Ed Colligan, Palm president and chief executive officer. “We’re a mobile society, and we want our people, calendars and information to move with us. With Pre’s exquisite design and the unique webOS software, running on Sprint’s fast broadband network, we’re changing the perception of what a wireless phone can be.”
Pre comes with a charger in the box, but for anyone tired of plugging a cord into their wireless phone, Palm introduces the Touchstone™ charging dock, the first inductive charging solution for phones, available exclusively for Pre. Simply set Pre down on top of the dock without worrying about connection, orientation or fit. Pre is active while charging, so you can access the touch screen, watch movies or video, or use the speakerphone.
The Palm Pre phone will be available from Sprint on June 6 for $199.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year service agreement on an Everything Data plan or Business Essentials with Messaging and Data plan. An array of compelling accessories also will be available for Pre, including the Palm Touchstone charging dock. The Touchstone™ Charging Kit, which includes the Touchstone charging dock and Touchstone back cover for Pre, will be available June 6 for $69.99. The Touchstone charging dock and Touchstone back cover also are available separately from for $49.99 and $19.99, respectively.

The wait is finally offer... Oh wait a sec, that's not entirely true. First there's still more or less a couple of weeks before June 6, that's one. And secondly, when it is June 6 you'll still have to wait in a "presumably" very long line of other people who want to get the Palm Prē™ too. Awww....

Well, at least that's good enough for you guys who live in the U.S. For us, including me, who live outside the U.S. will have to wait a lot longer than that... ;-p

HTC Hero - Android firmware got shown off

2009-05-18T20:15:00.001+07:00

It wasn't that long ago we got the news about Android next firmware update called 'cupcake' and the Android 2.0 called 'donut', and now we've got another fresh one: a customized Android 'cupcake' firmware which is supposed to run on HTC Hero; an upcoming new Android-based smartphone from HTC.

A 17-years old teen named 'Haykuro' has posted up this HTC Hero firmware screenshots on XDA-Devs forum, the alledgely modified 'cupcake' firmware was ran on T-Mobile's G1 handset. Haykuro also provide a recorded demonstration, teasing us all by showing off the complete firmware information to proof he really has it:

Model Number: HTC Hero
Firmware version: 1.5
Baseband version: 62.505.20.17H_2.22.19.261
Kernel version: 2.6.27-00392-g8312bafDan@Lab709 )
Build number: 20090506 Hero_Generic_WWE #
Software version: 1.0.0.A6288

If that isn't mean enough, Haykuro doesn't plan to share the HTC Hero firmware because of some kinda legal reasons. Well, let's just take a look at the bright side: at least now we know there's a HTC Hero comin' up real soon, and how its UI will look like... ;-p

Sources are from XDA-Devs, via PhanDroid. Don't forget to check out the video below of this HTC Hero firmware in action, courtesy of Rob Jackson from PhanDroid.

Prē-tend theme for iPhone

2009-05-17T18:57:00.001+07:00

You probably have seen this news a couple of times at Gizmodo, and Sammy also has posted them up at PalmAddict. This so called 'Prē-tend' theme made by a graphic designer James Meister, is inspired by Palm's upcoming Prē™ smartphone with the new exiciting webOS™ user interface.

This isn't the first time a Palm Prē™-based theme is made for iPhone, previously there's a similar theme offered at an iPhone group forum. Can't really tell which one is better, because I haven't got myself an iPhone 'yet' (read here if you want to know the reason why ;-p) and since there ain't much of screenshots to compare them. But one thing for sure though, James Meister's 'Prē-tend' theme looks to have a much cuter icons set. One particular I'm very fond of, is that Tweetie icon pictured below.

The 'Prē-tend' theme isn't the only iPhone theme that James has made, he also created four other cool themes for iPhone. Go check 'em all out at his website, and while you're browsing there you can grab the 'Prē-tend' theme as well.

They say: "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery...," but it's a real shame, really... That Palm has shut down the successful TealOS, while Prē™-based theme like this one is coming out like spores in rainy season. While Palm's very own competitor; the iPhone is enjoying a bit taste of the upcoming Prē™, why can't Palm loyal users have the same experience? Bummer...

Sources are from James Meister, via JAiB.

They can’t have it all, but we can…

2009-05-17T18:19:00.000+07:00

This isn’t an ‘idiot’ guide to the universe of mobile phones / smartphones, this isn’t even a deliberate discussion in an attempt to categorized myself or any of you who love shiny new gadgets. Because being a geek who crave for new technologies each day, I found myself scraping the latest news on the net every minutes looking for the ultimate mobile device that I believe will suit the best of my needs. So do I get what I’m seeking for? Err… not at all, in fact I haven’t made the purchase even as I write this blog.

Is it because I haven’t found one? Nope. Is it because there isn’t such a mobile device for me? Nope. The problem is, because I have too much information on the latest technologies to come so I decided to postpone the purchase. Is it bad? In my own terms, it’s not such a bad idea. But not according to some people I know, who don’t care much of what new models or technologies to come out soon, but rather make a purchase because they need it right now.

For the last three months, I’ve been asked several times by relatives and friends about mobile technologies, particularly technologies in smartphones. Ever since the iPhone 3G is officially launched here not so long ago, it has captivated many mobile users and challenge the growing popularity of BlackBerry. The BlackBerry has become very popular here and can be seen being used by almost everyone, not just business men but also housewives and teens as well. There are many times where people are mistakenly recognized my Treo as a BlackBerry, and I always gladly enlighten them about Palm brand.

Basically mobile users here are torn into four choices of mobile platforms: Symbian, Windows Mobile, BlackBerry & iPhone. It’s plain to see the degrading dominance of Nokia smartphones with its Symbian operating system, lots of Communicator (E90) users are migrating to either BlackBerry Bold or Javelin. Windows Mobile is still keeping its presence known through HTC, LG and Samsung products. While the latest and newest comer; the iPhone is quickly becoming a niche mobile device to own by a certain level of consumers*.

Before the latter mobile platforms entered here, Nokia was the most favorable choice and followed by Sony Ericsson. Things were easier back then with fewer options, consumers were not burden with too much diversity across multiple platforms, which now bewildered those who don’t have enough knowledge of the differences between each mobile platform. Simple and basic questions are often thrown at me by close friends and relatives when they’re asking which smartphone is the right one for them, and upon giving them the answers I always opt for the more fundamental reasons on why this or that smartphone is the preferable choice for them, rather than trying to explain every technical details on each device.

Smart vs. dumb

This is the foremost question I asked first time whenever someone asked me to help them pick a smartphone; do you really need a smartphone and make use of its features or you just need a phone to do the usual stuffs (calls & SMS)? Because the reason is quite simple really, no matter how smart and powerful a smartphone is; there’ll be a time where it crashes or freezes after a heavy use. This is where a ‘just-a-phone’ (aka. a ‘dumb-phone’) will triumph over smartphone, it’ll do what it does best without fail when you needed it the most.

Touch vs. press

It’s an emerging old technology which is now becoming a common feature in smartphone, Palm already uses touchscreen in its Trēo line-ups since the first iteration. But users sometime must choose between a device with just the touchscreen or just the QWERTY keyboard, like in the case of choosing between BlackBerry Bold and Apple iPhone. For some people, they like better the feeling of tactile feedback from physical buttons than touchscreen but then people are beginning to adapt with the on-screen keyboard nowadays, so it boils down to personal liking and preference.

Although users do have a choice of having the best of both worlds with Windows Mobile smartphones which mostly feature both touchscreen and QWERTY keyboard in one package, but then comes the next question: do you really need them both? Because to have both means you’ll be paying more, so unless you’re going to use them then you’re just wasting money. If money is not your concern, then you might consider the extra weight of having both technologies in one device.

Simple fun vs. extra fun

I was going to say “simple to use” instead of “simple fun”, but we’re talking about smartphone here, meaning there’s nothing simple to use anymore, smartphones are designed to be capable of doing multitasks so no matter how easy one platform is made there’s always someone out there who can’t use it perfectly. Smartphone itself naturally is prepared for business use, the manufacturers only add a bit of apps inside to make it more fun to use.

There’s Media Player in Windows Mobile, BlackBerry also has its own media player, but Nokia 5800 Xpress Music and iPhone are more entertainment oriented device than the first two mentioned mobile platforms. Sure, users can install 3rd party apps into each of those mobile platforms but that somehow shows what the device can really do and not capable of. So it’s important to set your mind on what is the purpose of buying a smartphone for.

Ease of mind vs. headache

Now this one is very important, especially for them who don’t want to trouble themselves with technical details on how to migrate from one mobile platform to another. It’s one of the most frequent questions asked: how do I transfer my old phonebook to my new smartphone?

Each smartphone with its unique platform is equipped with computer software to manage files and phonebook from your desktop computer or laptop, because of each platform’s distinctiveness, contributes a small problem which can cause a painful headache for average users: contact sync. The contacts in phonebook is essentially the most important information in a smartphone, and by migrating from different mobile platforms means one will have to find a solution to transfer the contacts into different format.

There are some outstanding 3rd party softwares out there which allow users to transfer contacts without much trouble between mobile platforms and desktop/laptop operating systems, but you’ll have to fork out extra cash to migrate into new mobile platform of your choice. This usually discourage the not-so-well informed users to get a better smartphone, which in the end these kinda users will pick an easier path by upgrading to the same mobile platform but with better hardware, this way there’ll be no hassle on transferring the contacts.

No smartphone have it all… (yet)

Every mobile manufacturers try to put more and more features into their products, the competition have brought a positive outcome for consumers and end users, but at the same time left us with lesser options to’ jump-ship’ by presenting new features that the competitors don’t have.

They say you can’t have it all, but can’t we? Can’t we wait until they finished making the perfect smartphone? Like RIM finally fix the problems in its first fully touchscreen smartphone with Storm 2, or Apple at last puts in the missing ingredients into iPhone OS 3.0, or how about if Palm really nail it all down with its most awaited smartphone: the Prē? Can we have it all then?

Last thought

Many wise consultants say the key to decide when is the right time to buy, is not by waiting for the latest technologies to arrive, but by asking do you need it right now or not. That’s one logical thinking to rationalize our urge to have the latest technologies which only God (and the manufacturers) know when they’ll come out, but what if you know? Or better yet how about if you have the information on when is the exact date those new technologies will come out, will you make a purchase now or wait?

Like for an instance; I know the iPhone OS 3.0 software is coming later in June, and there’s a high possibility that Apple will also introduce a refreshed iPhone hardware along with the software update in WWDC ’09. So I much prefer wait for the new iPhone, if it does come out, rather than buy it now and own a device that’s no matter how cool it is but will become obsolete in just less than a month…

But hey, that’s just me speaking. I’m pretty sure you have a different perspective on deciding the best time to have a smartphone with the best and most complete features, good luck! ;-)

* Editor’s note: these facts are not a survey or study, only my personal watch on the current trend market of smartphone use in general at my home country; Indonesia.

If just these iPhones are real & to be introduced at WWDC '09...

2009-05-16T01:09:00.001+07:00

Everybody, starting from Apple fans to iPhone owners, have marked their calendar on June 8th as the most important date to know and see what Apple has prepared for the future of the iPhone. Where at WWDC '09, Apple is for sure to present the new iPhone OS 3.0 software and Mac OS X. On recent announcements, Apple also confirms that the event will be led by Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide product marketing; not Steve Jobs. The famous Apple CEO is apparently still focusing on his health ever since he took six months of medical leave back in January this year, and still on track of come back at the end of June though.

If the absent of Steve Jobs is not heart breaking enough for Apple hardcore-fans, then some of you might already noticed that there's no mentioning or even the slightest confirmation of a new iPhone at the event. Like the Apple we're familiar with, the company keeps tight lips on everything related to the upcoming new products. So the least we can do is to hope, and to keep on dreaming / imagining of what the new iPhone will look like if it's truly exist.

One particular artist, who called himself as 'Inside Apple', has created not just one but two new iPhone concepts: nano & unibody. They're nicely done, a bit over the top but hey that's how we like it right? ;-)

iPhone nano

Life is full of colors... That might actually work as a catchy line for these rainbow colored iPhone nanos (pictured above). ~LOL~ They're simply eye-candy for any gadget lovers, especially for those who love to show off. The concept itself doesn't went far off from the first generation of iPhone, just added two tones of different color at the back while retaining its physical shape.

There have been many rumors before about the existence of iPhone nano, and it does make sense in a way for Apple to pump up the iPhone sales by using the same strategy used for iPod nano. Adding colors will give an extra value to replace the limited features compared to the bigger / original iPhone, a nice trade off for some exquisite users. And with global economy recession wave still hasn't totally gone yet, Apple ought to think of a smart way to outsell the upcoming Palm Prē.

iPhone unibody

This one concept really blew me off my mind, the moment I saw the back of this so called iPhone unibody rendered pic (pictured below), my jaw dropped in awe and I'll definetely going to get one for myself if it does exist. It is so gorgeous...

The thing is about iPhone, it will completely change your perspective once you held it in your own hands. Just like many Apple's other products as well, like the new unibody MacBooks. You can't tell the difference only by seeing the picture, but when you hold a MacBook and touch it, you'll feel the difference is silently overwhelming. So it is a very cool idea indeed if Apple use the unibody technology into the new iPhone, making the frame more rigid without adding too much weight while keeping the beautiful look. A light weight smartphone but very robust; that's how an ideal mobile device should be made. No one has ever done this before, certainly Apple is not going to be the last company to do that... right? ;-)

Sources are from Inside Apple, via The Business Insider, via iPhone Savior.