Trēo 680 promptly appears in the Transporter 3 movie

I think I'm on a streak of luck this week, I keep on spotting Palm Trēo™ everytime I made an appointment with my tv and get comfy with the sofa. First it was in tv series, and this time I saw Trēo™ 680 in the "Transporter 3" movie.

I almost didn't recognize it when the Trēo™ 680 appears for the first time, because it isn't shot close-up. But I noticed it immediately by the glow of the keyboard when used, as you can see yourself at the left picture. The keyboard light also gives out the clue that it is the Trēo™ 680; the alphabet buttons are lighted up while the numerics are not.

It became real clear when in another scene the Trēo™ 680 is placed on the table along with other mobile phones, the Trēo's color is grey so I'm quite positive that it is not the 750 or 755p. All of the scenes showed the Trēo™ 680 very quickly.

For Palm-addicts, especially you who own a Trēo™ like me, these appearances of Trēos in movies and tv series prove that the smartphone of our choice is not that old and left behind. In fact that shows how much Palm smartphones have become an important part of modern digital life style for many people around the world.

Although sadly the Trēo™ 680 in this movie is used by the bad guys, too bad. But thank God there's the pretty Natalya Rudakova (inset picture on the right) playing the main female character in the movie, she surely is a sight for my sore eyes. *sigh* I think I've fell in love... ~LOL~

A dream for an heir to the Air

If we are allowed to have a dream for the successor to the crown holder of the thinnest laptop in the world: The MacBook Air (MBA), then what it'll look like in your imagination? Does it look like the picture above?

What you see up there is not the new MacBook 2009 with glossy dark-colored screen, it is alledgedly the upcoming new "MacBook Mini", well that is according to a 9to5Mac reader (via Gizmodo) from Russia. There's no confirmation whether this is an actual product from Apple, we have to expect this could be just a(nother) photoshop-ed picture made by a hardcore Apple fan. It may be called as "MacBook Mini", maybe to fit it into the long heard rumors about Mac netbook version, but the side view of the device looks exactly the same as MBA.

Although looking at the picture, everything looks to be in the right place. It has the same keyboard design like the MBA's, and it's only natural to assume that Apple will also put the glossy dark-colored screen used in MacBook line-ups onto the MBA. And here's the list of the specs:

• 10.4" WXGA 1280x768 pixels, LED backlighting
• 267x195x4
• 19.4 mm
• 1.03 (of something?)
• NVidia MCP79, 533 MHz
• Intel Atom Z740, 1.83 Ghz, 1MB L2 cache
• 2GB DDR3-800
• NVidia GeForce 9400M
• 64GB SSD
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n
• 1 USB, 1 mini display port
• 5100 mA Li-Ion battery

I can't find the price of this purpotedly Air-like MacBook at the 9to5Mac post, but Gizmodo says it will come sometime in 2009 for $899. Head on there to see more pictures, and prepare a drool bucket just in case you fall in and starts believing. I know I will, I wanted to... because all these time I've been dreaming for a cheaper version of MBA to come out. If just this rumor doesn't came out in Russian... ~LOL~

Microsoft’s new ad hits Mac’s weak spot

So, this is where Microsoft Steve Ballmer was heading when he said Apple users are paying $500 extra for a fruit logo on their machine.

You must’ve at least seen the new ‘anti-Mac’ ad from Microsoft, either you saw it on tv or from YouTube. It is mostly the talked about topic even as I’m writing this blog, which has stirred up so many buzz around the net, especially at Apple camps all over the blogosphere. Steve Ballmer must be full of himself at this moment. ~LOL~

After a couple of confusing ads starring Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and comedian Jerry Seinfeld, the $300 million worth campaign to rehabilitate the Windows brand started as a huge failure. But the motion began to kick in when Microsoft used average-common people to celebrities in the “I’m a PC” ads, from a 4-year-old cutie named Kylie to self-help guru Deepak Chopra. And this new ad is also starring an ordinary but real person, not to mention a cute gal: Lauren.

But before I continue discussing about the ad, surely you noticed that I deliberately wrote "Microsoft's ad” at the title above, instead of "Windows ad." The reason is quite simple, that's because like the aforementioned new ad's title itself which says: "Laptop Hunter $1000," it is actually talking about getting a laptop priced under $1000. And it's not talking about buying a Windows-based laptop or a Mac OS-powered laptop, but it is focusing on the hardware. I’ll explain later, just bear a little with me for awhile.

Let’s get to know a bit about the star of the ad first and what’s it all about, alrite? Lauren, is a red-haired recent college grad who become an office manager and actress. But perhaps the most honest description of her is like what Engadget said: Lauren's a little funky, a little folksy… She was looking for a speedy laptop with a 17-inch screen and a "comfortable" keyboard, all for less than $1,000. At first she made a stop at an Apple Store, the scene quickly jumps to her getting back in the car empty-handed and explains that the only laptop in her price range only has a 13-inch screen.

Then Lauren says: "I'm just not cool enough to be a Mac person."

She ends up at Best Buy, buying a 17-inch Hp Pavilion Windows-based notebook for $699 with a smile on her face. But she was even more ecstatic when the camera crew told her she’ll be a star in a Microsoft’s ad. Microsoft said there was "screaming, yelling, jumping up and down, high fives, thumbs up."

Microsoft says they picked up 10 people who answered a call for volunteers on Craigslist and other websites, accompanied with a camera crew and budgets ranging from $700 to $2,000, the volunteers will be allowed to keep the laptop that fit in their criteria. And if Lauren’s story is not shocking for you, then how about this: while some of the volunteers might have been able to find an Apple computer that fit the budget, Microsoft said none of them picked a Mac!

After the ad aired and the news about it spread on the net, the mouth brawls broke out almost at every article or blog posts that cover the ad. They all come down to an old battle between Apple fans and Windows loyalists, where both of them defending their honor from each other’s attack. It is a bloody pit of bad mouthful arguments, it is ugly, and it is endless. You get the idea.

But poor Lauren, at the end of the day she also became a target of those awful commenters. Like this one who posted at Gizmodo: "I don't care if that broke b*tch can't afford a Mac. I would love to see a study where you give a couple people $2500 and see which laptop they buy." That may be right, if someone has more money to spend then a Mac could be on the top of the list, it would be the contrary if you’re broke. Although at the same time admits that a Mac is indeed pricier than a PC, and that is Mac’s weak spot against PC.

Other than that, I need not to say more. Apple users can argue with plenty of reason on why a Mac costs more than a PC, like many additional user-friendly features offered in every Mac OS X which make users able to run it about 10 minutes after came out of the box. And a Mac is still considered safer than Windows because there simply isn't much malware out there thus the odds of something targeting it is so low, even though if an attacker cared to target them it would be easier for them; as said by Charlie Miller the security expert who took over a MacBook through Safari in 10 seconds at the Pwn2Own hacking competition.

If we’re to put the experience from using a Mac into the math, then it won’t take 10 hours, or 10 days or even 10 minutes for a typical geek to choose the more friendly system: the Mac. Windows Vista is not attracting much of success like XP does, Microsoft know this and waited for the Windows 7 before starts taking the OS battle head-to-head with Mac OS X. Speaking of user experience on Windows, I happened to had another system failure of Windows XP running on a new HDD. Yup, I’m a PC, but even now I begin to think about switching to Mac… ;-p

Ingenously, Microsoft tries to avoid mentioning about the Mac OS in the new ad and concentrate the price compared with the same specifications of the hardware. Like I said before above, the ad is not talking about the OS. But even so, we can’t negate or dismiss the fact that Apple has put a lot of efforts in designing the Macs, especially with the new aluminum ‘unibody’ technology used to construct the latest Mac line-ups. To rest down the case; they (PCs and Macs) are not the same piece of hardware at the first place.

But the funniest part comes last; what will happen if Lauren is given a Mac right now so she can compare herself which one is better? Which one do you think she’ll choose? And that’s what Mitch Gewirtz from Michigan wanted to find out by giving his 17-inch G4 PowerBook to Lauren as a free gift, take a visit to Gizmodo page to read Mitch’s letter. Me, personally, I’d love to see how the love connection end. Hopefully Lauren is 100% real person, not some kind of paid actors, so she will answer Mitch’s generosity. And that would be a thrill to see… ~LOL~

For the last note; if Microsoft is able to create such buzzes even coming out from Apple users with this kinda ad, then the software giant has achieved their first intention of making the ads: to make people talk about Windows again. What will happen next? Be sure to wait for Apple to strikes back with another genuine “Get a Mac” ads cause things are just heating up and get interesting…

Sources are from:

• I'm a PC, and this time Microsoft's buying (AP)
• Microsoft Hits Apple Where it Hurts (PC World)
• Pwn2Own contest winner: Macs are safer than Windows (AppleInsider)

Revisit the Palm Trēo Pro

Let’s take a break from our desire for new news about the Prē™ for awhile, and revisit the latest yet almost forgotten Palm’s creation: the Trēo™ Pro. It is the latest, and hopefully not the last, from Trēo™ line-up which was the convergence of Palm’s PDA with phone functionality and basically put Palm in the map of smartphone market.

For most smartphone users, the Trēo™ Pro doesn’t seem much different from other Windows Mobile-powered smartphones out there in the market. But not for Palm users, or shall I say for Palm-‘addicts’. *wink*

The Trēo™ Pro represent more than physical beauty, it carries the big change in Palm within its slim shell. The sleek body dipped in obsidian black color combined with new screen design that’s flush with the chassis, silently screams out elegant aura and set it free from the old design, or like what Laura M. Holson from the New York Times (NYT) calls Palm’s old design as “calculator-like design.”

“No Detail is Small,” that’s what written on the packaging of Trēo™ Pro. And that is the new change in Palm, which is led by Jon Rubinstein, the executive chairman who was brought in to revolutionize the company.

Stephane Maes, vice president of Palm smartphone product marketing, told a story to NYT when he and a team from Palm were summoned to Rubinstein’s beachside home outside Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, to show about 30 different devices. Rubinstein questioned the team about those devices, and after listening to their explanations, he canceled several Trēos in development, because he thought there were too many products. And besides the Cēntro™, the Trēo™ Pro is the other device approved and we admire right now.

Rubinstein is known for his cold steady hand to turn everything he touches into high quality products, after all he was the man that Apple CEO Steve Jobs asked to lead the hardware engineering division at the ailing Apple back then. Rubinstein also known to look for every details, he has regular status reviews where each product is pored over and discussed. The Trēo™ Pro’s jewel-like packaging is just a(nother) example of his relentless passion for details.

The same vision is emphasized by Peter Skillman, Palm's VP of Design who said: "It takes a hundred little details in aggregate that make for tsunami of a great experience, and what we really wanted to do with Palm is to nail all of the little things and actually drive that across the board ... all of these little things matter, and this is what we really doing at Palm." Head on to my old post to watch the Trēo™ Pro video promo.

For those of you who haven’t see the Trēo™ Pro in person, like me, then you can visit Jose Izquierdo’s album (Flickr link) to see glorious shots of unboxing the Trēo™ Pro in detail. A bit of warning; you might want to chain your legs first before going there, because you’ll soon start running to the nearest Palm store wanting to buy a Trēo™ Pro for yourself afterwards. ;-)

Speaking of buying a Trēo™ Pro, I’ve just realized that it is not on sale anymore on certain Asian Pacific countries including here in my country. I visited the local Palm website, and found out that the Trēo™ Pro is not listed there any longer. The others are China & India. Perhaps Palm is planning to put more focus on the next generation of new smartphone: the Prē™…

The Prē lifts Palm in the eyes of Wall Street analysts

Everyone thought Palm was going down for sure when there was no new smartphone introduce before the company finally revealed the Prē™ at CES 2009 early this year, but for the company that pioneered the path of PDA into our digital lifestyle is still rated as the sixth most heavily shorted company; according to Wall Street Journal data.

But even with gloomy stock value at Palm's camp, the analysts at Wall Street are betting that high demand for the Prē™ will once again make Palm become a strong player in the industry. Here's the rest of the encouraging news as quoted from Larry Dignan (ZDNet's editor in chief):

According to Thomson Reuters data, there are eight analysts rating Palm shares a "buy." Three months ago, there were only two analysts in the buy camp. One analyst calls Palm a "strong buy." Thirteen analysts call Palm a "hold."
On Wednesday, Deutsche Bank upped Palm's price target to $12 and reiterated its "buy" rating.

Palm CEO Ed Colligan along with other executives have delivered confident at the company's third quarter earnings conference call in launching the Prē™ right on schedule, Larry says: "Traders, however, are anything but confident about Palm's prospects." That's true, but there's someone else: Palm fans all around the world who have been waiting for Palm to rise again. You go Palm! Don't you dare disappoint us (again)... ;-)

Trēo 700p still used in one of CSI: Las Vegas latest episodes

I was just catching up on the CSI (Crime Scene Investigation): Las Vegas tv series this afternoon, and as I was sitting comfortly on the couch, I almost missed the appearance of Palm Trēo 700p during the show.

Lucky enough, the Trēo 700p was shot close up and personal so it's pretty obvious to see. It was belong to the victim, which was used to write down expenses such as telephone and car bills. And how do I know it is the 700p instead of the 680? The big ol' antenna is the one which gives away the clue that it is the 700p model (left image).

It's quite amazing, really. With all those new smartphones in the market nowadays, the Palm Trēo 700p is still used in one of the CSI latest episodes (season 9, episodes 15: Kill Me If You Can). And what's more amazing is, that it's not the newer model (680) which is used. This shows how attached common people (in the U.S.) to Palm's smartphones, especially the early models.

Perhaps the Prē will be able to repeat this much of success for Palm? Do you see this Palm? You better be... ;-p

Microsoft dares another lawsuits with Windows Touch logo

Microsoft is on the loose again...

Even with embarassing lawsuits on its Windows Vista compatibility sticker still linger in our memory, the software giant dares us all again with another highly potential lawsuit in the future by announcing the Windows Touch logo program.

Microsoft plans to standardize the new touch feature which will be built-in to Windows 7, and the approach is with Windows Touch logo program, the logo will tell consumers that the PC and all of its components are optimized for the touch feature.

"A major benefit of the Windows ecosystem is diversity – PCs come in all shapes and sizes. To help ensure that there is a great Windows Touch experience across the many different types of PCs we have defined a set of measurements and tests for Windows Touch that are part of the Windows Logo," said by the Windows 7 team at their blog.

And like the same ol' Microsoft we know who love to diversify its products offering, this Windows Touch logo will also be spread over three different type of softwares to support the touch feature, they called it as a 'Good-Better-Best software stack':

1. Good: The “good” bucket is what touch-unaware applications get for free from Windows 7. This type will provide basic support for touch features such as scrolling and zooming.
2. Better: The “better” bucket is focused on adding direct gesture support and other small behavior and UI changes to make apps more touch-friendly.
3. Best: Applications or features that fall into the “best” bucket are designed from the ground up to be great touch experiences. Developers can use this to go beyond the core system gestures and build custom gesture support for their applications.

Sounds confusing? Don't worry, you're not the only one. We can smell 'stinky' confusing sticker incident long before this Windows Touch logo program becomes official along with the final release of Windows 7. But maybe that's how Microsoft rolls, that's how they do their business, that's how they like the attentions coming from lawsuits.

Add this Windows Touch logo into the six types of Windows 7 offering, mix them together, stirred not shaken, and voila! You'll get a headache in no time for choosing the right Windows version for your PC computer or laptop/netbook, too bad the package doesn't include an aspirin. ;-p

But IMHO, Microsoft is not only rising potential lawsuits on this Windows Touch logo from confused consumers, the new built-in touch feature in Windows 7 is also inviting possible lawsuit against iPhone's multi-touch patent from Apple. Just take a look at how the Windows 7 team describes the core gestures of Windows 7's touch feature:

• Tap and Double-tap: Touch and release to click. This is the most basic touch action.
• Drag: Touch and slide your finger on screen.
• Scroll: Drag up or down on the content (not the scrollbar!) of scrollable window to scroll.
• Zoom: Pinch two fingers together or apart to zoom in or out on a document.
• Two-Finger Tap: Tapping with two fingers simultaneously zooms in about the center of the gesture or restores to the default zoom.
• Rotate: Touch two spots on a digital photo and twist to rotate it just like a real photo.
• Flicks: Flick left or right to navigate back and forward in a browser and other apps.
• Press-and-hold: Hold your finger on screen for a moment and release after the animation to get a right-click.

Don't they look familiar to you? Especially for iPhone users, and for those who owns the new MacBooks with its multi-touch glass trackpad. And if the 358-page of iPhone multi-touch patent does cover most of the basic and advanced use of touch features, then Apple has the chance of rattling the lion's cage (read: Microsoft's own touch patents). Because it's for sure that Microsoft will bring some of those Windows Touch features into Windows Mobile 7, it's only a matter of time...

Sources are from Windows 7 blog, via Electronista.

How will Apple handle iPhone death by the Push Notification?

Rene Ritchie from the iPhone blog posted up a very interesting question entitled "Dear Apple: How Will You Handle Death-By-Push-Notification?"

The iPhone OS 3.0 is promised by Apple to arrive on summer this year, and among the most talked about features beside those user-friendly features, is the Push Notification service. It is basically Apple's workaround for background process which is demanded by iPhone software developers, in short the Push Notification will alert users whenever there are new messages coming in. But Rene thought something about this service that might actually causes more problems than solution and most probably death to the iPhone itself, here it is:

"It’s summer 2009 and iPhone OS 3.0 has just been made available via iTunes. ... Then it happens. 20 new Twitter DMs. 3 co-workers IM you. Every tech blog you follow updates about iTunes not crashing this time. Your calendar reminds you about that meeting coming up. And your entire FPS combat team all invite you to come join their game. Suddenly Push Notification is trying to pop up 30 text boxes all at once — while you’re in the middle of an urgent phone call."

Rene got a point there, even though we don't know how the Push Notification service implemented in real use because the iPhone OS 3.0 software has yet to be released, Apple has not disclosed any details regarding how the long awaited service will handle many notifications at once. It seems unfair to say Apple might not see this kinda problem coming from miles away, not to say that Apple has been prepping this service since the introduction of iPhone OS 2.0, and they say it is ready now.

But for sure, it's very interesting to envision how the Push Notification will take shape when it's coming along with the software update. Now from here on, everything I'll say is under the AS IF condition because they're just predictions. For you who read my previous post about this new Push Notification service in the upcoming iPhone OS 3.0, here's a quick reminder of the three kind of the Push Notification types:

1. badges overlay an app icon on iPhone home screen (like the red unread message count icon over Mail app),
2. sound alerts,
3. text alerts that visually appear like text message alert.

I'd say the iPhone OS 3.0 will keep the old way of handling the incoming messages, it will stack the messages like we have now with the current software, but if user dismisses the messages then those will be shown as red-colored circle badges with numbers on the top of the related app icons. Only after user decides to open those messages by launching the related apps, then the app will tell Apple's server that the messages have been opened to reduce the un-open messages left. Because like what I've mentioned in my previous post, that the app only maintain connection with Apple's server only if it's running.

Suffice to say, users won't loose the dismissed messages but still don't solve the hassle if there are over 20-30 messages coming in and you need to check them one by one via related apps. Apple's answer if asked, is probably will recommend users to use the new Spotlight feature to quickly search for the un-open messages. But even with Spotlight, users will probably (again...) have to remember what messages coming from which apps, or need to remember the key words from the messages. Unless the iPhone's Spotlight can perform like the one in Macs, where for an example all the users need to do is write "new message" then Spotlight will show them in alphabetical order or according to the oldest first or newest ones.

It'll be interesting to see how Apple will wrap this up in a nice little bundle of package called iPhone OS 3.0, because no matter how it'll be handled, the iPhone will always be compared to its closest rival: the Palm Prē™ with its multi-cards system. Just like what Rene has said: "Both the Google Android with its top-down slider and the Palm Pre with their bottom loaded notification area provide a far less obtrusive and simultaneously more persistent — and dare we say more elegant? — notification solution." ;-)

Geeks reinvent the new iPod Shuffle as a fashion tech-cessory

Read this post with one big Apple love that hearts every products the fruit-logo company make, especially the intriguing new iPod Shuffle.

I haven't got the chance to mock... err, I mean to discuss the new Shuffle, but since Sammy is throwing a brand new Shuffle at PalmAddict, then I suppose this will be a good time to do so.

As you've already learned, Apple decided to ditch the famous wheel-click and replaced it with voice control located at the earbud cord, the new technology called VoiceOver. Because of that making the new Shuffle thinner than ever, and weight less than the previous models. But Apple also touting it as "Fashion tech-cessory," and it appears to be true.

Take the sassy-beauty Veronica Belmont for an instance, she uses her new Shuffle as hair clip. Perhaps she lost her daily hair clip, and so her boyfriend the Gdgt tech-blogger Ryan Block took the initiative to replace it with the newly bought Shuffle. But still, she noted the Shuffle as a potential choking hazard. ;-p

And there's Dylan Tweney, who uses his Shuffle for tie clip (right image). That's actually a great way to show off your new gadget to your co-workers, as well as a fashion replacement for those fancy expensive tie clips used by uptight executives.

In any ways, they all are making the most of their new Shuffle. Showing that even geeks also have their fashion awareness too, it's just kinda quirky to see how they thought about it and do it. Hey maybe it's true, seeing the Apple logo really do make you to think more creative? ~LOL~

Source is from iPhone Savior.

Get $5 worth Wolfstein 3D for FREE at Cydia

No really, you didn't misread that. The exact same game Wolfstein 3D game from Id Software, which is offered for $5 at App Store since March 23rd; is now available for free at Cydia!

It is the exact same, because it is the same game. It's all thanks to Id Software who published the game under General Public License (GPL), and put the source code in the open for everyone to download.

Two days later Zodttd simply downloaded the source, compiled, and published it to Cydia. Click on this link (via ModMyiPhone) to get it!

So, I wonder which one you'll choose: the $5 worth official game or the free legal same game at no cost? *chuckles* Like I need to ask, rite? ;-p

Ngmoco CEO: "Why the iPhone has changed everything"

Kicking off the Game Developer Conference (GDC) as one of the starting speakers, Neil Young; founder and CEO of Ngmoco stole everybody's attention with his presentation entitled: "Why the iPhone has changed everything."

He opened the speech with a discussion of mobile platforms war between the Nintendo DS and the Sony PSP, Neil theorized how Nintendo might use the native functionality of the iPhone. Neil believes that the iPhone’s social qualities will affect all apps and there will be likely a whole new slew of online multiplayer apps.

Then his presentation showed 'LiveFire', a first person game app for iPhone from Ngmoco which is based upon the upcoming iPhone OS 3.0 software. LiveFire uses Push Notification so users can request a friend to join the game, the game also features the new In-App Purchase to buy new weapons and levels directly from the game. Please read my previous post for brief explanation on these two new features.

Neil sees iPhone as a game changing device that bring together console, social, and PC gaming into one platform. “The App store has created a level playing field,” said Neil. He explains that Apple has “fostered an ecosystem … there are over ten thousand developers out there” in addition to over twenty-five thousand applications. Neil's words somehow in match with what I've described in my post about iPhone OS 3.0 impact on other mobile platforms.

Read the whole news coverage at Macworld article, and you can watch the LiveFire demo at this link.

Meebo CEO: iPhone's Push Notification is what we needed

Apple plans to put inside plenty of user-friendly features into the upcoming iPhone OS 3.0 software update in summer, and the Cupertino-based company is working on a native iPhone feature to answer the challenge of multitasking ability from other mobile platforms: Push Notification.

Software developers have been complaining about the lack of background process in iPhone which is needed for their apps to work properly, but instead of letting they have it their way, Apple promises a more efficient way to do that with Push Notification (read my previous post on this).

Meebo has been around for quite some time, where before the iPhone OS 3.0 arrive, Meebo has a web-optimized iPhone app and an Android app to offer to its users. And Ars Technica spoke with Meebo's CEO Seth Sternberg about his company's forthcoming chat app, and why it will make a significant breakthrough for iPhone. Here's a snip of the interview:

When asked why Meebo has waited until now to offer a native iPhone app Sternberg offered the obvious answer: Push Notifications. "We have high standards, and a native chat app without some kind of a background system is a bad experience." Push Notifications was the answer Meebo needed, and the forthcoming iPhone OS 3.0 feature will allow users to be alerted of new messages even when they're not running the software.

We are yet to know how good and useful this Push Notification feature will be until iPhone OS 3.0 released to users later, but for a start Meebo is feeling the love of what the Push Notification can bring to their app. And like what David Chartier from Ars Technica has said in his article: "When Meebo arrives sometime this summer, it will probably be one of the best examples of what is possible with iPhone OS 3.0's new Push Notifications features." There will be more apps to come to make the most of this new Push Notificaition feature. Read the rest of the interview at Ars Technica page.