From now until the end of February (today and tomorrow), you can get 20% off of any software purchase at the treo Addicts Software Store! Palm apps like VolumeCare, Ringo, PdaNet, Butler, PocketTunes and even the new Softick Audio Gateway. Windows Mobile apps like PdaNet for 700w, Sudoku, PocketTV and Texas Hold’em. Just enter the coupon code 2DAYSONLY at checkout to receive the discount.

Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!

treo Addicts Software Store

Technorati Tags: Treo, Palm Software, Palm, Windows Mobile Software, Windows Mobile

This tidbit is from the Palm PR Wire - Ariba, a leading spend management solutions provider, have chose the Treo along with GoodLink technology to power their executive, sales, IT and support groups.

“It’s contagious,” said Brent Putzel, senior manager of Global IT Operations for Ariba. “At Ariba, we are committed to innovation in both the technology that we develop and the technology that we use to help our customers achieve their spend management goals. The Treo smartphone provides a fast and easy way to stay in contact with customers and colleagues and maintain the levels of excellence in service and support that our customers have come to expect. As the number of our employees purchasing a Treo smartphone grew, we knew we needed to support it.”

Read the full Press Release -  Read the rest of this entry »

If you are like me, you have been drooling over these bluetooth stereo headphones that have begun to pop up. Especially the Plantronics Pulsar 590A - bluetooth stereo headphones and bluetooth headset - all in one. Unfortunately the Treos don’t have support for A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile) which is required for bluetooth stereo headphones. A2DP is a bluetooth profile that gives the devices that use it the ability to send or receive stereo audio. There are not a whole lot of devices that support it, and most of the headphones rely on some type of adapter to use it with a MP3 player or computer. But now the Treo 650 joins a very short list of devices that can take advantage of these stereo headsets - without an adapter. All with the help of a new app called Softick Audio Gateway.

Softick Audio Gateway is the first Bluetooth audio streaming solution for Palm OS handhelds which allows to connect Palm OS handheld to the Bluetooth stereo headphones and listen to digital audio played by Palm OS applications: MP3 players, audio book readers, games.

Softick Audio Gateway can operate with any Bluetooth audio device which supports Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) designed to transfer a high-quality stereo audio stream wirelessly.

Softick Audio Gateway captures digital audio from Palm OS audio subsystem and redirects it to the Bluetooth A2DP device: stereo headphones, desktop PC, car audio or A2DP speakers.

Currently we have tested our Bluetooth Audio Gateway with the Bluetake i-Phone BT420EX Bluetooth Hi-Fi Sports Headphone, iPAQ Bluetooth Stereo Headphones (made by Logitech), and Bluetake A2DP enable PC dongle . (I have got it to work well with the Plantronics Pulsar 590A)

Features:
* Advanced Audio Distribution Profile support (A2DP)
* High quality stereo streaming, up to 304Kbps audio bitrate
* Wide-range players and audio software compatibility
* Easy setup and usage
* Support for Mono and Stereo sound stream
* Automatic upsampling/downsampling depending on blueooth headset capabilities
* Built-in audio post filter to improve low bitrate audio quality

So yesterday when I noticed it was released, I quickly purchased the software and looked for the nearest store the sold the Plantronics Pulsar. Drove an hour down to Madison and picked one up at CompUSA for $179 (Ouch! - you can pick it up from Amazon for only $119). Let it charge overnight on the awesome charging stand thats included.

This morning I installed the Audio Gateway software and was pleasantly surprised that it only takes up 158 Kb of internal memory. I fired up the app and it quickly walked me through pairing it with the Pulsar. After that I set the software to “Stream to Remote”, this connects connects the Treo to the headphones. Time to play! Fired up PocketTunes and enjoyed some Linkin Park/Jay-Z. The quality is great - absolutely fantastic. Fired up Audible - works well. TCPMP - yup! Some odd reason MobiTV doesnt work the greatest - audio quits after a few minutes. You will also find that if you are listening to “background” audio like listening to PocketTunes while working in Agendus, the audio will hiccup - possibly quite often. But this is understandable - the Treo is getting the piss beat out of it. A downside that I have found is that if you are listening to something and you make a call or receive a call, you wont be able to use a Pulsar as a headset. You have to switch the Audio Gateway to stream to “Internal” if you want to use a Pulsar as a BT headset. If you are using Audio Gateway with a set of bluetooth stereo headphones like the i-Phono Bluetooth Headphone, this doesn’t really matter.

Couple tips ->

1. If you are looking to use this software to send mono audio to a regular bluetooth headset, it doesn’t seem to work. Tried with the Wireless Treo Headset. You need to use this software with a headset/headphone that supports A2DP. Hopefully in the future it can support both.
2. Every now and then I noticed the bluetooth on the Treo gets mucked up, usually fixed by a soft reset.

Overall I think Softick’s Audio Gateway is a fantastic program. Simple to use and for the most part does it’s job well. Hopefully we can see this on the Treo 700w sometime soon.

treo Addicts Software Store | Softick Audio Gateway
Amazon | Plantronics Pulsar 590A
Amazon | i-Phono Bluetooth Headphone

Technorati Tags: bluetooth, Palm, Treo

An update to MobiTV has been recently made available to Treo 650 users. The update makes some backend improvemtns and may help avoid account authorization problems in the future. Handmark is recommending that all users that don’t have version 1.0.4h to please upgrade.

You can upgrade by deleting your existing copy and installing the new version that you can download here:
http://www.handmark.com/downloads/mobitv/mobitv_installer.prc
MobiTV is a fantastic program that allows you to watch various video broadcasts with your Palm device.

Technorati Tags: treo, palm, tv

Today, VoiceIt Technologies is releasing a new voice command and control application for the Palm Treo 600, 650 and Lifedrive. VoiceNavIt has macro recording and playback to allow users to initiate common tasks on your Palm device. “Just a simple voice command can retrieve your emails, create new tasks, open your calendar and switch between views, take - save – send a picture, launch your favorite PalmOS application and much, much more. The possibilities are as endless as your imagination.”

VoiceNavIt will be available exclusively on their site and Motricity powered sites like Palm and Palmgear software stores.

Thanks Kerry for the heads up on this one!

Technorati Tags: Palm, Palm Software, voice command, Treo

Palm CEO and President, Edward Colligan, will be presenting at RBC Capital Markets 10th Annual Communications, Media and Technology Conference this Thursday at 9:15am. Ed will participate in “In Conversation With” hosted by Mike Abramsky, director, Global Equity Software and Wireless Global Research for RBC Capital Markets. Live audio will be available at http://www.wsw.com/webcast/rbc43/plmo.

Michael Moskowitz, general manager and vice president, Canada and Latin America, Palm Inc., will be part of the Enterprise Wireless Data Panel at the RBC Capital Markets 10th Annual Communications, Media and Technology Conference. The panel begins at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time. The live audio webcast will be available at http://www.wsw.com/webcast/rbc43/panel1.

Palm Press Room | Palm CEO and Senior Executive to Present at RBC Capital Markets 10th Annual Communications, Media and Technology Conference

Technorati Tags: Palm

Its always great to see my beloved Sprint Treo 650 on my favorite shows. Tonight I was treated to a second helping as Agent Jack Bauer used a Treo to send some data to CTU.

I was just thinking of the Diet Pepsi/Jackie Chan commercial where Diet Coke winds up being Diet Pepsi’s stunt double. “Stunt Double!” [D Pepsi switched w/ D Coke] {Crunch!}. How about if they needed a stunt double for the Treo? Say the Treo gets shot out of Bauer’s hands…. “Cloe, I’m sending you a picture of the hostile pointing a gun at me. I need you to…” STUNT DOUBLE! [Treo switched with BLACKBERRY te he he he ] BANG! SMASH!

I get a kick out of seeing the Treo on my favorite shows. Besides 24 I have also got to see it on Smallville quite a few times. I’m just waiting until it shows up on Lost now… I better not hold my breath on that one.

Technorati Tags: 24, Sprint, Treo

Since the wife and I had our first child, we have been very itchy to buy our first home. During the process its nice figure out how much certain houses are going to cost us. Fortunatly there are quite a few free little apps to help us figure out what a mortgage would cost us.

Palm Treos - PITI Calc

This app just showed up on FreewarePalm and I have found this application to be perfect for my needs. Besides a regular mortgage calculator, it allows you to factor in taxes, insurance and even PMI.

FreewarePalm | PITI Calc 1.0

Win Treo - Loan Calc

Simple but effective mortgage calculator - does it’s job well. Even looks good on the 240×240 700w screen.

PocketGear | Loan Calc 1.0

Technorati Tags: Palm Software, loan, Treo, WM Software

Engadget’s new Engadget Mobile site is giving away free phones for the first 30 days. For the first week, they are giving away your choice of a Treo 650 or 700w. Today is your last chance to win a Treo, so get your but over to Engadget Mobile and add a comment!

Engadget Mobile | Day 7 of Engadget Mobile’s 30 days of cellphone giveaways

I got such a kick out of this comment that was made to my “I’m Back…” post, that I decided I would post it and my response as a story..

chris Says: Will my treo 650 get jealous if I look at the new 700 on it’s screen? I already feel guilty typing in this question. I know she knows.

cyberhomie Says: Chris - I’m not really sure. Maybe you need to have a heart to um.. heart? conversation with her first. In some relationships, the pair can find this rather stimulating and exciting. In others, it can cause feelings of jealousy or betrayal and unrealistic expectations like “Why can’t you do that?” or “I wish you were more like that”. Now that I have both, I have found the 2 to be at least civil with each other. They don’t talk to each other much, but at least they talk sometimes. My 650 knows that they are still #1 with me. So I guess my main advice is talk about it first - All you have to do is pick up the phone…. ~ dr cyber

he he he