Google just released a beta of Google Talk, Google’s new instant messaging service. If you are using anything besides Windows XP/2000, you can’t use Google’s official IM client that supports Voice chat. Fortunately, the service is based on the open-source Jabber/XMPP project - so there are plenty of alternative IM clients that you can use. On my Mac I added the service pretty easily following Google’s directions to both Adium and iChat. I did a search through my address book and added all my @gmail.com contacts to the contact list and fortunately one of my contacts was already playing with it also - Phillip Torrone from MAKE: Blog. So now that I had it set up on my computer, I quickly decided to try to figure out how to get it so I could access Google Talk on my Treo.

I did a search on the treo Addicts Software Store for jabber and came up with Causerie and IM+, unfortunately neither of these worked. I did a little more searching and found Chatopus. Since this program has SSL support, I figured it may work. After a bit of trial and error tinkering, I finally figured out how to get it to work. Here is the settings I used…
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Palm and Audi have announced that they will offer a new generation of communications solutions designed to improve safety and convenience for drivers: easy and totally integrated hands-free calling inside the car. Using built-in Bluetooth(R) short-range wireless technology and the Palm(R) Treo(TM) 650 smartphone(1), drivers of 2006 Audi A6 and A8 vehicles can make and receive calls(2) totally hands-free using the car’s MMI(TM) (Multi Media Interface) console, voice-recognition interface(3) or steering-wheel controls.

Bluetooth will come standard in all 2006 Audi A8 and A6 vehicles and also in 2006 Audi A4 and S4 sedans and Avants when the vehicles are equipped with the optional phone preparation. Some of the features include the ability to:

– Pick up or ignore incoming calls;
– Dial outgoing calls;
– View active call status, including caller ID;
– View the Treo 650’s call history;
– Dial from Treo 650 favorites, speed dials, or call logs;
– Access Treo 650 voicemail;
– Manage multiple incoming calls; and
– View carrier information, including signal strength and roaming status.

Read more…

Palm Press Room | Palm and Audi Launch Communications Tool for Improved Safety and Convenience on the Road

Treonauts posted an article on using Skype on your Treo via a new service called iSkoot.

“I expect that sooner or later we will see a full VoIP solution for our Treo but in the meantime I am delighted to say that I found an application called iSkoot from a Cambridge, MA, based startup that is extremely simple to install and use which provides VoIP at least partly using Skype.”

If you have a Windows PC, iSkoot can transfer Skype calls to a mobile phone. You can also make Skype calls using this service. The iSkoot website also states that support for AIM, Yahoo, and Microsoft services, as well as for Mac systems. There is a 30 day trial available and is $9.95/mo for unlimited usage after that.

Although I don’t use Skype that much, I may have to try this out.

Treonauts | iSkoot, I Skype, I almost VoIP with my Treo 650
iSkoot

*Update*
Andrew followed up his article on iSkoot, answering a question - “Would it really save me money?” His answer is Yes -

Treonauts | Build your Mini Mobile VoIP Gateway and $ave

Technorati Tags: Skype, Treo, Windows

An enterprising hacker and acquaintance figured out how to change (temporarily for now unfortunately) the displayed network name so that he could see at any time whether he was connecting with Cingular’s blue network or orange network (because the blue network works much better for him in his location):

How to change network name displayed in phone app (GSM)

Jeff Boulter describes how to make a Favorite that dials a phone # and an extension #, useful among other things for phone conference services that require a passcode.

Jeff Boulter | Using your Treo 650 to dial extensions

I updated my Cingular Treo 650 using the 1.15 updater last night. Went great. I was on 1.04 prior. Sure is nice to be all squared away. Now I have some elbow room!

First, I backed up with Resco Explorer (I really like it) to my SD card. That extra backup sure helps when you are going to be doing a hard reset. Then I did a final sync with Missing Sync.

Then I continued to just follow the detailed instructions on Palm’s Cingular 1.15 Updater page without a hitch. I got more than 6 megs of extra space out of it! I did, as warned, lose preference settings for third party apps. But I can restore those from my Resco backup. At least that is the plan in any case where it is a hassle to reset them. The main one I’m probably going to recover is Zlauncher which I had just the way I wanted.

Total time elapsed was about 45 minutes.

Technorati Tags: Cingular, treo, treo 650

It’s been six weeks since I got my Treo and I love it. Fantastic little machine. These past few weeks I’ve been avidly following the Treo and Palm sites to see how I can best use my new plaything. Here and there, I have found and added several fun and useful new pieces of software: Village Sim, Initiate, Missing Sync, Agendus Pro, Bugme!, SkinUI, AeroPlayer, Butler and Verichat.

Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for me to start running out of memory. I didn’t really understand how memory works on the Treo but the manual said that you can copy programs to an SD card, so I did. I would move a few things to the card and then everything would be fine again. But then after adding a new thing or two, I would run out again and move some more things to my card. Good thing I have a 1 gig card.

First, I used the Copy command in the Palm’s Applications launcher. Then I graduated to the Move command in the free FileZ app. Eventually, I started using Zlauncher as my mover of choice.

My experience might not be typical because I’ve added a lot of new software and I use Cingular. Cingular hasn’t released an update for the Treo 650 yet but it is expected any day now. The upgrade is supposed to free up 6 or 7 more megs of memory. I’m really looking forward to that upgrade so that I can have a bigger block of free memory. Right now I have 5 megs which is probably about the bare minimum.

Because the Treo is so cool and I’m not a novice with computers, I started combing through my manual and two books (Now You Know Treo and TREO Fan Book). I did some surfing to find memory tips and went so far as to read a bit of the Palm OS Programming Bible. I’ve been determined to master memory.

I learned that programs that copy applications to your SD card work in different ways. It became clear that you are better off using a single method to move software to your card rather than mixing and matching like I have been doing. Here’s what the options are:

Palm’s simple Application launcher Copy to card command leaves the app on your handheld. If you delete the app then be sure not to delete all its related files or you may have an unusable app on your hands. I know.

The simplest move-to-card methods are to (1) use hotsynch to install new software and click the Change Destination button to install it on your SD card or (2) use a file manager program like FileZ to move it to your card from your handheld. These methods move your app into the PALM/Launcher directory on your card. This avoids the need to delete the app but your app will wind up listed under a category called SD Card (or whatever your card is named). You lose the category for that app. All your games, utilities and main apps are now lumped as *on your card*.

If you have a mild memory shortage, the above feature might fix your problem and you are done. But if your memory shortage is more severe, you’ll be unhappy that the data files that go along with your moved apps will still be on your handheld eating up precious RAM.

Some programs like PowerRun, Zlauncher and TealAlias go further. They create tiny aliases that stay on your handheld so that those aliases can still show up under your categories. They also create folders on your card for each app to allow the data files to live on the card together with the apps.

If you are synching your Palm to your PC, you may find that applications moved to your card don’t synch anymore. As I understand it, Zlauncher, at least, does some magic that allows synching as well. So far, I haven’t tried to put my basic PIM apps on my card, since they require synching, but I’m thinking about it.

Casual Treo users may not ever hit a memory wall. But enthusiasts can count on it. If you are an enthusiast, I recommend that you get a good memory management program or the more generalist Zlauncher to give yourself plenty of room to enjoy your Treo.

Technorati Tags: cellphone, handhelds, Palm, treo, treo650

For the last hour or so the internet has been toast at my office. So I pulled out my recently updated Sprint PCS Treo 650 - now with Bluetooth Dial-Up Networking. As I’m shaking, going through internet withdrawal, I go into the Bluetooth preferences on my phone and enable Dial-Up Networking. Now I hit connect on my trusty PowerBook - and bam! - I’m back online. Whew that was close!

Now I’m back to surfing, chatting, checking my email, getting my news and so on.

If you have a Sprint PCS Treo 650 and have a bluetooth enabled computer, be sure to update your Treo with the latest firmware and check out page 75 of the new Sprint PCS Treo 650 User Guide:
palmOne : User Guide-Sprint Model

Technorati Tags: Sprint, Treo

Over on the great new site, MAKE Magazine [www.makezine.com/blog], Dave Mathews (no not that Dave Matthews) does a step by step article on using the new DUN features of the recently released 1.12 firmware for Sprint PCS Treo 650s.

“MAKE contributer Dave Mathews has cooked up how-to for all the [Sprint PCS] Treo 650 owners out there! If you own a [Sprint PCS] Treo 650, this guide will help you with setting up your PC for DUN after you have performed the 1.12 firmware upgrade. You will need a laptop with integrated Bluetooth, or an adapter like my favorite tiny Kensington USB Adapter model number 33085…”

Later in the article he mentions this:

“I have been using a voice phone connected to a computer for three years – starting with an LG 5350 and a USB cable, then a Sony/Ericsson T608 with Bluetooth before moving to the Treo 600 and finally the 650. I have not been charged for any extra data fees on top of my “unlimited Vision” account, but I have not had excessive use. I use the phone as a modem only when I have no WiFi access available.”

I found that interesting because besides the Treo 600, I have used the exact setup over the last few years - LG 5350 with USB, Sony Ericsson T608 (www.t608.com is another one of my sites), and now the Treo 650.

Unfortunately, this article covers setting up BT DUN with Windows XP and doesn’t cover Mac OS X. Mac users can still use the instructions provided by Trevor Harmon, you can just turn on Dial-Up Networking in the Bluetooth preferences and skip down to around the 4th step.

MAKE: Blog: HOWTO: Legal DUN on the Treo 650

Technorati Tags: bluetooth, Windows, Sprint, Treo

” Thought this was blog worthy for you:

How-to: Upgrade Locked Cingular GSM Treo to an Unlocked GSM version

From their site:
Have a Treo? Hate the Cingular branding, and all their extra unnecessary programs? Tired that they drag their feet to issue a system update? Want to use your phone on another carrier?

Here is a step by step guide to unlocking your Cingular Treo, and making it unbranded. (This will also give you the option of choosing another GSM provider if you are to do so at a later date).

Hope you like ”

- signedandsealed

Thanks!

Technorati Tags: Cingular, GSM, smartphone, T-Mobile, Treo