Palm has followed through with their promise that they made last Friday on releasing the MR update for the Sprint 700p. Thank You, Palm. Now get it out soon for the Verizon users.

Here is what the update includes:

Product enhancements:

• Performance improvements to phone application
• System improvements to minimize skipping during music playback and eliminate audio delays experienced on some games
• Performance improvement to minimize delays experienced when loading Blazer® browser
• Support for new daylight savings time legislation, plus a simplified Date/Time preference panel
• Increased expansion card support including 4GB SD cards and SDHC cards
• Resolution of certain “wake up” issues that may occur with certain third party push email solutions
• Improved handling of SMS messages to lessen stalling of messages.
• For customers using Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 with SP 2 and above, an update to VersaMail® client now includes an update to Microsoft® Exchange ActiveSync® which adds Microsoft’s Direct Push Technology for push email, calendar and contacts. Also adding other EAS functionality such as remote wipe, policy support, and global address lookup

Bluetooth® wireless technology enhancements:

• Increases list of supported/compatible Bluetooth wireless carkits, including BMW and Toyota/Lexus (Denso)
• Improves overall user experience with supported Bluetooth wireless carkits and headsets (e.g. allow user to manually connect / disconnect to a Bluetooth device)
• Additional Bluetooth wireless functionality (e.g. audio routing to Bluetooth headset even when wired headset is plugged in)

Palm Support : Treo 700p Update
Palm Support : Sprint Treo 700p Update

Palm’s Paul Loeffler just posted on their official blog that the Sprint Treo 700p MR update should now be arriving now on Monday, June 4th - but no definite date on the Verizon Treo 700p’s update. Originally scheduled for release this week (”Week of May 28th”), Palm posted an update to their original MR timing announcement that the update would most likely be delayed. The post said that it may have come out today, but now they confirmed that it wont be coming today in the most recent post on the blog. Only minutes after the new one was posted, the blog entry has already begun filling up with angry 700p user comments.

Even as a Treo Addict, all the recent news and announcements out of Palm has begun giving me a bad taste in my mouth and many other users. Palm has seemed to be devoting plenty of resources to new product development and, until recently, completely ignoring 700p users. With 755p hardware/software being pretty close to the 700p, users have been somewhat slapped in the face with new product that have the desired fixes and yet no fix for their own device. Being a former 700p user (I have a 755p now) this has been pretty irritating, but for me thats all its been - just irritating. I’m not raving pissed over it though. For the past year, I have definitely more happy with the 700p then upset. Even with it’s problems, it definitely served me better then the 700w did.

Unfortunately for Verizon users, the blog originally stated the Verizon update would follow in a couple weeks. But in the most recent post, Paul stated the release date is unknown. Grrrrrrr…. I think Verizon goes through a little more QA testing then Sprint does and Verizon sometimes criples features found in the Sprint counterpart. Not sure what the case is in this instance.

Either way, one thing that is kind of concerning me about this update - is that since it seems to be missing release dates, how well will this update actually be tested? The update should be in Sprint’s and Verizon’s hands by now… right? If it is, I would think that the carriers would have a good idea how long their QA testing would take. If users take it hot out of the oven, will we be surprised with some horrendous side effects?

*Sigh*

Official Palm Blog : 700p MR Timing
Official Palm Blog : Timing Update for 700p MR

Palm just announced this morning the new addition to the Treo family - the Treo 755p! Almost exactly a year after the 700p was released, Palm introduces it’s successor. The new Treo has a lot of the same specs as the 700p but sports the new 680ish/750 design. Some of the new features include miniSD support, longer battery life, no antenna, and a few software changes. The mail program looks like it has been updated with a few new features, the Messaging app now threads picture mail along with text messages, a new multi - instant messaging program is included and Google Maps is now installed into the ROM as part of the default applications.

Read more to view the full press release…
Read the rest of this entry »

Palm just released the new Palm Treo 700p - a new Palm OS powered Treo. The new Treo sports more memory, EVDO (faster network), Dial-up networking, a better camera and some new bundled software.

Here are new changes since the 650 -
• 128MB Built-In Memory (60MB usable)
• CDMA2000 - EvDO (High Speed!)
• 1.3 Megapixel camera
• DUN via bluetooth and USB
• PocketTunes
• Streaming Audio/Video

At the time of this posting Sprint and Verizon have not announced when the 700p will be released.

I am very enthusiastic about this release - can’t wait to get my hands a hold of one. The 700w is a nice phone, but as a Mac user - Palm OS is just better.

Check out the Treo 700p info page or read the full press release -

Palm Reveals Treo 700p Smartphone, Blending Broadbandlike Speeds with World-class Palm OS Usability

SUNNYVALE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–May 15, 2006–

First Palm OS Based Treo Smartphone on EvDO Offers Faster Connection Speeds, Dial-up Networking, Rich Multimedia and More Memory

Demonstrating its commitment to providing mobile professionals with a choice of smartphone operating systems, Palm, Inc. (Nasdaq:PALM) today announced the Palm(R) Treo(TM) 700p smartphone, which includes hardware and software innovations centered around usability, connectivity, multimedia and compatibility. As the first Palm OS(R) CDMA-based Treo smartphone to offer the broadbandlike speeds(1) of the EvDO (Evolution Data Optimized) network(2), the Treo 700p smartphone helps customers better balance their personal and professional lives by combining an easy-to-use mobile phone with high-speed wireless data access to web, email, business and multimedia applications.(3)

Pricing and availability for the Palm Treo 700p smartphone will be announced later by Sprint and Verizon Wireless.

“The release of this Palm OS based product on the latest high-speed network technology is music to the ears of our dedicated installed base of Palm OS customers and clear validation that we intend to continue to focus on multiple platforms for our solutions,” said Ed Colligan, president and chief executive officer of Palm, Inc. “This flagship product - the second new smartphone Palm will introduce this calendar year — offers our world-class usability combined with a smarter phone, wireless email, built-in browser, and rich media capabilities - all at blazing speeds on the EvDO network.”

As the newest member of the Treo family, the Treo 700p smartphone combines the award-winning hardware design of the Treo 700w smartphone with Palm’s innovative software that has shipped on approximately 3 million Palm OS based Treo smartphones worldwide. Palm differentiates this smartphone from others in the Treo line by offering the following features along with many additional enhancements:

First Palm OS Based Treo Smartphone on EvDO

Adding a fast data connection to the already efficient Palm OS platform speeds email, messaging and large attachment downloads, and dramatically enhances web browsing. The speed of EvDO also allows for an enjoyable experience when streaming multimedia content, and the Treo 700p smartphone ships with Palm’s first built-in streaming application. The Treo 700p streams mobile content, such as live TV, movie clips and audio from radio stations, as well as training videos or company communications.

“Palm continues to deliver powerful and easy-to-use smartphones to the market, and we are pleased to be a part of the new Treo 700p smartphone with Palm OS,” said Toru Arakawa, chief executive officer, ACCESS Co., Ltd. “We believe the Palm Powered Treo smartphone, together with the wide variety of applications available from our developer community, provide a powerful mobile-computing experience.”

First Treo Smartphone with Built-in Dial-up Networking (DUN) Capabilities

Treo 700p smartphone users can take advantage of broadbandlike EvDO download speeds on their laptop computers by using the new smartphone as a wireless modem via USB or Bluetooth(R) wireless technology. This functionality may eliminate the need to purchase Wi-Fi or other connectivity services at coffee shops, airports and hotels. For the first time on any Treo product, this capability is available out of the box. Individual carriers will set pricing for appropriate data plans.

Supercharged Multimedia

In addition to the new streaming application, the Treo 700p smartphone now includes a 1.3-megapixel camera and camcorder, offering four times the resolution of a VGA camera. To help Palm customers organize and share their photos, the new product makes it significantly easier to create and manage photo and video albums. Once albums are created, Treo 700p smartphone customers can use the slideshow application to add music, audio captions and transitions.

The Treo 700p includes Pocket Tunes from NormSoft, Inc. for playing music files. The new application, with an easy-to-use Palm-customized user interface, offers customers more options for sorting music and making play lists. With an upgrade to Pocket Tunes Deluxe, Treo 700p customers can play content from all music stores that use Microsoft’s PlaysForSure/Janus technology.

Additional Memory

The Palm OS based Treo 700p smartphone includes 128MB of memory (60MB user available). By using SD memory cards, currently available with 2GB of storage (sold separately), in addition to the 60MB of dedicated user storage, users have plenty of room to download and carry important documents and multimedia content.

Other Treo 700p Features and Benefits

– Superior phone functionality, including personalized ring tones for various categories of callers and the ability to ignore a call with text messaging;

– New voice-memo application, which can be used to create custom ring tones, add voice annotations to photos or simply record a memo;

– Enhanced email and messaging, including better Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 ActiveSync support, which now includes contact sync in addition to email and calendar, as well as threaded SMS/MMS messages in a single chat view and out-of-the-box support for Yahoo!, AOL, and Gmail;

– Smarter, faster web browsing using a new and improved version of the award-winning Blazer browser;

– Full PDF support using DataViz(R) Documents To Go(R) Version 8.0, which also offers native support for Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint; and

– The fast, friendly and familiar Palm OS platform, Version 5.4.9.

In-box Treo 700p Smartphone Applications

A CD in the Treo 700p smartphone box includes extra applications — some free, others for a fee — such as VoiceSignal, for users who want voice dialing, and Avvenu, for those who want access to their home- or work-computer files while on the go. A secure VPN software client is provided by anthaVPN. Anyone with downtime could appreciate games from Handmark (Solitaire) and Astraware (Bejeweled), while those with a commute may find Palm Traffic to be a useful application. For book-lovers, the CD also includes Palm eReader as well as software from Audible Inc. for listening to audio books.

New applications for the Palm OS platform continue to be developed and improved. Two recent additions include scanR, which cleans photos of whiteboards and documents and delivers the results as a PDF file, and Lower Mars’ Mobile Golf Pro, which uses the Treo 700p smartphone’s streaming application and the Blazer web browser to stream videos of golf lessons and tips. On the enterprise front, Good Technology has enhanced GoodLink’s push-email experience and security capabilities.

About Palm, Inc.

Palm, Inc., a leader in mobile computing, strives to put the power of computing in people’s hands so they can access and share their most important information. The company’s products for consumers, mobile professionals and businesses include Palm(R) Treo(TM) smartphones, Palm handheld computers, and Palm LifeDrive(TM) mobile managers, as well as software, services and accessories.

Palm products are sold through select Internet, retail, reseller and wireless operator channels throughout the world, and at Palm Retail Stores and Palm online stores (http://www.palm.com/store).

More information about Palm, Inc. is available at http://www.palm.com.

(1) “Broadbandlike speeds” refers to download only.

(2) Within EvDO data wireless service coverage area only. Actual data speeds vary based on network capacity and application design. Backward-compatible with 1xRTT and IS95 networks.

(3) Within wireless coverage area only. Email and web require data services from a mobile service provider at an additional cost. VPN may also be required. Outlook email requires Microsoft Exchange Server 2003.

Technorati Tags: EVDO, Palm, Sprint, Treo, Verizon

Today, Earthcomber announced the launch of their new Windows Mobile version of their software. Earthcomber, along with free maps for any city and county in the US, offers travel and shopping guides that point you to nearby locations. Your Earthcomber map (free) shows you where you are at and combs the surrounding area to find stores, restaurants, hotels, natural and historical landmarks, ATMs, etc. You tell it what you want and how far to look and it will find it for you. We call it the ultimate “favorite things finder.” There are also “spot guides” from such publishers as Where to Wear, Damron, Exxon Mobil, and Avalon, that offers layers of excellent pointers to make your trip complete. If you’re hungry for BBQ, it can not only tell you where to find it, but can tell you if the pulled pork is better than the brisket. If you’re shopping for evening wear, it can offer you complete reviews of nearby retailers who carry the best lines.

I have played with this app on my Treo 650 previously and its a pretty slick program. I also tried it out on my Treo 700w today and it works well. Once I get a chance, I will try to do a full review on it. Did I mention its FREE?

Thanks Kevin for the heads-up on this.

Earthcomber

You can check out the full press release below - Read the rest of this entry »

In case you missed it, Palm recently released a firmware update for Verizon Treo 650 customers. The Verizon Treo 650 Version 1.04 Firmware Update includes:

• Optimized memory handling with non-volatile file system improvements
• Improved user interface for multiple call scenarios

Get the instructions and download the update at Palm’s website:
Palm, Inc | Treo 650 Updater 1.04 (for Verizon Wireless)

Technorati Tags: Palm, Treo, Verizon

Well its official, the Palm Treo 700 has been announced! It will have Windows Mobile 5.0, EV-DO and will be exclusive to the Verizon network (at least at first).

I will post more details once the press conference is finished.

Technorati Tags: EVDO, Microsoft, Palm, Treo, Verizon, Windows Mobile

Janet (tokerud) from tech ronin, submitted this terrific article about recent moves in the Palm world -

Last week Japan’s Access outbid Palm and other European players in the purchase of PalmSource, the keeper of the keys to the Palm OS. Access is the creator of the Blazer web browser that comes with the sale of higher end Palm devices. It’s not surprising that Palm tried to acquire PalmSource to secure it’s influence over the future of the OS it originally developed. But the Access and other players bid the price up so high that Palm dropped out and Access got the Palm. This single event creates distance between Palm and Palm OS. Maybe Palm OS as we know it is truly dead.

An Access-owned Palm OS will likely veer away from the kind of Palm OS we’ve been used to in the West. Access is likely to go after the huge possibilities of a Linux-based Palm OS in the Chinese cell phone market and shape the Linux/Palm OS according to that market’s needs. It is believed that PalmSource’s acquisition, China MobileSoft, was an especially attractive part of the deal to Access.

This week we learned that Palm is doing a big press announcement Monday morning and all evidence points to their introducing a Win Mobile 5 Treo! It seems strange after PalmOne just paid $27 million in May to get back the Palm brand name, that they would abandon the Palm OS, but things look dicey. Bill Gates will be in on the announcement on Monday. Seems like a pretty big deal.

It’s not clear yet whether Palm will also announce a new Palm version of the Treo. If Treo goes Win Mobile without a Palm counterpart, it may presage a complete switch from Palm OS to Windows Mobile. That’s big.

On the other hand, Palm might hedge their bets between Win Mobile and Palm OS over the next while. They could experiment with Win Mobile as a long-term option and also use it as a low cost stop gap during the iffy transition between the fast-becoming-ancient Palm OS Garnet and the Palm/Linux OS that PalmSource hopes to release in late 2006/early 2007. After all, Palm also recently licensed the Palm OS through 2009.

Palm’s Ed Colligan admitted in June that the PDA market is in decline. We now have credible reports that Palm’s new round of PDA’s will be far from groundbreaking. They look like they are being treated like cash cows with few new features, running the same aging Palm OS 5.4 that last year’s devices were already running. From a marketer’s point of view, that would seem appropriate.

A smaller, white, low-end color Palm called the Z22 selling for $99 seems to be the result of an effort to distill the essence of Palm into a potent, high-volume play. The new Tungsten model, now called the TX, seems to be a scaled back T5 (which many thought itself was disappointing) with only one new feature - wi-fi. It will run at 312 mhz instead of the 400 mhz of the T5 and will have 128 mb flash ram instead of the 256 mb of the T5.

These models should have great battery life but will certainly disappoint Palm enthusiasts who have been champing at the bit to have Palm go head to head against bigger, more powerful and feature-laden Win Mobile devices like the Dell Axim X51v. Even though I’m probably one of those enthusiasts, knee-jerk reactions aren’t always best.

This actually seems like smart thinking at Palm who, with visionary Jeff Hawkens, have the intellectual firepower to be smart on these things. Each of Palm’s devices has a distinct positioning. The T22 for those, especially women, who might use this cute little device instead of a paper organizer. The TX for the more practical power-user who wants lots of screen, wi-fi and good battery life in a pocketable device that will compliment his (or her) small Bluetooth cell phone. And the Lifedrive which is harder to fit in a pocket with its hard drive, but gets Palm in first to the promising hard-drive-based media/PDA space.

Even the Treo 700w, the new Win Mobile Treo, is a scaled back effort. This comes as a shock to 650-owners who especially love the Treo’s 320×320 screen. The 700w is expected to have a 240×240 pixel screen. That’s anathema to a Palm fanatic, but probably not shocking or necessarily too disappointing to Win Mobile enthusiasts. Win Mobile doesn’t support 320×320. Palm had to choose between 240×240 or 480×480 and chose the less expensive, less power-hungry option.

[photo via Engadget, Z22 and TX details via PalmInfoCenter, good analysis via Dylan Tweney, and Jeff Kirvin’s 1src podcast 42]

Thanks Janet!

Technorati Tags: Access, Microsoft, Treo, Verizon, Windows

Are you planning to purchase a flight or go on vacation soon and would like a free Palm Treo 650 to keep you company while away? Beginning today and ending on December 31, 2005, United, Palm and Cingular Wireless are giving customers the opportunity to receive a free Treo 650 when they book and pay for a qualifying roundtrip or one-way flight of $500 or more on United, UnitedExpress or Ted. Customers must activate the Treo with Cingular Wireless and sign up for a wireless data and voice plan with a two year agreement.

“Our partnership with Palm and Cingular Wireless provides our customerswith a great opportunity to stay connected when traveling for business orpleasure,” said Dennis Cary, United’s senior vice president-Marketing. “This promotion enables us to continue offering our customers the best of everything- the latest technology, the best frequent flyer program and the mostcomfortable seating in Economy Plus.”

Customers must be a Mileage Plus member and can register for the offer at http://united.com/Treo.

AirportBusiness.com| United Customers Could Receive a Free Palm Treo 650

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