October 12, 2006, 10:08 AM PDT
Palm announces low-cost Treo 680
Posted by: Bonnie Cha

Hey, here's a shocker (well, not really, since we know Palm can't keep a secret): today, the company announced the new Palm Treo 680, a low-cost version of its famed smart phone. Unfortunately, we don't know exactly what "low-cost" means as Palm, in its ever-teasing fashion, didn't reveal specifics on pricing, carrier (although we have our guesses, Cingular, cough, cough), or availability today. Palm CEO Ed Colligan did say, however, that it will be priced competitively with similarly featured smart phones out there, and its aim is to reach a broader and more geographically diverse audience. So here are the juicy details:

Design: The Treo 680 will be available in four different colors: graphite, copper, arctic, and crimson. Now, while I certainly appreciate the variety, what's with the fire-engine red and bright orange? If part of the purpose is to attract more women, I'm not sure the "I can see you from a mile away" colors are going to do it. Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The device measures 4.4 by 2.2 by 0.8 inches and weighs 5.5 ounces; the antenna is also integrated into the device, so no stubby antenna. The screen displays 65,000 colors at a 320x320-pixel resoution.

Phone: It's a quad-band (GSM 850/900/1800/1900; GPRS/EDGE) phone. New phone app with a revamped user interface (five-tab view), active call thumbnails, integrated contacts, and simplified favorites. Also supports the ignore with text feature (one of my favorites) of the Treo 700 series, conference calling, and a speakerphone.

E-mail: Preloaded with VersaMail 3.5; now called Email on launcher page. Exchange ActiveSync now includes contact synchronization. Improved smart addressing, so it will remember recently used e-mail addresses. AutoSync for scheduling synchronization with e-mail, calendar, and contacts. Also comes with Documents To Go 8 for viewing and editing Word and Excel, and a PowerPoint and PDF viewer.

Multimedia: VGA camera with video-recording capabilities (yeah, you read right--lowly VGA; see my rant below). You can now add music to slide shows and save pictures as contacts. Includes Pocket Tunes for MP3 playback and streaming media (audio and video) without the need for third-party apps.

Wireless options: Bluetooth 1.2 and infrared. And no surprise here: no integrated Wi-Fi and it won't even support Palm's Wi-Fi card.

Other nuggets: Runs Palm OS 5.4.9 and has 64MB of SDRAM and 64MB of user-accessible memory. SD expansion slot accepts up to 2GB cards. Rated battery life: 4 hours of talk time, up to 300 hours of standby time.

Our take: OK, so those are the cold, hard facts; now, here's what we think. It's really hard to say how much of a value the Treo 680 is without knowing the exact price point of the device. As we mentioned earlier, Colligan said it will be competitively priced with other smart phones in its class, and most estimates have it going for around $199, much like the RIM BlackBerry Pearl and the Motorola Q. That said, the VGA camera is a complete disappointment. Both the Q and the Pearl have 1.3-megapixel cameras; hell, even most camera phones have that now, so why such a lowly camera for the 680? And please don't even get me started on the lack of Wi-Fi, let alone 3G support. That said, the tweaks to the phone and e-mail apps seem promising, and we always appreciate the intuitive nature of the Palm OS. It's also good to see the Treo is catching on to the skinny-phone craze.

So, while we think the Treo 680 is definitely a step in the right direction for the company, Palm is really going to have to step up to the plate to compete with latest crop of Nokia, Windows Mobile, and BlackBerry devices. We'll hold off final judgment until we get our hands on the actual product, but in the meantime, we'd love to hear your thoughts on the device and the future of Palm. TalkBack below.

Also, check our for our First Look video of the Treo 680 and photo gallery.

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October 12, 2006, 9:56 AM PDT
Sony Mylo hearts T-Mobile HotSpots
Posted by: Bonnie Cha

I don't know about you guys, but I'm still trying to figure out the Sony Mylo. I mean, on the one hand, it's a cool little gizmo that's Wi-Fi-enabled so that you can instant-message your friends, and I was really impressed by the video and audio quality of the Mylo. But I really have to wonder if kids (the device's target audience is 18-to-22-year-olds) are going to want to carry around another gadget in addition to their cell phones, since the Mylo can't make phone calls (although you can make VoIP calls). Plus, with some of the biggest benefits of the Mylo relying on a Wi-Fi connection, you have to wonder, "What if I'm not near a network?" Well, Sony's trying to make that a nonissue by teaming up with T-Mobile to offer 12 months of free T-Mobile HotSpot access. The promotion starts in mid-November (at that time, you can download the app at www.sony.com/mylo) and your year of complimentary service starts the day you connect to a hot spot.

Sources: Sony press release, Gizmodo

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October 09, 2006, 3:54 PM PDT
Exposed: Crossbow, next-gen Windows Mobile OS
Posted by: Bonnie Cha

Want a glimpse at what the next crop of Windows Mobile devices might look like (well, the operating system, anyway)? Then peep these leaked screenshots of the next-generation Windows Mobile OS (code-named Crossbow) from MSMobile.com. The images appear to be screen grabs of the Pocket PC Phone home screen (remember, Windows Mobile offers three variants of the OS--Pocket PC, Pocket PC Phone, and Smartphone) and features a more polished look and hints of Windows Vista. It will also have "strong links with Office 2007 and Exchange 12" for push e-mail and instant-messaging capabilities. Crossbow is expected to be released to manufacturers in Q4 2006 and for mass consumption in the first half of 2007. However, even before Crossbow's release, Microsoft's already teasing us with its successor, Photon, which is due some time in Q1/Q2 2008.

Other sources: Engadget Mobile, Gizmodo

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October 09, 2006, 9:08 AM PDT
CNET UK reviews Palm Treo 750v; U.S. announcement on October 12?
Posted by: Bonnie Cha

If you're patiently waiting for the U.S. release of the Palm Treo 750v, here's a little something to read to pass the time. Our own CNET UK has a full review of the new Treo, and it looks like the Windows Mobile smart phone is a winner, earning an 8 out of 10 rating. Despite the lack of Wi-Fi and a small screen, they praise it for its usability. So when do we expect it to hit U.S. shores? Well, it could as early as this week. If you recall, we told you Palm is set to hold a press conference on Thursday, October 12, and the latest invite we got says there will a new product announcement. Of course, we'll be there to cover the event, so check back on Thursday at 10 a.m. PT for full blow-by-blow coverage.

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October 06, 2006, 3:20 PM PDT
In: BlackBerry 8800; Out: BlackBerry Pearl
Posted by: Bonnie Cha

Hey, BlackBerry Pearl, your 15 minutes of fame are up. It seems like just yesterday that the little gem of a messaging device made its glorious debut, but we're already moving on to the next big thing. Specs and images of a new BlackBerry, the BlackBerry 8800, have leaked onto the Web, and it's looking pretty sexy. The sleek gadget retains the same trackball found on the Pearl, but adds a full QWERTY keyboard (good-bye, SureType keyboard, we won't miss you), a 320x240 screen, and a 1.3-megapixel camera with video-recording capabilities. The quad-band phone is also said to have integrated Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. No specifics on carrier or pricing, but you'll have plenty of time to debate about it as the device is said to have a spring 2007 launch date.

Sources: Engadget Mobile, BlackBerry Cool

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