The Official Palm Blog

Just for the record – Mary Doyle and Joe Simitian on hands-free driving

Through the urging of SVP and General Counsel Mary Doyle, Palm was an early advocate of the California hands-free law, which goes into effect this week. This video features Mary and Senator Joe Simitian, the bill's sponsor, discussing how the law helps make roads safer for everyone. "You can talk as long as you want, you can talk as often as you want, but if you do it hands free, we know we're going to save lives," says Senator Simitian.

According to a CNN article, the Department of Transportation estimates that 4,000 of the 8,000 auto accidents that occur daily in the United States can be attributed to distractions while driving. Going hands free is just one step we can all take to make the roads safer for everyone.

-Paul Loeffler

Is "free" your favorite four-letter word?

TreoCentral and The New York Times both posted lists of nifty free services that help you do everything from getting free directory service to dictating yourself a note and having a transcribed version instantly sent to your inbox. (And did we mention these are free?)

Here are a few more freebies we like:

• Avvenu: Lets you remotely view, download and share documents.
• MiniTones: Gives you a selection of MP3 files that you can add to your ringtone list in Sounds.
• Mosio: Text questions from your phone and have it answered by real people
• Pinger: Send voice messages on the QT--no ringing, no greetings, no lengthy prompts. It's like email, but with your voice.
• Orb Networks: Stream your own music (or other files) to your mobile phone.
• TellMe: Provides voice-activated information service.

Found a helpful or fun free service? Let us know in the comments below.

-Paul Loeffler

Chameleons and smartphones

I'm moblogging from my Palm Centro at Digital Experience in NYC, where the theme of the party is "welcome to the jungle." The special guests of the evening are exotic animals, including a panther chameleon.

When you think about it, Centro is similiar to a chameleon - it helps people adapt to their current environment. And of course there are lots of different colors to choose from.

-Paul Loeffler

The Paperless Airport

Delta Airlines joins Continental and Northwest in helping airline passengers speed through airports by letting them use their mobile phones instead of printed boarding passes. Delta passengers flying from NYC's LaGuardia airport can skip the line by pointing their phone to Delta's website to get their ticket. For more details, check out RCR Wireless' post.

-Paul Loeffler

Centro Unlocked and Loaded (with Google MyLocation)

You can now get an unlocked Palm Centro smartphone (no carrier contract required). The new GSM device, which comes in white and sports grey accents, is available at Palm's online store for $299.

As the summer travel season ramps up, Centro users in the U.S. will also appreciate a new version of Google Mobile Maps (GMM) that includes My Location, which uses cell phone towers to approximate* your location on the map. This makes it even easier to get driving directions, find a nearby coffee shop or check local traffic.

My location is compatible with Palm Centro smartphones running on the AT&T and Verizon Wireless networks. The Sprint Centro will have the My Location feature available through a software update expected this summer. Check out GMM's site for details.

Rob K. - Senior Product Manager, Consumer Smartphones

*Location is an approximation and is not GPS. Within wireless coverage area only. Messaging, email, web require data services from a mobile service provider at an additional cost. Google Maps for Mobile may not be available for certain areas. Please see Google Mobile Maps for more details.

Windows SideShow Here for WinMo Treo Users

WinMo Treo users - Microsoft has released a beta version of Windows SideShow, bringing the functionality of your computer to your smartphone via Bluetooth. You can control your Windows Media Player, navigate PowerPoint presos, catch up on reading your RSS feeds, among other things.

Keep in mind it’s only a beta version, but you can experience some of its great features firsthand by visiting the Windows SideShow team blog.

-Melody Carlos, Sr. Enterprise Marketing Manager

Goodbye to Cell Spam!

David Pogue posted a very useful blog entry about how you can block spam sent to your cell phone – also known as “m-spam.” He says that AT&T and Verizon Wireless subscribers can block text messages from the Internet, where most m-spam originates (via text messages sent from a computer’s email program), yet still receive texts from friends who send from their cell phones. He also shares how Sprint lets you block specific phone numbers and addresses, and T-Mobile lets you block all messages sent by email.

See Pogue’s blog for details about how you can block m-spam.

-Paul Loeffler

Can’t get enough of Facebook? Here’s how to use it on your Palm smartphone.

   

Anyone who uses Facebook knows how addictive it is. It was recently ranked by M:Metrics as one of the sites people visit most often on their mobile devices. Palm Centro and Treo smartphone users can use Facebook for Palm to check in on their Facebook friends, and a lot more, when they’re away from their desktops.

You can use Facebook for Palm to:

• Send and receive messages
• View and post status updates
• View and post photos from your smartphone
• See your friends’ profiles and photos
• Read and write Wall posts
• View News Feed
• Upload videos taken from your Palm smartphone
• Use a mobile “Contacts” tab that aggregates friends phone numbers – view your list of friends and dial or text them directly

Facebook for Palm is compatible with Palm Centro smartphones. For more details visit http://www.palm.com/facebook. Also, you can download directly to your Palm phone by visiting http://mobile.palm.com/facebook.   

-Paul Loeffler

Centro now available on Verizon Wireless

      

Those of you awaiting the Palm Centro smartphone on Verizon Wireless, wait no more! It's now available in cobalt blue for $99.99 (with rebate and 2-year contract) and running on Verizon Wireless's 3G EvDO network. And of course you'll find popular features that current Centro users value most, including:

• Phone that combines voice, text and email with a color touch screen and full keyboard.*
• Web browsing for quick access to sites like Yelp to get restaurant reviews, Google Maps for directions to meet up with friends, etc.
• Calendar and Contacts to keep things organized.
• Built-in camera to capture and share pictures and videos.

Uber affordable:

Centro is the first Palm product to offer Verizon Wireless' new Email and Web for Smartphone plan at $29.99 a month, making it the lowest cost data plan ever for a Palm device on Verizon Wireless. And it's currently the only touch screen smartphone to be available on the top three U.S. carriers for under 100 bucks (with a rebate and 2-year contract).

Tres Popular:

As of March 2008, more than one million Centros have been sold, so it's no surprise that PC World ranked it as one of the best 100 products of 2008. One of the biggest reasons for Centro's success is that it's appealing to the large population of people who previously owned a traditional mobile phone. Below is a video of four music artists who recently made the jump, talking about how they use their Centro smartphone to stay connected while traveling on tours.

Rob K. - Senior Product Manager, Consumer Smartphones

Music artists:

• Jonathan Clay
• Megan Hickey of The Last Town Chorus
• John West
• Alexa Wilkinson

*Within wireless coverage area only. Requires data services at additional cost.

When texting is easier than talking

MSNBC has an interesting article on a growing trend called “textplanations.” People are using the texting feature on their phones to address difficult topics with family and friends. The story includes examples of how it’s even therapeutic for some, including a woman who texted close friends and relatives with her Palm Centro after her mother died of breast cancer.

-Paul Loeffler