Love my Pre but speed is a concern

[From Elliot] Sammy even though my palm pre is great speed is still an issue. It's not enough to deter me from using it but it is a concern. I'm hoping that Palm issue a fix sometime soon because I am getting frustrated. Otherwise the pre is great, no significant problems, I have no concerns about the lack of apps, I know more will come. I'd be honored if you posted this on your great site. Keep up the good work.

For PalmAddict readers 10% off everything at Proporta

The guys at Proporta are giving PalmAddict readers a generous 10% off everything at the moment. Designing & manufacturing award winning gadget accessories for more than 13 years, Proporta have worked with PalmAddict for a number of years and provide some excellent solutions to accessorise and protect your mobile devices. To get the 105 discount, please use the promo-code PALMSM at checkout where your 10% discount will be applied. Make the jump to the PalmAddict / Proporta Store.

Writers need to let me know their post-count

Can any of my writers who wish to be entered into my Fall Garage Throwaway please email me and let me know their post-count please. Thank you

Count me in as a TX user

[From Mike Kersal] Hi Sammy I'm also still using a TX and have no intention of giving it up. I especially like using it to read ebooks. Of course I use it as a diary, note taking and to play games. I'd love to see a tablet pc which took the same form factor, that way I'd use it instead of my laptop. Great job Sammy with palmaddicts.

B-Stock Palm m500 PDA Available Today - Now only £19.99

[From Zoe at eXpansys] Just received the following from eXpansys. "Hi All, Please let your readers know that we have the B-Stock Palm m500 PDA available today B-Stock Palm m500 PDA Available Today - Now only £19.99 Remember the Palm handhelds that started the PDA revolution? Regarded as collector's items, we have secured some refurbished units at a great price - but stock is limited! " Make the jump for more deets.

LP33.tv Develops Mobile App for New Palm Pre; Available Now for Free Download

[From Mike Thorpe] LP33.tv (www.lp33.tv), a company devoted to the discovery, enjoyment and sharing of new music, today announced that they have developed a mobile application for the Palm Pre. Released by Palm last week, the mobile application will allow users of the new Palm Pre to watch LP33.tv's genre-specific, curated video content directly from their device.

"LP33 is about discovering and sharing the best new music. Being able to access great content on a mobile device is a natural progression," said Andrew Bentley, CEO of LP33.

The application allows users to create their own playlist directly from any of LP33's channels. On the backend, video content is updated in real time so that users always have access to the newest music. As of today, the LP33.tv app is the only music video mobile app available on the Palm Pre.

The LP33 mobile application for the Palm Pre is available now. Other LP33-specific applications include an iGoogle app and a Facebook app.

Tell us how you use your mobile device?

A lot of you are sending in your user thoughts on how and why you use your mobile device and that's great, now with that in mind, feel free to send a couple of lines or a couple of paragraphs it's down to you what you send it. So let's continue to hear how you have been using your mobile device and email them into me via - sammymcloughlin@gmail.com

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Enjoying my Pre, still have my TX and will get a Pixi when it hits Europe!

[From Khalil, Sweden] Hi all, I’m writing to say that I’m enjoying my Pre (bought from Germany) up north here in Sweden. It’s impressive but needs battery life improvements. I would also like to answer a previous poster who asked who does the Pixi appeals to? I’ll be getting one when it hits Europe and by the way I’m 26 and male, so I guess it’s not only teenagers and house moms that will be picking it up!

Google is offering free wifi this holiday season

Google is offering free wifi this holiday season. "Holiday season air travel just got a little less crappy—freebie access starts today, and runs through to January 15. Read on for the full list of airports, and info on free Wi-Fi promos from Yahoo and Microsoft, too. You may also remember that Google already said it would foot the bill for Virgin America Wi-Fi during the same period. The catch? Once you log into the network, you'll be pestered if you want to set Google to your homepage or try Google Chrome. But that's it." Read in full.

'Another TX User writes....'

[From Gareth Wells, Edinburgh ] Just wanted to add my own voice to the 'old skool' Palm crowd as I'm another Palm TX user. Still going strong (well, one screen replacement under retailer's own extended warranty scheme) and still an indispensable daily tool. The tiny screen of my work-supplied Blackberry drives me nuts and I for any real productivity I have to use my TX. Who knows, a TX 2 with WebOS might just pop up one of these days. It could be Palm's very own tablet device!...

Thanks Palm, the Pre totally rocks!!

[From Max] Sammy I enjoy PalmAddict and visit every day. I've used a iPhone for too long and missed being able to physically type on a keyboard. It's great to be able to do this again. I like having my old Palm applications and being able to use them, but Tweed became the first paid app on my Pre, I love being able to tweet from my phone. I could never see me going back to a Treo or an iPhone, at the moment I'm spoilt rotten, thanks Palm the Pre totally rocks!!

Using my HTC Touch HD

[From John Prout] Well, apart from taking calls, checking email, following Stephen Fry and Strictly come dancing on Twitter, i have recently tried something new and a little bit scary.

Among lots of mobiles i have a HTC Touch HD, which from what i understand will not be upgradable to Windows Mobile 6.5. So i had a look around and decided to give this ROM flashing thing a ago. If you don't know this is the method of reprogramming your mobile ROM with a new operating system, adding new features or a new look.

Well what do you know? it worked! I now have a Touch HD running Windows Mobile 6.5 and you know it's really kind of nice. I did my research on how and which ROM to use and chose one that seems to be stable enough to use every day. It's given my HD a whole new lease of life and it's returned to being my everyday mobile.

Why scary? well i have heard horror stories of people 'bricking' mobiles doing this, but the whole method seems pretty risk free... i fully understood the risks involved.

I would be lost without my Centro

[From Mark Waheed] Dear Sammy I love reading the stories you post from other readers, I'm not fortunate to have a palm pre but instead I still use a centro. I've had it 18 months it took me a while to get used to using a Palm phone as I came from a TX but I have to say that I would be lost without it. Everything is on my phone, contacts, emails, pictures, I daily back up, I have to if I lost it I would lose all my personal data so it's very important that I back all my information up. Anyone who is considering a Palm smartphone should consider the centro, the battery life is awesome too.

Books about the Palm Pre - The Palm Blog

My Palm Pre: The Missing Manual for Everything (for Dummies) is new over at The Palm Blog looking at what books are out-there for the Pre. "Thankfully, that headline isn't actually the title of a book about Palm Pre; it's the titles of four books squished together. Palm Pre: The Missing Manual, by USA TODAY's personal tech columnist Ed Baig, shows you how to do more with your Palm Pre -- everything from using Synergy to combine all your contacts, calendars and emails to amping up its media player capabilities." Read in full.

Traded in my Blackberry for a Palm Pre

[From James Sillivan] Sammy Palmaddict rocks!! Traded in my Blackberry Bold for a Palm Pre and I'm glad that I do. The first thing I did I set up Twitter on it, works like a charm. But more especially I love the Pre with all the homebrew apps I installed.

The BIG change!

[From Dallas Hinton, Vancouver, BC, Canada!] Hi Sammy!! After a year of horrible frustration with Windows Mobile 6.1 (an HTC Touch Pro) I've jumped ship!! Telus Canada has, as of November 5, started up an HSPA network and is selling (among other things) the iPhone. After much whining and snivelling I managed to get them to let me switch from the HTC to an iPhone (at great expense) and I'm delighted. Before I go on, I should mention that the Palm Pre is not available on Telus due to Bell Canada having an exclusive on it. I'd have given it serious consideration if it had been available to me!

The iPhone is, in my opinon, everything Palm should have been by now. I've been a Palm user since the M III, and still have 2 Tungsten Cs and 2 TXs, all in use by various members of my family! They all been repaired at least once and the TX is still my all time favourite Palm!  I have a 700P, which was my first smart phone -- it was, well, OK, but web browsing was hopeless and the screen way too small for my old eyes! When Palm abandoned it I went to the HTC and regretted it almost at once. It was agonizingly slow -- if I was reading a book and the phone rang I couldn't get to the phone screen before the call had gone to voice mail! Everything about it was slow, cumbersome, and inconvenient!  (I do use Windows on my desktop, so it's not that I'm unfamiliar with Windows!).

The iPhone -- well!  Others have explained it's virtues in detail and I won't rehash them here. Let's just say that the experience is unbelievable. The flow is smooth, everything works, and there's no drama!  Sure, I'd like a removable SD card (although I have 10 gigs free on my 16 gig phone), and a removable battery (but I have a Duracell and an IOGear battery box). It would be nice if it multi-tasked, but I'm used to single-tasking from the Palm so that's no big deal.

There are a couple of programs I REALLY miss -- silly things, really, like an hourly chime, and a decent alarm clock. They're not essential, however and I'm copying. I miss the integration of PDA and desktop for some of my programs (auto care, diet, etc) but there's more use being made of cloud synchronization so that's also a manageable issue.

I had a 16 gig SD card in my HTC, and my camera is now enjoying it -- amazing how many pictures will fit on it! :-0

All in all, I'm quite pleased -- I anticpate living with this one for long enough to see the contract out, which will make both Telus and my wife very happy! :-)

Wifi a Must on all Future Phones

[From Lawrence (NYC)] I am currently visiting my nephew in Singapore. My CDMA Palm Pre is unable to connect to any local network. But I am able to conect thru Wifi with airplane mode turn on, so I can keep in contact with my family and friends back in the States. I can stay in contact with instant messenging and email. So my CDMA phone is not useless in a GSM country. Thanks Sammy, great site.

The Palm Pre is a wonderful phone

[From Tom Wilde, Port Keys, US] Good evening Sammy I hope that you are well. I wanted to comment on the Palm Pre and say just what a wonderful phone it is. It's an extraordinary bit of kit and I can't think of any another phone that even comes close to what the Pre can do. Thanks Sammy for a great site, I learn a lot from you guys.

Funny use of my Pre

[From Saul Maldonado, Philadelphia, US] Hi my name is Saul, I live in Philadelphia and I own a palm pre. I downloaded this homebrew earthquake app that measures shaking. I have a newborn baby boy I named Link(Zelda) Atreyu(Neverending Story) Maldonado and he farts and burps like a man lol, so I measured the viration of his burps and farts and compared them to mine and its damn close... I know its kinda gross but it was funny as hell. That's just one of the things I use my mobile device for. I don't understand how people can live without a smartphone, I see these poor apes toting flip phones and it makes me sad.

Serving Sizer released on the AppStore

[From Justine] Hi Sammy, Got the news today that our Serving Sizer Recipe Converter was finally approved and released on the AppStore.  More info here: http://bit.ly/info/417xjU and the direct iTunes link is here: http://bit.ly/info/417xjU

Flash on the Palm Pre

[From Mike Newall] Not sure how long this vieo has been outthere but if you have not seen it thehn it's Abode Flash running on the Palm Pre.

Win a copy of the excellent DateWheel from Creative Algorithms

[From Justine] OK Justine at Creative Algorithms has been very kind and offered PalmAddict readers a chance to win a copy of the EXCELLENT DateWheel.

We have:
5 copies of DateWheel for the iPhone to give away.
3 copies of DateWheel for Palm OS to give away [remember you can use on the Palm OS emulator on the Palm Pre]

Here is how to enter. Simply answer the following question.

On how many platforms/devices can you use Date Wheel?
Hint - You'll find the answer here on the Creative Algorithms website.

Email me your answer, please put DATEWHEEL in the subject line. Both readers and writers are welcome to enter - sammymcloughlin@gmail.com

Remember check out Creative Algorithms for some great useful apps and programs for your mobile device - http://creativealgorithms.com

Sammy's Garage Gadget Sale Throwaway - Ends TONIGHT at Midnight PT

Ends TONIGHT at Midnight US PT

Ready for our Garage Sale Throwaway? Well I have been doing a little spring cleaning, yes in October and below is a list of everything that I am getting rid of:

Please include your desired prize [please also include a second preference] in your email.

1 Aluminium 12 inch MacBook [3 years old, running latest OSX, working fine]
1 HTC Touch Pro with QWERTY keyboard running Windows Mobile
1 2nd hand Jack Spade Leather Bag [natural wear and tear but looks stylish]
1 Unlocked Blackberry Bold, 1 year old, [works perfectly, no CD's but you can download. Cables etc included]
1 16GB MicroSD Card [NEW]
1 Black unlocked Palm Centro [used but working fine, all accessories and a case included]
1 Unlocked Treo 750v [used but working fine, no CD's but cables are included]
1 $20 iTunes Gift Card
1 $40 Proporta Gift Voucher

All I need from you is a user thought on how you're using your mobile device, or send me a mobile technology thought. Please give it a title [think of a different title, something different than how I'm using my mobile device], tell us your city/ country where you reside, us PalmAddicts love to see where you are all based and then email me. Please no pleas as to why you should get any of the above. Please put FALL in the subject line and email me at - sammymcloughlin@gmail.com

Winners chosen at random. Associate Writers please post as normal I'll tell you when to let me know your post count. The throwaway could end at any time so please be aware.

Remember the Blackberry Curve 8520 [pictured above] that I received recently, well I am adding it to the list of prizes in our current throwaway.

I love my Palm Pre beyond belief

[From Zigs] I love my Palm Pre beyond belief, I can pay my bills, email, instant message, listen to music and use it as a cell all at once. I also like being able to message and email whilst waiting for the bus, did I tell you I love my Palm Pre!!

Kevin at JKOTR is ending his affair with the Palm Pre.

Kevin at JKOTR is ending his affair with the Palm Pre. "This weekend, I entered my sixth month of Palm Pre ownership. Back in June, both James and I purchased a Pre and walked away with good impressions. It’s been a solid and fun ride so far, but I’m regretfully putting my Palm Pre on notice. I’m going to give the webOS platform another few months to mature. If it doesn’t happen, I suspect I’ll either eat the early termination fee or I’ll add a different phone entirely to my Sprint account. I like the device very much, but I’m routinely carrying two phones because the platform isn’t where it needs to be for me." Read in full.

My first initial thoughts of the HTC Hero

I have just had my first look at the HTC Hero thanks to the guys at Clove Technology for getting in touch with us and offering it to us. So I thought I would share my initial thoughts. The device is a very good looking and slightly unusual design with a chin shape moulded into its design.

I really like the white colour of the outer shell and think it suits the colour more than the white iPhone. This is just because rather than a shiny glass back, it has a hard plastic backing and I think this suits the white colouring better. The device is a touch screen but also has a BlackBerry style roller-ball on its front that can be used as well.

I like the fact that you have the choice and have enjoyed messing around with the roller-ball!! The front also has call buttons as well as a home screen and menu buttons so all the important features are on hand. It is also has a search option and this doesn’t, as I first thought, search your device for whatever you are looking for but instead performs a Google search!!

I like this option and think that if you are a constant user of Google products, devices such as this one that use Google’s Android operating system are tailor made to suit. The Home screen of the device is similar to the iPhone in style with listed icons and the option to scroll between a few pages. The touch screen is more responsive than HTC devices I have used in the past which I think is a good sign that they could soon be competing a lot closer with the iPhone. I will be using the device more thoroughly in the coming days and will share any thoughts I have on this one.

Thank you to the guys at Clove Technology for getting in contact with us. The HTC Hero is available from Clove Technology. Click here for more deets.

Part 7 of the Motorola Droid on Verizon review is available to read

Part 7 of the Motorola Droid on Verizon review is available to read over the Gadgeteer website. "Finally, the review. I have spent just over a week with this app phone, and I have really enjoyed it. I am a current G1 user, so I came to the phone already familiar with the Android OS. It was interesting to talk with a number of folks who are new to Android to get their impressions." Read in full.

Thanks for Pre Homebrew

[From Joe] Sammy I'd like to add my thanks to the developers who take the time to produce some fantastic homebrew apps for the palm pre. It really does enhance the pre experience and our thanks should go to the developers who find a niche or a weakness and then give us something great.

why I love my palm pre

[From Monica S] Love my palm pre, especially with all the homebrew apps I installed. The pre was great beforehand but now it rocks even more now. I just need to find a case because I've dropped it twice now and I'm afraid that if I drop it again I won't be so lucky.

Medicine Alarms

Not sure if I have mentioned Medicine Alarms before but it seems like a useful app. "With this application you will never forget the medicine that you need to have. It will remind you each hour, each day, each week, every tree days... You set and change the reminders as you need them. Available in english and Spanish " Retails for $3.00, more deets after the jump.

Wht didn't I get a Blackberry earlier?

[From Richard Harding] Sammy I think I'm in love with my blackberry storm 2, I had the iPhone for a while but much prefer the storm 2 I am still getting used to typing on it but I do love it and it makes me wonder why I didn't get a Blackberry earlier. My favorite feature is messenger, it's an instant way to stay in touch with all my friends.

First iPhone Worm Discovered: Rickrolls Jailbroken iPhones

There seems to be an iPhone worm affecting jailbroken iPhones according to the Gizmodo. "Jailbreakers in Australia are being infected by a worm that changes their wallpaper to an image of Rick Astley. And while that sounds kinda funny, it's another reminder to make sure you've changed the default password on your jailbroken iPhone." Read in full.

Centro helps keep on track of my shares

[From Mark T] Sammy apart from using my Centro to read your site via RSS I also use it to check up on my stocks and shares. I find that checking my Centro to see how shares are doing is far quicker than logging on to the internet. It's also live information which is kept up to date wherever I am. Far more quicker and reliable than having to rely on printed news.

From Tungsten E to iPod Touch

[From Clive Waters] Sammy nice to read how people use their mobile devices. Up until recently I was using a Tungsten E but now I am using a iPod Touch, I needed something which had wi-fi and had the potential to be around for many years to come. I think Apple will invest both time and money into the iPhone line of products where as I'm disappointed that Palm abandoned the PDA and the many people such as your readers who still use them.

I'm definitely in favor of the Pre

[From Julian Metcalfe] Sammy I love my palm pre, web browsing is great, email convenient and as far as the phone itself well I think it is better than the iPhone especially as performance goes. I've used both the pre and the iPhone and I'm definitely in favor of the Pre.

Who will the Palm Pixi appeal to?

[From Nigel Bates] Sammy are you thinking about getting a Palm Pixi? I wonder how many of your readers would go for a budget WebOS phone? The lack of WiFi puts me off and I don't know what I think of the design, it reminds me of a Centro but I am sure it will broadly appeal to teenagers and house moms.

Apple please include a keyboard in your next design

[From SH] I have an iPhone, I use it daily and have no complaints but if I had the choice now of whether to get an iPhone or a Palm Pre then I'd choose the Pre. I love the keyboard and that is what I wish the iPhone had so Apple if your listening maybe you can think about including one in your next hardware update please?

Apprehensive but I went for the Palm Pre

[From Mario Fletcher, Daytona Beach, FL ] I was apprehensive but determined but I went ahead and got a Pre, I would like to to let Palm know that I love it, I can't say anything bad about it. I especially like how I can listen to Pandora Radio on it. Thanks Palm it's a great phone and thanks PalmAddict for helping me make my mind up. [SAMMY - Always happy to help :-)]

Palm Pre is the way forward

[From James Habergham] I'm trying to convince my employer to issue our sales staff with Palm Pre phones instead of Blackberry phones. I showed him mine and we compared it to a Blackberry Bold, I think he was impressed, especially when he commented at how small it was. I still need to convince him about the always on connectivity but I think he's getting the picture that the Palm Pre is the way forward.