SUPPORT SMARTLISTOGO

I have been perusing the web and there appears to be an effort underway to port or garner support for my favorite Palm app, Smartlistogo. A grassroots effort seems to be forming to get the software maker to make the program available on other platforms.

I can say that I wholeheartedly agree with this move. This is such an important program for the Palm Community that I can barely sit here and watch what Dataviz has done with it ......... Absolutely Nothing! Since updating it to Version 3.00x, the company has all but abandoned it, leaving only the Apps page, supported by the vast number of users, to create applications for it.

In perusing the Yahoo Web board, some of the users are angry that Dataviz has really done nothing more with this robust piece of software. Picture support is lacking; support for the new version of Access is also lacking. But more importantly, it appears that updates have ceased. I cannot tell the last time I saw any updates to the plug-in section.

An interesting side note is the fact that the author of the poll mentions that porting the main data file is really the most important thing to do and cites the success of Splashdata! to interestingly port over many of the main data files such as SplashiD! so that they can be used on any platform. So, one encrypted data file can be accessed by Windows Mobile, Palm, Apple, RIM, etc. Dataviz is using the Access file system, mainly either comma delimited or tab delimited files which should find easy support cross platform.

I would love to support this initiative. Dataviz acknowledging by doing any of the following - Support, update, port or open access - any of these would sound very good to me. If you get the chance, and I guess you have to have a Yahoo account to participate, pop over to the Yahoo board and give your vote too.

LDD.

I like the iPhone 3G, but it's missing something....

One of the things that I was looking forward to testing and using on the iPhone 3G was the ability to use it as an Enterprise device and personal device. I wanted to be able to have both my work calendar and personal calendar on the same device. I wanted to be able to separate my contacts by having my personal home contacts and work contacts apart. Alas, for all of the pomp and pageantry erected for the device, it still cannot do this. Additionally, it cannot edit documents because there is no "cut and paste" command !!

I think that Palm is safe for a little while at least. These were things that I thought would be fundamental to the device. I will have to wait and see if these improvements are noted later on in the year. The whole concept of separating my family calendar from my work calendar was really appealing. Now, I will have to wait a little longer to see if I am going to get one of these devices.


Taken from Engadget,

"the system is unable to let enterprise contacts and calendars coexist on the same device with personal contacts and calendars. (Personal and corp email get along just fine, though.)"

http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/11/iphone-3g-review/

Palm Getting Ready for Something New.....

I think that many of us have been predicting the fall of Palm for some time now. But a few sources are exclaiming that Palm is not quite done yet. Palm has apparently been working quietly on its new linux operating system NOVA. Additionally, they have had a very influential person in the design team for at least a year now. The designer of the Helio/Sidekick, Matias Duarte has been on board and is thought to have been brought over by Jon Rubinstein, the co inventor of the iPod.

This is very important news, because it means that Palm is betting the farm on NOVA. If this thing doesn't work, it could be lights out. It remains to be seen whether they will make a clean break or land in the world of Microsoft's Windows Mobile problem - trying to support legacy software. But for those of us sitting on the sidelines wondering whether we should jump ship to the Apple camp, this could be the twig that makes us sit up and take notice.

Again, for those of you not excited by this, this is big news. It means a complete overhaul of the Palm computing platform and more importantly a radical shift in the User Interface - maybe keyboards that can actually fit a real person, mmgh. I would say that if Palm can just keep on schedule, we may be looking at one of the greatest comebacks in the technology field. (Remember Palm ---- Lots of onboard memory, multitasking, wifi, gigabytes of extended memory and you'll do alright).



Resources:

Engadget.
Electronista.
Matias Duarte's blog.
Matias's Resume (pdf file).

Pictures: The Helio - Top Left.
The Sidekick - Bottom Right.


LDD.