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PalmPad: HP Slate in Palm Clothing?

Tue, 21 Dec 2010 20:39:17 +0000

Fox News is reporting today that HP/Palm (hpq) is preparing to release the “PalmPad” next month at CES. This tablet is to be HP’s first slate bearing the webOS it acquired along with the rest of Palm this year. The Fox story is accompanied by an “exclusive” diagram showing the new PalmPad. I thought the diagram looked familiar, and a brief investigation proved why. It’s the same diagram pitched by HP back in October of the then unreleased HP Slate running Windows 7, as verified by CNET. The name has changed, but the slate’s the same.

Does this mean HP is releasing the PalmPad using the same hardware as the HP Slate? That’s not likely, as a webOS device would be better served without Intel inside. You’d also think HP/Palm would make a big splash with a major announcement such as the first webOS tablet, but the buzz on Twitter matches what I had already heard, that Palm will be quiet at CES.

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Home Health Monitoring is Big Business

Tue, 21 Dec 2010 15:55:31 +0000

Remote health monitoring generated €7.6 billion ($10.01 billion USD) globally in 2010, an amount destined to grow as this nascent area of healthcare is used more heavily in the future. Chronic health conditions such as diabetes, cardiac conditions and asthma are successfully treated with home monitoring using mobile technology, according to a research report by Berg Insight.

Home healthcare is becoming a cost-effective option for treating chronic health conditions, due to advancements in mobile healthcare (mHealth) technology. Simple monitors connect the patient at home with medical facilities using mobile networks. Healthcare providers can monitor patients in real-time anywhere a mobile connection is available. Caring for the patient at home provides a better environment for the patient, and an effective use of healthcare facilities.

Smartphone apps are beginning to play a role in home healthcare, and such usage should continue to evolve as long as regulating authorities stay out of the way. The benefits gained by such apps are already coming to the attention of the healthcare industry, and with big money in the pot as evidenced by the Berg report, third-party development of such apps should continue. Home health monitoring is an exciting use of mobile technology, and practice should grow as mobile networks become more prevalent worldwide.

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Last Minute Geek’s Holiday Gift Guide

Mon, 20 Dec 2010 19:36:34 +0000

The geek in your life is hard enough to find appropriate gifts for the holidays, and this year, once again you waited until the last moment. Never fear, we have scoured the web for the geekiest, coolest gift ideas that will be just perfect for the geek in your life.

1. Lonely Planet Android Apps. Your geek’s phone never looked so smart as it will with these augmented reality applications lighting the way. The detailed city maps use the phone’s camera and GPS to highlight nearby points of interest in 25 major cities in the world. No more getting lost while traveling for that special geek in your life. $0.99 each city map.

2. Telescoping Laptop Stand. You’ve likely been in crowded airports where using a laptop was not easy due to all the people jostling for space. You can insure your geek will always have a good laptop work area with this portable stand that attaches to any carry-on travel bag. The stand is adjustable to create the proper working height, and has a strap to secure the laptop to the stand. $13.

3. Star Wars Dark Side Roast Coffee. Star Wars. Darth Vader. Caffeine. That may be all you need to know, but this special blend of coffee is the real deal — whole bean coffee hand roasted by Storm Troopers. Hey, you can’t make this stuff up. If your geek is going over to the dark side, let him/her take the perfect coffee blend along for the ride. $15.

4. Bag of Holding. If a simple urban bag is more in line with your geek’s needs, this messenger bag is the perfect gift to carry gadgets around town. No doubt your geek carries gadgets everywhere, and this special bag holds more than seems possible given its small size. I guess that’s why they call it the Bag of Holding. Your geek will understand. $50.

5. iPhone Keyboard Case. Maybe your geek waited in line to get one of the first iPhone 4s, or maybe he/she still rocks the old-school iPhone 3GS. This special case comes in models for either phone, and adds something that no one else in your geek’s social circle has — a QWERTY keyboard. Yes, spin the case around and a full physical keyboard is exposed so your geek can enter text at breakneck speed. The phone works normally with the keyboard exposed or not. $40.

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Android This Week: Leveling Off; Fring Calling; LogMeIn

Sat, 18 Dec 2010 14:00:16 +0000

This week, usage statistics released for November indicated Android may be slowing down somewhat, with ad impressions tallied by Millenial Media showing iOS and Android tied at 38 percent of all ad impressions on the network. The two platforms have been running neck and neck for ad impressions for a while, but the latest numbers show Android’s growth has leveled off. Android has grown from 14 percent of usage on Millenial’s network since March, but only increased one percent in the month of November.

Android ad impressions may be leveling off, but other revenue avenues are ramping up, as recent quarterly revenue numbers from London/Tel Aviv based fring show support for Android has been a solid performer. Company representatives stated that fring for Android is bringing in $10,000 per day from voice and video calls using the Android app. Android now counts for a third of the app’s installed base, attributed to the increasing number of phones with front-facing cameras for video calling. The folks at fring expect to double revenue in the first quarter of 2011.

LogMeIn Ignition is an Android app for remotely controlling Mac and Windows systems from a smartphone, and an update is coming to extend that capability to the tablet. We got an advance copy of the upgrade — which will be free to existing LogMeIn customers — and gave it a whirl on the popular Samsung Galaxy Tab. LogMeIn Ignition effectively turns an Android device into a Mac or Windows PC by displaying the remote system’s desktop on the tablet screen. Users interact with the remote system by touch on the Android device, turning any Windows PC or Mac into a touch computer. The app is popular with technical support folks who use remote control to service client systems.

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MobileTechRoundup 226

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:00:53 +0000

CLICK HERE to download the file and listen directly.

MoTR 226 is 53:45 minutes long and is a 49.3 MB file in MP3 format.

HOSTS: James Kendrick (Houston), Matthew Miller (Seattle) and Kevin C. Tofel (Philadelphia)

TOPICS:

Dell and the Venue Pro saga.
Anyone get hands on with a Nexus S?
Did Kevin buy a Galaxy Tab after the show last week?
Verizon 4G Hands-on Impressions

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Kindle for Android Gets Periodicals, In-App Store

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 15:08:37 +0000

Amazon has rolled out a major new version of the Kindle app for Android that adds magazines and newspapers to the standard e-book fare. The app also has shopping capability within the app, making it easier to browse for new content. The new social feature allows sharing reading progress in any book with popular services.

The new version has several tweaks to the interface and user controls that provide a smoother reading experience. Users can configure the app to use the volume buttons for turning pages, and chapter titles are now indicated in the status bar. A much-requested zoom function for graphics has been added, and it’s now possible to move the app to the SD card, saving a lot of system memory.

The in-app store makes it easy to find popular content such as the New York Times Bestsellers List and the Top Kindle List. Previous versions of the Kindle app kicked the user out to the web browser to access the store, but it’s now inside the app for ease of use. The new periodical content is available by subscription and comes with a 14-day free trial.

Amazon isn’t the only name in e-books, as Google recently released its own reader app for Android. Our new report (subscription required) details 3 Ways Google Can Succeed in E-books and seriously compete with Amazon.

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Advance Look at LogMeIn Ignition for Android Tablets

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 22:07:53 +0000

LogMeIn Ignition is an app for remotely accessing Windows PCs or Macs from a mobile device. The folks behind LogMeIn are preparing an update for the Android version of Ignition that’s fully optimized with support for tablets. We have an advance copy of the update, and offer this sneak peek at LogMeIn Ignition running on a Samsung Galaxy Tab.

I reviewed the Android version of LogMeIn Ignition prior to the release of the initial version several months ago. The review was conducted using the HTC Evo 4G smartphone, and in spite of the small display, I found LogMeIn to be a useful tool.

I’m using the Galaxy Tab with a 7-inch display for this advance look at the tablet optimizations, and the screen is wonderful for remotely accessing desktop systems. I’ve controlled both my dual-screen Mac setup and a Windows PC from the Tab without issue. LogMeIn is fully optimized for touch control, effectively turning both Macs and Windows systems into touch tablets.

The app provides complete control over the remote session, from how the remote mouse behaves to changing the screen resolution of the remote system to more closely match the Android device. Moving around the remote desktop is very fluid, and as simple as dragging the desktop around the tablet screen. All mouse operations are replicated on the Android touch screen, allowing full interaction via LogMeIn.

LogMeIn Ignition is a good solution for technical support folks who routinely need to support client systems. It is often easier to simply take over the client system to see what’s going wrong, then fix it on the spot. It is a good tool using a small phone, and a great one using a larger tablet. The update to LogMeIn Ignition for Android should be released soon, and will be free to existing customers.

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Video: BlackBerry Style — Perfect Stocking Stuffer

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 19:00:36 +0000

In this age of smartphones with big touch screens, it doesn’t seem possible that an old-school flip phone would garner much interest, but that’s not the case with the new BlackBerry Style. The flip format is what’s getting so much attention for the Style, due to two displays. The external display shows all messaging at a glance, and the internal display is a nice screen for the BlackBerry 6 operating system.

Watch this video for free on GigaOM

My full review of the BlackBerry Style gives all the details about the phone, and this video shows why the Style might be the perfect stocking stuffer for the BlackBerry lover on your gift list this holiday season.

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Amazon MP3 Hits the BlackBerry

Tue, 14 Dec 2010 16:10:48 +0000

The Amazon content juggernaut rambles on with the release of the Amazon MP3 app to the BlackBerry platform. The music store app is available in the BlackBerry App World and brings the popular features “Free Song of the Day” and “Amazon’s Daily Deal” to the BlackBerry faithful.

Amazon has been selling MP3s on Android phones since the release of the G1, and spreading to the BlackBerry is a solid move for the company to drive further competition with the iTunes store. The Daily Deal has become a popular item driving sales according to Billboard, as new albums are often featured at special pricing.

The Amazon MP3 experience on the BlackBerry will rival that of other mobile platforms, with over-the-air (OTA) downloads and full music search capability. Consumers are able to preview up to 30 seconds of a song prior to purchase, and share music with friends. Purchases of Amazon MP3 music are fully integrated with the BlackBerry’s universal search and media library on the phone.

The support of multiple platforms for the MP3 store is the same strategy Amazon is using with Kindle e-book content. The Kindle app is available on every smartphone platform, which substantially expands the target consumer base.

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Mind Mapping for Android With Thinking Space

Mon, 13 Dec 2010 20:30:36 +0000

I’ve long been a fan of mind mapping, especially on tablets, as the slate is the perfect workspace for creating and manipulating maps. My favorite app for mind mapping on mobile devices has been iThoughtsHD since the release of the iPad, but lately, I’ve been using Thinking Space on the Galaxy Tab. It runs on smartphones, too, but I have never been a fan of mapping on the small phone screen.

Thinking Space comes in a free (ad-supported) version and a paid version that removes the ads and has additional features. The app can export maps created in the program into a variety of formats common to the genre — Mind Manager and FreeMind chief among them — as well as save a map as an image and share it via email. There’s also the Thinking Space web portal that allows sharing maps with other Thinking Space users, but I haven’t used it.

Creating a mind map is as simple as adding nodes on the screen. The nodes position automatically to provide the best use of the display, and can be dragged around the screen as desired. A full palette of display options is available to customize the look of the mind map, as evident in the image above. The interface fully supports dragging and zooming as expected. Nodes can be tied together to denote relationships, and hyperlinks to documents on the Android device can be created providing applications to view those documents are installed. There’s online documentation for the app on the developer’s web site.

Thinking Space isn’t sophisticated enough to rival desktop applications like Mind Manager, but it’s good enough to create simple maps on the Android platform. I personally use mind mapping as a visual outliner, and Thinking Space is marvelous for that purpose. The program is available in the Android Market.

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