Will Kelly

Thoughts about the Recent Apple WWDC Announcements

Yesterday, I followed the Apple WWDC keynote online via Engadget, gdgt, and other online geek news outlets. While FY 2009 is probably not going to see any new hardware upgrades in my home office, I was enthused about the announcement of Snow Leopard and the next generation of the iPhone.

Road Review: Amazon Kindle

I took my Amazon Kindle with me to provide reading material  when I was taking the Amtrak Acela on my recent trip to New York City.

My Kindle was a Christmas present last year and it has taken me a long time to get used to the device because ever since I was a kid, I've found comfort in print books. Reading books was also a big part of my life when I was an English Major in college.

Why I've yet to succumb to the Apple iPhone 3g

I had multiple sightings of the iPhone 3g in the wild while I was out and about in New York City during my last visit. In fact more than once, I felt like I was in an iPhone 3g commercial. As an early adopter, I began to wonder why I have yet to surrender to the iPhone.

Census Bureau Dropping Handhelds for 2010 Census

It's all over the news that the Census Bureau is killing their plan to automate the 2010 census using wireless  handhelds due to technical glitches and obviously poor project management and requirements gathering.

Census Back to Pen and Paper (from Washingtonpost.com)

The government is dropping plans to use handheld computers to count millions of people, citing problems with a contract that was intended to make the 2010 Census the nation's first high-tech head count.

Favorite Mobile Apps of 2007

In 2007, I parted ways with the Palm OS and the Treo platform altogether. Migrating to the Blackberry 8800 was a productivity boon as I spent more time mobile between  my home office and client sites. I lost faith in Cingular/AT&T and needed push email that my Cingular Treo 650 couldn't provide me.

Super Duper Secret SmartPhone Unveiled

NSA rings up a secure (and rugged) smartphone (from news.com)

Finally, here's a phone plan that allows you to switch from the U.S. government's Secret Internet Protocol Router Network to the Unclassified but Sensitive Internet Protocol Router Network with a single keystroke.

I wonder how long until one of these new Federal government smartphones are found on the metro or in some bar DC area bar bathroom?

No True Product Bites Off Even More

NTP: We sue the (wireless) world by ZDNet's Larry Dignan -- NTP is back for more patent goodies. And this time the patent-holding company is suing a lot more than just RIM. NTP is suing AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint Nextel. The claims are similar to what were made in NTP’s RIM suit, which was a long, drawn out affair that led to a $612.5 million [...]

No True Product (NTP) is at it again with their litigation as a business model strategy but now they are going after AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Spring Nextel over

Palm Foleo Delayed?

Engadget reports that the Palm Foleo is delayed. They cite a Barrons report which mentions a number of software bugs dealing with Foleo to Treo synchronization. Not a good sign but then again the whole news of the Foleo shows that Palm has lost their focus on the Smartphone market.

Palm went from being a market leader in the Smartphone space to launching something like the Foleo. While Engadget called them out and Palm gave a public response as a disaffected Palm customer I can only sigh.

A Call to Action for Palm (from Engadget)

Engadget recently published an essay that captures many of the reasons why as a long time Palm user I left the platform for the Blackberry 8800.

I highly recommend you read it if you have any interest at all in the Palm Treo.

Will Kelly iPhone Watch

The iPhone launch day came and past and I've yet to see an iPhone in the wild. While I am a big Apple fan and followed the news leading up to the launch of the iPhone, I can't count myself as an early adopter of the phone.

Yes, I geeked out over the specs and was a long time Cingular (now AT&T) customer. However, I recenly migrated over to T-Mobile and purchased a Blackberry 8800. Thus far the Blackberry 8800 has been an excellent device, push email has been a real productivity tool, and I have yet to regret taking my old Treo 650 out behind the barn and putting it out of its misery even though my contract with Cingular wasn't even up.   

Bye Cingular Treo...Hello T-Mobile Blackberry 8800

I was a longtime Palm and Treo user and with all the changes at Cingular and I must say the launch of the Palm Foleo -- it was time to move on. So I traded in my old school Cingular Treo 650 (a holdover due to a LT Cingular contract) for a T-Mobile Blackberry 8800.

My history as a PDA and later a SmartPhone user started back in the day when you could walk into a meeting and a minority had such devices on the table besides their laptop, drink, notepad, and pens.

Here are my initial thoughts about moving over to the T-Mobile Blackberry 8800:   

T-Mobile Wing Launches

I've begun to seriously reconsider getting a new phone as my Treo 650 isn't aging gracefully and now that Cingular is the "New AT&T".  The T-Mobile Wing recently launched and I am seriously considering it along with the T-Mobile Blackberry 8800.

ZDNet's Matthew Miller chimes in on the launch of the T-Mobile Wing:

T-Mobile Wing replaces the T-Mobile MDA by ZDNet's Matthew Miller -- T-Mobile announced the release of a Windows Mobile 6 Professional (aka Pocket PC Phone Edition) device called the T-Mobile Wing. This device was revealed just a couple of weeks ago by the FCC and it didn't take long for T-Mobile to get it out. The press release and device specifics haven't even been posted on T-Mobile's site yet, but a couple of fellow mobile enthusiasts have full reviews that you should check out for more information. Mobility Site and Mobile Tech Review take the Wing for a spin and for the most part are pleased with the device. It lacks 3G since T-Mobile is the only major U.S. carrier without this service so that is one area of concern. It does have WiFi and Bluetooth, but also uses the 200 MHz processor like that used in the current T-Mobile MDA. This is fine for Smartphones, but a Professional device really should have 300 MHz or more under the hood. That said, I have some gadget cash saved up and may be adding the T-Mobile Wing to my collection soon.

New PC Today Magazine Article: Mobile TypePad

My article entitled Mobile TypePad appears as Web content for the March 2007 issue of PC Today Magazine.

Palm Treo 680 Launches on Cingular

Engadget Mobile reports that the Palm Treo 680 has launched on Cingular. Palm has also made an unlocked version of the phone available.

While I've been a long time Treo 650 user, I've been contemplating a phone upgrade because I haven't been satisfied with my Treo's call quality and I find myself using the phone more and more for business calls.

The Treo 680 could be a contender but I've also been considering a certain Windows Mobile 5.0 based smartphone.

But then again, I still need to keep a Palm OS-based device of recent vintage in the house for article writing and related testing purposes.

Google Maps Adds Palm Treo Support

Google Maps now includes support for the Palm Treo 600, 650, and 700p. While responsiveness can be a bit slow on my Cingular Treo 650, I can certainly see myself consulting it in the rare times I get lost.

Skype on Mobile Phones

For most, mobile Skype still a long distance away (from news.com)

Most mobile-phone users will still have to wait some time for Internet telephony company Skype's mobile service because of technical hurdles and a lack of suitable handsets, Skype's chief executive was quoted as saying in a Finnish newspaper Thursday.

Skype making its way onto wireless phones is a natural extension of VoIP. I see this as an exciting VoIP space to watch in the next year or two.

British Tech

The Europeans are so far ahead of us when it comes to wireless phones and mobile computing.

Linksys enters the VoIP WiFI Handset Market

Linksys Launches Wi-Fi VoIP Phones (from TechWeb.com)

Specifically, the company, which is a subsidiary of Cisco Systems, said it has released two phones that are designed both for home and office networks and public hotspots. Unlike most Wi-Fi VoIP phones, Linksys said its new phones support use with any VoIP service provider. By contrast, most existing wireless VoIP phones are designed to work with specific VoIP vendors such as Skype or Vonage.

Linksys is a natural competitor in this space with D-Link and Netgear launching VoIP WiFi phones. While these VoIP WiFi phones are still in the domain of the early adopters, the future could be bright for this technology with the rise of municipal WiFi, Mesh Networking, WiFi hotspots, and wireless networking.

Is that an Office in your Pocket?

Because I often write about mobile computing topics, I was especially interested to see mobile computing in Europe. While in London it was quite obvious that Europe is way ahead of the United States in mobile computing and infrastructure. For example, the London Tube was peppered with Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 advertisements and billboards asking, Is that an Office in your Pocket?. I saw a lot of folks on the tube with Windows Mobile 5.0 devices.

External Battery for iPod

My iPod has become a constant companion with my metro commute and life on a client site cube farm. In fact, I recently upgraded to a 5G iPod for my upcoming Paris trip.

While I am not looking forward to the long plane flight, I picked up an external battery for my iPod in hopes of keeping myself entertained. Here are the technical specs:

External Battery Pack: Compatible with all Apple iPods with dock connection, Lithium-ion cell battery pack will last 40~48hrs on a full charge, Chemistry: Lithium-ion cell, Capacity: 3200mAh, Input: 5~12V, Output Voltage: 5V, Output Current: 1000mA max, Charge Time: 5-7hrs (travel charger) included, Charge Time: 9-11hrs (USB data dock cable) not included, Cycle Life: 500 times, Operating Temperature: -10C~40C, Storage and Transportation Temperature: -20C~50C, Dimension: 101x60x16 mm, Weight: 136g