Will Kelly

WWD Post: Taking Corporate Microblogging Mobile

Corporate email is becoming increasingly less effective for project communications in today’s geographically dispersed work teams. It’s gradually being displaced by solutions like Microsoft SharePoint, instant messaging and even social media tools.

via webworkerdaily.com

WWD Post: iPhone Blogging Tools Roundup

When I made the jump to the iPhone 3G it was most definitely a platform play for me. As a web worker who can be on and off client sites all day, I still want access to my personal web properties, especially my blogs, which serve as a professional face for me online.

via webworkerdaily.com

Recent Thoughts about Personal Information Management

One of the great things about writing for WebWorkerDaily is the exposure I get to the latest technologies and thoughts about Web 2.0, productivity, and web working. Professionally, it has helped me think deeper into some of my own personal information management issues and approaches.

Growing up with dyslexia always made personal organization a challenge for me. Also, I found out years ago that I am better organized electronically than I am in a traditional paper and filing cabinet method.

My Initial Impressions about the Palm Pre

I was a long time Palm customer dating back to the time that predates smartphones. In fact, I first started carrying a Palm PDA back when you could sit around a conference table and the meeting participants who were carrying a PDA where the exception rather than the rule.

Palm and I had a break up during the Treo 650 generation because they became irrelevant as they lagged behind in technology. When developments in the Treo product line grew stale, I became a Blackberry user.

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.

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.

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

Why I passed on the iPhone

I've long been known as an early adopter much less a user who rediscovered the Macintosh and the brilliance known as Apple engineering after a long respite.

However, I made conscious decision to avoid the iPhone. Here is why:

• Cingular offered great service and when I called customer care there was a native English speaker on the other end of the line who was competent and knowledgeable in the product line beyond the script they were reading from their computer monitor.  As a customer, I was willing to sacrifice 24/7 customer support providing I had the comfort of knowing that I could call a native English speaker who could solve my problems (which I had plenty of as an early adopter of the Treo 650 on Cingular's network).
• When the ATT/Cingular acquisition was consummated  my calls were dropping so much I would joke that it was the network with the most dropped calls. While some drops could be attributed to the condition of my phone the sudden drop in service quality made me wonder if ATT Mobility was decommissioning the more expensive Cingular built networks in my home region.
• My smartphone needs changed as I went to independent consultant status and  my ISP wouldn't allow email forwards to my Treo so migrating to a Blackberry 8800 made good business sense. It was important for me to be able to respond to emails even if I was out on a client site (sans using their equipment).

Processor Magazine Article: Extending your VPN to Smartphone Users

My article entitled Extending your VPN to Smartphone Users appears in the August 3, 2007 issue of Processor Magazine.

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.

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.

No Skype for Mobile Phones?

Skype says time is not ripe for cell phone version (from news.com)

While there are many compelling reasons to have Skype running on a cell phone, the major carriers don't seem to be there with attractive flat fee packages that would make economic sense for users.

Switching to a Blackberry?

With the whole Cingular/AT&T merger and my personal suspicion that AT&T is decommissioning the better Cingular built networks in my local area because my service is tanking steadily, I have begun to consider switching my wireless phone service to a new carrier even having to eat an early out penalty with Cingular.

My current client engagement means I have to be accessible via phone and email and I do hate poor call connections when I am speaking with a client. The tanking of my  call connections means I have even started conducting phone interviews for my article writing projects from home so I can use a landline or VoIP versus my Cingular phone.

Thus I am debating switching to a Blackberry on another carrier's network and retiring my current SmartPhone.

 

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.

Office 2007 and Mobile Devices

While I've resisted from pontificating too much about the document compatibility war brewing,  this news is way too troubling for me:

Office 2007 file format is incompatible with all mobile devices by ZDNet's Matthew Miller -- The Mac platform isn't the only operating system affected by the new Office 2007 open XML file formats. Users of mobile devices running Windows Mobile, Palm, Symbian, and BlackBerry operating systems also will have trouble reading, editing, and creating documents using the new formats. Developers are working on fixes, but at this time no system is working with the new formats.

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.