We love our mobile applications.  They make our phones so much more than just phones. Now, Ford is hoping developers will love yet another mobile application platform — the automobile.   Ford has opened up their Sync software development kit (SDK) for developers in the hopes that they can attract the best and brightest to build new applications to be featured in the Ford vehicle lineup.

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photo credit: Joseph Robertson

If last week’s news is any indication, we’re all about to see an army of Droids to be released and hit the mobile scene — in a very big way. Even if you didn’t already pre-order through Best Buy, Big Red hopes you’ll be stopping by their stores this Friday to see what all the fuss is about.   Some good hardware from Motorola and a faster, much improved Android 2.0 should please quite a few Verizon customers by providing what could be argued as the carrier’s first eagerly anticipated smartphone.   But will it pose any real threat to the iPhone?

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Business users — and, let’s face it, anyone who uses MS Office for documents — should take note of DataViz’s Documents To Go for the iPhone platform.  Oh, don’t worry, you’ll still look hip and “with it” as the kiddies say while you carry your iPhone.  Now you’ll just be able to walk into your next meeting and whiz-pow-bang! pull up the latest sales figures or show your boss that new PowerPoint presentation straight from your iPhone.  Since Documents To Go for the iPhone features MS Exchange Sync, you will be able to keep those documents in sync on your desktop and iPhone.  Yes, that means you can edit/create documents and save ‘em and all those lovely changes will be on your desktop when you return from that extended lunch .

Need the full low-down on Docs To Go?  Head over to ClintonFitch.com, where Clinton has detailed the features and makes even the most button-downed corporate iPhone user take note of the app’s capabilities.  If your iPhone does double-duty as your business phone as well as your fun-time-music-video-navigation-ebook-readin’-game-playin’-phone, then you owe it to yourself to read Clinton’s full review.

[ClintonFitch.com]

We have technology for just about everything.  Need to catch up with a friend on the other side of the globe?  No problem, fire up Skype.   Need to find the closest restaurants?  There are apps for this right at your fingertips.  Want to capture every image, note, or voice reminder and never lose them again?  No problem.  When it comes to ensuring quality restorative sleep, however, there’s not too much technology out there for the consumer.

Sure, there’s the Sleeptracker watch (which I do personally use, by the way) — which works as a wearable personal wake-up alarm — and does keep track of sleep patterns if you want to track that data on a computer.  Honestly, though, I’ve not done that once in the two years I’ve used the watch.  Now there is another tool aimed to really give you the gift of better sleep — without the use or dependency of pills or pharmaceuticals?  Where the Sleeptracker will wake you with either an audible or vibrating alarm when you are closest to a waking moment in a sleep cycle (using movement), the Zeo aims to actually coach you to permanently gain a better night’s sleep by revealing your habits and giving you tools to gradually change those habits  – and wake you using actual sleep phases (not movement like Sleeptracker) —  to give you more quality Zzzz’s.

By giving you the gift of sleep, Zeo also promotes the benefits  essential for their health, heart, stamina, memory, work performance, even longevity.   Interested in making these changes in your own life?  Let’s see how Zeo works.

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Shooting video directly from your mobile phone can be incredibly handy.  Even if the results do not equate to the quality of a dedicated camcorder, chances are you will have your mobile phone with you to capture the moment.  While many phones will let you record video, the thing that sets the iPhone so far apart from the pack is the wide variety of — you guessed it – apps.  These apps bring even more video recording features to your iPhone 3GS .

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Yeah, you may have spent all week painstakingly crafting your Balloon Boy costume, but you have nothing on these two guys from Tampa, FL.  Reko Rivera and John Savio made what is believed to be the world’s very first “working” iPhone cosutumes, featuring a 42″ display and 1.5 hours of battery life.  Their 85 lb costumes feature  changing displays that feature a variety of apps displayed directly from their actual iPhones via USB connection, and a runtime of 4.5 hours before needing to be charged overnight.

[Mobility Minded]

It’s that time of the year again.  All the kids will be dressing up and getting treats, so what’s your excuse? We’re not talking candy, either.  We’re talking the sweet stuff that keeps on giving.  The kind of treat that will keep you glued to your favorite mobile devices.  That’s right — Apps!

We’ve mentioned it before, but now it’s getting down to the wire.  These are the last few days of the Gear Diary Fall Software Sale that will get you 15% Off any application in the store.  All you have to do is enter the promo code GDFallTweets when you’re ready to checkout.  That’s it.

If you’re looking for Windows Mobile, Palm OS, BlackBerry, Symbian, and even some iPhone apps, you need to check out the selection available on the Gear Diary Store. Even if you’re not committed to buying, you can trial most of the software on your handheld for f-r-e-e.

Act fast.  After October 31st, the 15% promo sale is all over.

[GD Software Store]

Oh, hey party people.  Got big plans for your Pre-Halloween Friday night?  Wanna catch a live Foo Fighters concert?  Did I mention it was Free?  You don’t even have to get all dolled up or leave the comfort of your own home, either.  The live show will be available to view straight from Facebook via LiveStream.

C’mon.  All the cool kids are doing it.  U2 just did it.  So did Weezer.   Now the Foos are doing it, too.  RSVP if you like –  or just show up at 7pm PT/10pm ET and stream till your heart is content.  You can hold up your iPhone and use that wacky lighter app during the encore.

[TechCrunch]

When I’m getting ready to travel, I have enough to worry about.  Did I turn off the oven?  Set the home alarm? Stop the mail?   One thing I don’t want to have to worry about when I hit the road (or skies) for travel is trying to remember the %@#$! combination to my luggage locks.    In the hustle and bustle of trying to just make it to the airport in time to stand in those long security lines, I may just have to pick up some of these luggage locks from Wordlock.

Instead of trying to remember another birthday anniversary historical date jersey numbers from your favorite sports team numeric code to use, you can simply use a word for your combination. Wordlocks are TSA accepted, and use a patented algorithm so you can create up to 10,000 different letter combinations with locks starting at $9.99.  That’s a lot of four-letter words!

[Wordlocks]

DataViz has updated their popular Documents To Go  software for BlackBerry users.  Not only can you view, edit, and create Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files, now you can keep the files synced between your computer and BlackBerry.  In addition to bi-directional file synchronization, the new version also includes support for password-protected Microsoft® Office 2007 files, an updated PDF To Go® file viewer, and a new file browser for accessing and managing documents.

Pricing and Full Press Release after the jump.

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Gearing up for another treat-filled Halloween?   Last week saw plenty a-brewin’ with the drool-worthy Barnes & Noble Nook eReader (yes, that’s really what it’s called), the Que and the Alex.  Oh, don’t cry for Amazon.  Even as the Kindle gets some real competition this holiday season, Amazon continues to do just fine.

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Want to complain about your BlackBerry browser, or do you want to actually do something about it?  Now’s your chance.   If you have the skills, it looks like RIM has some openings for WebKit Developers.

RIM’s previously made their intentions to completely re-do their browser known through recent acquisitions.  Are they “too little, too late?”  Most BlackBerry users are already flocking to use 3rd party browsers, like Opera Mini.  Meanwhile the iPhone, Palm Pre, and Android devices have long made use of WebKit based browsers.

The onslaught of new devices coming out will certainly be giving BlackBerry a run for the money.   Perhaps you can be the guy or gal who can put “I made the BlackBerry browser not suck” on your resume

[via MobileCrunch]

There’s been a lot of talk lately about how Twitter has changed the corporate culture for Comcast.  In  fact, the chatter first started back in January with a big to-do in Business Week. So, is Twitter actually helping provide real customer service?  Is this just a Public Relations gimick, or is it truly — um — Comcastic?

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Looking for a unique gift for one of those people who have “everything?” These watches from Phosphor bring the same E INK technology used on the Kindle eReader to your wrist.  These digital watches feature a unique curved ergonomic design, and changeable watch dials only possible with E INK display.

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The popular “This Week in Tech,” or TWiT, netcast network recently partnered with Mediafly to expand it’s podcasting and video distribution across multiple platforms.   Leo Laporte, the man behind TWiT, recently announced the partnership with Mediafly at this year’s Blog World Expo.

The move will expand TWiT’s audience and make the technology show’s video available beyond just iTunes users.  Mediafly will be able to direct the content to a wide variety of devices,  including the Palm Pre, Android devices, BlackBerry, Zune, Logitech Squeezebox, and soon directly to your Roku video player.   While it is clear that iTunes will continue to reach an extremely large audience, being able to reach more people through multiple devices and delivery streams will certainly benefit content providers.

Full Press Release follows.

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