Although I’m a fan of the Palm Pre, let’s just say, the app selection and quality is a ‘mixed bag.’  Apps that are mediocre get pretty popular because there are few alternatives and many people have lower expectations.  Sort of like the fact you can’t open a mediocre pizza joint in New York City as you’ll be out of business in a month.  In other parts of the country, there is much less quality competition so you can pull it off.

Up until now, there have been a handful of NewsReaders, some Homebrew, some app catalog.  Most of the App Catalog news readers are ‘dedicated’ apps to a particular site such as The New York Times or AP News. The exception is ad supported ExpressNews from Handmark, which aggregates a number of preselected news sites.

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I’ve been a business smartphone user since the category was invented.  I started with Palm and have been loyal to them through the years as the market has developed from a niche geek market to the fastest growing segment of mobile communications.  Analysts say it will easily overtake conventional cell phones in developed countries very soon.

As a business user, I’ve always assumed the ‘next’ new device would be better than the previous device at getting the job done.  That job being primarily communicating with colleagues via voice or text.  Originally email was the exclusive text method, but of course today we have SMS, IM, Twitter, Facebook etc.

So why am I upset with what Palm has done in their latest ‘comeback kid’ device, the Palm Pre?

Read on to find out.

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Dealert recently appeared in the App Catalog for the Pre.  At $1.99 its a very reasonable price for what it does – which is keep an eye open at all times for great shopping deals.  I haven’t seen anything quite like it in terms of usefulness – most of which is caused by the ability of the application to sit in the background and constantly keep an eye out for deals. Continue Reading

Palm Pre users can now update their phone to version 1.2 of webOS. Some of the new operating system features include: a beefed up Palm Synergy that includes LinkedIn contact syncing, more linking across different “flavors” of IM contacts (no word on what flavors), better filtering of your email inbox by typing a search term, ability to download files in the browser, Amazon MP3 downloads now supported from both Wi-Fi and cellular data, and FINALLY cut and paste introduced to web and email. Expect an over-the-air update to webOS 1.2 within the next few days. Oh, and it does not fix iTunes sync - but you didn’t think the Apple/Palm cat and mouse game would go on forever did you? Full changelog after the jump.
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Sometimes it pays to stay up into the wee hours of the morning, watching Bounty with your sweetie. I came to check email during a popcorn break, and found a little surprise in my inbox..

Here is thew newest member of the webOS lineup – the Palm Pixi. It looks like the HTC Tattoo isn’t the only phone that means to take personalization to a whole new level, and I’ve gotta say that at this moment – on looks alone? Palm Pixi 1, HTC Tattoo 0.

But the Tattoo isn’t the only new device that the Pixie might be trying to steal the limelight from today. Seems like there were some announcements coming out of Cupertino, as well. Methinks that the Pixi might steal a little bit of thunder; after all, they’re only announcing some new iPods. Right?

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When I started this series, my hope had been to tackle all of the apps in the Palm Pre App Catalog before its official launch, later this month.  But the developers turned out to be too fast for me.  In the month since I started this series, the App Catalog has grown from 30 apps to 45, and is really starting to gain momentum.  So, a slight change of plans will see the series ending today, with an overview of 30 apps.

As a finale to the series, I thought we would take a look at Yelp, the location based search tool.  But don’t worry, this will not be the end of our look at apps for the Palm Pre.  There are plenty of new apps showing up every day, both in the official App catalog and in the unofficial homebrew app lists.  And we will work our way through many of the apps in both locations.  For now, though, let’s take a look at Yelp.

Yelp is a multi-platform tool, which can help you find local businesses and restaurants in your area.  You can search either by selecting one of the preset categories or by entering your own search term.  Yelp will then find any matches in your area.

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I have to admit that I have never been one to dabble to deep in the stock market.  Most of my money is in IRAs or index based funds.  Plus, I rarely want to have the values too close, because looking at how much money I am constantly losing can get a bit depressing these days.  Nonetheless, for those of you who do like to have your net worth in the palm of your hand at all times, there is a fantastic app called Express Stocks.

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Let’s just get this out of the way quickly.  Word Ace is my new favorite game, and is the best game currently available for the Palm Pre.  OK…I know saying that any game is better than other games on the Palm Pre may not be much of a compliment…but this really is a fantastic game.

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This is a pretty simple app, but one which could be quite useful to those folks who spend a lot of time in their cars, whether that means travelling long distances, or commuting into town each morning.  This app lets you use your Palm Pre to track how many miles you are getting per gallon of gas, and how much money you are spending on gas.

To begin, just create a new account with the name of your car.  Enter the current odometer reading and you are good to go.  For the most accurate results, you should start with a full tank of gas.

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Yes…I do mean THAT Connect 4.  The one you loved as a kid.  sliding checkers into a plastic frame, trying to make four in a row.  This is one of my son’s favorite games, and I love the fact that he is so interested in a game from my own childhood.  And thanks to the folks at Hasbro and EA Games, you can now enjoy this classic game on your Palm Pre (10 times before you will have to pay for it). Continue Reading

Let’s have a show of hands.  How many of you watch the Today Show in the morning.  It is pretty hard to miss, since it is about five hours long, yet I manage to do so since I leave the house before 6:00 each morning.  So, I rarely get to watch the show upon which this app is based.

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I am pretty happily married, and have been since before dating sites like Match.com became all the rage.  So, needless to say, I do not have an account at Match.com or any other similar sites.  That being said, I can certainly see the value they might offer the modern connected single.  In fact, my sister-in-law met her husband that way.

In the interest of making sure this series is complete, therefore, I wanted to mention this app and make sure that interested individuals know that they can access their Match.com accounts from anywhere using their Palm Pre.  That being said, I found it odd that a niche site like Match.com has its own dedicated app on the Pre, while one of the most popular sites in the world, Facebook, does not.  Still, if this app helps bring busy individuals together…then I am all for it.

Note that you will need to sign up for the paid account in order to send messages.  All of the other features, including the location based features, are included with the free account.

Ever since I graduated from college with a degree in Journalism, I have tried to keep track of which newspapers have the best writing.  Consistently near the top of that list has been The New York Times (for the record, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, CNN, and the AP Newswire round out my personal top five).  So, I was pretty excited to find the New York Times app on my Palm Pre.

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Tonight is Friday, which means it is the start of the Jewish holiday Shabbat, which is the Sabbath.  It begins at sundown on Friday and runs through sundown on Saturday.  Shabbat can be a very ritualistic holiday, with certain prayers and other activities which occur at specified times.  Of course, since nothing can ever be too easy, these times change based upon when sundown occurs.

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There are a number of apps available for the Palm Pre which require a specific hardware or software configurations.  Since I do not have all of the right equipment, I will not be able to go into too much detail, but I wanted to mention them in the interest of ensuring a complete series.  So, read on for a few additional sync options designed for your unique needs.

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