You have to feel badly for Palm. Even when they make some good moves they still can’t get any respect. And today no less than the New York Times took a swipe at them. In the article entitled “Is Palm’s Comeback Losing Steam?” author Saul Hansell notes…

Palm invented the category of a Web-surfing pocket-computer phone with its Treo line in 2002. But more recently it lost its way in the market as some of its rivals developed more innovative phones.

I mean, think about it, how many people are even TALKING about the $99 Pixi that just went on sale? Ask people about the latest smartphone and they will say… “Droid”.

Worse yet for Palm,

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A demo of Flash Player 10 running on a Palm Pre has just been released on YouTube. According to Adobe they expect to bring a version of Flash to nearly every mobile platform (Windows Mobile, RIM, WebOS, Google Android, and Symbian OS) this year or next. Notice any particular missing platform? So far Adobe has only indicated that they’re working with Apple but that the development will be on a separate timetable. The promise of Flash Player on mobile platforms is that much of the multimedia content currently available only through more powerful desktop computers could instantly become available on smartphones with Adobe Flash capabilities. This would potentially save developers from having to write multiple versions of an application and could create a large number of feature rich applications able to run on smartphones virtually overnight.

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Please enable Javascript and Flash to view this Viddler video.I’m a huge fan of the Engadget podcast. Not a week goes by that I don’t listen to Joshua Topolsky, Paul Miller, Nilay Patel. Their podcast is updated weekly and they chat about the week’s top news and provide added insight that you don’t get from their web site. I’m not sure how frequently these Engadget live shows are going to happen. This episode feature Jon Rubenstein formerly of Apple and now leader of Palm and was taped on 9/13/09. Aside from some problems with low audio and a questionable selection of first guest (cool demo of Pixi – but terrible explanation of why there’s no Wi-Fi (Sprint didn’t want it?) and come on Jon Rubenstein doesn’t know the type of processor in the  Pixi  ?) the video is of interest to anyone who is a diehard Engadget podcast listener. Follow the link below if you’d like to download a copy of the show to your iPod or Zune.

Engadget Show

During yesterday’s earnings call Palm announced they’d shipped 823,000 smartphone units last quarter (no breakdown on how many were Pre devices), beat earnings estimates and said their future growth will depend upon on how well their products launch. While no specifics were given about launches the company did hint that in the second half of 2010 they will be launching the WebOS based devices on more carriers. Perhaps most interesting is that according to website Precentral during the conference call Palm made this statement:

Due to importance of webOS to our overall strategy, we’ve made the decision to dedicate all future develoment resources to the evolution of webOS. Which means that going forward, our roadmap will include only Palm webOS-based devices

Palm Abandons Windows Mobile

Are you a Palm loyalist, still clutching your Centro, Treo, or T|X tightly in your fingers, not yet ready to surrender your trusted device, but perhaps looking for something to give your Palm OS device a little boost and add a little excitement?  If so, Handmark may just make your day.

Through its gaming group, Astraware, Handmark makes a great range of games for the Palm OS, Windows Mobile, Symbian, BlackBerry, iPhone, and PC platforms.  For a limited time, they are offering their Palm OS games at a 50% discount, including such well known titles as Tetris, Tradewinds 2, Bejeweled, Text Twist, GTS World Racing, and Astraware Casino.

To get your discount, use promo code PALM50 during checkout when shopping on the Astraware, Handmark, or Pocket Express websites.

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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The Palm P120 and C40 have made an appearance on a computer screen that Precentral is claiming came from a Sprint store. These two models could possibly be follow on devices to the relatively new Palm Pre. It’s unknown whether these are entirely new devices or could be a slight configuration tweak (more memory, removal of camera, etc). This discovery comes close on the heels of a similar screen from Verizon which displayed a P121VZW and P101VZW)

New Palm phones in Sprint computer inventory – P120 and C40

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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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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