Why I bought a Palm Centro

Our family just replaced our cell phones while switching to a new carrier. With all the exciting new phones available, I bought a Palm Centro smart-phone – not exactly the latest technology available. This was based partly on price, partly on my familiarity with the Palm PDAs, and partly on the limited availability of devices at our local Verizon store. 

We went to Verizon originally seeking the BlackBerry Storm, but it proved disappointingly slow and prone to freezing in actual use. Other family members decided on the Samsung Omnia - a nice touch-phone. Although the Omnia runs the much maligned Windows Mobile operating system they seem to be doing well with it. 

To replace my PDA & cell, I didn’t want a large smart-phone – the Treo & Blackjack are about the largest I was willing to consider, and the Centro is significantly smaller than them. With a case, the Centro isn’t really smaller than my old Sanyo Vi-2300 flip-phone, but it certainly is smaller than two devices. I like the fact that there are no major moving parts like slide-out keyboards or moving screens – hopefully, that translates into a longer & more reliable service life. 

The primary reason I chose a Palm Smart-Phone is the ability to synchronize contacts, calendars, memos, etc. with IBM’s Lotus Notes. IBM’s Lotus EasySync Pro software didn’t work out of the box (even though it worked well with my Clie), so I tried finding solutions on their web-site. The main suggestion seemed to be uninstalling the Palm software and EasySync, and then reinstalling them in sequence. This initially appeared to fail (the Lotus software always hung shortly after starting), but after a couple of days, it magically worked perfectly upon powering up for the day. I guess adding reboots to the instructions would be helpful. EasySync works with Windows Mobile also, which is why the Palm Treo and a couple of HTC phones were on my list. 

The BlackBerrys look very useful, but this kind of synchronization isn’t supported by my local office, and I don’t need the frustration of setting that up on my own. One nice thing I didn't expect is that my Centro's alarms sound off at about the same time as those from Lotus Notes. The Clie's alarms always go off at a different time, sometimes making me wonder if it isn't synchronized with Notes correctly. This is probably because the Centro gets the correct time from from Verizon when the phone is on. 

The “tactile” QWERTY keyboard is just barely big enough, but the individually shaped keys really help with accuracy. For me, it is a huge improvement over using a regular telephone keyboard to enter text (I never got comfortable with T9 data entry). The sticky Alt & Shift keys help a lot now that I’m used to them. Searching text is vital to getting info from a Palm quickly - instead of a dedicated Search key, the Centro combines this function in the Shift key and requires the Option key be pressed before pressing the Shift/Find key. This was not intuitively obvious to me, but after finding it in the user guide, it is easy enough to use. 

The screen is small but bright for a Palm, very nice for a phone – I prefer my old Sony Clie PDA screen (and it’s Jog-Dial button), but not enough to keep carrying it in addition to a phone. I can read text easily without adjusting my glasses when using it as a phone, but I have difficulty using the small screen with games like Solitaire unless I switch or take off my glasses. My biggest problem with the small screen is the need to use a stylus for some of the smaller icons. I can select most fields with a fingernail, but pulling out the Centro’s plastic stylus can be frustrating when it is needed. I usually grab a multi-function pen that includes a stylus instead. 

The Palm Software is the latest version (Garnet - 5.4.9), so it has more features, takes advantage of a faster processor, and seems as stable as my prior Palm PDAs. If you like Palm, then this is more of the same. I also like the Palm Treo running Windows Mobile 6.1, but that wasn’t available from Verizon. 

I got a BodyGlove case at the Verizon store, and like their other products I’ve used, it fits well and works well (especially the belt clip). Although my cased Centro has passed a parking lot drop-test, I’m worried about the exposure of the open screen and keyboard when clipped to my belt, so I’ll try a leather pouch also. With the Bluetooth headset, I can leave it on my waist much of the time. 

The Centro has a 1.3 Mega Pixel camera – definitely the low end these days, but it performs well enough. The software integrates the Palm memory and the tiny Micro-SD memory card seamlessly. You can see where an album is located, but all albums on the Centro (including the card) are visible all the time. This is good enough for the “camera you have with you” events like recording accident scenes, etc. 

The Omnia has a 5 Mega Pixel camera with a flash – I expect to see great pictures from family as they get used to using this. 

Because the Centro has been available for quite a while, and is nearing the end of it’s marketing life (the price point where I seem to buy many gadgets), most accessories are heavily discounted, including cases, batteries, chargers, headsets, etc. I’m getting a few accessories now before availability becomes a concern. 

The Palm manual states that a screen saver (plastic film overlay) isn’t needed on the Centro, but after a few days of worrying about the exposed screen I installed one anyway. The brightness isn’t affected, and it isn’t too slick for comfortable use with a stylus. I also cut out a small circle of the film to protect the camera lens on the back – not an easy task, but it contributes to a little peace of mind. 

The Centro is probably the least expensive Smart-Phone available now – I paid $49.99 for this one. Monthly cost is comparable to our previous Sprint plan, and I can add a data-plan for another $30 or so. I’m going to monitor the bill for a couple of months before deciding if I need a data-plan. I have lots of the information I need loaded in the Palm already as memos & documents, so I may not use the Internet a lot. 

I long ago decided not to have work e-mail on my personal PDA, but I may decide to have my personal e-mail copied to the Centro. 

 One feature I wanted in my new smart-phone was a music-player. The Centro includes this software, but it uses a 2.5mm headset jack, so I'll have to wait a few days before learning how good it is - a stereo headset with the correct plug is "in the mail". The provided music player pTunes isn't integrated with the Palm Desktop - it needs to be installed on the PC separately, and this isn't documented well by Palm. I needed to download the pTunes Windows application (and I'm still not sure if I have a trial version or if it is licensed because I own a Centro). Once installed, the pTunes integration with the newly downloaded Windows Media Player 11 seems excellent. It is easy to create & download massive playlists to the memory card from within Media Player while music is playing on the PC. The download process takes a while, but doesn't interfere with doing other work on the PC. The first time I synchronized the media player screen was new & busy - I finally noticed the spinning synchronization logo after it was about 60% complete. Finding specific albums & songs on the Centro seems a little awkward now, but I'll probably uncover shortcuts that make it easier after using pTunes more.

Windows Mobile application managers

There are a couple of WinMo Smart-Phones in my immediate family. This software may make them easier to maintain & update.

Windows Mobile gets app manager:
"While Microsoft reportedly prepares an OTA (over the air) applications marketplace for Windows Mobile, it has been beaten to the punch by a Canadian high school student. Nicolas Bouliane's freely downloadable 'Gecko' utility allows online downloading, installation, and updating of Windows Mobile apps, says the author.

. . . "for Windows Mobile users, installing an application has never been an easy process. There are .CAB files, .EXE files, .MSI installers, and compressed files, and each of them install differently. Most of the time, you will need to synchronize your device with your computer in order to install applications."

. . .
Ironically, while Windows Mobile users have waited years for an OTA application installer, they'll soon have more than one to play with. Widespread rumors, originally sparked by online job postings, suggest that Microsoft will soon launch SkyMarket, constituting both an online applications store and a device-based installer.

. . . Our best guess is that an unofficial, open-source applications manager could continue to be useful to developers who, for the sake of speed or whatever other reason, do not want to submit their applications for approval and hosting via Microsoft. This is not without precedent: While most Apple iPhone apps are provided via the company's App Store, a substantial minority are written for "jail broken" devices, to which they get downloaded via the open-source Cydia installer."

Where's the Buzz? Does a lack of high-tech hype hurt our economy?

John Dvorak has an interesting column online this month. Starting with the current sad economic state, he discusses the role technologies companies may have had in causing our recent problems.

Summarizing the Death Throes of 2008 - Columns by PC Magazine:
"Tech is the tail that wags the economic dog, in case you haven't noticed. When something big is going on in tech—such as dotcom mania in the late 1990s—then everything heats up. Right now there's virtually nothing going on in tech except minutiae. Let's examine the problem.

First of all, the newest technologies have not been well promoted. Promotion has always been the key to tech. For example, name the top ten new technologies that were developed last year. Better yet, just name five. Nothing?
. . .

What's missing is the buzz that used to be generated, mainly utilizing a complex mechanism that no longer exists due to neglect—the computer magazine.

. . . while everyone claims that "you can get information online nowadays," the fact is that the online experience is totally different. The writing is different, and the kind of information that can be displayed effectively is different. Both can easily exist side by side. But magazines cannot survive when advertisers have decided en masse that online is a better place to advertise, completely abandoning print.

When you combine this with the push to take what was a unique American industry and pretty much hand it over to Asia, because it's cheaper to do things over there, then pretty soon everything is done there. While this in itself isn't a bad thing, Asians as a whole have no interest in print magazine advertising.

. . . once the advertising support for computer magazines dried up, the fortunes of AMD, Intel, Seagate, even Dell and Microsoft began to wane—as did their stock prices. The horrible reputation of Vista can be directly attributed to this phenomenon. Once magazines lost their realistic and calming influence, reputations were at the mercy of the online mob, much of which, egged on by Apple, hated Microsoft.

In many ways things are just as exciting as they ever were, but you'd never know it, would you? Information is scattered every which way."

Excitement over technologies still drives some of our purchases (Ex: touch screen cell-phones), but many folks are now accepting good-enough over seeking the newest or the best. Perhaps Dvorak is correct that this attitude has affected our economy. I think we can get through this current bad spot and emerge in an era where gadgets serve us, but we don't measure how cool others are by the gadgets they use. The time we spent reading about technology may be better used, but the lack of computer magazines certainly makes it difficult to feel in-touch with the high-tech industries - even if you work in them.

Another Missile Defense Success

Hopefully this research will continue over the next 4 years and systems will be implemented when possible. Our enemies don't care about the philosophies of the political parties in charge, other than how they can use them to defeat us. We need many different arrows in our quivers - missile (and/or warhead) defense systems are one of them.

Boeing-led Missile Defense Team Intercepts Target in Most Complex Test to Date - MarketWatch:
"VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif., Dec 05, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- The Boeing Company (BA:Boeing Co.) , working with industry teammates and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, today completed the successful intercept of a target warhead in the most challenging test to date of the United States' only long-range ballistic missile defense system.

'This test demonstrated that the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system can defeat a long-range ballistic missile target,' said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of Boeing Missile Defense Systems. 'This intercept is further proof that GMD can provide our nation with an effective defense against the threat of long-range ballistic missiles.'
. . .
'Data gathered from multiple sensors gave us a clearer picture of the incoming threat, enabling GMD to achieve the shootdown of a complex target,' said Greg Hyslop, Boeing vice president and GMD program director. 'Integrating sensors separated by thousands of miles is a major engineering challenge, but we overcame this challenge by working together as a team.'"

UPS Low-Emission Hybrid Vehicles

One of these hybrid delivery vans just delivered a package - it looked and sounded pretty much like any other UPS truck (except for the UPS Low-Emission Hybrid Vehicle logo). This is a great way to evolve technology - get it in use daily and see what squeaks - then fix the problems, and do it again. UPS seems to do a good job of incorporating appropriate new technologies more quickly than other large companies - kudos to them!

UPS: Press Release:
"ATLANTA, May 22, 2007 - UPS (NYSE:UPS) today announced its fleet of alternative-fuel vehicles - already the industry's largest - had expanded with the deployment of 50 next-generation hybrid electric delivery trucks.

The 50 hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) will operate in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and Phoenix. These new trucks join roughly 20,000 low-emission and alternative-fuel vehicles already in use.
. . .
The new hybrid power system allows UPS to use a smaller diesel engine than would be required in a conventional delivery truck, thus saving on fuel and pollution-causing emissions. A battery pack, motor/generator and power control system are added, which allows electric power to be fed into the powertrain when conditions demand it, providing further savings.

The hybrid electric vehicles also use what is known as regenerative braking, meaning the energy generated when stopping the moving vehicle is captured and returned to the battery system as electrical energy. The efficient, computer-controlled combination of clean diesel power, electric power and regenerative braking allows dramatic improvements in fuel savings and emissions reductions."

Obama Project: Space Solar Power (SSP)?

Space Solar Power (SSP) suffers from a chicken and egg problem. It is too expensive for NASA to divert research funding (although they will conduct experiments from the space station soon), and it isn't conventional enough to qualify for traditional investment & funding. Hopefully, as we ramp up to build more Nuclear Reactors some entity will try spending the equivalent amount on an SSP demonstration. (Bill Gates maybe?)

An interesting idea in comments following this article is the use of a beanstalk that can be built with conventional materials IF it ends 1 Diameter of Earth from the surface. We could use conventional (but reusable) chemical rockets to get materials to this low orbit, and then use beanstalks to lift them into the high orbits - saving a large part of the transportation cost, and do-able with today's technology. Another benefit is that such a beanstalk would be much less vulnerable to terrorist attacks.

Political transitions are a time to reflect and change policies - now is the time for the new administration to consider kick-starting the SSP industry. It would cost us less than many of the bailouts currently in the news, and provide enormous on-going benefits. The jobs created for such a program would be high-tech, and the product (energy) would be exportable.

Obama-Biden Transition Project: Space Solar Power (SSP) -- A Solution for Energy Independence & Climate Change | SpaceRef - Space News as it Happens:
"A National Security Space Office (NSSO) study concluded in October of 2007 that 'The magnitude of the looming energy and environmental problems is significant enough to warrant consideration of all options, to include ... space-based solar power.' This NSSO report also concluded that SSP has 'enormous potential for energy security, economic development, improved environmental stewardship, advancement of general space faring, and overall national security for those nations who construct and possess a (SSP) capability.'

We urge the next President of the United States to include SSP as a new start in a balanced federal strategy for energy independence and environmental stewardship, and to assign lead responsibility to a U.S. federal agency.

SSP Falls through the Cracks as Nobody is Responsible: No U.S. federal agency has a specific mandate or clear responsibility to pursue SSP. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) says SSP is a space project, and thus NASA's job. NASA says SSP is an energy project, and thus DOE's job. The NSSO-report found that SSP ''falls through the cracks' of federal bureaucracies, and has lacked an organizational advocate within the US Government.'

SSP has Significant Long-Term Advantages: SSP is unusual among renewable energy options as it satisfies all of the following criteria:

Immensely Scalable -- SSP can scale to provide the energy needs of the entire human civilization at America's standard of living. Most other near-term renewable options are strictly limited in scalability. As the NSSO report states "A single kilometer-wide band of geosynchronous Earth orbit experiences enough solar flux in one year to nearly equal the amount of energy contained within all known recoverable conventional oil reserves on Earth today."

Safe Global Availability -- Nuclear power technology cannot be safely shared with most of the countries on this planet because of proliferation concerns.

Steady & Assured -- SSP is a continuous, rather than intermittent, power source. It is not subject to the weather, the seasons, or the day-night cycle.

No Fundamental Breakthroughs -- SSP does not require a fundamental breakthrough in either physics or engineering, such as those required by fusion.

Highly Flexible and Optimal for Export -- SSP could enable America to become a net energy exporter. We could be the world's largest exporter of energy for the 21st and 22nd Centuries, and beyond."

Our Military Bans USB ThumbDrives, etc.

If you remember "Don't Copy That Floppy!", then you've been through this before. The Viruses, Trojans, and other crud collectively called Malware will get onto computers via any path available. USB Thumbdrives are now very cheap and easy to use as part of a sneaker-net. Unfortunately, they're just as convenient for personal use and this is how malware usually finds it's way into corporate / work / military systems. Scan a computer used by a young adult, and you'll likely find a variety of malware waiting for a chance to spread itself around. In theory, we should all scan our systems before writing files to an external device, but in practice most of us don't even scan our systems on a regular schedule.

In the near future I expect the technology to scan and secure thumb drives will be miniaturized and built into the devices themselves. A few years later, the prices will have come down to the level that we mere mortals consider reasonable, and the hackers will have to find another delivery mechanism. History shows that they will succeed.

Practice Safe Computing!

Under Worm
Assault, Military Bans Disks, USB Drives Danger Room from Wired.com:
"The Defense Department's geeks are spooked by a rapidly spreading worm crawling across their networks. So they've suspended the use of so-called thumb drives, CDs, flash media cards, and all other removable data storage devices from their nets, to try to keep the worm from multiplying any further.

It applies to both the secret SIPR and unclassified NIPR nets. The suspension, which includes everything from external hard drives to "floppy disks," is supposed to take effect "immediately." Similar notices went out to the other military services.

In some organizations, the ban would be only a minor inconvenience. But the military relies heavily on such drives to store information. Bandwidth is often scarce out in the field. Networks are often considered unreliable. Takeaway storage is used constantly as a substitute."