Author: James Kendrick

The Stowaway Portable Keyboard still ranks as my favorite portable keyboard of all time. The Bluetooth version I have has stood the test of time, at least 5 years, and found new life as an outstanding keyboard to be used with the iPad. It’s too bad that Stowaway has gone away, and the company that bought the rights to the Stowaway line shut it down a couple of years ago. Good technology never dies, and Asian gadget maker Thanko has a USB portable keyboard that looks exactly like the Stowaway.

Since showing the Stowaway in use with my iPad, I have been inundated with requests from readers wanting to know where to find one. Searches online have turned up empty, but this keyboard by Thanko is available now.

The original Stowaway keyboard was available in both a USB and a Bluetooth version. The Bluetooth version is the one I use, and the wireless connectivity makes it a solid partner with the iPad. The Thanko version that is now being sold is USB only, unfortunately. This model may work with the iPad using the photo accessory that has a USB port, but that is not a given. Hopefully Thanko will also offer a Bluetooth version. They’d sell a lot of these to iPad owners, I believe. Note that the Thanko keyboard will work with any Windows PC and Mac.

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Hot Topic: Apple’s iPad

Many Nexus One fans have been watching the Google Nexus One web site to see when the dreaded “coming soon” to Verizon message would go away and the phone would be available for order. That may not ever happen as a check today shows the Google Nexus One site no longer indicates it will be coming to Verizon.

The Google Nexus One site now says you can buy the Droid Incredible, a “similarly feature-packed cousin of the Nexus One.” Sure looks like the Nexus One isn’t coming to Verizon after all. Perhaps Verizon decided not to play with Google’s experiment of selling the phone itself.

The Lenovo ThinkPad Edge is a good compromise between the enterprise focused ThinkPad line and the consumer market. The ThinkPad Edge 14 has a bright 14-inch screen at 1366×768 resolution that is easy on the eyes for all day use. In the video I give a tour around the notebook and show how solid a performer it is at normal tasks.

Dell is readying a line of Android products, the computer maker said this week, which will include no fewer than four phones. The Android handsets will range from the budget-minded Aero to the Thunder superphone, which includes everything you’d expect in a high-end phone, plus a custom Hulu app. The Android line-up will also feature a 5-inch tablet dubbed the Streak. Dell plans to launch a larger model  — the Looking Glass — with Nvidia Tegra 2 technology later in the year.

In the meantime, another 7-inch tablet running Android was unveiled. Due out in July, the Cruz Tablet , which is being produced by PC maker Velocity Micro, will have Android 2.1 running the show and a web browser with full Flash 10.1 support; memory expansion will be possible through USB and SD cards. While tablets running Android aren’t able to interact with the official Android Market, Velocity Micro says there will be a “Cruz Market” for distributing apps.

Also this week, an enterprising individual was able to install Android on the iPhone. The hacked device works as a regular Android phone, yet retains the ability to boot into the iPhone OS — though the Google OS on the Apple device was said to be “a bit buggy and unstable.”

Solid state disks. Those hard drives without moving parts, that we commonly call SSDs. We started hearing a couple of years ago that standard spinning hard drives were soon to be a distant memory. The SSD would replace hard drives in notebooks first, and then follow onto the desktop. The SSD is faster, runs cooler, is gentler on batteries and can fit in smaller spaces than the old-school counterpart. Costs would soon come down to the point that the SSD would the only viable option for computers. Fast forward to the present and this hasn’t happened. The standard hard drive (HDD) is still the primary storage on most everything sold currently, with SSDs relegated to pricey options for those who are willing to pay a premium. So what happened?

I remember sitting with a friend in a local coffee shop two years ago, and the topic of discussion was the HDD vs. SSD debate. My friend worked for Western Digital, a major supplier of hard disks for computers. I was predicting the death of the HDD, and warned him that his company better be prepared for the rise of the SSD. Western Digital didn’t make or sell SSDs back then, and my concern for his job is what led to the discussion. I remember clearly my friend looking at me and telling me that I was crazy, the HDD was too cheap and would remain so for the foreseeable future.

My friend was right. It’s two years later and still my prediction has failed to come true. That is further evident by a report out of Asia that a major supplier of SSDs for the computing industry is now predicting it will be another two years before the SSD will take off. This is what I was hearing two years ago. The reason it is still two years away is the same as my friend told me two years ago. Price. The flash memory used in the SSD is still much more expensive than the components used in standard spinning HDDs. It’s as if nothing has changed in the two years that has passed since my conversation with my friend. Will pricing for SSDs ever drop low enough to make it a serious threat to HDDs? I’m not so sure anymore.

Image credit: OCZ and Western Digital

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To Win In the Mobile Market, Focus On Consumers

Nook owners are getting a surprise from Barnes & Noble in the form of a major software update. Version 1.3 has the standard bug fixes and performance enhancements, and also adds some new features to the Nook. The ability to read e-books for free while in B&N stores is finally enabled with version 1.3. Nook owners can take the reader into any store and read any e-book title for up to an hour each day at no charge. There are plans to add periodicals to the “read for free” titles soon.

A beta web browser is also added in this new version on the Nook to take advantage of the Wi-Fi capability. This browser is likely to be crude, such as that on the Kindle, but it enables the ability to use the Nook in hotspots that require a web browser login. Nook owners have been crying out for this ability since the device launch.

If the update doesn’t show up automatically on your Nook, go to My Library while on a Wi-Fi connection and check for new content. You should see a prompt to get the update.

This update leads to the question when iPad owners can expect a version of the B&N Reader app for the device. CNET was told by B&N that an iPad specific version of the reader should be out “sometime in May”, with an iPhone version out sometime after that. The iPad version is being totally rewritten to take advantage of the device, according to B&N.

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Irrational Exuberance Over E-Books?

It’s Friday and we know what that means boys and girls. Time for another look at the week in Mobile Tech Manor. This is one of those weeks that it’s hard to believe it’s almost over already. It seems as if yesterday was Monday, which is a good thing. I have long lamented the fact that I have cell phones on all four major U.S. carriers, especially the part where I pay for them. I recently dropped one of the four (T-Mobile) and this week I dropped Verizon. It’s the first time in a decade I have no Verizon service, and it feels a bit strange. When I wasn’t dropping carriers I was testing a bunch of apps for the iPad and have been impressed with how fast developers are updating their apps to improve them and add features. Come on in and let’s gab about the week.

Big Red Down

I didn’t just drop my Verizon cell phone, I also dropped the data line I’ve had for years. It was attached to the MiFi but since I signed up with Sprint and bought the Overdrive I didn’t need Verizon any longer. This move will save me a nice chunk of change each month and I’m happy I did it. I now have a voice line and the data line on Sprint, along with the iPhone line on AT&T.

This has me down to just two smartphones, the iPhone 3G and the Palm Pre. I’m still quite happy with both of them truth be told, even with all of the fine phones on the market. I’ll say one thing, I am so anxious to get my hands on the Sprint EVO to give it a test, so if you’re listening Sprint… Seriously, the EVO has all of the hardware greatness of the HD2 I tested a while back but adds 4G on top of it. How can a geek resist that? Summer can’t get here fast enough (release date for the EVO).

iPad Update(s)

My past experience with many tablet computers made it clear to me that I would find the iPad useful. The slim, light form factor coupled with a mobile OS that is made from the ground up to be a tablet OS would make for a useful device; I said that more than once prior to the launch of the iPad. Even so, I am surprised how much I am using the iPad. I find I use it more every day.

It’s not just the newness of the device, it has more to do with how useful the iPad is becoming the more I use it. I wondered how limited I would find the device for real tasks; I shouldn’t have wondered as I am finding it more than adequate to do just about everything I do with a computer of any kind. I find I grab it and just do things, which sounds a bit trite but it’s the truth. I don’t think about doing things — I just do them.

There are many things that I am growing to prefer doing on the iPad over other devices. I attribute that to both the comfort factor and the enjoyment I get from doing them on the iPad. Using the iPad is as simple as picking up a magazine and leafing through it. It has become a window into the world, but one I can interact with effortlessly. It’s hard for folks who’ve never used an iPad for any length of time to understand.

I’ve been impressed with how often iPad app developers are updating their apps. I check two or three times a day for updates, and usually find one. Apps are getting fixes and new features that are sometimes impressive. Many apps get simple updates that turn out to provide major usage benefits. This was the case with an update to SugarSync.

I use SugarSync to keep my files in sync across multiple computers, and to provide access to those files on the iPad using the free app. It worked well, but got much better after the update this week. The developers added a way to open spreadsheet, documents and presentations directly in Numbers, Pages and Keynote on the iPad. I just tap a document in the SugarSync app and then hit a button to open it for editing. It’s easy, useful and clean. The edited file has to be emailed to the SugarSync account to get updated in the cloud but it’s not a big deal. Hopefully, they’ll add a “sync up” function in a future update to eliminate this extra step.

I am constantly trying new apps for the iPad. Here’s a list of my most-used apps (right now):

• Twitterific
• NewsRack
• Kindle for iPad
• Tweetdeck
• WordPress
• Remember the Milk (iPhone version)
• iWorks (Pages, Numbers, Keynote)
• LogMeIn Ignition
• SugarSync
• Speed Test (iPhone version)

I am starting to test Dragon Dictation, and already see it can be a useful way to get text into the iPad via speech. I need to spend some time with it to get good at using it, and to determine the best practices for speaking text into various programs.

LogMeIn Ignition is working so well on the iPad that I find myself doing more and more with it. I can be controlling another computer in just seconds, so I am jumping on to do single tasks when I need to without putting it off. It is so powerful, and turns the iPad into a full Windows PC or Mac. It is the killer app for the iPad for me, without question. I keep getting asked how bad the lag is when controlling another computer, and truthfully there is almost no lag whatsoever. I guess I need to shoot a short video showing how well this works so others can understand this.

I admit I’ve gotten hooked on The Pinball HD, a fantastic game on the iPad. The sound and graphics are top-notch, and the way the game fluidly changes the viewing angle during the action is very well done. It is so addictive that I have to restrict myself to playing it when I have free time.

I’ve also started playing Red Alert: Command and Conquer and it’s pretty fun. The control interface is easy for most things but a little clunky for others, but otherwise it’s fun.

I have deliberately avoided getting Scrabble for the iPad. I love Scrabble and am sure I will waste far too much time playing it once I get it for the iPad. I’m sure I’ll break down and get it at some point but I’ve been strong enough so far.

Cool Stuff on the Web

I don’t always find stuff on the web that is cool enough to share, but this week I found two videos that must be watched. The first video was recorded during a baseball game between Florida Atlantic and Western Kentucky. There was an extended rain delay and the players for both schools got bored and then creative. The four minute video showing how these guys relieved the boredom is priceless.

I took my iPad over to my Mom’s house right after I got it, and was impressed that when I handed it to her she started using it right away. She had previously refused to even touch a computer, but the simple slate form didn’t intimidate her and she used it as soon as she grabbed it. The second cool video this week was recorded when an iPad was handed to 99 year-old Virginia. It was also her first time to ever touch a computer, and to watch her happily using the iPad is pure joy. She even writes limericks using her iPad. Great stuff.

e-Book of the Week

The e-book I am reading this week is the newest Stephen King novel, Under the Dome. It’s a great story told as only King can tell it. A mysterious force field-like dome suddenly appears over a small town in Maine, cutting it off from the rest of the world as no one can enter or leave through the translucent dome. I can barely wait to see where this story goes. It’s a testament to how much I like Stephen King’s work — it’s the most expensive e-book I’ve ever bought ($17).

Wrap-up

That’s the week as it happened in Mobile Tech Manor. I hope you enjoyed sharing it with me and if you have any questions about anything you’ve read here just leave a comment. I enjoy hearing from you.

The mobile space sometimes seems to generate more rumors than other segments, and a big one has surfaced recently with far-reaching ramifications should it come to fruition. The London Evening Standard reported that Apple is considering a bid to acquire ARM Holdings. ARM is the tech company inside many mobile products — Apple licenses it for the iPad as a matter of fact. Just about every Android-based tablet and top smartphone on the market uses ARM technology. Should Apple buy ARM it would push the entire mobile space, Android in particular, into utter chaos.

I’m not sure the anti-trust folks would like Apple to absorb ARM, but it’s not clear if that would be the case. ARM has stiff competition, so it’s not a given that Apple would be unfairly stifling anything by the acquisition. Should Apple grab ARM, it might be in the company’s best interest to stop licensing ARM technology to others. That would set things into a free fall, particularly in the smartphone space as ARM technology is inside most superphones produced currently.

Apple definitely has plenty of cash laying around, more than enough to buy ARM. I believe it would be a great business move on Apple’s part to do so, even though as a consumer I likely wouldn’t like the results. What do you think? Should Apple buy ARM?

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Marketing Handsets in the Superphone Era

Prior to the launch of the iPad bloggers started thinking about how convenient the slate might be for sharing information. Some even believed the iPad would make such an impact on the process that it would change blogging for the better. While it’s certainly true the iPad makes interacting with the web easy, and something that can be done almost anytime, it’s still not clear how useful it can be for the actual process of blogging. The fog is clearing, however, and some bloggers are using the iPad to handle most of the blogging process. I would never want to use the iPad as my only blogging tool, but I admit I am finding it far more useful for the task than I thought it would be. With some careful thought and best practices, blogging can indeed be done on the iPad.

I would never recommend bloggers to dump whatever computer they are using for blogging — that would be silly. Where I do see advantage to using the iPad for blogging is on short trips, or during outings when a computer is normally not carried for the day. The iPad is easy to travel with, and the tool that is with the blogger is better than any tool that is not. The muse can strike at the most unexpected times, and if the iPad is at hand it’s the right tool for the job.

The first obstacle that must be crossed to do serious blogging on the iPad is the lack of blog editors in the App Store. At last check the WordPress app is the only one that has been released for the iPad. Since we use WordPress on the GigaOM Network, this works to my advantage. Those with blogs on other platforms will have to do some experimenting to determine how best to create posts on the iPad without a specific editor.

Most blog platforms have web-based editors, and it’s worth trying in the Safari browser on the iPad to see if yours will work. We have many special widgets at GigaOM that makes our WordPress online editor a very useful tool, and some of these widgets will not work in the iPad browser. If a given editor doesn’t work in the browser, then post creation becomes a two-part process — writing and posting.

Of course, writing can be done in any text editor, and there are a few for the iPad. The Pages app from Apple works fine for writing blog posts; writing blog posts can even be done in the Notes app. The trick is writing the post and then pasting the content into the final destination. I can’t address every possible situation that one might face, so I’ll concentrate on how I blog using the iPad.

The WordPress app for the iPad is pretty good, and I usually write the entire blog post in this editor. It’s important to note that there is no fancy visual editor (WYSIWYG) like in the web-based version. It’s a simple text editor that works well for text entry. It’s also a HTML editor, so those familiar with HTML can use it to make posts with sophisticated formatting. I’m too far removed from the old HTML blogging days, so I avoid it. I simply use the WordPress app for writing the text content of the blog post. The photo handling capability of this app is not very sophisticated, so I avoid using it for that purpose.

TIP: The WordPress app is great for following comments left on the blog, so don’t overlook that ability. Even if you don’t write blog posts using the app you might find it useful for working with blog comments.

Writing blog posts in the WordPress editor using the iPad’s on-screen keyboard is more efficient than I dreamed possible. I expected this keyboard to be good for knocking off a very short email, but not for writing blog posts consisting of hundreds of words. What I’ve discovered is with a little practice it’s easier to type on the screen than you might think; it’s certainly a viable method in a pinch. For much longer posts I use an external Bluetooth keyboard. It folds up and fits in my pocket, yet opens into a full-sized keyboard. I don’t absolutely need it for writing on the iPad, but I’m no glutton for punishment. I have the tool so I use it when it makes more sense.

Having written a blog post in the WordPress app, when done I publish it as a draft to the blog. This brings it into the WordPress online system for the final editing — adding links, images and implementing the special widget controls we use on the site. The next time I log into the web-based editor the post will be waiting in draft mode for this work.

It may seem that my iPad work with the blog post is over at this point; if that were true, then full blogging couldn’t be done on the iPad in my case. This is where it gets really fun — I fire up LogMeIn Ignition on the iPad, and log into either a Mac or Windows PC in my home office. I leave at least one of them running for this purpose, with the LogMeIn server running in the background.

Using this method, I am in effect working with my Mac (for example) on the iPad, using the slate display as the Mac’s monitor. More importantly, since LogMeIn is optimized for interaction via touch on the iPad, I am able to do anything I normally do on the Mac (or Windows PC) by touching the screen. I use this method to start the Firefox browser, and enter the web-based WordPress editor on the home machine.

I have the “full” browsing experience this way, and the final post editing process is just as it would be in the office, but using touch on the iPad. I add any links I need; upload, grab and edit any images for the post; and enable any of the special GigaOM widgets needed for the particular post. There is hardly any lag and it’s amazing how well this method works. It turns the iPad into a full Mac or Windows system, with no limits. This is why my method is working so well for me.

Clever readers will ask why I don’t just log into the home machine and write the post in the browser, rather than create the draft using the iPad local app. That’s a fair question and the proper answer is I could easily do that. But as well as the LogMeIn method works, when I am concentrating on the post writing process itself, I prefer the distraction-free environment of the local editor. It’s strictly personal preference, but there’s no reason doing it all through the remote connection wouldn’t work. I have done it that way, as a matter of fact, and still prefer to do it in two steps.

I must make it clear that this method works for me as I already have everything in place to make it work. I have multiple computers in the home office, so it’s no burden (financial or otherwise) to have one available for remote access. I already owned LogMeIn on the iPad ($29.99), so I didn’t have to spend the money just for blogging. This may not be the case for you, and I am not recommending you spend a lot of money to do this.

This method is working so well for me that I could easily employ it for short trips without impacting my ability to work. I don’t intend to do that, but I could if I needed to. That’s a liberating thought.

Disclosure: Automattic, maker of WordPress.com, is backed by True Ventures, a venture capital firm that is an investor in the parent company of this blog, Giga Omni Media. Om Malik, founder of Giga Omni Media, is also a venture partner at True.

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Hot Topic: Apple’s iPad

In a week when all eyes were on a phone found in a bar, Dell has been leaking information about its mobile roadmap. Dell looks to make a splash in this space this year as details about several phones and handheld devices would indicate. The company looks committed to the Android platform, but not exclusively as the Lightning with Windows Phone 7 demonstrates.

The Dell Lightning is the first look we’ve gotten of a real handset running Windows Phone 7, and it looks like a dandy. The Snapdragon processor, which seems to be rapidly becoming the standard against all other are judged, is running a 4.1-inch OLED screen that looks gorgeous in the leaked photos. The Lightning is a portrait slider with a QWERTY keyboard which will make quite a few folks happy. In addition to all of the hardware goodness packed in the Lightning, leaked details indicate it will get an LTE upgrade in the last quarter of this year. Oh my, the Dell Lightning is looking mighty tasty.

Several Android phones are in the works by Dell, including the Thunder which has a hardware design that looks similar to the Lightning without the slider and with Android on board. The Thunder is reported to also have a 4.1-inch display, and Dell is following HTC’s route by putting its own shell on top of Android to make it distinguishable from the competition. The “Stage” UI follows a familiar route by integrating social networking into the UI, in a very attractive package. The Thunder is also reported to be coming in an LTE version late this year.

Dell is not forgetting those looking for a cheaper, simpler phone, as the Flash proves. This handset will have a slower processor and more sedate design, but with the same Android and Stage UI as the Thunder. There will be a smaller 3.5-inch screen on the Flash, and all of the standard features one expects in a smartphone. The Flash is expected in early 2011.

We have been teased by Dell with handheld Android tablets for quite some time, but haven’t seen any hit the market yet. That teasing has been cranked up to a high level with new information about the Dell Streak, the 5-inch handheld tablet that is now reported to get the latest version of Android in September. This news is exciting as it may mean we’ll actually be able to buy one of these puppies soon. The Streak is looking mighty fine with its dual cameras hinting at video conferencing.

A big shout out to our friends at Engadget for getting all of this “secret” information about Dell’s mobile roadmap. We understand no German beer was involved, which is no small feat.

Image credit: Engadget

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Marketing Handsets in the Superphone Era

Amazon lacks the one thing that most retail companies have, and that is a brick and mortar outlet. Some would say that having only an online store is an advantage, but that’s not necessarily the case when a company starts selling its own products, like the Kindle. Barnes & Noble stumbled out of the gate getting its own e-book reader, the Nook, into its retail stores, but it can be found there now by consumers who might want to touch one before buying it. There’s also a distribution deal with Best Buy to sell the Nook. Consumers like to try e-book readers prior to purchase, and that may be the driver behind the Amazon deal with Target, to sell the Kindle in select Target stores.

According to Target, the Kindle will initially be available in Minneapolis and stores in Florida, to be followed with more Target outlets selling the Kindle later.  The restricted roll-out may be a test by Target to gauge sales potential prior to the full launch, but Target has not stated that is the case.

It will be interesting to see how the general public reacts to the e-book reader. Amazon has likely sold quite a few Kindles online, but there are no hard numbers to indicate if the non-techie community is buying them. Having the Kindle in a mass market retailer like Target should give mainstream consumers good exposure to the technology, perhaps for the first time for many of them. It will be telling to see how the general public reacts to such hands-on exposure.

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Irrational Exuberance Over E-Books?

In a recent series we noted a number of portable keyboards that work with the iPad; this list includes the Freedom Pro Keyboard, a full QWERTY keyboard that folds in two for easy transport. The folks behind the Freedom Pro got in touch with us to make sure we understood that the keyboard will work with many smartphones, in addition to the iPad and Windows UMPCs.

The Freedom Pro keyboard has both HID and SPP Profiles, which means it will work with Windows systems, BlackBerries and Android phones (Android drivers in progress).  The integrated device stand is designed to fit smartphones, but will also handle small UMPCs, too. The smartphones that can be used with the Freedom Pro keyboard are many:

• BlackBerry (OS 4.0+)
• Windows Mobile (5+)
• Symbian Series 60 (most N and E)
• Symbian UIQ3 (Sony Ericsson)
• Android (1.5+)

The Freedom Pro keyboard can run for 90 hours on two AAA batteries, and connects to the device over Bluetooth. It comes with a travel case for easy transport. This video shows the keyboard in action with a BlackBerry.

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Hot Topic: Apple’s iPad

Voice control of smartphones can be a useful way to interact with information and to make things happen when using the hands is not an option. I have been using Dragon Dictation on the iPhone and the iPad quite happily, and find them to be great tools. I am happy to report that the folks at Nuance, makers of Dragon Dictation, have shared that Dragon Dictation is now available for the BlackBerry.

Dragon Dictation for Email is the company’s solution providing easy email creation totally hands-free. Users can create and respond to emails by simply speaking what they wish to put in the email. The Nuance transcription is almost instantaneous, allowing quick verification that the speech was transcribed properly.

Dragon Dictation for Email is available free for a limited time in the BlackBerry App Market. The program is verified for use with the BlackBerry® Tour™, BlackBerry® Storm and BlackBerry® Storm2 on the Verizon network; the BlackBerry® Bold™ series and BlackBerry® Curve series on the AT&T network; and, the BlackBerry® Curve series and the BlackBerry® Bold on the T-Mobile network.

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• Threats Look Large for Microsoft’s Email and Collaboration Platforms

This morning didn’t start as planned. At 5 A.M. there was a loud “boom”, the power at home went out, and then there was a second loud “boom”. The power was out in the immediate area, and we stumbled around in the dark until candles were lit and flashlights were located. The only good thing about this unexpected darkness was it happened right at the time my wife’s alarm clock signaled it was time to get up for the day. She has one of those job things that requires her to actually go to work, unlike me who has a 5 second commute to Mobile Tech Manor. Fortunately for us both, my home office is outfitted with outstanding mobile technology, and that comes in handy when the power decides to go away.

We normally watch the morning news on TV while sipping our first cup of coffee, and my wife didn’t want to miss this part of the daily ritual. I fired up the Sprint Overdrive hotspot, and once connected to the Sprint 3G network (we don’t have 4G coverage at home) I powered on the Acer Ferrari One laptop I have been testing. Our local ABC TV station broadcasts the news online, so my wife was able to get her morning news fix with no problem. I was on the iPad, happily tweeting via candlelight.

When the power outage entered its second hour it was clear we were in for the long haul. No worries as I have been working away on my MacBook using the Overdrive 3G connection. It’s almost like all the other mornings when we have power, just a bit darker. Working in the glow of the laptop screen reminds me of the period after Hurricane Ike, when we lost power for almost 3 weeks.

Having all of this mobile tech around is a great thing when confronted with a situation like this power outage. I figure between the MacBook and other laptops in Mobile Tech Manor I could easily go 3 – 4 days without power before all the various batteries run dry. The Overdrive modem is only good for 3 – 4 hours on its little battery but when it starts running out I will just connect it to the currently used laptop via USB. It will take a hit on the laptop battery but I won’t care, I’ll still be online and working away.

I do miss the 40 Mbps broadband I normally enjoy, and the 24-inch monitor on my desk too. But times like these remind me those are nice to have but not essential to get the work done. Just lots of batteries and mobile broadband and I am good to go.

I must admit that while it was romantic tweeting via candlelight, it is kind of sad when a power outage is no excuse to miss a little work. This situation does make me proud of the green tech work the GigaOM network does, especially the GreenNet 2010 conference kicking off this month.

It has been all quiet on the BlackBerry front for a while, with RIM hard at work on the next big version of the OS, 6.0. Not much information is getting out but the BGR has gotten hold of some mighty tasty screen shots of BlackBerry 6.0. It seems that the next BlackBerry update will be all touchy-feely, at least the screens look built for touch control. The best news for me is the word that the new BlackBerry web browser is all webkit. Now that’s music to my ears.

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• Threats Look Large for Microsoft’s Email and Collaboration Platforms

Lenovo, the company that brings us the ThinkPad line of notebooks, has launched the new ThinkPad L line of notebooks. The company states these new notebooks are “the greenest laptops on the market”, as they are made with up to 30% post-consumer content such as office water bottles and used IT equipment.

The line is comprised of the L412 and L512, with 14 and 15-inch screens respectively. The major features of the ThinkPad L models:

• 16:9 HD antiglare displays on the 14-inch L412 and 15-inch L512
• Choices of Intel integrated or ATI Mobility Radeon graphics
• 3G/4G wireless connectivity options with Gobi 2000 module support for AT&T, Sprint and Verizon
• Multitouch touchpads
• Up to 8 hours of battery life
• Expansion with 4 USB ports/1 powered, combo eSATA/USB port, support for DisplayPort and VGA

In addition to the recycled material used in construction of the new laptops, Lenovo offers a 3-year warranty on the batteries to keep them out of landfills. The packaging used with the ThinkPad L is 100% recyclable in keeping with the green theme (for those interested in green tech, check out our GreenNet 2010 conference this month). The new ThinkPads will be available in the middle of May.

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Why Freescale Sees Big Opportunity in Green Cars

A common sentiment I hear from iPad owners is that it is easier to type on the virtual (on-screen) keyboard than people thought it would be. I am firmly in that camp as I have written a lot of things on the iPad, far more than I thought I would be able to do comfortably on the on-screen keyboard. Typing on the iPad is like anything else, a little practice can go a long way to improving the skill. That’s where TapTyping from Flairify comes in handy.

This cheap ($5.99) app for the iPad presents a series of typing lessons that is aimed at improving both typing speed and accuracy. It starts out with presenting a series of letters for typing, and progresses to more extensive lessons that has the user entering famous works like the Alice in Wonderland. To keep things fresh you can enter your Twitter credentials and TapTyping will have you practice by typing in the tweets from your friends. The program shows your time and accuracy at the end of each lesson.

I have only spent a short time with TapTyping but find my skill is already improving. I intend to go through the whole program and see how fast I can get using the on-screen keys. TapTyping works in both portrait and landscape orientation, but it’s primarily designed to improved two-handed typing so landscape works better.

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Poor Palm — the news coming out of the company just gets worse and worse. Lackluster sales of its webOS handsets and a mass exodus of key executives at the company. It’s like rats leaving a sinking ship in droves. Analysts are quick to point out what Palm has done wrong to put itself in this untenable position, but the fact remains that the way forward is anything but clear. Is it time for Palm to call it quits?

Sales of the Palm Pre and then the Pixi never set Sprint sales records. Palm then put big hopes on the updated Pre Plus and Pixi Plus, with its exclusive deal in the U.S. with Verizon. But in the quick paced smartphone space timing is everything, and Palm’s appearance on the Big Red network followed the carrier’s move into the hot Android market. The Verizon advertising campaign for the Droid Android line was massive, and the Palm phones arrived at Big Red with a whimper, not a bang.

The sales numbers for Palm get worse and worse; it’s clear the webOS platform is not saving the company as hoped. The company goes public that it is shopping for a buyer, and key executives are leaving by the shuttle bus load. Palm offers big bonuses to keep other executives from leaving the sinking ship, but that’s not enough either. The loss of a major distributor for Palm phones (RadioShack) proves how bad it is, and signals that it is only going to get worse. Palm is even waiving the developer’s $99 fee to submit webOS apps to the App Catalog, a move that smells of “too little too late”. There doesn’t seem to be a way forward for Palm, a sad situation for any company.

My Palm Pre is sitting forlornly on its Touchstone charger, a great phone but no longer sure when (or if) it can expect any further software updates. The Pre is a testament to how good the webOS platform really is, but that doesn’t seem to be enough to save Palm. That Touchstone charger is the single most innovative phone accessory to be released by anyone for years, yet it’s not enough either. It is a clear indicator of just how difficult the competitive smartphone market has become, when one of the best OS platforms coupled with great technology cannot turn the tide for Palm.

I have stated in the past that the only thing that can save Palm is an innovative (non-phone) product. A webOS tablet would at least break Palm out of the smartphone doldrums. Palm’s line of phones has not been enough to stave off disaster, so my thinking was that a radically different product would at least have a chance to make an impact. Now I’m not so sure, due to that timing thing. The iPad is selling like hotcakes, and as it’s the biggest competitor for a Palm webOS tablet, it’s probably too late.

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How To Clean Up the Mobile OS Mess

It’s not often you get to say Ferrari in a notebook video review but that branding is what makes the Acer Ferrari One special. The sexy design coupled with decent performance for an ultra-portable sets the Ferrari One apart from the crowd. In the video you get a quick tour around the laptop and a look at how HD video playback is on the ATI Radeon graphics.

Hope you like our new video player that is being rolled out. This is our first one using the new system so let us know what you think of it in the comments.

A phone that is reported to be the next iPhone has appeared on the web and has the techerati buzzing. It was first reported to be a prototype that was found, yes found in the wild as someone supposedly left it somewhere. It doesn’t work according to everyone who has gotten their hands on it, and that crowd is getting larger every day.

Engadget has the first look at the new iPhone, and Gizmodo now has a look at it. Kind of a second look, if you will. What can we tell about this phone, if it is indeed the new iPhone? It’s flat, for one thing. Gone is the curved back of the current iPhone. It’s plastic, black plastic to be specific. It’s heavier than the current model, which perhaps is due to the bigger battery that is in this prototype. It might have a higher resolution display, which would make it more of an “iPad lite” I suppose. It’s attractive, no question, but it sure looks thick to me.

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