BlackBerry Coming

Well, the company I work for is providing us with BlackBerries and AirCards. I'm kinda looking forward to the BB and definately the AirCard. I only want to carry one device and am kind of concerned about not having the functionality I enjoy with my Treo. I have a lot of different applications that I use for different purposes. Some that are free and some that I bought. I am concerned about having the applications I need avaliable on the BB. But it will give me a chance to learn another device, so we'll see what happens.

TreoAlarm

I've been traveling a good bit lately, and I need alarms to wake me in the morning. Notice I said alarms, plural. I usually set the bedside alarm, get a wakeup call, and set an alarm on my Treo. I have tried numerous alarm programs and could not rely on any of them to wake me. TreoAlarm is different. Not only does it have a very persistent alarm, but also has some other great features. When it awakens you, you can look at the screen and instantly see what the weather forecast for that day is, as well as several more days. It can also do multiple locations, which is great for someone that travels. You can set a total of 8 alarms, which can be set with very flexible scheduling in mind. When that alarm goes off, several things can be set to happen. The weather can be updated and the time synchronized. The alarms are very persistent, and are able to wake even a hard sleeper such as myself. If you wish, you can select 'Snooze' when it goes off, and catch a few more winks. Try it at http://www.treoalarm.com/home/index. Oh and by the way, it doesn't take much space either, and it also will turn your phone off and on at preset times, saving battery life. It's a great program!!

Time Management

Time Management is an important subject, not only for us as students, but in our everyday career life. It is so important that for many jobs, it is a prerequisite necessary in order to get the job. As our lives get more and more hectic, Time Management is necessary just so we can organize all the various tasks that must be done on a day to day basis. In one aspect, this may not only apply to our job, but to our personal lives as well.

Many people have a system for Time Management that works for them. Some use the paper planner method that has been the old standby for years, and would never think of using anything else. Some use the sticky pad method, which is just as it sounds, sticky notes stuck wherever they are at the time and need to make a note. Then they hope the note is in the right place when they need it. Can’t see how it works, but it’s what some people use. Some use nothing at all except their minds, if they’re fortunate to have one of those minds that absorb and regurgitate the correct information anytime they wish. I’m not one of those fortunate people. I have used the paper planner method and to some extent the sticky pad method (which is why I don’t understand how it works). The method that I now use is what might be called the PDA method. PDAs have been around for a number of years, and there have been a plethora of brands, shapes, and sizes. I have had a Palm device for about 5 years now, and it is my operating system of choice. The first was a Palm IIIxe, a basic, non-connected device that was basically a device created as a PIM, a personal information manager. The second was a Handera 330, similar to the previous device, but with added features. The third was a Tungsten C, adding WiFi capabilities that allow the use of network connections. The current device is a Treo 650, which adds the convenience of always being connected. With the advance in devices has come the advance in software. Devices are now able to receive and display Excel spreadsheets, PDFs, Word documents, and PowerPoint presentations, all very important applications that can be used for information and Time Management.

Technology has improved our ability to manage our time. With the advent of the convergence devices (combination PDA and phone), the ability to manage our time has reached a new level of ease. Devices such as the Treo allow the user to manage their time through various built-in and third party applications. These applications allow the user to customize the device to optimally manage their schedules. Another benefit of a device such as this is that the device can be synchronized with such popular applications as Outlook. This allows one to work with their schedule in different locations as well as keep backups. The portability of the Treo allows the user to have their schedule with them at all times which is very beneficial for the businessman on the road. There are even applications that allow the Treo user to synchronize their calendar, task list, and email wirelessly, so that they are connected and up-to-date wherever they are. Changes made to the users calendar quickly show up on their devices, to notify them of a rescheduled meeting, a change in a contract, or even an emergency that needs their immediate attention. In our busy, ever-changing lives this has become increasingly important. The applications that are available for the Treo allow the user to prioritize tasks, make lists of steps that must be taken in order to complete a project, and allow the user to receive and answer important emails.

In our age of increasing advances in technology, and with the introduction of devices such as Pocket PC devices and BlackBerries, it stands to reason that technology will continue to increase our ability to manage our time effectively.

Sites I visit on a daily basis

Here's a list of some of the sites I visit. If you have a favorite Palm related site you visit, and it's not on my list, please leave a comment with the url, so I can check it out.

PalmAddicts
Gizmodo
Engadget
FreewarePalm
Palm Boulevard -
Palm Infocenter
MyPalmLife
PDABuzz
PalmForums -
infoSync World -
Brighthand
Slashdot
1src
mytreo.net
treocentral.com
shadowmite
Treonauts
TreoBits

-Thomas

CrashPro

If you're having reset problems on your Palm device, try CrashPro from 79bmedia.com.

A friend was having a problem with resets on his Treo. He said: "it finishes the whole sequence, plays the little hotsync tune, windows makes the usb disconnecting sound and it reboots. the hotsync log is clean". He was contemplating reinstalling Palm Desktop, but I suggested he tried CrashPro. He tried the HotSync with CrashPro running and found that one of his apps were causing the problem. One little setting change and he was back in business. His comment was "wow, what a cool app crashpro is".

So, if you're having unexplained reset problems, try CrashPro.

-Thomas

Posting from my Treo 650

Here's a test post from my Treo 650. Arguably one of the best convergence
devices on the market today. I'm learning more and more about the abilities
of this powerful smartphone.

-Thomas

First Post

Hi, my name is Thomas Owens. I live in upstate South Carolina. I have created this blog as a preview to the site I hope to build.

I like gadgets. My daughter affectionately refers to me as Inspector Gadget. I especially like the Palm OS devises, but am familiar with BlackBerry and other devices as well.

I'm trying this blog out to see how it goes. If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask.

-Thomas