I’ve posted before about a super sized iPod, The idea of Apple putting out a netbook, or UMPC sized device that runs on the iPhone OS, is of course, attractive to a lot of us. There has been a lot of scuttlebutt on the intertubes today, focusing on an article from of all places, the Financial Times.

The main news is that apple are trying to increase sales of Album content rather than songs, singular. Apparently there is greater financial benefit in that? Speculation that this will also be an eReader killer, is included in the same article.

As always, at least the rumour is consistent, the device is said to have, any thing from a seven to ten inch touch screen. have wi-fi, and a touch screen.

“It’s going to be fabulous for watching movies,” said one entertainment executive.
”The new touch-sensitive device Apple is working on will have a screen that may be up to 10 inches diagonally.”

As always, information like this should be taken with a grain of, neigh, a tower of salt. The most highlighted fact from the post, is that we will be seeing this new device, in less than two months.

Whilst I’d like to see that happen, I some how question the employment of creative writers at the Financial Times.

Just Friday morning, my wife relented and decided to give a smartphone a try.  After opting to take over ownership of my arctic while Palm Centro, I spent Friday telling her about all of the ways that it was going to help her life.  Upon returning home Friday evening, the Centro hit the charger in my office while I formatted a 4 GB microSD card for it.

Saturday morning rolled around and I was brave.  I asked to see if she was serious, to see if she changed her mind.  She hadn’t, and still wanted to try out the Centro.  Her first question:  “If I decide I like it, can I have it?  I don’t want you taking it away from me!”.  After assuring her that I had another and that she could indeed have it, I prepared it for use.

I quickly exported all of the contacts from her feature phone to her SIM card.  The Palm OS received a hard reset to clear it’s memory from all of the programs I ran on it.  No need to overwhelm her at the start, right?.  On the memory card I built an initial application repository, fresh with TakePhone, Resco Explorer and a few themes (a pink one).  TakePhone was installed to RAM and set up with a minimal interface.  The bar at the bottom of the main page received five icons:  Camera, Video Recorder, Media (pics and video viewer), Calendar and Tasks.  The most common of her contacts were added to TakePhone’s speed dial page.

We then spent a bit of time going over how TakePhone works.  She liked the overall simplicity of being able to find her contacts.  She liked the shortcuts to the features of the phone I mentioned above.  She liked the pink theme.  Next we talked about some of the more technical aspects of the Palm OS.  You know the big one.. the fact that even though you turn it off, the device isn’t actually off.  That one took a minute or two to explain, since her feature phone couldn’t have the device on without the phone being on.  The discussion went back to the original intent of the Palm OS, to have an instant on device that you could enter appointments, tasks, contacts or memos into.  She said it made a lot of sense.  We stopped there for day one.

Day two and we moved on to pictures.  Having just had some photos taken of our little one, I added them to her card and showed her how to access them.  Early afternoon rolled around when we were at her parent’s house, where she quickly pulled out her Centro (proudly telling her Mom that she just got a new phone) and proceeded to show off the pictures.

All in all, looks like we’ve got another smartphone user among us.  Over the next couple of days and weeks, she’ll slowly be introduced to some of the more advanced things that she can do.  Best to let her ask!

Apple has laid the framework for a great mobile OS in what they’ve offered so far.  Note that I say they’ve “laid the framework”.  I think that there are several areas of functionality that Apple has neglected.  Without these areas addressed, the iPhone OS will never be what it can be.  If I were in charge of Apple, I’d include five definite features in iPhone OS 4.0 to patch the functionality that up until now, Apple has failed to address.  Now that we’ve got the groundbreaking features out of the way in OS 3.0, (read:  cut, copy, paste, landscape keyboard support, etc), it’s time to look at what some of Apple’s most overlooked functionality gaps.  Read on for addition one of five.

First, before we dive in to the features that I’d include, let me offer the following disclaimer.  I’m not a fanboy of Apple.  Everything they do is not tinged with gold.  Nor do I hate everything Apple.  They are not an evil company.  Their OS, the computer one that is, is brilliant.  I have an iPod Touch and it’s a great device.  It also has a lot of shortcomings.  For the better part of the last year I’ve had the opportunity to talk daily with users about how software works on their iPhones’ and iPod Touches.  The actual users, doing everyday things.  I’ve listened to their concerns.  I’ve tried to explain that some of what they thought they would be able to do, simply isn’t an option due to currently imposed restrictions.  Based on these observations I’ve put together my top five features that I’d add to the top of the list in OS 4.0.  Today, we cover item number one.  Read on…

Feature #1:  USB Based Sync Support for 3rd Party Applications

It’s a well known fact that if a third party application interacts with the desktop in any way, it has to be done wirelessly.  Via wifi, via Bonjour, via the phone’s data connection, period.  Yes, USB syncing is possible.  Your iTunes songs sync, your photos sync, your movies, all of your media syncs.  See the pattern here:  USB based syncing is only reserved for the built in applications that Apple provides on the iPhone.

This is a problem for a number of users.  People have come to the iPhone and iPod Touch from mobile platforms where USB based syncing with the desktop was the default method.  Users from the Palm OS, from Windows Mobile, from Blackberry, are all accustomed to syncing via USB.  Plug it in, hit a button, and everything is synced.  Palm’s Hot Sync really captured the essence of simplicity in this area.  Not everyone has a wifi network at their disposal.  Not everyone has access to wireless capabilities in their work environment due to security concerns.  USB based syncing for third party apps would really be helpful for these people.  Simple as that.

I for one cannot think of a good reason why Apple doesn’t provide this as an option to third party developers.  Why not provide the developers with a conduit SDK that would allow them to have their application tie into iTunes?  The framework is already in place.  In the Applications tab in the sync portion of iTunes, there’s already the ability to specify which application get’s synced (as it currently is, installed).

If I were in charge of Apple, this would be the first area that I’d address in the iPhone OS 4.0 update.  Based on my conversations with users, a lot of people would find it useful.  Sounds like a good enough reason for me to incorporate it.

What about you?  If you were in charge of Apple and could make major decisions as to the functionality that would be included in version 4.0 of the iPhone’s OS?  Would USB based syncing be included?  Let us know your thoughts below and be sure to check back tomorrow evening for the second of five features I’ve give you in iPhone OS 4.0.

It’s contest time again! Hurrah!

Now that you’ve all had time to get used to the new look of the site, we want to know what you think about it. Do you love it or hate it?  Is there anything you miss? Is there something you want to see?

3 lucky, random winners picked by the Magic Cats will receive a $25 gift card each to the JAMM store – and you KNOW we have some good stuff in there!

The contest is open to registered users only, it’s lickety split easy to register if you haven’t done so already – just hit the login button on the homepage and click the “sign up” button.

The contest will end on Sunday, July 26th at 12pm PST!

Note: Ok, we’ve only got seven entrants, so I’m keeping the contest open until tomorrow (Monday 07/26/09). By 8pm PST tomorrow evening, I would like to see at least 10 entries to the contest! C’mon guys, register and give us your opinions on the new look of the site!

By entering this contest, you authorize Just Another Mobile Monday, and its representatives, to provide your personal information (such as, but not limited to your name and email address) to the sponsors of this contest should you be selected as a winner. Your personal information will not be sold by Just Another Mobile Monday, or otherwise retained for any purpose except that described herein.

I admit it, I’m not to proud to beg!  I’ve been begging for this for a long time.  If you guessed that she’s going to finally start carrying a smartphone, you’re right.  Not just any smartphone, one of my two Palm Centro’s.  A shiny artic white GSM unlocked Centro, complete with black leather Sena magnet flipper case and 4 GB microSD card.

Unsatisfied with her current feature phone, she finally succumbed to my constant advertisements of how a smartphone would help her to be more organized, help her to carry more pictures, to carry video video clips, to well, just be cool!  I’ve got a black Centro and a white Centro.  Of course, she opted for the white one because it’s “prettier”.

Now I get to spend the weekend planning on what I’m going to install on the phone (I’ve got a huge collection of Palm software I’ve registered over the years).  What to install to help her get the most out of the experience is key.  After all, I don’t want her “telling me so”, that the phone just wasn’t worth her time.  My initial thoughts are:

• TakePhone – what would a Palm OS phone be without it?
• The Resco Suite – Explorer, Backup Pro, Viewer, etc.
• PocketTunes Deluxe
• TCPMP
• 4Cast – best to let her have access to the weather!
• Plus probably other countless titles that I won’t introduce to her right away.

I really want this to work out.  I want my wife to fall in love with the Centro.  She’ll give it a good home.  She did so for me.

So how about you?  Does your spouse carry a smartphone or are you on your own, like I’ve been for so many years?  Let us know in the comments section!