We have taken a look at SplashID several times before.  This is one of the great apps coming out of SplashData, who seems to have now come full circle.  They started out developing for PalmOS, moved on to Windows Mobile, iPhone, Nokia, and even several desktop platforms.  Well, now they have come back to their roots with Palm and their WebOS.  This is SplashData’s second app on the Palm Pre, following Infopedia.

Now, some of you may recall that last week I briefly mentioned how I had tested SplashID and found it to be terribly buggy.  Heck, it would not even load most times at all.  Well, earlier this weekend, SplashData released an update of SplashID to the Palm Pre App Catalog, and now it is running better than ever, so let’s take a closer look.

SplashID is a secure information manager.  Like many apps which we have discussed on other platforms, it is designed to store all of your important private information, such as: passwords, bank accounts, credit cards, and any other private information you can dream up.  Don’t worry, your data will be secured with 256-bit Blowfish encryption.  That is about as secure as it gets.

When you start the program, you will bring up a list of all your saved information (like many of these programs, each item is saved on a card).  Just tap any entry to bring up the information. 

For a little extra privacy, you can mask critical information, like passwords, so it will only be displayed when you are ready.  you can even sort the cards by type and category (business or personal).

To create a new card, just tap the big plus sign button to bring up a blank card.  Choose the type of card to set customized fields in which you can enter all of your data.  You can even set which fields will be masked or viewable.

I was really happy to find SplashID on the Palm Pre.  I think a secure information manager is an absolutely critical app, and this is really one of the best.  SplashData has done a fantastic job with the user interface as well, making it clean and easy to use with pull down menus and customizable fields.  This is a must download app on your Palm Pre, and since it is free, you really have no reason to pass on this one.

Join us once again as we take a quick look at new and updated Windows Mobile Professional programs to appear in the JAMM Store over the last week.  We’ve got several new titles listed, along with a couple of updates.  Check out the lists below!

New Software

• BEIKS English Verbs Conjugator for Windows Mobile v2.16
• BEIKS Spanish Verbs Conjugator for Windows Mobile v2.16
• BEIKS French Verbs Conjugator for Windows Mobile v2.16
• BEIKS Portuguese Verbs Conjugator for Windows Mobile v2.16
• BEIKS German Verbs Conjugator for Windows Mobile v2.16
• BEIKS Italian Verbs Conjugator for Windows Mobile v2.16
• Twins Snakes v1.0
• Vopium for Windows Mobile v2.0.7
• ProOnGo Expense with Receipt Reader v1.1

Updated Software

• Billable Buddy V5 v5.00
• Rampart Illustrated First Aid Guide v1.2

The weekend is here again, and it’s once again time to take a look at the new and updated Palm OS titles that hit the JAMM Store over the last week.  While we didn’t find any updated titles this week, we did manage to have a handful of new applications to join the ranks.  Links to the programs are below!

Checklister v1.0 – Checklister is a simple task management application.

Trader v1.0 – Trader looks to be geared towards keeping track of trade, in terms of business.

Crazy Cards v1.0

Dicetron v1.0

Groove v1.0

Crazy Cards, Dicetron and Groove each appear to be interesting games, with the title’s of the first two giving a big hint as to what type of game play you are going to be getting your hands on.  Groove looks like a simple color matching game, somewhat along the lines of memory type games.

I had other plans for this article tonight, but as I mentioned earlier, there were a few new releases this weekend, rounding the App Catalog off to an even 35.  So, I thought it would make sense to take a look at one of these new apps.

Spades is a card game in which you try to win “tricks” by playing the highest value card.  At the beginning of the game, you have to predict how many tricks you think you will win.  Gameplay then proceeds, with each playter playing a card from their hand.  The highest value card (with spades beating all other suites) will win the trick and start the next round.

I have been a pretty big fan of Spades since I was in high school, so I was excited to find this one make its way to the Palm Pre App Catalog.  The game started off pretty well, with four different variations:

• Partner Spade
• Solo Spades
• Mirror Spades
• Suicide Spades

My excitement pretty much ended there, however.  The first thing I noticed was that the graphics felt extremely out of date, as though they were from a game which was made five years ago.  I even looked up the developer to check whether this was a port from Windows Mobile or an older version of PalmOS (it was not).  While it is true that card games do not require sophisticated graphics, I expected better than this.

Once the game got going, I also found that the animation was extremely slow.  I almost thought that maybe some other program was interfering with it, because the cards were lagging so badly during game play. All of this, plus advertising support does not lead to a very good user experience. 

While I am thrilled to find apps making their way to the App Catalog, I have to say that I was not as impressed by Spades as I had hoped.  The poor graphics, poor animation, and ad support, generally lend to a poor user experience.  That being said, I have been generally disappointed by the few games which are currently in the App Catalog.  Hopefully better games will start making their way to the Palm Pre soon.

The App Catalog on the Palm Pre is not scheduled to go fully live until September, but the new apps keep trickling in.  Earlier today, I noticed three new apps had been added to the App Catalog:

• Spades: the classic four-person card game. This one features multiple variants and gameplay options
• Blackout: It sounds like a pretty easy puzzle game.  just click the switches to turn the lights off and on.  The trick is that each time you switch a light, all of its neighbors switch as well.  Turn off all of the lights to complete the puzzle.
• Echo: Allows you to sync Palm Desktop PIM data from your Windows PC to your Pre (and back again).  Requires Palm Desktop 6.2, sold separately.

We’ll be adding all three of these new additions to our 30 Apps in 30 Days list.  Keep your eyes peeled, because this trickle means the floodgates will be opening soon.  Come September, we will hopefully start seeing dozens of new apps instead of one at a time.  In the meantime, be sure to check the App Catalog for several new updates to Good Food, Sporting News, Open Table, and SplashID.  And if you cannot find what you need in the App Catalog, then don’t forget about the unofficial Homebrew App List, now featuring over 120 apps which you will not find in the App Catalog.