Yesterday, I brought word of a relatively minor update to Palm’s WebOS operating system, for those of you using a Palm Pre on Sprint’s network.  While WebOS 1.3.1 had a few bells and whistles (you are welcome Yahoo users) it was mainly a maintenance upgrade.  Although there were a few hints of things to come (video recording, perhaps??).  Which begs the question, how did such a minor upgrade break so much on my Palm Pre.  Seriously, while an upgrade to the operating system can often cause some minor, unforeseen quirks, this is worth than anything I saw with Windows Mobile or the iPod Touch.  Let’s take a look at what was broken as a result of this minor upgrade:

Hey…my apps don’t work.  Yes, that is right.  Quite a few apps, particularly homebrew apps, are not compatible with WebOS 1.3.1.  That was certainly unexpected.  I woke up after installing WebOS and found that most of my commonly used apps would no longer load.  It took a little hunting through the homebrew forums, but I did find that many of these apps have been updated in the last week, so pay attention to those updates.

Hey, my email and calendar don’t work.  I am not saying this is related to Yahoo (it really is not) but at the same time they Palm offers syncing through Yahoo, they shatter Exchange sync.  Fortunately, I do not use Exchange for anything except my secondary email account, but the forums were in an uproar from one end of the Internet to another over this one.  hopefully, a patch will be coming soon.

Hey, nothing works.  I have noticed a lot of little things that do not work the way they should.  Some folks reported in various forums that they cannot install any new apps. Fortunately, I have not experienced this myself, though I have found that many of my keyboard shortcuts no longer work…which makes it difficult to take any screenshots.

to say I am disappointed would be an understatement.  For a minor maintenance upgrade to break significantly more than it fixes is absurd.  I certainly hope that Palm gets a fix for their fix soon.  I hate to say it, but this is exactly the reason Palm has had so many former users lately.  Hopefully, they are not sliding back to their old ways so soon after such a large success.  With Android threatening to overtake Palm (or have they done so already), they really do need to be careful they do not slip into the trash heap of great design, poor execution. 

Yup, you heard me right folks, craptastic!  I have been waiting for Facebook to come out with an app to replace the horrible mobile web interface for the Palm Pre ever since I got the phone in June.  Over the weekend, they finally released it.  so, I eagerly downloaded the app and loaded it up on my Palm Pre…a decision I immediately regretted.

The first thing I noticed was the extreme lack of speed.  Hit update and get ready to wait.  It took at least five seconds to update the display.  But I could live with that if the app did anything worthwhile.  The Facebook app for Palm displays your Facebook newsfeed…and that is about all it does.  While you can update your status, or leave a comment, there is no way to filter your feed, and no way to access any of Facebook’s more advanced features.  Additionally, the entries in your newsfeed are not sized appropriately for the screen, meaning you can generally view two or three entries on the screen at a time.

Compare this with the robust app Facebook published for the iPhone/iPod Touch, and the disappointment simply mounts for Pre users.  One can only hope that this was intended to be an early test or beta, geared toward testing the functionality, and that more features will be coming soon.  Otherwise, we will continue to term this one craptastic, and hope for more entries from third party developers.

Over the weekend, Palm pushed out a new update of its WebOS operating system to Palm Pre users (if you have not seen it, hit that update icon on the last page of the launcher screen).  There are a lot of small enhancements in this one, the most prevalent of which is that Yahoo email and contacts.  You can see the full list of updates on Palm’s website.   But there is plenty more, which you may not already have seen.  The folks over at Precentral.net have compiled a list of undocumented features in WebOS 1.3.1, including:

• speed enhanced web browser
• changes to the Linux kernel which lay the groundwork for a potential video camera in the future
• snappier photo interface

So, Pre users, you can download the new WebOS directly from your phone, and start enjoying the new features in about 10 minutes.  And if you notice any additional features, leave a comment and let us know what you found.

I have been fortunate to be involved with SoundID almost since their inception.  I started exchanging emails with them around the time they released their initial offering, the SoundID SM100.  They sent me one to review and I became an instant fan.  Although I was disappointed by the unexpectedly long delay before their follow up offering was released, they eventually came out with the twin offerings of the SoundID 200 and 300, which proved to be well worth the wait.  Now, they have wasted almost no time bringing us their latest offering, the aptly named SoundID 400. 

As usual, SoundID simply will not stop at convention with their Bluetooth headsets, and the SoundID 400 offers a truly unique feature with its Remote Microphone.  Add that to the unique sound settings which SoundID has developed, and you get one incredible headset.  I know you are dying for a closer look, so let’s get started.

Form and Fit: The SoundID 400 looks much the same as the 200 and 300.  Like its predecessors, it is a long, black rectangle of plastic, giving it a look which resembles the black keys on a piano.  I found this design to be both elegant and functional, exactly what I want in a headset.  The front is slightly rubberized so that you can set it down without fear that it will slide away.

The Main Button is on the back, which is pretty common in Bluetooth headsets.  This is what you will use to power the headset off or on, answer or disconnect from a phone call, or enter pairing mode.  On top is the volume button, which can be used to adjust the volume, and also to program the Personal Sound feature.

The earpiece itself is fantastic, and designed to fit into your ear without an earloop.  If you find it is too small or too large, don’t worry, there is a small earpiece and a large one included in the box.  In addition to the in-ear earpieces, there is also a more traditional earpiece included, with an earloop.  So, no matter what your fit preferences are, there should be something here to meet your needs. 

Pairing and Connection:  I do not want to say too much about pairing and connection here.  It works about as you would expect.  Enter pairing mode and your phone will find it.  I do have to say, though, that I really like the recent trend of using voice prompts to guide you through the pairing process, and I wish SoundID had included them with the SoundID 400.

The SoundID 400 also features multi-point technology, which allows the headset to be connected to two phones at once.  This is a fantastic feature if, for example, you have one phone for work and one for personal use.  No more fumbling to figure out which phone is ringing, or grabbing the wrong headset to answer the phone.  Just pair both to the headset, and it will answer for you, regardless of which phone is ringing.

Sound Quality: I have always been extremely impressed by the sound quality offered by SoundID headsets, and the SoundID 400 has proven to be no exception.  Like other SoundID headsets, the SoundID 400 features PersonalSound.  This allows you to cycle the headset through three preset listening modes, which accommodate the most common listening preferences.  This is pretty cool, and saves a lot of time fumbling around with the controls.  If you need it though, you can always adjust the volume manually.  However, I suspect that once you get started using the PersonalSound system, you will rarely need to adjust the volume manually again.

New to the SoundID 400 is the Environmental Mode.  This is a really cool features, which solves one of my big problems with Bluetooth headsets.  Namely, that when you have one stuck in your ear, standing by, you effectively lose the use of that ear.  It is blocked by the earpiece, making it extremely difficult to hear.  The new Environmental Mode uses the headset’s microphone to solve this problem.  While in standby mode, it picks up external noises and retransmits them through the headset, allowing you to hear through both ears, even while the headset is in standby mode.  While this is a really cool feature, it can also be a bit disconcerting because it does not discriminate with respect to which sounds were picked up.  So, every tiny sound, even those which you might not normally hear, will be picked up, amplified, and retransmitted through the headset.  It almost felt like I had a bionic ear, which allowed me to hear every little sound around me.  Then again, I am not sure I wanted to hear every little sound.  Still, it is a great idea, and one which I am sure many of you will find to be extremely useful.

Microphone and Noise Cancellation: The best part of SoundID headsets, for me, is the microphone and noise cancellation features.  The NoiseNavigation feature uses 400 tiny microphones and DSP algorithms to filter out background noise and enhance your speech.  I have no idea how this all works.  I can only tell you that it does.  And to prove it, I brought in the world’s biggest critic of Bluetooth headsets, my wife.  She hates when I call her from a headset because they generally do a terrible job of filtering out background noise, so she says it always sounds like I am calling from a wind tunnel or underwater.  SoundID’s headsets, including the SoundID 400 are the only times she has ever said she could not tell whether or not I was using a headset.  Now that is impressive. 

Of course, to really put this to the test, we need a noisy environment.  Nothing I have ever found is noisier than the train yard.  When I board the train, I have to walk right past the engine, which is loud enough that I generally cannot hear the person walking next to me if we are talking in normal tones.  Yet, when using the SoundID headset, I can talk in a normal tone, and my wife was able to hear me almost perfectly on the other end of the phone.  While she reported a slight background noise, it was nothing close to the loud rumble I was hearing.  When you can hear better over the headset than you can in person, that is well worth a second look…and a third, fourth, and so on.  SoundID’s NoiseNavigation has worked more effectively than the noise cancellation on any other headset I have used, including Jawbone’s infamous (and in my opinion, overrated) headset.

Remote Microphone: The feature which most clearly defines the SoundID 400, and sets it apart from every other headset I have ever used is the Remote  Microphone.  This microphone is designed to look nearly identical to the SoundID 400.  The only real difference is that instead of an earpiece on the back, there is a clip, allowing you to connect it to a collar or other object near the speaker.

The Remote Microphone will pair with the SoundID 400, allowing remote sounds to be easily shared with the parties on your conversation.  So, for example, you can use it during a lecture to allow yourself to hear more easily, or broadcast the lecture over the phone.   Of course, the remote microphone has many other practical applications.  For example, if you are driving and the passenger in your car has information they need to share with your caller, they can use the Remote Microphone to join in the conversation.

I thought the Remote Microphone was a pretty cool concept, with an awful lot of potential for practical applications.  The only problem I had was that it does not have a speaker, meaning it can only be used for one-way communication.  I think it would have been great if it had included a speaker, allowing other parties to both join and listen to your conversation.  In other words, a true speakerphone with conferencing capabilities.  Maybe that will be coming down the road. 

Conclusion: I have always been impressed by the innovation and quality I have found in the Bluetooth headsets offered by SoundID.  From their initial offering, the SM100, they have offered noise cancellation and listening quality which was second to none.  Over time, they have built upon this, adding new enhancements and features, creating a headset which is second to none.  the SoundID400, alone, would be the best Bluetooth headset I have ever used.  Yet they do not stop there, adding a truly innovative Remote Microphone into the package.  Put the two together, and SoundID simply leaves you absolutely no reason to look elsewhere for your next Bluetooth headset.

What I Liked:

• Comfortable fit, with various sizes and forms of earbuds and loops
• Sound quality and PersonalSound feature
• Environmental Mode
• NoiseNavigation for outstanding noise cancellation
• Multi-Point allows you to connect the headset to two phones at once
• Remote Microphone

What Needs Improvement:

• Voice commands would make pairing easier
• A speaker would be a great addition on the Remote Microphone

Where To Buy: SoundID

Price: The SoundID 400 is available now for $129.99.  The Remote Microphone will be available soon (it is expected by the end of the year) for an additional $79.99.

Swivel left, Xtand right

The USBFever 360 Swivel Stand looks a surprising amount like a product I reviewed earlier, the Just Mobile Xtand. Both of them can hold iPhones, but the USBFever version goes a step further by providing support for the BB Bold and Storm. However, since I don’t normally have access to Blackberries (I just borrow them from the folks), this review will focus on how well the iPhone fit and how the Swivel stand compares to the Xtand.

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