05:57 PM by Alexander Turcic in Miscellaneous | Lounge

Rumors swirl about Microsoft planning to step into Apple's turf by launching a subscription-based movie download site. According to MacRumors, the service would presumably offer either unlimited downloads or one with a high limit for a flat monthly fee similar to Napster's present music subscription service.

We cannot prove if there's any substance to this story; it should be noted that the source of this rumor is a Mac enthusiast who probably has the Apple logo tattooed on his ankle.

[via MobileMag]

04:57 PM by Alexander Turcic in E-Book Software | Reading and Management

Adobe has quietly updated their Adobe Acrobat Reader 7.0.5 to pop up a dialogue box when a PDF document is trying to track your usage with the spying software by Canada-based Remote Approach. Earlier this year we made the shocking discovery that since version 7.0, Adobe could be spying on you if the creator of an Adobe document wishes to do so:

Through some small JavaScript code that is embedded in the document Adobe Reader is reporting back information including the fact that you've opened the document (which has a unique identifier), your IP address, and which viewer version has been used. The information is submitted over port 80 using HTTP, so it is unlikely that a home or office firewall would, in a normal configuration, block the activity, unless the firewall administrator is attempting to block Web browsing.

Get the upgrade from here.

[via The Age]

04:08 PM by Alexander Turcic in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

Despite the emergence of smaller formats such as SD/MMC and Memory Stick, CompactFlash continues to be offered on a wide variety of mobile devices including Pocket PCs and digital cameras. AnandTech has a round-up on currently available 1GB CF cards and compares them in regard to read/write performance and price. Their pick: the Transcend 80X.

03:43 PM by Alexander Turcic in Miscellaneous | Lounge

Wow. Can it really be that time of the year again already?

On behalf of Mobileread I would like to wish all our readers a Merry Christmas and a Joyful New Year!

10:26 AM by Alexander Turcic in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

I hope these rumors are true, simply because I'm tired of reading them. According to a screenshot posted on HowardForums, the Palm Treo 700w is expected to launch on January 5th, 2006 through B2B and possibly online stores. Retail launch is expected to be on January 10th. Rumored pricing:

• with a 1yr contract - $549.99
• with a 2yrs contract - $499.99
• without a contract - $619.99

06:42 AM by Bob Russell in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

Many rumors have been recently circulating about either Google and/or Microsoft trying to acquire the Opera web browser. This is especially interesting in the mobile computing arena because it can greatly influence what becomes the standard web browser software on future pdas and smartphones. It's starting to look a lot like it will be the Linux-based NetFront web browser from Access on PalmOS, and Opera Mini on Windows Mobile.

According to a new report from CoolTechZone, "Here comes a surprise. In a recent conversation with one of our insiders at Microsoft, the source revealed that Microsoft Corp., the world’s largest software maker, has acquired Opera Software, makers of the Opera browser. The insider reported that both Microsoft and Google were trying to bid on Opera, but in the end, the software maker took the lead."

This one is certain to be all over the tech news soon if confirmed.

03:04 PM by Alexander Turcic in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

I just received the Christmas Edition of Palm Addict Weekly and enjoyed it immensely. For people like me who are busy during the holidays, it's a convenient way to catch up with the most interesting Palm news of the week.

For more details, and how to sign up to the PalmAddict newsletter, click here.

10:30 AM by pruss in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

I have just released version 1.60 of my FontSmoother, a utility for hi-res OS 5 devices (except T|C, which is currently unsupported--works for one user and doesn't for another). The major new feature is that you can now use FontSmoother itself to choose which smooth fonts are used for which applications. Thus, FontSmoother is now a full font substitution utility, and no longer requires FontHackV/FontSubst/Fonts4OS5 (though these utilities should remain compatible with it, and may allow additional flexibility of font choice).

http://palmgear.com/index.cfm?xyz=90288
http://zlthemes.com/Programs.php

Of course, it's a free upgrade for existing users.

Despite the fact that it includes per-app font substitution and is the only utility that handles smooth fonts, it's still $9.95 (8 day trial). I am likely to raise prices in January.