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No word on the authenticity of the screenshots below, but if it were indeed legit, then you’re looking at the next generation of the TouchFLO interface from HTC.

The only thing for certain based on the report from The Unwired is that the project is codenamed Manila and that the images were leaked thanks to Mobile-Devices.ch. As for technical specs and further details, none are available. There is, however, a version ready for download at HTC Insider. Take note that this is not official, so do exercise caution if you decide to brave the download and install it.

So for now, let’s just assume that these are all authentic and let’s tease ourselves until HTC releases it as either an upgrade or bundled with one of their spanking new devices. I’m hoping that it will be both, but reason is telling me that it’ll most likely be the latter.

Oh well, you can’t blame a fellow for hoping.

I'm currently reviewing Apple's new iPod Touch, the so-called neutered iPhone, and while that's technically correct, I'm finding it to be a unique and completely different creature in and of itself. In fact I'm typing this on one online from a movie theater while watching the Pacquiao fight live. The many preliminary bouts are a bit long and wearying. Bored, I pulled out the iPod and found a free signal labelled Gateway Cinema (why they'd have one here is beyond me) and began surfing. The mere fact I can do this on an iPod and not a laptop or smartphone or Blackberry is no less short of amazing. That this is even doable underscores the usefulness of such a device that is neither a laptop or a smartphone. It's way handy and convenient for times like these so you can surf, blog or email easily anywhere with wifi with just this one gadget. I'm liking this thing more and more and I'm beginning to think that its most significant weakness - not being a phone - is actually its greatest strength. More in the forthcoming review. In the meantime I have to go. Manny's fight is about to start. Kyla's singing.

For those who just can’t wait to get their hands on Apple’s iPhone, here’s a video tour of the device to further whet your appetite. Not satisfied? Well, the first couple of reviews courtesy of Pogue, Mossberg and USA Today are out and it’s nice to know that the iPhone isn't perfect after all (a subtle way of justifying the fact that I won’t be able to get it for two reasons: it won’t be available in Asia till next year, and it’s way out of my budget). However, despite its shortcomings, which might have been brought about by all the hype from the date it was unveiled to the public, the first reviews do give credit where it’s due and the iPhone, so far, has impressed those fortunate enough to behold it. Of course, by the time it does get to our country, the folks at Apple most probably would have fixed the flaws, and hopefully, we will get a better iPhone as opposed to the first batch of buyers.

Palm has finally released the Treo 750 in the Philippines. Microwarehouse threw a launch party for the Treo 750 on March 20, 2007 at the Embassy Bar, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. Looking like the Treo 680's identical twin, the Treo 750 runs on Windows Mobile 5.0, unlike its predecessor running on the Palm OS. The Treo 750 also features an upgraded camera (1.3 megapixels), and is now 3G- and HSDPA-capable. Processor-wise, it also took a different route by using a Samsung processor instead of Intel. The result of shifting to a different processor and OS is yet to be determined, but with regards to its features, Palm has definitely moved towards the right direction. Taking the best from the Treo 680 and improving on it, the Treo 750 is indeed a worthy upgrade to the Treo 680.

First came the rumors of a budget smartphone from Palm. Then a list of rumored specifications popped up here. Now it's official. Palm has now formally announced the newest addition to its line of smartphones, the Treo 680. So the rumors are true after all - but how accurate were they, really? Most of the specs posted before were pretty accurate. Memory is pegged at 64MB user-accessible - slightly better tha the 60MB rumored - but no news of how much memory is actually onboard. Dimensions and weight were hardly significant - fractions of a millimeter and 3 grams off. In most people's hands, the difference won't even register. What will register, however, is its color. The 680 will come in 4 different flavors: Orange, Strawberry, Coconut, and well - whatever flavor you can assign to gray. Officially though, the four colors of the 680 will be Copper, Crimson, Arctic, and Graphite. There's still no word on pricing, so we can't really determine what Palm defines as a "budget" smartphone. Personally, I hope it means under $300 (roughly PHP15k), but I know this is probably wishful thinking.

My fellow guest blogger Elber wrote about Palm releasing a "budget" smartphone, apparently called the Treo 680. Straight from palminsider.com comes more detailed specs:

• Palm OS 5.4.9
• Radio: GSM/GPRS/EDGE (GSM 850/900/1800/1900)
• Intel XScale 312MHz processor
• 320 x 320 color TFT touchscreen display 16-bit color displays up to 65,536 colors
• 128MB (60MB user accessible) non-volatile
• Bluetooth 1.2 (Support for Bluetooth stereo headsets)
• Speakerphone
• Hands-free headset jack 2.5mm
• Polyphonic MIDI, MP3, WAV & video ringtones (w/ vibrate mode and external ringer on/off switch )
• Microphone mute option
• TTY/TDD compatibility
• 3-way calling
• 0.3 megapixels - VGA Camera
• Standard SD card slot
• Removable 1200 mAH Lithium-ion Battery (Talk time up to 4.5 hours - Standby time 10 days)
• Infrared (IR)
• Size 111mm x 58mm x 22mm
• Weight 154 grams (5.4 ounces)

Keep in mind these specs haven't been confirmed, but hopefully Bluetooth really is built-in, and A2DP support wouldn't hurt too. A2DP allows you to stream music to your Bluetooth headset, meaning no more wires needed. Rico Mossesgeld also writes for The Smart PDA, a blog that provides daily info on Smartphones and PDAs.

Rumor has it that Palm will be releasing the Treo 680 as a low-end budget smartphone running the (beloved) Palm OS. Despite lacking many top of the line features (it is a budget PDA after all), it will retain the 320x320 display we've all grown to love.  It boasts of a robust feature set, including a 3MP VGA camera, Bluetooth, WiFi, and 3G capabilities. I'm not sure about the rest of you, but I'd probably be one of the first in line to get this.  I miss the Palm OS, and I would gladly give up my XDA iis.  No Bluetooth?  Well, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.  It has an SD / MMC slot at least, right?  It only has a VGA camera, you say?  Who needs that when you carry around an 8MP dSLR everyday?  Why?  Hmm... I think that issue is meant for another post - or another blog even.  In any case, I can't wait for the Treo 680 to hit Philippines.

The Philippine Palm Users Group aka MaPalad is organizing their August 2006 Learning Sessions for Palm OS devices and applications. Some of the topics will include:

Handmaps and DAs Video conversion for Macs and PC's Internal Memory Management Cellphone and Bluetooth Pairing Tips

When: August 26, Saturday, 3:00pm-6:00pm Where: World Topps, Greenbelt Mansion, Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City CLICK HERE to sign up.

A few days ago, the company formerly known as PalmOne, currently known as Palm has just announced the availability of the Palm Ultralightweight Bluetooth Headset. The Ultralightweight Wireless Bluetooth Headset weighs a mere 9 grams and has interchangeable earpieces to ensure user comfort. Unlike its predecessor, the Ultralightweight model has a single button that answer, end, redial and mute calls. Just like its predecessor, the Palm Ultralightweight Bluetooth Headset has the standard multi-connector plug used by the Palm Treo 600, Treo 700p and Treo 700w. The headset itself looks pretty good and the addition of interchangeable earpieces is a big plus if it has the same quality as that of the Jabra Bluetooth headsets. -o-o-o- At almost the same time, Palminfocenter has previewed the Palm Treo 700P. This is *not* the Windows Mobile-based Treo but instead, it still runs the venerable PalmOS (Garnet 5.4.9). The form factor is very much the same as the Treo 700W but I'm expecting better performance from the 700P because its hardware is better suited, in my opinion, to PalmOS. Treo 700P runs a 312 MHz Intel XScale processor and it has a 128 MB of non-volatile memory where 60 MB is available to the user. The built-in camera has 1.3 megapixels and can take pictures at a maximum resolution of 1280 x 1024. It can also record video clips at 352 x 288 resolution. Palm seems to have listened to its users this time because they also added a built-in voice recorder and its expansion slot now supports SDIO operations BUT (and this is a big but) it still doesn't seem to support wi-fi SD cards. A notable feature addition is its Dial-up Networking (DUN) support "out of the box". More info at the Palm's Treo 700P website.

Ten years ago marked the birth of the first commercially successful PDA in the market -- the 5.7-ounce Pilot organizer. I use the term PDA in the strict modern sense of course, because, let's face it, Casio had a commercially successful Digital Diary series prior to the Pilot. There's also the Zaurus, but then it wasn't exactly a commercial success. Ditto with the Apple Newton. No, it was the Pilot that first made commercial mobile computing history. It was a true handheld computer, capable of running a wide variety of programs. It had a large touch-screen, was capable of recognizing scribbles, and it synchronized its data with your PC. Ten years ago, I fell madly in love with this device. And when I got my Pilot 5000 at the tail-end of 1996, it was as if a part of myself fell into place. Right there and then, without reading the manual at all, I just knew how to use it. In fact, I practically started writing in Graffiti almost instinctively, and I only had to glance at the cue strip for the more esoteric symbols. Over the years, I moved up to a Palm III, a Palm 505, and now to my Tungsten T|3, which is still going strong after two years. And I still have all the original data that I had from my old Pilot 5000 of ten years ago! Today, I'm still dependent on my Palm for my organizing needs. All of my contacts find their way into its ever expanding address book, and I have grown dependent on its calendar for planning out my days (I have a horrible memory, so if it ain't on my Palm, then it don't exist). I have lost data only once -- and that was when I just arrived from Malaysia; I was running along the airport, and my Palm III popped out of my bag and landed corner-first onto the tile floor. But then the only data that I lost were the notes that I had from my trip. Other favorite apps: DocsToGo, which allows me to bring along my most important docs and spreadsheets; Salling Clicker, a perfect little app which transforms the T3 into a Bluetooth-connected PowerPoint remote (complete with Lecture Notes and sneak previews of the next slides); and RealOne, which turns the unit into an emergency MP3 player. Will I move on to a newer Palm unit? For now, no. My well-worn T|3 still does me fine, thank you. The Tungsten T|X was tempting at first, especially because it has Wi-Fi, but then I learned that it didn't come with a memo recorder. And danged if I would survive without a memo recorder! Ten years later, Palm is still going strong, perhaps to almost everyone's surprise. In fact, it's most recent quarter saw Palm's revenues climb by a whopping 36 percent, primarily on the strength of its Treo 650 smartphone sales. So we'll still be seeing quite a lot of Palm (the hardware company, at least) for a very long time. After almost a decade, I'm still a die-hard Palm user. And I'm looking forward to another decade of Palm use if I can help it! To all you happy Palm users out there, Keep On Palming!