StyleTap is an application that lets Windows Mobile users run PalmOS applications. A few months ago the makers of StyleTap announced plans to port the application to run on Symbian smartphones. They also demonstrated a version of StyleTape CrossPlatform running on an iPhone, but said the video (shown above) was just for demonstration purposes and that no decision had been made yet on whether to create an iPhone version.

Now it's official. StyleTap is coming to the iPhone. The company plans to release the application in early July. That means you'll soon be able to run over 20,000 applications designed for PalmOS on an iPhone or iPod touch.

The company said they wanted to gauge the interest in the product before deciding whether to proceed with development. The videos posted to YouTube and Viddler have been watched more than 800,000 times, so apparently there is some interest.

[via Palm InfoCenter]

StyleTap, makers of PalmOS emulation software for Windows Mobile is showing off a video demonstrating their software running on an iPod Touch. The company has made it abundantly clear that there are no plans at this point to release StyleTap for the iPhone/iPod. But you know, they could if they wanted to.

Apple hasn't actually released an SDK for the iPhone yet, so the only way to run third party applications like the one StyleTap is demonstrating would be to hack your iPhone. Since StyleTap is a commercial product, we're going to go out on a limb and assume they wouldn't sell software that requires you to Jailbreak your iPhone. The company would probably wait until after the SDK is released before launching any sort of a product.

In the meantime, StyleTap is working on a version that will run on Symbian phones.

[via Palm InfoCenter]

Have a Nokia N770/N800/N810 Internet Tablet? Do you keep staring at it's tiny web-surfing screen wishing it could run some of the same applications you used to love on your old Palm Pilot? Now you can.

Last week we mentioned the fact that ACCESS is getting closer to releasing its Linux-based operating system for Palm devices. In order to ensure backward compatibility with older PalmOS applications, ACCESS designed a PalmOS Garnet emulation layer. And since it runs on Linux, and Nokia's tablets run on Linux, it was apparently pretty easy to port the PalmOS emulator over to the Nokia Internet Tablet platform.

The Garnet emulator doesn't replace Nokia's user interface, but runs on top of it as a launchable program. Once it's up and running you can access basic Palm apps like the calendar and contacts, and install third party software by hotsyncing with your computer over a network connection. The emulator also uses Palm's Graffiti handwriting recognition.

The folks over at TabletBlog have put together a quick video demonstration, which you can check out after the jump.

[via Engadget]

If you're tired of looking at the turn of the century operating systems on your Palm Treo, you're not alone. It's been years since Palm (once the industry leader) has managed to push out a major update to its antiquated mobile operating system. And now there are two companies working on replacements for Palm Garnet.

We haven't heard much from Palm Inc on the company's next operating system. But Access, the company Palm had selected to write the next OS before deciding to do it in house appears to be ready to roll with ALP or the Access Linux Platform. The only problem is that the company doesn't seem to have any major phone makers/wireless carriers signed up yet.

Ed Hardy at Brighthand got a good look at the new ALP operating system. Basically, it's a full fledged mobile Linux OS with a compatibility layer that lets you run older Palm applications. There's also a Java machine, which means that you can install PalmOS, ALP, or Java applications on the phone. They all show up in the launcher menu and you'll never really know what's happening under the hood. Applications will just pop up when you hit their icons, the way it was always meant to be.

ALP also supports true multitasking, so you can run programs in the background while using other apps in the foreground. Little icons will show up in the task bar showing you which programs are open and letting you easily switch from one to another. Overall, ALP doesn't look seem particularly revolutionary when compared to Symbian or Windows Mobile devices. But it makes Garnet look like a bit of a dinosaur. Not that that's a difficult thing to do.

[via jkOnTheRun]

StyleTap plans to launch a Symbian version of its PalmOS compatibility software. StyleTap currently lets Windows Mobile users run applications designed for PalmOS.

The company estimates there are over 20,000 commercial and freeware applications designed for Palm that can run on Windows Mobile using StyleTap. The new version should open the same library of programs to Symbian users.

Of course, what we'd really like to see is software that will let you run Windows Mobile applications on Symbian or PalmOS devices. A few years ago, StyleTap made a lot of sense. Windows Mobile was something of a newcomer to the mobile space and all the cool development was happening in the Palm space. But that's really not the case anymore, and we're not sure that being able to run 5 year old Palm applications on your new phone is really much of a draw.

StyleTap CrossPlatform for Symbian will be released early next year. There's no word on the price yet, but StyleTap for Windows Mobile costs $50, so we'd expect the Symbian version to carry a similar price.

[via tech[dot]blog]

Remember how Palm was supposed to be releasing its super-cool new operating system based on Linux this year? And then remember how Palm went and pushed the release date back to 2008?

Apparently now they're pushing it way way back -- to the end of 2008. That's right, Palm's next generation operating system will be more than a year late, according to Palm CEO Ed Colligan.

The new Linux-based operating system is being developed by Access, who is writing a Palm compatibility layer into a totally new OS. That will let users run existing Palm applications as well as new programs designed for the OS.

Palm and Access (the company that acquired PalmSource) are working on Linux-based operating systems that will run on Palm hardware and support PalmOS applications. But considering how quickly Palm is losing market share to Windows Mobile (you can even buy a Palm Treo with the Windows Mobile operating system), maybe they should think about scrapping the compatibility layer altogether and just pushing out a modern OS for Palm devices as soon as possible.

Update: Thanks to our readers for pointing out that Palm is working on a new OS independently of Access.

The point of this post is to provide a handy list of software for Palm OS devices because many free apps are now hard-to-find. Commercial apps aren't, but I'm a cheap, cheap man. Follow along as I save you a bundle on hardware and software that'll put a powerful gadget in your pocket.

I wound up with a Palm T|X from my little brother who bought himself an iPhone (and the subsequent snobbery that comes with). It's been years since I used a Palm regularly, and the last one I tried was a WristPDA but was so hopelessly out-of-date that I abandoned it for a real watch (you know, that won't short out in the rain). My first PDA was, in fact, a PalmPilot Pro and was branded from 3Com. Those were the days, when Palm and Apple's Newton stood and chuckled at the nascent Windows CE platform. My how times have changed. The Newton is long buried (but not exactly dead), and Palm is largely in freefall. Why they spun out their OS years ago is beyond me, and it certainly hasn't helped their software situation any. Where Palm apps of every stripe once flowed freely there is now but a trickle, and every day that trickle gets slighter while developers move on to more robust platforms.

Still, what amazes me is how great Palm hardware is, and how you can really do quite a bit with it-- if you know where to look. So I've distilled my own adventures in Palm down to one handy little guide, full of useful apps and tips to get you started. You can find a decent deal on ebay for nearly any modern color Palm too. Don't be afraid to buy a unit with dead battery and buy a replacement battery. Do be afraid to buy something monochrome and without Bluetooth. I find the T|X is a sweet spot-- no laggy hard drive like the LifeDrive, an SD slot, Bluetooth and WiFi, and the ability to go fullscreen and landscape. If you crave tiny, check out the smaller Tungstens that slide open. Currently you can get an opened T|X on ebay for less than $150.

When acquiring this little guy I had three primary needs:
1) PDF Reader
2) Image browser
3) Quick note capture with alarms

See what works and doesn't, plus all the cool extra things I found after the jump.

Now that Windows Vista has been out for over half a year, Palm has finally seen fit to release a beta version of its desktop sync software for the platform. Palm Desktop 6.2 beta is the first version of Palm Desktop for Windows Vista.

Unfortunately it only works with Vista, but looking at the feature list, there's not much reason why anyone else would want to "upgrade." In order to get the software working on Vista, Palm seems to have left out a bunch of features:

• The Palm Quick Install Tool which allows you to install software on your phone or PDA using an installation wizard. If the application is a .prc or .pdb file, you'll be able to install it.
• VersaMail synchronization through USB will not work. Wireless sync is not affected.
• This version is available in English only.

Maybe in another six months some of these limitations will be removed.

[via Brighthand]

The company formerly known as PalmSource (now ACCESS), showed off version 1.0 of its new ACCESS Linux Platform (ALP) operating system at this week's 3GSM event in Barcelona. ACCESS has also begun distributing the product development kit to licensees, meaning that mobile phones running the new OS are one step closer to a reality.

While ALP is a Linux-based OS, representing a complete break from earlier versions of PalmOS, users will be able to run Palm software via a compatibility layer known as ALP ACCESS Garnet VM. This means you can upgrade to a newer device without fear of losing access to the thousands of free and commercial programs available for PalmOS.

In addition, ALP includes native applications such as phone, contact, calender, memo, email, web browser, SMS, music, video, photo, camera, and office document software.

ALP will run on smartphones with a Marvell PX3xx processor or Texas OMAP processors.

StyleTap has released a beta version of StyleTap for Windows Mobile Smartphones. StyleTap is a program that lets you run Palm programs on Windows Mobile devices, but up until now, it was only available for Pocket PC users. You might remember that we covered the PocketPC version back in November.

Because Smartphones lack touchscreen displays, many Pocket PC programs don't run properly on devices like the T-Mobile Dash or the Samsung Blackjack. Styletap greatly expands the number of applications you can run on a Smartphone, by letting you run thousands of Palm programs, even those that require a touchscreen. StyleTap includes a display cursor that you can control with your 5-way navigational button as if you were using a stylus. It won't be as precise as using a stylus or a mouse, but it should work in a pinch.

The preview is designed for Smartphones running Windows Mobile 5.0. There's a 14 day free trial available, and you can also buy the preview for $50 and qualify for a free upgrade when the full version is released.

Iambic has launched a beta for a Pocket PC version of its popular organization program Agendus.

Agendus is a personal information management (PIM) suite for PalmOS that offers a complete replacement for the default calendar, contact, and notes programs. Like most PIM programs, Agendus offers a choice of multiple views, color schemes, and icons for sorting through their data. Along with Datebk, it's one of the more popular PIM suites for Palm.

The Windows Mobile market is currently dominated by Agenda Fusion and Pocket Informant. I'll be curious to see whether there's room for another PIM suite in the Windows Mobile world. There are already a number of also-ran programs vying for third place in the popularity contest. Ulti-Planner is a light-weight PIM program, and Pen Agenda offers a clean look for a low price, but neither gets the kind of attention that Agenda Fusion and Pocket Informant do.

What I think is really a shame is that there's such a large market for 3rd party calendar/contacts/notes programs. Considering these are the functions that most casual PDA users are looking for when they pick up a device, it seems a bit silly that the default features of Windows Mobile PDAs leave so much to be desired. The month and week views in Pocket Outlook's calendar couldn't be much less useful. And it doesn't look like Microsoft has any plans to change much in the next version of Windows Mobile.

In the world of smart phones, it seems like good old Microsoft is seeing some fast growth rates. The current numbers, according to Microsoft's Mobile and Embedded Devices division, were at 6 million last year, with hopes that they can double usage for this year. The biggest taker in the market is currently Nokia, who runs Symbian on their smart phones allowing for software that runs email, mobile TV, and games. The leading device in the smart phone arena is of course, the Blackberry, whose usage also hits the 6 million mark. Microsoft has a lot to contend with considering Blackberry plans to double its users every single year. I think there is certainly room for all four major players [including Palm] in the marketplace, but it really does make it that much harder to decide which devices to purchase and run software off.

What do you think, who has your vote? Blackberry, Windows Mobile, Palm OS, or Symbian?

The newest version of the Leonard Maltin Movie Guide has been released by LandWare. If you are ever in the video store and want some guidance to pick out something good you can use this guide. This new version has the complete listings of both of the 2007 Movie Guide and the Classic Movie Guide by Leonard Maltin.

LandWare makes this product not just for the Smartphone platform, but also the Pocket PC, as well as their original platform of the Palm OS. This year's update now includes support for the Motorola Q, which is why this caught my eye. Just the other day I was watching "The Great Escape" and had a question about one of the actors in the film and my old "Video Hound" book never made it out of a box (or was lost tossed) during move back early this year. As I was watching the baby, I could not leave the room to use the other computer, so if I had this on my Q it would have been great. I just downloaded the trial version and will be checking it out this weekend.

Check out screen shots after the break.

[Via Qusers.com]

PalmSource has partnered with MontaVista Software to develop Linux-based smartphone software. The deal probably doesn't do a whole lot for PalmSource, other than give it a little more cred with the Linux smartphone developer community. It may, however, help third-party developers, as they transition their PalmOS apps to Linux. And, of course, that'll help MontaVista, which competes directly with PS in the mobile OS market, and unlike PS, already has a functioning Linux-based OS on the market.