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Ex-Eagle Don Felder Hearts Treos, Computers, and His Girl's Face

by Christine Whitney, posted Jun 24th 2008 at 1:02PMFeatured Story



Remember that one kid in your class who wore the Hawaiian shirts and played 'Hotel California' on his guitar at each and every school talent show, 'cuz he just loved The Eagles that much? Well, he's super excited about onetime lead guitar Eagle Don Felder's new memoir Heaven and Hell: My Life in the Eagles (1974-2001). Here, The Eagles' secrets will be revealed -- tensions will run high, hotel rooms will be ravaged, and fans will swoon.

Homeboy will be crazy jealous when he finds out that Felder talked to the kids at Switched about his tech secrets, and his fiancée. You heard it here first. Drop down and get your Eagle on.


What gadgets do you always bring with you to the set (for down-time?

MacBook Pro, Canon camera, Treo 680, iPod, Bose noise cancelling headphones, 100 GB mini external drive, MOTU Ultralite, Guitar and cables.


What cell phone do you have right now and what do you love/hate about it?

I have a Treo 680. I love the PDA features including texting, email, contacts, web browsing, phone reception clarity and hot sync ease.


Who's the last person you sent a text message to and what was it about?

My fiancée telling her I love her face.


Where do you go (site or service) pretty much every time you get online?

MySpace, AOL, Facebook, eBay, USA Today, Wall Street Journal and Sharenow.com and donfelder.com. I have lots of friends and emails to attend to daily as well as keeping up with the election results and world news.


What annoys you most about your iPod, cell phone, or laptop?

DROPPED CALLS. Maybe one day they'll figure out a way to make these things work.


Name one thing you wish your iPod/cellphone/laptop could do that it doesn't do now?

I wish it could do voice texting/email so I would stop nearly killing myself while driving.


What upcoming gadget can you not wait to get your hands on?

Flying car so I don't have to be stuck in LA traffic anymore.


You're stranded on a desert island: What gadget do you bring?

A satellite cell phone with a built in GPS so I can call for help....DUH


What's the most-played song or artist on your iPod?

Alicia Keys & John Mayer. I respect artists that can sing, write and play.


Blackberry, Sidekick, or Treo?

Treo 680 – love it!!!


Do you have an iPhone?

I'm waiting for the new version to come out and for my friends to let me know if it's any better with the texting and battery problems than the first model. I'd love to have one but need the texting and e-mail features most of all. That seems to be the weakest part of the iPhone. I wish it had a keyboard.


What's the longest time you've ever spent playing a video game in one sitting and what game was it?

I don't play video games. I'm totally spastic when it comes to doing something with my thumbs. My kids beat me every time I try. It becomes far too frustrating.

Mac or PC

Both, I have 12 computers. Here are how they are used:
  • 2 Mac Book Pros for use on the road and in my stage show.
  • 4 PCs – 3 in my studio for running sound applications like Gigasampler and 1 in my office for business
  • 4 Mac G5's in my studio for Pro Tools, Digital Performer, Logic, Illustrator, Photoshop and Go Live web design.
  • 1 Mac in my home running iTunes for my house sound system
  • 1 Mac G5 in my graphics art studio for all graphics programs.
Yes, I'm a computer NERD.


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Smartphones Growing In Popularity Among Women

by Will Safer, posted Jun 11th 2008 at 2:54PMBreaking News

The pink Blackberry Pearl has proven to be popular among women consumers.

What do women want?

Yes, the age-old question with no single set answer becomes even more complex with the advent of technology that is geared now toward more than just functionality but also form and style.

So, add smartphones to the list of possibilities that will satisfy the people carrying around double-X chromosomes, because, as handset makers have discovered during the past year, the capabilities of these mobile devices have an ever greater appeal to women.

The new iPhone, announced Monday, certainly taps into this growing trend that says women want more capable devices that let them stay connected to friends and family – and also get some work done along the way.

But the iPhone is not the only solution, as the makers of BlackBerrys and Treos have learned. Models like the Blackberry Pearl (pictured above) have come along in sizes that are easy to put away in pockets or purses and – without being condescending in their marketing approach – colors that are more pleasing than standard silver or black, which previously was typical of most handheld devices.

Last October, according to Nielson, one in four iPhones was owned by a woman. By March, that number had risen to one in three. According to Verizon Wireless, 71 percent of women make the decisions about their families wireless products and plans, a fact not lost on BlackBerry's manufacturer Research In Motion, which has guided advertising dollars toward magazines such as Elle and Martha Stewart Living.

Samsung is getting in on the new trend with its Instinct, which by design and functionality is clearly intended to compete with the iPhone. Research In Motion will this summer introduce the BlackBerry Bold, which while not as stylish as the iPhone promises to be able to access much faster wireless networks. [Source: The New York Times.]
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Palm Treo 500 Unveiled, World Shrugs

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Sep 13th 2007 at 1:29PM

Palm Treo 500 Unveiled, World Shrugs
Ok, so it's not the 'Centro.' In fact, it appears Palm is even keeping the "Treo" moniker that was supposed to go the way of the dodo. How or why they landed on the Treo 500 name is beyond us, but here it is in all its glory: The Windows Mobile Standard-rocking Treo 500.

The thicker-than-the-BlackJack Treo 500 sports nothing in the way of innovative features. In fact, the handheld is a huge step backwards for Palm, since Windows Mobile Standard means no touch screen, a first for a Treo. In fact, the only positive thing about the Treo 500 is the inclusion of 3G high-speed wireless data, though the specific flavor of 3G in the 500 is not compatible with US networks. With Samsung and HTC making such solid devices, Palm is going to have to step up its game.

It's sad to say, but it looks like we may be seeing the beginning of the end for Palm. Their supposedly revolutionary device, Foleo, was killed before it saw daylight. Palm had a big unveiling for that device, and most people just scratched their heads, disappointed supporters got vocal, and ultimately Palm killed the device.

And that was just the latest debacle for the suffering company. Its Linux-based successor to the Palm OS has been delayed again and again. After selling the same device with very minor adjustments for about 4 years straight (a decade in tech years), Palm has gone from industry-leader to laughingstock. And judging by the reaction around the Internets so far, the Treo 500 maybe dead on arrival. The 500 appears to be little more than a Dash or BlackJack with a Palm logo on it, and some pretty lackluster styling. Where is the Wi-Fi? The 3G for US users? The high-resolution screen? And most importantly, Palm, where's the touch screen?

Well Palm, it's been nice knowing you. It's been a long, strange trek together. Who knows? Maybe 10 years from now you'll stage an impressive resurgence similar to Apple's in the late '90s, but for now we think it's time to say goodbye.

From Engadget

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The New Palm Centro - Can it Redeem the Company?

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Aug 27th 2007 at 2:28PM

Photo of New Palm Centro Leaks, Can it Redeem the Company?
After four years of tweaking and re-releasing the chubby Treo 600 design, Palm is finally ready to release a new smartphone.

Unfortunately for the struggling handset maker, the reception so far towards its leaked Palm Centro (previously known as Gandolf) has been less than enthusiastic. The device looks small and slick, which is nice, but the keyboard is apparently so small that it's tough to use. Gearlog got a hands-on and described it as "impossible to type on with two thumbs."

But does anyone even care if this Palm device looks only so-so? Tthe Palm-faithful long ago started to abandon ship, and who can blame them? The long-awaited Linux-based replacement for the aging Palm OS has been delayed repeatedly, the basic designs of the Palm devices have remained for the most part the same over the last few years, and the unveiling of the confounding pseudo-laptop Foleo device certainly isn't winning them any fans.

Our pals over at Engadget posted an open letter to the folks at Palm that hits the nail on the head -- if Palm plans to retake its place at the top of the mobile computing heap, it's going to take a lot more than the Centro.

The device is set to drop in October for Sprint and probably Verizon a few months later. At launch, the price will be a very reasonable $99.

From Engadget

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