What If The iPhone Is Flash-Capable?

Adobe, Apple working together on Flash for iPhone

In an interview with Bloomberg at the Davos, Switzerland event, Adobe chief Shantanu Narayen describes development as a complicated two-way process rather than maintaining the previous image of a one-sided effort that would depend on App Store approval before it could launch.

“It’s a hard technical challenge, and that’s part of the reason Apple and Adobe are collaborating,” he says. “The ball is in our court. The onus is on us to deliver.”

What hurdles Adobe has to overcome aren’t mentioned by the executive, though the company’s long porting process has underscored the difficulty involved. Narayen had said that he was “pleased with progress” as far back as June of last year — just three months after the iPhone SDK made native third-party apps an option on the touchscreen device.

Contrary to all the buffoon press touting the Palm Pre as an “iPhone killer,” I’ve never said so and have never regarded it as one.

Although there are some people who have expressed frustrations with certain limitations of the iPhone, most people are happy with it. They’ve invested money in applications, accessories, and that two-year AT&T contract too. All of that is not about to be flung away because of the Pre or any other shiny new phone.

The Pre will appeal to people who are current Sprint customers who want to upgrade their phones, to people who currently aren’t under any carrier contract (prepaid cards are big; I use one still too), and perhaps those whose carrier contracts are about to expire and want to jump ship and also get a better phone than their current one.

All that being said, if the iPhone’s next iteration appears with Flash capability … Palm has its work cut out for it!

I wrote earlier:

Flash. Oh boy. This is like a cross between the Holy Grail and Atomic Bomb. Holy Grail because everyone wants a phone that can do video services such YouTube and Veoh, plus publishing services such as Scribd, Issuu, and magazine services such as Exact Editions. Is Palm working with Adobe to get Flash onto the Pre? And — the nasty Atomic Bomb side of it — will it be a satisfying experience of Flash?

And I only listed a few services based on Flash that I’m personally familiar with. I’m sure other people could compile a huge list of Flash-dependent sites they’d like to access on the go.

Palm has done a breathtaking job with the Pre so far. It’s really astonishing to see a company make such a turnaround in so many areas: operating system, software design, hardware design, and planned features.

I know many people are skeptical of webOS. I admit I am too. My own gut instinct is that the Pre is mimicking the iPhone in this respect: CSS/HTML/JavaScript now, native SDK later. But, personally, I can live with that. Palm has shown a new vitality that gives me a renewed belief in the company, so I can be patient. Besides, I’m not a big game player, so in that regard the lack of slick games will actually save me money by not tempting me!

However … Flash is a very big deal.

It’s not enough to make me jump ship from the Pre, but it is enough to make me whine whine whine.

I’m really hoping that Palm and Adobe are actually very secretly working together to get Flash on the Pre for its launch.

Don’t make me whine whine whine.

PreSpotting: A Real Sighting?

This one could be for real. His Twitter profile places him in a credible location.

One of these days, someone will think to take an actual picture — even if it’s with a camera phone!

Palm Trademarks “Mojo” and “Synergy”

The following, with slight reformatting, are the trademarks Palm has registered for “Mojo” and “Synergy.”

Mojo trademark filing:

Word Mark
MOJO

Goods and Services
IC 009. US 021 023 026 036 038. G & S: Scientific, photographic, cinematographic, optical, electronic and teaching apparatus and instruments; apparatus for recording, transmission or reproduction of data, text, graphics, sound or images; magnetic data carriers, recording discs; calculating machines, data processing equipment; computers; computer hardware; mobile computers; handheld computers; tablet computers; personal digital assistants; electronic organizers, electronic notepads; computer memories; computer storage hardware; circuit boards; integrated circuits; semiconductors; memory cards; computer peripherals; computer monitors; computer keyboards; input boards; input devices; storage devices; computer displays; communications hardware; telecommunications hardware; telephones; mobile telephones; pagers; mobile and handheld communications devices for sending and receiving data, information and other digital content, including audio and video content; videophones; photographic and video cameras; audio players; video players; multimedia players; receivers; transceivers; recorders; cameras; computer software; computer communications software; computer software, namely, prerecorded computer programs for personal information management, database management software, character recognition software, telecommunications software, telephony management software, electronic mail and messaging software, paging software, database synchronization software, computer programs for accessing, browsing and searching online databases; computer game programs; video games; downloadable computer and video games; downloadable music, audio, video and entertainment related content; Internet appliances; computer carrying cases; accessories, parts and cases for all the foregoing; instruction manuals in electronic form supplied with the foregoing

IC 016. US 002 005 022 023 029 037 038 050. G & S: Printed matter; instructional and teaching materials (except apparatus); instruction manuals and printed publications, namely, books, booklets, magazines, catalogues, newsletters, leaflets and brochures in the fields of computers, computer peripherals, telecommunications devices, mobile, handheld and wireless communications devices and applications, communications hardware and software, information technologies, photography, video, and online retailing; stationery; pens; pencils; posters, binders, styluses; writing utensils; desk stands and holders for writing utensils

IC 035. US 100 101 102. G & S: Advertising; retail sales in the fields of computers, computing products, communications products, and educational materials, peripherals and accessories, such services provided in person, via telephone, mail, the Internet, or communications networks; arranging and conducting live or electronic trade shows in the fields of computers, computer peripherals, telecommunications devices and services, mobile, handheld and wireless communications devices and services, and information technologies; promotion of the goods and services of others by placing advertisement and promotional displays in an electronic site accessed via electronic communications networks; promoting the goods and services of others by providing a websites featuring information and links to other websites in the field of advertising or business; computerized online ordering services featuring handheld computers, handheld, mobile and wireless communications devices, software, accessories, peripherals and services therefore, and books, music, videos and games

IC 037. US 100 103 106. G & S: Installation, maintenance and repair of computers, computer hardware, communications hardware, computer software, telecommunications software, and computer peripherals; information, consultancy and advisory services relating to the installation, maintenance and repair of computers, computer hardware, communications hardware, computer software, telecommunications software, and computer peripherals

IC 038. US 100 101 104. G & S: Communications and telecommunications services; cellular telephone services; paging services; two-way calling services; transmission of data and information via telecommunications devices; providing websites featuring information and links to other websites in the fields of communications or telecommunications; providing websites featuring information and links to other websites in the fields of computers, computing, and communications or telecommunications products and services; providing search engines; digital transmission of voice, data, images, audio, video, signals, messages and information; electronic transmission of streamed or downloadable files; providing multiple-user access to electronic communications networks; telecommunication services, namely providing wireless telecommunication connections to electronic communications networks; wireless digital messaging, paging services; electronic mail services; electronic bulletin board services for transmission of messages among computer users concerning a wide range of information of general interest to consumers; electronic transmission of electronic data, electronic mail, digital and electronic communications in electronic form featuring encryption and decryption; electronic transmission of computer software of others by means of electronic communications networks; information, consultancy and advisory services relating to all the aforesaid services including such services provided on-line or via the Internet or extranets

IC 041. US 100 101 107. G & S: Education; providing of training; publishing services, namely, providing an online magazine in the field of handheld computers and wireless devices; providing websites in the fields of entertainment or education; entertainment services

IC 042. US 100 101. G & S: Scientific and technological services and research, consultancy and design services relating thereto; design and development of computer hardware and software; computer services, namely provision of computer programs in data networks, in particular in the Internet and worldwide web; provision of access to databases; online services, in particular online services in connection with computer hardware and software; design, compiling, installation, maintenance and upgrading of communications software; developing and updating computer software, developing programs for data processing; hiring out computer software; hiring out data processing equipment; hiring out access time to databases; provision of and access to data networks, in particular to the Internet, to Internet forums, the worldwide web and to server services; providing computer software that may be downloadable from a global computer network; installation, maintenance and repair of computer software and telecommunications software; computer services; computer programming services; website hosting; providing websites; providing websites featuring information and links to other websites in the fields of computers, computing, telecommunications equipment, technologies and services, and a broad range of fields of general interest; application service provider services; hosting websites for others featuring personal calendars, address books and scheduling; consultation in the fields of information technology, mobile computers, embedded computers, computer software, telecommunications and electronic communications networks; design of mobile computers, embedded computers, computer software and hardware for others; computer services, namely providing search engines for obtaining data on electronic communications networks in the field of handheld computers. providing an interactive web site featuring news and information about handheld computers, desktop computer software and handheld computer software, mobile telephones, digital technologies and wireless services for handheld computers via electronic communications networks; design of computer hardware, software and firmware for others; application service provider featuring data security software applications which secure, protect, encrypt, decrypt, authenticate, monitor, track and transmit electronic data, electronic mail, communications and copyrighted material in electronic form

Standard Characters Claimed

Mark Drawing Code
(4) STANDARD CHARACTER MARK

Serial Number
77652453

Filing Date
January 20, 2009

Current Filing Basis
1B

Original Filing Basis
1B

Owner
(APPLICANT) Palm, Inc. CORPORATION DELAWARE 950 W. Maude Avenue Sunnyvale CALIFORNIA 940852801

Attorney of Record
Connie L. Ellerbach

Type of Mark
TRADEMARK. SERVICE MARK

Register
PRINCIPAL

Live/Dead Indicator
LIVE

Synergy trademark filing:

Word Mark
SYNERGY

Goods and Services
IC 009. US 021 023 026 036 038. G & S: Scientific, photographic, cinematographic, optical, electronic and teaching apparatus and instruments; apparatus for recording, transmission or reproduction of data, text, graphics, sound or images; magnetic data carriers, recording discs; calculating machines, data processing equipment; computers; computer hardware; mobile computers; handheld computers; tablet computers; personal digital assistants; electronic organizers, electronic notepads; computer memories; computer storage hardware; circuit boards; integrated circuits; semiconductors; memory cards; computer peripherals; computer monitors; computer keyboards; input boards; input devices; storage devices; computer displays; communications hardware; telecommunications hardware; telephones; mobile telephones; pagers; mobile and handheld communications devices for sending and receiving data, information and other digital content, including audio and video content; videophones; photographic and video cameras; audio players; video players; multimedia players; receivers; transceivers; recorders; cameras; computer software; computer communications software; computer software, namely, prerecorded computer programs for personal information management, database management software, character recognition software, telecommunications software, telephony management software, electronic mail and messaging software, paging software, database synchronization software, computer programs for accessing, browsing and searching online databases; computer game programs; video games; downloadable computer and video games; downloadable music, audio, video and entertainment related content; Internet appliances; computer carrying cases; accessories, parts and cases for all the foregoing; instruction manuals in electronic form supplied with the foregoing

IC 016. US 002 005 022 023 029 037 038 050. G & S: Printed matter; instructional and teaching materials (except apparatus); instruction manuals and printed publications, namely, books, booklets, magazines, catalogues, newsletters, leaflets and brochures in the fields of computers, computer peripherals, telecommunications devices, mobile, handheld and wireless communications devices and applications, communications hardware and software, information technologies, photography, video, and online retailing; stationery; pens; pencils; posters, binders, styluses; writing utensils; desk stands and holders for writing utensils

IC 035. US 100 101 102. G & S: Advertising; retail sales in the fields of computers, computing products, communications products, and educational materials, peripherals and accessories, such services provided in person, via telephone, mail, the Internet, or communications networks; arranging and conducting live or electronic trade shows in the fields of computers, computer peripherals, telecommunications devices and services, mobile, handheld and wireless communications devices and services, and information technologies; promotion of the goods and services of others by placing advertisement and promotional displays in an electronic site accessed via electronic communications networks; promoting the goods and services of others by providing a websites featuring information and links to other websites in the field of advertising or business; computerized online ordering services featuring handheld computers, handheld, mobile and wireless communications devices, software, accessories, peripherals and services therefore, and books, music, videos and games

IC 037. US 100 103 106. G & S: Installation, maintenance and repair of computers, computer hardware, communications hardware, computer software, telecommunications software, and computer peripherals; information, consultancy and advisory services relating to the installation, maintenance and repair of computers, computer hardware, communications hardware, computer software, telecommunications software, and computer peripherals

IC 038. US 100 101 104. G & S: Communications and telecommunications services; cellular telephone services; paging services; two-way calling services; transmission of data and information via telecommunications devices; providing websites featuring information and links to other websites in the fields of communications or telecommunications; providing websites featuring information and links to other websites in the fields of computers, computing, and communications or telecommunications products and services; providing search engines; digital transmission of voice, data, images, audio, video, signals, messages and information; electronic transmission of streamed or downloadable files; providing multiple-user access to electronic communications networks; telecommunication services, namely providing wireless telecommunication connections to electronic communications networks; wireless digital messaging, paging services; electronic mail services; electronic bulletin board services for transmission of messages among computer users concerning a wide range of information of general interest to consumers; electronic transmission of electronic data, electronic mail, digital and electronic communications in electronic form featuring encryption and decryption; electronic transmission of computer software of others by means of electronic communications networks; information, consultancy and advisory services relating to all the aforesaid services including such services provided on-line or via the Internet or extranets

IC 041. US 100 101 107. G & S: Education; providing of training; publishing services, namely, providing an online magazine in the field of handheld computers and wireless devices; providing websites in the fields of entertainment or education; entertainment services

IC 042. US 100 101. G & S: Scientific and technological services and research, consultancy and design services relating thereto; design and development of computer hardware and software; computer services, namely provision of computer programs in data networks, in particular in the Internet and worldwide web; provision of access to databases; online services, in particular online services in connection with computer hardware and software; design, compiling, installation, maintenance and upgrading of communications software; developing and updating computer software, developing programs for data processing; hiring out computer software; hiring out data processing equipment; hiring out access time to databases; provision of and access to data networks, in particular to the Internet, to Internet forums, the worldwide web and to server services; providing computer software that may be downloadable from a global computer network; installation, maintenance and repair of computer software and telecommunications software; computer services; computer programming services; website hosting; providing websites; providing websites featuring information and links to other websites in the fields of computers, computing, telecommunications equipment, technologies and services, and a broad range of fields of general interest; application service provider services; hosting websites for others featuring personal calendars, address books and scheduling; consultation in the fields of information technology, mobile computers, embedded computers, computer software, telecommunications and electronic communications networks; design of mobile computers, embedded computers, computer software and hardware for others; computer services, namely providing search engines for obtaining data on electronic communications networks in the field of handheld computers. providing an interactive web site featuring news and information about handheld computers, desktop computer software and handheld computer software, mobile telephones, digital technologies and wireless services for handheld computers via electronic communications networks; design of computer hardware, software and firmware for others; application service provider featuring data security software applications which secure, protect, encrypt, decrypt, authenticate, monitor, track and transmit electronic data, electronic mail, communications and copyrighted material in electronic form

Standard Characters Claimed

Mark Drawing Code
(4) STANDARD CHARACTER MARK

Serial Number
77652457

Filing Date
January 20, 2009

Current Filing Basis
1B

Original Filing Basis
1B

Owner
(APPLICANT) Palm, Inc. CORPORATION DELAWARE 950 W. Maude Avenue Sunnyvale CALIFORNIA 940852801

Attorney of Record
Connie L. Ellerbach

Type of Mark
TRADEMARK. SERVICE MARK

Register
PRINCIPAL

Live/Dead Indicator
LIVE

Don’t read too much into the details listed above. Some trademarks are filed for broad purposes that are never realized.

Palm’s registered trademark portfolio currently consists of these: @Palm, Foleo, Palm, LifeDrive, Zire, PalmOne, Palm, Palm Reader, Palm Powered, Treo, Blazer, PalmPack, PalmConnect, PalmGlove, PalmPower, Handmail, Simply Palm, Palm VII, Palm Computing, Palm III, HotSync, Palm OS, Graffiti, and PalmPrint.

Surprisingly, I did not see a trademark registration for “Pre.” Perhaps that’s still in the USPTO’s To-Do box.

Is The Palm Mojo SDK Going Wider?

Hey, if it’s on Twitter and I see it, I’ll blog it. Twitter is public.

I’ll not link to the Twitter account. I’ll grant that mercy.

Poll: Will You Buy A Touchstone?

The Pre And The Cloud And You #5

This is a very disturbing account:

Don’t ever use Google Apps for anything important

Here’s why you should never use Google Apps for your domain paid or unpaid.

I started using the free version Google Apps a little over a year ago for one of our intranets. Luckily it was an intranet and not the main site! I guess it wasn’t entirely luck. Management would never have let us use it on the main site. Anway, we used the shared calendar, email for a certain group, Google docs and a few other things.

For the most part things worked well. A few weeks ago it was time to renew the domain, and as the admin I promptly paid it using Google checkout.

Shortly afterwords the domain expired on the day aniversary date and we were totally hosed.

I went and double checked, and, I’m showing in google checkout that I’ve paid for the renewal. I then go back to the dashboard and see that it tells me that I need to renew in 2010. So as far as Google is concerned I’m cool. But enom which is the registrar that google used to register my domain thinks that the domain is expired. Worse, I can’t log into their system and pay for the damn thing.

I can’t pay for it on Google either because Google thinks I’m all paid up. It gets worse. Much worse.

It quickly becomes a twisted nightmare of negligent customer service that is now echoing throughout the Internet.

I hope both Palm and Sprint see this and plan whatever cloud services are in the wings with more attention to customer service than this. It’s inexcusable for a customer to be ping-ponged between different groups. This is a Google service and all fingers point back to them.

Likewise, anything offered by Palm or Sprint will be seen as Palm and Sprint services, regardless of whether another party (or two or three) have been contracted to provide all or certain aspects of a service.

Both Palm are Sprint are seen as longshots as cellphone manufacturer and as carrier. The Palm Pre is a chance for both companies to flourish again, so all aspects of customer service will have to be top priority.

Amazon MP3 Store: I Think I’ll Like It

Oh, I raked it over the coals when I tried it shortly after it launched.

Then this tweet reminded me of the great deals it sometimes offers:

Although the Pre interface for it doesn’t look much like the iTunes Store interface on the iPhone, if it makes searching and buying easy, I’ll be gobbling up deals like that!

Palm, Please Learn From The App Store Mistakes!

Palm indicated it will take a different tack with its App Catalog than the one Apple has taken with its App Store.

Once again Apple has chosen to play Nanny and has denied entrance to an application: There’s a Whole Lot of Shakin’ Going On in the App Store

This is really the key sentence:

Atherton says Apple gave his app a second look after Wobble topped the sales chart in Japan.

What’s unclear there is if he means the App Store for Japan.

Apple has embarrassed itself in the eyes of intelligent people by banning a comic book and banning an eBook.

Yet not only did it approve of shooting nurses in the face in the UK App Store, it has also allowed that now in the American App Store [this link will launch iTunes].

In fact, with the American listing, they’ve allowed a more violent screensnap!

American App Store

UK App Store

Before Apple came along, no one had any problems with handheld apps for sale and with eBooks for sale.

I don’t recall seeing a single article about the “dangers” of games for PalmOS and Windows Mobile devices.

I don’t recall anyone wringing their hands over the language in eBooks sold by Fictionwise, eReader, MobiPocket, the Kindle Store, the Sony eBook Store, and others.

And then along came Apple, appointing itself Nanny.

It’s my sincere hope that aside from checking for unsafe code — outright spamware and malware — Palm will refrain from value judgments when it comes to applications and information.

In addition, I hope the Palm Pre will also be able to download applications and eBooks from any vendor, not simply Palm. Caveat emptor, of course, but word travels fast on the Internet.

I think most non-geek people will rely on the official Palm App Catalog.

But everyone shouldn’t be restricted to only that choice.

Palm Pre: Predicted In 2007!

I was going through my first blog to see what I could use a fodder when I came across a link I made to a post.

I went back to read the linked post and it stunned me.

Look at this:

What the iPhone would have looked like if I was Steve Jobs

Social networking would have been front and center. It would have been a social networking device from the ground up. One that — oh, by the way — can also be used as a “telephone” or a “web browser” (yawn). And of course as an iPod and a video player etc.

It would have supported dozens of social networking concepts from the get-go. iTunes would have been expanded to take your user name and passwords for major social networking services, and then it would just suck down all the meta data it needs for the corresponding functions to work on your device.

Or, perhaps even better, Apple would roll out it’s own Web 2.0 alternatives, ones that are fully coordinated with the Mac, with iTunes, with iPods, and with the iPhone.

Photos would automatically sync with your selected photo sharing device. Instant messaging would manage multiple groups and friend lists on top of SMS, hiding control data in SMS messages from you and just showing the socially relevant data.

Location-aware signaling would be built it. The phone would sense if you were in your favorite coffee shop and flag that to friends.

The wifi software would support peer-to-peer; it would let you know what people in your vicinity are listening to; it would include a bunch of multiplayer games that you can play right away with friends (or strangers!) in your vicinity. Or anywhere! In fact, it might include traditional games like chess with direct support for a global iPhone chess ranking.

Calendar would sync with online services, not wait to be connected with a big, ugly PC. It would be extended to support stuff like movies, shows, bands, local events, etc.

Video, of course, with automatic syncing with my own location on the web for storing and editing them.

Messaging would be integrated into a single view, with iconic/font/color indicators to separate news items, blog entries, text messages, chats, etc. You have full control to organize all the streaming sources into one or more distinct “pages”.

Red emphasis added by me.

And here is a fundamental difference between the iPhone — still! — and the Pre:

What struck me already from the early reviews was that Apple seems to fundamentally not understand social networking, and the potential that a brand new mobile platform could have for that. It’s a generational thing, I guess. Steve is even older than I am, and I’m having a real hard time keeping up with the times. Plus he’s busier than I am.

Unless you’ve been spending time with all the new communication flavors out there – stuff like Flickr, Twitter, Myspace, Facebook, last.fm, the RSS universe, etc etc – you won’t notice the egregious strategic blunder that Apple is in the midst of making. The mainstream reviewers certainly haven’t picked up on it.

The thing is, the use of mobile devices for social networking is something that has been forced into the current platforms out there. There are all sorts of obscure ways to leverage text messaging infrastructure to support higher semantic notions like chat rooms, instant messaging, bulletin boards, classifieds, etc.

I was actually in the room when Steven Jobs first announced the iPhone at Macworld earlier this year. I was immediately struck by his emphasis of desktop/iPod-oriented features; using the telephone, using the calendar, todo lists, listening to music. That’s the stuff the 1990s generation did, and they do it on their desktops. The 21st century kids – and workers! – have other frameworks. They chat; they blog; they share their music playlists; they listen to internet radio; they play text RPG-like games on wikis; they argue on bulletin boards; they exchange pictures and phone/webcam videos; they watch youtube; they post video responses to youtube.

The new generation doesn’t use the phone. They don’t call somebody to discuss a document. They just change the wiki entry and they know any subscribers to changes will be notified. They chat. They update their emo trackers with mood and location like “wd market, nw” [walking down market, nice weather]; and so forth.

Yeah, they got youtube. But only because Google had bought them. And you can’t post to youtube from the iPhone. Even if you could post, you can’t actually make a video with the iPhone.

You can’t even leave a friggin comment on the youtube service.

And at root is this, he surmises:

Here’s my theory. Apple can only do really interesting products if Steve Jobs understands the end user. And Jobs does not understand the 21st century computer usage paradigm. In this century, people don’t send memos to each other. And that’s what email is – electronic memos.

Whereas outside of Steve Jobs’s view:

Today, people chat; they blog; they share multimedia like pictures, video, and audio; they flame each other on forums; they link with each other in intricate webs; they swap effortlessly between different electronic personae and avatars; they listen to internet radio; they vote on this that and the other; they argue on wiki discussion groups.

Again: I won’t knock the iPhone. But I will say that I think the people behind the Palm Pre understand today’s market in a way Apple has so far not grasped.

And that’s why I find the Palm Pre appealing.

I Get Cranky At Adobe

Adobe has published a little fable that borders on the twee about Internet video.

So very self-satisfied, Adobe seemed, I naturally come along with the pin to puncture their ego balloon:

And then there were the Princes. They couldn’t see the cute little video file in her flashy dress because they were using the iPhone and the Palm Pre and hanging out at the swank places like Veoh, dailymotion, vimeo, et al.

Fix that already, Adobe, willya?!!?

Let’s see if the Moderator lets it through.

Update: Not only was it let through, there was also a response:

[jd sez: Working on it. Palm has been ambiguous about Flash during their initial press, but I'm hopeful. Adobe has committed to the technical development, but Apple has remained mute about permitting it.]