Test Drive: Blogging with the Palm Treo 680

Last January, Globe Telecom introduced the Palm® Treo™ 680 PDA-Phone, a GSM / GPRS / EDGE quad-band world phone, in the Philippines. What I like about this phone was that I'm able to access my Gmail, and now with the new Blogger, without a problem. For that reason alone, the phone was all well worth it.

Even though it is not 3G compared to the ones I've tried, being able to work with the phone like doing my Gmail e-mail, writing articles, and blogging makes it a big productivity booster. Although you may need to get yourself more familiar with the keypad or get extra devices (like a portable keyboard).

For blogging, it will require a little knowledge of html (for linking urls or web address) and being able to visit pages before saving their url and pasting it later when making your post. You may not be able to immediately include photos in your blog post.

So I guess this one is great to use whenever you have moments where you just need to blog something right away or a creative thought just struck as Dean Alfar would say during iBlog3.

I also find its camera and video feature to be very handy. The only challenge with recording a video using it, is that the sound captured tends to have some background noise. Perhaps using a special microphone with it can be necessary to improve the sound quality of one's voice.

With great Internet speed, there's a lot you can do with this device. The Treo 680 sells at a retail price of Peso 24,000. Globe users can get this from the Globe Telecom Business Centers and Hubs in the Philippines.

I also like the Bejeweled game and I'm glad that this device comes along with it. Although that puts me in a situation where my kids have to keep borrowing my phone to play the game and beat one another on who gets the highest score.

Especially now that Internet fees through the mobile phone are becoming more affordable, mobile blogging or moblogging, especially during times when you have to rush, can now be possible without hurting your finances that much.

I think I finally found the device that can replace my Nokia 9300.

iBlog3 and Blog Talk at ANC with Ricky Carandang

Yesterday, I was at ANC chatting with Ricky Carandang as to the various issues discussed during iBlog3 and my personal experiences in blogging especially on ad networks and shutting down a copyright violator blog site. It was a very fast discussion and allowed us to discuss several items on blogging at once that includes niche blogging, blog relevance, citizen journalism, generating revenue through blogs, political blogging, game blogging, blogger's code of ethics, legal risks in blogging, blogging regulation, youth blogging, freedom of expression, Philippine bloggers demographics, iBlog4, among others.

I hardly recall discussing a topic with one person at an extensive level and speed, despite limited time. It was an engaging experience and thanks to JJ Disini for passing on that opportunity to me.

Immediately after the interview, I got a text from Aileen Apolo and Jay Frank De Jesus. Another friend, Abby Ongyanco Lim, sent me a YM about it. (Thanks!)