Palm, Inc. will soon launch its consumer-oriented Centro smartphone in a new area: Europe. This will also mark the debut of the GSM version of this device.

Palm Europe have announced an unlocked GSM Palm Centro for most European markets. The Centro is currently being shown in black with a note that says it will be available on the 14th of February. It will be sold online for £199 un the UK and €299 (including VAT) in other countries.

The Palm Centro runs Palm OS Garnet v5.4.9. It has a 320x320 pixel touchscreen display, Bluetooth v1.2, a 1.3 megapixel digital camera with video capture and 64MB of memory. For memory expansion it has a microSD slot. It has dimensions of 4.22" (L) x 2.11" (W) x 0.73" (D) (107 x 54 x 18.5 mm) and weighs in at 4.2 oz (119g).

Australians eager to get their paws on Palm's Treo 500 but not-so-eager to sign up with Vodafone have cause to smile: Palm Australasia have announced the availability of an unlocked model. Retailing at $649 (incl. GST), the Treo 500 will be available from "select retail stores" and has been approved for use on the Optus network.

The Treo 500 was announced as a Vodafone exclusive in September '07. Featuring a 2-megapixel camera, a "widescreen" display and Windows Mobile 6 Standard, the Treo 500 is a capable smartphone that offers 3G and decent hardware at a reasonable price.

PearMobile has released a new set of Bible applications for Palm OS devices. PearBible is a electronic version of the Bible. It is available in either the traditional King James Version (KJV) and a Bible in Basic English (BBE) edition. There is also a bundle that includes both translations. Of course, both include the full Bible organized by book with selectable chapters. It also includes a religious holiday calendar up to 2012, which you can import into your datebook. You can also export text and quotes to the memopad.

PearBible v1.1 for Palm OS is available for $3.95 in multiple versions. It is currently on sale for $2.95 for a limited time and it comes with a fully functional two week trial period.

Handmark's Zagat To Go or Palm OS has been update to version 6.0. The software is a comprehensive restaurant and entertainment guide featuring the Zagat Survey ratings and rankings for more than 30,000 restaurants, nightspots, hotels and golf courses in hundreds of cities worldwide. The all new version features an improved interface, a recently viewed list and an easier setup process. It also retains the ability to search and browse listings by cuisine/category, neighborhood, ratings, cost, feature and Zagat's well-known top lists. v6.0 also adds PIM and smartphone integration so you can call add listings to your address book and add reservations to your calendar.

Zagat To Go v6.0 for Palm OS is sold on a subscription basis for $29.95 for a 12 month subscription. It is also available for Windows Mobile. At present, there is no demo version and the app is only compatible with smartphones.

Palm's stock price got a small boost on an analyst upgrade from J.P. Morgan. J.P's Paul Coster has raised his rating on the stock to Overweight from Underweight. The stock is currently up ~6% (at 6.40) on the day. In a note, Coster says Centro sales may be exceeding expectations and the device is currently the most popular device offered by 16 Sprint stores the analyst surveyed. (via Tech Trader Daily)

In related news, Palm's CFO Andrew Brown will be presenting at the Thomas Weisel Partners Technology, Telecom & Internet Conference 2008 in San Francisco later today at 4:25 Pacific Time. A live webcast of the presentation will be available at Palm's Investor Relations site.

We've received a number of reader reports that some BestBuy retail locations are offing a large discount on the Palm Centro with new service signups. The Centro with Sprint service is being advertised in select areas for $39.99 after a $50 "additional savings" discount and a new two year service agreement.

Apparently the offer varies from region to region with some ads showing all 3 colors on sale (red, black and pink), while others area show only the red Centro. Some sale circulars do not even mention the promotion. Let us know in the comments if your store or area is is offering the discounted price.

Resco Software is now offering the Resco Suite, a new product which combines six of their best selling Palm OS applications. The package includes five essential applications - Explorer, Viewer, Backup, IDGuard and Neeews as well as its Sudoku game as an added bonus.

Resco Suite v1.01 for Palm OS is available now with a free trial. The full bundle is being sold for $59.95. Purchased individually, the total cost would be $125, representing just about a 50% discount.

The latest gossip on Palm OS Nova comes from PCMag.com, where Sascha Segan has squeezed a few clues about the new OS out of Palm's director of product management, Stephane Maes. Saying that Nova will see Palm "getting back to our roots with simplicity and elegance", Maes goes on to talk about how it will "focus on integrating different kinds of data stored in different locations".

"It's a Web-enabled world, where people have contacts in multiple locations. You start thinking about all of the different places where people have information, it's really about managing people's lives. That's a lot of the heritage we're really going to leverage and expand on going forward."

According to a post made to the official TeleNav forums by Gina, a TeleNav employee, version 5.0 of the TeleNav GPS Navigator has just been released for the Sprint version of the Palm Centro.

Some features of the app listed in the post are 3d maps and a favorites list that synchronizes with the MyTeleNav website. A full feature comparison matrix of the various versions of the app can be found here. Unfortunately, the rumored internal aGPS capabilities of the Centro have not been magically unlocked and the usual Bluetooth GPS receiver is still required.

CNBC has posted a thoroughly interesting new article in their Tech Check with Jim Goldman column. In this installment, Mr. Goldman takes to task the naysayers, critics and certain members of the press who have been calling for Ed Colligan to resign as CEO of Palm, Inc. Mr. Goldman goes on to reveal his longtime association with Colligan that dates back all the way to the pre-Palm and Handspring days at Radius (1986-1993), lending this article a bit more insight into the credentials and capabilities of Colligan than most "insider"-type pieces.

Goldman goes on to say that the new entry-level Palm Centro smartphone may represent the future killer app for Palm in that it offers "smart phone status at dumb handset prices". Subsidized, post-2-year-contract price aside, the Centro still sells for a staggering $400, with its older Treo brethren commanding even higher full retail or unlocked prices. No comments are made in regards to Palm's upcoming Linux-based Palm OS successor or the fact that Palm's recent released and rumored upcoming Treo releases appears to be almost entirely Windows Mobile-based.

...

Palm has just released a new ROM update for the Sprint Treo 755p. Palm's support page for this update, referenced as ROM version 1.04, is surprisingly short on details, even by Palm standards. The entire list of improvements in this version states:

"This software update is a tune-up that improves audio, stability, software quality and device usability."

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After several months with announcement of a higher-capacity Centro battery on the horizon, Palm has stepped to the plate and finally offered up spare standard capacity Centro batteries on their webstore.

Carrying the same 1150mAh rating as the stock battery, this replacement is nevertheless a wise (albeit pricey) investment for Centro fans. The battery is available now for $49.99 and will presumably fit the rumored upcoming GSM Centro variant as well as the current Sprint CDMA version.

When Palm Inc. shuts down its line of retail stores this month, the closure will not affect the Palm-branded kiosks in some major airports.

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Digitimes is citing internal Microsoft data that says Palm currently has a 10% market share of all Windows Mobile based "PDA phones." This data would place Palm second in worldwide sales behind the market leader HTC. The PDA phone figure cited represents the percentage of devices using the Pocket PC edition (which excludes non-touchscreen devices such as the Treo 500), and not the entire Windows Mobile category. Still it remains a respectable figure given Palm's relatively short history of releasing products utilizing a Microsoft operating system.

The article mainly focuses on HTC's overall declining Windows Mobile based smartphone market share given fierce competition with Motorola and Samsung. According to the article, Motorola holds a slight lead in that category with 30% share, with Samsung and HTC not far behind.

Reacting swiftly to some users' concerns with compatibility with the new and improved YouTube Mobile site that we covered here last week, Kinoma has released another update for its superb Kinoma Player EX media player.

With this release, the Kinoma player is now up to version 4.4.1, up from October's 4.4 revision. This release is primarily a bugfix release to address the myriad of issues surrounding YouTube and Google Video playback, especially on Palm TX and LifeDrive handhelds.

The CombiFlip case is a new case for the Palm Centro from SPE. The CombiFlip is made of premium leather and is specially designed for the Centro. The case has a unique design that lets you snap off the front flip cover to transform it into a slim open face case with full access to the screen and keyboard. The cover also has a magnetic fastening system at the top, which allows the cover to be flipped open with a flick of the thumb and enabling you to quickly answer the phone. It is available in a number of colors and also features a 360 degree swivel belt-clip, device port openings, a pocket for business or credit cards, and a slot for memory cards.

The SPE CombiFlip Case for Centro is available now for $24.95 from the PalmInfocenter accessory store. Shipping to most locations starts at $5.95.

PictureID is a new full screen photo caller ID application for Palm OS smartphones from Toysoft. With PictureID you can assign any JPG or GIF picture as a caller ID from your internal memory or from the external SD Card. When a recognized call comes in the software will display the callers picture in full color with optional custom color fonts. The app also supports groups of callers, supports third party ringtone managers and as a bonus includes a area code & city database to display incoming call locations.

PictureID v1.0 for Palm OS is available now for $9.95. A free trial period is included.

With absolutely no fanfare, Palm has hired a former high-level Apple executive as its Senior Vice President of Product Development.

Treocentral Review: Pocket DVD Wizard (Palm OS) Andre Kibbe @ Treocentral has published a review of Pocket DVD Wizard (Palm OS). Writing about Pocket DVD Wizard is a bit like describing how to tie your shoes: it sounds more complex than it really is. And it’s the lack of complexity that makes this app so useful. Videophiles can dig into the menus to optimize the quality, but the defaults are just right for novice—or anyone seeking instant gratification. by alex_mathews, 27th Janua

On Sale

• VoiceDialIt 2.0
• FakeCall 2.3
• PalmaryClock Wireless for Treo 1.2
• Premium 639 + Ringtones + 65 Wallpapers Palm OS 1.0
• PalmaryClock 3.4
• Personal Audio Recorder PRO 3.3
• PalmaryClock for Treo 3.4
• PhoneLog 1.02
• PalmaryClock Wireless 1.2
• SayIt 1.1

New Software

• Duden-Oxford English-German dictionary 6.09
• PhoneFavs 1.2
• i-Bar plugin 1.04
• Psico 1.0
• Body 1.3
• HandDex 1.0
• Warn 1.0
• Chain 1.0
• HandGo 1.0
• Resco IDGuard for Palm OS 1.10.2

Updated Software

• Kinoma Player 4 EX for Palm OS 5 - English 4.4.1
• Sortout 1.03
• DVD Catalyst 3.3.1
• Mobiola Video Studio 2.1.17
• Mobiola Video Studio Pro 2.1.17
• FolderMirror 2.0.5
• NeatFreak Pack Plus 4.06
• NeatFreak Pack Ultimate 4.06
• WintecTool 2.12
• OnGuard Backup 1.14

Palm has quietly hired a new Senior Vice President of Product Development, taking over for the departed Mike Farese who left last September. The new SVP Mike Bell comes to Palm after a 16 year tenure at Apple, where he was vice president, CPU Software, in the Macintosh Hardware Division. According to Palm's executive bio, Bell led a host of efforts in a variety of roles, including overall product development leadership for the Airport line of products and low-level software for all Macintosh hardware products.

The Silicon Valley gossip and rumor site Valleywag is speculating that Palm has been keeping a low profile on the hire for undisclosed reasons.

Palm Europe is now offering a sim unlocked version of the Treo 500 smartphone. The Treo 500 is now available online for £269.00 in the UK and for €399,00 in most European countries.

The Treo 500 is a Windows Mobile 6 (Smartphone edition) powered smartphone. It comes equipped with a full qwerty keyboard and a 240x320 pixel transflective display. It has a tri-band GSM radio supporting the 900/1800/1900 bands and UTMS 2100. It also includes 256MB memory with 150MB available for user storage, a 2 megapixel digital camera, Bluetooth 2.0 and a microSD expansion slot.

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In another cost-cutting move by the cash-strapped smartphone maker, Palm Inc. is shutting down the line of retail stores that it has operated since 2002.

PalmInfocenter has confirmed with a company spokesperson that Palm Inc. plans to close its retail stores. The move marks the latest cutback at Palm as it moves to make cost reductions and consolidate the company around its "core business initiatives."

In a statement Palm says they made the decision to close the retail stores to "focus on consolidating more resources behind fewer programs in order to compete more effectively." These same themes were discussed during the last conference call in which Palm's CEO Ed Colligan said the company would be cutting back on anything non-essential throughout the origination.

Palm has sent many of its customers a notice that they may benefit from a class action lawsuit that this company is attempting to settle.

Palm Inc. has sent out a class action settlement proposal legal notice to users who registered a Treo 600 or 650 smartphone. The class action settlement applies to United States residents who purchased a Treo 600 or Treo 650, experienced two or more repairs or replacements (in lieu of repair) on that device. If the settlement is accepted, Palm will be providing extended warranty repairs and issuing rebates to qualified "class members."

An enterprising developer has created an application that replicates Google Maps' My Location feature on Palm OS Treos.

Photos HQ is a new digital camera application for Palm OS smartphones. The application lets you capture photographs in a higher resolution and with better quality than the standard camera software. Better picture quality is achieved by using an enhanced lossless storage algorithm. Pictures with a 960x720 pixel resolution can be taken by combining two consecutive images on models with a VGA camera such as the Treo 680 and 650. In addition, the app also has a motion detector surveillance mode, improved digital zoom, exposure compensation and a 10 second self-timer function.

Photos HQ v1.04 for Palm OS is shareware and costs $3.95 to register.

iambic software has released version 2.1 of its Propel launcher application for Palm OS devices. Propel is a multifunctional launcher replacement that supports launching apps, finding contacts, appoitments, memos, web bookmarks, digital audio and even files stored on a memory card. It also offers enhanced features including a toolbar, tabbed categories, background wallpapers and a favorites list. The professional version also offers voice dialing and app launching as well as mp3 capabilities. The new version incorporates a number of usability improvements and stability refinements.

Propel Professional edition retails for $24.95 and comes with a free trial version. A standard edition, without voice-dialing and mp3 features, is available for $14.95.

The recent Treo 680 firmware updates include a new option to use mp3 ringtones without any additional software. However, Palm provided no support or instructions on how to transfer or use mp3 ringtones on the device. Thanks to the Palmdoc, we have a new simple set of instructions to import mp3 ringtones to your Palm OS smartphone that supports the new ringtone options.

Read on for the instructions as well as a number of other options for using enhanced ringtones on your Treo or Centro.

The PalmInfocenter Store has added a number of new Palm Centro accessories this week. The Mobi Products Crystal Case for Centro ($14.95) is a nice clear and durable case that won't get in your way. It is crafted from strong and shook absorbent highly polished polycarbonate and comes with an optional belt clip.

We also have a new TopPouch leather case ($24.95). The TopPouch is a genuine leather slip case with a velvet soft interior that provides easy top loading access with a magnetic closure to keep your phone secure.

ClieVideo have released a new public beta version of Lightspeed v3.0. Lightspeed is an application that lets the user change the CPU clock frequency, i.e. overclock or underclock the processor, on supported Palm OS 5 devices. This new version adds support for the latest batch of Palm smartphones including the Palm Centro, Treo 755p, 700p and the 680. Updates also include the ability to change the CPU speed from within other applications via the Palm OS Command bar, support for ZLauncher shortcuts and a number of tweaks and fixes.

Lightspeed v3.0 is available for $19.95 and comes with a free trial period. It is currently available for at the discounted price of $14.95.

In a recent interview, Palm's Chief Financial Officer gave some new details on the Linux-based operating system his company is developing.

An independent Palm OS developer named Razix has released "My Location" a psuedo-gps feature for GSM Palm OS Treo's. The software works in conjunction with Google maps to approximate a users location based on a approximation of the nearest cell tower that you are connected to. The service requires the current Google Maps (ver: 1.2.0.9) and a GSM based Treo such as the Treo 600, 650 and 680. The program is free, however it requires a registration and the developer is accepting donations which will remove the advertisements within the program.

Google first rolled out its own My Location services last November. Google's official Windows Mobile client supports the feature, however Palm OS devices require a future ROM update to support the service and Palm has only committed to releasing an update for "newer Palm phones."

Tero Kuittinen, an analyst for Avian Securities, is citing "operator sources" - which include Palm's CFO, Andy Brown in an article on Seeking Alpha - that indicate Palm is readying the GSM Centro not just for AT&T, but T-Mobile as well. Apparently the Centro's success has "caught the attention of rival operators". Reportedly, Palm are cagey about the possibility of a Verizon Centro: their relationship with the telco monolith may be "under stress", due in part to the long delays in getting the Verizon Treo 755p out the door.

Several major smartphone companies including Palm and i-mate have placed orders with HTC, resuming relationships that had been previously severed.

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Resco Software has released a new ID and password management application for Palm OS devices. IDGuard securely stores your personal information such as passwords, PINs, credit cards, etc. All records are saved using the industrial encryption standard AES. In addition the application can also store and encrypt memos, documents, images, voice memos and camera snapshots.

Resco IDGuard v1.10.2 for Palm OS is available now for $19.95 USD. It is currently on sale for $12.95 for a limited time. It comes with a 14-day trial period.

• Palm Updates VersaMail for Centro
• Full Screen Picture ID Program Available for Palm OS Smartphones
• Cute Keys v.1.0 for S60 Released

Rumor: Digitimes is citing a report from the Chinese-language Commercial Times newspaper that HTC has recently signed Palm back up for unspecified manufacturing orders. Palm has previously utilized HTC in the past to produce the Treo 650 and the 700 series. Reportedly, Palm decided to move away from the company as HTC began to build out their own brand and market directly to consumers. Some of Palm's most recent devices such as the Centro and Treo 680 have been manufactured by Inventec Appliances.

If indeed accurate, the report likely indicates that Palm will utilize HTC to supplement their existing manufacturing capability or has been awarded a new ODM contract for a future device. Palm has recently announced a new ODM strategy for its Windows Mobile business as its aims to streamline development and work closer with its ODM partners. Palm has also recently had a change in its Engineering leadership.

Palm has posted an update for the Palm Centro smartphone. The VersaMail update for the Centro provides enhancements to Gmail IMAP compatibility and an updated setup wizard with the new Gmail settings pre-configured. It also includes a 'improvement' to help eliminate the silent failure of email when using Microsoft's Direct Push technology via Exchange ActiveSync in VersaMail. Palm says that Some users have reported that their email stops arriving, but they are not notified to press the 'Sync' button to re-enable Direct Push Technology. This update helps eliminate the occurrence of this scenario.

The update is meant for only for Centro users and is available here as an on device, over the air download.

A beta version of the Palm Desktop with support for Windows Vista was released last summer, but now Palm has posted on its web site the full version of this application.