Here are some apps that I’ve recently searched for(and tested some candidates) but was unable to find. I think they are obvious, but maybe not. What do you think? What are the applications you’ve been searching for?
1. – ClipCopier – I wish there was an app that would let me easily(1 button press) copy the clipboard from my PC to my PDA and vice versa.
2. – Hour Flash – Cuckoo Clock can sound a tone for you every hour, but only if a calendar entry is not blocking the way. I’d prefer an application that flashed the green led on the top of my Tungsten C every hour regardless of what was happening on the screen.
4. – Yellow Pages, White Pages for the 650, 510 and 415 area codes. It can’t be THAT much data. I would gladly clear enough space for a 5MB phone book file(with addresses).
5. – Texas Hold’em Poker Tutor – I’ve tried everything out there and there is still no good, solid Hold’em tutor for Palm OS.
6. – Tabbed web browser with background loading.
7. – Port of the BallDroppings timewaster(this game is fantastic).

Reading through the Palm Evolution site (for the umpteenth time), I started thinking about the Palm milestones for 2005 and 2006. It seems like a guarentee that by the end of 2006, we’ll be drueling over a Cobalt 2 PalmOS PDA with a 3-4 megapixel camera(stills, video), 5GB HD, VGA screen, 802.11g(or better), Bluetooth, 3D chipset, integrated thumbpad keyboard, decent battery life, and plenty of expansion ports(a card slot or two, IR, firewire).

This is all great, but I’d like to see some real changes in the way we interact with the device PHYSICALLY. WHEN is someone going to step up to the plate and create a killer, top of the line PDA whose primary screen is my glasses and whose primary input is a detached analog joystick or trackball? Of course, I’d also be pulling for a chordic (one-handed, portable, 5-10 key) keyboard. I wish an industry loudmouth would drop a couple grand(ouch) on existing wearable stuff(HUD glasses, chord keyboard, small trackball or 3d mouse, tiny Linux or Windows PC) and run the PalmOS simulator in full screen mode. Walk around with that setup for a month and report back. Better still – write a book so we all can read it. Does the PalmOS UI design lend itself to a lightweight wearable setup? Steve Mann and many other researchers have already been doing this kind of stuff WITHOUT the PalmOS, so we could learn something there, too.

Crossposted to PalmAddicts

1. – Web Pro 3 – It seems to work with more sites than the other browsers. It even has 2 different views(handheld, normal) that let you tune browsing a bit if the page isn’t readable in one view. I really wish it could load pages in the background and had a tabbed(several pages open at a time) UI, though.

2 – AppShelf – My favorite launcher, hands down. With the Clip DA and Clip Module, I have a picture of my daughter visible all day while my T|C is in its cradle. Combined with the quick access to my calendar and, I think, the best interface for accessing applications, I don’t think I’ll ever go back to ZLauncher(which is also great). I hope two more modules are added soon: Slideshow and World Clock.

3.- Versamail – The only IMAP client that can work through VPN. I REALLY wish you could specify how many days of your inbox should be synced. My inbox is always enormous. “Download Subjects Only” is a nice compromise until then.

4. – GoSync – Dave, one of the associate writers(at PalmAddicts) suggested this to me and it’s fantastic. Now, when I sync over wifi, I can have Backup and all other non-essential conduits turned off. Makes for a speedy remote sync and a happy me! Now, if it could just one sync profile to work when the pda connects with WIFI and another profile to automatically engage when I’m using the cradle, I’d be set!!!

5. – Geocaching software – Cetus GPS, GeoNiche, Cachemate, Mapopolis – I haven’t used these in a while, but for the few months that I was actively geocaching(www.geocaching.com), they were a fantastic help! Recently, I noticed a program called OnMyWay which helps those apps work well together. Just talking about these apps makes me want to start ‘caching again!!

6. – Filez – Yeah. Awesome.

7. – Plucker – Better than AvantGo in pretty much every way(that, coming from a diehard AvantGo user). This is another app that I never would have given a chance if it weren’t for PalmAddict. Thanks everyone! Now, if someone would host a central Plucker server where I could set up all my channels from work or home…

8. – TouchTris – GREAT game! If you’re going to own just one Tetris clone, this should DEFINITELY be it.

9. – DocsToGo? – I’ve used Docs To Go a lot recently, but it might just be a phase.

10. – NetChaser – Though I almost never connect to public hotspots or unlocked personal wireless routers, it’s always fun to have NetChaser running while driving. When I get home, I marvel at the number of access points out there and how far we’ve come.

Crossposted to PalmAddicts

AppShelf is a great replacement for the default PalmOS application launcher. At the bottom of the screen, you can choose 3 plugins from about a dozen available plugins. I use the datebook plugin, the screen capture plugin and the analog clock plugin. [Edit: Yes, I know. Plugin, plugin, plugin, plugin.]

AppShelf Home
Kelly Edwards excellent AppShelf Tutorial
My favorite AppShelf Discussion(at ClieSource)