Sidekick Sync - is it too late???

So it is finally here. An app that supports real-time push email, synchronization (contacts, email, calendar, etc) and attachment viewing on the T-Mobile SideKick. The question I ask is this - is it too late for us Sidekick fans.

The Sidekick was the original "must-have" device. It had the buzz, the design and the coolness (Hey..Paris Hilton owned one). It did a lot of things for us, office email was not one of them. As we grew older, this device lost it's charm when we had to consider carrying 2 devices, one for personal use (ie Sidekick) and one for office emails (Blackberry/Treo). In the end, the Sidekick became a dinosaur.

After all these years, they finally come up with a third-party app "that allows Microsoft Outlook and Exchange users to wirelessly synchronize their Sidekick address book contacts, calendar, tasks (to dos), and provides full two-way synchronization including conflict resolution, field mapping, and data filtering." Costs $4.99 a month to boot.

We just don't see the Sidekick doing well, with or without the app. The Sidekick is not hip enough for the younger generation and not feature-rich enough for the older crowd. It is what it is..a once popular handset that won't go away because the carrier (TMobile) won't let it die. Kinda reminds us of Brett Favre (la Sidekick) and the Vikings (la TMobile). Atleast Brett retired. It is time to do the same with the Sidekick.

Our top 5 Fav features and things to do with smartphones

Phones do more than talk and text. That's what makes them smartphones. Most people call, email, and now texting is huge. But, keep an eye on this list and catch up on what a small minority of smartphone users already know - some fantastic features that truly enhance your mobile life, making the smartphone THE ONLY communication, entertainment, & productivity device you will carry around all the time.

6. Just talking
…with your phone pressed against your face (therefore not really using your smartphone features)

This is old school! If this is you, read #5, and then keep coming back as we outline #4 through #1.

5. Hands-free
Keeping your hands-free to either drive safely, or view your smartphone screen to check your calendar, look up numbers, and use the data service that you probably pay for. Don’t let a call stop you from doing it all!

Yes, you can use the phone speaker, but sound is average and sometimes with echo, you get no noise cancellation, and it drains your battery.

Almost every phone & every smartphone includes Bluetooth® technology, which as you may know, enables headsets w/o dangling/tangling wires.

Our recommendations on mono (voice only) Bluetooth headsets are based on the following ‘C’riteria – we call it the 5 C’s:

• Clarity (quality/performance)
• Coolness factor (design/style)
• Comfort (fit/size)
• Convenience (chargers, storage, etc.)
• Cost (price to value ratio)

If cost is the least important of all these criteria for you, our current favorite is this Bluetooth Headset. But, there are plenty of more choices, so we offer our selection, and also “Our Review” of each, which breaks through the noise and tries to give you info & price-to-value ratio in laymen terms.

Next up: #4 on our list (hint: this may make you leave the iPod at home!)

4. Music Player
That's right. We said it. Get rid of that iPOD, that Zune, that Sansa, that generic mp3 player. Most smartphones come with a good music player and either built-in memory or an external memory card slot. We like external memory card slots for the simple reason that we expand memory when we want and change cards for different applications. We highly recommend this 16GB card. The "ultra" series speeds up data transfer. This makes a huge difference when you have a bunch of songs and want to shuffle songs or take multiple pictures.

Talk about device integration. Smartphones let you listen to music (using wired headsets or stereo Bluetooth) and when a call comes in, the music is paused allowing you to take the call and then go back to the song without missing a beat. No more carrying 2 devices to the gym.

3. GPS
The Internet (Mapquest, Yahoo/Google Maps) made paper maps & AAA old school.
Then, new portable GPS units from Garmin, Tom Tom & others rendered print-outs from the Internet obsolete.

Now, your smartphone can basically do all of the above - and make things not only affordable, but even more convenient.

The only prerequisites are decent wireless coverage and a data plan - both of which are now more universally available & affordable.

Many smartphones come preloaded with Google Maps & likely another mapping/nav application from your service provider (Sprint NAV, etc.).

If you enable your phone to specify your location, Google Maps:

Quickly shows your exact location on a map,
let's you zoom in/out & pan around as you wish,
displays traffic congestion
tracks your location on the map as you move,
offers search of a location or destination,
provides directions to your destination,
and gives turn-by-turn directions until you reach.

So, exactly why would you pay $300+ for a GPS-only black box that can be a target for theft? (question is obviously moot if you've already purchased one - very handy, those GPS things!)
So, maps, locators, directions, traffic indicators are the cool features available on many smartphones. This is why GPS functionality is rated #3 on our top 5 list of fav features & ways to use our smartphones.

Of course, you can't see anything or do anything if the smartphone is on your belt, in your pocket, in a cup holder, on in your purse!

We like to just pop it into a very affordable, highly adjustable universal dash/windshield mount, and go go go. By the way, side benefits of this hands-free enabling mount - better safety, caller-ID, voice dialing, voice-based Google searches, etc.

Next up, #2 offers a "don't try this at home!" feature (actually, you can, and should!!)

Palm Pre will no longer sync with iTunes...

Apple went and did it. Updated their iTunes (version 8.2.1) so that a Palm Pre can no longer sync with iTunes. We are ambivalent about this move. Apple had to do it to protect their ecosystem, but we liked it that Palm had created a little pathway into Apple's ecosystem empire. On the other hand, we liked Palm allowing customers to sync with iTunes, but couldn't they come up with something similar rather than the cumbersome media sync or hard drive method to move files between a computer and the Pre.

We like the Apple – Palm cage fight though. If Palm can make it through these rough times, their arsenal of ex-Apple folks should give a good fight to the reigning smartphone king. Good times!!!

TOP 5 SMARTPHONES IN THE MARKET TODAY

Our opinion and our opinion only. But then we do get to play with a lot of smartphones and know a thing or two about these devices. This list below is our “gun to the head/heading to a deserted island, give me 5 smartphones you will swear by” list. You will not go wrong with any of these devices. If you do not have one of these devices yet, consider upgrading - as this is the best time to get a great device without worrying about what's coming next.

Our criteria for choosing: Design, size, weight, features, user interface (ease of use), Operating system, ease of setup, value for money, availability of "peripherals", availability of apps.

Without further ado, [DRUM ROLL] here is our top-five list:

1. Apple iPhone 3GS (AT&T)

   No surprises here, but this number 1 spot is only for the 3GS version. The previous 2 versions of the iPhone would still be up on our list, but not at the number 1 position. The things they did with the 3GS (video capability, data speeds, stereo Bluetooth and 32GB memory) make it a great great (that's right – 2 greats) smartphone.
   
   We Like: User Interface(UI), Apps store, stereo Bluetooth, built-in memory size, music/video/data transfer ease
   
   What we like to see: Expandable memory slot, availability of alternate service providers with even better data coverage networks (AT&T is OK, but c'mon!), easier business email setup, physical keyboard, better battery life, common connector (mini or micro USB)

2. Blackberry Curve (AT&T, Sprint, Verizon)

   RIM has a winner on their hands with the Curve. The Curve has been at the top of the mobile mountain for a while now. Although we are not sure if the price of such a good smartphone should be dragged through the mud ($19.99 in some places??), but as consumers in a tough economy, we cannot complain. One word of caution (which is actually upside potential!) - this device is suddenly very affordable and being adopted by the masses (a good thing), but do not buy it because your neighbor has one, get it because it can actually do a bunch of stuff & improve your mobile life. We will explain what we mean in our next blog - Our fav features & uses of Smartphones!
   
   We Like: Form factor, QWERTY keyboard, User Interface (UI), expandable memory, stereo Bluetooth, ease of business email setup
   
   What we like to see: Apps store get better (making us use Paypal to pay for apps????), Screen quality improve
   
   

3. Palm Pre (Sprint)

We are not sure if this device is the first of many cool devices to come from Palm or the last one. Either way, Palm has a winner on their hands with this one. Now if they could only manufacture enough to satisfy the demand. The Palm Pre is all about the Web OS and the user interface. Its size & shape is nice, but if you are looking for a “cool looking” smartphone, look someplace else. If Palm wants to compete in the smartphone space, they have the OS and the UI, now all they need is to work on the hardware. Actually, RIM should just buy Palm and we may have the makings of a good smartphone (we can hope, right?).

We Like: OS OS OS and UI UI UI, Consolidated Inbox/contacts/calendar for business and personal email accounts, multiple applications updating simultaneously, stereo bluetooth, touchstone wireless charging

What we like to see: Apps (Palm - where is that SDK?), external memory card slot, better keyboard and hardware that does not look cheap

4. Blackberry Bold/Tour (AT&T, Verizon, Sprint)
   We are putting the Bold (GSM) and the 2 Tours (CDMA) at the same level, your carrier choice decides which one you decide to buy. These Blackberries have new display screens, new icons and a newer design.
   
   We Like: Design, Screen, Size, great QWERTY keyboard, stereo bluetooth, “world” phone (all-band CDMA & GSM, so can be used abroad), external memory card slot
   
   What we like to see: Apps store get better, possibly a larger screen - made possible by slider design

5. Blackberry Pearl ( AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile)
   The Pearl is a favorite, perfect for those who want a slim form factor to make calls but all the features of a smartphone. The James Bond smartphone before the iPhone ever made an impact in our world! The Suretype takes some getting used to, but once you get the hang of it, we could type as fast on it as on a qwerty keyboard.
   
   We Like: Slim form factor, Size, Weight, stereo bluetooth, expandable memory slot
   
   What we like to see: A next-gen Pearl, maybe a slider this time. Why would RIM not make a Pearl II available with all carriers.

We know that there are no HTC, Win-Mo or Android smartphones on our list. What we have seen so far do not live up to our expectations. The Win-Mo smartphones, for lack of a better word, SUCK. The Android smartphones in the market currently are full of bugs and “gimicky”, perfect for those who want to get a head start developing apps or those who just like to show their friends that they have the latest device.

If you think you have a suggestion that is better than what is on our list, we would love to hear from you. You may even convince us to change our ranking.