More on netbooks, Symbian

I've been following the netbook trend of smaller, cheaper laptop computers, including AT&T's adding netbook models to its offering. I snapped this photo of an AT&T employee demonstrating the netbooks at the store in Santa Clara.

Also this week I attended OSCON, the Open Source Convention, in San Jose. One interesting session was a tutorial on Symbian, the mobile OS that is little known in the US but the market share leader everywhere else in the world. I was fortunate to run into Laura Merling (see below) of the Symbian Foundation, whom I'd interviewed before when I worked for SD Times and IDG News Service.

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Thursday I attended the MobileBeat 2009 conference in San Francisco and wrote about Palm releasing its software development kit for creating applications to run on its Pre smartphone.
There were a number of other interesting panels including this one pictured below in which an entrepreneur (far left) pitches his business idea to a panel of investors and other experts. There were several entrepreneurs who spoke. The panel then voted on who had the best idea. It was hosted by Natali Del Conte (second from left) of Cnet and CBS.
The day before MobileBeat, I wrote about how Apple, as expected, upgraded iTunes in a way that disabled the sync functionality on Palm Pres running iTunes. Asked about it at MobileBeat, Palm's Michael Abbot (pictured here) could only reiterate the company line that Apple is only hurting its own iTunes users by preventing syncing on Pre, but that there are workarounds to continue to add songs to your iTunes library on Pre.
Also, I took a look at SmartSwipe, a credit card reader that someone can plug into their computer to make purchases online. Secure, for sure, but a potential enabler of binge shopping.

Netbook or Notebook

I wrote this post the other day comparing netbooks and notebooks...

Netbook or Notebook?

HP Mini 1000

...and this item about the myTouch 3G going on sale...

T-Mobile takes orders for myTouch 3G

HTC myTouch 3G

Solar-powered cell phone recharger

Check out this post titled: "Inventor creates solar-powered charger from an Altoids tin."

New iPhone spurs market for refurbished phones

Here's another Examiner post I wrote about how the popularity of the new iPhone has given a boost to the market for refurbished iPhones and other smartphones. It includes mention of a friend of mine, Tara Sims (right, with me in photo below), who bought the 3GS and didn't just throw her BlackBerry in the back of a drawer, but gave it to charity.
Elsewhere, at least one company pays people for their old iPhones and refurbishes them. RapidRepair, in Michigan, was flooded with requests from new 3GS owners to buy their first and second generation iPhones from them for up to $200.

Latest posts to Examiner.com

It's been another busy week for me at Examiner.com.

I went off my gadgets beat for this story on Two Journalists Held in North Korea (right) as I attended a vigil in their honor in San Francisco. I added a slide show of photos I took at the event.

Then I wrote about The Wonderful World of (Gadget) Color about how product designers are using bright colors to distinguish their new gadgets from the basic and boring black and grey of previous models.

Back on the Bluetooth beat, after a couple of stories about Santa Cruz-based Plantronics, I got to try out the new Jawbone Prime (left) from competitor Aliph for a few days.

As part of my continuing coverage of new smartphone introductions, I revisited the Palm Pre for a story on how its sales have exceeded expectations.

AT&T Mobility made some news this week by announcing it's going to start selling netbooks to small business customers who can use the carrier's wireless broadband service.

And lastly, I noted the passing of Michael Jackson in a post noting how social media, on gadgets like smartphones and laptops, spread the word of his death.