PalmSource, Inc. and Research In Motion (RIM) announced they will work together to market and promote the BlackBerry Connect solution to Palm OS licensees to enable secure, push-based email and data connectivity for wireless Palm Powered handhelds and smartphones. Through RIM’s BlackBerry Connect licensing program, Palm OS licensees will be offered RIM’s software solution for Palm Powered handhelds and smartphones, that will enable behind-the-firewall, enterprise-ready BlackBerry email and corporate data connectivity.

PalmSource, Inc. introduced its Fast ARM Solutions Toolkit (FAST). FAST provides developers with an easier and faster path toward creating ARM native applications for Palm OS 5 that will be compatible with future versions of the operating system. FAST will enable developers to expand the range and quality of applications they create for compute-intensive environments. Multimedia, 3D games, security, voice over IP, scientific applications, and digital signal processing are just a few examples of the types of applications that will benefit substantially from this improvement.

PalmSource, Inc. and Metrowerks announced the newest version of CodeWarrior Development Studio for Palm OS, Version 9.2. The development tools suite is designed to aid Palm OS software developers in creating higher performance wireless, multimedia, and enterprise-grade applications for devices based on ARM technology. Code Warrior 9.2 is also designed to give comprehensive support to PalmSource’s Fast ARM Solutions Toolkit (FAST) and to help provide compatibility with Palm OS 5 and future generations of the operating system.

The new versions of funSMS and funBOOK allow the mobile phone picture on the starting screen to be replaced by a picture of your choice. funSMS 3 and funBOOK includes the funCONVERTER to convert Bitmap-graphics of mobile phones.

PalmSource, Inc. announced that Aceeca Limited, a Christchurch, New Zealand electronics company has licensed its Palm OS operating system. Palm OS software will be incorporated into a new Palm Powered diagnostic measurement handheld from Aceeca to address the needs of enterprise and industrial instruments markets. Aceeca’s new mobile handheld device, called the Meazura, features a proprietary expansion slot, called the MZIO, that allows third party developers to add custom modules. MZIO is a proprietary interface developed by Aceeca to specifically meet the requirements of interfacing sensor signal conditioning circuitry as well as external memory cards to the main microprocessor and internal memory. The MZIO provides developers with various options for communications with the system processor and memory and minimizes the amount of development effort required to interface with virtually any sensor. These mobile sensors can enable government and scientific agencies to monitor things like vibration, displacement, and temperatures and provide mobile in-the-field measurement solutions for a wide range of industries, including agriculture, automotive, aviation, geology, machinery maintenance, and medical.

PalmSource, Inc. launched the Palm OS Business Solutions Program. Palm OS Business Solutions is designed to provide a comprehensive and cost-effective way for developers to strengthen their position in the enterprise market by aligning with the Palm OS platform. Palm OS Business Solutions will enable enterprise developers to submit their applications for a series of tests that, once passed, will validate the application as “enterprise-ready.”

Here’s an interesting piece of news: 3Com, once Palm’s parent company and still a major stake holder, is moving from Silicon Valley to Massachusetts. Given that 3Com has been one of the anchor companies in the Bay Area, this is a pretty big break from tradition (and will likely dump more bodies in the street). According to the Merc, two years ago, 3Com employed about 12,000 worldwide and 3,400 in Santa Clara. 3Com currently has about 3,900 employees worldwide and about 550 in Santa Clara. That’s a sad “yowzah” in anyone’s book.

Curious why we were down yesterday? We came to work Monday morning to discover that all our home pages had been hacked by what appears to be a programmed attack originating from India. Although the attacker managed to cover his or her tracks relatively well, it appears that FTP was used to load malicious services onto our main Linux server. Because we couldn’t really be sure if there would be any residual hacks buried in the system, we pulled out boot drive and tossed it, put in a brand-new drive, formatted it raw, and installed Linux from fresh, sealed CD-ROMs. We also implemented a more aggressive series of intrusion detection and interdiction programs which will hopefully keep unwanted visitors at bay. Of course, this could have been much more than an inconvenience if we didn’t have backups. Remember: MAKE A BACKUP TODAY! — DG

A new Web site called TungstenUser has been, which is dedicated to users of Palm’s latest line of Tungsten wireless PDAs. The TungstenUser Web site contains news and information which will help the users of these devices to leverage their wireless capabilities (BlueTooth, WiFi, GSM/GPRS), and the Web site hosts an online community for users to share their experiences, tips, tricks, and traps.

AT&T Wireless announced that it has launched a flexible buy-back and leasing program designed to encourage individuals with older Blackberry Handhelds, operating on networks other than AT&T Wireless, to upgrade to newer models running on AT&T Wireless’ next-generation GSM/GPRS network.