Softick have updated Softick Audio Gateway, the popular Bluetooth A2DP app for Palm OS devices. A beta of version 1.10 is now available and adds support for the Treo 680. Despite some issues with phone calls, most users on the Softick forums are reporting success in listening to music via a few different varieties of Bluetooth headphones. In a post on the forum, developer Arseniy Prusov said:

"We feel that 1.10 is not ideal version, that's why it is BETA, not release. Finally, it is compatible with Treo 680, but there are some problems with calls handling. This is a tradition: every phone model (650, 700, 680) has different (and non-brilliant) headset manager logic, that's why we have to work tightly with phone module for every device."

The latest official version 1.09 of SAG, with improved support for the Treo 700p, is available from the PIC software store. It sells for $19.95 and a free trial is available. The v1.10 beta can be found at Softick.

Universe 3 is a new Palm OS web browser. Developer Donald Kirker has just released RC1 as a public beta. The browser has the ability to have up to three open browser tabs, the usual HTML/XHTML/WML support and an integrated RSS reader.

The developer recommends a full backup before installing and using as the software is considered an early beta. It is being released under the GPL and the source code will be released soon.

The New York Times has published a new article on Palm detailing that they have hired a highly regarded software engineer to "respond to the iPhone."

The designer, Paul Mercer, a former Apple computer engineer, began work three weeks ago at Palm on a line of new products, a company spokeswoman said, but she declined to comment further on the project.

Mercer was the lead designer of the Version 7 of the Macintosh finder, the operating system’s graphical desktop. He later founded Pixo, a software tools firm that created a development system used by Apple designers to conceive the first version of the user interface for the iPod.

picKeyGuard is another nice Treo utility from Toysoft. picKeyGuard is KeyGuard replacement tool for the Treo to display custom standard, 3/4 screen or full screen JPG pictures when the KeyGuard is active. The app can be configured to show the current date and time on the screen with in your choice of font and color. You can even have it choose a random image from a folder on an SD card each time it activates.

picKeyGuard is available now with a free trial. It costs $5.99 to register. The software supports the Treo 600/650/700p and 680.

Previous speculation about the next possible Palm OS-based CDMA Treo has been merely word of mouth comments and message board postings. However, slowly but surely, concrete bits of information are falling into place regarding the rumored upcoming Palm OS model, the Treo 755p. The most recent bit of information about Palm's next possible devices comes from Good's corporate customer portal site.

A TreoCentral user (bigboy650) stumbled across a reference to the rumored Palm OS-based 755p while perusing the PDF documentation of the latest Good Intranet client/server beta release documentation. The actual reference to the 755p is brief and is listed only on page 4 of the PDF's Installation Notes under the "System Requirement" heading. The PDF document is dated February 26th 2007.

A substantial update has been released for Arcade Reality, the innovative new Palm OS Treo shooter from Toyspring. Dated February 28th, version 1.1's list of bugfixes and updates is quite comprehensive. Some of the notable changes include improved alien bitmap explosions, the addition of an autotargeting option, and the ability to use the Treo's side "smart" button as a fire button. Also, a reverse up/down control option has been added to the game's setup menu for those of us that prefer our arcade gaming done simulator-style.

A full list of the changes in version 1.1 is available on the Arcade Reality website. A limited evaluation version is available for download while the full game can be purchased for $14.95. Due to its unique featureset and technical requirements, Arcade Reality supports the Palm OS Treo 650, 680 and 700p smartphones only.

A thread on the SprintUsers forums has revealed some potentially new information concerning the rumored Palm OS CDMA follow-up device to the 700p. The post purportedly contains upcoming Sprint handset launches for April and May. Included in the list is the Palm Treo 755p. Previous Sprint documents have shown a codenamed Treo Sherlock due in June.

Assuming the posted/leaked information is correct, the 755p will indeed be the first CDMA Treo with an internal antenna. EVDO, instant messaging, native voice dialing (finally!) and a vague feature referred to as "mobile voice control" are also listed among the standard features. Presumably the unit will share a similar form-factor as the recently released Treo 680 & 750. The date targeted for launch is May 14th 2007 and, as previously rumored, burgundy and blue housing colors will be available.

Amidst mounting speculation of a looming Palm sale, there has also been quite a bit of chatter focusing on Dell’s recent elimination of the Axim PDA line. Now reports are swirling that Dell wants to enter the lucrative smartphone market. Dell has recently hired Ron Garriques, formerly the head of mobile devices at Motorola, to spearhead new efforts in consumer products. Linked to these recent rumblings is a new rumor that the cash-rich Dell could be a possible suitor for Palm. Acquiring Palm would give Dell immediate access to Palm’s existing wireless carrier contracts worldwide, a solid retail distribution channel and a decade-old brand (“Palm”) along with the newer, arguably more recognizable “Treo” branding.

Possibly spawning directly from the above rumors, as this article in The Independent claims, Palm executives have supposedly seen the writing on the wall brought about by the announcement of the Apple iPhone and are looking to unload the company prior to the iPhone’s June launch. Morgan Stanley is reportedly assisting Palm to assess the company’s options while a buyer is sought. The article also goes on to claim Palm has a current market capitalization of approximately USD $2 billion. The usual list of suspects (Nokia and a private-equity firm) is again mentioned concurrently with Palm seeking a buyer. As usual, Palm has refused comment, aside from the recent interview comments by Hawkins that there isn't a shred of fact to these sorts of Wall Street rumors.

Resco has released Resco Neeews! for Palm OS — a user-friendly newsreader built specifically for mobile users. The program has a number of unique features that make setting up feeds and news sources a simple process. Resco Neeews! has over 350 feeds built in, provides feed searching and can auto extract a feed from a website. Another feature allows you to define customized "newspapers" from a selected list of feeds, and lets you view items in a river of news style layout. You can also make launcher icons for your newspapers. Also built in is support for OMPL sharing, automatic updates and streaming podcast support.

Resco Neeews! is available now with a free trial. It costs $19.95 to register, but is currently on sale for $14.95.

Palm today boosted its commitment to China with a three-tiered advance into the rapidly growing market. Palm has announced new plans to extend Palm's presence in China and advance the company's goal of worldwide geographic and demographic growth. Palm has established a new Pacific R&D and Operations center in Shanghai, announced cooperation with China Mobile, the world's largest mobile operator, with more than 240 million subscribers and the Treo 680 has been launched in cooperation with CEC Telecom Science and Technology Co. and distribution partner, Beijing Riverwill Communication Technology Co. Ltd.

Palm and Claro today announced the availability of the Palm Treo 680 smartphone in Peru. The Treo 680 GSM/GPRS/EDGE quad-band world phone, running on the Palm OS, boasts Palm's hallmark ease of use. Slim, compact, and packed with features beyond its stellar phone capability -- such as email, web browsing, messaging, multimedia, calendar, contacts and more.