Treo Tips and Tricks Podcast

Because it can pull so many tricks out of its hat it’s often hard to explain exactly all the magic that our Treo ‘does’…

I’ve personally found it helpful to categorise the many experiences that my Treo offers under Productivity, Communication, Information and Entertainment and I always keep my eyes and ears open for interesting new tools to add in each area.

In this respect, a voice that I respect and frequently listen to is that of my friend Marc Orchant – author of the Office Evolution Blog at ZDNet and of the forthcoming book The Unofficial Guide to Outlook 2007.  Marc is a productivity expert and not surprisingly also a fervent and devoted Treonaut – using his beloved Treo for almost as many things as I do…

He was recently featured in a podcast interview (which I naturally highly recommend that you listen to) from The Communications Insider where he outlined many of the tools (accessories and software) that keep him working and playing at full capacity – taking his Treo enjoyment to the max.

Here are some excerpts of Marc’s valuable Treo tips & tricks:

Q: What are the top 3 things people should do after getting the Treo out of its box?
A: First, ensure that you have a sturdy case or holster to protect your new smartphone (Marc’s current favourite is the Seidio Holster and he’s considering the Palm Leather Holster).  Second, forget about ever using the AC adapter that comes with your Treo and immediately get a Retractable USB Sync&Charge Cable instead because the fewer, smaller and lighter things I need to carry the better.  Third, explore the built-in PIM applications and decide if they’re appropriate for your needs.  If the PIM is not good enough then definitely look at PocketMirror Professional (which allows you to sync up to 15 Outlook categories instead of just one) then KeySuite (which allows you to sync an unlimited number of Outlook categories and sub-categories) as well as Agendus Professional Edition (which does a great job integrating different PIM components such as Contacts+Calendar or ToDo+Calendar for example).

Q: What would you recommend for people to solve “problems” they might have with their Treo?
A: Look at Treo communities and engage in their forums because I have found that I always get the best advice when I actually engage with a real human being as opposed to reading FAQ’s. [If you haven’t already done so you can also subscribe to our newsletter to keep abreast of all the latest Treo news.] 

Q: What about other favourite third-party applications that you simply can’t live without and have on your Treo?
A: The very first thing that I’ve put on every Treo device is SplashID (I also use their SplashPhoto) which is essentially a “password locker” to securely store all your web passwords, bank account information, frequent flyer information that works both on my PC and Mac – it’s a must have.  Then there’s InfoMan (and also Handmark Express) which is a peculiar little information aggregator which includes weather, US movie times, white & yellow pages and even helps me to find the cheapest gas prices in a specific area.

Q: Can you tell any stories where the Treo and any associated applications really saved you in a pinch?
A: Every day! The Treo is my lifeline to all the work I do.  In fact my wife always makes fun of me because I’m constantly reaching for my Treo anytime somebody says “let me give you my phone number” or anybody asking “are you available for coffee on this day” or “do you know what your schedule looks like next week” my hand reflexively reaches for my hip.  My wife says that I look like a Wild West gunslinger constantly threatening people to “Draw!” and see who can come up with the information most quickly.

Everything that I know, all the information that I gather is carried with me on this device and so there is no interaction that I have with people where my Treo isn’t sitting in my hand that I’m not extracting something useful from it.

Q: So if your Treo is not there you start freaking out a bit?
A: Oh yeah.  As soon as I sit in my car I have a mount that is dedicated to my Treo – it just sits in there real nicely – and I have a fantastic Bluetooth headset – that’s another must-have accessory as far as I’m concerned.   The Treo is my lifeline, my link – particularly since I’m on the move all the time.  I don’t actually have an office number – I don’t have a traditional landline – what I have is a Skype-In number that I use for PC-based telephony and I make most of my voice and video calls based at my PC when I’m in the office.  I have the Skype-In number set to rollover to my Treo so my office number is with me no matter where I am.  I work with people all over the world – New Zealand, Chicago, Seattle, London – and again without the Treo I wouldn’t be able to work “virtually” the way I do.

Q: Have you seen any applications for the Treo that really take advantage of Location-Based Services and also Presence Awareness?
A: To be honest with you I really haven’t.  However, today the heaviest use of any kind of mapping or location service that I use is the new version of Google Maps that was released specifically for the Treo and it’s a _fantastic_ application – however make sure that you have a good (preferably unlimited) data plan because the data usage of this application is significant.   

Q: Last question.  What is the one application that you actually have “fun” with on your Treo?
A: No question – hands down – it’s Bejeweled.  I’m a Bejeweled addict – I love the game.  I’ve loved it forever, Bejeweled2 – the version that came out a couple of years back – it’s just completely not only addictive but enrapturing – I just go into this zone.  If you haven’t played Bejeweled I highly recommend it – as long as you don’t play it when you absolutely have to be somewhere at a certain time because inevitably you will be late…

Treo Tips and Tricks Podcast [The Communications Insider]

Treonauts always have the most fun being productive…