Palm yesterday released Palm Treo 800w, a Windows Mobile 6.1-powered Treo which has Wi-Fi, GPS, and high-speed Internet access.

This latest Treo, however, is of no use to Philippine-based users as it runs on a CDMA network, which is not used here, and is exclusive only to subscribers of Sprint, a United States telephone company.

Its features include:

• integrated GPS
• one-touch Wi-Fi
• the latest version of Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional
• fast mobile broadband speeds on Sprint’s EvDO Rev A network

Among the good reviews posted on Palm’s official blog say the Treo 800w is “the best Treo ever” and “the most productive Windows Mobile Pro device”.

Bloggers’ Kapihan invites you to bloggers’ briefing on poll automation:

What: Bloggers’ briefing on poll automation

When: July 19, Saturday, 1:00pm – 3:30pm

Where: Comelec Automated Electoral System Information Office, ground floor, Palacio del Gobernador Bldg. Intramuros, Manila (near Manila Cathedral)

The Commission on Elections will give a special briefing on poll automation to 20+ bloggers on July 19.

Comelec and its technology suppliers will conduct actual trainings on the usage of electronic voting machines and automated counting machines. Video presentations and tutorials will also be shown. The voting machines will be used in the ARMM elections next month.

The briefing will also be an opportunity to hear the feedback of voters and bloggers about the poll automation program of Comelec.

Program

1:00 Opening remarks – Mr. James Jimenez, Comelec Spokesperson

1:05 Comelec presentation

2:40 Reaction from Bloggers’ Kapihan

2:45 Open Forum

Due to limited seat, we urge the interested participants to send an email to mongpalatino[at]gmail[dot]com.

You may get a brand-new Treo 680 for as low as P12,500 during the Microwarehouse mid-year sale, which runs today and tomorrow.

The brand-new red and silver Treo 680, originally priced at P24,800, are sold with opened box but include complete accessories. Those who prefer a brand-new, silver Treo 680 in an unopened box could get it for P17,500.

Palm Centro is also available for a discounted price of P16,600. See other products on the pricelist.

Microwarehouse, located at the Eastwood City Cyberpark in Quezon City, is a distributor of Palm, Apple and other consumer electronics products.

It’s Mozilla Firefox Download Day today!

Help Firefox set a Guinness World Record for the most software downloaded in 24 hours by downloading Mozilla Firefox by 12:59 a.m., Thursday.

Firefox is a faster and safer World Wide Web browser.

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On another topic, Microwarehouse’s mid-year sale is on Friday and Saturday. Its website says the pricelist will be uploaded today. Except great offers on Palm and other products.

While the Philippines is admittedly a Friendster country, my recent experience with social networking sites shows that Facebook is also now gaining Pinoy members. Both social network sites already have their own mobile interface that allows cellphone users to login to their account.

Recognizing Facebook’s huge membership — having been “recently ranked by M:Metrics as one of the sites people visit most often on their mobile devices” — Palm created Facebook for Palm.

I downloaded and tried to install it on my Treo 650, but it isn’t compatible with my device. Facebook for Palm is supposed to work with Palm Centro, Treo 755p and Treo 680 smartphones.

Here are more details about Facebook for Palm from the official Palm blog:

You can use Facebook for Palm to:

• Send and receive messages
• View and post status updates
• View and post photos from your smartphone
• See your friends’ profiles and photos
• Read and write Wall posts
• View News Feed
• Upload videos taken from your Palm smartphone
• Use a mobile “Contacts” tab that aggregates friends phone numbers – view your list of friends and dial or text them directly

Maybe Palm could also come up with Friendster for Palm and Orkut for Palm for its customers in Asia and South America, respectively.