After upgrading to the latest version of USB Modem (Version 1.5 that now adds support for connection via Bluetooth for Treo 700p), I decided to do a speed test using my regular DSL connection and the two available connection methods for the Treo 700p - Bluetooth and USB. I’ve been using the USB modem connection method and wanted to see if there would be a noticible connection speed difference using Bluetooth instead of USB as the connection method.

These tests were run using a G4 Powerbook running OS X Tiger 10.4.7 and the Palm Treo 700p and USB Modem software version 1.5 connected to Sprint’s EVDO network in St. Louis, Missouri.

Using DSL:

Using Treo 700p as a USB Modem:

EVDO speeds are pretty fast, especially compared to an old-school dialup connection. About half as fast as my DSL line.

Using Treo 700p as a Bluetooth Modem:

Using Bluetooth was significantly slower than using USB cable. Nice to be able to connect without any wires though, and still basically fast enough to use. Warning: Nasty Bluetooth Reboot Required Bug When using Bluetooth as the connection method, when the connection gets disconnected or interrupted, you may get a Disconnecting... message that never stops. Apparently this is a known bug for which there is no good solution. After getting this message the only solution seems to be to reboot your computer, which pretty much stinks. This is NOT the fault of the USB Modem software, I found tons of references to this bug dating back to regular dial-up days.

Conclusion

You can now use Bluetooth along with USB Modem software, and it works, but the OS X bug that requires a reboot to connect again when you use Bluetooth makes it significantly less attractive to use this feature.

I plan to continue using the USB cable connection method since it is significantly faster and does not suffer from the Bluetooth bug above. It also has the bonus feature of charging the phone at the same time.

If anyone has a suggestion for a solution to the Bluetooth disconnecting message bug other than this Applescript (didn’t seem to work for me), please let me know via the comments.

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These are clips of the stream that runs through Estes Park, Colorado where we’re staying tonight before we leave to come back to St. Louis. All videos were taken using my Treo 700p.

Also, I’ve updated the Flickr picture set of our entire Colorado trip with new pics. Check it out.

Kristin selling her books at the Letters to Mozart show.

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Pictures from our hike to Rabbit Ears, originally uploaded by gserafini.

Check out some pictures taken using my Treo 700p Palm cameraphone on the hike we took today to Rabbit Ears near Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

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Steamboat Springs from Mt. Werner, originally uploaded by gserafini.

This is the view we had today from the top of a ski run on Mt. Werner in Steamboat Springs, CO.

Check out more pics from the trip: Steamboat Springs photo set taken with my Treo 700p cameraphpone.

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We had a MAJOR thunderstorm rip through St. Louis yesterday that knocked out power, telephone and other services for much of the entire region. Many large trees were literally snapped in half. Tower Grove Park looks like a giant went through it with a baseball bat and started knocking down trees left and right.

Reason #206 to own a Treo 700p and have Sprint service here in St. Louis:

We’re sitting here in Northwest Coffee in Clayton, they have power (thankfully), air conditioning (it’s supposed to be over 100° F today) but their DSL is down. No WiFi, no Internet.

I simply hooked up my Treo 700p, enabled USB Modem mode, enabled Internet sharing on my Powerbook, and now I’m serving this small corner of the planet as the only Internet connection.

So, if you have a Treo 700p and EVDO service, you too can be an emergency ISP.

P.S. Tip your barristas.

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Here is video I took on my Treo 700p tonight:

Listen for the drunk guy praising the fact that we have nukes and that we should bomb them all near the end… Ah, what a country we live in.

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If you use Picture Mail or Versamail to email your pictures to Flickr (using the upload via email trick) then the EXIF tags are stripped out of the jpegs that you send.

If, however, you upload your pictures using a Flickr uploading tool from your computer after syncing your Treo 700p, then the proper EXIF tags will be preserved and will be displayed by Flickr. Neat huh.

Here are the pics I’ve taken so far with my new phone:

Pictures taken with a Treo 700p

By the way, if you are using Mac OS X, the pictures are stored in ~/Pictures/Palm Photos/username/Internal/album name. I just drop them into iPhoto (not using iSync… yet) then use the Flickr Export from iPhoto to send to my Flickr account.

I really like the convenience of having a camera in my pocket at all times. The fact that I can instantly publish pictures to both Flickr and my own blog is pretty fantastic.

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