Business networking site LinkedIn has released a version of its service formatted for mobile devices. TechCrunch reported its release though there is no mention of it to be found on LinkedIn itself.

The mobile version is located at m.linkedin.com provides basic but stripped-down functionality of what you can do in a standard browser. Once you log in, you can see your own profile and contacts list. The Updates link appears to be similar to what is on the home page of LinkedIn, but unfortunately does not match the Web page. This is a feature I have identified as one of the key features of LinkedIn. Also, you can view your own Connections, but not your Connection’s Connections. Perhaps this is why there is a “beta” label at the top of the page.

You can of course view the mobile version in a standard browser. This will benefit LinkedIn members who are visually impaired and use a screen reader when surfing the Web. A while back when LinkedIn restructured the Connections list, it made it unreadable for those using screen readers. Using the mobile version will give those users back this vital feature of the service.

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The next likemind coffee will be next Friday, February 15 in dozens of cities around the world. In Chicago, it will be at Intelligentsia Coffee, 55 E. Randolph, at the corner of Wabash in the Loop.

I call likemind it a gathering of creative-minded people, from various disciplines including Internet, advertising, art, et. al. Coffee is gratis thanks to Anomaly.

This marks the return of likemind after several months, and now I am one of the coordinators. In addition to posts on The Hot Iron you are welcome to join the likemind Chicago Facebook group. Business • Technology • (7) Comments • Permalink

The second gift I got from Dunkirk Systems for Christmas was a computer from the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) program. This comes from what was originally the US$100 laptop program. Now, they are $200, and through the end of last year you could have bought 2 for $400, one for yourself and one for a needy child. This article talks about how the OLPC computers have helped a village in Peru. For someone like myself who has had a computer since junior high school and made a career out of them, I bought into this program completely.

The notebook itself (sorry, I don’t like the term laptop) is interesting. It is white with green trim and looks like it was made by Fisher-Price. Its most prominent feature is a carrying handle – why hasn’t someone thought of this before? It is designed to be rugged. When you flip up the antenna on each side then the top, it is open for use. The top swivels like a tablet PC but the screen is not touch-sensitive. Right away by the size of the screen and keyboard you see it is for a child, especially with the spill-proof keyboard. Other hardware features include a camera, speaker and microphone. You can read more of its features on its Web site.

So what have I done with it? Not too much so far. I was able to get the MAC address of the WiFi card with help from the OLPC Wiki and set it into my wireless router and I was quickly on the Internet. I ran the gauntlet of several of my Web sites with the pre-installed version of Firefox and all looked generally good, though I could not get the Flash plug-in to start and sound did not come from the browser. I also tried some of the various applications pre-installed, from drawing to video, but only once.

When you connect to WiFi you look for it in the “neighborhood” and see dots representing each hotspot. If another OLPC is within range, you see a stick-figure icon that is the logo for the program. This is how children can link to each other and is part of the power – and fun - of this program.

So far I have yet to see anyone within range when I have used it, which doesn’t surprise me. Does anyone out there reading this have one? It would be interesting to get a group of people together with their OLPCs to connect and learn!

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If you own or owned a Palm Treo 600 and/or 650 and had multiple returns for repairs or replacements, please read on.

I got an email from Palm on the settlement of a class action suit against them for the above reason, something I endured myself. A Web site has been created at palzasettlement.com with links to PDF documents relevant to the settlement and filing a claim. An owner can either get a repair, $75 if they owned a 600 or $50 if they owned a 650.

As I am not a lawyer nor do I play one on YouTube, check out the settlement Web site for complete details and you have until July, 2008 to file a claim.

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Earlier this week TECH cocktail 7 (or TC7) was announced. It will be held on Thursday, February 21, 2008 from 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm at John Barleycorn Wrigleyville in Chicago.

This event brings out many people in or affiliated with the tech community, and hopefully a few domainers will be in attendance as well! As this free event usually "sells" out, RSVP now. Hope to see you there.

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