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A week ago, Palm introduced the first third-party applications, a Personal Information Manager from MotionApps and two games (Sudoku and Solitaire) from Astraware for its upcoming Foleo Mobile Companion . You can now add two additional applications to the list: Avvenu's Access 'n Share service and Bluefire's VPN (Virtual Private Network) software.

At $499, the ultra-slim, 2.5-pound Foleo is targeted at those who don't require the full power of a laptop, but would still like a large screen (10 inch) and full keyboard when reading, editing and responding to e-mail, including attachments, and accessing the Web than is possible through a smartphone directly. The Linux-run device automatically synchronizes files and data back and forth between itself and a smartphone over a wireless Bluetooth connection.

Avvenu's Access 'n Share will enable Foleo users to remotely access and share digital content stored on their work or home PCs, untethered and over-the-air, including documents, photos, music and videos. So they can browse PC files and folders, preview photos, download and upload documents, and share files with others.

Access 'n Share also provides an optional personal digital locker that allows users to store and synchronize files from their PCs to an Avvenu server, providing remote access even when their PCs are turned off or not connected to the Internet.

Bluefire's VPN solution will secure mobile data-in-transit—across Wi-Fi, LAN or cellular network—for Foleo users through a IPsec-compliant connection.

It is certified through the RSA Secured Partner Program with RSA SecurID, a two-factor authentication technology from RSA, The Security Division of EMC. The VPN is also compliant with Federal Information Processing Standards 140-2 (FIPS 140-2).

When Palm founder, Jeff Hawkins, introduced Foleo a few weeks ago, he emphasized how the device was pretty much a blank slate waiting to be expanded upon (beyond its basic functionality - e-mail and Web access) by software developers.

With Foleo, Palm has brought over the third-party software model it basically invented with the original PalmPilot (and that's lead to over 25,000 Palm OS applications). The company hopes to establish a "vibrant developer community to create new applications that extend the mobile companion's built-in capabilities." And, it would appear, bring out Folio's full potential. .