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News Feeds
| Upcoming Palm Device Code Names Revealed (PalmInfoCenter) |
| An intrepid webOS hacker by the name of Destinal was rummaging around in the ROM of a SFR-sourced Pre 2 running WebOS 2.0 and dug up some interesting new Palm device code names which were posted to Webosinternals.org. Of course, these devices may or may not even see the light of day.
"RoadRunner" is widely known to be the current Pre 2, with "broadway" previously rumored to be a Pixi successor. The Pixi Plus, at least as far as Verizon Wireless is concerned, is slated to be EOL'd in March of 2011 so that would make sense. The other three code names have not been previously mentioned and are "windsor", "mantaray" and "stingray".
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| Friday, 12 November 2010 |
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| | Angry Birds Update Coming Soon for WebOS (PalmInfoCenter) |
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Angry Birds may quite possibly be the most addicting mobile game since the original Bejeweled. Fortunately, WebOS users who are hungry for more Angry Birds goodness won't have to wait much longer, as their platform's vesion of the game is set to receive a significant update according to several Tweets from developer Rovio. Hopefully this new WebOS update will be similar to October's special Halloween update for iOS devices or this week's massive Android version update that added 45 new levels.
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| Friday, 12 November 2010 |
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| | More departures from Palm - Almaer and Galbraith Now Gone (PalmInfoCenter) |
| Almost lost amidst the excitement surrounding the aftermath of the WebOS 2.0 and Pre 2 announcements in October was the quiet departure of Ben Galbraith and Dion Almaer from Palm. Over the past year, the pair have acted as superb evangelists and keepers of the WebOS flame.
Both are probably best known to most PIC readers as the role as Heads of WebOS Developer Relations, developers of the initial revamped WebOS Facebook app, and also as the hosts of the development podcast videos. In particular, their chat with HP's Phil McKinney that we covered back in July is especially interesting.
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| Friday, 12 November 2010 |
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| | Verizon Palm Pre 2 Release Date Approaching? (PalmInfoCenter) |
| An anonymous tipster (aren't they all?) has tipped off PreCentral with a screenshot that Verizon is currently undergoing training for the Pre 2 and WebOS 2.0. While this is no major news in and of itself, it's a good sign that the device's release may be imminent. When speaking to a senior Verizon tech support rep in January on the Pre Plus launch day regarding some subsequent technical issues, I was told that the training for the device had concluded about a week before its retail availability.
An earlier Engadget report with a leaked Verizon Wireless November rebate form did indicate a Pre 2 in the system with an accompanying $100 rebate. Since the publication of the Engadget piece, several of the then-unreleased handsets have become official, such as the Droid 2 Global, Droid Pro, and Motorola Citrus, so the Pre 2 should be appearing in the very near future. So the previously-mentioned November 18th still appears to be as likely of a release date as any, especially since the earlier November 11th date has passed with no Pre 2 announcement.
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| Friday, 12 November 2010 |
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| | Palm Pre 2 Hardware Changes Demo'd (PalmInfoCenter) |
| While the main attraction of the upcoming Pre 2 is undoubtably WebOS 2.0, there are a number of small but distinct hardware improvements made to the device. A nice hands-on YouTube demo video was recently posted by Markguim.tv showing all of the Pre 2's new features courtesy of Tim Pettitt, product manager for HP/Palm.
First of all, the exterior has seen some minor revisions, including a slightly thinner, more chiseled design to replace the "river stone" aesthetic of the original Pre. Addressing the numerous build quality woes over the past 18 months, Palm has improved the overall build quality as well as the response of the slider. The device's QWERTY keyboard has been enhanced even more from the already-improved Pre Plus keyboard, offering a tactile "click" according to Mr. Pettitt. In addition, a new Gorilla Glass scratch-resistant flat screen adorns the front, replacing the previous curved plastic screen.
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| Thursday, 11 November 2010 |
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| | Palm Pre Beginning to Disappear from Stores (PalmInfoCenter) |
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The door is rapidly closing on the first generation of WebOS and its accompanying devices, at least as far as what was revealed by a recent check of Sprint and Verizon online stores and a few local retail stores.
After nearly 18 months on the market, Sprint has removed the original Palm Pre from its online webstore. Only the original, wi-fi-lacking Pixi remains for sale on Sprint's website. Also, sadly, the final stock of refurbished red 128mb Palm Centros have been removed from Sprint's website, signaling the end of an era in so many ways.
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| Thursday, 11 November 2010 |
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| | Yes, you can use an iPad outdoors (TreoToday) |
| Amazon would like you to think that it's pretty much impossible to use the iPad outdoors (compared to the Kindle). This new ad from Verizon Wireless goes a little way to dispel that notion. Verizon Wireless recently started offering the Apple iPad, bundled together with their MiFi wireless hotspot device. The iPad/MiFi data plans start [...] |
| Tuesday, 09 November 2010 |
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| | Multiple webOS Devices Rumored for 2011 (PalmInfoCenter) |
| The recent news of the upcoming Palm Pre 2 may just be the tip of the iceberg for new WebOS devices in the coming year. A report from the Chinese industry publication CENS.com is claiming that OEM giants Foxconn and Compal have landed contracts with HP to produce a slew of new WebOS devices. Reportedly, a total of 5-6 devices are in the works and all set to hit the market sometime in 2011. Additional details are also being reported by Telecompaper.com.
Both articles are fairly light on details but do indicate that Foxconn will be the primary supplier of four or five devices, with Compal providing the remaining device. Interestingly enough, the CENS article specifically mentions "smartphones" and not tablet-style or netbook-style devices.
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| Wednesday, 27 October 2010 |
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| | MotionApps Discontinues Classic, Donates it to Palm (PalmInfoCenter) |
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Since its launch, one of the more welcome components of WebOS 1.x has been the Palm OS emulation layer provided by Motion Apps' Classic app. Launched shortly before the retail availability of the Pre and WebOS last year, Classic was one of the pricier apps in the WebOS catalog but an invaluable aid for many longtime Palm OS users as they gradually transitioned to WebOS.
Unfortunately, this app will soon be headed for extinction, at least as far as its involvement with Motion Apps. In a short, rather terse announcement on their website, Motion Apps explaines the sudden discontinuation of the Classic emulator due to the removal by HP/Palm of the Palm OS Garnet libraries in WebOS 2.0:
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| Wednesday, 27 October 2010 |
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| | Verizon Launching Tiered 3G Data Pricing Soon (PalmInfoCenter) |
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With the big announcement of the Pre 2 launch in North America coming to Verizon Wireless alongside the exclusive Skype for WebOS deal, Big Red has gone from the traditionally ho-hum approach toward all things to Palm to being an aggressive supporter of WebOS.
Furthermore, the carrier has made some recent moves to enhance its "value" perception, likely due to the carrier's longstanding perception as one of the priciest domestic wireless providers. In addition to permitting month-to-month prepaid service on nearly all of its smartphones (WebOS included) as we reported last month, Engadget is claiming that the carrier is following AT&T;'s lead and moving to a new tiered pricing structure for its 3G devices. This change is expected soon, possibly even as early as next week.
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| Thursday, 21 October 2010 |
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| | FCC Docs Suggest a North American GSM Pre 2 (PalmInfoCenter) |
| As of right now, the only North American carrier specifically planning to offer a Pre 2 is Verizon Wireless, though the official HP/Palm Pre 2 announcement did reveal an unspecified Canadian carrier would carry the device at some point in the future.
Thanks to some clever sleuthing by Engadget, another possible upcoming Pre 2 variant has been revealed via the usual FCC certification documents. The P102UNA, an AT&T-compatible; (but not T-Mobile, sadly) 3G GSM/UMTS handset has been certified, alongside the existing CDMA EVDO version.
Furthermore, another story from PreCentral reports that Palm's Canadian page has some commented-out HTML code suggesting that "Rodger's network" (sp) and "AT&T; network" could be future homes for the Pre 2 in addition to Verizon.
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| Thursday, 21 October 2010 |
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| | Pixi to Skip Out on Flash, webOS Developer Day in Nov (PalmInfoCenter) |
| While the entry-level Palm Pixi is still going to receive the WebOS 2.0 update, it will lag behind the Pre in one aspect, according to Rod Whitby's recent Tweet. Rod, of WebOS Internals fame, has revealed that the Pixi and Plus Plus will not offer Adobe Flash 10.1 beta player, as this feature remains reserved for its more powerful Pre/Pre Plus/Pre 2 siblings.
In a related bit of Rod Whitby news, WebOS Roundup recently reported that Rod Whitby recently reported he could not justify the expense of flying to New York City from Australia to attend Palm's WebOS Developer Day in November. HP/Palm responded in turn by not only paying for Rod to attend Developer Day but also to speak at the audience there about his WebOS Internals efforts. Kudos to HP/Palm for truly embracing "openness" and recognizing an individual that has worked tirelessly to promote and enhance WebOS and its related Palm devices though community and homebrew projects.
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| Thursday, 21 October 2010 |
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| | Palm to Offer Unlocked Pre 2 Developer Phone (PalmInfoCenter) |
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Palm is finally taking the logical but long-delayed step in offered a fully unlocked WebOS device to developers. An upcoming UMTS/GSM version of the Pre 2 will be sold unlocked to developers in the United States only in the coming months. Qualified developers will be able to purchase the unlocked Pre 2 at a discounted price, according to Palm's updated developer page. While no exact price or release date have been announced, "soon" seems to be as safe of a bet as any.
At any rate, this should be a nice improvement for devs seeking a flexible piece of WebOS hardware, unlike Palm's earlier and much-maligned carrier locked developer phone efforts from this past spring. The full details are available from Palm here.
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| Tuesday, 19 October 2010 |
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| | Skype Coming to webOS Exclusively on Verizon (PalmInfoCenter) |
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Though the big WebOS 2.0 and Pre 2 announcements are the day's major news, WebOS users on Verizon Wireless have something else to be grateful for. After a lengthy delay, an official WebOS version of the Skype VOIP client is coming, albeit for Verizon Wireless WebOS users only.
In a deal that mirrors the exclusive Skype arrangement with Verizon for Android and BlackBerry devices earlier this year, Skype and Verizon have hammered out another period of exclusivity for Skype on current and WebOS handsets.
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| Tuesday, 19 October 2010 |
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| | SFR Again Posts and Pulls Pre 2 Details (PalmInfoCenter) |
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Just like last week's blunder, French telecom provider SFR have jumped the gun yet again regarding the upcoming Pre 2. As the first carrier anywhere in the world to officially launch the Pre 2 this Friday, SFR accidentally posted some interesting Pre 2 details earlier today online.
Prior to pulling the page, the device's price was listed as 99 € with contract and a reasonable 449 € off-contract, full retail price. hopefully giving some kind of idea on what to expect for Pre 2 pricing in the USA.
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| Tuesday, 19 October 2010 |
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| | Release Date for Verizon Pre 2 Possibly Revealed (PalmInfoCenter) |
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While the dust hasn't even settled from this morning's Pre 2 announcement, we already have a credible-sounding release date for the first WebOS 2.0 device. Droid Life has received a tip from a Verizon Insider suggesting that the Pre 2 will hit Verizon Wireless on November 11th, alongside an number of Android-powered devices from Motorola.
With another batch of Android devices from HTC coming at the end of October, Verizon appears to be preparing a large selection of midrange and high-end smartphones for the holiday season. With no Windows Phone 7 CDMA devices expected until 2011, the Pre 2 definitely the most notable non-Android device launching on Big Red for the holiday season.
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| Tuesday, 19 October 2010 |
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| | HP Announces the Palm Pre 2, HP webOS 2.0 (PalmInfoCenter) |
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HP today announced HP webOS 2.0, the most significant update to the platform since its launch in mid 2009. The first device to run webOS 2.0, HP's new Palm Pre 2 smartphone, will be available on Friday in France from SFR and is scheduled to be available "in the coming months" in the United States from Verizon Wireless and in Canada.
The Palm Pre 2 features a slightly modified design and an internal spec bump. It updates the processor to 1 gigahertz and features a 5-megapixel camera and a glass screen. The Pre 2 retains the same slide out keyboard and 320 x 480 display and it comes with 16 GB of storage and has dimensions of 2.35" x 3.96" x 0.67" inches (59.6 x 100.7 x 16.9mm) and weighs in at 5.1 ounces (145g). HP has not released details on pricing or further availability at this time.
"With webOS 2.0, we're advancing the innovations we introduced 16 months ago, expanding the features that make webOS great for consumers, enterprises and developers," said Jon Rubinstein, senior vice president and general manager, Palm Global Business Unit, HP. "We've made tremendous strides since the platform launched, and now we're taking our biggest leap forward with powerful new features that make it easier to get more things done with your webOS device."
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| Tuesday, 19 October 2010 |
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| | Verizon Palm Pre 2 Training Starting Soon (PalmInfoCenter) |
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Although this may come as a surprise to many after the disappointing rollout and myriad promotions for the Pre Plus on Verizon earlier in the year, everyone's favorite CDMA giant appears poised for an imminent launch of the Pre 2, according to a new Engadget story and accompanying blurrycam shot.
The leaked screenshot accompanying the article is from the internal VZLearn training portal. It confirms the fact that the Pre 2 for indirect channels is slated to receive online training soon. As of this date, no additional details such as availability, pricing, or release on other carriers have been provided, though Verizon traditionally begins training on upcoming devices less than a month before retail availability.
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| Friday, 15 October 2010 |
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| | New Talent Arriving at Palm (PalmInfoCenter) |
| Exactly one month after we learned of Peter Skillman's departure from Palm for the greener pastures at Nokia, one of Nokia's main MeeGo architects has subsequently jumped ship to Palm. According to AllThingsD, Former MeeGo head Ari Jaaksi is heading to Palm as SVP of the WebOS engineering team, after leaving Nokia earlier this month for "personal" reasons.
Jaaksi's arrival is not the only notable new arrival at HP/Palm, as the AllThingsD article also mentions the hiring of ex-Samsung USA R&D; Head Victoria Coleman. She will handle platform and application development for future editions of webOS as HP looks to move to OS into a variety of devices and form factors.
Palm's new personnel moves come just in time for the rollout of version 2.0 of the OS alongside the anticipated upcoming release Palm's first new hardware this year.
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| Friday, 15 October 2010 |
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