gadgetsonthego.net
home
Labels: palm
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 3/20/2010 04:40:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
“Beyond generally lacklustre handset sales in the current quarter, which are already reflected in our previous estimates, we have recently learned that AT&T has delayed the planned launch of the Pre and Pixi on its network from April to June/July,” Misek writes.
“Moreover, we believe that this is more than just an ordinary delay,” the analyst adds, “as AT&T has cited a long list of technical issues with the Pre and Pixi. Furthermore, the carrier has decreased its initial order size and has decided to sharply reduce its marketing budget for the launch.”
So: A delayed launch on another major carrier, a smaller first order and a soft marketing budget. On top of these issues, Misek cites a mysterious “list of technical issues.” I’m not quite sure what he is hinting at; my sources tell me there are no problems with the devices on AT&T’s network–but perhaps Misek knows something they don’t.
Leaving the mystery list aside, this is bad news all around for Palm, which clearly needs the additional distribution it will get through AT&T sooner rather than later. Misek is slashing his February quarter unit shipment forecast to 670,000 from 720,000 and his 2011 forecast to 3.58 million units from four million." Via AllThingsDigital .
Labels: att, palm, palm webos
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 3/18/2010 12:00:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
Palm has released a new ad for webOS titled "Life moves fast. Don't miss a thing.". Hopefully Palm will get around to actually releasing a commercial showing what webOS can do. This commercial improves on the past, but is nowhere near the "rough drafts" a Pre user made himself.
Here's to hoping Palm moves fast!
Labels: palm, palm webos
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 3/15/2010 03:37:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
"On the heels of the release of Facebook 1.1, comes the first Facebook Beta application with some cool new features such as Facebook video support – play Facebook videos in your stream, Shortcut keys – jump to sections by holding down the SYM key and : N = news stream, P = photos, S = search, I = inbox, U = your profile, E = events;Facebook comments stand out colored Facebook blue and access updates and joining messages and Sent mail, along with a bunch of bug fixes and enhanced error messages."
Labels: facebook, palm, palm webos
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 3/13/2010 03:55:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
SAN FRANCISCO, Mar 09, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Game Developers Conference (GDC) - Palm, Inc. (NASDAQ:PALM) today announced that a public beta version of the Palm(R) webOS(TM) Plug-in Development Kit (PDK) is now available at the Palm Developer Center (developer.palm.com). Palm is demonstrating new games from early PDK developers in its booth at GDC (No. 2016).
The PDK complements the Palm webOS Software Development Kit (SDK), letting developers use C and C++ alongside the web technologies that power the SDK and mix them seamlessly within a single app. The PDK enables new functionality, including immersive 3D graphics, and gives developers who have built games for other platforms an easy way to bring their titles to the webOS platform. Developers can download the beta PDK and start developing today, but distribution of games built with the beta PDK will require functionality provided in an upcoming Palm webOS update.
"Palm webOS is the go-to platform for great games on two of the three leading carrier networks," said Katie Mitic, senior vice president, Product Marketing, Palm, Inc. "We have both the developer tools and the hardware necessary for a world-class gaming experience, and an impressive portfolio of webOS game titles from top-notch developers to show for it."
At CES in January, Palm introduced 12 games built by four leading developers with early access to the PDK:
* "Asphalt 5" (Gameloft)
* "Brain Challenge(R)" (Gameloft)
* "Glyder 2" (Glu Mobile)
* "Let's Golf!" (Gameloft)
* "MONOPOLY" (EA Mobile(TM))
* "Need for Speed(TM) Undercover" (EA Mobile)
* "SCRABBLE" (EA Mobile)
* "Sudoku" (EA Mobile)
* "Tetris(R)" (EA Mobile)
* "The Oregon Trail" (Gameloft)
* "The Sims(TM) 3" (EA Mobile)
* "X-Plane" (Laminar Research)
Since then, more than 20 exciting webOS titles have been launched by these early-access developers:
* "Apollo" (Laminar Research)
* "Assassin's Creed(TM) - Altair's Chronicles" (Gameloft)
* "Brothers In Arms(R): Hour of Heroes" (Gameloft)
* "Castle of Magic" (Gameloft)
* "Deer Hunter 3D" (Glu Mobile)
* "Dungeon Hunter" (Gameloft)
* "Earthworm Jim" (Gameloft)
* "Gangstar: West Coast Hustle" (Gameloft)
* "Giant Fighting Robots" (Laminar Research)
* "Guitar Hero 5 Mobile" (Glu Mobile)
* "Hero of Sparta" (Gameloft)
* "Real Soccer 2010" (Gameloft)
* "Real Tennis" (Gameloft)
* "World Series of Poker: Hold'em Legend" (Glu Mobile)
* "X-Plane Airliner" (Laminar Research)
* "X-Plane Carrier" (Laminar Research)
* "X-Plane Extreme" (Laminar Research)
* "X-Plane Glider" (Laminar Research)
* "X-Plane Helicopter" (Laminar Research)
* "X-Plane Racing" (Laminar Research)
* "X-Plane Space Shuttle" (Laminar Research)
"The Palm webOS PDK is extremely powerful and far-reaching, as evidenced by the number of titles we've been able to bring to the webOS platform in a very short time," said Baudouin Corman, vice president of publishing, Americas, Gameloft. "It's quite difficult to make a great phone that's also an outstanding gaming platform; Palm has been successful delivering both."
More information about the beta PDK is available at the Palm Developer Center (developer.palm.com). More information about games for Palm webOS is available at www.palm.com/applications .
Labels: gaming, palm, palm webos
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 3/09/2010 08:27:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
"Apps that currently run on Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone, for example, can be ported over in a matter of days, sources close to the company tell me, and they don’t really suffer any degradation in performance.
That’s a compelling proposition for developers looking for additional distribution channels. And if enough of them take Palm up on it, we may see the current paucity of third-party webOS apps quickly head toward abundance."
"If you’re tempted to raise an eyebrow over that statement, consider this: Since Palm announced the PDK at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, its early access partners–EA, Gameloft, Glu Mobile and Laminar Research–have cranked out close to three dozen games."
“The webOS experience has been smooth and user friendly,” Baudouin Corman, VP of Publishing, Americas, for Gameloft told me. “We’ve been pretty aggressive thus far with the number of games hitting the App Catalog, so it’s safe to say that we plan to continue this momentum for the remainder of the year….We’ve seen strong interest from Pre consumers for the kind of games we are releasing. WebOS is going to bring a lot of value and competition to the mobile space.”
Labels: iphone, palm, palm webos
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 3/06/2010 04:36:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
Here's two more examples of the kinds of commercials Palm should be doing to show the strengths of webOS in commercials. They show off webOS 3D gaming, multitasking, messaging, notifications, etc. all in a way the creepy Palm girl or mom never could. Palm listen to your users, we're just trying to help!
Labels: palm, palm webos
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 3/04/2010 10:38:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
Facebook for webOS has officially arrived on webOS. It's a great update and is almost on par with Facebook on the iPhone. Palm lists the new features as:
* Enhanced Inbox – Now, your inbox lets you compose, send, and reply, so you can always access your Facebook messages.
* Photo albums – Now you can view photo albums from all your friends, not just the photos in their news feeds. Uploading photos is easier as well, and includes the ability to add captions.
* Profiles – The new app lets you view users' profiles, whether they are your friends or not. View and post to their walls, view their information, and see their photo albums (subject to privacy settings, of course).
* Events and birthdays – Now you can see upcoming birthdays from your friend list as well as upcoming events.
* Friend search – Easily find your friends using the Friend Search feature. This takes you to their profile, where you can see and post to their wall, view their information, and look at their photos.
Our friends over @ PreCentral posted the above video showing off the latest version of Facebook for webOS.
Labels: facebook, palm, palm webos
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 3/03/2010 10:34:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
A webOS user created this "rough draft" of what a Palm commercial should be. Palm take note. One of, if not the best feature of webOS is the way it multitasks. No other platform comes close to the elegance and simplicity Palm has created in the way webOS multitasks with its card view, but most people don't know this because none of Palm's commercials point this out. Sometimes simple and to the point is the best way to relay a message, this "rough draft" is that message!
Labels: palm, palm webos
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 3/03/2010 10:25:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
""Let's take a look at the chronology here: On February 11, rumors began to circulate that Palm's Chinese manufacturing partner had suspended work on Palm's Pre and Pre-Plus smart phones," Goldman reports. "When asked about this, Palm released a statement saying that because of the Chinese New Year, and because of the new deal with Verizon, the company was ramping up ahead of the holiday, and then would resume manufacturing afterward. Palm also made a passing reference to trying to keep manufacturing in line with customer orders. But it was its casual connection to the Chinese New Year that made a suspension in manufacturing no big deal."
Goldman reports, "So, when did Palm know about that? A source at Palm confirmed to me this morning that the company did in fact know three weeks ago that Verizon and Sprint had halted new orders of the company's phones... Analysts I'm talking to are furious. Management has a serious credibility issue, I'm told, and this only makes it substantially worse."
Goldman writes, "The company seems to be playing fast and furious with the truth. Analysts are wary. And judging by the company's continuing plunge, investors are throwing in the towel. Difficulty competing in the marketplace is one thing; losing trust is quite another."
We all know Mr. Goldman has a love for Apple, but he makes a great point. Why did Palm try to blow off the cut in production of devices due to the Chinese New Year if they had already known that Sprint and Verizon halted new orders? The problem wasn't just going to go away. What's worse is that people inside Palm are now leaking what's been going on at Palm, and accusing the company of not being honest. This new revelation does not bode well for Palm. This will just draw more attention to Palm's choices as as a company, and once news of mistrust enters you're going to be fighting a lot more than expected earnings, or lack there of. Let's hope somehow Palm can regain composure and get back to focusing on the company that was so innovative and brought itself back as a serious player and major contender in the mobile world it did back at CES in 2009 when Palm showed the world the Pre and Palm webOS webOS. Here's hoping...
Labels: palm
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 3/01/2010 09:07:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
Labels: palm, palm webos
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 3/01/2010 09:16:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
The ability to capture, edit, and share video: Not only can you easily shoot video footage from your Palm webOS phone, but you can also make quick edits and upload your footage to YouTube or Facebook (or send them via email or MMS) with just a couple of taps. See the video capabilities in action in the video be
Labels: palm, palm webos, pixi, pre, sprint
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 2/27/2010 03:01:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
Labels: palm, palm webos
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 2/26/2010 12:17:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
The last couple of days of Palm news wasn't good news to say the least. Jon Rubinstein sent all employees of Palm a letter of encouragement and explained what's going on @ Palm.
Team,
This morning we announced preliminary results for our 2010 third quarter. Since the quarter has not yet closed, it is too soon to offer exact numbers, but we stated that we expect to report revenues for Q3 between $300 and $320 million. We also announced that we expect our revenue for this fiscal year to fall below the guidance we gave to Wall Street, which ranged from $1.6 to $1.8 billion. As we mentioned in our press release, our softer than expected performance is due to slower than expected customer adoption of our products, which in turn has prompted our U.S. carrier partners to put additional orders on hold for the time being. On a positive note, we expect to exit the quarter with over $500 million in cash on our balance sheet. We're scheduled to announce our full financial results in March.
I realize this news is difficult to swallow. We made this announcement today to prevent a surprise for Wall Street when we announce quarterly earnings in March. In the meantime, the entire executive team has been working extremely hard to improve product performance, and have implemented a number of initiatives to increase awareness and drive sales.
Dave Whalen and I just returned from a very successful meeting with Verizon Wireless, where they acknowledged that their execution of our launch was below expectations and recommitted to working with us to improve sales. To accelerate sales, we initiated Project JumpStart nearly three weeks ago. Since then, nearly two hundred Palm Brand Ambassadors, supplemented by Palm employees from Sunnyvale, have been training Verizon sales reps across the U.S. on our products. Early results from the stores have already shown improvement on product knowledge and sales week over week. You may have also seen a growing number of Palm ads on billboards, bus shelters, buses, and subway stations-all getting the word out about Palm.
All of these efforts are examples of how we are working to accelerate adoption and grow distribution of webOS. In the next few weeks, your management will work with you to make sure your priorities are laser-focused, primarily on helping to increase sales, improve product quality and differentiate the Palm product experience.
Our goals are taking longer than expected to achieve, but I am still confident that our talented team has what it takes to get the job done.
We'll schedule an all-hands meeting after our earnings announcement in March, and I'll be happy to answer your questions.
Go team!!!
jon
Via Engadget .
Labels: palm, palm webos
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 2/26/2010 12:01:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
“Palm webOS is recognized as a groundbreaking platform that enables one of the best smartphone experiences available today, and our work to evolve the platform and bring industry-leading technology to market continues. However, driving broad consumer adoption of Palm products is taking longer than we anticipated,” said Jon Rubinstein, chairman and chief executive officer. “Our carrier partners remain committed, and we are working closely with them to increase awareness and drive sales of our differentiated Palm products.”
The Company expects to close its third fiscal quarter with a cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments balance in excess of $500 million.
Notes for Palm Investors
Palm will announce its third-quarter fiscal year 2010 financial results on Thursday, March 18, shortly after 4 p.m. Eastern (1 p.m. Pacific), followed by a conference call for the public at 4:30 p.m. Eastern (1:30 p.m. Pacific). The conference call will be hosted by Jon Rubinstein, chairman and chief executive officer, and Doug Jeffries, chief financial officer. Investors and other interested parties are encouraged to listen to the call via audio webcast at Palm’s Investor Relations website (http://investor.palm.com). Investors wishing to listen to the conference call via telephone may dial 877-278-9658 (domestic) or 763-488-4651 (international). There is no pass code required for the live call. A telephone replay of the conference call will be available through April 1, 2010. The dial-in number for the replay will be 800-642-1687 (domestic) and 706-645-9291 (international). The pass code 58326338 is required for the replay. An archive of the audio webcast of the conference call will be posted on Palm’s Investor Relations website at http://investor.palm.com.
Labels: palm, palm webos
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 2/25/2010 05:05:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
Nokia had 46.9 percent of the market with about 80.9 million sales, and Research in Motion had 19.9 percent with 34.3 million sales.
Cupertino-based Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) had about 14.4 percent of sales in the total mobile operating system market, Gartner said.
In 2008 Apple had 8.2 percent of the market with about 11.4 million units.
Apple sold a record 8.7 million iPhones in the last quarter alone, a growth rate of 100 percent over the year-ago quarter.
Another big gainer was Mountain View-based Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG). Its Android moved up to 3.9 percent in 2009 from less than a 1 percent share in 2008.
Sunnyvale-based Palm Inc. (NASDAQ:PALM) Web OS had 0.7 percent of the global market with about 1.2 million units sold."
Labels: blackberry, iphone, nokia, palm
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 2/23/2010 03:25:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Palm Inc. shares fell Tuesday as analysts raised concerns that the smart phones the company recently released through Verizon Wireless are not selling well.
The stock slid 66 cents, or 7.2 percent, to $8.45 in afternoon trading. In the past year, the stock has traded between $5.85 and $18.09.
In a client note Tuesday, Macquarie Research analyst Phil Cusick downgraded the stock to "Neutral" from "Outperform," citing "weak" sales checks at Verizon and increasing operating expenses resulting from higher-than-expected spending on promotions.
Verizon began selling upgraded versions of Palm's Pre and Pixi smart phones -- the Pre and Pixi Plus -- in late January. The original Pre and Pixi went on sale last year through Sprint Nextel Corp.
The phones use Palm's latest operating system, webOS. They are the company's latest attempt to regain share in the fast-growing smart phone market. Palm, which was a smart phone pioneer, has struggled for years as Apple Inc.'s iPhone and Research In Motion Ltd.'s BlackBerry have grown increasingly popular among both consumer and business users.
Cusick wrote that sales at Verizon are improving, but "off a very low base," and that checks show Palm's sales at Sprint haven't improved since Verizon started selling the new phones.
Labels: palm, pixi plus, pre plus, verizon
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 2/23/2010 03:20:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
Labels: palm, palm webos, rumors
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 2/18/2010 12:37:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
PreCentral posted the above video showing Adobe Flash running on webOS 1.4. Palm has also added splash screens when launching applications in webOS 1.4. Apple already does this with the iPhone, it's more of a visual trick to make applications appear to open faster.
Labels: adobe, palm, palm webos
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 2/17/2010 02:25:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
The Palm Pixi is the Palm's low-cost, consumer friendly Palm Centro replacement. I have been test driving the Sprint Palm Pixi for the last two weeks. The following are my impressions of Palm's new webOS powered smartphone.
[Editor’s Note: Starting today, January 25, 2010, Verizon Wireless will begin selling the new Palm Pixi Plus. The Sprint Pixi and the Verizon Pixi Plus are identical phones with the exception that the Verizon edition hardware includes a Wi-Fi 802.11b/g radio.]
The Hardware
I was really impressed by the size and weight of the Pixi when compared with other phones from Palm. The difference is noticeable as soon as you pick it up. The Pixi seemed much lighter than my Palm Treo 755p. I was also impressed by the thickness of the Pixi. Compared with my 2G Apple iPhone, the Pixi was the same height and thickness. The Pixi is slightly more narrow than the iPhone. The physical keyboard on the Pixi is completely usable, however, I found the Palm Pre’s keyboard to be more roomy and also felt more sturdy. The Pixi keyboard’s tactile feedback was good, and you know that you pressed a key, which is something you don’t get from an on screen virtual keyboard. If you plan on sending a lot of email or text messages, you will appreciate the Pixi’s hardware keyboard.
The Pixi’s 320x400 pixel screen measures 2.63-inches. I found the screen to deliver a sharp, crisp image and I had no trouble reading the screen. Viewing photos, watching video, or even surfing the web was easy on the eyes.
Starting with the Pixi, Palm has chosen to remove the center button that appeared on the Sprint edition Palm Pre. If you have never used a Palm Pre before, you will never miss the center button. To zoom out of the current application card on the Pixi, simply flick your finger upward from the gesture area to the screen. To zoom back in, tap the card you want to bring to the foreground.
For the Pixi, Palm included an EVDO Rev A CDMA cellular radio, a GPS receiver, Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR and A2DP support, 8GB of storage space (about 7GB is available for use), and a 2MP camera with LED flash. The You won’t however, find Wi-Fi or an microSD card slot in the Pixi.
The Palm Pixi has an 1150mAh removable battery. During my test period, I was able to use the Pixi for about 14-16 hours before I started to think about where I could plug in the phone to charge up. I had the Pixi checking 5 different email accounts on varying schedules, I referred to my personal and business calendars frequently, snuck in the Smartphone Fanatics Facebook page and Twitter accounts, and surfed the web. During my day, I don’t spend much time talking on the phone. Mileage will vary with your usage pattern. In my opinion, if you like to talk, send a lot of text or email messages, or surf the web constantly, you will want to carry a charging cable or a spare battery with you. (I recommend the same thing for Pre owners.) I did like the rubber microUSB port cover. I am always concerned that I am about to break the door off my Palm Pre each time I connect my Pre to my MacBook to access the USB storage partition. Thanks to the Pixi’s rubber door, I wasn’t worried that I would break the phone.
The Software
The Palm Pixi is the second smartphone from Palm to run their new Palm webOS operating system. My demo Pixi was delivered to me running Palm webOS 1.3.5.1, the same version of webOS that I am running on my Palm Pre.
Palm webOS is a modern mobile operating system that retains all of the ease of use that made Palm OS devices so easy to use. Synergy, the data synchronization technology built into webOS, keeps all of your data organized and in sync on your phone. You will be able to easily access your corporate Microsoft Exchange account, Google Gmail account, Yahoo account, as well as your Facebook account and standard POP/IMAP email accounts.
Universal Search is another major improvement over the search feature in Palm OS. Universal Search will not only sift through your contacts, but also searches your email, the applications on your phone and offers to continue the search on Google, Google Maps, Wikipedia, or Twitter if the search term can’t be located on your phone. Universal Search is a powerful feature that I use every day to quickly locate information on my phone or to launch applications.
For those folks who like to have all of their stuff with them all the time, the Pixi comes preloaded with useful applications for taking pictures, playing music and audio files, accessing Facebook, and viewing Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat documents. Today you can only view Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files on the Pixi, however, I understand that DataViz is working on a full version of Documents To Go for Palm webOS. Palm has done a good job writing the Synergy interface with Facebook. When you login to your Facebook account after downloading the client from the Palm App Catalog (think Apple’s App Store), Synergy downloads your contact information in the Pixi’s local contacts database. I’m hopeful that a more feature rich version of the Facebook application will be released by Palm soon. While the Facebook contacts integration does work well, and the status feed is OK, there are many other features of Facebook that you simply can not access from the webOS client. Heavy Facebook users will want to access the mobile Facebook site, x.facebook.com, if they want to do more than just update their status or comment on their friend’s status.
Conclusion
After spending a few weeks with the Sprint Palm Pixi, I am convinced that it is a good, low cost, consumer smartphone that can do double duty as a business phone. The Pixi’s small candy bar form factor means that you will carry it with you all the time. The lack of Wi-Fi on the Sprint edition Palm Pixi shouldn’t be a deal breaker for most people as the Sprint EVDO network is fast enough in most cases. Depending on how you use your phone, battery life could be an issue.
Pricing and Availability
The Sprint Palm Pixi is available now for $99.99 when you purchase it directly from Sprint after a $200 instant savings and a $100 mail in rebate when you also sign up for a qualifying 2-year service agreement. The Sprint Palm Pixi costs $399.99 when you purchase it without a service plan. You can save yourself some extra money if you shop around for the best deal on a new Pixi. For example, Amazon is selling the Pixi for $24.99 when you sign up for a 2-year service plan.
For more information about the Palm Pixi for Sprint, visit the Palm website.
[Via SmartphoneFanatics.com...]
Labels: palm, palm webos, pixi, sprint
¶ posted by Alan Grassia, Editor @ 1/25/2010 08:33:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
But first: frankly, I can’t fathom why the Pre and the Pixi haven’t proved to be more popular. The polish and panache of both phones are phenomenal.
Both phones feature Palm’s Web OS software, a fine, fluid operating system that, in many aspects, out-iPhones the iPhone. Among other pluses, the software multitasks, so you can put on Pandora radio as you process your e-mail. These are multitouch phones, too, meaning that two-finger gestures (like pinching to shrink a photo or Web page) work perfectly." Read the full review here .
Labels: palm, palm webos, pixi plus, pre plus, review, verizon
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 1/21/2010 10:57:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
"An unboxing and quick look at the the new Palm Pixi Plus for Verizon, including the new Mobile Hotspot app that lets you share the Pixi's 3G connection with other devices over WiFi."
Labels: palm, palm webos, pixi plus, verizon
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 1/20/2010 10:51:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
The good:
The Palm Pixi Plus brings the addition of Wi-Fi and the ability to use the smartphone as a mobile hotspot. The sleek handset also offers Bluetooth, 3G, and GPS. The multitasking features of Palm WebOS continues to be one of the highlights.The bad:
The smartphone can be sluggish. The camera lacks editing options, and picture quality is pretty poor. No expansion slot.The bottom line:
While not a major overhaul, the Palm Pixi Plus adds built-in Wi-Fi and gives customers making the jump from a feature phone to a smartphone even more functionality without breaking the bank.Labels: palm, palm webos, pixi plus, review, verizon
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 1/20/2010 10:35:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
The good: The Palm Pre Plus offers double the storage capacity and double the RAM. The smartphone also ships with an inductive back cover and features an improved QWERTY keyboard.
The bad: The bottom line:
Labels: palm, palm webos, pre plus, review, verizon
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 1/20/2010 10:28:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
"The Palm Pre Plus upgrades the Palm Pre in almost all the right places and has a bright future with new features coming via software updates. It's a cliché to say this, but: the Palm Pre Plus is the best phone Palm has ever made. That's exactly how it should be and it's gratifying that we can expect this kind of quality from Palm now. Let's just hope that it's enough to keep them in the smartphone game for years to come."
Labels: palm, palm webos, pre plus, review, verizon
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 1/20/2010 09:58:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
Our good friends over @ PreCentral have posted the above video with tons of information about the Pre Plus and Pixi Plus.
Labels: palm, palm webos, pixi plus, pre plus, verizon
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 1/20/2010 09:54:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
Labels: palm, palm webos, pixi plus, pre plus, review, verizon
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 1/20/2010 09:27:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
Labels: palm, palm webos, pixi plus, pre plus, verizon
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 1/20/2010 09:00:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
I saw this cool post over @ The Official Palm Blog . One of the best features of Palm webOS is Universal Search. Universal Search makes finding all sorts of information on your Pre or Pixi simple and fast.
"There are also some special keywords you can use to bring up popular applications on the phone that just make sense -- “sms” finds the Messaging app and “vid” finds both Videos and the YouTube application.
Here are a few other keywords (some of which can be shortened as indicated in parentheses). And there are a few more -- leave a comment if you’ve found ‘em.
* store: App Catalog
* pic(ture): Photos
* sms or text: Messaging
* time: Date & Time and Clock
* add(ress): Contacts
* todo: Tasks
* eve(nts): Calendar
* note: Memos
* net: Wi-Fi
Labels: palm, palm webos, pixi, pixi plus, pre, pre plus
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 1/20/2010 03:46:00 PM 1 comments links to this post
I caught the above Verizon Pre Plus and Pixi Plus ad in the Wall Street Journal over @ PreCentral . It's great to see Verizon putting their money where their mouth is when it comes to Palm and their smartphones.
Labels: palm, palm webos, pixi plus, pre plus, verizon
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 1/19/2010 09:21:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
Labels: bluetooth, gsm, palm, palm webos, pre
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 1/12/2010 02:03:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
“Avie and I worked closely together at Apple for many years and I have always admired his engineering talent and leadership, his strategic vision for how software can transform businesses and his ability to execute on that vision,” Elevation co-founder Fred Anderson said in a statement. “We are proud that he has decided to join Elevation and believe he will be a huge asset as we explore new investment opportunities.” Via AllThingsDigital.
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 1/12/2010 12:56:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
Palm unveils new phones, new carriers, developer programs, and video capabilities at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show.
Labels: palm
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 1/07/2010 10:05:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
Labels: palm, palm webos
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 1/07/2010 06:43:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
LAS VEGAS, Jan 07, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- 3D gaming has landed on the Palm(R) webOS(TM) platform. Palm, Inc. (NASDAQ:PALM) today introduced several graphics-intensive game titles for webOS, from leading game developers EA Mobile(TM), a division of Electronic Arts Inc.; Gameloft; Glu Mobile; and Laminar Research. Demonstrated at Palm's CES event, the games will be available today in the Palm App Catalog for Palm Pre customers.
"We are very excited about the potential of webOS as a platform for mobile 3D gaming," said Katie Mitic, senior vice president, Product Marketing, Palm, Inc. "This is a key application category, and we've worked closely with some of the leading game developers to deliver a great game experience for our customers."
Seven 3D games were introduced today in the Palm App Catalog for Palm Pre customers:
* "Need for Speed(TM) Undercover" (EA Mobile)
* "The Sims(TM) 3" (EA Mobile)
* "MONOPOLY(TM)" (EA Mobile)
* "Asphalt 5: Elite Racing" (Gameloft)
* "Let's Golf!" (Gameloft)
* "Glyder 2" (Glu Mobile)
* "X-Plane" (Laminar Research)
Five other mobile games were also introduced: EA Mobile's "Tetris(R)," "Sudoku," and "SCRABBLE(R)," and Gameloft's "The Oregon Trail" and "Brain Challenge."
"Recent improvements to Palm webOS represent major advancements in enabling world-class mobile gaming," said Travis Boatman, vice president of Worldwide Studios for EA Mobile. "These innovations have allowed us to quickly bring our best IP to the platform."
Labels: app catalog, palm, palm webos
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 1/07/2010 06:30:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
LAS VEGAS, Jan 07, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The Palm(R) webOS(TM) developer program is now open, Palm, Inc. (NASDAQ:PALM) said today. Any developer can now go to the Palm Developer Center (http://developer.palm.com), sign up, and start developing and distributing applications for webOS devices. Palm showcased its developer program and tools at CES today, and announced a $1 million developer Hot Apps bonus program for the rapidly growing Palm webOS developer community.
"We're thrilled to open the doors of a program that offers mobile developers unparalleled freedom and choice in how they distribute and market applications," said Katie Mitic, senior vice president, Product Marketing, Palm, Inc. "The combination of our highly accessible web-based platform, groundbreaking integration opportunities and open, flexible distribution program makes Palm webOS the best place for developers to create the next generation of innovative mobile applications."
To kick off the official opening of the Palm applications ecosystem, Palm is launching a $1 million Hot Apps bonus program for webOS developers. The program, which runs Feb. 1 through May 31, 2010, is open to developers worldwide and will award $1 million to the most successful applications distributed during this timeframe. The developers of the top free and paid applications each will earn a $100,000 bonus; in addition, 40 developers will receive $10,000 (20 each for free and paid), with 400 developers awarded $1,000 (200 each for free and paid). Awardees will be notified in June. Details are available at http://developer.palm.com.
The Palm developer program is designed to promote a thriving environment for all developers to create, distribute, promote and monetize the delivery of valuable applications to Palm customers. It extends the unique web orientation of Palm webOS, providing innovative opportunities for developers to grow their businesses by leveraging the web as a promotional channel for applications.
Labels: palm, palm webos
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 1/07/2010 06:27:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
LAS VEGAS, Jan 07, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX News Network/ -- Today at the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show, Verizon Wireless and Palm, Inc. (Nasdaq: PALM) announced the Jan. 25 availability of Palm® Pre™ Plus and Palm Pixi™ Plus, bringing the Palm webOS™ experience to customers on the nation's largest and most reliable wireless 3G network.
Palm Pre Plus has a large, vivid touch screen; high-performance processor; and slide-out keyboard. The Pre Plus keyboard makes for quick and easy typing, while the unique gesture area provides a sleek look and intuitive navigation. Pre Plus also comes with the Palm Touchstone™ Back Cover, making the phone compatible with the revolutionary inductive Touchstone Charging Dock (sold separately). Verizon Wireless Pre Plus customers will also get 16 GB of storage (approximately 15 GB user available) for applications and media.
Feature-rich, Pre Plus and Pixi Plus offer Verizon Wireless customers greater flexibility for access to the Internet with Wi-Fi. In addition, the all-new Palm mobile hotspot, a webOS app that can be downloaded from the Palm App Catalog, gives customers the option of creating a personal Wi-Fi cloud capable of sharing the reliability and high-speed Internet connectivity of the Verizon Wireless 3G network with up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices such as notebooks, netbooks, cameras, gaming devices or portable media/MP3 players.
Social communicators and first-time smartphone buyers who want an affordable and customizable phone and instant access to messaging and Web content will love Pixi Plus. Customers have a host of options for personalizing their phones with the separately-sold Palm Pixi Artist Series Back Covers (www.palm.com/artistseries) and new color Pixi Touchstone Back Covers, which will be available in pink, blue, green, orange and black.
"The Palm experience is all about helping our customers stay connected so they never miss a thing," said Jon Rubinstein, Palm chairman and chief executive officer. "We're constantly enriching this experience with new features and innovations. The Verizon Wireless launch of Pre Plus and Pixi Plus is the next phase in delivering this unique Palm experience to more people."
"The Palm webOS family is a great addition to Verizon Wireless' robust line-up of smartphones," said John Stratton, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Verizon Wireless. "The outstanding capabilities and functionalities on both Pre Plus and Pixi Plus give customers a wealth of customization options to help them manage their lives. Customers get the latest technology from Palm along with the nation's largest and most reliable 3G network for an unsurpassed mobile experience."
Labels: palm, pixi plus, pre plus, verizon
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 1/07/2010 06:09:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
Labels: palm, palm webos, pixi, pre, verizon
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 1/06/2010 07:51:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
Palm's App Catalog has reached a major milestone. There are now 1000 apps available to download from the App Catalog. Palm launched the App Catalog on June 6, 2009 when it began selling the Palm Pre with Sprint, and there were 18 applications available. Congrats to Palm !
Via Wikipedia .
Labels: app catalog, palm, palm webos, pixi, pre
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 1/02/2010 12:52:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
Labels: palm, palm webos, pixi, pre, verizon
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 12/30/2009 06:09:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
* Version: webOS 1.3.5
* Release date: 28 December 2009
Software update information for Palm Pre Sprint p100eww
Article ID: 50607
webOS 1.3.5
* Version information
* New applications
* Feature changes to existing applications
Version information
* Version: webOS 1.3.5
* Release date: 28 December 2009
Software update information for Palm Pre Sprint p100eww
Article ID: 50607
Version information
* Version: webOS 1.3.5
* Release date: 28 December 2009
Feature changes to existing applications
App Catalog
* App Catalog significantly improves the application download experience.
* A user can now download multiple applications simultaneously.
* Downloads continue in the background if the user moves away from the download screen.
* A user can manually pause, resume, and cancel downloads.
* A user can also download all available updates for the user’s downloaded applications with a single tap.
* App Catalog automatically resumes downloads in cases where a download was pussed because it was interrupted—for example, if a user moves out of network coverage and then moves back into coverage.
* Users can now take advantage of the full storage capacity of the phone for downloading applications. This gives the user more control over how to allocate the phone’s storage space across applications, music, photos, and other media. Downloaded applications are now stored on the phone’s USB drive.
* App Catalog lists search results based on an improved search algorithm.
* Locations from which users can purchase paid apps from App Catalog now include U.S. territories.
Calendar
* In Day view, switching between days happens more quickly.
Date & Time
* When the user has network time zone enabled, a city and country are no longer displayed.
Device Info
* A user can perform a full erase by pressing and holding Sym + the orange/Option key + power for 10 seconds.
Email
* A user can now edit forwarded text for all email account types.
* When the user sets up more than one Yahoo! email account, the account names displayed in Account List view include the associated email address so that the user can distinguish them.
* If an account mailbox is too full to send messages, after the user frees up space in the mailbox on the server, the user can send the messages successfully.
* The default email signature no longer includes the macron over the “e” in “Pre,” so that the product name shows correctly on a recipient’s phone.
Messaging
* If a user deletes a conversation with a contact, new conversations with that contact are now correctly displayed in Conversations view.
Screen & Lock
* When the screen is locked, the time displays in a new font.
Sprint Navigation
* A user can launch Sprint Navigation from an address in an open contact entry in Contacts.
System
* Users can now take advantage of the full storage capacity of the phone for downloading applications. This gives the user more control over how to allocate the phone’s storage space across applications, music, photos, and other media. Downloaded applications are now stored on the phone’s USB drive.
* This update improves battery life in areas of poor wireless network coverage.
* If the user is working in an application that supports landscape mode (such as Web or Videos), notifications now appear at the bottom of the landscape screen.
* After a user signs in to an existing Palm profile, applications the user installed from App Catalog are restored in the background. The user can use other features of the phone while the apps are being restored.
* Swiping to delete a list item that contains a link no longer causes the link to open in the web browser.
Updates
* After taking the 1.3.5 update, users can download future updates over a 2G (1xRTT 1x title bar icon, GPRS 1x title bar icon, EDGE 1x title bar icon) data connection by opening Updates and tapping Download Now.
Web
* The web browser now supports the display of animated GIFs.
* Audio files with a .3g2 extension play correctly as audio files, not video files.
Security
* This release includes a security fix to the dev portal. Credit to Kris Siegal for reporting the issue.
Individuals interested in contacting Palm to report suspected security issues can find more information at palm.com/security .
Labels: palm, palm webos, pixi, pre, sprint
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 12/28/2009 09:39:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
WebOS – 1.3.5
Build 194
Sprint Config – 2.0
12/28/2009
This update includes enhancements to the following:
* Improvement in battery life optimization when in marginal coverage areas.
* QCELP capability fix to allow play and audio of video sent via MMS.
* Launch Google Maps or Sprint Nav when tapping an address from contacts.
* Minimized package of MR size through binary difference. Customers can now download over 2G connections if necessary.
Labels: palm, palm webos, pixi, pre, sprint
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 12/28/2009 11:03:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
Labels: palm, palm webos, pre, verizon
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 12/18/2009 09:50:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
Introducing Project Ares
Project Ares is the first mobile development environment hosted entirely in a browser, lowering the barriers for web developers to jump into mobile development.
Like webOS, Project Ares embodies Palm's belief that the future of mobile will be built on the web. Project Ares aims to enable a next-generation mobile development workflow, in which developers move quickly and seamlessly from editing in a browser, to debugging on a device, to selling applications in Palm's App Catalog or on the web.
Project Ares is now available to all developers as a public beta. We invite you to join us in Project Ares – try it out, build apps, and give us your feedback as we work to make the Ares vision a reality. To get started, just sign in with your Palm developer account
Features
* Complete integrated development environment
o Drag-and-drop interface builder
o Code editor
o Visual debugger
o Log viewer
o Source control integration
* Fingertip access to the full library of Mojo UI widgets
* Push-button project & scene creation
* Drag-and-drop file upload
* Instant project upload & download for seamless desktop/cloud workflow
* Preview apps in the browser
* Run apps directly on the webOS emulator or device (requires SDK installation)
* Use Ares in Safari, Chrome or Firefox
Labels: ares, palm, palm webos
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 12/17/2009 07:13:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
To facilitate comparisons to Palm's historical results, Palm has included non-GAAP adjusted measures, which exclude the impact of subscription accounting, stock-based compensation and other items detailed later in this release. The company believes this information will help investors better evaluate its current period performance and trends in its business.
Non-GAAP Adjusted Revenues in the second quarter totaled $302.0 million, non-GAAP Adjusted Gross Profit was $77.3 million and non-GAAP Adjusted Gross Margin was 25.6 percent.
"We are continuing to execute strongly against our long-term strategy with the delivery of Palm Pixi, the new carrier launches completed this quarter, and the upcoming opening of Palm's full developer program," said Jon Rubinstein, Palm's chairman and chief executive officer. "We're still in the early stages of a long race, and we're energized by the opportunity to compete in this exciting market. We remain confident that Palm's innovative product design capabilities, integrated cloud services and the differentiated and delightful Palm webOS experience will provide the foundation for our sustained success."
The company shipped a total of 783,000 smartphone units during the quarter, representing a 5 percent decrease from the first quarter of fiscal year 2010 and a year-over-year increase of 41 percent compared to the second quarter of fiscal year 2009. Smartphone sell-through for the second quarter was 573,000 units, down 29 percent from the first quarter of fiscal year 2010 and down 4 percent year-over-year.
Labels: palm, palm webos, pixi, pre
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 12/17/2009 07:06:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
Verizon has begun training employees on Palm and webOS just in time for the expected CES announcement from Palm on a new partnership with Verizon. Via phonearena .
Labels: palm, palm webos, verizon
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 12/16/2009 06:16:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
The Palm Pixi is a more-than-worthy successor to Palm’s previous low-end smartphone offerings, capably offering an enticing mix of features for consumers or enterprise users looking to move up from a more basic mobile phone. However, occasionally sluggish performance and weak battery life with automated data services engaged detract from the Pixi’s overall experience.
Palm created the Pixi to replace the old PalmOS-based Centro, positioning the Pixi as an affordable yet feature-packed upgrade for the low-end consumer market." Via EWeek.com .
Labels: palm, palm webos, pixi, sprint
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 12/16/2009 08:24:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
Palm sent me this invite only to join them in Vegas for some new Palm news. Last year Palm took CES by storm with the announcement of Palm webOS and the Palm Pre. Get ready for some newness from Palm ;)
Labels: palm
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 12/15/2009 09:49:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
Palm is getting into the holiday season. Hannukah begins at sundown today, and they were kind enough to leave a Palm Pixi, Pixi Touchstone Back Cover, and a Touchstone for review on the site.
Labels: palm, palm webos, pixi, sprint, touchstone
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 12/11/2009 02:27:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
Most innovative new platform; $299.99-$549.99 direct
Palm has returned with the coolest handheld device we've seen in a long time. The Palm Pre has the same exhilarating sense of possibility as the iPhone—and it's even worth switching to Sprint for. The Pre is the start of something genuinely new: Palm's webOS, an innovative operating system that's benefited a lot by what the company has learned from Apple's smartphone successes.
Labels: palm, palm webos, pre
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 12/09/2009 09:33:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
Gadget Pr0n has reviewed the Palm Pixi, and they LOVE it. Palm is going to sell a lot of Pixis, especially now that it can be had for $25.00 with a 2 year contract.
Labels: palm, palm webos, pixi, sprint
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 12/04/2009 12:00:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
PreCentral is reporting that Palm has released webOS 1.3.2 for the Palm Pixi. Palm hasn't updated their support site to show the changes in the 1.3.2 update yet. Stay tuned.
UPDATE
Palm has posted the details of the 1.3.2 update:
Feature changes to existing applications
Phone
* Answering or hanging up calls using a wired headset button now works more reliably.
Security
*This release addresses several security issues with Palm webOS software.
Labels: palm, palm webos, pixi, sprint
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 12/02/2009 11:07:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
Can your smartphone do this? ;) That's 22 apps running on my Pre before I get the "Sorry too many cards opened", pretty impressive! The ability to do this comes from the great webOS developer community over @ PreCentral for making things like this possible!!
Labels: palm, palm webos, pre
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 11/19/2009 11:47:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
Engadget is reporting that Amazon is currently selling the Palm Pixi for $24.99.
Labels: amazon, palm, palm webos, pixi, sprint
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 11/18/2009 12:58:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
If you have a Sprint Palm Pre you might want to tap the update button because Palm has released Palm webOS 1.3.1 for the Sprint Palm Pre.
Labels: palm, palm webos, pre, sprint
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 11/14/2009 12:36:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
EverythingPre spotted this great offer if you're jonesing for the Palm Pixi. Walmart is selling the Pixi for $29.99 instead of Sprint's price of $99 (after rebates). Kinda crazy price for a phone that hasn't been officially released yet, and most likely the price the Pixi should be compared to the BlackBerry's, iPhone 3G's, and HTC's currently on the market.
***UPDATE***
Walmart is no longer listing the Palm Pix on their site. Congrats if you were able to order one before they pulled it.
Labels: palm, palm webos, pixi, sprint
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 11/12/2009 02:32:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
The Pixi, the Palm Pre’s diminutive smart-phone sibling, arrives at market a few days from now (Nov. 15), and despite some potential pricing confusion with the Pre, analysts expect it to be another catalyst for the company’s comeback. In a note to clients today, Bank of America/Merrill Lynch (BAC) analyst Vivek Arya said Palm (PALM) is well-poised for growth in 2010.
“Despite increasing smartphone competition, Palm can maintain differentiation and remains well-positioned to launch its products with multiple new Tier-1 carriers in early 2010 by which time it should have a robust apps catalog,” Arya wrote. “While we expect the stock to remain volatile, the recent sell-off creates an interesting buying opportunity, in our opinion, for a company with an attractive platform, selling into a high-growth market, and at a compelling valuation.” Via AllThingsDigital .
Labels: palm, palm webos, pixi, pre
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 11/12/2009 02:10:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
Labels: palm, palm webos, pixi, sprint
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 11/12/2009 12:00:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
Management meeting reinforces Merrill's positive views
Firm notes they had an encouraging meeting with Palm CEO Jon Rubinstein, CFO Doug Jeffries and IR head Teri Klein. Their key takeaway: despite increasing smartphone competition Palm can maintain differentiation and remains well positioned to launch its products with multiple new Tier-1 carriers in early 2010 by which time it should have a robust apps catalog. While they expect the stock to remain volatile, the recent selloff creates an interesting buying opportunity, in Merrill's opinion, for a company with an attractive platform, selling into a high growth market, and at a compelling valuation. (<1x CY10E EV/S, <11x PE on $1/sh in EPS power). Next catalyst is next week’s (15-Nov) launch of Palm's Pixi smartphone at Sprint.
Substantial channel expansion in 2010
The current pressure on Palm stock is due to limited distribution of its products at just 5 carriers led by relatively weak Sprint. However they expect this situation to change substantially in early 2010 as several new tier 1 carriers (including VZ) launch Palm's smartphones. This channel expansion supports their expectations for nearly 80% HoH ramp in 2HFY10 sales that management still seems comfortable with, in Merrill's view. They note that in the past Palm has sold products via 100 carriers.
All about the ecosystem
While Palm has a breakthrough operating system, its ~350 apps catalog pales in comparison to multiple thousand apps of RIM, Android and Apple. However Palm is adding 50-100 new apps to its catalog (still in beta) every week, and they expect new e-commerce features and mid-December formal opening of the apps store to all developers. Merrill highlights here a new capability that Palm is building that will enable customers to download apps by just clicking on a web URL (as opposed to going to an app store). They believe this will dramatically improve discovery of apps and attract attention from developers. They also note new tools that will let developers integrate apps with other device functions such as the calendar. Palm also recently hired few people from Mozilla to further its apps effort.
Merrill likes Palm's new Pixi
The firm had a chance to play with Palm's new Pixi smartphone that Sprint will launch this weekend (for $99 retail) along with new advertising campaign. Pixi retains all the cool features of Palm's webOS and user interface but in a smaller, cheaper and lighter package. Despite the small size the keyboard was surprisingly easy to use. They expect the product to target a younger demographic compared to the power powerful and fully featured Pre product.
Strong balance sheet for investing in marketing campaigns
With its recent secondary offering Palm now has over $570mn to co-invest with carriers in marketing programs and accelerate R&D of new products and applications. While cash burn could persist for another 1-2 quarters they believe the company has the required resources to execute on its current business plan.
Labels: palm
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 11/11/2009 09:39:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
Since the Palm Pixi is targeted at a younger demographic ($99), Palm has decided to leave the unemotional girl from the Pre ads back in the "bin". The ad really shows off the Palm Pixi as well as features of the Palm webOS. Pretty cool ad. Via PreCentral .
Labels: palm, palm webos, pixi
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 11/11/2009 09:21:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
PreCentral came across a video showing the Palm Pixi running a new version of webOS, 1.3.1. The latest version of webOS running on the Palm Pre is webOS 1.2.1. Word on the street is Palm will be releasing webOS 1.3.1 for the Pre sometime this week, one of the biggest features is expected to be a snappier UI.
The Palm Pixi will be available this Sunday, November 15th for $99.99 when signing a new 2 year contract.
Labels: palm, palm webos, pixi, sprint
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 11/10/2009 09:50:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
Labels: palm, palm webos, pixi, sprint, unboxing
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 11/07/2009 05:28:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
"On ease of use, multitasking has been great; UI latency is still an issue even though the hardware is comparable to 3GS. The problem is the path to the GPU didn’t exist, but now with CSS transforms, that will be solved in the immediate future."
Labels: palm, palm webos, pixi, pre
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 11/04/2009 10:01:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
If only Sprint's bullet point claiming the Pixi was WiFi capable were true... It's not, even though it should be.
Labels: palm, palm webos, pixi, sprint
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 11/03/2009 02:32:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
"Admob Mobile has put out their monthly mobile metrics report and things are looking pretty good for Palm and WebOS. Last month we pointed out Admob's statistics and how WebOS already had 4% of the web market share only two months after the Pre's debut. WebOS came out in June 2009 and already showed a significant gain in web market share. Android, which debuted in October 2008 and has multiple handsets in the U.S. (G1 and MyTouch) had 8% web market share and Windows Mobile had 6%. Well the numbers are still increasing in Palm's favor."
Via preThinking Read full details @ PreThinking .
Labels: palm, palm webos, pre, windows mobile
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 11/02/2009 12:01:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
Labels: palm, palm webos, pixi, sprint
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 10/27/2009 04:17:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
Labels: palm, palm webos, pixi, sprint
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 10/27/2009 11:24:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
Application Development For Palm webOS Devices Powered by America’s Most Dependable 3G Network Will Be a Leading Topic at Sprint’s Open Developer Conference Starting Today
OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 26, 2009-- Sprint (NYSE: S) today announced Nov. 15 as the first day of nationwide availability for Palm® Pixi™, exclusively available on America’s most dependable 3G network1 from Sprint2. It will cost just $99.99 with a two-year service agreement, after a $50 instant rebate and $100 mail-in rebate and be available at Sprint stores, online at www.sprint.com, through telesales at 1-800-SPRINT1, and at Best Buy, RadioShack and select Wal-Mart stores.
“We are excited to offer the new Palm Pixi to our customers in time for the holiday season, and it’s a great addition to Sprint’s industry-leading device portfolio,” said Kevin Packingham, senior vice president – Product Development, Sprint. “Simply put, this phone is fun and easy to use; with its multi-touch screen and full QWERTY keyboard, it’s a great device for messaging and social networking at a price everyone can enjoy, and delivers so many of the great features people love about Palm Pre™ in a fantastic new form factor, making it a huge hit for consumers.”
Running the Palm webOS™ mobile platform, Palm Pixi lets the user keep multiple activities open and move easily between them, like flipping through a deck of cards, using natural gestures. This allows for easy movement between messaging and email or searching the Web while listening to music, and items are rearranged simply by dragging them. Universal search also makes finding things easy, providing results from both the device and the Web.
Palm webOS brings together the user’s most important information from their phone, at work or on the Web into one logical view. In addition to linking information from Google™, Facebook®, Microsoft® Exchange ActiveSync® and LinkedIn®, Palm Pixi adds Yahoo!® integration to Palm Synergy™3. Palm Synergy offers:
* Linked contacts – A single view that links contacts from a variety of sources, so accessing them is easier than ever.
* Layered calendars – Calendars can be seen on their own or layered together in a single view, combining work, family, friends, sports teams or other interests, and the user can toggle to look at one calendar at a time, or see them all at a glance.
* Combined messaging – See all the conversations with the same person in a chat-style view, including MMS, even if it started in IM and switched to reply with text messaging. The user can also see who’s active in a buddy list right from contacts or email, and start a new conversation with just one touch.
A new Facebook application will be available with Palm Pixi, so users can see and comment on all the latest news from friends and easily update their status. Palm Pixi features an exposed full QWERTY keyboard, multi-touch screen and a durable, removable rubberized back cover.
While Palm Pixi comes with a charger included in the box, Palm recently introduced the Touchstone™ charging dock, the first inductive charging solution for phones. Touchstone, along with the Touchstone compatible back cover (both sold separately), allows Palm Pixi to be set on top of the dock without worrying about connection, orientation or fit. The device remains active while charging, allowing access to the touch screen, movies or video, or the speakerphone option. Touchstone is available in Sprint stores nationwide for $79.99 and includes a Touchstone charger and USB wall charger. The Pixi Touchstone back cover is also available for $19.99 (plus taxes).
Palm Pixi requires activation on a pricing plan including unlimited data, such as Sprint’s Everything Data plans with Any Mobile, AnytimeSM, which give customers unlimited mobile calling on the Sprint network to and from any U.S. wireless carrier, unlimited nationwide texting, email, Web browsing and much more, starting at just $69.99. The Simply EverythingSM plan from Sprint offers a truly unlimited experience for only $99.99 per month, a savings of $1,200 over two years versus a comparable AT&T iPhone® plan4. (All price plans exclude surcharges and taxes. Other exclusions apply.)
Customers who subscribe to an Everything Data plan are also automatically enrolled in Sprint Premier, the industry-leading loyalty program. The Premier program provides customers with great benefits such as annual upgrades, discounts on accessories, anniversary rewards, rate plan checkups and “first to know” information about the latest at Sprint.
Palm Pixi will take advantage of the Sprint Mobile Broadband Network (inclusive of data roaming), which reaches more than 269 million people, 18,652 cities and 1,838 airports. The Sprint Networks (inclusive of data roaming) have more than twice the coverage of AT&T’s current 3G network and more than 15 times the coverage of T-Mobile’s current 3G network, both based on square miles5.
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 10/26/2009 10:08:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
At 10AM EST Palm and Sprint will be announcing the Palm Pixi price and release date. Stay tuned.
Labels: palm, palm webos, pixi, sprint
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 10/26/2009 09:27:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
Palm has created a website showing all of the apps currently in the App Catalog. The site is updated as Palm adds new apps to the App Catalog.
Labels: palm, palm webos, pix, pre
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 10/23/2009 10:07:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
The developer community for Palm webOS is alive and kickin'. If there's something Palm missed in terms of the way webOS works you can be rest assured that a developer will most likely make it happen. The latest patch is called "Close slider to end calls" , which does what the name implies.
Labels: homebrew, palm, palm webos, pre
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 10/19/2009 06:11:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
Verizon confirmed via Twitter that they will be offering the Pre in 2010.
Labels: palm, palm webos, pre, verizon
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 10/19/2009 09:35:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
"Finally, we would like to take a moment to thank our early access partners and developers who have been working with us to build our platform and program. Today these partners have introduced over 125 applications that have been downloaded almost 8 million times since the first webOS device, the Palm Pre™ phone, shipped just three months ago. It has been great working with you, and we look forward to more!"
Via PreCentral .
Labels: palm, palm webos, pre
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 10/14/2009 11:06:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
Besides HotSync in v2.0 many of you already successfully use (a detailed tutorial is available here), by completing the update you get more features and surprises: full screen mode, quick keyboard mode switch, improved reset functionality, reduced power consumption when idle and more. The complete list of v2.0 features and improvements is available at Tech Spec page on our website.
The favorite new feature in Classic v2.0 might be preloaded ClassicApps, a bundle of free Palm OS applications that you can get if you simply tap Install Free Apps option from the Classic menu.
When download and installation are completed, you will be able to use some of the most popular Palm OS applications through Classic on your Pre. Some of them are completely free while some are time-limited trials. Here is the list of apps that you get with a single tap in Classic:
A complete list of the Palm OS applications bundled with Classic can be found here .
Classic is one of the most used applications on my Pre. Now with the ability to HotSync it really is having two of the best smartphone operating systems on one device. If you have a Pre, do yourself a favor and get Classic. It will open your Pre up to the thousands of Palm OS applications already available.
Labels: palm, palm os, palm webos, pre, software
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 10/06/2009 10:00:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
Via Engadget .
Labels: gsm, palm, palm webos, pixi
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 10/06/2009 06:51:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
It's no secret that I love my Palm Pre, and would classify myself as a "Palm fanboy". I think it's great that Palm keeps one upping Apple by re-enabling iTunes syncing whenever Apple breaks it. What's not so great is the memory issue on the Palm Pre that many Pre owners are beginning to notice as more and more apps are added to the App Catalog.
Impulse buying is part of what makes iTunes and the iTunes App Store a huge success. When you see an app you can just tap it to download. I've never run into a memory issue with any of my iPhones (iPhone, iPhone 3G, and iPhone 3GS).
Tonight I purchased my 1st paid app from the Palm App Catalog. While in the App Catalog I noticed an update for Classic was available, so I tapped the update button. I got a "Sorry, Not Enough Memory" message. So I had to delete 5 applications just to download the update. I then attempted to download a free 4:20 Wallpaper app and got to the same message.
This experience is completely frustrating, especially when I have 6.4GB of available memory. Unless Palm fixes this issue Developers will stand a great chance of never getting their app purchased, there's too many hoops to jump through. Who wants to start deleting apps you've purchased in order to get an update to an existing app, download a free app, or more importantly purchase a cool app from the many developers making apps for Palm webOS?
So, please Palm take into consideration that iTunes syncing is a cool feature, but the most important feature should be to expand Palm webOS by allowing us the ability to purchase and download applications for our smartphone.
Labels: palm, palm webos, pre
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 10/05/2009 09:43:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
"“As we’ve said before, newer versions of Apple’s iTunes software may no longer provide syncing functionality with unsupported digital media players.” Presumably, iTunes 9.0.2 will disable Palm’s latest fix."
You can bet that Palm will re-enable iTunes syncing (they've been successful every time Apple has done this) with an update after Apple releases a new version of iTunes that breaks the sync.
Labels: apple, itunes, palm, palm webos, pre
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 10/05/2009 10:52:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
"webOS 1.2.1 re-enables it by settings its Manufacturer to Apple and also perhaps by changing the USB Product ID to the iPod Video's (they're even changing the serial number that appears when you plug it in with Media Sync)."
As the Editor of PreCentral, Dieter Bohn points out, If it wasn't clear before, it's clear now - Palm is committed to making iTunes sync work, USB-IF be damned."
Labels: apple, itunes, palm, palm webos, pre
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 10/05/2009 12:35:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
Version information
Version information
* Version: webOS 1.2.1
* Release date: 2 October 2009
Feature changes to existing applications Email
* Resolved an issue where after installing the 1.2.0 webOS update some customers running Exchange 2007 could no longer synchronize with their Exchange account for Email, Calendar, Contacts, and Tasks. System
* Resolves an issue preventing media sync from working with latest version of iTunes (9.0.1).
* Media sync now synchronizes photo albums, maintaining the album structure in the Photos app.
* Media sync now allows for synchronizing photos without requiring the full-resolution originals. This provides faster display of high-quality full-screen images and enables users to store more photos on the phone.
Web
* Resolved an issue where if a user tried to play streaming music or video, the media stream might drop out or have a long delay before starting.
Security
This release implements several security fixes, including the following:
* Addresses a security issue encountered by webkit developers. This issue did not impact end users.
Individuals interested in contacting Palm to report suspected security issues can find more information at palm.com/security.
It's great to see David (Palm) go at Goliath (Apple) and succeed. Palm has grown a set of balls not seen by any other company to take on such a huge giant as Apple. Nice work Palm!!!!
Labels: apple, itunes, palm, palm webos, pre, sprint
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 10/05/2009 12:17:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
The Boy Genius is reporting that the Palm Pixi will be launching on October 20th. The Palm Pixi will be exclusively available from Sprint.
Labels: palm, palm webos, pixi, sprint
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 10/01/2009 10:21:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
It looks like the $99 price of the Palm Pre has helped sales of the Palm Pre. The Palm Pre is currently the #1 smartphone being sold by Amazon.com . Via PreCentral .
Labels: palm, palm webos, pre, sprint
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 9/30/2009 10:17:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
Amazon MP3
* Songs can now be purchased from Amazon MP3 over a phone network connection. A Wi-Fi connection is no longer required.
App Catalog
* In preparation for e-commerce in the App Catalog, to purchase apps, you can enter credit card information by selecting Preferences & Accounts from the application menu in App Catalog. Credit card information is stored with the Palm profile, not on the phone. You can choose whether you need to enter their Palm profile password each time you make a purchase, or for the first purchase in any four-hour window.
* If you want to reinstall a purchased application you previously deleted, you can open App Catalog, search for the application, tap the app name, and tap Download again for free. You do not need to pay for the application again.
* A new Share button enables you to send a link to the app page in an email or text message.You can select whether to enter comments anonymously, using your first and last name, or using your first initial and last name.
* You must accept an end-user license agreement to purchase apps.
Backup
* Web browser bookmarks are now backed up to your Palm profile. After a restart or partial/full erase, the bookmark is restored in Web when you go to the web page.
Bluetooth
* If you are on the phone, get in a car with a previously paired car kit, and turn on the car, a notification appears asking whether you want to continue talking directly into the phone, or transfer the call to the car kit. Previously, the call was automatically transferred to the car kit.
* The types of car kits to which contacts can be transferred has been increased. You can transfer contacts to Toyota and Lexus car kits.
* You can make a Bluetooth connection to a computer even if the computer’s Bluetooth device name field is blank.
Calendar
* On the event details screen, the Map Location application menu item is now called Event Location and has two submenu options: Show On Map, which displays the location in Google Maps, and Get Directions, which provides directions from the current location in Google Maps.
* The options for changing a calendar’s display color and choosing whether to show or hide a calendar in All Calendars view are now accessed by opening the application menu > Preferences & Accounts > Calendar View Options, or by tapping the Calendar View Options list item in the list where you switch between All Calendars and an individual calendar.
* If you tap Snooze on a calendar event notification, the notification no longer reappears after the event end time.
* If a calendar note contains a phone number, you can tap the number to dial it.
* In Day view, you can press and hold the orange key/Option and tap an event to delete the event. Options displayed include deleting just this event or deleting the whole series for recurring events.
* Calendar now recognizes the 7th day of a given month as the first Monday/Tuesday/etc. of that month, not the second. If you choose a repeat option for an event on the 7th, the list correctly shows the option Monthly on 1st [day]. Previously, the repeat list for an event on the 7th of the month showed the option Monthly on 2nd [day].
* Untimed events included in calendar data migration from your desktop now appear on the correct date in Calendar.
* If you create an all-day event and then switch the phone’s time zone, the event continues to display correctly.
* When you select a month for a birthday, the month displays correctly.
* Responses to meeting invitations are correctly sent back to the organizer. If the organizer of an event requests not to receive responses, responses are not sent to the organizer.
Clock
* The volume of alarms set in clock matches the ringtone volume, not the system sounds volume.
Contacts
* On a contact details screen, a Send Contact option is available on the application menu, with options to send the contact to a car kit or send it as a vCard attachment to an email or multimedia message.
* On a contact details screen, a Copy All option is now available on the Edit submenu in the application menu. Selecting this option copies the entire contents of the contact entry as plain text.
* LinkedIn is now available as an online account in Contacts. As with Facebook, a LinkedIn account set up on the phone enables you to download contacts from that account. LinkedIn contacts cannot be created or edited in Contacts.
* If a contact contains an instant messaging (IM) address, the contact is linked to the IM account buddy entry.
* You can search for messages in any email folder simply by opening the folder and typing. Search returns any matches found in the subject, From, To, or CC field.
* If a message contains an inline image, you can act on the image by pressing and holding the orange key/Option and tapping the image. For all images, an option appears to share the image as an attachment to an email message. If the image is in JPG, BMP, or PNG format, a second option appears to copy the image to the Photos app.
* Support for paragraph text selection, copy, and paste is now available in Email. A yellow highlight appears to indicate paragraph selection.
* If you have multiple Exchange accounts, you can now use Exchange policies on all these accounts; previously this was restricted to one account. Additionally, IT administrators no longer have to deselect “allow non-provisionable devices” on the Exchange server in order for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync policies to work on the phone.
* If you change synchronization of email in a POP account to Manual, the account no longer continues to sync email automatically.
* When addressing a message, searching for a linked contact whose contact entry does not contain a complete last name (such as John S.) now returns the contact match correctly.
* When you accept a meeting invitation, the response is now correctly sent.
* Forwarded messages now correctly display the original message text with the formatting maintained.
* When you save an attached file—for example, a Word file attachment saved to Doc View—the file appears with the correct name in the application.
* An error message appears if you cannot send a message from an Exchange account because the account mailbox is full.
* The Email application always enforces EAS security policies—such as entering a password—when you try to access your Exchange account in Email.
Media Sync
* Media sync now allows for synchronizing photos without requiring the full-resolution originals. This provides faster display of high-quality full screen images and enables you to store more photos on the phone.
Memos
* Tapping text in a memo moves the cursor to the point that was tapped.
* When you send a memo using the Email Memo menu option, the memo formatting is maintained in the copied memo.
Messaging
* When you are in a conversation with an IM buddy, the buddy’s online status and custom message are displayed on the conversation screen.
* In Conversations view, a Copy All option is now available on the Edit submenu in the application menu. Selecting this option copies the entire contents of the conversation as plain text.
* When addressing a message, searching for a linked contact whose contact entry does not contain a complete last name (such as John S.) now returns the contact match correctly.
* If a contact contains an instant messaging (IM) address, the contact is linked to the IM account buddy entry.
* You can receive vCard contact entries as part of a multimedia message.
Music
* If playback of an audio file is paused or interrupted, when you resume playback, playback resumes at the point where it was paused. This applies to audio files for which the Genre field is defined as podcast, speech, spoken word, netcast, or audiobook only.
* You can use music playback controls on the dashboard even if the screen is locked.
* If the ringer switch is turned off, music playback is not interrupted by an incoming call.
Phone
* You can now turn carrier data services on or off in the Phone application by opening the application menu > Preferences > Data Usage > tap on/off.
* Default ringtone volume has been increased.
* Adjusting the volume of a call now works even if the screen is off. Reducing the volume level to zero sets the call volume to zero.
* Contact entries in the call log now show both the phone number and type.
Photos
* The Photos app can now display photos in JPG, BMP, and PNG format.
Sprint Navigation
* Sprint Navigation now pulls Google contacts from the phone, as well as Exchange and Palm profile contacts.
System
* You can open either the application or connection menu by dragging down from the upper corner of the phone onto the screen, as well as tapping the upper corner of the screen.
* When you press and hold the orange key/Option and drag onscreen, the cursor now moves one word at a time instead of one character at time in Email, Memos, and other apps. The cursor still moves one character at a time in the Web address bar and Messaging body text entry field.
* Notifications, including incoming phone calls, now show above the onscreen lock icon, so they can be seen when the keyboard is locked.
* Notification sounds play softly when you are on a call, regardless of the system sounds setting.
* If you copy text from an application and open the Launcher, you can paste the text to start a universal search.
* Universal search contact matches include an Add Reminder option that allows you to add a reminder to the contact.
* In universal search, pressing the orange key/Option + a letter key now searches on the letter key’s alternate character (for example, 5 for F), not on the letter key.
* In universal search, you can enter keywords to search for applications. For example, entering “addresses” returns Contacts, “SMS” returns Messaging, and “pictures” returns Photos.
Tasks
* Tasks that are assigned a category now retain the category when they synchronize between the phone and your desktop. Other information including start date, status, reminder setting, and privacy setting is also retained.
* A new Hide Completed menu option is available. If you select this option and mark a task as completed, the task disappears from the current view.
* A menu in the upper-right corner of the screen showing all tasks enables you to sort tasks by due date or priority. You can also manually reorder the tasks.
Web
* The browser now supports downloading files from a web page. To download a file, tap the file name.
* The browser now supports paragraph selection, cut, copy, and paste on web page text. A yellow highlight appears to indicate paragraph selection.
* You can press and hold the orange key/Option and tap a link or image. Options displayed include opening the item in a new card, sharing the link or image via email, or copying the URL. For images in JPG, BMP, or PNG format, an additional option to copy the image to the Photo app is displayed.
* If you tap on a text field, the page zooms to a level at which it is easy to read the text being entered.
* If you copy text in the address bar or in the body text of a web page, a notification appears stating that the text was copied.
* You can accept self-signed certificates through the browser.
Security
This release addresses several security issues with Palm webOS software.
Labels: palm, palm webos, pre, sprint
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 9/28/2009 06:18:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
Contact Jimmie Geddes here: gadgetsonthego at gmail dot com.
