The Palm (NSDQ: PALM) Pre is making big waves as the next-generation Palm smartphone with the potential to turn the company’s fortunes around. But, the Palm Pre’s hardware would be much less appealing were it not for the touch-optimized Web OS that runs the show. All those snazzy gesture-controls and capacitance touchscreen make for one fun-to-use UI. Today, we’re hearing that the Web OS will launch with an application store that will be known as the “App Catalog.”
Palm will be embracing the developer community in the near future with the release of the Palm Web OS SDK. The Palm Web OS will allow web-developers to apply their HTML, Javascript, and CSS skills to developing native applications for the Web OS platform. The upcoming Web OS SDK will allow web-developers to use a programming language they’re most comfortable with to access and interact with the Palm Pre’s hardware. But, we’re willing to bet that Palm will also support the traditional developer community – Web OS applications developed with using web-languages will no doubt be pretty to look at and quite useful, but hard-hitting applications like GPS navigation apps and mobile games will require some traditional development resources.
Because an integrated application-delivery platform is fast becoming par for the smartphone-course these days, Palm will be launching its own applications store, a la the App Store and Android Market. The Palm Pre developer blog notes that the App Catalog will “provide an on-device application catalog to deliver your apps directly to users.” The Palm App Catalog will bring applications to the Web OS, helping to drive adoption of the platform as a whole.
We can’t wait to check out the applications in the App Catalog!
The just-launched Palm Pre promises to bring ailing Palm (NSDQ: PALM) back from the depths of financial ruin. With its innovative design, high-end feature-set, and intuitive UI (courtesy of Palm’s other new product, the Web OS), the Palm Pre has the potential to rock the smartphone world, redefining what it means to be connected to the web and how you manage all the information sources in your daily life.
No longer will your business and personal lives need to be separated, the Palm Pre integrates all aspects of your life in an easy-to-use platform that’s still powerful and flexible enough to take your virtual office with you. Palm Synergy is possibly the coolest feature of the Web OS. Enter your Facebook credentials and Synergy will search out all your contacts and automatically add them to your contacts list – complete with profile information (like phone numbers and email addresses) as well as pictures. Synergy can also draw contact information from multiple sources, like other social networks.
Another interesting feature is the universal search tool. Simply bring up the search box and start typing for whatever you need – food, a contact, and email, a song, or a movie theater – and Universal Search will automatically scour your device for appropriate content. If the Web OS can’t find anything on your Palm Pre that matches your search, it’ll search Google (NSDQ: GOOG), Wikipedia, or even offer to map the location for you.
Oh, and then there’s the 3.1-inch capacitance touchscreen that’s just a joy to use. Combined with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard and the gesture-control area directly below the display, the Palm Pre offers intuitive navigation and sleek design. But, it doesn’t stop there. Oh no, not in the least. The Palm Pre sports a 3 megapixel camera, GPS, WiFi, EVDO Rev. A data connection (3G), 8GB of on-board storage, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a super-fast CPU based on the OMAP3 architecture (the Palm Pre is the first mobile phone to use the processor, in fact).
We’re looking for the Palm Pre to hit market in the first half of 2009 (1H 2009). And there are rumblings about the Sprint (NYSE: S) subsidized pricing coming in around $400 on contract, but we’re not going to hold our breath. Palm would do well to get this little baby out as quickly as possible.
Needless to say, we’re enamored with the Palm Pre. We’ve already offered a sacrificial intern to the Palm reps in exchange for a early review unit – it would be totally worth it.
Peep the video for a hands-on look at the Palm Pre.
Lots of news, rumors and innuendo about the new Palm (NSDQ: PALM) device rumored to hit us this Thursday… The device (as Dusan reported earlier this morning) will apparently be a slider of sorts. As Dusan commented:
The device that will run the new operating system is “iPhone-like” and comes with a full QWERTY keyboard that slides down under a portrait-oriented touchscreen. A mock-up above should explain you how this could look like…
Cool. At any rate, after reading this and a few other reports from some other awesome daily must-read blogs, I stumbled upon this new design mockup for the new Palm device. Could this be it? It certainly looks a little more official than the rough vector illustrations I’ve seen thus far.
At any rate, is this it? The new Palm Nova? Or just some handy Photoshop work? You decide. I’ll wait till the announcement this Thursday at CES
Palm users in the UK will be pleased to know that in addition to being offered at Vodafone (NYSE: VOD), the Palm Treo Pro is now available at O2 as well. As you can see from their website, the handset is being offered for free on some plans… 12, 18, 24 and 36 month tariffs (contracts/plans) are currently available.
The Palm (NSDQ: PALM) Treo Pro comes complete with the following key features:
Windows Mobile® 6.1 Professional Edition
High speed mobile Internet
WiFi
GPS
2MP camera with 8x digital zoom and video capture
Thinnest Palm handset ever created (114 x 60 x 13.4 mm)
The Palm Treo Pro boasts a lot of nice new features in comparison to earlier models… And hopes were this device would put the company back on the right track. However, the Palm Treo Pro has failed to be the ’savior’ all were hoping it to be… and now a heck of a lot rests on the new Palm OS ‘Nova’ that is scheduled to launch at CES in January. The Palm Nova OS has already been spotted in the wild… Lets hope good things come of it… Or as I’ve said before, things could be getting close to ‘end game’ for Palm
Rumors have now been confirmed that a new OS is going to be introduced by Palm (NSDQ: PALM) during CES. The new OS, dubbed ‘Nova’ has been a project lead by Executive Chairman of Palm, Jon Rubinstein. He’s also a former senior vice president over at Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) (thought that was interesting). Hopefully Jon has the magic touch here, as I’m sure Palm could use it.
As a report in Business Week mentions, Palm is going to have to aim for the ‘fat middle’ with the new OS.
Rubinstein and others say the goal is to create products that bridge the gap between Research In Motion’s BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) devices, oriented to work and e-mail, and Apple’s iPhone, oriented to fun.
In my opinion there’s a lot hinging on this. With the latest round of layoffs from Palm, and the ever weakening economy… This could be Palm’s last kick at the cat. I certainly hope Palm knocks one out of the park and has some success with it. I want them to WOW me here. Unfortunately I think that’s what it is going to take to save their butts. Innovate or die, isn’t that what they say? C’mon Palm, I’m rootin’ for ya.
ACCESS has announced that the brand new beta version of their Garnet Virtual Machine is now available for Nokia (NYSE: NOK) Internet Tablets. Released a year ago, Garnet VM allows running of Palm (NSDQ: PALM) OS apps on the Internet Tablet devices — Nokia 770, N800 and N810 — hence drastically expanding the list of available for the Maemo platform (through Garnet emulator, but that still counts, I guess).
As for the latest update, ACCESS said that several bugs have been fixed in Garnet VM core components as well as in Garnet PIM applications. The Beta 3 also grows the already big list of compatible applications with two new supported games: Billard 5.0 by Megasoft2000, and Toxic Balls by Beiks LLC…
Interested? Hop over to this page at ACCESS’ website from your Nokia Tablet and click on the download link for your OS (if you have the N800 or N810 and have updated it, it’s the OS2008).
With Palm just about ready to ditch their aging Palm OS platform for the Linux-based goodness of the Access Linux Platform (ALP) 3.0, Palm customers with older handsets might be feeling a bit left behind. Palm has all but declared their Palm OS dead in the water, and we can’t imagine that there will be too many Palm OS updates coming down the pipeline.
But, Palm Centro customers on Verizon’s network will be glad to hear that Verizon and Palm still care enough about them to launch a software update that brings with it a “minor tune-up that may improve device usability in certain situations.”
The software update is ready to roll through Palm upgrade center. The update can be applied via SD card or by way of HotSync through your computer.
Find the Verizon Palm Centro software update here.
We did see this coming back in September when first image of the Palm Centro in new colors were leaked. Now that’s happening and Sprint (NYSE: S)’s existing and new users can grab the popular smartphone in Olive Green or Vibrant Rose. But the color is not the only thing that’s changed. New Centros boast more RAM — 128MB as opposed to 64MB of the original Centro — as well as the “soft-touch finish that feels smooth and comfortable in the hand.” Yeah, sure — there’s more RAM, that’s what counts.
The new Centros will be available for $79.99 on a two-year contract starting from October 19th at select retail locations and beginning on November 2nd in Sprint Stores, business channels and online.
If you’re considering picking up a brand new Treo Pro, you’ll want to check out the Treo Pro comparison video done by Dieter over at WMExperts not so long ago. The video goes through the whole process of unboxing the Pro out of its cool new packaging, all the way through to features and device comparisons.
As you’ll notice in the video, Palm (NSDQ: PALM) has really reworked their packaging. Looks much better than the past. They’ve also used their new logo, and have done away with the orange circle logo. The buttons on the Treo Pro are bigger and spaced further apart than previous versions, which should make for easier text entry…. But the part of the video I liked the most was the device comparisons. Check it out to see for yourself:
Members at WMExperts have been reporting back to Dieter on their Treo Pro experience so far. Some key points to note thus far:
The Primetime Emmy Awards are getting set to “honor” our Hollywood favs with awards recognizing them for their work on the small screen. And, you know what that means – celebrities are going to be getting swag bags filled with new gadgets that mere mortals will never get their hands on. Mobile phone makers scramble around this time of year to have celebrities brandishing their wares in front of cameras from all over the world. What better way to get your cellphone some coverage than to offer an over-the-top, limited edition version of your best-seller?
That’s exactly what Palm has one. They’ve gotten it in their heads that the latest Hollywood fashion-fad, Ed Hardy, was the perfect image to help market their Palm Centro. So, Palm tapped Ed Hardy to bling-out their Palm Centro (and accompanying headset) with crystals and a tacky, flagrantly gaudy design that only tripped-out, tasteless, wannabe celebrities can appreciate. Thankfully Unfortunately, only hosts, presenters, and performers will have to bear will have the honor of sporting the Ed Hardy-designed Palm Centro in all its faux-style glory.
The Palm (NSDQ: PALM) Pre is making big waves as the next-generation Palm smartphone with the potential to turn the company’s fortunes around. But, the Palm Pre’s hardware would be much less appealing were it not for the touch-optimized Web OS that runs the show. All those snazzy gesture-controls and capacitance touchscreen make for one fun-to-use UI. Today, we’re hearing that the Web OS will launch with an application store that will be known as the “App Catalog.”
The 
