Palm may be preparing to bring Universal search and a specialized dock mode to an upcoming version of webOS. The two new options, “Universal Search enabled” and “Dock Enabled”, were included as fields within an application submission form for webOS developers. Though they appeared on the form, the options were set to a default of “No” and were not selectable. It does not take a rocket scientist to come to the conclusion that these two features will go live in an upcoming version of webOS.
So what does these two option bring to webOS? The inclusion of Universal Search suggests that Palm may be enabling a search option that allows users to search the data stored within an application. A search for “Wake Up” could pull up your alarm clock setting, your latest tweet about your morning activities, and a note admonishing yourself to not be so sleepy at your next meeting. This idea of an integrated, universal search fits in nicely with Palm’s underlying architecture which focuses on taking disparate pieces of information and bringing them together in an efficient and user-friendly interface.
The dock-enabled option suggests that Palm may be designing a specialized dock-interface similar to Android. When the webOS device is placed into a car dock or desktop cradle, a specialized homescreen with dock-enabled applications could appear. A car dock could produce an interface that provides easy access to navigation, music playback, and hands-free-calling options.Likewise, a desktop cradle could result in an user interface with a calendar, photo frame, alarm clock and more. The presence of this dock mode also hints at the release of some potentially cool accessories for the upcoming webOS handsets.
If Palm were to push out some hot, new hardware, equally impressive accessories, and a new version of webOS, would your interest be renewed in this mobile platform?
[Via PreCentral]