There seems to be no shortage of chatter about celebrities and their new Palm handsets today. We
already knew that stars attending the Independent Spirit Awards would be getting a swag bag containing -- among other things -- a Palm Pre, and based on the coverage we're seeing from the event (held on the 21st), they at least got to handle them. It's actually difficult to say if Palm was giving the device out that night or putting people on a waiting list, but what it does make clear is that the Pre can't be too far from launch if the company felt comfortable enough to throw them into such an uncontrolled setting. Does this mean the release date is nearer than we think, or is Palm just hoping that a little of that star power rubs off on the phone? Either way, we're super jealous of Eliza Dushku.
Update: According to a
Tweet from Palm (which links this post -- meta!), these were just there to be played with, not handed out.
[Thanks, Marques]
posted February 23rd 2009 10:58AM
Lol
It's real dumb that Palm isn't outing a release date for the Pre, considering the market for cell phones right now. The longer they wait the more people lose interest. I was ecstatic about the Pre when I first read about it, and I definitely want to get one, but my HTC Touch isn't cutting it, and I might jump ship and grab a G1. All I want is a phone that doesn't suck to type on that I can customize that isn't gigantic. Hurry up Palm! Sprint has all these empty promises, give us Android phones!
I have to admit...this was a shrewd move on Palm's part, to claw and scratch their way back into the game - use glitz and fame to sell their product. Palm is going to try to remake themselves with Apple chic - as a fashion accessory. Whether celebrities actually use the thing or not will be another story.
Who the hell is that girl ? I mean she's hot and all, But I never heard of her...
She starred in Tru Calling which was a great show, that was a few years ahead of its time. She currently stars in the dollhouse but I have yet to watch that.
Was also in Buffy the Vampire Slayer
More importantly, she was in the definitive cheer leading movie, Bring It On, .
@Amir: "Who the hell is that girl ? I mean she's hot and all, But I never heard of her.."
Eliza Dushku is currently starring in the series Dollhouse, Fridays at 9pm on FOX.
Right, 3 days ago, no journalist was allowed to touch the PRE now they giving them away to the so called stars ?
The Pre is not ready that is why no journalist were able to play with it and more than likely the so called stars will get a voucher for the PRE when it is ready.
Hm, who do you want handling your shiny new phone if you want it to look good? A journalist who knows exactly what to look for, has handled plenty of phones in the past, and has likely very high standards? Or a celebrity who knows nothing about phones?
Yeah umm, sorry but you must have forgotten that in the US hierarchy, celebrities are higher than journalists. Haha. But it's quite often that they are given goodies like this much before the normal public can receive them. John Mayer had a Blackberry Bold many months before it was publicly available (http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/16/john-mayer-gets-lucky-hands-around-a-blackberry-bold/). Sure, we would hope that the average person wouldn't be interested in what the celebrities have...but then again, this is the US...we crave stuff like this, therefore, our celebrities get exclusive access to things like this. Yeah, it sucks. But many times reality sucks.
But the celebs were not given the goodies. They did not get working models.
So the question remains...exclusive access to what? A fawning PAR hack saying: "hold this for sec"?
@Dutch
What would be the point of letting celebrities handle a "not working model"? That makes no sense. 'Nominees' of the Spirit Awards received the Palm Pre in swag giveaway bag. Read this article: http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/movieawards/oscars/2009-02-19-swag-suites_N.htm
@Dutch
Here are the contents of the gift bag:
http://www.accesshollywood.com/content/images/86/0x600/86767_gifts-for-stars-from-the-independent-spirit-awards-official-gift-lounge.jpg
Original link, look at the slide show to the left: http://www.accesshollywood.com/alec-alba-and-more-at-the-independent-spirit-gift-lounge_article_14712
I was on the phone witha Sprint rep the other day asking about the Pre. She stated in no uncertain terms that the Pre and the Treo Pro were both set to launch by the end on the 1st quarter this year. With the Treo Pro showing up at Best Buy, I am starting to believe her.
I was on the phone with a little birdie other day. She doesn't know what a Pre is,but since she knows more than any Sprint CSR I decided to ask about the launch date. I will tell you what she told me. The Pre is in beta. This means that the CEO of Sprint and the CEO of Palm don't know when it will be ready and that anyone claiming to know is a fool. Anyone believing a fool is a bigger fool. I go with the birdie over the CSR, ok?.
The Birdie added that Pam has missed more launch windows that it has made on a 2:1 ratio and if the launch window ends at June 30, as it does, this means May, June or July.
Seriously, first quarter ends in March. It is impossible. April is a slim possibility. Odds are May/June
The most enticing thing in this picture is definitely not a phone.
I watched the entire chain of seasons of "Tru Calling" because Eliza Dushku was in it.
BONER!
It looks sooo good... much better when seen in usage...
so not an iPhone killer, who's the girl on the right?
I think that's the first time I've seen someone FAIL twice in one sentence. Kudos!
They were not handed out. I have a friend who works on the Pre, and it's not ready to be handed out.
Eliza Dushku sure has gotten a lot hotter lately.
I find it funny that people are like "who's that on the right" when I'm wondering who the hag is on the left.
Also, Eliza was a child in True Lies, had a cameo in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, and has a new show Dollhouse, created by Joss Whedon.
Why would you want to be that Palm? So you can be 2 inches away from some wrinkled bitch's face while Eliza holds you away at arm's length? I'd rather be her left index finger.
Cameo? I don't think this words means what you thinks it means. She played a significant minor role in J&SB
Anyways, I'm beginning to think that Palm is pulling the old (smart) trick of keeping a new product fresh in people's minds so that they don't buy something else, even though it is months from launch. Kind of like, IMO, what Sony did when launching the PS2 to keep people from buying the Dreamcast before the PS2 was ready. It's a stretch, but I'm comfortable with it.
This thing won't be on sale for months, it seems, yet it keeps popping up. I wish it was ready now.
I was on the phone to Eliza Dushku yesterday. She told me she loves her RAZR.
Hey - where's mine...I'm Flavor Flav's assistant and all I got was a blinged our motorola StarTac phone with antennae missing!!!!
I feel quite jealous with the Pre, but anyways, I hope I was the one having the Palm Pre instead of some celebrities! I want to know what's good about the phone because I think it will be the next Big Thing from the Palm world. Eliza, I want your phone! Give one to me!
I think Eliza must be a bit of a geek-girl -- I recall seeing paparazzi pictures of her playing with her Treo at a sidewalk cafe, before Treos were very popular.
Pathetic.
Vapid, idiotic airheads (both male and female) getting the new tech just because what..... they're famous? They would not know what to do with 1% of the features of this phone. Just give them startacs encrusted with swarovski crystals and they'll be happier.
Yeah! I'm Jealous. So there.
Spit on Celebrities
Steal the phone..
JIZZ...IN MY PANTS
Well it looks like Elizas Thumb is 1/4th the size of a Pre Keyboard.....Not a good look for Palm
Well, being that it does look pretty good and sized right in her...Palm, I think they'll do alright. The name of the company isn't Thumb. Haha
Am I the only one that thinks the Pre's screen looks to be almost twice the size in this pic compared to every other pic I've seen of it? And damn, Dutch, bomchickawahwah was right, someone did shit in your cereal this morning
So bloggers and people in the industry who actual write about these things were not given hands-ons but movie stars played with them to their hearts content? Actually after thinking about it a little, it does make some sense...
Yeah, now that the Oscars are over, picture are flying all around the place with celebrities playing with the Pre. It's shallow, but it's has the potential to be some almost-free but incredibly far-reaching marketing.
@boomchicka: Pictures are problably flying from Palm's PR Firm to the HQ so a couple of interns can try and get a raise. But everyone else is laughing at this shallow and silly standup and the fact that it means implies the Pre is behind schedule since it was supposed to be handed out and wasn't.
You own posts sounds like you are own of those interns! This is engadget, not the National Inquirer LOL.
I am no iPhone fanboy but at least they handed out the real thing!
the best thing about this picture is the fact that it features Ondi Timoner, the amazing director of We Live In Public, and Dig!