We keep hearing about how Pandora's "almost" in production... and we don't like to be naysayers, so we're not going to get sarcastic about it now. And while it is taking it's sweet time in getting to us, the evidence of progress just keeps piling on, day in, day out. The newest photos that have emerged show a nearly final casing, and we have to say, we do like what we're seeing. We're assured that video is en route, and we'll let you know as soon as it turns up. Because, you know: we want to believe. There are another two shots after the break, hit the read link for the full set.

[Via Gadgetoid]

If you were around for our 2009 CES coverage you might have caught our ears-on demonstration of the future of Ford and Microsoft's SYNC technology, which delivered traffic, directions, and weather over a Bluetooth-tethered handset -- no monthly fee or even a data plan required. It was said the update would be included in 2010 Fords, which is still true, but owners of older models can also get in on the fun with an update coming early next week (installable via thumb drive). That's hot, but even hotter is talk of what's planned for the next update: internet radio, and Pandora is on the short list for hopeful inclusion. Have you streamed in a Ford, lately?

Update: As pointed out by commenter ericr34, it actually sounds like owners of earlier SYNC cars may not be able to get in on all this goodness. Here's to hoping that Ford enables pre-recession car buyers to experience the upgrade fun.

Much like digital photo frames, the whole internet radio sector is getting really, really tired. Thankfully, a little known company by the name of Livio is breaking in to spice things up. The simply titled (and classically styled) Livio Radio is the first and only dedicated device to offer Pandora's signature "thumbs up, thumbs down" controls on both the front panel and a remote, and while we suppose Pandora will be plenty for most of the targeted customers, it can also tune into a comprehensive list of other validated internet radio stations from around the world through Reciva. Outside of that, functionality is indeed limited, but Livio designed this thing to be a simple WiFi mix tape of sorts, not a bona fide home audio player. Naturally, all that's required to get tunes streaming is an AC outlet and an internet connection, so you can feel free to leave your PC / laptop at home. It's shipping now directly from Livio for $150, and the full release is after the break.

Do you love people talking? Do you love technology? Then you're in the right place, friend. Welcome -- yes, welcome one and all to the Engadget Podcast! This week, you get to hear the coolest set of cats this side of the junkyard pontificating on the week's top stories. Listen as Josh, Paul, and Nilay dish about Palm's SDK happenings, marvel at the HTC Snap, relive a Dell unboxing, and get crazy on Sling for some questionable business practices. If you don't enjoy this podcast, you may not be listening to it closely enough.

Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel, Paul Miller
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Song: 8BN - Push It

00:03:10 - Palm announces webOS SDK availability, Palm OS emulation for Pre, new cloud services
00:11:08 - Pandora, Amazon, other third-party apps demoed on Palm Pre
00:36:44 - HTC Snap hands-on
00:43:25 - Samsung Mondi WiMAX hands-on with video
00:52:37 - Dell Studio XPS 13 unboxing and hands-on
01:01:50 - Older Slingboxes won't work with SlingPlayer for iPhone

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If that first Meet Pre video wasn't soothing enough, Palm's released the second episode of its chill-inducing series, "This Weekend," showing off third party like Fandango and Pandora, as well as offering a sharper look at messaging and how SMS and internet clients like Google Talk / AIM are placed into one cohesive chat log with each contact. As with last time, integration is the key point to take from here, and of course being able to play Pandora in the background while browsing other apps has gotta be one of the most enjoyable features, especially for anyone who's been struggling with the iPhone's lack of multitasking. Sure, the video's great, but whether or not it'll function that well in practice is still up in the air. Hit up the read link to see it for yourself.

Dovetailing dreamingly with the company's SDK announcement today, Palm's chosen CTIA to show off a round of third-party apps for the Pre, and the good news is that they're definitely dispelling some doubts we had about the robustness of webOS' development platform and its ability to deliver compelling software. We were emphatically reminded that everything here is strictly for the sake of preview -- it's all beta, just like the Pre itself -- but that being said, it all looked smooth and relatively crash-free (as best as we could gather anyhow without giving it a more ruthless hands-on beating of our own).

First off, we saw a NASCAR app, perfect for die-hard fans (but really, even more perfect for Sprint's track record of sponsoring NASCAR events) that culls video highlights, driver profiles, and more. Next, we were treated to a brief look at the Pre's Google Maps implementation, Pandora, Amazon's music store, and FlightView, a trick little flight status app that every frequent traveler will likely want loaded. We also saw a Pre version of the Sprint TV player -- a staple service on most of Sprint's devices -- proving that the Pre has the stones to handle multimedia within its development framework. Video was just a little bit choppy, but they're not making any claims that this is final, optimized code at this point. The best part of the whole demo, perhaps, is Pandora's notification implementation, which brings up a mini-player by tapping on the "P" visible at the bottom of any Pre screen; from here, you can play / pause, rank tracks up and down, and see a full track name, all without leaving the comfort of whatever app you might be in. Try that on an iPhone, eh? Follow the break for video!

We've always had a soft spot for Vudu and its 1080p HDX movie rentals, and it looks like it's about to get even easier to love -- our man Dave Zatz says that Pandora will be launching on the device "imminently." Not only that, but it looks like the $150 box will also soon be able to stream video off your computer, making it even more flexible -- pending codec support, of course. We're on the lookout for official deets, we'll let you know as we get 'em.

Update: Full release is now after the break.

While we were happy just to see pictures, Tom Conrad, CTO of Pandora, is one of the lucky few to have seen in action the innards of the software that keeps things moving on the Pre. He sat down with Palm Infocenter (on the wrong end of a zero-bar concall by the sounds) to talk details of webOS software development. Conrad clarified that, despite all apps being mixtures of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, webOS is more than just a big browser -- it has direct access to local files and UI elements. However, he echoed the fears of others that this web-friendly programming interface won't exactly be well suited for gaming, expressing hope that Palm will address this with integrated Flash support or some sort of a lower-level API to appease those who want to tap that OMAP processor directly. Hit the read link to hear the whole conversation yourself.

[Thanks, Jay]

We'll be honest with you: we don't read the GP32X board nearly as often as we'd like -- but we did manage to cull from its archive this cold, hard fact: Pandora is now going to ship with 256MB of beautiful, delicious RAM, AND 512MB of flash memory -- that's double what we initially were told to expect, and Craigix confirmed that Ubuntu is now running 20 percent faster with the upgrade. This windfall comes at no additional cost to the patient, patient consumer. Our advice though? Next time there's a seriously righteous spec bump happening, try not to couch it in a riddle.

[Thanks, Jared E]

We still don't really believe it, but the Pandora pre-order page is now live and accepting orders for the open-source gaming handheld. Only 3,000 units are being delivered this time around, so you'd better act fast -- $329 is all it takes to be a part of history, kids.

All kinds of exciting things are happening in the Pandora universe, and now one enterprising individual has succeeded in getting Ubuntu 7.04 up and running on his development model. Things move pretty slowly, and no luck yet with Firefox, but the thrilling video does catch him playing with GIMP and the Xfce desktop environment. See for yourself after the break.

[Thanks, Stern]