web os
Latest
Open webOS-powered HDTVs said to be on the way from... LG?
If you were wondering what was next for webOS now that it's gone all open source on us, webOS Nation chimes in with word that Gram is working with LG to bring it to connected HDTVs. Several names from the HP / Gram team are dropped as being involved in the effort, which reportedly was under way even before HP revealed it would spin the project off as an independent. Of course, when we actually saw Open webOS 1.0 it was already stretching to fill the space of an HP TouchSmart computer screen (project architect Steve Winston specifically mentioned hotel kiosks as a possibility, a market LG is all over) so it makes sense that larger displays have been a target. With LG supposedly both looking to replace its existing NetCast smart TV platform and unhappy with Google TV based on its rate of adoption and Google's terms, engineers have been working to port the software to its dual-core L9 chipset. In the past LG has pursued voice and motion control, the aforementioned Google TV integration and even Plex support to make its smart TVs more appealing, and has founded the Smart TV Alliance for cross platform apps. We only have to wait until CES 2013 to see if webOS is next up to power its efforts, stay tuned.
Appcelerator developers warm to Windows Phone, give BlackBerry the cold shoulder
As the year winds to a close, it seems that developer sentiments have shifted since we last checked in with Appcelerator and its opinionated community of coders. In a survey performed in conjunction with IDC, the results suggest a steady interest to develop for smartphones and tablets of the iOS and Android variety, but also reveal a punctuated surge in enthusiasm for Windows Phone. The platform experienced an eight percent uptick since last quarter, with developers citing Nokia's involvement as a primary motivating factor. While Microsoft's OS still lags significantly behind the front-runners, it has significantly separated itself from other competitors. For instance, interest in BlackBerry smartphones fell by seven percent, to roughly half that of Windows Phone. It should be noted that this survey doesn't reflect the development community as a whole, but merely of Appcelerator Titanium users -- if you're curious, the product is a cross-platform development environment for mobile apps. While the 2,160 respondents may not perfectly represent reality, we wouldn't be surprised if they were darn close.
HP confirms it's in talks about licensing webOS, Samsung tipped as a possibility
HP CEO Leo Apotheker has already indicated that he's totally open to licensing webOS to other companies, and he's now confirmed that HP has, in fact, been in talks with a "number of companies" about that possibility. Not surprisingly, he didn't get much more specific than that, and went some way to dampen expectations a bit, saying that "there is no time pressure to do this." According to Bloomberg, however, "three people with knowledge of the discussions" say that Samsung is one of the companies HP has had talks with, and one said that the company is specifically interested in possibly using webOS for its Galaxy Tab tablets. HP's Jon Rubinstein also dished a bit more on the subject to This is my next, noting that "if someone wants to really invest, and potentially help develop webOS, we're interested in talking to them," although he went on to indicate that HP isn't interested in playing second (or third) fiddle with a company primarily focused on Android or Windows Phone -- it'd seemingly have to be webOS first, but not necessarily webOS exclusively.
HP TouchPad veers into stores early, flaunts its webOS moves (video)
Dying to get your hands on HP's TouchPad before it's available on July 1st? According to Pre Central, a visit to either Best Buy or Walmart may afford you the opportunity. During the past few days, the stores have apparently begun quietly displaying demo-loaded versions of the slate. The device went up for pre-order about a week ago, but for webOS hopefuls still contemplating whether to take the Palm-rooted plunge, a pre-release impression may not be a bad grab between socks and motor oil. Don't feel like taking a trip to Wally World, you say? You'll find a video overview past the break; although the box to the left has us wondering if now's a good time for getting lucky...
HP Veer gets webOS Doctor, offers free house visits
When your phone gets sick, do you call a doctor? Probably not, but the HP Veer now has its own form of medical assistance with webOS Doctor, a desktop Java app that can rescue your phone if it's freezing up or otherwise exhibiting major symptoms of some kind. To get your phone up and running in no time, the webOS Doctor will perform a complete reset of the Veer and install the latest version of webOS. Be warned: the Doctor wipes everything off the phone -- including apps, patches, and settings -- so this kind of help shouldn't be for the casual whoops and coughs. Owners of the brand new device hopefully won't need it right away, but it's better safe than sorry; download the webOS Doctor directly from the source link.
Windows Phone and BlackBerry struggle to attract developer attention
We're taking this with a grain of salt, since it applies only to users of the cross-platform Appcelerator Titanium development environment, but it appears that Windows Phone 7 is facing an increasingly uphill battle for mobile mind-share. At this point it should go without saying that a platform lives and dies by its developers and, according to Appcelerator, they're growing less and less interested in creating apps for Microsoft's smartphone OS. Only 29-percent of devs responded to the company's quarterly survey that they were "very interested" in putting their wares on WP7, a fall of 7 points from last quarter and far less than market leaders Android and iOS. News is even worse for RIM, which saw a fall of 11-points in developer interest for BlackBerry, and now trails the folks from Redmond. Again, this survey is based only on the responses of 2,760 developers using a particular product, so we'd refrain from calling the results incontrovertible. Still, it reinforces something that even a casual observer could discern: BlackBerry and Windows Phone 7 have a tough row to hoe. Two more charts after the break.
Palm Pre Plus to get webOS 2 after all?
We won't lie: we did feel a little put out when our pal Jon Rubinstein told us that webOS 2.0 wouldn't be coming to the Palm Pre Plus -- something about the older hardware not having the necessary "oomph" to handle the new OS. But perhaps all hope is not lost! According to a rep from O2 Germany (as espied on the company's support forums) HP will make with the new operating system at some point in the near future -- just not as an over-the-air update. When the time comes (indeed, if the time comes) you'll need to download it from HP's website not your computer and install it via USB. And maybe that will be the point when we discover the joys of running a new OS on an underpowered handset for ourselves! Update: Okay, maybe not. Mitchell wrote in to let us know that HP pulled the webOS 2.0 SDKs and are "actively encouraging" devs to stick with 1.4.5 for the Pre Plus. So, yeah, bummer.
Original Pre, Pre Plus, Pixi and Pixi Plus won't get updated to webOS 2.0
We had a chance to sit down with Jon Rubinstein after HP's webOS event today, and he confirmed some unfortunate news for us: older Palm devices like the original Pre, the Pre Plus, the Pixi, and the Pixi Plus won't receive that previously promised update to webOS 2.0. Jon was pretty candid with us, saying that Palm had "missed a product cycle" in the midst of its financial troubles and subsequent acquisition by HP last year, and that the older products simply don't have the horsepower to properly run webOS 2.0 and beyond. That said, it's clear that he wants to do right by customers -- he told us that HP would do "something special" for owners of older hardware when the Pre 3, the Veer, and the TouchPad hit the market. We'll see what that entails -- and whether or not anyone actually sticks it out on webOS 1.4.5 until the new gear ships sometime this summer. P.S.- We have lots more from our talk with Jon coming up -- including some actually good news -- so keep an eye on this space.
HP TouchPad vs. iPad vs. Xoom vs. PlayBook: the tale of the tape
At last, the webOS-empowered TouchPad, HP's answer to the growing tablet market. And make no mistake, it's coming in with guns blazing -- specs-wise, the slate stands up pretty well to the competition currently in play (e.g. iPad) and the other up-and-comers not quite out the gate (e.g. Motorola Xoom and BlackBerry PlayBook). Stacked side-by-side, it's clear Apple's entry is lacking a bit in both memory (256MB vs. 1GB for everyone else) and front-facing camera -- not that we expect that to be the case for all of 2011. When it all comes down to it, what'll set these slates apart will be the platforms and software themselves -- should make for an interesting summer, no? In the meantime, for the nitty-gritty on technical specifications, venture past the break.
HP Pre 3: 1.4GHz Qualcomm CPU, 3.6-inch WVGA, coming this summer (video)
The first Pre breathed new life into Palm. The Pre 2, on the other hand, didn't exactly have the same luster and longevity. Here's to a decidedly Palm-less round three. The QWERTY slider with the all-too-familiar form factor has a 3.6-inch 800 x 480 display (a marked improvement over past Pres), 5 megapixel camera with AF and LED flash, 720p HD video, a front-facing camera for video calling, mobile hotspot, and webOS 2.2. Under the hood? A Qualcomm MSM 8x55 CPU running at 1.4GHz (!), 802.11a/b/g/n 5GHz, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, A-GPS, a 1230 mAh battery, HSPA+ and EVDO Rev A -- yep, it's a world phone -- and the same RAM as the Pre 2 (that's 512MB DRAM). It'll be Touchstone compatible, naturally, and will switch to Exhibition mode when docked to show pictures and upcoming appointments. There's some interesting synergy going on where the TouchPad tablet can take Pre 3's phone calls, and just touching the two devices together will let you share URLs (aptly titled touch-to-share). This one's gonna keep you waiting, though -- availability is this summer with both 8GB and 16GB storage options. Update: HP Pre 3 first hands-on! | Palm Pre 2 vs. HP Pre 3: what's changed? %Gallery-116083% %Gallery-116094% For more on all of HP's webOS announcements today, click here!
Live from HP / Palm's 'Think Beyond' webOS event!
We're inside and things are getting underway -- the event officially starts at the times below. Read along after the break to see what's happening right now! 07:00AM - Hawaii 10:00AM - Pacific 11:00AM - Mountain 12:00PM - Central 01:00PM - Eastern 06:00PM - London 07:00PM - Paris 09:00PM - Moscow 11:30PM - Mumbai 03:00AM - Tokyo (February 10th) 05:00AM - Sydney (February 10th)
HP CEO: New webOS products shipping weeks after February 9 reveal, another big announcement March 14
It's been a few months since Leo Apotheker took the top spot at HP following the Mark Hurd debacle, and it sounds like he's got some big plans for the company -- speaking to the BBC, he says he hopes "one day people will say 'this is as cool as HP,' not 'this is as cool as Apple.'" How does he plan on doing that? By speeding up ship times, for starters -- unlike the year-long wait for the HP Slate, Apotheker says that "when HP makes announcements, it will be getting ready to ship," and that the new webOS products announced on February 9 will ship just a "few weeks" later. Speaking of the February 9 event, Apotheker said the new product line of tablets and mobile phones will have a new name that falls under the HP brand, which sounds like the Palm name is done for. (If we had to guess, it'll be HP webOS, but that's just a guess.) On top of all that, the BBC calls February 9 just the "starting gun," because Apotheker's "secret answer" and "vision of what HP is capable of in the future" will come on March 14, where he'll try to pull together HP's vast product portfolio into a cohesive narrative. According to Apotheker, HP's size is its "basis of strength," and no other company sells everything from servers to phones the way HP does. Sounds extremely exciting -- and if Apotheker can pull it off, there's a chance we'll remember Mark Hurd's dalliance as the best thing that ever happened to HP. [Thanks, soydeedo]
Jon Rubinstein live from D: Dive Into Mobile
Palm / HP's Jon Rubinstein is just about to take the stage at the D: Dive Into Mobile event. Will there be talk of past failures? Future triumphs? Will he break out a rumored device? Will he breakdance? Only the liveblog knows for sure... so keep reading after the break!
Sprint's Palm Pre marked for End of Life?
We don't quite know how to break it to you, but if PreCentral sources are correct, Palm's hit a very interesting landmark: its comeback device, the Pre for Sprint, has reportedly reached End of Life (EOL). Warehouse quantities are said to be limited, and after that... well... have fun scouring eBay. Or better yet, maybe consider another carrier for the Plus model or even a full-blown sequel; we can't imagine the original Pixi's gonna cool your cravings. It's been a wild ride since that June 5th, 2009 launch, eh?
HP contracts 5 or 6 new Palm devices for 2011?
Underwhelmed by the feeling of sameness with the Pre 2? Well, you may or may not be in luck; Chinese-based CENS.com is reporting that manufacturers Foxconn and Compal now have contracts to manufacturer up to six new Palm devices for 2011. That boils down to one for Compal, and either four or five for Foxconn. We'd venture a guess that PalmPad's at least one of those, seeing as it's due early next year, but what about the others? Whatever (stackable) cards HP / Palm have in hand aren't exactly being laid out, and while we can't confirm this report ourselves, rest assured, we're hoping really hard that there'll be more webOS options with non-pebble form factors.
webOS 2.0 review
When it comes to webOS 2.0 (now actually called HP webOS), it almost felt like we'd never see the version number, let alone get to review it. It's been an intense few months for Palm: after floundering in the early part of the smartphone wars, it was scooped up by HP for a tidy sum of $1.2b. Though it seemed like the dream of webOS could fade away, the company made it clear that it had plans to not only continue the work Palm had done in the mobile world, but extend what the tiny company had created to other platforms as well (tablets, and yes, printers). We've heard a lot of talk from both parties since the acquisition, but have seen little in the way of proof that progress was indeed being made -- but that's all changed today. Palm has officially released its second generation OS into the wild, along with a new, beefed up version of the Pre (at least in France -- North American handsets are coming soon). The company offered us an early developer phone to test out the new OS and see if the combination of tightened code and a significantly faster device (the Pre 2 clocks in with a 1GHz CPU) could make a difference between last place and a fighting chance. We've taken an extensive look at the new OS, so read on for our full take! %Gallery-105426%
HP's Todd Bradley slips 'PalmPad' tablet name during analyst call
Well well, Mr. Bradley -- hast thou said too much? During an analyst call today the outspoken head of HP's Personal System Group confirmed that it's sent more than 200 employees to work at Palm.... and then casually mentioned that HP will have "a webOS-powered PalmPad that will be set for release early in 2011." If you'll recall, HP filed for a trademark on PalmPad back in July, and it's been talking about tablets since it bought Palm in May, so we're thinking ol' Todd just let one slip. Now let's just hope all this "early 2011" talk means really early... like, say, CES.
WebOS 2.0 beta screenshot extravaganza
We've heard about Palm's big plans for webOS 2.0 -- heck, we've even seen a handful of pictures here or there. And now we've been graced with lots, lots more. We're still not sure the exact origins, as they both came to us unsourced at around the same time. But, be it PreCentral forums or Chinese site Crooked neck (a.k.a. Wibozi), we're still graced with two dozen new screenshots that showcase features beyond Stacks and Just Type. Plenty of extra services are on display, including favorites like Dropbox and head-scratchers like MobileMe (we know Palm has something of an Apple complex, but the benefits of MobileMe are pretty minimal beyond iPhone integration). There's also default app selection for filetypes, which is a welcome addition we've enjoyed on our Android sets. Just in case all the screenshots go poof, we've got them in a gallery below. Let your imagination run wild, or at least in a bigger fence. [Thanks, kkhanmd]%Gallery-101558%
Palm puts webOS 2.0 SDK into limited release starting today
Palm fans, get your party hats on. Today the company is announcing the beta release of its SDK for webOS 2.0, which means we're getting dangerously close to a proper 2.0 release for devices. And who knows... maybe the phone-maker will decide to throw a new device our way to go along with the OS. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Starting tomorrow, a select (though rather wide, says Palm) group of developers will be able to start toying around with the latest and greatest SDK for the company's mobile operating system, and it looks like the new software brings some tasty morsels to the table that you're definitely going to want to chow down on. We got the scoop directly from Palm on just exactly what kind of changes you'll be seeing in the first version of 2.0, and we've rounded them up in a neatly digestible form below, so read on after the break and get the full story.
HP's in-house webOS competition yields about 500 apps, says CTO
A little backstory: HP has an annual in-house event for its employees called TechCon, and this year a challenge was issued to the engineers to make the best webOS app (free phones were offered as incentive). Got that? Good. This week, HP CTO Phil McKinney had a brief chat with Pre Central over Twitter, where he revealed that the contest culminated in about 500 produced apps, and that "[they] are in the final stage of selecting 'best app' winners." Does that mean we should expect a large bump to the current catalog of programs? We can't say for sure, but we wouldn't be surprised if many of these are already available to download. Additionally, we can't say anything as for the overall quality of submissions. Edging closer to the 4,000-app milestone is great and all but not if it includes 250 different Angry Birds clones. Still, we're ever-hopeful and can't wait to see what exactly it was that came from the internal coding challenge.
