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Forbes-Google Study On Untethered Executives

Marilyn Torres — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:46:10 +0000

As the results of a recent Forbes and Google study show, the widening scope of smartphone use has made an impact on the way people conduct business. “The Untethered Executive: Business Information in the Age of Mobility” has revealed a sharp rise in smartphone use among executives, including facts like 28% of the 300 executives surveyed carry both a Blackberry and an iOS or Android device.

The increase in usage in the executive demographic has likely affected the development of more versatile smartphones. Last year, LG introduced the LG Expo, a Windows Mobile 6.5 smartphone with a pico projector attachment. The small size of the projector and outdated OS may have kept the Expo from becoming the main tool in executives’ toolboxes, but the availability of a pocket-sized pico shows that business users want to do more with their phones than just check business email and read MS Office documents.

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Palm Pre 2 is officially announced!

Dan H. — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 15:31:48 +0000

The Palm Pre 2 is now official! As the name suggests, it’s more of an update to the Pre Plus, rather than a whole new device.

In terms of external hardware changes, it still retains the same vertical QWERTY slider form factor. The display is the same 3.1-inch, 320 x 480 resolution display, but instead of the older plastic display, it’s been swapped out with a flatter, tougher, glass display. The bezel around the Pre 2 has also been changed a bit, and gone is the annoying, flimsy protector over the microUSB port.

The Pre 2 is now rocking a much faster 1Ghz processor and 512MB of RAM, along with 16GB of internal storage. All the usual suspects are present — Wi-Fi 802.11b/g, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, accelerometer, ambient light sensor, and a proximity sensor. The camera has also been updated to a 5MP shooter.

The big news about the Pre 2 is HP webOS 2.0. The next revision of webOS brings it to the next level, with features like Stacks (allows you to organize your “cards” into different stacks for even easier multitasking management), Just Type (previously known as Universal Search), HP Synergy (links your email and social network accounts), Exhibition (allows users to run specific apps designed for the Palm Touchstone Wireless Charging System), and full Adobe Flash 10.1 support in the browser!

The Palm Pre 2 will be available for SPR customers in France starting this Friday, and a Verizon Wireless version will be available “in the coming months”. HP also announced that there will be an unlocked GSM version of the Pre 2, although the price is currently unknown.

So who’s excited for the Pre 2? Is it enough to compete with the current crop of Android and iOS devices? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

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What’s With All The Padding? Wake up, Palm!

Zealot — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:45:38 +0000

If you can remember all the way back to the dim and distant pre-iPad era, you will recall there was a great deal of speculation as to what Apple was going to call their upcoming “giant iPod” device. The initial frontrunner was the iTablet, which was surpassed by the iSlate when some Apple that term while trying to describe what was to come.

When the name “iPad” was finally announced, it was not very well received. To some it sounded far to much like feminine protection. In fact, most of the late night talk shows made jokes about that initially, including clever graphics and everything. To others, it was a little too geekish, bringing back scary memories of Star Trek’s “Padd”. By all accounts, it was a poor choice…but Apple gave no ground and people got used to it. In fact, by the magic of Apple people began to like it. Now, it seems we can’t seem to get rid of it.

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Palm Dropping webOS Dev Fees

Zealot — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 11:41:08 +0000

Well, it looks like HP is serious about making a run at the mobile marketshare it lost long ago, and they are going to use webOS to do it.

In very welcome news today, we are hearing from many different developers that an email went out from Palm saying that they were not only dropping the $50 fee for registering an application on Palm’s webOS App Catalog, but REFUNDING the money of everyone who had already paid, from day one. That is nearly two years worth of fees.

I can’t think of any better way to kickstart developer activity for webOS then to not only remove the fee, but also have the new owners show how much they appreciate and value developer’s effort by refunding past fees paid. Its a great way to build confidence and enthusiasm in both developers and users and a great move from Palm and HP.

I am DEFINETLY looking forward to seeing a webOS tablet ASAP, get right on that please guys.

Check out the entire email from Palm after the jump.

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Palm/HP Deal Closes, Rubinstein’s Fate Announced

Zealot — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 15:49:19 +0000

It has been quite a couple of years for Palm, that grand old man of handheld technology. The Pilot glory days long forgotten, they were written off as dead for ages. Then iPod creator Jon Rubinstein came over from Apple, they jettisoned the Treo line and the PalmOS to create webOS and the Palm Pre which took the tech world by storm…at least for a couple weeks.

For a little while everyone in the tech world seemed convinced that the Palm Pre had at least a chance at slowing Apple’s iPhone down when it was released about a year and a half ago…but that didn’t last too long. Almost immediately it was heavily discounted as Sprint panicked, then both the Pre and it’s follow up, the Pixi, were viewed ultimately as disappointments, despite the fact that webOS seemed to be a winner. Since then, Palm had slowly been lapsing back into unimportance….but despite being purchased by HP that slide may yet be reversed again.

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Review: Palm Pixi Plus On AT&T

Stephen Borders — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 02:07:00 +0000

On June 6^th AT&T release the Palm Pixi Plus. The second WebOS device on the carrier and while certainly not a new device it is the first WebOs device I have had the opportunity to use and review. After two weeks of use I must say I understand why some find WebOS to be a under rated system. Palm certainly has come a long way since the Treo 600 I used 5 or 6 years ago. The real question is though, how does it stand up to daily use and is it relevant with the market changing almost daily. Well that is what this review is about. Read on past the break to find out.

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Palm Pixi Plus on AT&T: Now Free!

Stephen Borders — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 12:53:37 +0000

Well this has to be a record. It has been on sale for less than a week and the price has already dropped from $49 on contract to Free on contract. I read this last night on Engadget and had to check it out for myself. But there it is. I have had this Phone for review for a little over a week and its not a bad device. I should have a review up soon.

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Palm Pixi Plus from AT&T: First Impressions

Stephen Borders — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 16:44:00 +0000

As I mentioned yesterday Palm sent me a Pixi Plus that is to be released on June 6th on the AT&T network. As a Windows Mobile user I am excited to do this review because I have never used a WebOS device and I am always interested in the various operating systems on a Smartphone. So what I do think so far? Click past the break and see.

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HP Laptops: Dependable or Disposable?

Adam Wyss — Sun, 23 May 2010 23:00:14 +0000

It’s a simple question, is an HP laptop something you should invest in, or something to get you by until you can purchase a real computer? I would love to take a look at this issue today because I feel based on my personal experience that this is an issue that needs to be brought to the public’s attention.

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HP Buys Palm

Diego Samuilov — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 16:42:52 +0000

After all the names thrown out for potential buyers of Palm Inc. it was announced that HP would be the one to actually complete the purchase. Hewlett Packard confirmed late last night that they will be purchasing Palm, Inc. for about $1 billion in cash. The purchase completes at $5.70 per share, which is more than 20% higher than Palm’s price per share previous to the announcement.
Palm, Inc. had about 80% of the PDA mobile market share about a decade ago and it has been declining since then. Today’s smartphone market and the increase in strong competitors such as Microsoft’s Windows Mobile initially and more recently with Apple’s iPhone, Google’s Android and RIM’s Blackberry smartphones have crippled Palm’s latest effort to take a hold with consumers. Palm’s WebOS operating system and their Pre and Pixi devices have been acclaimed technically but they are seen as too little too late of an effort. Palm has been relegated to a merely 1.5% market share (according to research firm IDC). Furthermore, Palm’s estimated revenue for the current quarter are expected to decline to about $100 million from an intially forecast of $150 million.
Additionally, Palm is quickly burning through cash left from better times at about $200 million per quarter leaving them enough cash for another 2 – 3 more quarters at the current spending level. Some key executives have already left Palm in the past months.
This move from HP comes as a strong gamble to position itself ahead of the pack of computer manufacturers by aquiring an OS that could be used (confirmed by HP) in tablets and (potentially) more low-end netbooks.

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Why should HTC buy Palm?

Gil Bouhnick — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 20:37:24 +0000

Well, firstly, because we all want Palm to stick with us some more. Secondly, because it makes sense.

You see, HTC may prove to the world it is capable of developing and executing when it comes to cutting edge design, great specs and modern mobile technology. but in my opinion, HTC’s work lacks a good innovation; in most cases, the company’s so called "innovation" is more about taking good ideas that other invented. In the cases when the ideas are really original – they suck (take the bizarre zoom bar of the Diamond/Pro 2 as an example, or the worst-ever-created-D-Pad that was part of the first Diamond/Touch Pro versions.

Palm, on the other hand, is a company full of innovation and genuineness (just the kind of stuff HTC tries to "steal" according to Apple’s lawsuit…) . But as much as the company tries to, it just cannot execute well…

So here’s my proposal: HTC, you buy Palm. No no no, I don’t want to hear a word about it! Sure, it’s not cheap, but you can afford it…
You will let the Palm guys do the creative thinking while your folks will be responsible of the efficient execution and the high performance work. (oh, and passing all those patents to HTC of course to solve some of the mess with Apple…).

Together, it might even work!

Great design, best specs, a dedicated operating system, a bunch of new devices (think about the Nexus One running webOS…) – it’s going to be cool.

Last time you worked together we got the Treo 750 – still my favorite WinMo device ever!

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Palm Pre Plus and Pixi Plus headed to AT&T!

Dan H. — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 14:20:12 +0000

At MWC 2010, Palm said they would bring webOS to AT&T. Well, Palm just announced that they will be releasing an AT&T version of the Pre Plus and the Pixi Plus! We reviewed the Verizon version and the AT&T versions seems to be almost exactly the same. The Pre Plus still has 16GB of internal storage, Wi-Fi, 3G, 3.1″ 320 x 480 res capacitive display, 3MP camera, and webOS 1.4. Pixi Plus appears to be exactly the same too, 8GB storage, Wi-Fi, 3G, 2.63″ 320 x 400 res capacitive display, 2MP camera, and webOS 1.4. They also preloaded some applications such as AT&T Navigator, YPMobile, AT&T Address Book (alternative to Synergy, which is built in to webOS?!), and AT&T Wi-Fi hotspots, which allows you to AT&T’s 20,000 Wi-Fi hotspots for free. AT&T and Palm will be showing these new phones off at CTIA, no news on release date and pricing yet, although we can assume that the pricing would be similar to the Verizon and Sprint versions. Excited about AT&T’s first webOS offering? Not excited? Let us know in the comments!

[Source: AT&T]

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webOS 1.4 update available now!

Dan H. — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 22:16:05 +0000

Dying to shoot video on your Palm Pre? Well, go ahead and download the webOS 1.4 update now! The webOS 1.4 update brings video recording and editing, enhanced message notifications, performance and battery life improvement. webOS 1.4 will also bring Flash to the browser, but you have to download the plugin from the App Catalog, and the plugin isn’t available on the App Catalog yet. As of right now, the update is only for Sprint users, Verizon users still don’t have the update. The update is only 39MB…if you own a Sprint Palm Pre/Pixi and you’re still reading this, go and download the update right now!!

**UPDATE** webOS 1.4 available for Verizon users too!

[Source: Engadget]

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Palm Pre Plus vs. BlackBerry Storm2

Dan H. — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 03:34:48 +0000

Two of Verizon Wireless’ top smartphones are going head to head in an in-depth comparison. We have the Palm Pre Plus, it runs webOS and features the best multitasking user experience on the market. And we have the BlackBerry Storm2, which runs BlackBerry OS 5.0 and features unmatched messaging capabilities. Which do I feel is a better smartphone? Read on to find out.

Hardware

Let’s go over the specs real quick. The Palm Pre Plus has a 3.1” capacitive touchscreen at 320 x 480 resolution with multitouch capabilities. It has a full physical QWERTY keyboard, 3 megapixel camera with flash, all packed into a riverstone-like frame. The BlackBerry Storm2 9550 has a 3.25” capacitive SurePress touchscreen at 360 x 480 resolution. It has a unique touchscreen dubbed “SurePress” which uses four electronic actuators to make it feel like a click on a hardware keyboard. It also packs a 3 megapixel camera with auto focus and flash, and features unrivaled email capabilities.

The screen on the Pre Plus is bright and vivid, the colors displayed are quite nice, although the screen is on the smaller side, which is a small draw back. The screen on the Storm2 is innovative and unique, I have never seen anything of this kind. The click is subtle, and responsive at all points of the screen. Typing on the Storm2 isn’t bad at all, gives me the feeling that I’m typing on a physical keyboard. I personally love the updated SurePress technology, but it’s something that is purely out of personal preference. The colors looks pretty good, and overall I prefer the screen on the Storm2 slightly over the Pre Plus, although again, that’s personal preference.

Text Input

If you’re getting a smartphone, the text input is very important. The keyboard on the Pre Plus is small, slightly cramped, but useable. The problem with the keys on the Pre Plus is that it’s not clicky, I can’t tell whether or not I pressed a key until I look up at the screen. The typing on the Storm2 was pretty good, although the SurePress technology, as I stated earlier, is purely personal opinion. There is a “speed limit” to your typing on the Storm2, but nobody is really going to fire at 140WPM right? Or maybe you are going to? I call tie, at least from my viewpoint.

Software

Let’s dive into software a little bit. The BlackBerry Storm2 is running OS 5.0.0.320, the OS that Verizon shipped the Storm2 with. The Pre Plus is running 1.3.5.1, at the time of this writing.

Home

Pre Plus

Storm2

The home screen is the first thing you see when you power on the device. On the BlackBerry, you have a number of different options. You can set 1-3 rows of icons, or you can show “Today” which shows you what new notifications are on the device. On the Pre Plus, you have a dock with 4 icons which are customizable. And that’s it. Both of them aren’t my ideal choice, but I think the Storm2 edges out a little higher.

Phone

Pre Plus

Storm2

Call quality on both phones were pretty good. I did notice some signal issues on the Pre Plus, but the earpiece on the Pre Plus sounded louder and more clear than the Storm2.

Email

Pre Plus

Storm2

BlackBerry has always been known for their excellent push email service. Emails arrived on the Storm2 faster than it appeared on the Pre Plus, but reading emails (especially HTML emails) on the Storm2 wasn’t as aesthetically pleasing. On the Pre Plus, emails (when set on push) arrived a couple seconds later, but the text and the font were much easier to read. For the business user who is always on the move, and needs to access email instantly, I would recommend the Storm2. For the average consumer who just needs access to email, I would recommend the Pre Plus.

Web

Pre Plus

Storm2

If web browsing is important to you, get the Pre Plus. Pages loaded faster on the Pre Plus, the rendering was more accurate on the Pre Plus, and pinch-to-zoom make it much better than the browser on the Storm2. We saw at MWC 2010 that RIM is working on the new webkit-based browser, but for now, the Pre Plus has a much better web browser.

Camera

The Pre Plus has a 3MP camera with flash and the Storm2 also has a 3MP with flash, and the Storm2 adds autofocus to the mix. The Pre Plus takes pictures amazingly fast, I can take two pictures on the Pre Plus in the time it takes the Storm2 to take one picture. From the tests I conducted, the Pre Plus has slightly more clear images than the Storm2.

Pricing

The Pre Plus is available for $149.99 on a two-year contract and rebate. The BlackBerry Storm2 is available for $179.99 on a two-year contract and rebate.

Conclusion

What are my final thoughts? It boils down to this: Both phones are capable and they have all the features you would ever need. If you’re using your phone as a web browser a lot, I would recommend the Pre Plus. If you use your phone for sending and receiving messages, I would recommend the Storm2. Ultimately, what every person wants will differ, and there is no “better” phone…in most cases anyway. Your lifestyle really makes the final call…

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Palm Pre Headed to AT&T Next

Chris Leckness — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 14:58:32 +0000

The Sprint exclusive on the Pre has come and gone. Verizon has it now in the form of the Pre plus and now Information Week is reporting that the Pre is headed to AT&T.

Palm’s stock rose Thursday morning when Citi called for the AT&T to get the Pre in May. The Pre recently launched, along with its sister device the Pixi, on the Verizon network two weeks ago and results haven’t been that great. Citi may be counting on AT&T to put more marketing effort into the WebOS platform than Verizon has.

I look forward to this since I am an AT&T user. Besides hands on time at the trade shows, I still haven’t got my hands on a Pre personally. I think the WebOS is pretty decent, but I haven’t been interested in getting one for myself. Now I will have to give it a go, right?

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