MakaPalm » Gadgets

Palm webOS SDK now public

Ederic — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:26:19 +0000

Palm Pre users may soon expect additions to the App Catalog now that the webOS software development kit (SDK) has been publicly released.

Anyone with a valid email address ay now download the Palm Mojo SDK at http://developer.palm.com.

“This is one more step in delivering webOS to all developers and providing the tools they need to build great applications for Palm phones,” Chuq Von Rospach, Palm’s Developer Community Manager, said in a blog post.

Meanwhile, Motion Apps has announced that its Classic Palm OS emulator for webOS devices will soon be able to run HotSync.

As this developed, Apple released an iTunes update that update “disables devices falsely pretending to be iPods, including the Palm Pre.” Thus, Palm Pre users will no longer be able to sync their music files with iTunes.

Palm Pre carriers in Europe announced

Ederic — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:03:06 +0000

Palm has announced the European carriers that will exclusively offer Palm Pre in time for the Christmas season.

The widely anticipated webOS smartphone be available initially in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Germany on the O2 network, and in Spain on the Movistar network, according to a Palm press release.

Palm’s official blog also carried the announcement.

“Europe continues to be an important region for Palm, and we’re proud to work with O2 and Movistar to spread the excitement Palm Pre has already ignited in North America,” said Jon Rubinstein, chairman and chief executive officer of Palm.

In Canada, Palm Pre will be offered by Bell Mobility “in the second half of 2009.” As of this writing, there is no word yet on its availability in Asia.

Pre’s UK launch to be announced July 7

Ederic — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:08:55 +0000

Palm will announce on July 7 the details of Pre’s launch in the United Kingdom, says a T3.com report.

On that day, the launch date, price, and the network — which the Guardian reports as O2, the same network that carries the iPhone in the UK — will be revealed.

Tech sites reported last month that the Pre will be in Europe by September this year.

Earlier this week, there were reported sightings of the Pre’s GSM version in London and Vietnam.

The Philippines’ major telcos also use the GSM system.

Palm Pre in Europe by September?

Ederic — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:45:57 +0000

Palm launched its newest smartphone in the United States last week, but there is no official word yet of Palm Pre’s availability and pricing in the Philippines or the rest of the world.

However, tech news sites are reporting that Palm Pre may become available in Europe as early as September this year. If this is true, there’s a chance that the Pre will come to the Philippines by the end of the year.

The marketing director of IRIS, a local distributor in Romania, reportedly said that Palm Pre should be available in Eastern Europe, including Romania, by the end of September at a price similar to that in the US — which is estimated to be $550 without subscription.

Mirror.co.uk cited a Softpedia report, which in turn got the news from Romanian site Ziarul Financiar.

Last year, the Palm Centro was launched in the United Kingdom on Valentines Day. Two months later, Palm announced its availability in the Philippines. Philippine cellphone networks use GSM technology, like its European counterparts.

I received Palm’s newsletter announcing the availability of Palm Pre in the United States after midnight last Sunday. That’s afternoon of June 6 in the US. By that time, proud Palm Pre owners were already tweeting or blogging about their first few hours with their new gadget.

By Sunday noon, a former officemate texted me, asking how much Palm Pre is in the Philippines, and if the phone will work here. I told her that while it is available in the US for $200 with contract, the GSM version that will work here has not been announced yet.

But as I said, the latest rumor of its availability in Europe raises hopes that it will also be released in the Philippines soon. Start saving, maka-Palms. :p

Based on MakaPalm’s visitor referrer data, it appears that a number of Pinoys are still interested in the Palm Pre despite the announcement of iPhone’s new model.

Here are some interesting reports before and after Palm Pre’s US launch:

Twitter for Palm Pre

Ederic — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 08:46:48 +0000

As Palm Pre goes on sale in the US today, I am following the stream of Twitter updates about the highly awaited Palm smart phone.

I see links to Palm Pre news, reviews, and unboxing videos; countdowns from excited fans (@Hartman: Palm Pre Launches in 4 hours and 22 minutes =) =) ); and updates about Palm Pre apps (@joshh347 Pandora for Palm Pre is now live on the @pandora_radio website! http://www.pandora.com/palm).

At the rate that it’s going, I’m sure Palm Pre will hit Twitter’s Trending Topics a few hours from now — opps, it just entered the trending list.

While browsing the updates, I also found out that there are now at least three Twitter apps for Palm Pre — the good old MoTwit (formerly known as TreoTwit), which will work through the Classic emulator; Spaz, a cross-platform Twitter client; and Tweed, described on its website as “the next-generation Twitter client designed from the ground up for the Palm® Pre™ and Palm webOS™.”

Twitter users here, however, still have to wait as there is no announcement yet about the availability of Palm Pre in the Philippines. The Palm Pre launching in the US today runs on CDMA networks, while Smart, Globe and Sun operate on GSM wireless technology.

Palm Pre available in the US on June 6

Ederic — Tue, 19 May 2009 11:31:22 +0000

Sprint has announced that the Palm Pre will be available in the United States on June 6 for $199.99 (after rebate and service agreement).

MakaPalm learned about the announcement in an entry on the official Palm blog, which said the highly anticipated webOS-based phone will be available in the US in Sprint stores, as well as at Best Buy, Radio Shack, and select Wal-Mart stores.

More info are available at Sprint’s Palm Pre page. We wonder when will Palm release a GSM version that can be used here in the Philippines.

Palm Pre is the first phone to run on Palm webOS, the handheld computing pioneer’s new operating system. Palm introduced the webOS and its first phone on January 8 (US time) at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Palm Foleo II coming soon?

Ederic — Sun, 03 May 2009 09:56:15 +0000

The World Wide Web does not run out of Palm rumors these days. Soon after posting about the Palm Eos, aka Mini Pre, I stumbled upon a report on the possible revival of the Palm Foleo.

Announced in May 2007, the Palm Foleo preceded today’s popular netbooks. However, Palm marketed it not as a stand-alone device but primarily as a companion to the Treo product line.

The Foleo was a dream device for people who live on the Web like me: a lightweight laptop with Wi-Fi connectivity that turns on and off almost instantly, it had Web browsing and email capability and could synchronize data with mobile phone.

In introducing the Foleo, Palm noted that “Although designed primarily as a companion to a mobile phone, Foleo is a powerful computer on its own.” It went on to enumerate the product’s features: Linux-based operating system, built-in Wi-Fi, USB port, video-out port, headphone jack, and memory expansion slots.

After the Foleo was announced, I couldn’t help raving about it everyday. How my girlfriend wished that the product would launch, so I’d finally stop talking about it.

So, imagine my shock when, a few months later, Palm CEO Ed Colligan announced that he had decided to cancel the Foleo. Colligan explained that he did this so Palm could focus on its “next generation platform” — later revealed as the WebOS — and its first phone — which we now know as the Palm Pre.

With the Foleo gone, I settled for a second-hand Asus Eee.

While I felt that it was a good move for Palm to concentrate on its core product, I also wondered if it was entirely right to stop the Foleo. Palm recognized a niche consumer demand for a product now called netbook. Colligan himself mentioned it when he announced the Foleo’s cancellation: “Jeff Hawkins and I still believe that the market category defined by Foleo has enormous potential.”

However, Palm allowed others to deliver this need. Palm started it, but it was Asus, HP, and the rest who cashed in on it.

The new rumor of Foleo’s resurrection reportedly stems from a note to client by Trip Chowdhry, an analyst with Global Equities Research. Baron’s Online reported that Chowdhry said Palm intends to produce a $399 netbook that will run the Palm Web OS and will have 8 to 10 hours of battery life.

The blog also noted that another blog, jkOnTheRun, had earlier suggested that Palm revive the Foleo as a netbook.

I’m sure Palm users are not surprised by this rumor because when Colligan disappointed Foleo fans, he also gave them a bit of hope:

“When we do Foleo II it will be based on our new platform, and we think it will deliver on the promise of this new category. We’re not going to speculate now on timing for a next Foleo, we just know we need to get our core platform and smartphones done first.”

Now that Palm has almost delivered the WebOS and the Palm Pre, and is reportedly already working on Pre’s little brother, is it also time for the Foleo II?

Palm EOS — post-Pre phone?

Ederic — Fri, 01 May 2009 15:20:48 +0000

The Palm Pre isn’t even in the market yet, but the tech bloghosphere is already buzzing with rumors of an upcoming mini-Pre phone.

The device, dubbed Palm Eos, will supposedly be Palm’s next webOS phone. Engadget reports that it is codenamed “Castle”, while MobileCrunch also calls it “Pixie”. Other bloggers give it the nicknames Mini Pre, Palm Pre Mini, and Pre Lite. Can we also call it Palm Pre Nano? :p

While the yet-to-be-released Palm Pre will initially be sold exclusively by US telco Sprint, the Eos will supposedly go to rival AT&T.

Engadget posted these specs:

* 4GB storage
* Price: $349 (pre-rebate)
* Camera: 2 megapixel fixed focus digital camera and flash / video capture
* Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.1 w/ A2DP and EDR, USB 2.0 via micro USB
* Removable 1150 mAh battery (4 hours 3G talk time)
* Messaging: SMS, MMS (picture and video only), integrated IM client
* Contact sync with AT&T Address Book
* MediaNet
* Cellular Video
* Email: POP3, IMAP4, and EAS support
* A-GPS
* Audio: WAV, MP3, AAC, AAC+ ringtones
* Video Playback: MPEG4, H.264, H.263

Engadget readers’ reactions to the reported device vary. User oghowie says “Pre looks better and is better spec wise. This looks like a lower end Pre.” On the other hand, reader Reality Check noted that this rumored device has no Wi-Fi, has only 4 GB of storage, and is more expensive than the iPhone. He concludes: “Pre wins.”

Of course, actual pricing may still change, but for now , I tend to agree that the Pre is better. The wait for the Pre continues, and Palm fans on our side of the world are on the lookout for any mention of a GSM Pre.

My Palm Centro

Ederic — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 19:12:23 +0000

Last December, I wanted to buy a Canon or Sony digital camera in Singapore before going back home from a training for my new job. But when I saw an ad for a slightly used, white Palm Centro on eBay, my plan changed. I managed to get the Centro for only 300 SGD (around P9,000). At that time, a brand-new Centro was being sold for around 400 to 500 SGD.

I immediately transferred the data from my battered Treo 650 to my new phone. As was always the case with Palm OS devices, the data transfer was completed without causing me a headache. With the Centro, it was still like having my old Treo 650, only with a lighter pocket and more space to install new apps. I missed Treo’s keyboard, though.

Like the Treo 650, my Palm Centro is still “a cellphone, personal digital assistant, portable MP3 and video player, digital camera, ebook reader, and ‘game and watch’ in one device.”

With the Centro, I can still enjoy my favorite apps: the good old AvantGo, eReader (which contains my mobile library), the classic Bejeweled, FunSMS, Card Export, eWallet, Bible, and ptLyrics, among other software. I also discovered new ones like ComicGuru (creates Palm version of comics) and purchased new games like GTS World Racing and Cake Mania (for M).

I was also able to install and set up relatively stable Opera Mini to still enjoy the new Yahoo! Mobile and post on my blogs while on the go — even if the app crashes from time to time.

I read ebooks while listening to the music on my Centro. Sometimes, I also take pictures. Its battery supposedly has a four-hour talk time and up to 300 hours standby time. But obviously, I’m a heavy user so I need to charge it always. Good thing that the hotsync cable, aside from allowing me to synchronize and backup my data on my laptop, also doubles as a charger.

Palm’s suggested retail price for the Centro is P 18,490 without plan. See the complete details and specs on Palm Philippines.

What they said about Palm Pre

Ederic — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 09:04:27 +0000

After Palm announced the Pre last month, I gathered reactions from prominent tech blogs and Pinoy techies, particularly Apple fans. I never got to complete it.

Still, here are some comments that I managed to dump on a WordPress draft, as well as those I recently saved while browsing old blog entries:

“I like the hardware, the new OS looks pretty solid and the demo of the integrated contacts/phonebook thing that looks like they actually got syncing right! It looks really sweet. The only gripe I have is I dont like the way they designed the icons. Hahaha.”

-Jeff of Teknostik.com

“Nope! Not an iPhone killer! Hahaha.”

- Angel, Steve Job’s no. 1 fan in Manila

“Think iPhone, but flashier.”

– Mobileshop.com

“As a proud card carrying member of the iPhone club, I pride myself on being ahead of the curve in mobile device land. Well, this little gleaming slickster, might give me a bit of competition with the Palm users.”

– The Daily Marauder

“There are no downsides to this phone!”

– Cris, an Engadget reader

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