Hasta La Gadget!

HP bet big on the smartphone world when it purchased Palm, but the company fell flat on its face and webOS failed to take off. The reasons for the failure are numerous, but the new CEO Meg Whitman is smart enough to realize it can’t simply abandon the market entirely. In an interview with Fox Business, she said that HP “ultimately has to offer a smartphone.” Though she was willing to acknowledge that the company is “working on this,” she would not divulge too many details about its mobile plans. Whether or not webOS may rise from the ashes as a largely community-powered platform remains to be seen, but we wouldn’t be shocked to see HP pivot towards its longtime partner Microsoft, and release a Windows Phone 8 device. Perhaps the best glimmer of hope for the former Palm system was Meg’s focus on developing markets. She rightly points out that, in some parts of the world, the first and only “computer” a person may own is a smartphone — and reaching that audience is essential to Hewlett-Packard’s success. Going back to the webOS well (with its open source support) would allow the company to save a few dollars on the cost of a new handset. Check out the video after the break for the full quotes in context.

Continue reading Meg Whitman says HP has to ‘offer a smartphone’

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile

Meg Whitman says HP has to ‘offer a smartphone’ originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Sep 2012 09:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Having unceremoniously ditched its webOS phone strategy, HP is planning to release a new smartphone as a point of entry device for emerging markets, the company’s CEO has revealed. “We have to ultimately offer a smartphone because in many countries of the world, that is your first computing device” Meg Whitman told Fox Business News, though the chief exec did not say when the first new HP phone might be on the market, only that it wouldn’t be a rush-job.

“We are working on this. In the end, I would love to be able to provide all the way from the most fabulous workstations … to desktops, to laptops, to our tablets and convertibles, all the way to the smartphone. But we did take a detour into smartphone, and we’ve gotta get it right this time. So my mantra to the team is “better right, than faster than we should be there” so we’re working to make sure that, when we do this, it will be the right thing for HP and we will be successful.

My view is we have to ultimately offer a smartphone because in many countries of the world, that is your first computing device. There will be countries around the world where people may never own a tablet or a PC or a desktop, they will do everything on a smartphone, we are a computing company we have to take advantage of that form-factor” Meg Whitman, CEO, HP

Whitman also gave no technical details about the upcoming HP smartphone, though it’s not too far a stretch to assume that the company will use its webOS assets. That will be in a markedly different way to the HP Pre3 and Veer, however; HP has been modifying webOS since its release as an open-source platform, and key members of the team responsible for the OS have left for alternative positions, such as at Google.

webOS was generally considered to be ahead of its time, and suffered first from creator Palm‘s lack of funding to make the most of the platform, and then – following Palm’s acquisition by HP – an underwhelming degree of support by HP itself. The computing company was particularly stung by reaction to the TouchPad, its webOS tablet, which was criticized in comparison to the iPad and swiftly discontinued.

With Android under patent attack, iOS 6 making its debut on the new iPhone 5, and Microsoft struggling to gain marketshare for Windows Phone, it remains to be seen whether HP will attempt to revive webOS or follow a different path with either Google or Microsoft’s platforms. Nonetheless, while it’s relatively easy to produce a smartphone, the company already knows from experience that it’s very difficult to produce a successful one.

[via The Verge]

HP smartphone in pipeline confirms CEO is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Last week, Amazon took the wraps off of its Kindle Fire HD. Claiming top billing in the latest issue of our slate-friendly publication, the new tablet gets the full review treatment from Engadget HQ. Does it pack enough punch to claim the Nexus 7’s budget crown? You can rest assured we’ll tackle that question and more. In case you were on a remote island a couple of days ago, Apple dedicated a few hours to the iPhone 5 with an event in chilly northern California. Our editors offer their thoughts on the proceedings and we snag a hands-on preview of the iOS 6-toting handset. If that doesn’t wet your gadget whistle, Darren Murph recently spent some time going inside Innovation Lab with its co-founder, Mads Thimmer, chatting about a driving passion for what’s next. Now that the week is over, cozy up in your favorite chair because this edition is hot off of the e-presses.

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Filed under: Announcements, HD, Mobile

Distro Issue 57: Kindle Fire HD, iPhone 5 and Innovation Lab’s Mads Thimmer originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Sep 2012 09:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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I’m on the fence as to how I feel about the new iPhone. I can say that I only recently broke down and got the 4S… only weeks before the 5, which always happens to me. When I start to feel really aggravated I think about all those iGizmo makers, all their stuff just got obsolete as well. The iPhone 5 has a brandy-new plug… it won’t work with things like my old speakers, so now what?

How can I use all my old accessories with this new eight-prong “Lightning” connector. It’s so much smaller than the classic 30-pin connector that graces my iPod, iPad and iPhone. Never fear, of course Apple has you covered, for a price. Check out the Lightening-to-30 pin adaptor already available for pre-order at the Apple Store.

So the new connector will let you get more mileage out of your old accessories although video and iPod out will not be available. So the question is this, is the lure of the new iPhone enough to make you want to shell out an additional 29 bucks to be able to still use your old accessories? or will you step up and buy new ones?

The Lightening-to-30 pin Adaptor is currently available only for pre-order, with shipping expected sometime in October. Sign up for yours at Apple.com and let me know what’s hot (or not) about the new lineup of Apple iGadgets.

[ Does the iPhone 5 Make your Old Accessories Obsolete? copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

When I was a kid, there was this thing called kerosene lamps which were used around the home simply because the local utility company is not too hot on reliability with their electricity supply. One thing I was always reminded to look out for by my parents were to make sure the kerosene lamp is nowhere near anything flammable. Candles too, can be a substitute for the lamp, but those are also fire hazards in their own right. With the $29.99 Color-Change LED Candle Set with Remote, you know that you can have a dash of romanticism alongside modern functionality in a single package.

The Color-Change LED Candle Set will include a trio of pillar candles that measure 4″, 5″, and 6″, respectively, alongside a remote so that you are able to have your say in how each candle should “burn”, and for how long. You are able to use the remote to change your candle’s flame color to suit your mood, with a dozen colors to choose from, you’re spoilt for choice. Since these are electronically powered, make sure you have enough AAA batteries to keep each of the candles powered! It is made out of real wax though, with a naturally melted top for that added touch of realism.

[ Color-Change LED Candle Set with Remote copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]