This week former CEO of Palm Jon Rubinstein spoke up on Palm and the software and user interface elements the company created that are now being adopted industry-wide. For those that knew the mobile operating system webOS as created by the former company called Palm, the release of iOS 7 – as well as many
While webOS is no longer officially around, thanks to HP‘s merciless hack and slash last year, developers are still keeping the operating system alive with the Open webOS initiative. We’ve already seen ASUS’s Transformer Prime tablet boot up on Open webOS, but it looks like the Google’s own Nexus 7 Android tablet has been given the webOS treatment as well.
The seven-inch Android-powered tablet built by ASUS from a partnership with Google was the premiere launch device for Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, and it’s now been unofficially webOS-ified thanks to the tablets open-source roots. While it’s a mostly unstable port at this point, a few key features appear to be working just fine, including the WiFi and web browser.
webOS Nation notes that the developer behind the Nexus 7 port got it up and running in about a week over his winter break from college — not a bad feat if you ask us, and it makes us forgive the fact that it’s not quite a stable build yet, since a lot of the essential features are still missing.
While there’s no doubt that webOS on the Nexus 7 is a downgrade in functionality compared to running full-blown Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, it’s nice to see webOS continue on, even if it’s in an unofficial manner and only runs on a few devices currently. Hopefully we’ll see more from the Open webOS team in 2013.
[via webOS Nation]
Nexus 7 gets Open webOS port, still not a viable replacement is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
LG is tipped to be developing a webOS-based smart TV, using the open source platform in favor of Google TV, after concerns about the Android-base OS’ momentum. The deal has seen LG dispatch engineers and prototype hardware to HP’s Sunnyvale Gram facility, webOS Nation‘s source claims, with the goal of showcasing the first models at CES 2013 in January.
Although both LG and HP apparently signed an agreement some time ago – back in June, in fact – to collaborate on the project, there are still some wrinkles yet to be ironed out. Most obvious (and likely to actively frustrate users) is boot time, with Open webOS taking some time to load up; tablet and phone users might be willing to suffer such a delay, but those settling down on the couch are probably not.
To address that, LG’s L9 motherboards – which use a dualcore processor, and are found at the heart of existing LG smart TVs – have been sent over to HP’s engineers for testing and trialling software tweaks. What could end up being the solution, it’s said, is a TV that only shuts off the display when put into standby, with the processor actually remaining on in the background for a subsequent instant-resume.
Hardware isn’t the only challenge, however. Open webOS would replace LG’s NetCast platform, and needs smart TV-focused apps to cater for that challenge. Netflix is one cited example, with a player apparently being build in Enyo (the platform’s application framework), as well as other web-connected widgets and apps for YouTube, Pandora, and other services.
As for why LG is pushing ahead with Open webOS rather than sticking with Google TV as it previously announced, it’s a complex one. The Korean company is apparently uncomfortable with Google’s demands for using its platform, and turned off by its slow adoption overall; meanwhile, the ever-present specter of Apple and the longstanding chatter of an Apple smart TV has pressured LG into taking precautionary steps of its own.
Those steps will need to be shared with HP/Gram, of course, but with the $1.2bn acquisition of Palm still yet to produce tangible benefits to pacify shareholders, Open webOS poses more potential for tinkering and modification.
LG Open webOS smart TV planned for CES 2013 as Google TV sidelined is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
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.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Software, HD
Open webOS-powered HDTVs said to be on the way from… LG? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Oct 2012 02:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
HP‘s acquisition of Palm and its webOS mobile operating system may have turned out to be somewhat of a failed effort, but webOS is nowhere near extinct. They just brought open webOS out of beta a few days ago, and it sounds like they have some big plans for the now-open source mobile OS. It turns out HP is hiring over 50 developers to help out the open webOS movement.
According to the job listings, HP is looking for 53 top-class developers to work in both Shanghai, China and Sunnyvale, California. All of the positions appear to be high-paying jobs as well, so it seems that HP is putting a lot of time and resources into its webOS platform, which has been slowly disappearing the past couple years.
However, that brings us to the lasting appeal of the platform. Even though HP is starting to put more effort into webOS, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’ll become successful. The company has stiff competition from Apple’s iOS, Google’s Android, and Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8. Is it possible that HP’s open webOS can make a dent in the other mobile OS platforms?
Either way, HP’s looking at a long road ahead. CEO Meg Whitman said that she expects the company to struggle all next year and not make a profit until 2014 comes around. Even then, the company isn’t exactly guaranteed a profit. We can only hope for the best for open webOS and just wait for some new devices from HP to hit the market. Hopefully they don’t crash and burn this time around.
[via TechCrunch]
HP hiring 50+ developers for webOS is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
HP’s purchase of Palm to get its hands on webOS was doomed from the start. HP was ultimately unable to do anything meaningful with the operating system. Rather than hold onto the defunct operating system, webOS went open source. Open webOS 1.0 is the open-source flavor of the operating system and it has been ported to boot on modern tablet hardware.
Open webOS was specifically ported to run on the Asus Transformer Prime tablet over the weekend. The port was completed by developer Stephen Troughton-Smith, who was able to get the operating system to boot on the Transformer Prime the weekend after the open-source operating system’s Friday launch. There are still some kinks to work out to get the operating system fully functional.
Right now, Open webOS will boot on the Transformer Prime, but there are some major problems that need to be addressed. Apparently, the operating system has significant issues with freezing. The developer has no indication of how long it will take work out all the bugs with the port.
He reminded users that it could take hours/days/weeks to get everything fixed and working smoothly. This is very good news for people who are fans of webOS. Perhaps the open-source community can make something successful where both Palm and HP failed. The photograph above was tweeted by the developer to prove the open-source operating system is at least booting.
[via Android Community]
Open webOS 1.0 boots on Asus Transformer Prime tablet is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
WebOS loyalists have been waiting a long, long time for HP’s September launch of Open webOS, but the company has made good on its promise with not a moment to spare. Open webOS 1.0 is now available with core browser and e-mail apps, the Enyo 2.0 framework and enough hooks to allow porting to a platform of choice. To prove this last point, HP has gone so far as to port the software to a TouchSmart all-in-one — a device just a tad larger than a Veer 4G. Lest anyone be hasty and get visions of developing a custom build for the TouchPad, though, they’d do well to remember both HP’s disclaimer ruling out legacy support as well as word of the holes that exist in the current Open webOS release. The company needs time to offer open-sourced media support, a Bluetooth stack, advanced network management, faster rendering and newer versions of both Qt and WebKit. The curious can nonetheless try the OS in an emulator today, and intrepid developers can start building their own projects with the code and tools found at the source link.
Continue reading HP takes Open webOS 1.0 live, shows it supersized on a TouchSmart (video)
Filed under: Cellphones, Desktops, Tablets, Mobile, HP
HP takes Open webOS 1.0 live, shows it supersized on a TouchSmart (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Sep 2012 14:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Another day, another major blow to the webOS community. The Open webOS project announced today in its blog that the fledgling OS won’t support any of the existing hardware — like HP’s Pre 3 and TouchPad. While not completely surprising, this is disappointing for those who were hoping to wring a little more life out of their current webOS devices. Open webOS is targeting SoCs that support the Linux 3.3+ kernel and components with open source drivers. The blog post blames the existing hardware’s “many proprietary components, including graphics, networking and lack of drivers for a modern kernel”. Despite having access to these proprietary drivers, it appears HP isn’t willing to make them available to the Open webOS project — proof that sometimes you can have your cake, but not eat it too.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablet PCs, Software
No Open WebOS support for existing WebOS devices, no soup for you originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 21:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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