Aug 19

The Engadget Interview: HP’s Stephen DeWitt discusses the state of webOS

Posted in: breaking news, BreakingNews, HP, interview, mobile os, MobileOs, mobilepostcross, palm, PalmPre, Today's Chili, touchpad, webos

The last time we spoke with Stephen DeWitt, the head of HP’s webOS global business unit was on the defensive about the TouchPad. In spite of — or perhaps because of — the anticipation of the device, the first webOS tablet received a lukewarm reception at hands of reviewers. DeWitt vigorously defended the slate against the critics, suggesting that technology writers had been approaching the product the wrong way. A lot has happened since that conversation, of course, including reports of unmoved stock and, more significantly, yesterday’s news that HP would effectively be discontinuing production on its webOS devices, the TouchPad included.

There’s been a good deal of confusion around precisely what yesterday’s announcement means for both the company and the mobile operating system that it picked up with its purchase of Palm back in April of last year. In spite of his understandably packed schedule, DeWitt sat down with us to set the record straight and shed some light on the future of webOS — a future both he and the company remain rather optimistic about.

Read on for the full interview.

Continue reading The Engadget Interview: HP’s Stephen DeWitt discusses the state of webOS

The Engadget Interview: HP’s Stephen DeWitt discusses the state of webOS originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Aug 2011 17:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 19

Engadget Podcast 253 – 08.19.2011

Posted in: Google, HP, palm, podcast, podcasts, Today's Chili, verizon, webos

Sometimes, you just can’t handle it all. There is so much to learn about consumer electronics every week that you simply can’t handle the stress. Don’t despair: we, The Engadget Podcasters, are here to help. Let us do the tough work of digesting acquisitions, spinoffs, Grids, Xiaomiphones, and a pocketful of BlackBerrys while you lay on the chaise and have grapes fed to you by your loved ones…or whatever it is you people do to relax these days. Just make sure to listen, let the news wash over you, and feel the knots in your neck and back go the way of the TouchPad.

Host: Tim Stevens, Brian Heater
Guests: Dana Wollman, Josh Fruhlinger
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Music: S&M

00:02:30 – Editorial: Engadget on the death of HP’s webOS devices
00:03:38 – HP may spin off PC business, shift focus to software and services
00:05:10 – HP will ‘discontinue operations for webOS devices’, may spin off Personal Systems Group
00:22:55 – Google acquiring Motorola Mobility
00:28:45 – Verizon embraces Google’s Moto Mobility deal, hopes for an end to patent disputes
00:38:30 – TabCo reveals itself as Fusion Garage, unveils Grid 10 tablet and Grid 4 smartphone (update)
00:41:25 – Fusion Garage Grid 10 tablet and Grid 4 smartphone hands-on
00:46:48 – The Engadget Interview: Fusion Garage’s Chandra Rathakrishnan
00:53:11 – BlackBerry Bold 9930 review
00:55:25 – BlackBerry Torch 9850 review
00:56:30 – BlackBerry Torch 9810 review
00:58:14 – Xiaomi Phone hands-on (updated with video)
01:02:07 – Motorola Photon 4G review
01:02:58 – The NYC Engadget Reader Meetup is less than two weeks away!
01:04:43 – The Engadget Show returns Friday, August 19th — win a ticket to the taping!
01:09:28 – Listener questions

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Engadget Podcast 253 – 08.19.2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Aug 2011 12:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 18

Editorial: Engadget on the death of HP’s webOS devices

Posted in: desktops, hewlett-packard, HewlettPackard, HP, Laptops, mobilepostcross, palm, Smartphones, tablets, Today's Chili, touchpad, webos

WebOS, where did things go wrong? One moment you’re worth a “double-down” investment by HP valued at $1.2 billion, and the OS of choice for future tablets, computers and even printers; the next, you’re discarded like yesterday’s crusty old oatmeal. Today, HP announced — among other things — that it’s chosen to discontinue operations for its webOS lineup, and that the company “will continue to explore options to optimize the value of webOS software going forward.” So what does this all mean for the future of webOS? Have we seen the last of webOS? Join us past the break for our thoughts.

Continue reading Editorial: Engadget on the death of HP’s webOS devices

Editorial: Engadget on the death of HP’s webOS devices originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Aug 2011 18:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 18

HP will ‘discontinue operations for webOS devices’, may spin off Personal Systems Group

Posted in: breaking news, hewlett-packard, HewlettPackard, HP, mobilepostcross, palm, pre, tablet, Today's Chili, touchpad, webos

And just like that, Palm’s baby was abandoned. Among the “other announcements” in today’s press release about the potential spinoff of its entire Personal Systems group (PCs, mobile devices, storage) is a note that the webOS ecosystem HP snagged for $1.2 billion a year ago is already being ditched.

“In addition, HP reported that it plans to announce that it will discontinue operations for webOS devices, specifically the TouchPad and webOS phones. HP will continue to explore options to optimize the value of webOS software going forward.“

Among slightly lowered estimates for its 2011 revenue, HP confirms it’s in talks with Autonomy Corporation plc about a “possible offer” for the company. It’s clear that a separation of HP the services / software company and HP the hardware manufacturer leaves no room in the lifeboat for the Pre and TouchPad family, but what happens next? We’re sure there will be more pointed questions about what “optimizing the value of webOS software going forward” means — we vote for a quickie sale to one of Google’s disgruntled hardware partners or better yet, opening it up for some community hackery — on the conference call scheduled for 5 p.m. Eastern.

Update: HP CEO Leo Apotheker confirmed on the company’s earnings call late this afternoon that the Autonomy acquisition is considerably further along than just a “possible offer,” and that it’s expected to be completed by the end of 2011. He also made it clear that any possible spin-off of the PC business won’t happen soon, and said that the company will take 12 to 18 months to consider its options, further adding that he is “taking ownership” of all of these decisions. As for webOS, Apotheker expectedly offered few specifics, but suggested that just about all options, including licensing, remain on the table.

Timeline:

Continue reading HP will ‘discontinue operations for webOS devices’, may spin off Personal Systems Group

HP will ‘discontinue operations for webOS devices’, may spin off Personal Systems Group originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Aug 2011 15:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 18

HP unveils 64GB TouchPad, spurns America (and freedom)

Posted in: europe, HP, palm, pre-order, PreOrder, snapdragon, Today's Chili, touchpad, webos

Guess it’s official, yanks: HP loves the old continent more than you. A mere 24 hours after beginning sales of the Pre 3 — still unavailable to US folk — comes wind of another treat for residents of the EU. Making an appearance on HP’s French website is a 64GB permutation of the WiFi TouchPad, which curiously makes do with the faster 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon we first saw in its 4G brother. The supercharged variant will set Europeans back €599 (or roughly $860 including tax) and will also be available in “lacquer white,” when it ships in “one to two weeks.” Will the company have the audacity to launch another Euro-first device tomorrow? It won’t take long to find out, but in hindsight, July’s leaked memo is looking pretty legitimate right about now.

HP unveils 64GB TouchPad, spurns America (and freedom) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Aug 2011 07:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 17

HP Touchstone Audio Dock passes FCC on the way to anonymous launch

Posted in: bluetooth, hewlett-packard, HewlettPackard, HP, palm, palm pre, PalmPre, Today's Chili, webos
If your grandest dream involves HP releasing a Touchstone dock that could stream music over Bluetooth, you probably suffer from the same lack of ambition that caused it to meekly push the Pre 3, unheralded, into Europe this week. Such a dock has made the rounds at the FCC, and from their documents we can glean that it’s packing a 3.5mm audio-out jack and can broadcast over 6MHz, a capability that was also added to the Pre 3 for an as-yet ambiguous reason. Perhaps we can expect the new dock to arrive in Europe prior to the Pre 3 landing stateside — it’s asking a lot, we know, but crazier miracles have come to pass.

HP Touchstone Audio Dock passes FCC on the way to anonymous launch originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Aug 2011 10:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 17

HP Pre 3 now available for purchase on official European store

Posted in: available, europe, hewlett-packard, HewlettPackard, HP, launch, mobilepostcross, Online, palm, release, Today's Chili, webos
Pop quiz: what’s the best way to launch a phone that’s left us waiting with anticipation for seven months? HP’s answer is to quietly release it on its European store without any pomp or circumstance. We have no idea why the company chose to start selling the Pre 3, its new flagship phone, without any media buzz; the important thing here, however, is that the SIM-free device is now available for purchase on the Palm Eurostore. The phone can be all yours for £299 — the equivalent of $490 in the US — which is a respectable price point for a no-commitment smartphone of its caliber. So far we’ve only seen the phone get pushed out across the pond; European retailers Clove and Box are following HP’s lead by offering the Pre 3 as well, just in case the official store runs out of stock. It’s probably not too likely, given the company’s lack of marketing efforts on this particular launch, but we could always be surprised. After all, we’ve been waiting for seven months.

Update: PreCentral just received an official statement from HP confirming that the Pre 3 is indeed launching in Europe, and more information will be available for the US soon. Here’s the full quote:

HP is excited to begin its regional rollout of Pre3, the only phone today that offers users a slide-out keyboard coupled with a large touchscreen and the fastest speed (1.4GHz processor – the fastest on the market). We expect to share additional information for U.S. customers soon.

So that’s it — a four-line announcement to launch the Pre 3. But hey, it’s at least something.

HP Pre 3 now available for purchase on official European store originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Aug 2011 02:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 16

HP’s Pre 3 goes up for pre-order in Germany, shipping in ‘1 bis 2 Wochen’

Posted in: germany, HP, palm, palm pre, PalmPre, PreOrder, smartphone, Today's Chili, webos

Remember the Pre 3? The portrait slider HP promised it’d be hawking to webOS fans by the end of summer? Well it might barely make its launch window, but only if you live in the land of the autobahn. Currently live on the Deutsches wing of HP’s online store is a pre-order page for the elusive smartphone which’ll apparently ship in “one to two weeks.” The localized variant is unlocked and comes with a QWERTZ (yes, Z) keyboard instead of the QWERTY we’re used to. And, at 349€ (or around $500), the handset is considerably cheaper than when when we first spied it on Amazon.de in May. Taking the plunge? Feel free to send one our way, preferably with bratwurst and rösti in tow, danke.

[Thanks, Andreas]

HP’s Pre 3 goes up for pre-order in Germany, shipping in ‘1 bis 2 Wochen’ originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Aug 2011 03:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 14

Orange UK’s official HP Pre 3 support page goes live, still not available to purchase

Posted in: dual-core, HP, palm, palm pre, PalmPre, pre, Today's Chili, webos
If you haven’t been paying close enough attention to the matter, you’d think the HP Pre 3 had already been released. After all, it’s been myriad months since it was originally announced and the Veer and TouchPad were both pushed out to store shelves (arguably a little too early). Sadly, it’s still sitting on deck, waiting to try its luck when the time is right. Orange’s UK branch, however, is wasting no time making sure it’s ready for the mystery launch date, as the Pre 3’s support page is live on the carrier’s site and awaiting your perusing eyes. The listed specs confirm that the smartphone’s running with a 1.2GHz dual-core CPU (as opposed to its originally-announced 1.4GHz) and using webOS 2.2, as well as 512MB of RAM and a 3.6-inch 800 x 480 WVGA resolution display. Though we’re still waiting on word of the phone’s release from HP or Orange, sightings of a finalized page on the carrier’s site are awfully hard to ignore. Given the length of time it’s taken to hit the market, however, will it even feel fresh once daylight hits it for the first time?

Orange UK’s official HP Pre 3 support page goes live, still not available to purchase originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Sun, 14 Aug 2011 08:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 05

HP TouchPad now $200 off at Staples — it’s like Christmas in August

Posted in: HP, palm, sale, slate, tablet, Today's Chili, touchpad, webos

If there’s still not enough change in your couch to snatch up a $399.99 16GB HP Touchpad, today could be your lucky day — that is, if you’re in the market for a webOS slate in the first place. It looks like Staples is offering a $100 coupon for the slab, which should be applicable to the already discounted price, giving you webOS love for $299 for the 16GB model and $399.99 for 32GB. If that price gets any lower, the $35 tablet might just have to step up its game.

HP TouchPad now $200 off at Staples — it’s like Christmas in August originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Aug 2011 12:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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