Hasta La Gadget!

We aren’t trying to lump these two together or anything, but we figured we’d give those of you who opted for Palm’s second set of webOS handsets an opportunity to pool your thoughts in order to make the smartphone landscape an even better place to survey. We personally didn’t find too much new to laud on Verizon’s Palm-branded twofer compared to the original Pre and Pixi, and those of you who were hoping for all new hardware from the company at CES were undoubtedly let down. Still, there’s something to be said about a webOS product on America’s “largest 3G network,” and frankly, we’re interested in hearing how you’d change things. Would you have overhauled things more drastically? Expanded the screen size? Bumped the resolution? Enlarged the keys? Go on and tell Jon exactly what you think in comments below — who knows, the Pre Plus Plus might just carry your calling card.

How would you change Palm’s Pre Plus and Pixi Plus? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 06 Mar 2010 01:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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After a disappointing initial effort, Palm has unleashed version 1.1.0 of its webOS Facebook app. Currently only available via the update function but not the standard App Catalog, users will find new and improved access to their inbox, all their friends’ photo albums, profiles, direct photo uploading, friend search and a list view for upcoming events and birthdays. The first thing we noticed was the initial news feed now matches the notification preferences set on the standard webpage stopping the inevitable flood of Farmville updates we blocked so long ago. Features still missing include chat, video and the ability to respond to friend requests but with a distinctly faster and tighter experience, it’s certainly surpassed the mobile webpage as the best way to access Facebook on the Pre. Can’t reach the update button right now? Check our gallery for a few more images or this video demo from PreCentral embedded after the break.

[Thanks, @Isaac]

Continue reading Facebook for webOS gets a much-needed, and much-appreciated, 1.1.0 update

Facebook for webOS gets a much-needed, and much-appreciated, 1.1.0 update originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 21:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Likely a direct counterstrike to Verizon’s $79.99 Pixi Plus, Sprint has dropped the retail price of its original WiFi-less Pixi all the way down to $49.99 after $100 mail-in rebate on a new two-year contract. As you might recall, the Pixi debuted at $100, but now that the Pre’s leaving it in the dust with both high-quality gaming and Flash support, a little more price separation between the two makes a lot of sense. Alright, Sprint, strong work — now you’ve just got to drop the Pre a few bucks to distance it from Verizon’s Pre Plus and you’ll be good to go.

Palm Pixi now $50 on Sprint originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Feb 2010 19:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We heard (momentarily) that Sprint was fixing to roll webOS 1.4 out to Palm devices starting today, and it seems as if one particular Pre Central forum member has stumbled upon the software early. We’ve already shown you the full changelog, but if you’re too anxious to wait for your own OTA alert, hit up the source link for a deep dive into webOS 1.4 screenshots. Oh, and there’s a video recorded within 1.4 just after the break — huzzah!

Continue reading Palm’s webOS 1.4 emerges: screenshots galore

Palm’s webOS 1.4 emerges: screenshots galore originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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There’s very likely a little unrest inside Palm’s corporate walls today on news that the company’s falling a little short of its financial expectations, so CEO Jon Rubinstein has wasted no time firing off an all-employee letter explaining the sitch while trying to calm some nerves in the process. As analysts had feared, Rubinstein clearly isn’t pleased with the way the company’s launch on Verizon has gone — but he’s already got a plan in place involving some 200 “Brand Ambassadors” deployed to Verizon stores to help get reps the straight dope on Palm products and a refreshed ad campaign across several mediums. Is it enough? That remains to be seen, but in the meantime, he’s quick to note that they’ve got around $500 million in cash in the bank just for a rainy day like this. There’s an all-hands meeting scheduled for after Palm’s earnings call next month — would be interesting to be a fly on the wall for that, wouldn’t it?

Continue reading Palm boss Rubinstein sends letter to employees, talks turnaround

Palm boss Rubinstein sends letter to employees, talks turnaround originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Feb 2010 22:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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