Hasta La Gadget!

When Palm launched its Pre last week at CES, we were both blown away and pretty overwhelmed. Besides issuing new hardware, the company also demoed a completely original operating system called webOS which incorporates some pretty heady ideas about what a mobile phone can do. Now that we’ve had a little time to step back, we’re taking a more methodic look at the device and its software, and hoping to answer some of those nagging questions you’ve been asking. Read on for a look at everything we know about the phone right now.

Continue reading Palm Pre: everything you ever wanted to know

Filed under: Cellphones

Palm Pre: everything you ever wanted to know originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Jan 2009 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We don’t have a failsafe way to confirm that these are real, but what we’re seeing certainly jibes with what Palm’s been saying about webOS and its Mojo SDK: all web, all the time. Apps, which rely heavily on HTML and Javascript, are actually debugged right from the comfort of your desktop web browser, so it seems like there isn’t even a native emulator to worry about. Boy Genius Report has a few screenshots posted, and while there isn’t anything too terribly interesting going on, it’s good to have some semi-confirmation that devs are already hard at work bringing stuff to the webOS table in time for the Pre launch. Oh, and Palm: feel free to hook us up, because we have this awesome idea for an Engadget app. Seriously.

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Screen shots of Palm’s Mojo SDK already in the wild? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Jan 2009 13:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Following an apparent rejection of our suggestion of “Immaculate Collection,” Palm’s Developer Network site suggests that the official name of its app store for webOS is simply going to be “App Catalog”. The name isn’t terribly important, but the concept is critical — every mobile platform of consequence is moving in the direction of intelligent, on-the-go app management, and with the Pre, Palm can’t afford to be any different in that regard.

Outside Palm’s inner circle of trusted partners, the webOS SDK (playfully named “Mojo”) won’t be released to would-be app developers until we get closer to the Pre’s launch, but we know a few key details. First off, as “webOS” implies, apps written for the platform are web-based — HTML, JavaScript, that sort of stuff — but unlike Apple’s original vision for the iPhone, Palm’s going to include libraries that allow devs to tap in to the Pre’s hardware capabilities and interact closely with services exposed by the operating system. For users, that means apps are hopefully going to be rich and powerful, but graphically intensive, heavily interactive things — think games, mainly — aren’t likely to happen. That’s not to say Palm won’t eventually offer a binary SDK, but the tools they appear to be offering up front won’t get the job done, and we’ve confirmed in talking to Palm that Pre gaming was never a priority for the company during the development cycle. In a nutshell: Tetris, yes; Tetrisphere, not so much.

[Via Mobile Roar]

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Palm’s app store christened App Catalog, games not a priority originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 10 Jan 2009 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve taken a mountain of shots of the new Palm Pre, but we thought a proper tour of the the apps and interface was in order. So with that in mind we banged together a gallery of shots from messaging, web browser, camera, photos, music, videos, notes, tasks, maps, and calculator. We have to say, the more we check this phone out, the more we like it; we’re all pretty much gushing over here. Follow the read link to head over to Engadget Mobile’s gallery

Palm Pre interface tour originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Jan 2009 17:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Palm just got official with its new webOS platform, running on the new Palm Pre. According to the company, anyone who knows CSS, HTML and XML will be able to develop for the OS without having to learn any new languages — sounds kind of like it’s a jacked up browser with memory management, like Google Chrome. The UI itself is simple and touch-based, with flick scrolling through lists and gesture support that goes “beyond the screen.” The launcher comes up over apps without leaving them, and you can quit apps by just swiping up — multiple apps and windows are managed using a “deck of cards” metaphor. The Synergy sync system automatically manages your contacts — all you have to do is log into Facebook, Google, and Outlook. You also get consolidated IM from multiple services — so, so sweet. Typing on the keyboard brings up an instant search which pulls up apps, contacts, and even web queries. All apps have access to an Android-like popup notification system, and urgent messages pop up, causing running apps to automatically resize so you can see everything. There’s also a dockable control area that any app can use for persistent controls — Palm’s using it for its music player, for example. More pics after the break!

Update: The press release is now live.

Filed under: Cellphones

Palm announces webOS platform originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Jan 2009 13:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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