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New Palm Pre ads, device sighting; Could webOS be overhyped?

Sprint is continuing to roll out the ads featuring the Palm Pre, most recently PalmWebOS received an e-mail declaring the new webOS handset “All the rage” (see below, left). The e-mail invites recipients to share the hype via Facebook, Twitter, or “whatever”. The previous e-mail that Sprint sent out focused on mobile applications. But will it be enough to keep Sprint users hyped up about the Pre?

In another marketing move, Gearlog reports that a pricey new print ad for Sprint has appeared on the back cover of the Wall Street Journal (see above, right). The Pre was previously featured in the Sunday New York Times. The large, colored ad reportedly cost $264,000 to publish, and is designed along the same vein as Sprint’s latest TV commercials, featuring a slew of statistics and a blue bird associated with Twitter. The ad comes exactly a month before the rumored May 17 release date (with shipments expected to arrive a day before).

With a recent appearance of two Pre phones at a public event in San Francisco, more people have been the lookout for the device outside the confines of Palm employees. PalmInfocenter reported on couple of photos showing the Pre alongside an iPhone and Palm Centro. The interesting part is that the photos were from Ludle International, an electronics accessory manufacturer in China. Because the screen is black, it’s possible that the phone is a dummy unit, but with manufacturing being ramped up, it isn’t unreasonable to consider that other companies have received working units.

The photographer states that the plastic screen is more susceptible to scratches than the iPhone, reports BGR, and the back, although a fingerprint magnet, is less susceptible to scratches. Let’s hope he didn’t put a set of keys to the Pre intentionally to test that theory! In any case, better put aside some spare change for a screen protector.

So with all the commercials and hype, will the Pre be all it’s cut out to be? Discussion after the break.

New Sprint commercial featuring Palm Pre; Screenshot tutorial

For those wondering how to capture screenshots on the Pre, MobileCrunch has the 1-step tutorial. Simply hold the Orange, Sym, and P keys and you have yourself an instant screenshot! This could come in quite handy when e-mailing friends or coworkers using the synergy feature, whether to show them what you’re up to, or just for bragging rights. Used with the camera and a photo editing app or one that adds fun effects to photos (of which the iPhone has no shortage), this feature could open up a lot of possibilities.

Also, Sprint is continuing to push the Pre marketing campaign, this time with a new commercial. It is styled similarly to their first commercial to feature the Pre, continuing an upbeat, tech-centric feel. Pandora, who are one of the Pre launch partners gets a plug, with the commercial depicting thousands “streaming Pandora on a bus”. Take a look.

Palm Pre shipment date leaked; Devices spotted in public

Another internal Sprint document has found its way into hands at Engadget, this time in the form of a project sheet suggesting the webOS handset has a “req. delivery date” of May 16. The “scheduled (delivery date)” field is still blank, leaving an air of uncertainty; however if all goes to plan, the rumored May 17 release date looks to be the one.

For reference, all of the release dates so far are listed below:

• February 15 (PreCentral)
• March 15 (Target In-Stock - EOL Sheets)
• April 30 (Palm Pre beta tester)
• May 17 (Leaked internal memos; RandiRS4 via forums; leaked shipment date)
• Late May (Treo 755P EOL)
• June 29 (Leaked internal memos, if shipments inadequate)
• First half of 2009 (CEO Ed Colligan statement)
• Q2 2009 (Palm-Sprint Webinar)

In other news, Boy Genius got a hold of photos of a couple Pre devices, snapped at the annual “Bring Your Own Big Wheel” race in San Francisco. The two persons, possibly young adults, appear to be snapping photos using the built-in camera. Could these be a couple of beta testers, or perhaps Palm employees with increased freedom from an NDA?

Palm has always been in control of the device, so it is intriguing to see the device apparently let loose at a crowded public event. Then again, Palm could just be going viral with their marketing push, speculates IntoMobile. After all, with a new commercial and reaching out to celebrities including the IFC Spirit Awards, Jimmy Fallon, and Howard Stern, it only makes sense they would want to take it to the next level and go public. What do you make of these recent photos?

Palm webOS chapter 3 released!

If you’ve been staring at your inbox the past week waiting for that email from Palm saying you’ve been accepted into the SDK early access program, don’t despair. Palm and CTO Mitch Allen have released chapter 3 of Palm webOS by O’Reilly, with lots of great new material about Mojo widgets that you can incorporate into your applications now. We’ll have a summary up soon!

Palm webOS: Classic Q&A, Pre games, Touchstone “line” planned

A few questions regarding webOS and the Classic emulator were answered today, as well as some new information regarding the Touchstone dock.

webOS games a priority

Since webOS was announced, questions have arisen as to whether gaming would take a back seat to other apps. We previously discussed the possibility that Flash could boost gaming on the Pre, and Palm already stated in their webcast that webOS would support casual and web-centric games at launch. However like the iPhone, games can only be as good as the developers who create them, so support is key to having good games at launch. Precentral notes that in a comment by Palm Developer Community Manager, Chuq Von Rospach, he states games are high on the priority list for developers. And the lowest priority? Fart apps.

Games are definitely NOT last on the list of priorities. They’re actually fairly high on the list; they’re also a very popular option for people submitting applications, which makes our life tough choosing — which is a good thing. Lowest thing on the priority list? Probably applications that emit noises that represent various bodily functions. But that’s just my opinion…

So if you plan on developing games for webOS, you should have a good support base from Palm. Meanwhile, if you’re looking to create the next best thing to iFart, you may not get full backing from Palm just yet.

Touchstone to be a product line

Although Palm has been withholding specific details of launch date and pricing so far (although rumors predict a mid-May launch), occasionally details slip through the cracks. During a 43-minute demo of the Pre at CTIA, a Palm marketing manager describes the Touchstone dock:

“The Touchstone is the name of a entire line of products. This is the first Touchstone product in that family. This is the charging dock.”

So there you have it. Prethinking speculates that if indeed true, inductive technology could be used in peripherals such as speakers, a USB dock, and Pre-to-Pre transfers simply by placing the device against the respective peripherals. Sounds cool; an update will be posted if more details arise.

MotionApps Classic Q&A

Last week, Palm confirmed emulation of Palm OS software on the Pre using MotionApps Classic, due out at launch. A full video walkthrough has since been posted, although many questions arose as to the level of functionality that would be available with emulation. PalmWebOS noted that on a blog post on the company website, MotionApps recently posted a detailed Q&A about Classic that should answer most, if not all of your questions.

The full Q&A is posted after the break; also check out the official website for more info.

The evolution of appinfo.json

When Palm first revealed the contents of the appinfo.json file, we took a closer look at its contents in the first official Mojo SDK tutorial from Palm   released February 25th, 2009:

{
   "title": "MyApp",   
   "type": "web",   
   "main": "index.html"   
   "icon": "icon.png",  
   "id": "com.yourdomain.app.myapp",   
   "version": "1.0",   
   "vendorid": "com.yourdomain.app.myapp",   
   "removable": true   
}

We covered the basic elements including title, icon, and id, and took a guess at main, version, removable, and type.  We speculated that removable might refer to the ability to store applications on removable media in future devices and type might refer to native vs. web (Mojo) based (a stretch, yes, but what else would it mean)?

In any case, when chapter 2 of the Palm webOS book was released on March 19th, 2009, appinfo.json had evolved into this:

As we can see, there were a few differences:

• removable and vendorid are gone
• nowindow, minicon, and category were added

So what does this mean?  Perhaps nothing of long-term consequence.  However, it does show that when the developer webcast was held in February, webOS was still in a state of major flux as this core application configuration file was still undergoing changes of this magnitude.  Will it change again?  As the book is still only in the “rough cuts” edition and Palm is actively seeking feedback on Mojo with its early access program, it’s possible.  We’ll keep you up to date with any new developments.

webOS Palm Pre release date May 17 or June 29? Vacation freeze, new ads

It seems Palm’s new webOS handset has finally reached the home stretch. According to leaked internal memos from Sprint retail stores, front-end employees have a vacation freeze in the month of May and Palm Pre training has already begun. The alleged release date is Sunday, May 17; but if initial shipments are inadequate the date could be pushed back to Sunday, June 29.

The Palm and Sprint ad campaign for the Pre is also continuing to roll on. In addition to the latest commercial, last Monday the Wall Street Journal featured the Pre and Sprint in the advertising section, reports Precentral. Palm also recently sent out an e-mail to customers touting Pre apps, including FlightView and Fandango with synergy integration, reports MyPre. Palm is touting a strong third-party library at launch, discussed previously in Palm’s all-star lineup.

Sprint is known for official releases on Sundays, so coupled with the vacation ban, extended ad campaign, and upcoming Apple WWDC on June 8 (which could spoil the Pre party), a May release is sounding likely; as long as OEM manufacturer Chi Mei can get enough units out the door. The price has also been rumored to be $299 on a two-year contract, but hopefully the price will be lower to compete with the base iPhone. After all, we’ll need the spare change for the svelte touchstone dock.

Palm webOS news: Multitouch; Pre naming; Mojo SDK and more

Here’s a few Palm Pre and webOS news tidbits from industry sources to kick off the long weekend:

First batch of developers get Palm Mojo SDK

Last week, Palm announced the Mojo SDK early access program for developers. They have since posted an update of the program on their blog, and stated that after “about a gazillion applications”, they have let in the first batch of developers late last week, and another batch early this week. That means we could be seeing webOS programs soon, and no doubt preDevCamp, the worldwide event for up-and-coming webOS developers, is gearing up in anticipation of the public release.

Multitouch battle back on

Looks like the patent stalemate over multitouch between Apple and Palm has a new player, and they don’t want to prolong the cold war any longer. Engadget reports that Elan, best known for keypads found in Asus Eee PCs, won a court injunction against Synaptics for infringement over patents, and are now seeking an injunction against Apple to prevent them from selling the Macbook, iPhone and iPod Touch until the case is settled. While it’s unlikely anything drastic will happen, it could be just the distraction to take Apple away from focusing on the Palm and the Pre’s multitouch capabilites. Check out some other articles discussing Apple and Palm’s role so far.

Palm Pre - What’s in a name?

The name of Palm’s latest handheld has been much a mystery until their joint webcast with Sprint, when Palm’s Matt Crowley stated that the name was “anticipatory, looking ahead to the future…It’s thinking ahead of what you want it to do.” Precentral reports on some new details behind the Pre name; Palm actually hired Catchword Branding to come up with the name, and in an e-mail they outlined the painstaking process of choosing a name for their next-gen handset. A few points from the document are below.

• Palm Pre rolls off the tongue nicely.
• It makes use of an accented “e” consistent with other Palm products, such as the Treo and Foleo, and distinguishes it in the market.
• The name associates intentionally with words like PREcident and rhymes with Grand PRIX, which help to redifine what it means to be a smartphone.
• The name doesn’t try to “outcool” other phones, such as “Dare”, “Sway” (Bold?), etc. You just buy the phone because it IS cool.

New Palm Pre accessory rolled out

A slick new holster for the Pre is being released by AGF, designed to make it easily accessible while preventing scratches. PalmWebOS reports that the “AGF Holster with shell door” has a unique design that allows the face of the phone to point inwards, with a smooth hinge to drop the phone down and view it, without actually removing it. The main priority behind the product was “a carry solution that would not scratch or cause any wear to the gloss finish”. Looks like a great solution to mobile professionals and those of us who want to maximize accessibility.

External keyboard support is also expected, with companies such as Freedom Input looking to port their bluetooth keyboard drivers to webOS.

Sprint employees begin training for webOS Palm Pre

Sprint has been busy gearing up for the launch of the Pre, with a recent TV ad featuring the new webOS handset, and rumors of a late April release, among other dates. Sprint employees are now starting to gear up; according to a leaked e-mail from Sprint (most likely their “Weekly Product Update”), employee training for the Pre may have already begun. An e-mail from Sprint states:

“Employees can expect training to start in April as well as multiple communications to get them excited and ready to help our customers,” and they confirm with, “…Sprint is in the process of providing the training for the new Palm Pre.”

Also mentioned in the e-mail, the Palm Pre wil compete favorably with the flagship products from other carriers such as the iPhone, Blackberry Storm, and Android G1. It will be marketed heavily against the competition, and will be “bigger and better” than the 2008 launch of the Instinct.

The e-mail closes with a warning not to allow any “important information” to be leaked to the public before they are set up and ready to go. Considering the leaked EOL sheets in Feburary and leaked confidential Sprint documents in March, so far they are doing a bang-up job in this department. But we’re not complaining.

Source

Videos: Palm webOS at Web 2.0 Expo; Pre Apps at CTIA

More footage of the Pre has been posted from this week’s events. First, Palm has been busy on the floor of the CTIA conference, with many reporters receiving a hands-on look at third-party apps including Fandango, Pandora, SprintTV, Nascar, Google Maps and the Classic Palm OS emulator app. Videos have already been posted by Palm Infocenter and MobileCrunch, among others. Precentral also received a detailed walkthrough of the apps (see below), which also shows off the beautiful, high-contrast screen of the Pre.

CTIA: Palm OS emulator video walkthrough (on webOS Pre)

Yesterday it was confirmed webOS will support Palm OS emulation via the 3rd party Classic app (made by MotionApps). A video of the emulator has been posted by Precentral from the floor of CTIA, Las Vegas. All the hardkeys are now represented by soft keys, including the 5-way navigator, home key, and other buttons. The default interface and apps (including a popular medical app) look to be running quickly and smoothly.

“Really everything you had working on a Palm device is working on a Pre,” Palm states in another video by PhoneScoop. Apps can be installed simply by dragging the .prc files to the “Classic” directory on the Pre while in mass storage mode, and a compatibility mode will assist with online connectivity, although there won’t be tethered Hotsync functionality.

Looking good so far; Palm OS developers and device owners alike can breath a sigh of relief now that their programs may get a second wind on the Pre.

Palm announces the Mojo SDK early access program!

Earlier today at the web 2.0 conference in San Francisco, Palm announced the Mojo SDK early access program for would-be webOS developers.

The early access program is an opportunity for developers to test-drive and provide feedback on the Mojo SDK prior to its public release. We will admit a small group of developers to start and will increase the size of the program as the tools mature.

If you want to apply for the program be sure to check it out.  Here are a few interesting tidbits from the program FAQ (emphasis ours):

Q: Why the early access program – why can’t everyone get the Mojo SDK now?
The Palm Mojo SDK is brand new, and we’re still actively working on our suite of developer resources. The Palm webOS™ platform will be a great platform for mobile app development, but we want to have a small group of developers kick the tires on our APIs, tools and docs before we release them to the rest of the world.

Q: What are the criteria for admittance?
We’ll take a number of factors into consideration, including the order in which submissions are received, the development platform (Mac, Windows or Linux), and the app description and feature set. Our primary objectives are to get feedback from developers with a variety of different backgrounds and to achieve broad test coverage across our toolset, supported platforms and APIs. Naturally, we also want to start filling the pipeline with applications that Pre users will find attractive.

Q: Will you be rejecting any requests for admission?
We don’t expect to reject any requests for admission, but we can’t say for sure how quickly we’ll be able to let applicants in, and we can’t guarantee that everyone who applies will get access prior to the SDK’s public release. If there are problems processing your request, we will contact you.

Q: Will I be able to distribute and sell apps that I develop as part of the early access program?
Once the Pre and the Palm App Catalog have been released (timing to be announced), you’ll be able to submit applications you’ve developed – including any you work during the  early access program – to the catalog for over-the-air distribution.  You can expect that various elements of the SDK will change and you may be required to rework your application to make it compatible with the final SDK.  Participation in the early access program does not guarantee your application acceptance into the App Catalog, but it gives you a head start in understanding the technologies and unique features of webOS.

So if you’re interested in applying be sure to get over there ASAP!  It looks like Palm is going to admit as many people as they can, but who knows how many applications they’ll receive.  It also looks like the SDK is still in a state of flux and that it will stabilize over time as we get closer to the wide release.  But I’m sure that won’t deter many people who are reading this article. :)

Official Palm Pre webOS video “This Weekend” posted

A new video has been posted to the official Pre site, demonstrating third party software including Fandango and Pandora Internet Radio in conjunction with the synergy feature. We also get a peek at the wave launcher in action. The previous video has been renamed to “Good Morning” on the site. Pretty cool stuff; we’ll let the video do the talking.

Previously, we discussed launch partners Fandango and Pandora, among others in a series of articles. What do you think of the new features demonstrated in the video?

CONFIRMED: webOS to support Palm OS emulation on Pre

Pre news has begun to come in from the CTIA conference in Las Vegas, and we like what we’re hearing. Precentral posted a video walkthrough of 3rd party apps, during which an icon labeled “Classic” was spotted in the launcher (see pic).

Palm just confirmed the rumor on their blog, with emulation on webOS being handled by MotionApps. Emulation was previously all but written off when Palm OS was dropped in favor of webOS.

The emulator, named “Classic”, will be built by MotionApps, creator of solid Palm OS apps including mVoice and mRign. We can expect good emulation, since it’s coming from a developer with a history of creating powerful Palm OS apps. MotionApps wants to “help make the transition from Palm OS to webOS smooth and comfortable”.

Engadget notes that although hopes are high, we should not expect all apps to run perfectly, or with full functionality:

“The emulator won’t be able to leverage core webOS functionality,” meaning that you probably can’t expect pure bliss across all of your applications, particularly those with roots that go deeper into phone databases and the like.”

Earlier, many Palm OS developers stated disappointment that their apps would not be backwards compatible with webOS, so this comes at a great time, especially with webOS gearing up to energize developers. Classic will be available with the Pre at launch. You can visit the official page here.