Palm Arena

So Apple released the very first iPad commercial and it aired it during last nights Oscars. Check it out below.

It’s not very often that major newspapers such as Fox and WSJ leak out tech info which is incorrect. So we’re gonna take their word for most of these rumors which you shall see below.

• A virtual keyboard will be included in the tablet. (duh, unless they’re planning to stick a tiny keyboard on it. And seeing Apple is afraid of keyboards by nature…
• Apple has been talking with the NYT as well as HarperCollins and NewsCorp about bringing their content online. When asked to confirm the rumors,  NYT Chairman Arthur Sulzberger said “stay tuned.”
• ElectronicArts has been working closely with Apple to prep games for the tablet. This would of course seem plausible seeing Apple has been touting the iPhone as the next generation in mobile gaming, even pitting it against the likes of Nintendo’s DSi and Sony’s PSP.
• Trading Google for Bing as the default search engine as well as map services. This wouldn’t be a surprise seeing Google’s and Apple’s romance is now over and the sourness between both companies has been becoming evident in recent days. However Microsoft and Apple hasn’t exactly been enemies, only their fans have been (kinda like politics in the U.S).
• We’re hearing that TV service is coming to the Apple Tablet, but it will not be full integration. We’re hearing it will be a “best of TV” service.
• iTunes opening up to the web? That’s what WSJ is saying. According to WSJ, Apple is working on bringing a web based version of the iTunes software to the market in June to buy music outside the iTunes application. The service is said to be hosted on iTunes.com. That would explain LaLa’s acquisition a few months back.
• Last but not least, we’re hearing that due to the addition of a built-in camera, the Tablet has face recognition and can be used for visual sticky notes.

VIA: Engadget

It’s official people, Apple is holding an event come January 27^th (9 more days) and is promising to reveal it’s “latest creation.” We’ve been hearing rumors for years that the boys in Cupertino were working on some type of tablet, slate device and we wouldn’t be none too surprised if they Steve Jobs actually pulled one out of his @ss at the event.

That said, it could be just another update to the iPhone line (we’re hearing generation 4 is due sometime this year), or it could be updated MacBook Pro’s with i5 or i7 processors. But we highly doubt it that they would classify updates to existing products as “their latest creation.”

So let the rumors begin. In the mean time we will return to our normal programming (covering Palm and mobile related news).

VIA: Engadget

Update: We’re getting some more news VIA FoxNews that not only will there be a Tablet announced on January 27^th, but iPhone OS 4.0 and a new version of the iLife suite. Usually when the news papers pick up a texh rumor it is because they have some inside info so we’re betting our hats that all what is promised at the read link below is going to be true.

VIA: FoxNews

Click to Enlarge

The graphic is pretty self explanatory so we’ll be brief in our explanation. But we would just like to point out two things. First of all BillShrink fails to mention Sprint’s “Everything Mobile” plan which is an industry first and a lot better then any of the offerings from T-Mobile. Secondly, they fail to mention that T-Mobile still has the least 3G coverage. Other then that, the graphic is pretty accurate. Check it out.

VIA: BillShrink

Palm is taking the gloves off and going all out to court the support of developers for its webOS platform. No we’re not talking about gimmicks but some real incentives. First of all (as if inspired by the homebrew community) developers will not need to have their apps accepted into the App Catalog for Palm to approve help with the distribution. That means developers will be able to submit an application to Palm, they will get a web link which they can distribute however they want. Palm will not be screening such apps so no restrictions (unlike a certain fruity phone we know).

Palm is still offering the App Catalog to those developers who are willing to pay $50 to get their apps in. And presumably this will be the only way to distribute a paid app.

For those who are big fans of opensource, the next set of words will speak to your heart. Palm is waving the $99 yearly fee it normally charges developers who are developing for the webOS platform if they make their apps opensource. Not only that but Palm will also be offering analytical data to developers, if you remember Apple keeps their App Store in Cupertino HQ.

All this information is coming VIA an official San Francisco meeting where Palm is demoing their two newest employees, Ben Galbraith and Dion Almaer, both from the Mozilla camp. And guess what, all audiance members will be getting a free Pre as well as Touchstone Wireless charger.

BTW: Jon Rubinstein did the honors.

VIA: TechCrunch!

Photo courtesy of Engadget.com

Well that was quick, just a few days after the release of webOS 1.2.0 Palm has issued a new update to address to important problems. The first involves Exchange mail syncing (as webOS 1.2.0 rendered it useless), and the second fixes that problem called iTunes syncing.

If you’re new to the party, Apple and Palm have been playing cat and mouse concerning the iTunes syncing which Apple claims is illegal because it tricks the software. So far the MO of Apple has been to release an update to iTunes which breaks the sync, and a few weeks later Palm sends out a patch to webOS that brings syncing back. Well Palm has done just that again. So those iTunes users, rejoice, syncing of your Pre to your iTunes software is possible again.

Since USB-IF has gotten pissed at Palm, said company basically isn’t getting help from them, on the other hand there’s nothing much they can do so we’ll have to wait and see what the next major move is in this chess game.

Photo courtesy of Engadget.com

To be honest I have no interest in this news, but it does affect every Pre owner so I shall cover it. You might remember that Palm and Apple has been in a tug of war ever since the Pre was announced regarding the Pre’s tricking iTunes into thinking it was an iPod.

Personally I couldn’t care less as I do not use iTunes to do anything other then download NCIS and Gossip Girl episodes I missed. But we’re hearing that USB-IF has responded to both companies and so far it doesn’t look like they’re happy with Palm. Want the full details? Check out the full details from ENGADGET!

We need to clear something up. Even though iTunes 9 has broken the special syncing rights that Palm had with their Pre, you can still sync the Pre with iTunes. That said, yesterday Jobs (back in all his glory) unveiled the latest version of the #1 music store worldwide. To be expected this brought an end to the Pre tricking iTunes into thinking it was an iPod.

That said, if you’re interested in keeping those syncing rights for now (until Palm inevitably breaks them), do not upgrade to iTunes 9. Good day to you.

webOS 1.1.0 update

So earlier today we talked a bit about some of the new features that made it to webOS 1.1.0. Well after testing it out for quite some time now we are gonna give you a better idea of what exactly the update fixed.

The first and probably most talked about (and controversial) feature of the new update is iTunes syncing. Yes just a few days after Apple killed the feature, Palm has defied their efforts and brought back the feature. All we have to say is Palm got balls.

Read more…

We’ll make this short and sweet. No I will not tell you who won, but the results might surprise you. All I have to say is this just shows that whichever option you go with you are having one heck of a phone. Of course I would expect you to go with the Pre, but you be the judge. Check out the video and leave your comments below.