Imitation is the greatest form of flattery – or perhaps it’s a good indicator that the “idea well” has run dry. Bell is excited to tell you about the Palm Pre, and the ad they’ve put together bears a shameless resemblance to watching an iPhone commercial. We suppose the good news is they avoid the decidedly “creepy” ad campaign that Palm put together with a porcelain-colored spokeswoman, but we think they could have done much better than to borrow heavily from the look and feel of an iPhone ad. Yes, the iPhone has been wildly successful, but the Pre is no slouch either and can stand on it’s own and deserves it’s own unique ad campaign. Take a look and see the resemblance for yourself.

Source: preThinking

Promises were made that more apps would come, and those promises are being fulfilled, albeit quietly. As of yesterday, six (6) new apps have appeared in the App Catalog, and without further ado, here’s the list of newbies:

1. Word Ace – according to Self Aware Games: “The Word Ace application for Palm webOS™ combines the strategy and competition of Texas Hold ‘Em and the intellectual challenge of Scrabble®-like word creation into a fast-paced, challenging multiplayer online game you carry in your pocket. Do you have the cards and the skill to build the highest-scoring word, or are you going to have to bluff your way to victory?”
2. Mileage Monitor - pretty much self-explanatory.
3. Bubbles! – connect same-color bubbles and pop them for points.
4. ESPN Zoom – photo hunt game.
5. Kosher2Go – Kosher database app.
6. Shabbat Shalom – check candle lighting times, havdalah time, and parsha for the week in any location worldwide.

Keep an eye on the App Catalog for more apps. As Palm has promised, there are more to come.

Source: preThinking

DigiTimes, a Chinese news publication, reports that October is the target for shipping large volumes of Palm Eos handsets to Palm. This report is in contradiction to an earlier report that the Eos wouldn’t arrive until 2010. It has been also rumored that the Eos is slated to replace the aging Centro as a price leader at $99, a bargain for a webOS-based device.

The Palm Eos is likely headed to AT&T first, then to Sprint sometime next year. The front-facing QWERTY keyboard is reminiscent of Palm’s Treo and Centro lineup and should prove to be popular, especially with those already familiar with this design. If it does arrive at under $100 it should be a very popular holiday item at the end of the year.

Source: everythingpre

Palm’s App Catalog is growing by a trickle rather than a flood, but any new apps for the masses are more than welcome. Case in point, two new apps have appeared for your downloading pleasure: Blackout from Uberu, a lights out style of game, and Spades from Bytesequencing, a version of the classic card game. Both apps are at a very attractive price – FREE! The Spades app is ad-supported.

Give them a download and let us know what you think. Also, what apps do you want to see in the App Catalog?

Source: Palm Infocenter

There is hopeful news for those pining for a Palm Pre but are not willing or able to run to Sprint to get it. The Wi-Fi Alliance has just certified a Palm Pre with part number P100UNA along with 850/1900 MHz and UMTS/HSPA. The new part number and certification could mean that the Pre is headed to AT&T and/or Rogers once Sprint and Bell’s exclusivity is expired, but there is also a chance that this certification is merely for Bell when they upgrade their service from CDMA to GSM. Keeping a positive attitude and being the glass-is-half-full people that we are, we’re looking at this as a step closer to a GSM Pre for the U.S. and Canada, possibly finding it’s way to AT&T and Rogers someday soon.

Source: BGR via Pre Central

Is an on-screen keyboard for the Pre something we will see in the future? We sure hope so. As nice as the Pre is with it’s slide-out physical keyboard and compact design, it would truly be a shame if we could not take advantage of it’s multi-touch display to access an on-screen virtual keyboard as an alternative to sliding out the physical one.

Thanks to the enterprising folks at webOS Intervals, an on-screen software keyboard may one day move from browser-based SSH input to native functionality on the Pre. Also, to quicken your pulse a little more than it is already, a “pre-Alpha” patch is already available to install on your Pre, but be warned that this should only be undertaken by the brave and knowledgeable. Perhaps we will see an on-screen keyboard more sooner than later!

Source: pre central

We just reported on Canada getting the Pre on August 27, and now we have a pure, unadulterated, unsubstantiated rumor that several sources believe the Palm Pre will be released on October 30th on the O2 network in the U.K. O2 generally likes releasing high-profile phones on Fridays, and – lo and behold – this date is consistent with their philosophy. To add further support to this rumor, this little tidbit allegedly came from an O2 employee and the launch date is consistent with O2’s recent claims that they would be able to offer the Pre in time for Christmas. How will the Pre perform in Europe?

Source: Palm Infocenter

Of 305 viewers surveyed, a majority report feeling “inspiration” and “happiness” as their dominant emotions when watching one of Sprint’s Palm Pre ads. This study was conducted by HCD Research using their MediaCurves.com site and the full study can be found here. At WebOS Arena, we have felt that the commercials, although somewhat different, carry an effective, memorable message. The question really is whether or not feeling “inspired” and “happy” equates to thriving Sprint/Pre sales. What do you think?

Source: mediacurves.com

If you love your Pre and want to unlock all of it’s deepest mysteries (or even master the basic ones), there is help on the way. Engadget’s Associate Mobile Editor Chris Zeigler offers up Palm Pre for Dummies, due to be released on October 19th. If you want to get your hands on some Pre reading material sooner, you can grab Palm Pre “the missing manual” by Ed Baig of USA Today, scheduled for publishing on September 2nd. Both titles will be available on Amazon.com for $16.49 each – not a bad price for über-mastery of your Palm Pre!

Source: everythingpre

Palm has quietly announced the addition of Jeff Zwerner to their management team. Mr. Zwerner is the new Senior Vice President of Brand Design and has extensive experience in strategic brand design and management. He has collaborated with brands like Apple, Coca-Cola, Gap, GE, Hewlett-Packard, L.L. Bean, Nike, and the Walt Disney company.

It seems that Mr. Zwerner will be an excellent addition to the Palm team and will hopefully help Palm continue to rise to their former glory. Nice to have you on board, Jeff, and good luck with your endeavors at Palm!

Source: Palm