With the exception of a minor firmware update, not much has happened on the Pre front over the weekend. The only “new” apps in the App Catalog are updated apps. Spaz, Tweed, AccuWeather, and Flixter all received updates, so be sure to visit the App Catalog and download them. Updates are good, but new apps are better – let’s hope that more new apps are on the way soon as the SDK makes it into the hands of developers.

In the current marketplace where television viewers are constantly reminded that “there’s an app for that” (iPhone, in case you’re wondering), it’s critical that Palm and Sprint see some app growth in the App Catalog so that new customers are drawn to the Pre and it’s capabilities. Other than the native apps on the Pre, one way to demonstrate how webOS can shine is through the proliferation of quality apps. Stay tuned and keep checking that App Catalog daily!

The Pre launch back on June 6th was fairly tame and quiet. Yes, stores ran out of stock, but then again, they weren’t stocking them by the hundreds at retail locations like the Apple Stores do for the iPhone. Attention on Sprint and the Palm Pre is also suffering from iPhone 3G S hysteria. Then, if you’ve checked the App Catalog lately, it’s not exactly awe-inspiring. I was willing to give Sprint and Palm kudos for making some apps available right away, but when former Palm OS powerhouse sites start pushing old Palm OS apps for the Pre (by way of using the app “Classic”) because the App Catalog is so lacking, there’s a problem.

To add some insult to injury, both Palm and Sprint stock has been floundering a bit, the Pre hasn’t attracted new subscribers to Sprint in the numbers they had hoped for, and developers are still waiting for a real webOS developer kit to make some Pre apps. If some fun, useful and interesting apps can start making their way into the App Catalog, and at a price that is similar to Apple’s App Store, it would be a good shot in the arm for the Pre. We certainly want Palm to succeed, and the Pre is a device that can get them back in the game and make them relevant again, but the pace better pick up soon or Palm risks the possibility that the Pre and webOS never quite catch on. What do you think Palm and Sprint should do differently?

Source: PC World

Smartphones are getting smarter and becoming more like the PCs and Macs on our desks, and ARM, the company that designs chips for smartphones, has confirmed that dual-core processors are on their way to high-end handsets like the Pre. According to James Bruce, wireless segment manager for ARM: “You’ll definitely see handsets shipping with a dual-core A9 in 2010.”

Given that the Pre already uses an ARM processor, it’s not a far stretch to say that dual-core processing could very well be in the Pre’s future. Dual-core processors make it possible to run more complex and sophisticated apps, and given the high-end nature of the Pre, we want our high-end apps too!

Source: cnet, photo courtesy of ARM

Palm stock prices have dipped a little today after enjoying a 52-week high just yesterday. The market in general has lagged a bit today, but given that the Palm Pre and Apple’s iPhone are the most compared handsets at the moment, maybe Palm’s stock dip could be partly attributed to Apple’s release of the much-awaited 3.0 firmware update today. The 3.0 update gives the iPhone some sorely-needed features that the Pre offered on day one – notably a universal search feature and copy/paste. In spite of market fluctuations, it’s great to see Palm gaining strength as their webOS-based Pre continues to sell.

You’ve recently bought a Pre and enjoy its syncing capabilities with iTunes? Well, there might be some bad news for you. Apple has posted a note on its site saying that iTunes syncing support will not be provided for “non-Apple digital media players”. Here is an excerpt from the official text:

“Apple is aware that some third-parties claim that their digital media players are able to sync with Apple software. However, Apple does not provide support for, or test for compatibility with, non-Apple digital media players and, because software changes over time, newer versions of Apple’s iTunes software may no longer provide syncing functionality with non-Apple digital media players.”

So, what this means in short is that Palm Pre users might soon be unable to sync their smartphone with iTunes. It would be interesting to see if Palm’s current CEO (and former senior vice president of the iPOD division) will have an answer for that.

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When push comes to shove, it looks like all the talk about hacking the Pre has hit Sprint right at the heart. Hackers around the world have probably been working night and day trying to get a way to allow tethering on the Pre. All of that came to a screeching halt when Sprint “politely” warned the team over the Pre Dev Wiki. And by politely, we mean using some big fancy words stating that Palm will be forced to take legal action – both on the ones responsible for running the wiki and IRC. So all the talk around allowing tethering on the Pre needs to stop altogether during Sprint’s exclusivity period. The team behind the site complied and posted a statement explaining their actions.

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Investors are liking what they see with sales of the Palm Pre, and the market has responded with Palm’s stock trading at a 52-week high, closing on June 16th at $14.38. The rising stock is likely due to two factors: the announcement of Jon Rubinstein assuming the CEO mantle and Pre sales performing better than expected.

Pre sales could possibly hit 500,000 units by August, according to Pacific Crest Securities analyst James Faucette. This bodes well for Palm and for all of us Pre owners. More Pre sales equals more webOS app development and support. So far, Palm is on the right track for a solid comeback.

Source: Palm Infocenter

Two forum members from precentral.net report that another firmware update for the Pre is imminent, likely in a couple weeks but possibly much sooner. One of the sources is a Sprint CSR and the other is from Palm technical support. 

The Sprint CSR indicated that the update would address issues like improved text messaging features (message forwarding and group texting), improved battery life (can I have an “Amen”?), and possibly video recording in either this update or one in the future. Be advised that this is all rumor and conjecture, but if there is a kernel of truth to be found in all this rumor-mongering, any of the mentioned updates would be more than welcome. Hopefully Palm is going to be quick with updates and add more features to this remarkable little Pre smartphone. What features would you like to see improved or added?

Source: precentral

We here at webOS Arena check the Palm App Catalog daily for new and updated apps, and the past few days have been rather quiet. The calm before the storm? We hope so. If a storm of new apps are coming, then it’s beginning with a trickle. Today, the only new App Catalog activity is an update for FlightView.

To update your FlightView, just open up App Catalog on your Pre, tap Most Recent, tap FlightView, then tap Update Available at the bottom of your Pre’s screen – it’s as simple as that, and it’s free. We will continue to keep an eye on the App Catalog and post news of any updates or new apps.

An article at CNN Money praises the Pre but raises the specter that it may ultimately struggle due to it’s OS. webOS is yet another OS in an already crowded field with the likes of Apple’s iPhone, Windows Mobile, BlackBerry, and Symbian. The million-dollar question is whether developers will flock to webOS and invest their time and money into development. Without a meaningful offering of 3rd-party apps, the Pre will not be able to compete with the rest of the pack.

Although CNN Money tries to make their case and quote industry analysts, there are a couple of factors that simply can’t be ignored. First, Palm has a large following as evidenced by the greater-than-expected sales for Sprint Nextel during the weekend of the Pre launch. This loyal following includes a significant number of developers that may return to developing for Palm’s new webOS. Second, webOS itself is an open OS that appeals to a large developing audience. Since webOS is Linux-based and makes use of a number of web technologies such as HTML 5, JavaScript, and CSS, it should be familiar territory to large numbers of developers and should encourage development for the platform.

So far there are limited numbers of apps in Palm’s App Catalog. The best indicator of whether or not CNN Money is right will be known in the coming weeks and months ahead – will the Pre continue to sell well and will the App Catalog begin to swell with new apps. What do you think?

Source: CNNMoney