The buzz around NFC is getting stronger and stronger. After Google announced its upcoming Wallet service, which has arguably been the greatest catalyst for NFC-related talk recently, we now hear that another big-time player is considering adding NFC capabilities to its gadgets.

According to Boomberg’s unnamed sources, HP is actively working on getting some near-field communications love into its upcoming phones and tablets, running (Palm’s) webOS platform. However, it looks like HP might not stop at just incorporating an NFC chip, but creating a whole ecosystem of its own. It is said that customers will be able to use the technology in order to pay for goods, as well as receive coupons and royalty points by placing their handsets near the designated objects (terminals, special posters, etc.), similarly to Google Wallet.

The rumor states that we may see HP’s first NFC-enabled devices by the end of the year. As most are probably aware though, the company’s first webOS tablet – the HP TouchPad, which is expected to launch on July 1 in the U.S. – will not sport an NFC chip inside. Oh well, having to wave your 10-inch tablet in front of a payment terminal probably wouldn’t have been the most comfortable thing to do anyway.

source: Bloomberg via BGR

For those planning to nab the upcoming HP TouchPad when it’s finally officially released next month, you can continue to drool over the webOS powered tablet even more because we’re seeing a good dose of accessories hitting HP’s online web store.

If HP’s pride and joy isn’t enough to satisfy your itching fingers, then you’ll more than likely find some relief picking up a number of accessories made specifically for the tablet. Although they’re all branded with the “coming soon” tag, we’re fairly confident that these accompanying accessories will no doubt make their presence known in time for the tablet’s release.

First up, the same old looking USB wall charger is priced at $29.99, but in reality, it’s the same exact charger that we find packaged along with past webOS smartphones – albeit, there’s no branding with it this time around. Secondly, the HP TouchPad Case retails for $49.99, and is essentially a slip-on case that allows you to prop up the tablet for the most enjoyable video watching experience. Thirdly, the slim looking Bluetooth keyboard retails at $69.99 and uses two AA batteries that are estimated to offer 12 months of life. Finally, early adopters might take notice with this one since it offers that cool looking way of charging up the TouchPad. The HP Touchstone Charging Dock works similarly with the previous Touchstone, but the adjustable stand allows you to perfectly view the tablet horizontally or vertically, while charging the tablet normally – all for the price of $79.99.

So if you’re planning to pick up the TouchPad on launch day, are any of these accessories worthy enough to warrant an accompanying purchase?

source: HP via PreCentral

HP’s TouchPad is different. It’s all about webOS – but as good as that sounds, we’ve never really seen webOS for tablets and that’s why this series of videos educating us on why it’s so awesome, are a must-watch. Jonathan Oaks, Director of TouchPad Development at HP, focuses on what the platform can do on the 9.7-inch tablet in four very concise and to-the-point clips.
1. HP TouchPad Synergy – HP has been touting Synergy from the very announcement of the TouchPad, but basically it all boils down to a unified view for emails, which can be pulled from multiple sources. The same applies for calendars and contacts, but there is also a neat way to pull pictures from services like Facebook and discuss them within the native photo application.
2. Just Type – You might have thought it’s just a universal search, but in its latest iteration Just Type will also give suggestions for apps, but very importantly it will also initiate quick actions so whenever you type something you could save it to a memo without opening the notes application. Working in concert with an onscreen QWERTY with a keyboard row and adjustable sizes, you end up having a very capable combination.
3. True multitasking – WebOS treats apps as cards and with a dual-core Qualcomm processor, HP promises the tablet won’t even stutter. But the platform also stacks cards together. The practical implementation? Say, you’re in an email and open an attached image or document – it all goes in the respective group.
4. Notifications – Shown in the upper system bar of the tablet, notifications on the TouchPad are unobtrusive. But they’re also sorted out so emails get a separate icon, while SMS messages get another. Pop them open, and you can ccroll through all the emails without opening the email app.
Overall, webOS proves one more time that it has all the maturity of rival platforms and more, but at the same time it does lack the developer support a system like iOS has. Even in the videos, there is some noticeable lag and – being accustomed to the stutter-free performance of tablets like the iPad – this might be a dealbreaker if it shows in the final product. But let’s not make premature judgments, but rather enjoy the possibilities of webOS revealed in the videos below.
via: PreCentral

This tweet from HP promotes the pint-sized Veer

Just the other day, we reported that the HP Veer was being promoted to the kids through the use of television ads starring iCarly star Miranda Cosgrove. The ads are in rotation at Nickelodeon which explains the demographics that HP is aiming for with that commercial.

In addition to spending money on television, HP is using Twitter to promote the pint-sized smartphone. The Palo Alto based tech company is reportedly paying Twitter $120,000 a day to have #HPVeer listed on top of Twitter’s trend list. Among the other names and phrases on the Miami version of the list is Katy Perry and pancake restaurant IHOP. To make sure that there is no question on why the device is listed on top, a small yellow bar that says “Promoted” is placed right next to the listing.

When you click on the #HPVeer link, you are taken to a tweet from HP that reads, “In a world of tablets, who needs a smartphone? Small does it all at @HPVeer. Nation’s smallest 4G smartphone. hp.com/veer”. While it remains to be seen how well all this promotion produces for HP in the bottom line, you have to give them an “A” for effort.

source: Twitter via Precentral

A pint sized smartphone would seem to fit perfectly in the hands of pint sized humans. So, it makes sense for HP to advertise the credit card sized HP Veer on the television channels that kids watch. Since not too many children watch CSPAN (not too many adults watch that network either, now that we think about it), HP has paid to have its Veer spots put in rotation on Nickelodeon.

Not only does the network have the ideal demographics to reach the kids, it also features a show called iCarly starring one Miranda Cosgrove. You might remember seeing the actress in “The School of Rock”, but she has picked up a huge fan base thanks to her show on Nick. Miss Cosgrove is the star of the new HP Veer commercial which no doubt shows one of the directions that HP wants to go with the small, webOS flavored phone. This is the second commercial for the model. As we reported, the first ad featured boxing champ Manny Pacquiao.

Just in case your kids start politely asking for demanding the phone, the HP Veer 4G (4G thanks to HSPA+ connectivity) can be purchased from AT&T for $99.99 after a signed 2-year deal.

source: YouTube via Precentral

One of the most anticipated devices this year has finally been made official: the HP TouchPad release date is July 1st while prices for the webOS-running tablet start at $499. The United States will be the first country to get the tablet and you’ll be able to pre-order yours starting June 19th. HP has also confirmed that the tablet will come on AT&T with support for the carrier’s data network, but there were no details whether that means 4G or 3G connectivity. HP promises to unveil the details as the tablet approaches its AT&T launch date which is set for later this summer. Stateside, the tablet will be available at most major retailers including Best Buy, Walmart, Staples, Sam’s Club, Office Depot, and Amazon.com.
Initially, the tablet will be offered in a Wi-Fi only configuration with the price set at $499 for the 16 gig model and $599 for a 32GB version, in line with rivals like the Apple iPad 2 and slightly more than the upcoming super slim Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 and 10.1. In Europe, the United Kingdom, Ireland, France and Germany will be the first to have it in stock a few days later, and Canada will get it in mid-July.
The key differentiator for the tablets is the operating system: “What makes HP TouchPad a compelling alternative to competing products is webOS,” said Jon Rubinstein, Palm’s ex-CEO and current VP at HP’s Palm unit. In addition, the 9.7-inch tablet will sport a dual-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU along with 1GB of RAM, stereo speakers with Beats Audio, instant local and cloud searches with Just Type, but while it’s a powerful device by itself, the TouchPad also plays nice with other gadgets in the webOS ecosystem like the HP Pre 3 and the HP Veer 4G through its HP Synergy and Touch to Share. The latter allows you to share information like web addresses between webOS devices by simply touching them.
Interestingly, the TouchPad will only come with a front-facing camera, perfect for video conferencing, but no rear camera. Come to think about it, it sounds like a justified decision from HP as the tablet is hardly the most practical gadget for photography or video recording. You can bundle the tablet with a number of accessories including HP’s Touchstone Charging Dock giving you the possibility to wirelessly juice up your slate, the HP TouchPad Wireless Keyboard and the HP TouchPad Case, all sold separately. With the release date so close, are you looking forward to get the first webOS tablet? Don’t hesitate to share your expectations about the device in the comments below.
source: HP
Thanks, anonymous!

With the heat of the summer just right around the corner, it seemingly will signal the availability of the upcoming HP TouchPad, but in the meantime, we’re seeing a couple of big bog retailers starting to prepare for its arrival.

Retailing giants Best Buy and Walmart are going to be two well-known players that will sell the brand spanking new webOS powered tablet, and it looks like HP is going to be make sure that their tablet will be getting plenty of face time within those stores. Actually, display stands have already been arriving at stores showing that the tablet will be getting its own dedicated sections – as opposed to being thrown into the usual area reserved for tablets. In fact, one of the display stands in Best Buy is going to be situated right in the computer department with the recognizable HP logo plastered underneath it.

Moreover, we see yet again HP’s presence in other areas like a new “end cap” display at Best Buy showing off the HP Veer 4G. Naturally, it goes to show that HP isn’t holding back one bit and they’re going all out to reserve these spaces to make sure their products get plenty of visibility. Granted that HP’s presence in the smartphone and tablet world might not be all that renowned just yet, we’re utterly confident that it’ll blossom as we swing into the dead heat of the summer season.

source: webOSroundup via PreCentral

HP’s little bid in the big smartphone market, the HP Veer, has been enjoying its presence on the market for a while now, but a little boost from commercials never hurts. Unless it features eight-division world champion in boxing Manny Pacquiao. That might be the exact kind of eloquence the miniature handset needs as it faces some tough and bigger competitors.

The HP Veer might not get the stellar supporting cast for the HP TouchPad including celebrities like Lady Gaga, Kanye West and Jay-Z, but it’s nevertheless an interesting little QWERTY slider. It’s small 2.6-inch screen however is sufficient for most of the functionalities of webOS, including some sports tracking features demoed by Pacquiao. Check out the video below, but if you’re not yet convinced why don’t you head to our review of the HP Veer detailing all of its pros and cons.

source: PreCentral

The HP TouchPad is about to hit shelves in all of its webOS 3.0 glory and June 12th is the nearly official release date, but mere days before that it was spied at Computex. Curiously enough, it was displayed in hardware maker SanDisk’s booth. The company is the one responsible for the memory storage in HP’s TouchPad and claims to have used high-speed memory modules with capacity varying between 16GB, 32GB and 64GB.

The interface on HP’s tablet seemed to run buttery smooth with seamless transitions and fast switches between landscape and portrait orientation. Add to that the neat card implementation of multitasking in webOS 3.0 and HP’s slate can manage to at least look different than the vast majority of tablets. HP has also introduced a unified contacts application bringing together information about the offline details of a contact like phone and address along with social networking. Check out the video demo below to get a feeling about the speed of the HP TouchPad.

source: GadgetsMagazine via SlashGear

The HP TouchPad is one of the most exciting new launches of this summer – the webOS 3.0 tablet is one of the truly unique products in a world of nearly identical slates. HP’s Jon Rubinstein might have teased it a couple of months ago, but up until now we only knew about a vague “summer” release date. But not anymore – folks from PreCentral have gotten hold of the “QuickSpecs” sheet for the tablet and along with other details, a very specific release date popped up:

Worldwide — Version 1.0 — June 12, 2011

If you still doubt the veracity of this date, your doubts will be further shaken by the fact that a massive ad campaign for the TouchPad featuring Lady Gaga, Kanye West and Jay-Z is to kick off in early June. Add to that the fact that the tablet has made appearances in the databases of retailers like Walmart and we might well be looking at a correct date.

The leaked specification sheet doesn’t uncover many other details about the tablet, but it does mention a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera. It’s only two weeks until June 12th reveals what HP has been working on, but in the meantime you’re welcome to check out our first look at webOS 3.0 and be informed well ahead.

source: PreCentral