Once the word spread that HP was halting production of webOS flavored hardware, those with such devices were a little concerned about the webOS App Catalog. Those still sporting a Pre or a Pixi, a Veer or even a TouchPad will be happy to learn that the Palo Alto based firm will not only continue to support the online app store, but also plans on making it better. Meanwhile, Microsoft has been trying to lure webOS developers to its online app store by offering free phones and other tools.

On Friday, HP webOS Developer Relations VP Richard Kerris wrote in a letter on HP’s webOS Developer Blog that HP will continue to support the App Catalog and will even refine it. In the letter, the executive wrote that HP will  “enhance merchandising and presentation” of apps. Events for developers are still planned around the world, albeit with a different emphasis now that HP is not producing webOS hardware. Kerris gave developers “sincere appreciation” for continuing to support webOS and said that more information would be coming in the next few weeks.

HP’s decision to support the App Catalog might help boost sales of whatever inventory of webOS flavored product is in stores. As we reported, HP has started a fire sale on the TouchPad tablet with the 16GB model going for $99.99 and the 32GB version priced at $149.99.

source: HP via electronista

The last few weeks have seen a change in the smartphone landscape, thanks to Google’s acquisition of Motorola and HP’s decision to stop producing any more webOS flavored hardware. Is there an opportunity somewhere for HTC to get involved and perhaps acquire webOS or another OS to call its own? The quick and simple answer is a resounding “No”, according to the CEO of the Taiwan based firm, Peter Chou.

In an interview published in the Wall Street Journal, Chou says that HTC’s goal is to take advantage of his company’s partnerships with Google and Microsoft, and build hardware that differentiates itself from the competition. Chou told the Journal that, “It’s not the operating system, it’s the ecosystem, We think we can find a way to differentiate to add value, but at the same time leverage our partners, Google and Microsoft, since we have such a great relationship with them.”
So HTC is going to continue along the same Android-lined road that is has been traveling on. They are taking the risk that Google isn’t lying when it says that the Motorola purchase was only done as a patent play. After all, HTC and Motorola compete in the smartphone arena and when the company that supplies the OS for the vast majority of your phones acquires one of your competitors, it has to make you step back for a moment and wonder what will happen in the future. But Google has made it clear what their intentions are and it doesn’t involve limiting the number of Android handset manufacturers.

Of course, now that HP is probably looking for a way to jettison webOS, there is a viable OS available, probably for a good price. But Chou claims not to be interested in anything but turning out the hardware that has taken HTC from a fairly unknown contract manufacturer to being a household name.

source: WallStreetJournal via AndroidandMe

Our digital news stands are about to get quite a bit better. Time Inc. has promised that by the end of this year, it will bring all 21 of its magazine titles to the “leading tablet platforms”. Although, by “leading platforms” apparently Time only means iOS, Android and WebOS. Sorry, BlackBerry and non-existent Windows tablet users.

The best part about this news is that Time has promised that the magazines will not simply be scans of the print versions, but will be apps designed specifically for each platform. Currently, only Sports Illustrated is being released on multiple platforms, while Time, People and InStyle are all iPad only. The other 17 titles on the way are: All You, Coastal Living, Cooking Light, Entertainment Weekly, Essence, Fortune, Golf, Health, Money, People en Espagnol, People Style Watch, Real Simple, Southern Living, Sports Illustrated for Kids, This Old House, and Time for Kids.

This should be impressive if Time can pull it off, because digital publishing is a completely different beast to that of print. It will be very interesting to see how this all works out, because the lure of tablet specific apps definitely sounds much better than just glorified PDFs.

source: Time Inc. via Mashable

Some early adopters of the HP TouchPad might have been bummed by the fact that they waited the entire month of July to find webOS 3.0.2 nowhere in sight – something that was promised to be available “by the end of the month.”

Although they missed out on hitting their promise, HP TouchPad owners don’t need to worry much because it’s actually rolling out – starting right now! From the looks of it, HP’s Vice President of Worldwide Developer Relations, Richard Kerris, stated through his Twitter account that the update is rolling out starting this morning.

Granted that it’s late by one day, webOS 3.0.2 brings forth some bug fixes that should iron out the platform’s experience. In addition, it packs some minor enhancements and tweaks, along with dedicated Calculator and Clock apps, which should strengthen its overall usability.
If you haven’t seen it arrive, then you can search for it manually by pressing the refresh button under System Updates.

source: HP via PreCentral

Last week, we reported that webOS 3.0.2 for the HP TouchPad was believed to be rolling out in the form of an over-the-air update, but it has yet to materialize even this week – causing us to wonder if it’s being pushed back later than expected.

Interestingly enough, a photo of an HP TouchPad in Singapore was snapped and shows the tablet running webOS 3.0.2 – the very one that many owners are waiting for. Needless to say, things aren’t all that fine-tuned with the platform out of the gate, but of course, future software updates like this one are expected to further refine the platform experience. Additionally, webOS 3.0.2 is expected to include new calculator and clock apps – plus, an improved auto-correct feature.

Ultimately, the only question left unanswered is when we’ll actually see the update being rolled out? As it stands, the HP TouchPad is on schedule to become available next month in Singapore, with pre-orders already being offered for it. Considering that it’ll more than likely launch with webOS 3.0.2 out of the box, we’d gather that the update will arrive some time before the tablet’s release over there.
source: PreCentral

With its generously sized display, some recent HP TouchPad owners in the US might have been giddy to know that the HP Movie Store app on the tablet would allow them to watch some fine content, but sadly enough, it wasn’t in full operation form on launch day.

Well, after a little bit of wait, they’re now able to download the latest update for the HP Movie Store app that finally opens up the cloud-based movie store for business. Much to their delight, the RoxioNow powered service allows TouchPad owners to purchase some of their favorite flicks to watch starting at $9.95 – with rentals going from $2.99 and TV episodes at $1.99 per episode.

Yet another way to fully engross yourself with the webOS 3.0 powered tablet, we’re sure that there are going to be some owners out there who will fully taking advantage of this new service available to them. Either that or kill some time with a good old game of Angry Birds.

source: PreCentral via Engadget

HP has a pretty steep uphill battle ahead of them, especially with their upcoming TouchPad tablet. The iPad is still the dominant force in the tablet market, and even the Android juggernaut is only slowly gaining market share. Meanwhile, HP has yet to prove that webOS can be a commercial success on any device, let alone a tablet. But, of course, HP doesn’t need to let the merits of webOS stand on their own in order to pull in users, they can always give stuff away for free.

In an interesting deal, TouchPad buyers will be getting 50 GB of free cloud storage from Box.net. This deal was unearthed by a Walmart employee who was just playing around with a demo unit of the TouchPad. Box.net offers a lot of really cool features including integration with Google Apps, Salesforce CRM, NetSuite, and a host of other services through powerful API tools.

Unfortunately, there’s no way to know how long this deal may last. Box.net users get 5 GB of storage for free, but the 50 GB plan is $20 per month. So, while the storage may be free at first, it seems like something that you’d have to pay for eventually if you want to keep it.

source: PreCentral via Geek.com

Hot on the heels of Microsoft getting the green light from FCC to acquire Skype, sweeping management changes are already underway. Don Albert, Doug Bewsher, Chris Dean, Anne Gillespie, David Gurlé, and Russ Shaw have been dismissed from the company, or expressed intentions to leave.
While most of them are HR and marketing managers, Russ Shaw has been the one in charge of the carrier and cell phone makers deals, like the ones with Verizon, O2, or Nokia. He is the man credited with Skype’s proliferation on smartphones. Some of these management changes are being attributed to the usual restructuring upon acquisition in order to avoid duplicating positions, but it might also be a hint about Microsoft’s intentions to wall-garden Skype from the competition in some ways.
Other than that is seems business as usual for Skype. Recently a few screenshots appeared that demostrate what Skype integration will look like, when it comes to webOS, but this process has been set in motion by the previous management, and Russ Shaw in particular, so Microsoft will probably let these play out anyway. We’ll see what will happen with the future iterations of Skype.
source: SkypeJournal & Engadget

HP’s webOS packs a lot of unique features starting with a card-based multitasking system and instant communication between devices, but HP might also be developing its own cloud-based music service to compete with rival offerings like Apple’s iCloud and Google’s Music. HP is said to have already engaged in talks with various studios, but it’s the four major labels that it has to lure in order to get the scale needed for such a service.
Even Google and Amazon have failed at this, so how could HP succeed? The rumor actually claims that HP has already been actively negotiating for a while and sources within labels confirm this. But while the main focus of the service is to be music, it might also encompass movie and TV shows. The upcoming HP TouchPad has been touted to come with a solution to synchronize your music with the cloud.
Is that a full ecosystem that HP is trying to build? The company aims high with its ambitions, but it might have actually been premature about a music service on the TouchPad.  Music industry sources warn about the talks being in the early stages and even HP not having established the exact parameters of the future cloud-based music storage.
Earlier, an HP spokesperson mentioned in a statement to music-centric website Billboard: “In March, HP announced that it plans to offer an expanded portfolio of cloud services for enterprises and consumers. … HP sees cloud computing lying at the heart of a connected world.” To underline its music affiliations, HP has shot a commercial promoting music with gorgeous Alicia Keys. Finally, the HP TouchPad is coming with Beats Audio, but while you wait for all that to get release, why don’t you check out the commercial below and get in tune with the future.
source: Reuters

There are many GPS solutions for your mobile device. There are carrier-specific ones, like VZ Navigator, or the free Google Maps Navigation for Android devices. But, until last week, webOS 2.0 has lacked a data-less solution. The ‘nDrive’ data-less solution is good because it stores all the maps on your device, so you only need GPS signal to receive route guidance.

If you’ve ever used data-derived GPS on your device, you know that the data connection can sometimes wane, and you’re left wondering what to do next. But a data-less solution doesn’t have that problem. When you are connected to your network, ‘nDrive’ offers weather alerts, route sharing, and support for Facebook Places and Foursquare.

Also, you can take the ‘nDrive’ GPS solution with you internationally, without needing to purchase data service. But international maps will cost you extra, above the already daunting US$49 pricetag. But if this is in lieu of a standalone unit, you’re still getting a pretty good deal.

So what are the disadvantages? For one thing, ‘nDrive’ allows favorites, but it won’t let you search directly from your contacts application. Secondly, the U.S. map alone takes up 2.3GB. And finally, additional maps are expensive, e.g. the Mexico map costs US$37.

source: PreCentral