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Palm Pre webOS 1.2.1 update fixes iTunes syncing

Hans — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 07:59:59 +0000

Palm has just issued a webOS 1.2.1 update for the Palm Pre. This update is 38 MB. If you’re a Palm Pre user, you can go to the Updates app, and download and install it right now. This new update fixes iTunes 9.0.1 syncing!

When Apple first released iTunes 9 during the September 9 event, they blocked the Palm Pre from syncing with iTunes. This is not the first time Apple did this either. Apple keeps blocking the Palm Pre with each and every iTunes update, but Palm has always ended up fixing the syncing in the end. It makes sense for Apple to block the Palm Pre, after all it’s a competitor to the iPhone.

Do you think Apple is wasting their time blocking the Palm Pre with each iTunes update, or do you think Palm deserves it? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.

Palm Pixie announced before Apple event

Hans — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 16:46:04 +0000

Right before the Apple event, Palm announced their Palm Pixie smartphone yesterday. Just like the Palm Pre, the Palm Pixie uses the webOS operating system

The Palm Pixie does not have a slide out keyboard like the Palm Pre. It’s screen is also a bit smaller, and it has a 2 megapixel camera unlike the Palm Pre which has a 3 megapixel camera. The Palm Pixie has no wifi, and it’s lighter, and smaller than the Pre.

The price of the Palm Pixie has not been announced yet, but Palm will be announcing it before the holidays. The Palm Pixie will be available through Sprint. You can find out more about the Palm Pixie and subscribe to be notified once it comes out at Palm.com.

webOS 1.1.0 released: Fixes iTunes Syncing!

Hans — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 20:42:07 +0000

Palm has released the Palm Pre webOS 1.1.0 update and added many new features to the Palm Pre. The update is 78MB and will be automatically downloaded over the air (OTA). If you’re a Palm Pre user, you can open the Updates app and download it now. If you keep getting the Validation failed message you may want to try downloading it later. Apple blocked the Palm Pre Media Sync feature in their recent iTunes 8.2.1 update, but Palm has fixed this in their new webOS update.

Here is a list of new features Palm has added to the Palm Pre:

New Applications:

NFL Mobile Live App from Sprint – You can watch or listen to live NFL games on your phone. Check scores & schedules, standings, news, audio and video, roster and stats, team alerts, photos, and a lot more.

Changes to existing Apps:

Calendar: Default reminder intervals are 15 minutes for timed events and a day for all-day events.
Camera: The photos application opens faster when you load it from the camera.
Clock: There’s enhanced support for time zones
- Alarm: When you set an alarm in the Clock application an icon appears in the notification area on the bottom. Tapping the icon displays more details showing the time the alarm will appear. If the alarm is set for tomorrow then the alarm time and “Tomorrow” will appear, if it is set for the current day then the time of the alarm will appear, and if the alarm is set for any day other than tomorrow, the day of the alarm appears.
Contacts:
- Facebook: Friends added and deleted on the Facebook.com website are correctly added and deleted in the Facebook account in Contacts on the Palm Pre.
- Google: As soon as you add or make changes to a Google contact on your phone, the phone syncs these changes to Google.
E-mail:
- Exchange ActiveSync (EAS):
1. When you set up a new Exchange ActiveSync (EAS) e-mail account, you can now enter an IP address instead of the mail server name.
2. EAS has new policies including: PIN/Password Required, Inactivity timeout – Administrators can set a certain time period for phones to go in to a locked state, and Remote Wipe – Administrators can remotely erase all data on the Palm Pre from their Exchange console and they can also set the device to auto wipe the device if an incorrect password is entered more than the specified number of times.
- Google: As soon as you add or make changes to a Google contact on your phone, the phone syncs these changes to Google.
Messaging:
- Emoticons: Emoticons can now be entered in text, multimedia, and instant messages. Emoticons are also displayed in incoming messages.
- Time format: If your phone is using a 24-hour time format, message times in conversations will appear in that format as well.
- IM accounts:
1. IM accounts preferences has all options available even if you’re signed in. You can tap Remove Account to delete an account, and enter a new password to update the password, or tap Sign In to sign in with your updated password. Previously you had to sign out of your account to do that.
2. When you delete an IM account you’ll get a message asking you to confirm that you want to delete the account.
Phone:
- Missed Call Notifications: When you have multiple missed calls, the time of the most recent missed call is shown in the missed call notifications area.
- Ringer: When you turn off the ringer switch, a bell icon with a slash is displayed. Previously the icon was a speaker with a slash.
- Phone Preferences: The Show Contact Matches preference is turned on by default now. When you’re typing on the keyboard in the phone app, the phone automatically displays both the numbers you entered and relevant matches to the numbers being entered as well.
System:
- Person reminders: Person reminders functionality has been improved. When you get a call or exchange an e-mail, text, multimedia or IM message with a contact, a notification appears.
- Wikipedia Mobile: When you’re using Wikipedia through the universal search, results are shown in the mobile version of Wikipedia now instead of the desktop version.
- Media Sync fixed: iTunes 8.2.1 blocked Media Sync with the Palm Pre, this has now been fixed in the webOS 1.1.0 update.
Web:
- Symbols: You can now use symbols with the Sym key when you enter text in to a web page form.
- Zoom: If you zoom in to a certain level and you go to another page, you can use the back gesture to return to the page and view the page at the same zoom level.
- Forward Gesture: You can now use the Forward button to go forward through webpages. Previously you could only use the Back button and go back.
- Links: Tapping a link highlights it.
YouTube:
- Search: You can tap the Search icon to perform a search after you enter search text. Previously you had to tap Enter.
Undocumented changes:
- Drop down menus: The drop down menus are animated.
- Sound notifications: E-mail sound notifications are changed.
- Memos: You can now e-mail Memos from the Memo app.
- Javascript interpreter: The javascript interpreter is faster.
- New Web font: The web browser uses a new font.
[Via Palm, PreCentral]

Flash is coming to mobile operating systems!

Hans — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:16:37 +0000

Adobe has announced that they will be releasing a beta version of Flashplayer 10 for mobile operating systems some time in October. The specific operating systems Adobe mentioned were Google Android, Microsoft Windows Mobile, Nokia Symbian, and Palm WebOS. Notice something missing from this list? Yes, the iPhone was not mentioned! Adobe’s CEO Shantanu Narayen said that Adobe and Apple are still collaborating on Flash for the iPhone, with no specific launch date in sight. It doesn’t look like we will be seeing flash on the iPhone any time soon, but at least it will still be coming to other big mobile operating systems.

Flash coming to mobile operating systems is a really big thing not only for us but also for application developers. Developers will be able to easily make apps that work with other mobile operating systems too. Video streaming, flash games, and all normal flash content will be viewable on our mobile phones. I can’t wait till Flashplayer 10 is out, I’ve seen way too many websites that don’t work on my mobile browser because of flash!

[via PCWorld]