The Official Palm Blog

A Fourth of July salute

Between the backyard barbecue and the fireworks, you might enjoy these photos from an event last month honoring the work of our friends at the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.

Have a happy Fourth of July!

Jon Zilber

Getting into the independent spirit with Pre

As we slide into the Independence Day weekend, it seemed like a good time to salute some new Pre owners who reveal a truly independent spirit:

- Is it possible to live “off the grid” while using a device that relies on both electricity and a cellular network? After you read about this gentleman, you might ask whether it’s possible to live off the grid without one.

- At the other end of the lifestyle spectrum, is it possible to improve on the Touchstone inductive charger for Pre? Maybe – by attaching one to a BMW.

- Built-in Touchstone not enough of a tricked-out ride for you? How about turning your entire car into a Pre?

- Like the previous video, this was another winner in PreCentral’s “What Would You Do for a Palm Pre?” contest. (And this winner really put some skin in the game….)

Jon Zilber

The reviews are in -- and just beginning

When the reviews for Palm’s new Pre phone started coming out, the reactions from folks here ranged from -- we’ll admit it -- just a little pride (“a smart, sophisticated product” – Walt Mossberg, The Wall Street Journal) to aw-shucks embarrassment (“a spectacular achievement…zero to 60 in one version” – David Pogue, The New York Times) to….well, frankly a few reviews left us pleasantly puzzled (“The Pre is the opposite of the mullet: Party in the front and business in the rear. We’ll make time for both.” -- Maxim).

And like the kudos we received when we unveiled Pre at CES in January, we appreciate the kind words (along with the constructive feedback). We also wanted to help make sure that you’d be hearing feedback from people who were learning how Pre fits into their lives after using it for a while. We asked for volunteers to become “Real Reviewers” – we provide the phone and the service, you provide your opinions. We heard from enough of you to populate a decent-sized city, and ultimately selected a cross-section of ten Real Reviewers who’ll be sharing their experiences on their favorite blogs and social networks.

You can meet the Real Reviewers on a discussion board on Palm’s Facebook page, where we’ll post links to keep you up to date on what they’re saying about the Pre, webOS, apps, accessories – and how it all fits into their lifestyles. For starters, here’s a review of the MotionApps “Classic” emulator that lets you run PalmOS apps on your Pre.

Thanks to all who applied for the Real Reviewers program! On the application questionnaire, we asked how you would describe yourself in a single word. Here’s a wordcloud summarizing the results -- you are truly a curious, busy, eclectic and awesome bunch of folks!

Jon Zilber

Palm Pre: Coming to a living room near you

 

You might have caught the premiere of a new Palm Pre ad on Facebook earlier this month. This week, the new Palm Pre campaign hits the airwaves. The ad -- created by the Modernista! agency -- will air nationally over the next several weeks on everything from the Today show to "The Daily Show" to the Wimbledon finals. (You might also see online elements of the campaign on sites like Hulu, DailyCandy and YouTube.)

Jon Zilber

How can we help you?

Looking for information about the Pre? Here are some suggestions to help you get the best and speediest responses.

• Have a question about -- or a problem with -- your Pre? The answer may already be on our support forums. If it isn’t, our moderators can often help you find a resolution. (There are specific forums for hardware, software, and webOS, as well as specific topics like Palm Synergy.)
   
• Got an idea for a feature you’d like to see? We’re all ears -- drop us a note in our virtual suggestion box.
   
• Looking to develop applications for the Pre? The Palm Developer Network is the place to go with questions about the Mojo SDK or other under-the-webOS-hood topics.
   
• Curious about Pre? Catch a guided tour and get even more details here.
   
• Wondering what other people are thinking about? Start a discussion board on Palm’s Facebook page. (You’ll also find links to many independent Palm community sites on the blog roll on your right.)
   
• Here are some suggestions from Sprint: Need help with questions about your device or rate plan? Visit www.sprint.com/support for support with questions about your account, technical questions or information about Sprint's rate plans and services. You can also find tutorials, user guides and videos specific to the Pre at www.sprint.com/learn. Sprint also offers an online community of wireless users at www.buzzaboutwireless.com who can provide support for questions about Palm Pre.
   
• Just want to tell us how much you love us? Awwww ….

(And of course, if you’re already a Pre owner, the Help app is as close as your Launcher.)

Jon Zilber

New apps for new Palm Pre

Today, several webOS developers are formally unveiling new apps and functionality for Palm Pre¹. If you’re one of the first customers for Palm Pre, you’ve probably already discovered some of these in the beta version of the App Catalog -- over 150,000 apps were downloaded on the first day that Pre was available.

The webOS developers announcing apps and developer services today include:

• uLocate: the WHERE application for Pre provides local content based on your current location, including weather, news, restaurant reviews, gas stations, movie show times, and the ability to connect with other users.
   
• Zumobi: the company’s Today Show and Sporting News Baseball apps for Pre offer on-the-go news and sports updates.
   
• LikeMe: This application combines your location with your LikeMe profile to offer personalized recommendations on nearby places.
   
• FlightView: The FlightView app provides users up-to-the-minute flight information.
   
• Mark/Space: The Mac version of "The Missing Sync for Palm Pre” Beta 1 synchronizes contacts, calendars, music, ringtones, photos and more between a Mac and Pre.
   
• Chapura: PocketMirror Standard lets Pre users synchronize data with non-EAS desktop versions of Microsoft Outlook.
   
• Citysearch: With Mobile by Citysearch, Pre users can browse, search and share local business information and post real-time reviews.
   
• Handmark: Express Stocks helps Palm Pre customers keep up with their stock portfolio and market news.
   
• Pandora: The popular internet radio application provides a personalized free mobile music channel to Pre customers.
   
• Fandango: Not only can Pre users view movie trailers and order tickets using this app, but Fandango will automatically schedule your upcoming movies on your calendar thanks to Palm Synergy.
   
• Beeweeb: beeweeb is offering development services for the Palm webOS platform and the new Palm Pre phone.
   
• Agile Commerce: Agile Commerce is working with developers to create applications for the Palm webOS platform and the Palm Pre phone.

Hundreds of independent developers are participating in Palm’s early access program for the Mojo SDK (the software development kit for creating webOS apps), with thousands more developers ready to dive in as we ramp up. And with MotionApps’s emulator called “Classic,” Pre already runs programs from the vast library of apps already developed for Palm OS.

Jon Zilber

 

(1) Use of this device requires providing a valid e-mail address, mobile phone number, and related information for account setup and activation. Unlimited usage data plan strongly recommended; additional data charges may apply. Within wireless coverage area only. Number of applications and actual performance will vary depending on applications used and actions performed.

Palm Pre available today!

After unveiling Palm Pre at CES in January, we wanted to give you the opportunity to get to know a few of the people behind the product. Over the past few months, we’ve introduced you to people who have helped to:

• turn Pre from concept to reality
• complement Pre with breakthrough accessories like the Touchstone inductive charger
• develop the webOS that powers Pre
• ensure that the Pre user interface was intuitive and engaging
• effectively convey the Pre story on palm.com
• convey the Pre message to everyone through break-the-mold advertising
• coordinate every facet of launching Pre.

Today, Palm’s first webOS-powered phone -- Palm Pre -- is available on the Sprint Now Network. We thought this would be a good occasion to give you the chance to “meet” the rest of the team at Palm. From all of us at Palm, we truly appreciate your enthusiasm -- and your patience -- since January. We couldn’t have gotten to today without you!

-- The Palm team

Matías Duarte: That Design Hippie

Me, You and Palm: Profiles of Palm People
	Role: I've been called the "Guru of New-ness," or "That Design Hippie," when my friends want to give me grief about my aesthetic sensibilities. My actual title is Vice President of Human Interface and User Experience. Less exciting, but technically more accurate.   At Palm since: I wish I'd been around when Palm first brought the world the PDA and the smartphone, but I'm happy to have bragging rights for being here at the start of the third Palm Revolution: webOS.
I read a lot of science fiction growing up, and I was excited by the optimistic vision of the future and the advances that came with it. I think human interface design is the best way I can help make that vision a reality. I'm still bummed about the lack of flying cars though.   You might not suspect it, but your phone has the potential to be the most powerful tool you’ll ever know. It should always be there to help you, not make more work for you.   Palm has always been at the forefront of mobile computing, making the digital world integral throughout all aspects of your life. I'm thrilled to be a part of making history and crafting the future.

  

If you watched the video of the Palm Pre press conference at CES, you might recognize me. Getting to introduce the design of webOS to the world was quite a thrill for me, and was very satisfying after so much hard work. I will say, however, that I never expected that my name would be forever associated with the mating habits of voles.

When I started in this field, the Palm V was the unquestioned leader in mobile devices. To this day I believe it represents one of the best consumer electronic products ever created. I always aspired to match Palm in simplicity, usability and design -- so now that I’m here, I feel like a kid who's just been handed the keys to Daddy's convertible.

Join Matias on a Facebook discussion board all this week and ask him if he had any knowledge of the mating habits of voles prior to CES. (And just what IS a vole, anyway?). You can also read about him in a recent article in Forbes.