Taking the stage as the grand finale at the “D: All Things Digital” conference today, Palm’s executive chairman Jon Rubinstein and Elevation Partners’ managing director and co-founder Roger McNamee celebrated the excitement surrounding webOS by sharing a few new details about the hotly awaited platform.
In an onstage conversation with Walt Mossberg, personal technology columnist for The Wall Street Journal who co-produces D with veteran technology reporter Kara Swisher, Jon and Roger shared details about Palm media sync, a webOS feature that synchronizes seamlessly with iTunes to easily transfer DRM-free music, photos, and videos to your Palm Pre. Media sync complements other methods for getting media onto Pre, including USB file transfer and WiFi downloads from the Amazon MP3 store.
The addition of Twitter search to the universal search capability of webOS was also unveiled at D. With universal search, a Pre user simply starts typing and webOS offers up matches from your contacts or applications or-- if there are no matches-- from your choice of search results from Google, Google Maps, Wikipedia, and Twitter.
D attendees also got a preview of some of the applications that will appear in the beta version of the App Catalog that will be available when the Pre launches on June 6. The App Catalog will include webOS applications such as Fandango, which takes advantage of Palm Synergy and location-based services to find and provide directions to nearby movie theaters and automatically transfers ticket purchases onto your calendar.
On the lighter side, Jon and Roger also shared a short video poking fun at all the hype surrounding webOS and Pre.
Jon Zilber
When are you releasing Pre in Mexico????? I have a tungsten T5 and I've been waiting for something more than just a treo that does not convince me. I hope Pre is the good one. I am with palm til the end!
Posted by: Mauricio | June 04, 2009 at 11:22 AM
Do you know when and if this will become available for Verizon customers?
Posted by: Kaye | June 05, 2009 at 12:42 PM
Will the Pre take an SD card like the older Palms?
Posted by: Dyer | June 05, 2009 at 06:34 PM
I've got tons of contacts and important scheduling info on my palm 700p. Is there a way to transfer all this info to the Pre? I would love to get the Pre, but only if this transfer is possible.
Posted by: David Immanuel | June 06, 2009 at 03:33 AM
Please tell me if your beautiful Palm Pre works in Europe.
What I mean is : whether it has a provision for a European "pin".
Please inform me as soon as practicable as I am leaving the US very soon.
Thanks
Posted by: Greg. mazarakis | June 08, 2009 at 03:39 AM
I would get a Pre yet my carrier (Verizon) will not carry it. I have the Centro and have used palm forever, the only thing that is hard on it is the small screen.
Posted by: Larry Day | June 08, 2009 at 12:20 PM
i love how moderators are not posting my posts about your beloved phone not synching with bmw's bluetooth, lol.
Posted by: Harry | June 09, 2009 at 04:14 AM
I live in Japan and waiting for the Palm Pre. When is is released in Japan. Which company will be the provider. Would it be possible to use a Docomo SIM card and insert into a Palm Pre bought e.g. in USA or otherwhere?
Posted by: Oliver Eich | June 09, 2009 at 07:16 PM
ONE OF THE BEST COMMERCIALS I'VE SEEN IN A VERY VERY LONG TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MAGNIFICENT
Posted by: TRISH | June 23, 2009 at 06:08 AM
CAN ANYBODY ADVISE WHAT IS THE BEST UPGRADE FROM MY PALM TREO 650 TAKING INTO ACCOUNT TREO 650 USES PALM OS AND I NEED TO HOT SYNC ALL MY DATA FROM PC (OR TREO 650) TO NEW DEVICE.. LIKE PALM PRE OR OTHER? THANKS.
ALEX.ORLOFF@SOTHEBYSREALTY.COM
Posted by: ALEX | June 30, 2009 at 05:09 AM
Does the pre act as a modem?
Posted by: kim | June 30, 2009 at 05:02 PM