The Official HP Palm Blog

Put your best (unmasked) face forward

You just never know what’s going to stumble into your email inbox. A couple days ago, we announced webOS 2.0 and the new Palm Pre 2, and today, we received a video from an oddly familiar (masked) face. But this time, our woolen-faced friend isn’t here in his role as “The Defender” of the occasionally anxious Palm community. (If you're saying to yourself “The mask is familiar, but I can’t quite remember where I’ve seen him before,” you can see some of his video messages to Palm over the past year on YouTube.)

No, this time, he’s sent us an audition tape of sorts. Apparently he’s looking for a career change (I guess there’s no money in extortion these days, especially if you neglect to ever ask for any kind of ransom payment…). Seems he’s pretty excited about what he’s seen in webOS 2.0, and wants to become our official spokesperson.

   

Now, there’s about as much chance of that happening as there is of, say, some oddball dude on a horse becoming the spokesperson for a brand of nautically themed men’s toiletries generally thought of as every one’s fallback gift when you suddenly remember that oh, yeah, it’s my nephew’s birthday tomorrow….

But here’s the thing: Every day, we hear from folks on Twitter or Facebook who tell us that they "sold" another webOS phone to someone in their office (or their neighbor, or their buddy, or their spouse). And some of you sound like you probably make a better case for webOS than our “friend” here in the video.

So if you’ve been helping to tell the webOS story, we’d like to see how you do it. Do you show people just how effortless it is? Showcase a favorite app? Tell them about some of the cool things (like Stacks and Just Type) coming in webOS 2.0? Explain the power of the homebrew community? Or do you (and yes, I do mean you) just naturally wow people with your sparkling personality and your snappy attire?

BTW, we really don't recommend the ski-mask route. Here's a kinder, gentler approach to spokesbabyship that works pretty well, too: 

 

Whatever works for you, we’d love to see it. Shoot a quick video and share it on YouTube (flag it with #MaskAppeal), and we’ll highlight a few of our favorites back with you. No official rules, no special exclusions for residents of Vermont -- we just want to see your pitch. (But our attention does tend to wander on videos longer than 30 seconds and we’ve been known to enjoy a good Justin Bieber impression.) 

Jon Zilber

Why webOS 2.0 goes to 11

Today, we announced the most significant update to webOS ever -- webOS 2.0 -- along with a new phone coming soon to several carriers. With 2.0, all the stuff you love about webOS ratchets up a few notches, along with lots of new goodies. (Some of these features will be available via over-the-air software update to webOS 2.0.) Here’s a quick rundown on what you can expect when the update becomes available for your phone:

The layered look is in
Multitasking is going for that layered look. The new Stacks feature in 2.0 automatically groups related cards together and stacks them to make it easier to navigate if you have lots of apps open.

When in doubt…Just Type
When you want to start a common activity in webOS -- compose an email, create a message, update your status, search your favorite websites -- all you have to do is start typing and webOS takes you there. And with the new Just Type enhancement, developers can now integrate these capabilities into all kinds of new apps.

Open Sesame
With the HP Synergy feature in webOS 2.0, developers can plug in new Messaging, Contacts and Calendar application sources so users can personalize their webOS experience with these new services.

Charge it
Just when you thought the Touchstone Charging Dock couldn’t get any cooler. The new Exhibition feature in webOS 2.0 lets apps adapt what they display and how they operate when your webOS device is in charge mode on the charging dock.

News: Flash!
With webOS 2.0, your browser can now display Flash content thanks to the Adobe Flash Player 10.1 Beta.

I’ve got a message for you…
The unified Messaging app in webOS 2.0 adds Yahoo! IM and buddy management. Also, Facebook 2.0 (available in the 2.0 App Catalog) will support Facebook IM via Synergy in the Messaging application, as well as Stacks, status updates via Quick Action and the Exhibition feature.

Work it
webOS 2.0 includes Quickoffice Connect Mobile Suite, with support for viewing Microsoft Office Word, Excel and PowerPoint docs. It also integrates with services like Google Docs and Dropbox. Need to stay in touch with the office? webOS 2.0 supports IPsec and Cisco AnyConnect mobile optimized VPN.

Ripe for Skype
With webOS 2.0, Verizon Wireless customers will be able to use Skype Mobile for Skype-to-Skype calls and messaging.

webOS 2.0 will show up first on the new Palm Pre 2, also introduced today. Palm Pre 2 is faster -- the first Palm phone with a gigahertz processor -- and boasts a vivid touchscreen with a glass screen. It will be available Friday in France from SFR, and will be available in the coming months in the U.S. from Verizon Wireless and in Canada. Developers will be able to buy an unlocked UMTS version of Pre 2 in the U.S.

More information about the developer purchase program for Palm Pre 2 can be found here and more details on webOS 2.0 are available here.

Paul A., HP Palm PR

Ready to ramp up? A recap of resources

Even if you’ve been using a webOS phone for a while, there’s a good chance that you haven’t yet discovered everything it can do to help you get more done (and have more fun while you’re at it). Here’s a quick rundown of several resources posted on HP’s The Next Bench blog to get you up to speed on webOS. The list includes everything from -- videos, apps, blog posts, books, and twitterers to follow on topics ranging from shortcuts to gestures to ways to customize and personalize your webOS phone.

Jon Zilber

The password is…

Does your idea of password storage look like an array of sticky notes stuck around the edge of your computer monitor? If so, it’s time for a better solution. And a safer one.

There are some great webOS apps that will help you rid yourself of sticky notes and get those pesky passwords organized. And not just passwords -- you can store everything from credit cards to account numbers -- just about any info you want handy but accessible only to you. You can store them in a password-protected app on your webOS phone, and then all you need to remember is one password. Of course, if you're putting all your eggs into a single uber-password basket, you should be doubly sure to make it a strong password and make sure you change it regularly.

Some people may prefer the security of a desktop-based app -- here are some options:

• SplashID provides both a webOS app and a desktop application (sold separately) so you can enter your passwords on your desktop computer (much easier if you have a LOT of passwords to deal with!) and then move them to your phone. Simply export the data to a file on your desktop, connect your phone to your computer in USB mode and drag the file to it. Then just select Import vID from the menu inside the SplashID application.
  
  
• Secret! also provides both a webOS and a desktop application (sold separately) and adds the ability to wirelessly sync your data from the desktop to the phone via Wi-Fi.

And for those who prefer a phone-only approach, there are more options in the App Catalog. If you’d like to try some of those, make sure you look for an app that has some method of backing up and restoring your data if it doesn’t include a desktop component.

Taking a few minutes now to get all of your passwords off your monitor and onto your phone will result in a cleaner desk, and you’ll always have your important information with you.

Calvin P., Customer Support

A Palm profile primer

When you first set up your webOS phone, you created something called a Palm profile. But what exactly is that and what does it do for you?

Simply put, it’s the key that unlocks the online aspects of your phone.

One of those beautiful webOS details that works quietly in the background to keep your phone one step ahead, your Palm profile consists of an email address and a password, plus an optional security question. Your Palm profile remembers your sync relationships with services like Gmail and Exchange (Outlook). It also keeps track of the apps you've downloaded, various settings like web browser bookmarks, and any items you've designated to be saved to your Palm profile. (Details: What Palm profile data is backed up.)

You can transfer that info to any future webOS phone you may own. During setup, enter your credentials to move into your new digs.

On a PC, visit palm.com/profile to change your Palm profile email address and password. You can also remotely erase everything on your phone if it wanders off.

Which email address did I use for my Palm profile?
Open the Backup app, and tap the upper left corner to open the application menu. Select "Palm profile," and enter your password to see the email address.

Uh oh. I forgot my password.
Don't panic. Enter an incorrect password three times. On the third attempt, the system will send a message to your Palm profile email address. Check your various email accounts for a message titled "How to reset your security information" from Palm_Inc@email.palmnewsletters.com (look in junk folders if your mail is filtered or spam-blocked).

By the way, some files are not backed up to your Palm profile: music, documents, photos, videos. Take the time occasionally to back these up to your PC. (Details: How to use USB Drive mode.) In fact, now that it's on your mind, why not do that right away?

Bonnie L., Customer Support