Palm Unveils Additional webOS Details
Palm showed off the latest features of its webOS platform at
The Wall Street Journal’s D: All Things Digital conference. The three new
features the company showcased included Palm media sync, the integration of
Twitter in universal search, and a beta version of its App Catalog.
Palm media sync can seamlessly synchronize music with iTunes, providing a simple and easy way to transfer DRM-free music, photos, and videos to your Palm Pre. To use this feature, all you have to do is connect your Pre to your Mac or PC, select media sync on the phone, and choose which DRM-free media files to transfer.
The Pre can also act as a mass storage drive, letting you side-load your media content. The Pre will appear as a drive on the computer once it’s connected to the PC. From here, you can drag and drop files onto your Pre or drag files from your Pre to your computer. In addition, the Pre can work with your computer’s default photo software to import photos captured with the Pre’s 3-megapixel camera.
Palm also announced that Twitter search is now integrated into webOS universal search. The Pre is designed to help you find what you want quickly, whether that content resides on the phone (such as a contact) or on the Web via Google, Google Maps, Wikipedia, and now Twitter. The Twitter search functionality is available to all users, regardless of whether you have a Twitter account or not.
Finally, Jon Rubinstein, Palm executive chairman, and Roger McNamee, Palm director and co-founder of Elevation Partners, gave conference attendees a look at the beta version of the App Catalog. The beta version will feature applications from developers such as AP News, Citysearch, Fandango, Pandora, and uLocate.
Fandango’s webOS application takes advantage of a key feature of webOS called Palm Synergy. Fandango’s webOS application also uses the Pre’s location-based services in order to find nearby theaters. You can watch trailers, buy tickets, add show times to your calendar, and get directions to a theater using this app.
Pandora will also be included in the beta App Catalog. Pandora uses the platform’s multitasking capabilities to run in the background while you’re using other applications. Using the notification bar, Pandora lets you know what song is currently playing. You can also pause and play music from the notification bar without having to go back into the application.
These new features are expected to be available on the new Palm Pre which is set to launch June 6th on Sprint for $199.99 with a two-year service agreement and $100 mail-in rebate.
Palm media sync can seamlessly synchronize music with iTunes, providing a simple and easy way to transfer DRM-free music, photos, and videos to your Palm Pre. To use this feature, all you have to do is connect your Pre to your Mac or PC, select media sync on the phone, and choose which DRM-free media files to transfer.
The Pre can also act as a mass storage drive, letting you side-load your media content. The Pre will appear as a drive on the computer once it’s connected to the PC. From here, you can drag and drop files onto your Pre or drag files from your Pre to your computer. In addition, the Pre can work with your computer’s default photo software to import photos captured with the Pre’s 3-megapixel camera.
Palm also announced that Twitter search is now integrated into webOS universal search. The Pre is designed to help you find what you want quickly, whether that content resides on the phone (such as a contact) or on the Web via Google, Google Maps, Wikipedia, and now Twitter. The Twitter search functionality is available to all users, regardless of whether you have a Twitter account or not.
Finally, Jon Rubinstein, Palm executive chairman, and Roger McNamee, Palm director and co-founder of Elevation Partners, gave conference attendees a look at the beta version of the App Catalog. The beta version will feature applications from developers such as AP News, Citysearch, Fandango, Pandora, and uLocate.
Fandango’s webOS application takes advantage of a key feature of webOS called Palm Synergy. Fandango’s webOS application also uses the Pre’s location-based services in order to find nearby theaters. You can watch trailers, buy tickets, add show times to your calendar, and get directions to a theater using this app.
Pandora will also be included in the beta App Catalog. Pandora uses the platform’s multitasking capabilities to run in the background while you’re using other applications. Using the notification bar, Pandora lets you know what song is currently playing. You can also pause and play music from the notification bar without having to go back into the application.
These new features are expected to be available on the new Palm Pre which is set to launch June 6th on Sprint for $199.99 with a two-year service agreement and $100 mail-in rebate.
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