Last week, Palm finally released the webOS 1.4.5 update for the Sprint Palm Pre and Palm Pixi. While the latest OS upgrade is available in Europe since last month, there's still no news as to when Palm plans to release the webOS 1.4.5 update for Verizon and AT&T customers. If you are a Sprint webOS user, you'd probably have already received a notification regarding the availability of webOS OTA. If not, just hit the update button your Palm device to launch the upgrade process.
The webOS 1.4.5 update is nearly 8 MB in size and contains a number of modifications to existing features as mentioned in the official change log. The most important fixes include power use and battery optimization, ability to send MMS texts from the video application along with a new video trim feature and correction of web text entry. Sprint announced that the latest update also fixes the web podcast download feature and the default Sprint email signature.
Though Palm delayed the release of webOS 1.4.5 in order to fix the PDK bug related to games which does not allow users to save their progress despite the presence of unsaved user data, it seems that the bug hasn't been entirely fixed in the OTA software. Though there's an intermediate patch available from some volunteer webOS developers, Palm says that it will fix the issue in a future version of webOS. In a rather embarassing move, Palm has even asked developers to write PDK apps to use a storage location that's not affected by this webOS bug.
If you are a Sprint webOS subscriber, have you upgraded to webOS 1.4.5? If so, tell us your experience regarding the latest upgrade.
Palm last week released the updated Facebook Beta v.1.2.32 for webOS. Apart from the usual bug fixes, the latest beta offers significant performance improvements over the last release which included photo tagging & viewing of photo tags. The new features in the latest beta release include
* news feed filters
* inline comments for news streams
* landscape viewing
* clear multiple notifications simultaneously
I've been waiting for the landscape viewing feature for a long time and I'm glad that Palm has finally fulfilled my wish. The update also fixes the notorious 'Unable to open photo' link error and the rather irritating 'refresh and scroll to top' message from the previous version. The clear multiple notifications works as prescribed - just click 'View all notifications', gesture swipe left and the notifications are gone - easy as you like!
You can get the new Facebook beta client on your Palm Pre or Pixi through this link or by hitting the update button on your device's Facebook client. As per a recent tweet from Palm, the phone maker will soon take the client out of beta and make it available for general public usage. Palm devices are advertised as being social-media friendly and I'm glad that the company is finally taking some corrective action to justify that tag.
There's good news for Sprint Palm Pixi users who complain about the lack of Wi-Fi capabilities on their devices. A PreCentral forum member gitit20 has created a neat hack to rip the radio board off a Verizon Palm Pixi Plus and then transplant it into a Sprint Palm Pixi. After you install the new radio board, your Sprint Palm Pixi is well and truly 'Wi-Fi capable'. Smart piece of thinking and very innovative too!
The hacker claims that Sprint & Verizon Palm Pixi are exactly identical sans the Wi-Fi capabilities. All you need to do is swap the radio boards and run the Sprint webOS doctor - you should be all set to access Wi-Fi internet on your Sprint Palm Pixi. And if you want to do it yourself, checkout this handy step-by-step video on how you can make your Sprint Palm Pixi Wi-Fi capable.
The only apparent drawback of this hack is that Sprint Nav no longer works and is replaced by Verizon Nav - not a big deal if you are not a heavy GPS user. However, if you frequently use your Palm Pixi for navigation purpose, think twice before you apply this hack on your phone.
I wonder if this hack will be a lesson for Palm & Sprint in order to release a Wi-Fi capable Palm Pixi sooner than later. After all, the Palm Pixi desperately needs a facelift!
The much anticipated webOS 1.4.5 update is now available for O2 subscribers in Germany. As reported by PreCentral, the update is 9 MB in size and downloads pretty quickly on the O2 network. The update fixes a ‘rare problem so that podcasts now download correctly’. Apart from this fix, the update finally brings 3D gaming support on the Palm Pixi. While Palm Pre owners on O2 have already enjoyed 3D gaming on their devices for a while now, Palm Pixi owners were left in the lurch. It's fair to say that this update restores parity amongst Pre and Pixi users for providing an enhanced gaming experience.
Though Palm published the 1.4.5 Change Log on its website on June 24th, there is still no sign of the software update on Sprint network. We will keep you posted as soon as 1.4.5 is available on the Sprint network. Meanwhile, it doesn't harm to occasionally click the 'Update' button on your webOS devices.
webOS 1.4.5 is a major milestone from a developer perspective as well. It is the first release to combine SDK and PDK into a single tool and there's a new API which lets a developer close a specific stage of an application if things go wrong. There's exhaustive documentation for the new APIs and a PDK Technical FAQ to ensure that developers do not get lost.
HP's recently launched online shopping store - HP Wireless Central is offering your favorite Palm devices free on contract. To make the deal even more lucrative, HP is offering free goodies, zero cost activation and free shipping on select models as well. You can choose from the following devices
Palm Pixi Plus (Black) on Verizon Wireless/ AT&T - offers free activation + free shipping via FedEx
Palm Pre Plus (Black) on Verizon Wireless/ AT&T - offers free shipping via FedEx + free Renegade Mini Bluetooth Headset (worth $49.99) + free Axiom Premium Genuine Leather Case (worth $29.99) + free Premium In-vehicle Charger (worth $19.99)
Palm Pre (Black) on Sprint - costs $99.99, offers free shipping via FedEx
Palm Pixi (Black) on Sprint - costs $19.99, offers free shipping via FedEx
There's every reason for Sprint customers to feel that they've been given a raw deal. Not only do the Sprint devices cost more, there are no free accessories either. IMO, it's hard to understand Sprint's stubborn pricing stand on webOS devices when competitors are offering these devices for free. When it comes to AT&T and Verizon Wireless, their pricing is not much of a surprise. A while back, we'd reported that AT&T started offering the Blue Palm Pixi Plus for free on contract. Shortly after this announcement, Amazon declared that it's selling the Palm Pre Plus (both AT&T and Verizon) for one cent.
If you were looking for a good deal on a Palm webOS device, NOW is the time!
Palm is throwing in one good news after the other these days. Shortly after it announced a two-week extension for its Half-off apps sale, the company has now permanently waived off the annual $99 developer fee. This is a double bonanza for developers as Palm had recently announced that it would waive and refund the $50 fee that used to be required to get your app listed in the official app catalog. If you've already paid this fee, expect a refund to be credit in your PayPal account shortly.
If that's not all, Palm plans to launch another PDK Hot Apps promotion in July and another 1 million dollars would be up for grab for developers. The new promotion would focus on C/C++ based webOS apps. As part of the new Hot App promotion, the developers of the next 20 most popular apps in each category will gain $10,000 and the following 200 app developers $1,000, making it a grand total of $1 million being paid out.
With no annual development fee, the prospect of building webOS apps for Palm Pre and Palm Pixi now appears a lot more enticing. There's a free SDK and some very handy tutorials to guide newbie developers as well. If there was ever a good time to start building apps on webOS, it is NOW!
There's good news for all your webOS app addicts! Palm is extending the Half-off sale on webOS apps until July 23rd. As per an update on Palm Developer Blog, the company made this decision keeping both customers and developers in mind. An additional two weeks 50% sale will give customers more time to explore the catalog and get great deals on your apps. As a developer, it gives you more time to develop and publish your app on the Palm app store. So, if you are a webOS developer, you can take the extra time in order to polish your app and fix some bugs to generate higher sales and revenue.
With webOS devices hitting rock bottom prices at all carriers in United States & Canada, Palm is under intense pressure to boost its webOS sales. The additional two weeks time will also help developers who plan to port popular iPhone apps to webOS to benefit from the ongoing sale. Another reason to extend the promotion is that Palm has received an overwhelming response to the current scheme ever since it was launched. The half-off sale has a feel good factor associated with it from a developer as well as customer perspective and Palm wants the joyride to continue as long as possible.
Have you purchased any apps under this 50% off scheme as yet?
FlightTrack, one of the best mobile flight tracking applications earlier available on Android, iPhone and Blackberry phones, is now available as a webOS app. The app is now available for Palm Pixi and Palm Pre users. The application is developed by Mobiata, a company which specializes in developing some of the most popular mobile travel applications available in the market today.
The app is available for download through Palm webChannel store for $2.50 (50% discount on the original price of $4.99) and runs on any Palm device running webOS 1.0.0 or higher. The application tracks nearly 1,400 airlines at 4,000 airports across the globe. The app offers the following features
Check Gate numbers, cancellations & delays
A beautiful, interactive map integrated within the app to track flights in real-time
Easily search by flight number or by route based on departure or arrival date
Quick access to real-time information on flight departure and arrival times
Complete terminal, gate and baggage claim information
Ability to save flights for future reference
Automatically updates your flight info
It is rated as a 4-star app on Palm webChannel store. Mobiata gave a lot of importance to the design principles & user interface of webOS platform in order to develop this app for Palm Pixi and Palm Pre phones. If you are a frequent traveler looking for a decent flight management app at a great price, the FlightTrack webOS app is a must for you!
There's good news for all Palm Pre and Palm Pixi owners - Palm has halved the prices of nearly all the apps in the US Palm App Catalog and Palm web channel. The promotion runs from June 18th through July 9th, 2010. As a Palm customer, you are entitled to a cool subsidy of 50% on your favorite webOS applications. If you were thinking of the buying any of the following bestseller apps from Palm - Need for Speed Undercover, Jump O'Clock, or James Cameron's Avatar, the time is now!
If you are a developer, you need not worry. Palm will subsidize the cost of the discounted price for developers; payments to developers and revenue tracking for the Hot Apps contest will continue to reflect the full price of all eligible applications throughout the promotion. The promotion is a win-win situation for both developers and customers - the former still get their full revenue share from Palm and the latter enjoy a cool savings of 50%. To know more details, check the Palm Developer FAQ.
Palm has often been criticized by the developer community for not doing enough to promote their cause. Apple and Google have developer-friendly programs and leave no stone unturned in order to spread the word so it's hardly surprising that Palm is trying to catch up with the biggies. The move is also aimed at boosting the sagging App Catalog revenues and injecting new life into the carrier's online app store ambitions.
The prices of Palm phones continue to plunge. Amazon is now offering the Palm Pre Plus - both for AT&T and Verizon subscribers for one cent. That's just about as close as it gets to getting a Palm webOS phone for free. That's not all, there are other complimentary goodies as well. Amazon is offering free activation and free two-day shipping for users who purchase the Palm Pre Plus between 12:00 midnight PDT on June 14, 2010, through 11:59 p.m. PDT, June 30, 2010. If you are a Verizon subscriber, there's good news for you as well - Verizon has waived off the $40 monthly fee to turn your Palm Pre Plus (and Palm Pixi Plus) phone into a 3G Mobile Hotspot. The mentioned offers are not valid for prepaid and unlocked phones.
The prices of Palm's leading webOS smartphones - Palm Pre and Palm Pixi (Plus versions included) has taken a free fall in the last couple of quarters. It's hard to imagine that the original Palm Pre was priced around $200 almost an year back. All that we can hope is that there's a silver lining amidst these dark clouds and HP will revive Palm's sagging fortunes with a new webOS based device sooner than later. And did I mention that the Palm Pre was once compared alongside the likes of Apple iPhone and Motorola Droid?
This site is devoted to spreading the awesomeness that is the Palm Pixi. Though details are still leaking out, we know that it's going to be sexy thin and priced right. We'll focus on news, tips, and reviews to help you make the most of your Palm Pixi.
I know it won't be coming out until the holidays, but it never helps to be early.
[Disclaimer: This website is not affiliated with Palm. I'm just a person who has been in love with Palm/Handspring smartphones since the Treo 300 came out years and years ago and current Palm Pre owner]
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