Crave

(Credit: Screenshot by Bonnie Cha/CNET)

On Thursday, Palm made its new browser-based mobile development platform available to all developers as a public beta. Dubbed Project Ares, developers can now create programs for Palm WebOS simply by firing up their browser (Firefox, Safari, and Chrome are supported) and signing into their account where they will then have access to all the tools they need to build apps.

Project Ares includes such features as:

• Drag-and-drop interface builder, code editor, visual debugger, and log viewer
• Access to full library of Mojo UI widgets
• Push-button project and scene creation
• Drag-and-drop file upload
• SMS and MMS messaging delivery is improved
• Ability to run apps directly on the WebOS emulator or device

Palm's believes that the future of mobile will be built on the Web and hopes that Project Ares will open the door to more developers creating apps for WebOS. Of course, one of the criticisms about the OS and Palm's current devices, the Palm Pre and Palm Pixi, has been the sparse app catalog, but it's been making progress. Hopefully, Project Ares will speed things along just a bit more.

To find more information on Project Ares or to sign up, you can check out Palm's Web site.

Can you imagine placing your cellphone on a Starbucks table and seeing it charge instantly?

Gainesville, Fla.-based WiPower (pronounced "y"-power) is manufacturing wireless-charging technology that could potentially facilitate just that.

WiPower's charging mat can power up to four devices at once, regardless of their position.

(Credit: JustinCumming.com)

Ryan Tseng founded WiPower after he realized how burdening it is to travel with bundles of chargers.

His frustration resulted in WiPower's wireless power transmitter, a mouse pad-like device that connects to a wall with one cord. Devices with an integrated power receiver placed upon the mat start charging immediately.

The product uses inductive coupling, a technology electric toothbrushes have used for years now, mostly because it shields their components from water. Earlier this year, Palm introduced its Touchstone charger, which uses this technology.

WiPower's charging mat simultaneously powers multiple devices in any position with different power requirements. For example, a digital camera requires much more power than an iPod Shuffle, but both can be charged with a WiPower.

"WiPower realized that ... Read more

A ton of cell phones and smartphones are released in a year's time. Trust us, we've seen most all of them. However, not all handsets are created equal and some are more popular than others. If you're curious to see which handsets people are clamoring for, well you're in luck. We've compiled a list of the top 10 popular cell phones and smartphones for 2009 and put them into a pretty slideshow for your viewing pleasure.

As you peruse the gallery, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. First, the list is based on the most-viewed products to date by CNET users in 2009, and not just those released this year. As such, you'll find a number of older products on the list since they've obviously been on the site longer than the newer ones. Also, many of the models were highlighted on our Top products list.

All that said, it's pretty interesting to see what's still popular these days. Check it out ... Read more

(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)

Last Sunday, Palm and Sprint released their second WebOS device together, the Palm Pixi, for $99.99 with a two-year contract.

In the grand scheme of things, $100 for a smartphone is a pretty darn good deal, but when you consider the fact that there are other products out there with more power and more features (for example, Wi-Fi) for the same price or lower, it makes the Pixi look foolish. Fortunately, thanks to third-party retailers, you can now get the entry-level smartphone for much less.

Both Amazon and Wal-Mart have lowered the price of the Palm Pixi by 75 percent, so now the smartphone is only $24.99. You will still need to sign up for a two-year service agreement, but it's certainly a much more enticing offer. In addition, the Palm Pre is now available from Amazon for $79.99, which is $70 less than Sprint's price.

(Source: Wall Street Journal)

(Credit: Screenshot by Bonnie Cha/CNET)

As most Palm Pre owners (and anyone who bought the Palm Pixi, which went on sale Sunday) found out this weekend, WebOS 1.3.1 is now available for download.

The latest version of Palm's WebOS brings new features, such as the integration of Yahoo contacts, calendar, and instant messaging into Palm Synergy; text message forwarding; custom ring tone support; and support for Google Apps and Yahoo Small Business Domain e-mail accounts. In addition, WebOS 1.3.1 offers several of bug fixes, all of which you can find on Palm's Web site.

However, there seems to be some hidden treasures of WebOS 1.3.1. Precentral.net has listed some of the undocumented features that its users have found as well as changes to general performance. Some of the highlights include:

• Snappier response from the photo app
• Delete all option in the Trash e-mail folder
• International dialing preferences
• Signs that video recording capabilities are in the works

There are a handful more discoveries over at Precentral. ... Read more

In the market for a new phone? You picked the right weekend to go shopping. I've got three pretty smokin' deals--something for everyone. Check 'em out:

• BlackBerry From November 14 to 20, Wal-Mart is offering a $100 gift card when you buy a BlackBerry. Eligible models include the AT&T Curve 8310, T-Mobile Pearl 8120, Sprint Curve 8330, and Verizon Storm 2. Given that some models are actually free (with two-year contract and activation, natch), you actually stand to make $100 on the deal. My buddy Dave over at Business Hacks has more details.

• Droid Forget that $149.99 deal on the Motorola Droid. From now until midnight, November 16, Overstock is offering the Droid for $119.99 shipped (plus activation and the obligatory two-year Verizon contract). Alternately, you can get the HTC Eris for just $19.99.

• Palm Pixi Normally $99.99 with a two-year Sprint contract, the Palm Pixi is available from Wirefly for just $24.99. (Actually, it will be available as of midnight Saturday.) ... Read more

The debut of the Palm Pre got the tech world and gadget enthusiasts excited about Palm once again. Long considered dead in the water, Palm's innovative WebOS operating system buoyed it back into the spotlight, and the Pre was certainly a boon for the company as well as Sprint.

While not a complete savior, the two are hoping to create some more magic with the new Palm Pixi. A smaller, cheaper version of the Pre, the Pixi is aimed at a younger audience or for those making the jump from a feature phone to a smartphone. It goes on sale Sunday, November 15 for $99.99 with a two-year contract, but is it worth the price?

Find out in our full review of the Palm Pixi.

Palm Pixi photos

Palm Pixi

(Credit: Josh P. Miller/CNET)

On Monday, Sprint and Palm announced that the Palm Pixi will be available starting November 15 for $99.99 with a two-year contract and after a $100 mail-in rebate. The Pixi will be sold online and in Sprint stores as well as Best Buy, Radio Shack and select Wal-Mart stores.

The Pixi is the second Web OS smartphone for Palm as well as Sprint and will be an exclusive to the carrier for an undisclosed amount of time. Unlike the Palm Pre, the Pixi features a candy-bar design and includes new capabilities such as the integration of LinkedIn and Yahoo contacts into Synergy, layered calendars, and a dedicated Facebook app.

Targeted to a bit of a younger audience than the Pre, the Pixi doesn't offer quite the same set of high-end features. You lose Wi-Fi and you get a smaller multitouch screen and a lesser camera (2 megapixels versus 3 megapixels) than the Pre.

Given the feature set and considering that the Palm Pre is available for ... Read more

(Credit: Screenshot by Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

Hey, Palm users. If you've been waiting for the WebOS Twitter app Twee to leave Homebrew status and graduate to Palm's App Catalog, get moving. Twee 1.0, by Delicious Morsel, has hit prime time.

The Twee Twitter app comes in two versions: free and pro ($2.99). TweeFree has more features than other WebOS Twitter apps, including photo support via TwitPic, yfrog, TweetPhoto, and Img.ly, and you can track Twitter trends with Twitturly. A favorite Twee feature is that it previews a thumbnail of a friend's image URL without having to open it first. Twitter search, replies, and direct-message windows are also wrapped into TweeFree.

If you have multiple Twitter accounts to track, however, forget the freeware. You'll need to upgrade to Twee's pro version for that. After upgrading, you can also receive notifications and local tweets from 1 mile to a 250 mile radius, if Twitter eavesdropping is your thing. Notifications and multiple-account management are what clinched the purchase for us.... Read more