palm

Building an iWristwatch: What smart watches need next

My watch is an iPod Nano. It's not perfect. In fact, there are many ways I'd like it to be better. But, it works. It also looks cool.

Those are two seemingly small details that are in fact quite major when considering a smart watch these days. "Working" is a matter of opinion and design in some cases, but the point is that the iPod Nano-as-a-watch does exactly what you think it does, and it does it well. So far, that can't be said for Sony's SmartWatch, a confusing remote for Android phones that ends up doing less than you expect it to, yet somehow is hard to even work in that limited capacity. I had a chance to try one out here at CNET, and was surprised at how Sony's solution was good-looking, but a complete slave requiring Bluetooth and an Android phone to get anything done -- even tell the time. That's a problem. A good watch can't mess that part up.… Read more

For Nokia, it's do or die time with the Lumia 900

commentary Nokia got its wish and has its best shot to break back into the U.S. market.

So here's some friendly advice to a company that likely won't get another opportunity as good as this: don't blow it.

Not to pile on with more pressure, but the fate of Nokia's future, and possibly that of Windows Phone and Microsoft's ability to remain relevant in the mobile world, rests largely on how successful the Lumia 900 performs.

There are no excuses this time. Nokia has a large U.S. carrier partner in AT&T, … Read more

HP's former CEO Leo Apotheker killed WebOS

It was former Hewlett-Packard CEO Leo Opotheker in the library with the candlestick who killed off Palm.

In a recent interview with fellow author Rick Mathieson to promote his new book, Beyond the Obvious: Killer Questions That Spark Game-Changing Innovation, former HP Chief Technology Officer Phil McKinney divulged some interesting tidbits about who was responsible for pulling the plug on Palm's WebOS.

He said that it was Leo Apotheker, HP's then CEO, who made the decision to kill Palm's WebOS mobile operating system. HP had only owned the struggling handset maker for about 16 months before it … Read more

T3 Motion's electric standup vehicle to roll out at Dubai show

Get in the groove and let the good times roll. T3 Motion will launch its latest electric standup vehicle at the Big Boys Toys 2012 show this week at Atlantis the Palm in Dubai.

T3 Motion's popular electric law-enforcement patrol vehicle has about 3,000 T3 Series units in more than 30 countries around the world.

The latest version offers an easy-to-use, quick-response vehicle that helps urban cops catch the bad guys.

"We have made great headway with law enforcement in the UAE (United Arab Emirates) and the Middle East, opening the door for a successful launch into … Read more

Former Palm CEO Rubinstein out at HP

Former Palm CEO and principal architect of the WebOS platform Jon Rubinstein has left Hewlett-Packard, effective today.

Rubinstein is leaving after completing a commitment to stay with HP for 12 to 24 months. All Things D first reported on the departure, and said Rubinstein has no immediate plans.

"Jon has fulfilled his commitment to HP," an HP spokesman told CNET. "We wish him well."

Rubinstein's departure marks the end of an unspectacular run in which he twice attempted, and failed, to turn WebOS into a major mobile platform. In a span of just two years, … Read more

iPhone 4S wooing lots of Android, BlackBerry users

Apple's iPhone 4S appears to be winning a healthy number of customers from rival mobile platforms.

A hefty 36 percent of iPhone 4S buyers said they jumped ship from an Android, BlackBerry, or Palm device, according to a study released yesterday by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP).

Specifically, 50 percent of the rival phone jumpers polled by CIRP upgraded from a BlackBerry, 39 percent from an Android phone, and 10 percent from a Palm device. Only 21 percent switched from another type of mobile phone or picked up an iPhone as their first cell phone. A full 43 percent … Read more

iPhone buyers break their contracts to get latest model

Some mobile users are so eager for Apple's latest iPhone that they'll break their wireless contracts to grab one.

Almost half (45 percent) of iPhone buyers recently polled by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) said they paid a penalty to cancel their contract just to pick up the iPhone 4S. Some switched carriers while others upgraded before their contract ended.

Among these iPhone buyers, 52 percent paid a penalty of $100 to $200, 28 percent paid a penalty of less than $100, and 20 percent shelled out more than $200. But the pain has been felt less by … Read more

Android continues its lead over Apple's iOS, reports Nielsen

Android continues to outpace iOS as the top smartphone OS, but Apple remains the dominant manufacturer of handsets.

Google's mobile OS captured a 42.8 percent share of smartphone subscribers in the third quarter, according to the latest stats from Nielsen. That left Apple's iOS in second place with 28.3 percent.

The latest figures revealed gains for both platforms, according to a Nielsen report that showed Android with a 38 percent share and IOS with 27 percent during the months from March to May.

The news was less positive for the remaining players in the mobile OS … Read more

HP reportedly ready to unveil fate of WebOS

Hewlett-Packard maybe ready to unveil the fate of its troubled mobile operating system, WebOS.

The company is planning an all-hands meeting tonight, led by newly installed CEO Meg Whitman, the Verge reported today. The company will likely share its plans for WebOS.

HP planned to unload its WebOS mobile platform business as part of a wider shift away from the consumer business. But even after the company opted to keep the PC unit, it persisted with its plans to shed WebOS. HP managed to introduce two smartphones and the TouchPad tablet before giving up on the business. All of the … Read more

HP near decision on WebOS group, report says

Hewlett-Packard is expected to decide the fate of its embattled WebOS business this week, according to an AppleInsider report.

The company plans to hold a companywide meeting tomorrow where it may reveal whether it will sell or spin off the group, according to the report, which cited unidentified people familiar with the company's plans.

HP representatives declined to comment on the report.

Then-CEO Leo Apotheker announced during an August earnings call that the company would discontinue operations for WebOS devices, specifically the TouchPad and WebOS phones. The HP Touchpad then became a runaway bestseller that month when HP dramatically … Read more