Update: some digging by our own Jonathan Ezor and tha2nddunn in the comments reveals that this patent is actually just a continuation of a patent originally filed way back in 2001 under patent # 7054659, which means it predates the Foleo and, well, plenty of other gadgets. So while it’s likely not a harbinger of things to come, it’s at least yet another example of Palm’s massive patent portfolio.

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If there’s one thing that we always want to have made simpler, it’s hooking up our computers to our phones. While Mobile Hotspot is plenty easy, there’s still more than a few steps to set it up and make the magic happen, not to mention all you’re doing there is sharing your cellular connection, but not any actual data. That’s where Palm’s freshly-filed patent for “Compact removable voice handset for an integrated portable computer system/mobile phone” comes in. It takes the ill-fated Folio concept to a whole new level by turning the pre-netbook into a dock for the phone that acts as an input device, larger screen, and other magical things. The patent notes that while the connection is decidedly physical, the phone and computer could also communicate wirelessly.

It’s also worth noting that this patent does not envision a smartphone-type device, instead a fairly basic phone that for making calls, while the netbookish half of the combination is used for heavy productivity lifting. It’s exciting to see that the Folio (a great concept, with flawed execution like so many mid-2000’s Palm products) isn’t completely dead in the minds at Palm. All-in-all, an interesting patent is we must say so ourselves – what application do you all see for this kind of system?

Via: Engadget, Unwired View; Source: USPTO

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Welcome to Point Counter Point, wherein Derek vents his spleen like the dour misanthrope we’ve all come to know and love, Dieter consoles us all with rainbows and unicorns, and the truth lies – as it always does – somewhere in the middle.

Today’s topic: What to make of all the pie-in-the-sky future talk we are hearing from HP instead of actual product announcements.

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Sometimes companies like HP use their money to make problems just go away. Such is the case with Mark Hurd and the sexual harassment allegation that ended his career as HP’s CEO. In order to make Hurd’s exit as smooth as possible, the HP board lined the way with $12.2 million in cash as well as the choice to cash in more than 330,000 shares of HPQ stock (approximately $16 million, prior to the 10% plunge his exit precipitated) plus an extended option to purchase an additional 775,000 shares up until September 7.

The whole deal releases HP of any liability, but has to sting quite a bit for Hurd. Not only does he lose a job he clearly wanted to keep, but he’s also losing out on a three-year $100 million contract that was reportedly in negotiation to keep him on as CEO.

HP CFO Cathie Lesjak is serving as interim-CEO while the search for a new CEO and chairman is under way. Lesjak, a 24-year veteran of HP, has taken herself out of the running, though that hasn’t stopped her name from being bandied around. More serious in-the-running candidates include HP EVP of Personal Systems Todd Bradley; Ann Livermore, HP’s EVP of Technology Solutions Group (Enterprise); and Bob Wayman, retired HP CFO and interim CEO after Carly Fiorina was forced out. Bradley, as you may recall, was the CEO of PalmOne (the hardware division of a divided Palm, Inc) from 2001 to 2005, when he was recruited to HP by Hurd. Ranked by Fortune as one of tech’s smartest executives, Bradley is believed to have been instrumental in arranging HP’s $1.2 billion takeover of Palm.

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HP’s been making a lot of noise about building an ecosystem of webOS device. They’ve talked about tablets and netbooks and printers, oh, and maybe some phones too. But they haven’t really laid any public concrete plans as to what is coming next. We have a sneaking suspicion that the overwhelming response to this question is going to be "OMG new smartphone now!", but we thought we’d ask anyway. So, here goes…

What kind of webOS device do you want next?Market Research

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Promising bigger and better things for the future, Palm’s email to customers about the HP purchase (or is it HP’s email to customers about the purchase of Palm? We can’t tell anymore…) indicated that there is indeed a new generation of Palm webOS products brewing (emphasis ours):

Great news. Palm is now part of the HP family. And that means bigger and better things for customers like you. With the power of HP behind us, the excitement created by the first Palm® webOS™ phones will grow even stronger as we introduce a new generation of devices. At the same time, you’ll still receive the same outstanding support that you’ve come to expect from Palm.

Of course, that’s little surprise, and the folks at Palm, Inc., a subsidiary of Hewlett-Packard, is being their characteristic tight-lipped selves. New smartphones? A tablet or two? Sure, maybe.

But what else does HP make that could benefit from a dose of webOS goodness? A lot, it would seem. A quick perusal of HP’s product catalog reveals a veritable cornucopia of devices ripe for some newness. Apart from the printers that HP keeps crowing about, and the tablets they keep hinting at, several other devices fit the bill. How about a webOS-powered netbook? Or a TouchSmart desktop PC running super-sized webOS? What of the webOS digital photo frame that passively brings seamless multi-tasking to your desk? Or maybe we could see the resurrection of the PDA, this time running the awesomeness that is webOS? Okay, maybe that last one’s a bit far-fetched.

The possibilities for the future of webOS on HP devices are pretty much wide open. Only time will tell where webOS is going to end up, but we wouldn’t be surprised if more than a few HP devices outside of the Palm division are running webOS this time next year.

Source: Palm

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HP’s VP of personal computing, Monty Wong, told Digitimes today that there were no plans for a webOS netbook. However they also report that the HP Slate, which runs Windows 7, is still on deck and should be released in October. That contradicts previous rumors that the Slate had been cancelled.

Digitimes has been hit or miss with regard to rumors, to say the least, so it’s possible that we could still see that HP Hurricane as previously rumored, but either way it’s good to see that HP is talking about other webOS devices. 

Was anybody out there hoping for a webOS-based smartbook / netbook? It’s certain not on our holiday list.

via Slashgear

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The Palm Pixi keeps on making headlines, this time, at The Ellen DeGeneres Show, where Christmas came a bit early, when Ellen gave away Pixi smartphones to her screaming audience. This happened on the taping of today’s episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, as part of the show’s “12 Days of Giveaways”.

Each member of [...]

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You’ve gotta love daytime talk shows, eh? Today’s taping of The Ellen DeGeneres Show brought back the 12 Days of Giveaways, a segment where DeGeneres gives away stuff to the audience leading up to the Christmas holiday. She kicked off the series with an electronics bang, giving everybody in the audience a Barnes & Noble Nook eReader, a Powermat wireless charger, a MiFi portable wireless router, a Nokia Booklet netbook with two months of AT&T service, and our favorite, a Palm Pixi. Approximate retail value: $1450. Of course, you couldn’t really hear her describe the gadgets over her screaming audience. Yeah, they were a little bit on the excited side of life. Video is above, earplugs are encouraged.

Ellen’s not the only one giving away Palm phones. Palm is too – via their monthly Facebook giveaway. This month Palm is asking for you to comment on who on your holiday shopping list deserves a Palm phone, and it’s okay to enter yourself as the lucky gift recipient. Palm, however, is giving you an option: Pre or Pixi?

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There’s no lying about it, advertising can be pretty annoying sometimes. There are times that its so bad that I decide not to buy the product out of principle and spite, because the commercials are that annoying. The folks at Wired agreed, and they’ve found some dooseys amongst the world of technology advertising. There’s catching netbooks with the body’s largest pair of muscles, annoying people singing badly with their computers, an operating system launch party, sock puppets, and serenades to locomotives. And then there’s Palm, coming in at #4, with that commercial that just creeps us the frak out. You know the one… the juggler in the park. Yeah, he was very good. And you’re creeping me out again! Stop!

With the Droid scaring people with Stealth-dropped bombs, it makes us wonder what’s better: annoying or scary?

Thanks to Jason for the tip!

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There has been talks about Android OS or Google Chrome OS may power netbooks. And back in the first week of May, there was a rumor  here in our forums about Palm trying to revive the Foleo as a Netbook. This rumor was based on a post at Barrons.com that did not make many waves [...]

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