www.webOShelp.net

Talk radio's "biggest mouth" Howard Stern is in the market for a phone, reports ZDNet. As a longtime Palm user, he is now embarrased to show his Treo since "it's so old school", he states. He's been publicly auditioning new phones, including a BlackBerry, but ruled out the iPhone due to lack of a keyboard.

It seems Palm has taken notice of his smartphone woes. A couple weeks ago, Lynn Fox, Palm head of PR, apparently called into the radio show to plug the device (see other Pre bits). Today they took the next step, making Howard Stern a "public test cast for the Pre". They will be bringing a Pre demo to Stern's home, giving him a hands-on tutorial, and then taking the top secret device away.

“They’re going to show me the Pre and then take it away. They’re trying to build excitement for this thing. If people don’t buy this I don’t see how Palm keeps going.”

A "Stern stamp of approval" for the Pre will go a long way for Palm, and it's important that it's easy to use; especially since he's less tech-savvy than Engadget and Jimmy Fallon. Palm continues to work the celebrity circuit to counter buzz from Apple, who are gearing up with upcoming iPhone 3.0 software (see articles).

According to a Twitter from an apparent beta tester for the Palm Pre, The new webOS handset is set to launch on April 30:

 

This could be big news, as the new smartphone was predicted to have a June release date, and only a "first half of 2009" target has been set officially. His twitter updates have since been protected, but here's what we know so far:

• The source looks legit. "Jim Van" is CEO of Logicomm, an IT services firm for small businesses.  Providence Business News previously interviewed him about the company, and his bio can be found here.
• Although we haven't seen any proof he is a beta tester (Palm almost certainly has an NDA in effect), he claims he took a couple shots of the device with firmware info on display.
• Palm is under pressure to release the new handset sooner than later; especially with Apple's WWDC on June 8th and upcoming iPhone 3.0 software (see articles).
• He clarified and restated the date in a follow-up twitter, in response to an inquiry into how sure he was of the release date.

Palm Inc. has requested that TealPoint discontinue TealOS, reports Palm Infocenter. The fancy webOS skin for Palm OS devices first generated a lot of buzz when a Palm Centro was spotted apparently running webOS. A subsequent interview with TealPoint found out that the fancy theme was created to provide a slick new interface for those who may not be able to get a Pre at launch.

"I'm sorry to say that at Palm's request, as of this upcoming Monday, March 30, we will no longer be selling or distributing TealOS. We really appreciate the help and unprecedented enthusiasm so many of you have shown for this product. It's been a long time since we experienced this kind of customer cooperation, and the program's success came at a badly needed time. We wish we could continue contributing to this great community."

TealPoint president Vince Lee stated in regards to TealOS catching on; "a good interface is a good interface...the webOS interface really shines". Unfortunately, looks like this simple fact also put the software in jeopardy. So if you need something to fill the void before webOS arrives, you'll need to pick up TealOS soon. Existing users can download the latest beta release, and new users can purchase it or download a trial version (until March 30). A video of it in action can be found here.

UPDATE: TamsPalm has posted an update on the specifics of why they removed the software:

"Without listing any detailed concerns, Palm politely but firmly asked us to remove it from our site and to stop distributing it. Since we eventually at some point want to develop for the Pre and webOS, we agreed to remove it to preserve the relationship with Palm. "

Several studies were reported on today, helping to give smartphone maker Palm a boost before the Pre is released. TMC reported in a February study that smartphone market share worldwide increased from 26 to 33 percent. In total, an estimated 171 million smartphones were sold worldwide in 2008.

OS Attack broke the findings down with the latest US reports, with the iPhone capturing 50 percent of the major mobile OS share, and Palm OS in forth place with 7 percent. RIM, Windows Mobile, and Android were second, third, and fifth place, respectively. "Palm webOS is for sure going to capture a large part of the mobile OS market", they state on the upcomiing Pre. Palm investor Roger Mcnamee also discussed the smartphone market in an interview with Bloomberg earlier this month.

webOS will definitely shake up the rankings when it arrives, but how does the hype for the Pre compare with the iPhone back in 2007? Tinycomb reported on the latest charts comparing current web traffic for Sprint and Palm with previous traffic for AT&T and Apple leading up to the iPhone:

As the Pre edges closer to launch, the promise that webOS brings of wide accessibility and near-limitless online connectivity has developers eagerly anticipating the Palm Mojo SDK; even laptop enthusiasts are beginning to see the potential in the new platform.

Laptop Mag has a recent editorial on how Palm's webOS "could shake up the netbook world". Recent reports that Dell should acquire Palm and statements by Palm CEO Ed Colligan about an entire product line built on webOS have added to reasons why a webOS netbook is in the cards. Five supporting reasons are presented in the article:

1. The most attractive and intuitive Linux OS. Ever. - webOS is polished and slick, and "doesn't even feel like you're using Linux". The consumer-friendly platform would be the answer to crippled netbooks utilizing Windows 7.
2. Touch-friendly - With the Asus Eee PC T91 launching this year, webOS would be a welcome alternative to Windows XP in a touchscreen unit. Also, the upcoming Palm App Catalog will have many touch-friendly apps.
3. Cloud integration - Synergy and layered calendars from multiple sources make webOS a no-brainer on a netbook, and would make syncing to your primary PC a breeze.
4. ARM processor optimized - The CPU would be ultra-efficient in a netbook form factor, with other netbooks like the ARM-powered Always Innovating Touch Book claiming up to 15-hour battery life.
5. Flash support - Palm recently announced support for Flash, and being able to enjoy Flash sites without the overhead of X86 architecture would add to a stable and rich app library.

So how soon should we expect a webOS netbook, if ever? Last month, we also discussed how webOS could fit in the netbook market, with thoughts on Apple's disinterest in producing an OSX netbook and the faliure of the Palm Foleo in 2007. Will Palm try again with a Foleo 2?

Looks like we are barking up the right tree! From an article on BusinessWeek titled Palm's Secret Weapon for the Pre, it sounds like we can look forward to some very cool webOS apps as soon as, or shortly after the Pre launches.

Pandora, Intuit, Fandago...

So I can listen to my custom radio stations while paying the bills and ordering movie tickets...at the same time.

Against the odds, Palm courted a formidable community of developers whose apps may prove vital to the fortunes of the make-or-break Pre smartphone.

Here's a few snippets from industry sources to help keep you on top of all the Pre news.

Will Dell produce an iPhone killer...or buy it? - Dell has been notably lacking in the smartphone department, especially with the recent battle between the Pre and iPhone. Some editors suggest Dell should acquire Palm (also stressed in a Barron's article). ComputerWorld reports Michael Dell stating, "buying other companies remains an option for expansion into the smartphone market but...acquisitions focus is elsewhere at present."

Recently, Dell has taken it into their own hands to churn out a viable smartphone, reports eWeek, but their prototypes got rejected due to "lack of differentiation versus current and upcoming products". They were running Windows Mobile and Google Android OS. To stand out, "it will likely involve vertical integration of services", said Kaufman Brothers analyst Shaw Wu.  AppleInsider adds, "Dell's new prototypes simply didn't interest the carriers. Dell's phone...is too dull to stand out in a competitive environment". Is webOS the answer for them?

The shrinking global market for PCs has already sent other PC makers scrambling to enter the phone business, including Acer, Asustek and Lenovo, but relationships with carriers can't be gained overnight. Longtime phone makers Motorola and Sony are also in big trouble, with little to excite buyers and compete with Apple. So while Dell goes back to the drawing board, Palm may not have to worry about any more competitors before the launch of the Pre.

Read on for the rest of the news.