A leaked photo shows a keyboard accessory said to be for a webOS tablet being put together by Palm. Codenamed the Palm Topaz, the device is expected to be free of any buttons on the face of the tablet and is designed to match up with the keyboard in the picture. Expectations are for a release in the first half of 2011. And if you notice some Windows buttons alongside those for webOS, there is no need to call “Shenanigans”-this keyboard apparently will be marketed as an accessory for Windows powered devices as well as for Palm’s tablet.

There is also some more news on potential new products from the webOS camp. A low-end version of the Palm Pre is allegedly being readied. With no physical QWERTY keyboard on the unit, this model is expected to be aimed at teens. Codenamed “Castle”, the handset is expected to be released by Verizon, Sprint and AT&T. No time frame for launch was disclosed.

source: EngadgetMobile

This keyboard is expected to be an accessory for the upcoming Palm tablet codenamed “Topaz”

One of our friends sent us Verizon’s newest rebate form showing a bunch of new phones that should be out between November 1-24, just in time for Thanksgiving and Black Friday. On the list is the LG Cosmos Touch ($50 rebate) that will be similar to the current Cosmos with a full QWERTY keyboard, but with a full touchscreen on the front, the LG Vortex ($100 rebate) Android 2.2 smartphone with a 600MHz processor avaliable in Black and Violet colors, the Motorola DROID 2 Global , DROID PRO and CITRUS ($100 rebate each) all of which are new Android smartphones, but the CITRUS is a entry-level device, while the DROID 2 Global and DROID PRO have full QWERTY keyboard and can work globally on CDMA & GSM networks. Also on the rebate lists is the Palm Pre 2 ($100 rebate), the Samsung Zeal ($50 rebate) that little is know about, and the Samsung Continuum ($100 rebate) that is another Galaxy S Android smartphone with dual displays on the front and is expected to be showcases at the November 8th press event. The Samsung Galaxy Tab isn’t mentioned on the rebate list, but it will launch on November 11th with a price of $599, so it’s possible there will not be a rebate for it.

This is a lot for Verizon to release over the next few weeks and we hope there isn’t any delay. Which new phone are you most interested in?

Ever wondered what smartphone users are searching for from their handsets? Chitika Research has got you covered with a study revealing the top five search queries from each mobile OS. The sample was based on more than a million impressions across its advertising network in the past week. If we leave out common searches like  “Father’s Day 2010”, “NBA Finals 2010”, “Oil spill” and “50 Cent Skinny”, some interesting differences emerge.

First off, Palm users seem to want back in vogue, as 2 of their top 5 searches are “HTC EVO” or “Sprint iPhone”. That’s not to say Palm users want them apples by all means, it rather looks like they just want out. On the other hand, Apple owners already have the mojo, but they still love to remind themselves they are part of the clan – iPhone and iPad users have often searched for “iPhone 4G” or “WWDC 2010”. And just as every self-respecting community, Apple users want to stay in touch with its main events.

The study finishes by listing the Android and BlackBerry top 5 searhes. By the looks of it, BlackBerry users stray from the everyday grind with the “funny sayings” search. Now, is that the most fun you can have with a BlackBerry, or what? It’s sad that the number 5 search from Android handsets is “Unemployment extension”, but that’s why they went with a free OS, after all, smart move.
source: Chitika Research

HP’s recent acquisition of Palm has taken its toll as yet another Palm webOS veteran that aided the company in building up webOS from the ground up has announced his departure. Senior director of human interface and user experience at Palm, Matias Duarte, has left Palm and is currently joining one of webOS’s competitors for newer ventures. The man known to some in the industry as the webOS guru, Duarte signed on to become the user experience director for Google’s Android platform. This follows after Palm’s senior vice president of software and services, Michael Abbott, also announced his departure from the company in favor for a role as vice president of engineering for Twitter. Surely it’s a blow for Palm and its webOS platform now that things are looking to be more stable, but there’s no denying the kind of talent that Duarte will bring to the table for Android. Eventually we’ll witness some of the fruits of his hard labor with the green Android platform that keeps on looking better with each incarnation.
source: All Things Digital

An order form for Sprint locations gives away some information about upcoming handsets soon to be available for the pin-dropping network. Of course, you might be focusing on the EVO 4G, but we do suspect that Sprint will offer other models besides the drool producing handset du jour. According to the form, Sprint will soon be selling the BlackBerry Bold 9650. That Sprint should offer the 9650 should come as no surprise for anyone, considering that the carrier does sell the BlackBerry Tour 9630 , the predecessor of the new model. The latter phone adds Wi-Fi and an optical trackpad to the Tour. For those who work in jobs where picture taking would be frowned upon, a version of the 9650 without a camera will be available. As we earlier reported, a leaked copy of the User Guide called the device the Bold 9650 instead of the Tour2. Another ‘Berry apparently on the way to Sprint is the Pearl Flip 8230, written as the Apex on the order form.

The Motorola ES400 also appears on the paperwork, as a Windows Mobile device. The guys based in Schaumburg have been focused on Android (and have been quite successful at that), so this could end up being an Android flavored device. As an alternative scenario, consider that because Motorola isn’t really producing any more Windows Mobile 6.5 models, the ES400 could be a Windows Phone 7 powered device for late this year.

Another device listed is the Palm C40. While the model showed up last August in Sprint’s inventory system as we reported, nothing came of it and not much of anything is known about this phone. It might be reasonable to wonder if Palm even has the funds to go ahead and do everything needed to make a new model a decent seller. When you consider that Verizon can’t seem to even give away the Pre and Pixi Plus, and AT&T’s pricing on their models will be affected by what Big Red does (why pay more for the same phone on a 3G network that many feel is not up to Big Red’s pipelines?), the C40 could end up stillborn. But none of this matters anyway, right? After all, you probably have you eyes on the prize, which for now is the EVO 4G.
source: BGR

Palm CEO Jon Rubinstein reportedly released a memo on Tuesday that seemed to announce a shift from the webOS platform to Android. The memo was supposed to be up on Wikileaks at midnight, which it never was. The important part of the memo reads, “While Palm is incredibly proud of our engineers who spent timeless work and effort to bring us this advanced operating system,consumers simply have not caught on. To provide a better future for ourselves and customers, the only logical choice is to transition our hardware and software to the Android platform.” According to Wired’s Gadget Lab and Engadget, a source inside Palm says that there is no plan to switch to Android and that the company is committed to webOS.

There is no question that Android is hot at the moment. Even Rubinstein said that the DROID’s launch at Verizon before the Pre Plus was one of the reasons why his phone is selling poorly at Big Red. But there are things that Palm can do with its OS. Considering that many analysts who hated the hardware of the two phones love the OS, Palm could license webOS to another company who can make superior handsets. Whatever move Palm makes-and time is running out-dumping their home grown OS for the same software everyone else is using seems unlikely.
source: Slashdot via GadgetLab and Engadget

Verizon has been known to offer some of the industry’s best BOGO offers in the past, but there  might be an even sweeter promotion that’s going to be on the horizon. BGR is reporting that the latest Buy One, Get One Free promotion that Big Red is speculated to start running today, February 16, will feature some of their best devices to date. So if you held out long enough and plan on buying a Motorola DROID, HTC DROID Eris, Palm Pre Plus, or a Palm Pixi Plus, you’ll be eligible to get a second phone of equal or lesser value for free. If you want to venture from something aside an Android or webOS handset for the free phone, you can simply check out something like a Windows Mobile or feature phone. Finally, like all their previous BOGO offers, they will require you to sign a two year contract and tack on any required data plans. Still, you really can’t beat the savings you’ll get by this sweet promotion they’re offering.
source: BGR