While working on our CES coverage, we had a chance to talk with Matt Howard, founder of a software company called ZoomSafer, which is designed to prevent the urge to text and use your phone while driving.

We all know as new drivers how we shouldn’t text and drive, as it not only impairs our ability to drive properly and puts us and our car at risk, but it also puts everyone else on the road around you at risk. No text, email or Facebook update is important enough to risk your life for.

So what is ZoomSafer and how do they get rid of this urge (which we all admittedly have at times)? ZoomSafer is an app for your BlackBerry or Windows Mobile phone (the Windows Mobile app is currently in beta, with other platforms like Android also in the works) that runs in the background on your phone, and by using GPS,  senses when your driving (when it senses your GPS is going over 15 MPH) and automatically blocks incoming texts and other updates from coming up on screen and distracting you while you drive. The texts are all still there, and once you stop driving you can reply back to them as you please, but ZoomSafer prevents it from flashing all over your screen and thereby becoming a distraction.

It will also lock out your keypad to help fight the urge to send that quick text back, and will also even send out an auto-reply for you saying your driving right now and can’t text/email back. If you really need to check to see if you got a new text, ZoomSafer can read you your texts (albeit in a very computerized voice) and even let you record replies to send back. Now you can still make and receive calls, but they will need to be over a Bluetooth or other hands free device. You are the one who turns ZoomSafer off once you reach your destination, and if you are a passenger in a car and want to use your friend’s phone, you can still exit the app and use the phone and text, IM, email whoever you want (and yes, if you’re a driver and want to ignore ZoomSafer, by all means you could).

We know this seems harsh, but considering how many teen deaths are caused from distracted driving (some studies say this is the leading cause of teen deaths) and how using your phone while driving is illegal in 21 states already, we feel this is a very important PSA to mention. The app itself is free to download, though it will cost either a $2.99 monthly subscription or $25 one time fee to use, something we don’t find too bad at all considering what it could help save.

You can learn more about ZoomSafer at their site here. Video of what ZoomSafer is and how it works after the break.

The Lenovo U1 Hybrid, in laptop mode

The Slate PC by Microsoft wasn’t the only touchscreen computer shown off at CES (not by a long shot), and while at CES, Lenovo announced two really cool touchscreen PC’s of their own– the S10-3t netbook, and the U1 which, is… well you’ll see–think of it as a regular laptop mixed with a tablet. Read on for all the info.

Lenovo S10-3t

Ok, so let’s start with the simpler touchscreen version of the S10 netbook series. This takes the traditional netbook design we’ve seen, and literally adds in a twist– as in the screen can be twisted around 180 degress to go into full multi-touch tablet mode. Kinda like the Asus Eee T91 and T101 we saw last year, though these look to actually hit the US market. Full specs:

• New Intel Atom Processor– the 2010 updated “Pine Trail” version that offers a lot better battery life with slightly improved performance (this is pretty much on every new netbook). The standard model ships with a 1.66 GHZ Atom processor, but the $100 more “high-end” version bumps it  up to a more powerful 1.83 GHZ (new for the Atom line)
• Windows 7– The standard model contains the cheaper Starter edition, while that premium version goes up to the multi-touch friendly Home Premium (this version also adds in an extra GB of RAM– bringing it to 2 GB as opposed to 1, and a 250 GB hard drive as opposed to the standard 160 GB).
• Quickstart 2.0– This is Lenovo’s new “instant-on” startup which basically gets your computer on and you on the internet in seconds, by using a non-Windows, lighter OS. This is great if you want to quickly go online, fix a paper at the last minute, or listen to music/watch pix and videos without booting up Windows.

You also get all your other standard netbook specs here, like a webcam and WiFi wireless N (and on the higher end model, Bluetooth). We don’t yet know of a set launch date for this, but a price is said to be between $499-$549 for the standard model (Amazon says $499, with the bigger hard drive, while Lenovo’s site says $549), with $649 for the higher end, so these may still change as well before release. You can learn more from Lenovo’s site here.

Now let’s check out what looks to be one of the sickest laptop/tablets of the year (we don’t know which category to put it in):

IdeaPad U1 Hybrid

Ok, so this is just flat out really cool. At first look, you think its your average laptop– 11.6 inch screen, Windows 7, Intel Core 2 Duo processor….. just with a very thin design and a multi-touch screen. Now the very thin design and multi-touch screen are pretty cool in their own rights, what if we said the screen can be removed from the laptop and used as just a tablet? Yeah, that’s something we’ve never seen before and is pretty sick.

So let’s try to break this down.

When the screen is in and the laptop is in “normal” laptop mode, you’ve got an extremely light (3.8 pounds!) laptop with a full keyboard, Windows 7 and that Intel processor. Basically, when it looks like a laptop, it’s well, a laptop. Now what happens when you eject the screen from the rest of the computer? Now you’re running in tablet mode. Tablet mode is basically a whole second computer tucked in the screen alone– you’ve got a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor (like in the Nexus One and Skylight smartbook), Lenovo’s new Skylight OS (as seen on the Skylight smartbook), and of course that what looks to be amazing 11.6 inch LED HD multi-touch screen. All in a thin design that weighs a tiny 1.6 pounds (perfect for carrying, well, anywhere).

Switching between the tablet and regular Windows laptop modes are also really simple, with something Lenovo calls Hybrid Switch– which means that let’s say your in Windows playing a game but want to go watch some TV but don’t want a laptop sitting on your lap. All you do is remove the screen, and your automatically switched to the tablet mode, so you can still browse the web, listen to music, read books (yes, this also can be used as an eReader) etc. in a faster, simpler more mobile way without Windows, and when you wanna go back to using it as a regular laptop, you just put the screen back in and your switched right back to where you were in Windows, with everything you did while in the tablet mode (like the sites you had open) switching over to the Windows side. Pretty simple, right?

The U1 also has built in 3G, WiFi, webcam, stereo speakers and an echo-canceling mic, also built into the screen/tablet part, that are usable whether your using this as a tablet or laptop.

Now all this awesomeness does look to come with a little bad (sad but unfortunately true), as we shouldn’t expect this till the summer time (June 1st possibly), and the price is gonna be on the high side– at around/under $1000. Regardless, those looking for a new laptop but also want that tablet-ness everyone’s into nowadays should keep an eye out for this. We know we will.

Have you seen James Cameron’s Avatar? If you were impressed by the usage of 3D by Cameron to immerse you in the world of Pandora, then you will be amazed by sports and TV in 3D. One of the big themes last week at CES was 3DTV’s in the home and coming this June DirecTV will begin broadcasting a few channels in 3D and one of the big headlines here, is that sports will also be in 3D. Fox Sports and ESPN are already on board to begin showing some games in 3D this summer, though if sports ain’t your thing, don’t worry a number of other broadcasting companies will join them including:

• TBS
• NBC
• MTV
• and CBS

To go along with 3DTV there will be also be Blu-ray players that can play Blu-ray in 3D! The first Blu-ray player that can play 3D was announced from Sony last and is called the BDP-S770 (this is in addition to Sony updating the PS3 to 3D)

And finally, to go along with 3DTV a bunch of new TVs have been announced that can handle 3D. One in particular is the Sony Barvia LX900 which will come in sizes ranging from 40 – 60 inches, and will be able to broadcast 3D in full 1080P HD.

Now, you’re probably thinking, out of all the 3D movies I have seen, I’ve always had to wear glasses, do I have to wear them in my own house? The answer is for now, yes. There are glasses that will come along with the TVs that will allow you to see the television broadcast in 3D, though there are a lot of companies working on 3D without the annoying glass.

Yesterday at Palm’s CES keynote, CEO Jon Rubinstein announced what we’ve been waiting for since the Pre first hit one year ago– availability on carriers other than Sprint, like Verizon. Sprint’s exclusives on both the Pre and Pixi have finally run up, so Palm plans to bring some updated version of both devices to Verizon by the end of the month (January 25th!).

But that’s not all. They talked a lot on the future of webOS, something that’s good for all devices (be it Pre, Pixi or the Plus versions). Read on for exciting details on both the new phones and the new software.

New Phones

Ok, so here’s the basics on whats new for the Verizon versions of the Pre and Pixi (and why there’s a Plus at the end of each). In short, both updates are solid but nothing really revolutionary– the Pre is getting a slightly updated design (such as no button below the keyboard), a little faster (thanks to 2x the RAM), and 2x the storage of the Sprint Pre, bringing it to 16 GB. The Pixi Plus on the other hand, also remains pretty much the same, just with one major add-on– WiFi. Small, but much needed, and something that makes the Pixi a much better device.

We still don’t know a price for either phone, but seeing as it’s coming out in a little over 2 weeks, we’ll probably know very soon. If I had to guess, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Pixi Plus was priced below $50, and the Pre Plus at around $100-$150 or even a little lower– especially since Walmart and other stores are selling the Sprint Pixi for an awesome $25 with 2 year contract, and the more powerful Pre at $100)

New Software

So here the second equally big news out of Palm today talking all about the future of webOS. Let’s break it down:

• Video Recording!– Yes, as part of a soon to be released update to all webOS devices in version 1.4, video recording, uploading (to Facebook, YouTube, as well as sending by email or MMS) and editing (similar to the way it’s done on the iPhone 3GS), is finally coming.
• Flash 10– This means that you’ll be able to finally view the real web, including sites like Hulu, right from your phone. (Like the video recording, this will also come to all webOS phones in the 1.4 update– said to drop in February, though the Flash update also will be available as a beta plug-in sometime soon in the App Catalog, though this is only for Pre users)
• New, updated SDK for Developers, with contest for best apps– Palm has officially opened the doors for developers to make awesome apps for webOS, and is even offering money for the best apps (developers of the best free and paid apps each get $100,000 through May 31st, with 40 developers more getting $10,000, and another 400 getting a a thousand each. Definitely a nice way to encourage great apps and show developers some love).  Oh, and this ain’t bad for us users either. Especially if it leads to this…
• 3D Games!– Yes, the Palm is determined to make webOS a great mobile gaming platform, and they’ve got a whole bunch of great 3D games already for download today (by Pre users)! We’re talking Need for Speed Undercover, Monopoly, Scrabble, Tetris and The Sims 3 from EA, Asphalt 5: Elite Racing and Let’s Golf! from Gameloft just to name a few. During EA’s presentation today there also was pix of Rock Band, Madden and FIFA in the background, so this thing is really capable for to put on a solid, mobile gaming experience.

Some of the many new 3D games for webOS

Pretty solid announcements, and it looks like Palm has once again shown that they are in no way out of the mobile smartphone game– and we really can’t wait to see what else they got planned.

Microsoft showing off 3 new Slate PC’s

Forget about the Apple Tablet (or as it’s now known as, the iSlate).

Microsoft in their CES keynote tonight just unveiled a whole new type of Windows PC– called Slate PC’s, which, like the rumored Apple Tablet, are all touchscreen Windows 7-running computers, that have multi-touch, and are in sleek, thin designs. As Microsoft is putting it, this is really Windows 7 with an even stronger emphasis on touch.

Microsoft has announced a few early partners for this new PC design– including HP, Archos, and Pegatron. Lemme just say– these things look to be great, and could definitely be the next digital version of not just our books, magazines and newspapers (you have many eReader apps for these PC’s, like the Kindle and Nook’s Windows apps), but could also very well replace traditional laptops and netbooks as the future of both our regular PC experience both for use in school and at home.

As you can see from the shot above of  the 3 Slate PC’s, these devices definitely look to go with the rising tablet trend popping up here at CES (there’s talk of Android tablets, and of course non-stop talk on the Apple Tablet). All in all, if there is one thing we can take out from all this– whether it’s from Microsoft, Apple, Google or some other group — touchscreen and tablet computers are here, and they look to change how we use computers in 2010 and beyond.

We’re still digging for more on these new Slate PC’s, so stay tuned for additional info on them and all the other tablet/slate PC’s. In the meantime though, hit the “more” link for a quick teaser video of HP’s Slate PC (which looks absolutely sick).

The Lenovo Skylight

Just because CES starts on Wednesday doesn’t mean companies cant get a head start on announcing a bunch of new products. Lenovo has really taken full use of this, today officially unveiling a whole new line of computer called the Skylight smartbook. So what is the Skylight and what’s different about it than your normal netbook or laptop?

When you first look at the Skylight, you pretty much think netbook—10.1 inch screen, full keyboard, 1.3 megapixel camera, WiFi,  2 USB ports with an SD card slot (both a microSD card slot and a normal SD card slot), and even a mini HDMI port for hooking this up with your HDTV. The 10 hour battery also is right on par with that of the newer netbooks being released, and should be more than enough to get you through a day (or as Lenovo puts it, watching 2 movies back to back on a plane).

But here’s where it changes.

The Skylight has built-in AT&T 3G (again similar to 3G netbooks being sold at your local AT&T, Verizon or Sprint), but instead of running Windows 7 or XP and having an 160 GB or 250 GB hard drive and an Intel Atom processor, the Skylight runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 1 GHZ mobile processor (something we’re sure will be popping up in phones all over CES and 2010 in general. This will make all smartphones and other devices similar to them a LOT faster), and a Lenovo-customized Linux interface as the OS. This is a pretty simple web focused OS and is much quicker than Windows for starting up and getting you online. The OS features with special gadgets for quick access to Amazon Mp3, Facebook, Twitter, Gmail and YouTube all built in.

In terms of memory, the Snapdragon ships with an 8 GB minSD card, 8 GB flash built in, and also a 4 GB USB stick that is tucked in right above the keyboard (as you can see in the pic below, it’s the thing sticking up), with an additional 2 GB of online storage included.

And of course the size of this thing is also pretty important to mention—it ways only 2 lbs and is insanely thin (even thinner than some smartphones!), perfect for those who need a fully functional, always connected, computer but don’t have a lot of space in their bag to spare for carrying it around with them.

The Skylight is said to be coming April 18^th for $499  (though there is talk that there will be a cheaper, AT&T-subsidized version available as well this spring) in either “Earth Red” or “Lotus Blue”.

Info from Lenovo

The Sprint Overdrive 4G hotspot shown in a Sprint online ad

With CES only 2 days away, the news and rumors flying out of Vegas are crazy.

Among the older ones is that Sprint is releasing a 3G/4G portable WiFi hotspot — basically a 4G-capable version similar to the MiFi 2200 we saw last year. For those unfamiliar with the MiFi, it takes the 3G/4G Sprint signal and turns it into a WiFi network, where any other device with the ability to connect to WiFi (iTouch, Zune HD, laptop– heck even iPhones) can get internet connection. In other words, let’s say you got your iTouch or laptop and want to get an update on the Jets-Bengals game this Saturday, but you don’t have any WiFi networks to connect to. With this new device attached, all you got to do is turn it on and you’ve got all the latest updates streaming down to you on Sprint’s fast 3G and really fast 4G network (think speeds close to the ones you get on your home broadband network, and much faster than the current 3G networks).

The device, called the Sprint Overdrive, does all that and is also quite compact, so it should be no problem for you to carry this in your pocket. Other specs on the device are said to include a microSD card slot (perhaps for sharing files over your portable network), support for location services (like a GPS), and has an 100 150 foot range (which is definitely not bad for such a small device).

Now while Sprint hasn’t yet confirmed any of this, some of their 4G ads online just so happen to be showing this off (that’s how we were tipped off on it), and going to sprint.com/overdrive takes you too a Coming Soon page, so an announcement and official details (like price and release date) can’t be too far off now.

UPDATE (1/06): With CES now really starting to get underway, Sprint has come out and made this official. Updated specs include sharing your 3G/4G connection with up to 5 WiFi devices– like the MiFi– a built in GPS,  and support for up to a 16 GB microSD card which can be used as shared storage over your network. The Overdrive will be available online and in Sprint and Best Buy stores starting January 10th for $99.99 after a $50 mail in rebate and a new 2 year contract (with a $59.99 a month 3G/4G data plan).

Happy New Year! Yes, we are finally into the first decade of the 2000′s. Along with the new year comes the upcoming annual Consumer Electronics Show, which showcases a lot  of the new tech you’ll see next year.

Among categories in which we expect particular development, smarter, even more powerful smartphones, faster, better computers (particularly netbooks), 3D TV’s (just a lot of 3D in general), eBooks, tablets (especially Apple, if you’ve been following any news), and 4G.

4G, which is the next step in cell phone networking, with even faster, higher-quality connection, is anticipated to be launched by Sprint in the US very shortly–with the inclusion of more modems and a some new 4G-capable phones–and Verizon is said to begin the rollout of their 4G network this year as well.

So stay tuned, CES kicks off January 6th and runs through the 10th, and we’ll be relaying to you everything about the latest, coolest tech out there.

(Oh, and for all those wondering about Macworld– Apple isn’t participating in it this year, but don’t worry, word is that they got a January announcement of their own planned for later this month…)

Dell’s Inspiron Mini 10 (Pic from Laptop Mag)

Well our finals are finally over, so it’s time for us to get back to “work”. A lot of things happened at CES, and we hope to give you info on the best netbooks, laptops and desktops (aka. regular computers), cell phones, as well as some general cool things we saw  happen.

Let’s start with netbooks, and boy were there A LOT of these. HP, Dell, Asus (the guys who really started the netbook frenzy with their Eee PC line), and a bunch of other companies all came out with some new stuff, so read on for some of the best you should look to see in 2009!

Before we really begin, we’re not gonna put Sony’s new Vaio P (which we wrote about here) into this category, as 1) Sony considers it to be a “ultra-portable” laptop and not a netbook. 2) It costs more than buying 2 of most netbooks, which really gets rid of the netbook idea as a small, low cost (and by this we mean well below a starting price of $900) mini laptops. Now let’s begin.

Here are our top 5 netbooks  that came out of CES:

1. Dell Inspiron Mini 10- This is a netbook that I personally am looking forward to seeing (I hope to buy a netbook for taking to school everyday since my current laptop is way too big ). The Dell called this a “perfect 10″ and after looking at some pix of it, I think it may very well be. For one, this thing is loaded with:

• GPS
  
• TV Tuner-yes you can watch TV on this, and you won’t be disappointed with the quality because it has a….
• 720p (HD quality) 10.1 inch screen- Yes, you read that right. This thing has an HD screen built in (which also should mean less moving your mouse around the screen just to see one website).
• Edge to Edge Keyboard- Giving you the most room to type on, something that is pretty important for those of us who would use it in school to take notes.
• Multi Touch Track Pad- Similar to what we’ve seen out of Apple with their MacBooks, where you can use gestures on the computer like two finger “pinch” to zoom, etc. They even got rid of the usual button underneath, instead having 2 little buttons on the right and left of the track pad, making it look even more Mac like!

Dell’s Inspirion Mini 10 trackpad

• Wireless N Wi-Fi- You can use this on the new faster Wi-Fi networks if you have it (don’t worry, it also works fine with older Wi-Fi networks that are pretty much everywhere- those networks usually are wireless G or B networks by the way).
• Built-in Webcam
• Multiple Colors to choose from- Like a lot of Dell’s new computers, you can customize the design of your computer, like changing the color of the screen’s back etc., something which Dell also made available here.

Unfortunately, Dell didn’t share some of the real important info like pricing and release date, though we  would expect it to come out within the next few months (or so we hope…). But assuming this does come out soon and at a normal price (between $300 and $600 like most netbooks), Dell could have a real winner on their hands.

2. HP 2140- This is an update to one of HP’s netbooks- the Mini 2100, and really bring some nice updates to the line. These updates include:

• Windows Vista or XP- We’d recommend XP, as Vista runs really slowly on netbooks.
• 10.1 inch screen- Like the Dell Mini 10, HP also put on a 10.1 inch screen on this netbook, though it doesn’t come with a standard HD screen like Dell’s.
• Up to 2 GB of RAM and either 80 GB Solid State Drive or 80 or 160 GB hard drive- Basically, enough power like a lot of regular laptops. And a Solid State Drive (or SSD), for those who don’t know, is the more reliable and energy-efficient (=longer batter life) hard drives that uses flash chips– like those found in the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPod Nano lines — that, instead of spinning around like the traditional drive, stays set in place (we’re not gonna bore you with the complicated stuff). The downside of these SSDs though is that these options are usually much more expensive and offer less memory than theor regular hard drive counterparts, but if you plan on using this netbook as a secondary computer and will not need 160 GB, we’d recommend checking out the Solid State option
• Aluminum Casing- This is much nicer than the Dell, and looks pretty cool.

This netbook is expected to come out later this month at a not too bad starting price of $499,  but until then you can check it out at HP’s site here.

HP’s Mini 2140

3. Asus Eee T101H

This is a very cool netbook, definitely different from those mentioned above. So what’s so different? Well, unlike the other, more traditional netbooks from Dell, HP and others, Asus is actually completely changing the netbook game yet again (these guys started the netbook craze as we mentioned above), by putting a 10 inch touchscreen onto the laptop. Oh, and not only is it a touchscreen, but a multi-touch touchscreen that is a tablet which swivels around 180 degrees! Other features we know include:

• MacBook style keyboard- What this means is that unlike other netbooks, where the keyboards are usually cramped or not as easy to use like normal laptops, this keyboard is like the ones on MacBooks where there is some nice spacing between the keys, making typing far easier.
• Windows XP

Not many other features, nor the pricing and release date, are known, but this is definitely a nice lil’ netbook — especially when Microsoft comes out with Windows 7, including  better touchscreen capabilities (we’ll cover Windows 7 in a later post).

Asus Eee T101H

4. Asus Eee T91- This looks the same as the T101 we just mentioned, with a 9 inch multi-touch touchscreen (hence the T91 instead of  T101- the 91 is for 9 inch screen, the 101 is for 10.1 inch screen. Oh, and the T is for touchscreen/tablet) that is also a tablet that swivels around 180 degrees . But here we got a few more cool features…

• 1 inch thick and 2 lbs- Or should we say thin? In short, this thing is INSANELY thin and light.
• TV Tuner- We don’t think this will be as nice as Dell’s but it’s still a nice feature to have
• GPS- Unlike Dell’s GPS, this one we actually can think of a use for. If ASUS makes a little car dock for this, it would not be a bad choice for a car GPS as you can easily have it as just a screen for GPS.
• Windows XP

Again not too many details on this one (especially pricing or release date), but this should be a really interesting choice as you could either go with the bigger screen’d T101 or with the GPS and TV filled T91. Regardless, let’s hope Asus gets both of these out soon and at reasonable prices.

Asus Eee T91

5. Asus S121- Asus really had a lot of interesting netbooks at CES, which is why we’re focusing so much on them. The S121 is a little bit different than the Eee line we mentioned above, as it is usually much more stylish, high powered netbook, but also more expensive. This little guy really looks to push the netbook limit and is something I would consider as a regular, ultra portable PC like the Sony Vaio P (even though this has a 3 inch bigger screen). Why do I say this? Well the specs on this include:

• 12.1 inch screen with a weight under 3 lbs
  
• 8 hours of battery life- Perfect for those of us needing a laptop for school.
• Windows XP or Vista- We’d still recommend XP
• 250 GB Hard Drive or 512 GB SSD- This is what leads me to question whether this is a laptop or an ultraportable. For one, it has that big 12.1 inch screen which is already questionable for a netbook, but the fact that this is packing a 512 GB SSD (which is something regular laptops don’t even have) really is confusing, as something like that will cost you a lot of $$$ (Asus even said so ).
• 1.3 Megapixel Camera
• Wireless N and Bluetooth

This also has “CRYSTALLIZED^TM – Swarovski Elements masterfully imbedded into intricately crafted metallic hinges add a touch of class, reminiscent of a pair of marquis-cut diamond cuff-links on a business suit….” and “a luxurious and elegant leather palm rest” (their words not ours ). Expect to come later this month for who knows how much

Asus S121 netbook/ultra portable laptop

Well there you have it, some interesting netbooks from CES. These are the few we thought you should look out for as they look to be really cool, and we’ll of course keep you updated on these netbooks.

In the meantime, we wanna know what are your thoughts: you like/dislike the 5 we chose, have a different netbook that caught your eye? Let us know in the comments.

Info from Engadget.com

The all new Palm Pre

Arguably one of the most anticipated products/operating systems coming out of CES (Consumer Electronics Show) this year was Palm’s “Newness.”

Palm had already dropped a few hints about it, saying that we would have a phone with a full touch screen as well as a complete slide out QWERTY keyboard. They (Palm) also told us about a completely new operating system codenamed Nova that would blow the doors off of Apple’s Mobile OS X as well as Google’s Android.

These fueled anticipations coupled with the fact that, even before a failing economy, Palm was quickly dropping out of existence, and this CES was a huge chance for the company to turn things around, potentially for the last time.

And boy did they do a great job showing that they’re back and ready to compete with the iPhone, the G1, the Storm, and pretty much whatever else may come out. They delivered a new phone, the Palm Pre, and an all-new web OS operating system. Read on to learn about both!

The Palm Pre

This new phone is simply amazing.

Not only does it have a touch screen, it also has a Blackberry-like trackball and a slide out QWERTY keyboard for all your input needs. It’s kinda cool how the keyboard slides out; it has a small curve to it making it look amazing overall.

It also comes packed with 8GB of internal memory, that’s as much as the 8 GB iPhone!

Which brings us to our next point: this phone has a 3.5 millimeter headphone jack, meaning that you can now load up your DRM-free music you bought from iTunes (see here), and listen to those tunes through basically any pair of headphones out there. This may not seem like a big deal, but there are tons of phones without them (G1!).

Palm has also stated that the Pre’s processor, made by Texas Instruments, allows for the Pre to have laptop-type power.

Another awesome thing about this new phone: a completely wireless phone charger. Called the Touchstone, you can simply put your phone atop it to charge. Just like that, no more cables! This alone is a major step for the consumer electronics division. Beyond all this, the Pre also has Palm’s new OS, 3G, Wi-Fi, and GPS.

Look for it to be available on Sprint sometime in the first half of 2009.

Palm’s new wireless charger, the Touchstone

Palm’s new OS

The homescreen of the new OS

So the new Pre isn’t the only big news coming out of CES today, Palm also announced they’re all-new operating system.

This new OS is able to sync all your contacts — from your phone, Gmail, and Facebook — onto one device.

Another cool thing that I think is just awesome: if the user begins to type letters on the keyboard while on the homescreen, the phone will come up with a search of applications, contacts, etc. that begin with the typed letters.

Also, it features a blazing fast web browser and a “deck of cards” style of managing multiple applications running at once (Take that iPhone!).

Palm also added excellent touch capability; it is optimized for touching and has large icons as well as flick scrolling and gesture support– no more stylus’s on Palm phones!

All in all, this is an amazing new OS and will likely force other software makers to enhance their mobile platforms, ultimately ending with us, the consumer, with even better devices which should make us all very happy.

A screenshot of the innovative instant search feature

So what you think– is the Palm Pre hot enough that you’ll jump to Sprint to get it? Would you rather have a Blackberry Bold or Storm, or maybe an iPhone 3G or T-Mobile G1? Let us know in the comments.

Info and pix from Palm.com and Engadget.com