While significantly larger and heavier than a standard all-in-one machine, the fact that HP’s managed to cram full-sized processors, storage, RAM and Quadro (mobile) graphics into the Z1 is astounding. Even more so is the engineering that’s gone into the folding, flipping design, which allows end-users access to the components by folding the unit flat and opening the screen module. The hinge and piston mechanism allows for quick and safe opening of the 27-inch screen.

Once open, you’re greeted with a sight that’s familiar to anyone who’s used a full-sized Z-family workstation. Heat is separated into four zones, with the 400w power supply, Quadro graphics card, CPU and memory isolated behind fans and panels. All are easily removable, as are the power supply, hard drive chassis and DVD/Blu-ray drive. Note the use of standard desktop parts for the storage and RAM: two 3.5-inch or 2.5-inch storage drives and up to four 8GB full-sized memory DIMMs can be added.

Other touches include three mini-PCI slots (one occupied by a WiFi/Bluetooth module) an internal mount for USB-based license keys, a 1080p webcam and a set of four front-facing SRS speakers. The graphics card uses a MXM standard, which will require custom cards from Nvidia – the base model uses Intel integrated graphics, but Quadro 500M, 1000M, 3000M and 4000M graphics cards are optional. Standard PCI-E cards will not work.

Close the lid and turn to the side, and you’ll see standard audio in and out, two USB 3.0 ports and a 4-card multifunction reader, plus Firewire and the external view of the disc drive. The 27-inch screen gets a resolution of 2560×1440. Back connections include four standard USB 2.0 ports, Ethernet, audio in and out plus SPDIF. There’s only one video-out with a Display Port, but HP has created a unique port that handles both input and output. If necessary, the HP Z1 can be used as a display only, with a hotkey that switched between modes.

The stand itself took considerable engineering, as it has to support the 40+ pound weight of the unit itself, fold down flat and release with a single button. In its upright mode it can be tilted backwards and forwards by about 25 degrees, and lifts up and down by 100mm. When folded flat a back handle allows for easy carrying, and removing the stand completely reveals a standard VESA mount.

The hardware itself is very impressive, with minimalist styling intended to draw the eye of fashion-conscious designers. You’ll be able to buy the Z1 yourself in April, with a fully configurable spec sheet (though the custom Nvidia Quadro cards won’t be available separately at first). The base model of the HP Z1 Workstation will start at $1899.

Check out our hands-on video below, with Chris Damir, HP’s Director of R&D Platforms & Technology for Workstations.

Featured: So if you’re looking for something exciting, look no further than right here, or more specifically, to the linked story that I’m about to put at the end of this sentence –
Join in on SlashGear’s WIMM Spring Developers Project! On the review front, we’ve got an interest look at the
BlackBerry Porsche Design P’9981 so be sure to check that out as well. Oh, and did I mention it’s a $2,350 Blackberry? Okay, so don’t read it because you’re gonna buy it, but just because it’s neat to look at.

Tim Cook: So Tim Cook took the stage at a Goldman Sachs-sponsored technology event today and made all sorts of Apple news, as you would expect. Here’s a sampling of what we caught – Tim Cook shows the incredible growth rate of the iPad, Tim Cook assures us he’ll keep Apple unique, Tim Cook can’t live without his Apple TV, and Tim Cook promises Apple supplier working conditions reports monthly. Whew. That’s a lot of Tim Cook headlines, but it goes to show that he is doing his best to get the kind of traction his predecessor in the Apple CEO chair used to get.

Other Stuff: If you want to see what the future of 3D printing is, check this out. We also got to take a hands-on look HP’s new 27-inch all in one Z1 Workstation. And to end on a note of wackiness, which I always like to do with the evening wrap-ups, check out this story – ETRONIKA produce Kinect-based online banking. Yeah, who’s ready to start managing their finances and contorting their body at the same time? Well, that’s all for now. Be sure to check back tomorrow for Wednesday’s evening wrap-up.

Getting a high-performance machine into the size of a large consumer all-in-one is impressive in and of itself, but the really amazing thing about the Z1 line is that it retains the same level of access to the internals as a full-sized machine. The display slides down to a 180-degree view, at which point the top panel with the LCD pops up. From there you’ve got access to all the major components: storage, processor, memory, graphics cards, etc. and it all uses HP’s tool-less swapping system.

All the components are full desktop parts, not laptop silicon like consumer-grade all in ones. Since the Z1 is designed with high-end work in mind, expect hardware to range from just powerful to monstrous. Intel Core and Xeon processors are available, as are the fastest traditional hard drives and SSDs. Intel integrated graphics are standard on the low end, but you can configure the Z1 with an Nvidia Quadro up to the Q400M. There’s also a full-sized PCI-e 16x slot on the motherboard. DVD-RW is standard, with Blu-ray reader and writer options set to be included as well. 4 DIMM slots max out a 32GBs of DDR3 memory. The power adapter is just 400 watts, which helps with the size, but may limit upgrades.

As far as the exterior goes, HP has put a lot of thought into designing a machine that meets workstation requirements without compromising on space. Most of the pedestrian connections run along the right side, including USB 3.0, Firewire, a card reader and standard audio. The back holds the more juicy stuff, including the various audio out (including subwoofer) Display Port and high-speed data transfers. Permanent USB fixtures (like a license key) can be mounted to the inside. The screen itself is impressive, a 27-inch 2560×1440 IPS display that’s thin enough to flip up to access the interior. The back of the screen can be removed from the stand and mounted on a standard VESA mount – the idea of a workstation that can be treated as a high-end monitor for space and power requirements is downright shocking.

This is the sort of hardware that makes a performance junkie drool, even if most home users never get to see it. Graphic designers, video editors and 3D modelers, start saving your pennies now: the HP Z1 Workstation will be available in April starting at $1899 USD.

“Isis Browser is a core application of HP’s webOS platform written using the Enyo framework. As of today, it is a work in progress aiming to incorporate the latest open source technologies, such as QtWebKit and JavaScriptCore, into the webOS platform. The source code of the Isis Browser stack, QtWebKit, and Qt 4.8 is available on GitHub where we will continue our development” Isis Project

Isis is based on the QtWebKit engine, itself released into open-source by Nokia, and the webOS teams have apparently been working some time to bring the platform over to it. The promise is boosted performance and broader compatibility with sites in general; however, there’ll also be “enhanced support” for legacy products, including Flash.

“We’ve benchmarked the new Isis webOS browser and have found it to be extremely responsive compared to other browsers made for general consumption. It has a fast render pipeline and JavaScript execution profile, which is critical to Enyo and other web technologies. It is extensively supportive of HTML5 and CSS3. Standards-compliance is important to developers because they can use technologies like Enyo to develop cross-platform web applications that already work well on webOS” Fred Patton, webOS team

As for the Open webOS Governance Model, that’s been based on the Apache way and laid out as follows:

• Open webOS will made available under the Apache license, Version 2.0.
• Open webOS will use the contributor committal model in use on most open source projects.
• Open webOS will be segmented into multiple projects to give developers ample opportunity to join and remain active in the development effort.
• The Open webOS project website will host a wiki, a source code repository, a mailing list, and a bug tracking system.
• We will use Github or an equivalent tool to as the code repository.
• We will use JIRA or an equivalent tool to track issues.
• Our plan is to allow multiple committers to branch and merge code in the open to allow multiple development branches to occur at once.

These latest releases keep pace with HP’s schedule of open-sourcing webOS, which has been broken down into a series of monthly milestones. Together with Enyo, released last month, today’s tools supposedly allow for ”an immersive user environment that can be built on any web platform”, something we think Mozilla might be pleased about. Iris is compatible with HP TouchPad devices running webOS 3.0.5, meanwhile.

Details are scarce on the 15-inch version, but aside from size it’s not likely to vary too much from the current Spectre model. The 15-inch Spectre was given a whopping MSRP of $2,200 in Taiwanese currency, but keep in mind that the exchange rate makes for a big price bump. Considering the difference between the US and Taiwanese prices of the base model of the Envy 14 Spectre, the Envy 15 Spectre would probably start at around $1,900. There’s no information on what hardware changes are being planned, but a bigger chassis would allow for more storage and discrete GPU options. At 15 inches, a full 1080p screen is not out of the question.

The Envy 14 Spectre is in pre-order status now in the United States, and starts at a price of $1399.99. Initial shipments begin next Friday, February 17th. The base model includes a Core i5 processor, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, a 128GB SSD drive, and a 14-inch 1600×900 display. With its all-glass top and black-on-white styling, it’s a radical departure from previous Envy models, and the Beats audio and analog volume dial help make it stand out even more from the ultrabook crowd. Be sure to check out our hands-on coverage from CES 2012 for a better look.

[via Liliputing]

This computer’s least costly model is again $1399 and includes a Core i5 processor running at 1.6GHz per core with 4GB of memory and a lovely 128GB of SSD. That’s more space than any normal person could possibly want, yes? You can upgrade to a full Core i7 processor for $200 more if you wish, and if you’re in the mood for more space you can get another whole 128GB for $300 more. Any setup you get at the moment will be set to ship on the 17th of February, 2012, so get em in now!

As for how lovely this device is in person – we’ve got you covered! We had a look at this laptop of true power back at CES 2012 and we’d just love to let you in on some hands-on knowledge. Though this laptop certainly isn’t the thinnest Ultrabook in the world at the moment, it more than makes up for it in odd bits and pieces. Have a look here in our hands-on video or head down to the timeline to get all the information you need!

[via HP]

HP never did figure out how exactly those tablets shipped with Android pre-installed. The tablets shipping with Android created a stir because companies that ship Android devices are required to make the kernel open source. Since HP didn’t officially release the tablets running Android, it was not required to make the kernel of its internal build open-source. However, HP has now offered that internal Android build to the open-source movement.

In essence, releasing the Android kernel is a goodwill gesture on HP’s part since it wasn’t required. I would imagine many of the TouchPads on the market today will be running Android, and the launch of this kernel makes it much easier. Some that have fiddled around with the HP Android kernel are pointing out that it appears the kernel was developed separately from webOS. The last change in the code was made in March of 2011; three months before the tablet launched.

[via WebosNation]

Facebook has plenty of mobile users – in fact in December 2011 over half of active members accessed the site via a mobile device – but it has very little control over that experience. So far, the social network hasn’t even monetized them: mobile visitors don’t see adverts, and in fact Facebook has cautioned potential investors that, if the current situation continues, it could actually see a reduction in revenue despite rising membership. However, it’s being subject to the whims of Apple and Google that really cause sleepless nights.

“We are dependent on the interoperability of Facebook with popular mobile operating systems that we do not control, such as Android and iOS,” Facebook wrote in its IPO filing. “Any changes in such systems that degrade our products’ functionality or give preferential treatment to competitive products could adversely affect Facebook usage on mobile devices.”

The answer, of course, is to build a platform of Facebook’s own: the until-now mythical Facebook Phone. Back in mid-2011, when HP was still floundering with webOS and receiving plenty of uninvited suggestions as to what it should do with the mobile platform, several people painted Facebook as a potential suitor. Then, the idea was that Facebook should buy webOS wholesale from HP, with the computer company likely to cut a good deal if it could get the platform off its hands.

Now, though, there’s no need for Facebook to open its wallet – at least not initially. HP is giving webOS away, having released it under an open-source license. It also addresses an early criticism of the first bout of Facebook-buying-webOS speculation: that it would leave the social network responsible for not only maintaining its own mobile software and services, but a variety of apps out of its usual beat. Browser, email client, calendar app: they’d all have to be dealt with.

Under HP’s open-source plans, though, it will take responsibility for keeping webOS up to date. In fact, the company has said we can expect a significant release every month for the next six or seven, and there’ll be further attention beyond that too. Facebook already has arguably the best dedicated mobile app for its site on the TouchPad, too, a useful shortcut when its app strategy has, until now, been lackluster.

There’d be room in such a scheme for HP to profit, too. Back when the company announced it would be open-sourcing webOS, it also said it would wait to see what third-party adoption was like before deciding whether or not to build a new generation of devices on the platform. At the time, that seemed unlikely, with all the most obvious names each tied up in their own existing mobile strategy: HTC and Samsung had plenty on their hands with Android and Windows Phone, Apple has iOS, Nokia had thrown in with Microsoft, and LG was pushing away trying to reclaim market-share with what it already had.

If a significant name like Facebook jumped onboard, though, that could prove a major draw to webOS. Something certainly sufficient to get HP thinking about whether its own phones and/or tablets might make sense. webOS struggled for the large part because there was no single reason why it was better than Android or iOS: no one point of appeal that HP could build a promotional campaign around. Facebook’s 800m users would certainly be an instant audience.

It’ll take more than just open-source to get a webOS Facebook phone off the ground. After all, Android is free to use, and the social network is still believed to have struggled with that. The core problem at the time, it’s suggested, was money: Facebook management had simply underestimated quite how much building a device from scratch costs.

Those naive failures pushed the company into the arms of HTC and others, resulting in devices like the Salsa and ChaCha; phones bearing the Facebook brand but with software entirely the handiwork of HTC itself and caution from Mark Zuckerberg that, rather than being the true “Facebook Phones”, they were examples of how the social site could be integrated into mobile.

The opportunity to show the definitive example of that is finally coming together, though. Facebook will soon have the cash to invest significantly into a mobile strategy of its own, along with access to an OS that’s been significantly under-developed but still has the backing of a major player in the computing space. Think of it as the social network’s “Nexus” moment only, unlike Google, the focus isn’t on the core software but the overall user experience. Your social life, the new Open Graph apps, Facebook’s existing strengths in games, all colliding.

Facebook knows a huge part of its future will be taking social mobile. Soon enough, Mark Zuckerberg and Co. will have the cash to show its 800m+ users exactly how it believes Facebook on the move should look.

Oracle was attempting to use some sort of fraud claim to get out of the agreement to support Itanium processor and a California court has denied that bid. Judge James P. Kleinberg of the Superior Court of California, Santa Clara County issued a 21 page ruling yesterday. In the ruling Kleinberg wrote:

“The alleged fraud did not prevent Oracle from participating in the negotiations or deprive Oracle of the opportunity to negotiate.”

Judge Kleinberg also unsealed a bunch of documents that were provided to the court by both HP and Oracle, which were previously sealed. HP was up in arms over Oracle’s decision to no longer offer support Itanium processor, because HP uses the processor in high-end servers. Oracle is one of the most popular database programs for large businesses, and no support for HP’s Itanium servers would’ve all but killed the line.

One of the core allegations in this case was that HP had deliberately not disclosed that it was paying Intel the alleged sum of $88 million to continue the Itanium chips lifespan. Oracle maintains if it had known about artificial expansion of the Itanium processor lifespan, it would not have agreed to develop software around Itanium platform. I’m sure we haven’t heard the last of this case.

[via PCWorld]

HP subsequently decided to release webOS as an open-source package, turning its focus back to PCs, laptops and Windows-based tablets.

However, while many have blamed HP for mishandling the webOS acquisition and the few devices the company launched running the software, Rubinstein himself has also been fingered for some of the blame. Sources within the company claim he selected WebKit for the underlying engine for webOS with little understanding of the technical challenges that would involve.

“We just weren’t able to execute such an ambitious and breakthrough design” Paul Mercer, former senior director of software at Palm claims, insisting that Rubinstein’s decision meant webOS phones and tablets would never be as slick in their performance as, say, Apple’s celebrated iPhone.

Rubinstein has “no immediate plans” according to the sources. Before his tenure at Palm, the exec worked at Apple, where he was instrumental in the company’s first generation iPod project.

The Woot offer is for a 32GB unit with WiFi. The screen is a 9.7-inch capacitive LCD and the tablet rocks webOS 3.0 and has Bluetooth 2.1. With the TouchPad being discontinued, I don’t know how many folks will be interested. You can run Android on the tablet if you are the hacking sort.

The tablet has a 90-day warranty from HP so even though it’s a refurb, if it breaks in the first three months you are good. What do you think? The price is higher than we have seen in the past, but if you want a TouchPad, you might need to go this route.

“Apple’s Macbook Air represents a symbol of both the opportunity and challenge for the ultrabook… and while it has been very well received, the consistently high price point of the Macbook Air and other Macbook products have meant that they remain a niche segment of the market,” Juniper admits in its research note. However, the cost of entry will be scaled down significantly over the next few years.

As we all know, tablets are great but they are limited because they lack such peripherals as a keyboard or mouse, by default. There’s a reason that a market exists for Bluetooth iPad keyboards and the like. By Juniper’s predictions, 178.2 million ultrabooks will be shipped by 2016, with the bulk going to North America and Western Europe. The growth in this nascent segment will exceed tablets, the research firm said, so even though the word “ultrabook” still hasn’t made it into many people’s lexicons just yet, it will.

[via Consumer Reports]

Enyo will allow developers to create Open webOS applications that work browser independent, this meaning that WebKit will not be necessary, browsers like Google Chrome, Firefox, and more working in this environment. This will allow webOS move beyond the hardware it’s been reliant on thus far and allow it to work natively in any browser. This should, if HP has aimed correctly, allow the ecosystem to be built, rebuilt, and grow.

HP has stated that they expect a major release of new software every one of the next six or seven months at least, these changes blowing the lid off of webOS with each iteration – in a good way! The whole project will be moving to the Apache 2.0 license wherever an yes, the rumors are true, switching to the standard Linux kernel. TouchPad owners can expect a new full webOS build by the end of Summer while hack-friendly folks will certainly be able to move forward sooner than that.

You can download Enyo right now from the brand new EnoJS.com, and expect webOS in the coming months – but none too soon. You can also follow Enyo specifically on Twitter if you wish: @enyojs

HP has also mentioned that all webOS devices out there today may very well be updated to a new version this year, they “looking” to see how viable they are in the short term. What you’re seeing above is a calendar showing off the different upgrades and releases that will happen throughout the year ending in September where we’re sure more additions will be made when the time is ripe. This all seem fabulous to you, webOS lovers?

[via HP Palm]

HP, meanwhile, struggled to find buyers with the TouchPad and canned the whole tablet project, while webOS phones also died out in 2011. The company is still a force to be reckoned with in the PC segment, in terms of sales volume at least, but has seemingly relinquished any real ambitions for the consumer mobility market.

The biggest drop was seen by Nokia, its semiconductor demand diving by over a fifth, though it still remains ahead of Sony, Toshiba, Lenovo and LG. The top ten consumers of semiconductors together accounted for 35-percent of total revenue in the segment, a whopping $105.6bn.

Apple is expected to announce its latest quarterly financial results later today.

So, you get a 93-percent full-sized keyboard and a multitouch trackpad, as well as a battery that’s apparently good for up to nine hours of runtime. Connectivity includes three USB 2.0 ports, VGA and audio in/out, along with an ethernet port, and there’s a microphone and stereo speakers along with the VGA-resolution webcam.

Wireless options include WiFi a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0+HS, and there’s the choice to add HSPA+ mobile broadband with GPS too. Storage is courtesy of a 320GB 5,400rpm hard-drive, though HP is happy to sell you a USB DVD burner as well.

A spill-resistant keyboard and motion-detecting hard-drive round out the key specs, while software is either Windows 7 or FreeDOS. Pricing for the HP Mini 1104 is from $399.

Hardware

Not so long ago, HP was synonymous with cheap, bulky and entirely plastic machines that would crack and warp at the drop of the hat. But with the ENVY, EliteBook and now the Folio lines, they’re bucking the trend and bringing a little pride back to the old Hewlett Packard name. The Folio is neither the thinnest nor the lightest Ultrabook around, but when the difference is measured in millimeters and ounces, that doesn’t necessarily bother me. The screen lid and palmrest use a stylish brushed aluminum that looks good while keeping fingerprints mostly invisible, but the bezel and underside are soft-touch plastic, probably chosen to keep the weight down.

The Folio has a few touches that are nice to see on a notebook starting at just $900, particularly the backlit keyboard – a rare sight even in supposedly upmarket Ultrabooks. Since HP fancies this a business-class machine, that means comparing the keyboard to the best: Lenovo’s ThinkPads. While the short travel and slight flex of the keys don’t quite measure up to those lofty goals, it’s plenty comfortable even for extended typing, and the chicklet style makes it easy to care for. For those who place high importance on such a small detail (like yours truly) the Function key is to the right of the Control key, so you won’t have any trouble with the key combos stored in your muscle memory. The right shift key is also full-sized, unlike some Asus models.

The touchpad on the Folio deserves particular attention, because it’s the first all-in-one design I’ve seen that can hold a candle to the MacBook. While it’s not quite as easy to glide the cursor around due to a plastic construction, it’s still accurate and responsive. And, miracle of miracles, it’s the first PC touchpad with an integrated click that I’ve been able to reliably perform a triple-tap on, which defaults to the extremely useful middle-click command.

Ports on the Folio are a little lacking, but no more so than they are on competing models. On the left you get Ethernet, HDMI, USB 3.0 and an SD card slot, while on the right you get a spare USB 2.0 and a combined headphone/microphone port. Aside from that, the 13-inch 1366×768 screen and commendable Dolby speakers are the extent of the input/output options. Inside the base model features a Core i5 ULV processor, 4GB of DDR3 memory, Intel HD3000 integrated graphics and a 128GB solid state drive.

All of these are perfectly functional, and even pretty good values given the price – except for the screen. Ignoring for a moment that the only resolution option is the rather pedestrian 1366×768, the screen’s contrast is awful. Reading anything but black-on-white text it a chore, and I had to change the default Windows color scheme to something darker just to avoid straining my eyes. Considering the excellent LED screen on the ENVY 15, this is a major dissapointment. If the rest of the Folio’s charms lead you to consider a purchase, make sure and find one in a retail environment before laying down you cash, just to make sure you’re alright with the sub-par screen.

Software

The Folio 13 comes with Windows 7 Professional 64-bit, in line with the “business Ultrabook” moniker. The laptop is surprisingly free of bloatware, choosing instead to display a few easily-deleted links on the desktop. You still get HP’s suite of built-in detritus, including a movie and game store, plus Microsoft’s ubiquitous Bing bar and Office trial. Norton anti-virus and Evernote are some you might actually want to hold on to, but for those who prefer a stock experience, it shouldn’t take more than twenty minutes or so to remove all the unwanted software. This is a much better state of affairs than you’ll find on many equivalent laptops, even in the “premium” space.

Performance

After loading up some of my proffered programs like Chrome, getting around the familiar Windows interface was easy and without issue. Though the screen was a problem, it’s more than mitigated by the Folio’s excellent battery life – more on that later. The little Folio’s specifications are more than enough to handle basic browsing, office and media tasks, and should do just fine with more advanced fare like Photoshop editing in a pinch – just don’t expect it to get 30 frames per second in Skyrim. But then, you’d never play on company time, would you?

Media & Battery

While the Folio lacks the Beats audio found on the ENVY line, the Dolby speakers that run between the hinges are more than loud enough to enjoy a movie comfortably between three or four people. Hi-fi they’re not (even if the rather fetching grille implies as such) but for a laptop, and especially one so small, they’re more than serviceable. With relatively little storage space and no DVD drive, you’ll have to rely on web video for most of your visual entertainment, and I’m sorry to say that the combination of low-bitrate video and a low-contrast screen is not a pleasant one. The reflective plastic finish doesn’t help, but it’s far from the worst that I’ve seen.

And now we come to the area where the Folio 13 absolutely shines: the battery. HP has made a point of extolling its 9-hour life in advertising, so I made sure to put the little laptop through its paces. I’m pleased to report that it broke the 8-hour mark in two tests and made it all the way to 9:15 on a third before dying. That’s almost exactly as much as my ThinkPad T420 with an extended 9-cell battery – that’s it dwarfing the Folio in the photo above. While there’s no replaceable battery option, this should be more than enough for anything short of a cross-continental flight. I performed my tests with 60% brightness and medium-to-heavy web browsing, with some Flash video thrown in – if you spend all your time on Netflix or YouTube, expect that figure to dip a bit.

Wrap-up

The Folio 13 is a good showing for HP, combining solid value, admirable build quality and excellent longevity into a package that’s only slightly bigger than other Ultrabooks. If you’re looking for an ultrabook that won’t have you scrambling for a power outlet, this is pretty much your only option at the moment – for an afternoon outing you can even leave the AC power adapter behind. The screen is an unfortunate fly in the ointment, but it’s counter-balanced by the best all-in-one touchpad I’ve ever used on the PC side of things. If you’ve got a budget that won’t stretch beyond a thousand dollars and a desire for all-day computing in a light package, the Folio might be the best in a field of one. That said, with all the Ultrabooks shown at CES 2012 (including HP’s own stunning ENVY 14 Spectre) you might wait a couple of months before making your final decision.

For a look at all the nooks and crannies, have a gander at our hands-on video below:

HP announced back in December that it would release webOS as an open-source platform, ending several months of speculation that the company could sell off or simply axe altogether the OS it acquired from Palm. The decision came after HP proved it could not commercialize webOS on its own; sales of the first webOS tablet, the HP TouchPad, were so unpromising that the company axed it within months.

Veghte thus faces the difficult challenge of best positioning HP in the computing and cloud markets, segments where PC sales have slowed and Apple dominates with its tightly-constructed ecosystem of devices and services. Nonetheless, it seems HP reckons the exec can manage it.

“Every 10 to 15 years, fundamental shifts occur in the IT industry that redefine how technology is delivered” HP CEO Meg Whitman said in a statement. “From mainframes to client/server to the internet, companies that identified the opportunity first and developed the right strategy came out on top. As we move forward, HP intends to stay on top.”

An HP Z800 workstation pumps out a 4098 x 1536 picture spread across all six screens, while a separate HP Pavilion Slimline desktop handles audio separately along with color processing. The displays are fronted by a layer of Gorilla Glass, in case you get too eager with your tapping.

HP is positioning the VantagePoint as ideal for showrooms, educational environments and offices; however, you can also pump cable and satellite TV, as well as any streaming content from online or via a DVD, DVR or Blu-ray player through the screen.

Software is Windows 7 with support for custom apps coded in JavaScript, Flash, C++, C# or Microsoft Presentation Framework, while Total Immersion‘s augmented reality software is also included. No word on pricing, but with each of the 47-inch LD4730G displays coming in at $1,300 apiece, this isn’t going to be a cheap way to get touchy-feely with your entertainment.

“We are well on our way in terms of progress” the team says, and “hope to give you something to play with soon.” Right now there are only two main outstanding issues to overcome: the camera doesn’t work, and video playback isn’t supported. Work on the latter is apparently ongoing.

That still means there’s plenty to see today, including Angry Birds and some smooth animated fish rendering. Connectivity – WiFi and Bluetooth – are both supported and functional, but the CM team still isn’t giving a fixed estimate on when TouchPad owners might be able to actually download the new ROM.

[via Engadget]

The webOS 3.0.5 update will bring a few additional features and some bug fixes, including new support for HTTP live streaming, faster calendar switching, and improved stability when handling videos and MP3s. The full list is shown below:

– Faster switching between Day, Week, and Month views, and faster event display in Calendar.
– Faster scrolling when reading an email message.
– Email attachments are now saved with draft messages.
– Added sender photos and IM presence indicators in Email.
– Improved stability when watching video in the Web app.
– Improved handling of MP3s that are transferred from a computer using USB Drive mode.
– Added a dedicated view of contacts available for a video call, for quicker setup of a video call.
– New alert when video quality might be lower because of network issues.
– When typing, pressing the space bar twice inserts a period. This can be toggled on and off.
– Auto-correction can be turned off directly from the onscreen keyboard.
– Added support for HTTP Live Streaming.

Additionally, HP has rolled out an update to webOS 2.2.4 for the unlocked Pre 2 on AT&T and Verizon, and unlocked Pre 3 phones. For the Pre 2 expect improvements in Skype voice calling and messaging and overall messaging, calendar and contacts enhancements.

[via PhoneNews]

HP experienced the greatest decline in US PC shipments, dropping 26.1 percent, followed by Acer with an 11.4 percent drop, Dell with 4.5 percent, and Toshiba with 2.2 percent. Overall, the US saw negative 5.9 percent growth based on data taken from the fourth quarters of 2010 and 2011. Despite this, HP maintained its number one spot with over 4 million in shipments followed by Dell and then Apple in third.

The worldwide PC shipment drop of 1.4 percent included a 16.2 percent decline from HP and an 18.4 percent decline from Acer. Lenovo and Asus rose with 23 percent and 20.5 percent, respectively, while Dell managed a 7.8 percent increase. Once again, HP retained the top spot.

Ultrabooks quietly crept in during the fourth quarter of 2011, but didn’t make much of an impact on PC sales. However, with the abundance of new ultrabooks popping up at this weeks CES show, 2012 will likely be a big year for this new crop of MacBook Air-inspired notebooks. However, Gartner expects PC shipments to be temporarily lowered in the first half of 2012 due to HDD shortages caused by the October 2011 floods in Thailand.

The HP Spectr was the next bit of subject matter, the device working with Gorilla Glass in a whole new way, both inside and outside, with a high definition display and a powerful set of innards for a media fabulous experience. Beats Audio is of course integrated, complete with the red light, and performance and aesthetics sit at the head of the release. HP Folio 13 was next, with 9 hours of battery life and a 13-inch screen along with a thin overall chassis size made for an everyone-friendly experience. The third laptop you see on the table in the video is the HP Elitebook 2760p, another notebook which, as your humble narrator’s experience with the HP Elite line will tell you, is no joke when it comes to being hearty and powerful.

Have a peek at the interview video above and check out Chee’s Twitter feed at @AnyadeRogue. We presented Chee with one of our fabulously fashionable SlashGear messenger bags, of course, to send her back off into the world of fashion and extravagance. Have a peek at the rest of our Insider Talks from this event through our [CES Live portal] or our portal for Insider Talk for just the talks – and stick around the rest of the week for the rest of our CES 2012 coverage!

The two-tone color scheme – the top appearing to be glossy black in finish, the base section the same brushed, matte metal as in machines like the ENVY 15 we reviewed recently – is certainly distinctive, and we’re guessing HP will be bringing the Spectre in within Intel’s sub-20mm thick ultrabook guideline. Also expect some Core processor action, the usual array of WiFi and Bluetooth, and a relatively sparse collection of ports, if previous ultrabooks have taught us anything.

Beyond that it’s another set of eye-catching but hardly revealing graphics, and we’re wondering quite how many of these teasers HP has in the pipeline before they actually relent and show us the final device. What could swing it the company’s way is if it managed to bring the price in at the $699 mark, something Intel has talked about but OEMs have struggled to achieve. We’ll know more, presumably, at CES this week.

[via The Verge]

Have a peek here at what we’ve seen recently, this Phoenix makes one see options like secondary hard drives and liquid cooling look like essentials – at a glance it appears that HP is bringing the fury for the modern gamer. Processor options roll all the way up to a fabulous Core i7-3960X. There’s a 160GB SSD inside aside 8GB of RAM, and all of it sits inside the case – the case that just screams “I AM HERE.” What a beast.

Then there’s a monitor for your HP loving as well as sort of a bonus that was sitting amongst these new bits of hardware, the Compaq L2311x (not pictured). This monitor has a 23-inch display with built-in port replicator, able to connect with USB 2.0, USB 3.0, or your favorite, the traditional ol’ VGA. You’ll be able to pick that masterpiece up this February or a couple other generally improved monitors by the names LV1911 and LV2011 early this year as well. These monitors will run you $319, $125, and $135 respectively. Have a peek at the Phoenix below and above and get set for our reviews soon!

The Folio feels like a laptop that should cost much more than the $899 asking price. A mostly metal frame hides a backlit keyboard and a 13-inch body that, while not quite as luxurious as competing models from Asus and Samsung, is miles above the typical mid-range notebook. The .7-inch thin laptop is deceptively light for a i5 machine that holds a 6-cell battery rated for 9 hours.

The finish itself is one of the most attractive features, with a brushed aluminum look that’s eye-catch yet understated. Photos really don’t do it justice. It looks like it should be a fingerprint magnet, and in a way it is, but the pattern on the aluminum masks them effectively and keeps the laptop looking classy. The port selection is a little slim with just two USB ports, HDMI, an SD card slot and Ethernet, but it meets or beats other Ultrabooks that cost much more.

HP’s now standard clickable trackpad is present, minus the nice rubber definition line from the ENVY 15. Take it or leave it (or bring along a USB mouse) but it’s at least smooth and accurate, with a nice feedback when depressing for a click. It’s still to hard to initiate a middle-click, but the trackpad is much better than earlier attempts.

The only big downer for the Folio 13 is the screen, which seems to be the same rather dim TN panel that goes into most low-end 13-inch laptops. At 1366×768 it’s not ideal for working, at least not if you’re used to a larger laptop or full-sized monitor. I would have liked to have seen an upgrade option for a more dense and sharp screen.

There’s not enough time between now and CES to give this little guy a full review, so I’m taking it along for the ride. You’ll probably reading quite a few posts written right from the Folio 13, so it’s a trial by fire for HP’s first Ultrabook. Check out a video walkthrough below:

This computer has a lovely piece of edge-to-edge class on the front, 6GB of RAM on the inside next to that Sandy Bridge, and it’s the very first PC with Magic Canvas software that does not have a touchscreen. While it may be a bummer that this device wont be amongst the hoards of touch-sensitive computers that’ll be dropping inside 2012, you can take comfort in knowing that this machine won’t cost you an arm and a leg. It doesn’t look half bad for an all-in-one, either.

We’ll certainly be having a closer look at this computer when it comes time to review it early in these 2012 months, but for now have a glance here above and below at some photos of it up close. Does this look like the Windows-based machine you’ve always been wanting? How about the Beats machine you’ve been waiting for? It’s got TV tuner and Blue-ray drive options too, you should know, so feel free to use this for your college room-bound media center if you’re in such a position.

Plug in to your notebook – USB 3.0 is best, though USB 2.0 is supported as well though you’ll lack the highest speeds of the integrated hub – and you instantly get a Full HD display, two USB 2.0, two USB 3.0 and ethernet connections. The webcam is a 720p HD unit, and the display can recharge your notebook too. It will go on sale in February, priced at $319.

As for the HP LV1911 and LV2011, they measure up at 18.5- and 20-inches respectively, use LED backlit panels running at 1366 x 768 and 1600 x 900 respectively, and each pack a single VGA input. Basic stuff, with pricing to match: the HP LV2011 will go on sale in February, priced at $135, with the LV1911 following on in March for $125.

HP also announced the Omni 27 all-in-one PC this morning, along with the HP Pavilion HPE h9 Phoenix performance PC.

Like the Omni 27, the HPE h9 Phoenix gets HP’s freshly-renamed HP Magic Canvas interface and software suite, brought over from the touchscreen TouchSmart series and given a non-touch revamp. That’s joined by LinkUp, the company’s laptop-sync tool, and Beats Audio, while HP also preloads a copy of role-player RIFT.

A trio of internal hard-drive bays and optional liquid cooling round out the key specs, and there’s a useful “valet tray” on the top with charging ports for your phone or iPod and audio connections for easily plugging in headphones when the Phoenix is lurking under your desk. Expect it to go on sale on January 8, priced from $1,149.99.

Otherwise there’s a choice of storage options topping out at 2TB and an HDMI input for using the Omni 27 as a standalone display. Options include a Blu-ray upgrade to the standard DVD drive, and a TV tuner, while as for ports you get six USB, a multiformat memory card reader, ethernet, audio in/out and more.

Edge-to-edge glass and a slick stand that can be tilted up to 25-degrees round out the main specs. The whole system is expected to go on sale from January 8, priced from $1,199.99.

Hardware

The ENVY 15 shares a lot of design DNA with the rest of the line, and that means lots of metal and secondary utility as a blunt weapon. The typical high-class build quality is present in full force, with a new black-on-grey color scheme that’s accented with some red Beats trim. It would be almost impossible to forget the inspirations from Apple’s Macbook Pro line that defined the early ENVY models, but the latest seems to be finding a bit of its own identity. A depressed keyboard section and an analog audio dial inset into the body make for some unique and functional touches.

The laptop oozes quality and thoughtful touches almost everywhere. Beats-branded speakers above the keyboard and on the front edge are well-placed for music playback with the lid open or closed, and the backlit chicklet keyboard is large and solid enough to replicate desktop typing without any real difficulty. 3 USB ports and an SD card slot should be enough for most, but video out options are limited to HDMI and Display Port. That’s good for hooking up to a TV or brand-new monitors, but if you’ve got an older display you’re out of luck, since there’s no adapters included.

At 1.11 inches all the way through its metal frame, the laptop isn’t the smallest around, but it isn’t really trying to be. That large frame gets you a 2.4Ghz Core i5 processor, 6GB of RAM, a 1GB AMD Radeon 7690m graphics card and a 500GB traditional hard drive. That should be enough computing power to handle just about anything you can throw at it short of marathon HD encoding sessions. You’ll also get a slot-loading DVD drive, an increasingly rare commodity even in medium-sized laptops, and a user-accessible battery bay.

But the real showpiece for the ENVY 15 is the screen, an LED-backlit beauty at 1920×1080, showing a resolution usually reserved for 17-inch laptops into an economic glossy frame. That’s an extra $150 upgrade over the standard 1366×768 panel, and well worth it for anyone who wants a little breathing room fir Windows 7. Using the screen is an excellent experience even at low brightness, and makes text entry, games and video that much better. Colors pop and contrast is great, though those who tire of tiny text may need to fiddle with some settings to make reading more comfortable. The touchpad is decent, though HP still hasn’t got the hang of multi-touch gestures – it’s much easier to use a click-tap and manually drag a scroll bar than its two-finger equivalent.

Software

Our review unit came pre-loaded with Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit, the better to take advantage of the 6GB of RAM. If you’re considering the ENVY 15, odds are pretty good that you’re familiar with Windows 7, or at least competent enough in Windows Vista, so I won’t bore you with any rehashing. Bloatware is an unfortunate reality on the PC side of the computer divide, but with the ENVY line at least, HP has exercised some restraint. You get the standard trial edition of Office, a handful of hardware managers that basically just skin Windows’ default controls, Microsoft’s Games For Windows Marketplace, HP MovieStore, Norton Internet Security and a Bing plugin for your browser. All in all it could be worse – I’m in the habit of installing Windows fresh with any new machine, and I heartily recommend it to others. But if you’re disinclined to do so (it isn’t easy, since no one includes OS discs these days) it’s easy enough to get the ENVY 15 close to stock.

One thing you won’t want to remove is the Beats audio manager software, accessible by depressing the button built in to the analog dial. It instantly brings up an equalizer and other various settings, making a customized audio experience fast and easy, not to mention enjoyable with the supplied hardware. More on that later. Our review unit came with full versions of Adobe Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements. At the moment both of these programs are also free with the base model. That’s a great deal if you don’t already have an image and/or photo editor, and even if you don’t want them it’s hard to complain.

In general use, the additional software doesn’t interfere with my daily routine nearly as much as other laptops. The Norton Internet Security is enabled by default, but aside from the on-screen volume and brightness displays, it’s the only thing that’s visibly added to the system. All in all a commendable effort on HP’s part, though I add that any Windows computer should always come with a backup disc, which seems to be omitted here. I had a small issue with a lack of sound playback, which was solved quickly enough by installing the latest driver.

Performance

It’s a good time to be a hardware junkie. Even the cheapest Intel Core machine is leaps and bounds ahead of comparably priced equivalents from two or three years ago, and unless you’re doing massive amounts of compiling or rendering, you’ll never want for horepower on any new laptop. That said, here’s the scores for the ENVY 15.

Regular use, incluing some heavy Flash and Photoshop editing, showed no noticeable slowdown or degradation in performance. I popped in a copy of Batman: Arkham City just to try out the combination of the processor and AMD Radeon GPU. It’s a pretty game that takes advantage of all the latest graphical bells and whistles. When pumped up to full 1080p with all the settings maxed out, the in-game benchmark got around 12-14 frames per second. Dial it batch to 1600×900 with a few of the flashier settings disables, and you can get about 30 FPS. Drop the resolution to 1366×768 (which is all you’d get in similarly priced laptops) and you can get as much as 50 frames per second.

Based on this I’d say you can play just about any recent game comfortably without a problem, so long as you take it easy on the graphical flair. Older favorites like Team Fortress 2 or World of Warcraft should absolutely fly, and look great doing so.

Media & Battery

The ENVY 15 is built for media consumption. Those Beats logos aren’t just for show: the speakers are louder and clearer than any I’ve ever used, including the Macbooks that the ENVY wants to be so much when it grows up. The quick access to a physical volume dial and virtual equalizer combined with an extra headphone-out port make this a perfect laptop for listening to and sharing music. And with that lovely screen and DVD drive (sadly no Blu-ray option is offered) it’s a great movie machine as well.

Just don’t plan on watching the extended version of Lord of the Rings. Though HP claims up to a 9 hour battery life, I was never able to get more than 3 hours and 45 minutes while doing basic WiFi Internet browsing with the screen at about half brightness. The “power saver” mode seems to do a little better, and I dare say with conservative use and a few tricks (like disabling the petty Aero effects in Windows) you might stretch it as high as five. It’s a disappointing statistic in a laptop of this size and weight, and you’ll probably feel the need to stash the large AC adapter in your bag for anything more than coffee shop surfing session.

Wrap Up

Is the ENVY 15 as good as the 15-inch MacBook Pro? No. But considering that for the hardware that we tested you’d have to spend nearly $2000 on an Apple machine, it doesn’t have to be. If you find yourself spending most of your computer time within the reach of an AC outlet, it’s tough to beat for power and media capabilities. I wish it was a little lighter and lasted a little longer, but as a desktop replacement and media consumption/creation specialist, you’d be hard-pressed to find anything with these kinds of specs, fit and finish in this price range.

If you’re looking to replace an older mid-sized laptop with a solid machine that’ll fly through basic tasks and give some great music and video playback, it would be hard to find a better choice at $1250. Just don’t buy the ENVY 15 expecting a featherweight road warrior.

UPDATE: At the behest of some of the commenters, I investigated the switchable graphics with respect to battery life. This necessitated going into the BIOS and setting the graphics to a manual switch, since the option doesn’t appear in any of the ENVY’s standard settings menus. (it might be possible to set this with a newer version of Catalyst Control Center, but it wasn’t accessible from the stock software.) Under the default Dynamic setting, it’s supposed to automatically switch to the Intel integrated graphics when the high-powered Radeon isn’t necessary - apparently the software wasn’t activating correctly. When the Intel integrated graphics were activated manually, I got 5 hours and 14 minutes out of the ENVY 15 running the same test. That’s not a marathon machine by any means, but it opens up a lot more options for extended portable use.

For a better look at the HP ENVY 15′s hardware, check out our unboxing video below:

The teaser from HP is timed just in time before CES, and makes the Spectre a very viable candidate for the Las Vegas tech show. Although there isn’t much information at the moment, there could be a very good possibility that this move shows that HP will be competing more directly with Apple’s MacBook Air, as well as other ultrathin notebooks, rather than trying to avoid jostling around with those competitors in the ultrathin laptop ring, instead.

SlashGear readers, what do you think of this barely revealed glimpse of the Spectre ultrabook from HP? Do you think that the company’s potential move into ultrabook territory is a good thing, and will be successful? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section below.

[via Engadget]

WebKit’s shortcomings, and an accelerated development timescale that forced each app to be initially built from scratch, then subsequently rebuilt by Palm and again for the second time by HP as the webOS framework took shape, resulted in significant returns. Palm saw “extremely high return rates” of the original Pre, a former apps employee claims, as early-adopters discovered it was sluggish and unstable.

webOS also suffered significantly from the loss of Matias Duarte, who jumped ship to Google in May 2010. Known as the architect of the webOS user experience, Duarte’s departure opened the door to in-fighting and power grabbing as HP got to grips with the newly-acquired platform.

“[Matias Duarte] was WebOS … When he left, the vacuum was just palpable. What you’re seeing is frankly a bunch of fourth- and fifth-stringers jumping onto WebOS in the wake of Duarte’s leaving” Unnamed former webOS team member

Since then, HP has been through a number of CEOs and has decided to make webOS open-source. HP has left the door open for potential future hardware running the platform, though that is believed to be heavily dependent on whether webOS finds favor among third-party hardware and software producers. That, Mercer suggests, is still unlikely, as the root performance issues of WebKit remain.

The first thing you’ll notice when handling the ENVY 15 is its heft: a largely metal construction makes for a big, heavy unit, even for the relatively mainstream 15-inch screen size. That weight isn’t wasted, however. The premium feel of the ENVY line is present in full force, with minimal seams and laser etching everywhere. The front of the laptop is bare, save for stereo Beats speakers. On the right you’ll find the SD card slot, Kensington lock port, a single USB port, Display Port, full-sized HDMI, a stylish Beats manual analog volume controller, an Ethernet port and the power jack. Switch to the left side and you get the optical drive, two more USB ports, a pair of headphone ports and a microphone in jack.

Lift the matte black lid and you’re greeted with the standard ENVY interior, plus a few surprises. The keyboard steps inside the body via a stylish red ring that matches the Beats audio dial, a nice tough that adds just enough flair to set it apart from the Macbook line (which, let’s face it, early ENVY models aped pretty shamelessly.) Black backlit chicklet keys are comfortable, if not as springy as the ones found on Lenovo’s ThinkPads. The power button, volume dial and a mute switch are the only extra controls on the unit.

The screen is gorgeous, thanks to both HP’s Radiance LED display. A full 1920×1080 resolution is a treat on a 15-inch panel, though the standard base model has only the more common 1366×768 resolution. A relatively thin bezel combined with edge-to-edge plastic (not glass) makes for a well-defined if glossy viewing experience. Flip the laptop over and you’ll see minimum legalese and just one access point for the battery, which HP figures good for 9 hours. The body is considerably thicker than the same-sized Macbook Pro, but not to an extreme degree.

Previous ENVY models had trouble with the Apple-style clickable touchpad. For the most part these seem to be resolved, thanks in part to a small rubber strip that give a separation of the main navigation area and the “buttons”. Two-finger scrolling is unfortunately still iffy – I’ve yet to see a PC notebook that nails the multitouch gestures as well as a Macbook. More’s the pity. The analog volume dial emblazoned with the Beats logo is a nice touch, and allows for quick, tactile changes in sound.

Our ENVY 15 came with Windows 7 Home Premium, in the 64-bit flavor to take advantage of 6GB of DDR3 RAM. Combined with a 2.4Ghz Intel Core i5 processor, a speedy traditional 500GB 7200 RPM hard drive and a 1GB AMD Radeon 7690M, this laptop should fly through high-end applications and the latest games – we’ll be sure to put it through its paces. Looking through the included software, I’m happy to see full versions of Adobe Photoshop Elements 9 and Premiere Elements 9, useful tools for any would-be media dabbler. I’m less pleased to see the predictable inclusion of Microsoft Office trial versions, as well as HP and Bing-branded bloatware. It’s by no means the worst that I’ve seen, but a clean Windows experience is always preferable. There are no OS discs included in the package to allow for manual re-installation.

As for the packaging itself, it’s the high-quality stuff we’ve seen on previous ENVY models. The laptop itself gets a free cloth baggie/shammy (necessary, considering how fast that black top accrues fingerprints) and another baggie for the large 3-prong AC adapter. The standard documentation and a few marketing flyers round out the extras. As configure this ENVY 15 would cost $1249, with the base model starting at $1099.

Take a look for yourself in our unboxing video below:

We’ll be going over the HP ENVY 15 for our in-depth review later this week.

It’s no surprise then that HP had a hard time finding any takers. The value of Palm had dropped significantly since HP’s purchase and the WebOS platform flopped with HP’s TouchPad fiasco and smartphone fumbles with the Pre 3 and Veer. HP was rumored to be in talks with Amazon, Samsung, Intel, Facebook and several others.

The initial asking price of $1.2 billion was likely lowered, but the source suggests that the value would have to be lower than $500 million for any serious considerations. It probably didn’t help that HP also demanded continued access to WebOS for use in its printers.

[via VentureBeat]

You’ll get a full hands-on treatment with this device courtesy of the Nation right below this paragraph, including no less than benchmarks, Ken Burns effects sliding in and out, and Asphalt 6 running quite nicely for superior racing action. As they say, webOS 3.0 works “without compromise” on this smaller device, and it’s a pretty big bummer that the device will never see the light of day because it’s certainly not the least impressive tablet in the history of mobile. On the other hand, the cameras aren’t fantastic, the tablet is thick, and again, this tablet will never be sold to the public.

For a much more interesting and relevant vision for you the consumer, if that’s who you are, head to our timeline below to see how the released version of the TouchPad worked out over the past year. It’s a hundred-dollar madness fest you’ll never want to forget! That, and the idea that there might be SOME TouchPad Go units out there in the wild able to be hacked up is an interesting thought to think through. Let’s run some iOS on that mother!

[via WebOSNation]

Specs on the Nikon D4 DSLR camera surfaced this week and they look really good. The camera is rumored to have a 16.2MP sensor and native ISO up to 102,400. Word surfaced that the FBI might be using Carrier IQ software on handsets for low enforcement purposes. The FBI refused a Freedom of Information Act request and accidentally revealed that it might be using the software for investigations.

Modern Warfare 3 has set a record with $1 billion in total sales this week. That massive sales number was hit in only 17 days beating out the flick Avatar to reach the $1 billion mark. MIT has invented camera that is able to shoot photos at a trillion frames per second. The sensor is so fast that it can photograph the propagation of light.

CERN announced that is has found “tantalizing hints” of Higgs boson particles at the LHC. Papers outlining the discovery are expected by the end of January. The NTSB is proposing that all use of mobile phones be banned while driving. That would include the use of hands free devices which the NTSB says are just as dangerous as holding your phone.

American Airlines has received approval to use the iPad in the cockpit of aircraft during all phases of flight. The iPad has the flight manual and digital charts with weight savings compared to paper charts helping to save lots of money for the airline. Microsoft has been tipped to purchase the Nokia smartphone division in 1H 2012. I still don’t see that being a mix for success.

A proposal for redesigning the HP brand has surfaced from a company called Moving Brands. One of the things you can see in the proposal is a new logo that looks like straight lines, but reads HP. We went hands-on with the Prada phone by LG 3.0 this week after the fancy smartphone went official. Chris Davies was a bit “meh” on the smartphone after his time with the device.

We put up our review of the Motorola Droid Xyboard 10.1 this week. The tablet doesn’t seem like much of an upgrade on the Xoom that is already available. The Facebook Timeline went official all around the world this week. The Timeline allows you to set up a chronological outline of your world.

Remember that throwable Panoramic Ball camera from a while back? More details were released and the company is seeking investors to bring the device to market. Astronomers discovered a massive gas cloud that was being sucked into a black hole in the center of our galaxy. The cloud has more mass than Earth and will provide a glimpse into how matter reacts near a black hole.

Senator Al Franken grilled the FBI director on the use of Carrier IQ software this week. This came after hints early in the week that the FBI might be using it for law enforcement. An Iranian scientist bragged this week that Iran bagged a NATO drone using a GPS spoof. The Iranians tricked the drone into simply landing where they wanted it.

Davies noted this week that you had better be sure you like Timeline before you activate it. Once you have Timeline if you don’t like it there is no going back. Thanks for reading and have a Merry Christmas!

The proposed redesign features a very abstract and modern logo, where the rounded parts of the HP letters are removed, leaving behind simple slanted lines. These angled lines clearly remind us of the traditional HP logo while creating a new vibe of forward movement, adding an overall cool factor. However, such a major redesign like this one isn’t likely in the horizon for now as HP is still struggling to find its direction after a confusing year.

HP has experienced some major changes this year, struggling unsuccessfully to launch a new WebOS ecosystem and hardware that ultimately got dumped abruptly and attempting to stabilize its leadership transitions with the replacement of Leo Apotheker by Meg Whitman as CEO. Whitman has already made some major decisions for the company, including not spinning off its personal systems group and making WebOS open source.

[via TechCrunch]

Despite the limited numbers – which, going by when the listings were closed, were all sold in under 25 minutes – the attention was still enough to make eBay sluggish and reduce PayPal to a litany of error messages and failed transactions. HP was forced to order a second production run after strong final sales back in August outstripped supply.

Unfortunately, this time around, while the TouchPad itself was something of a bargain, shipping fees were not. HP levied a flat rate of $19 – as much as a fifth of the actual TouchPad price itself – for the refurbished units, something which has earned it a thorough drubbing in the eBay feedback. In contrast the company offers free shipping on its refurb PCs and TouchSmart all-in-ones.

According to a leaked memo last week, the TouchPad sale was intended for HP staff wanting to pick up one of the cancelled tablets, something which perhaps failed to take place given it was so quickly made public.

The TouchPad demand could well have been fueled by the news that HP is making the webOS platform open-source, allowing developers and other manufacturers to step in, adopt and modify it for their own use. However, the simple lure of a sub-$100 brand-name tablet when an iPad runs to four times that amount is more likely the motivation, just as we saw earlier in the year when HP swiftly sold out of its first TouchPad fire sale.

Unfortunately for international would-be buyers, HP has still not released any new TouchPad units outside of the US in recent sales promotions. The market for a second-hand TouchPad is likely to be flooded with supplies, however, as while HP and eBay chose to limit customer orders to two units, that only applied on a per-listing basis. With several listings for each model, those with fast mouse fingers found they could grab a handful of webOS tablets.

Those looking to do more with their TouchPad than simply browse and check email in webOS could do worse than exploring an unofficial build of Android on the slate. Instructions can be found here.

2012 will see HPs Windows 8 based tablets reach the market, the company has previously suggested, using Microsoft’s freshly updated platform with its finger-friendly Metro UI. The OS has obvious advantages for HP, being directly compatible with its laptop and desktop hardware, and thus applicable both to a consumer market looking for iPad/Android tablet alternatives, and enterprise/vertical markets needing something that can integrate with an established ecosystem of Microsoft-based PC hardware.

Beyond that, however, HP seems keen to “explore the viability of putting webOS on devices” according to its open-source FAQ, though whether that exploration will result in a commercial release remains very much to be seen. The company says it “plans to remain active in the development and support of webOS” but that “making webOS open source will accelerate the development of the webOS platform and application ecosystem.”

Nonetheless, even with a webOS team within HP, without flagship hardware from the company to demonstrate the potential value of the platform it’s hard to imagine that other manufacturers would be inspired to adopt it themselves. With no guiding hand putting its production money where its mouth is – and HP in fact vocally insisting that, for the meantime, it is wedded to Microsoft and merely considering the possibility of webOS devices “as we do for other leading operating systems” – the software advantages may not be sufficient to convince that there’s commercial viability, especially given HP’s own struggles selling webOS tablets and phones.

That leaves the option of treating webOS as a niche platform, again something presenting limited hope for the sort of broad adoption it will require to sufficiently challenge Windows, Android and iOS, or hoping that another manufacturer will be not only capable of handling commercializing the OS better than HP has done, but willing to do so without full control of the software moving forward.