Author: Keith Newman

It seems like O2 loves dropping the sweet information to us in tweets doesn’t it?  Well, they’ve done it again. @Mechanical_Mind gave us a heads up that UK O2 users will see the Pre Plus (Pre+ to its friends) that Verizon users have known and loved since January.   No other details are being given by O2 beyond "It’s coming", so don’t look around for dates and pricing just yet.  The interesting thing about this is that O2 was one of the first carriers to carry the Palm Pre device in Europe and they aren’t waiting for the successor; They are going to do up UK like they did in Germany.  It’s doubtful they will still carry the original for much longer with the latest and greatest around; Now we wonder if Sprint is going to jump on the same thing here in the US or hold out for the mythical creature known as the C40.

[via @Mechanical_Mind, source @O2]

As reported before, the Android-powered Archos 7 Home Tablet isn’t the most powerful device in its category, however, it’s shaping up as a great value for what it can offer.  I suppose Dell, HTC and Google are talking about the devices you want but Archos isn’t like them, oh no, they are allowing you to pre-order this tablet for the budget friendly price of $199.99 over at Amazon.  I wouldn’t get upset over the reported spec of 13-plus-pounds, the last time I checked this guy was sitting pretty at under a pound.  If you’re itching for some 720p HD playback in a sweet Android package, this guy is a fair steal. [Amazon via Pocketables.net]

Developing for webOS has its pros and cons. On the one hand, you have the easiest mobile platform for web developers to target. On the other hand, the application-programming interfaces (APIs) for natively accessing important features aren’t all fully baked yet. To wit: the microphone and camera. 

Now that Palm’s Plugin Developer Kit (PDK) is out in public beta, there is renewed hope for getting these API’s and therefore a new breed of applications.  Ben Combee (@unwiredben) of Palm’s Developer Relations team is posting a series of FAQ’s on his livejournal page and his has shared that the latest PDK will not include those API’s for the mic or camera.  

We still hold out hope that access will come soon and apps like Shazam or true barcode scanners will become possible – but it looks like we’ll be waiting a bit longer. 

You’ll also find within the FAQ a tidbit on Pixi support for the PDK.  It’s there, but in a VERY limited way.  Ben says you can try testing apps out for Pixi but we should keep in mind 3D gaming isn’t intended for the initial build.

In general, we have a lot of hope for the PDK. The ability to mix and match traditional webOS formatting elements with native code could be a Big Deal for faster and more advanced apps.

Thanks to Gene for the tip! via PalmNewsDaily

Update: Ben Combee rightly posts an clarification that we neglected to mention with regard to camera access:

Added small clarification to FAQ on PDK camera support — you can capture images from Mojo and then load them into a native PDK component.

Sprint’s ongoing effort to turn around customer service and market appeal has recently brought us some game-changers from the third-largest carrier in the U.S. Today they announced the Sprint Free Guarantee which offers total satisfaction or your money back within 30 days. While some states have laws that allow for grace periods, customers are still allowed to be charged for their minutes and data used while they are within the usual 20 to 30 days. This is where Sprint tries to change the game once again by saying "No charges for you!"  Instead, Sprint will allow in all markets a 30-day grace period (regardless of state) which includes any charges related to the monthly plan (i.e. data, text, minutes), taxes and fees, activation fees, restocking fees, the cost of the device, and early termination fees. It should be noted that customers will be responsible for anything not covered in the selected plan, ringtones, downloadable content, international charges (as well as fees and taxes associated with international calling).  So if you get a voice plan and you’re surfing the web and texting all day long, you will be responsible for those charges.While all carriers return the purchase price of the phone and waive ETFs within the grace period, it’s a real breath of fresh air to see a cellular company attempt to prove their network chops by making the test drive truly risk free.

It’s interesting to note that Sprint is going to begin this program with the Evo 4G on the way, is this a possible way to make the pot sweeter for potential ship-jumpers?

Just when you thought there was nothing to talk about, a little thing called CES 2010 happens! PalmCast Live is here for your listening and viewing pleasure.  Oh yeah, you heard us right, it’s going to be a plethora of pleasing personalities, tonight at 8pm Eastern.

Join Dieter, Derek and Keith for the hotness recap that was CES 2010 including 3D Gaming, webOS 1.4 Announcement, Flash 10.1, and Verizon’s Plus models.  It’s not all CES talk here folks: webOS 1.3.5.2 lands in Europe, SlingPlayer Flashes us and PreCentral has a swanky new App Catalog Gallery.

Tweet your questions with the #palmcast hashtag and you’ll be the envy of all the cool kids. Hey, we’ll give something away too, like we usually do. How about a Touchstone? Everybody likes those.

8pm Eastern tonight. We’ll see you there.