Uh oh. The Palm (NSDQ: PALM) Pre whitethorn rich person just strike a major obstruction on its route to smartphone glory. The Palm Pre is largely seen as the once-leading smartphone maker’s shuffle-or-gaolbreak gimmick, but is so far only available on underdog radio carriers Sprint (NYSE: S) and Alexander Bell in North America. Verizon (New York Stock Exchange: VZ) was expected to bring the Palm Pre to its massive meshing of mobile subscribers, which is as big as they come in the US, helping Palm sell more units than they could have hoped for on Sprint alone. Alas, word on the street has Verizon Wireless basically pulling an about face and avoidance the Palm Pre. If the rumor pans out, Palm mightiness see one of the legs to their Palm Pre strategy cutting out right from under them.

The sudden variety of heart is puzzling, though. Verizon had previously indicated that they had their sights set on the Palm Pre. Verizon’s CEO was even quoted as saying that devices like the Palm Pre would hit Verizon’s network this class, scorn Sprint’s averment that they had the Pre locked down for 2009. Then, the Palm Pre was spotted in Verizon’s inventorying system – which usually signals an impending computer hardware launching.

TheStreet is reporting that Verizon mightiness still go through with a smaller scale launching of the Verizon Palm Pre. Verizon is said to be concerned that the Palm Pre has yet to live up to its own hype. The Palm Pre is still shortstop of the that all-important 1 meg units sold mark. There’s also the issuing of Palm’s App Catalog directly conflicting with Verizon’s Vcast overhaul. And, with headlining smartphones like the upcoming BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) Storm2 and Motorola (NYSE: MOT)’s Android-powered Sholes expected to launching later this year, Verizon wants to direction its marketing efforts.

Without Verizon’s selling documentation and mighty subscriber-base tail the Palm Pre, Palm volition have to fast-track its GSM Palm Pre launches around the world. Even then, compelling smartphones running Windows Mobile River and Android could spring Palm a hard meter this vacation time of year and beyond.

[Via: TheStreet]

Say what you volition about the Palm (NSDQ: PALM) webOS, the one thing it was not meant to do was be a portable games car. The iPhone excels in this gaze, and Palm knows that. They’re looking at hiring a software engineer to build first gear level accelerated graphics drivers, and a games frame engineer to create a kick ass platform for killing Nazis, Zombies, and whatever else developers put option in front of us to shoot. Mitch Ethan Allen, the CTO of Software at Palm, said “The initial API doesn’t documentation 3D graphics, just limited Canvas rag documentation. Graphics APIs ar an expanse that Palm is working on but haven’t announced any details.” Palm not including support for games is a huge oversight, seeing that a fairly large portions of the applications in Apple (NSDQ: AAPL)’s App Store are games. Mean while Nokia (NYSE: NOK) is trying to get N-Gage off the flat coat before the next Apollo missionary work.

ZweiPhone stickers ar interesting products. The briny idea is to shuffle the iPhone look more retro, kinda old school-ish. We’re talk about stickers designed to be used on the backrest of your bellowed device to remind you (and people around you) of the days before touchscreens, AppStores and other goodies of the modern font mobile phones. The slogan “Downgrade Today!” seems appropriate for the merchandise and if this is something you wish — to make some sort of statement with your old-lookin’ brand new device — hop over to this varlet from where you tin catch all the ZweiPhone stickers you motivation/want. Personally, I don’t see a distributor point, but who knows – maybe you will.

Barnes &ere; Noble is in the AppStore, readily waiting for iPhone and iPod Touch users to grab it for free.

What’s interesting about it is the lineament exercise set that goes beyond online shopping. For instance, you could locate your closest B&N memory and get maps and directions, see which stores offer coffee and Internet access, and which rich person some upcoming events such as generator appearances, musical performances and chlidren’s storytimes.

Moreover, there’s the Discover section in the app, designed to aid users discovery the next volume to read. New releases, recommendations and video recording interviews with authors could be found here.

Finally, there’s a cool feature that uses photographic camera. Simply snap a photograph of the book cover and B&N’s app will find it for you, allowing you to leverage it instantly, read reviews, and so on… AppStore link is here.

It’s official. Samsung volition be the first base French telephone maker to crack the 12 megapixel photographic camera phone. Sony Ericsson (NYSE: SNE)’s Idou/Satio whitethorn be the first such gimmick to be announced, but the Korean company volition rich person its baby on the marketplace later this calendar month.

Specs wise, we’re talk about the upgraded variant of the master Pixon gimmick. As you tin guess for yourself, the 8 megapixel sensor is dumped for the bettor one which supports 12 megapixels, and we’re also presuming hardware has been improved as wellspring. Moreover, there’s Xe and power LED flash, 28mm wide slant lens, touching-focus, “Smart Auto,” and the camera can now also record 720×480 pixels video recording at 30 fps.

Rest of the spectacles include wireless local area network and Bluetooth connectivity support, 3.1-in AMOLED screen, HSPA, Global Positioning System, FM radio, photo share-out app and so on.

The Samsung Pixon 12 M8910 volition start selling in European Union start the end of June across Europe, while rest of the world will get it in Aug. Great employment Samsung!