After their CES debut, Palm's Pre Plus ($150) and Pixi Plus ($100) are finally available today, but with an extra added bonus — through Feb. 14, if you buy one Pre Plus or Pixi Plus, you get another Pixi Plus for free after a mail-in rebate! Perfect for you lovebirds who like matching gadgets, or for those of you who enjoy taking advantage of sweet two-for-one deals.
But to stand out from the Pixi Plus-carrying masses, you can customize yours with one of Palm's artist series Touchstone back plates that not only show off your style but allow you to charge your Pixi Plus without wires on Palm's Touchstone charging system. Life without wires? I'm all in.
If your mom dabbles in tech (mostly to get around faster, to stay connected with friends and family, and to surf her favorite blogs) but still likes her gadgets to look clean, then she's a lady after my own heart. Getting your mom to gravitate toward new gadgets can be a great way for her to use the latest streamlined technology to stay informed and have fun. Here's how I'd wire the geek chic mom who wants her gadgets to serve a purpose but wants to be entertained in the process.
At CES yesterday, Palm announced the Pre Plus and Pixi Plus, both being released through Verizon on January 25. Although the upgrades weren't all that eye-catching (16GB of on-board storage vs. 15GB, a special casing to link up with the Touchstone Charging Dock, new back case colors and backgrounds for the Pixi), there was an interesting bit of news: Palm will be releasing a mobile hotspot app, which allows you to tether your Pre Plus or Pixi Plus with up to five other WiFi compatible devices (think netbook, DS, camera) and share the fast 3G network.
The app virtually gives you the power to create your own WiFi cloud. Of course, this access will come at an extra cost, but it's something that will be available in the Palm App Catalog later this month, versus AT&T who has promised this to iPhone customers for nearly a year. Additionally, Palm is now opening up their developer program to the public to submit apps to the App Catalog. They've also started a $1 million dollar Hot Apps Bonus program which could earn popular developers some cold, hard cash. No prices have been announced for the Pre Plus and Pixi Plus, but they'll be talking numbers soon.
