Tracy&Matt is reporting today that struggling smartphone maker Palm may be offering the Palm Pre Plus (and the Pixi Plus) via O2 in the UK.

They site received a message from a "credible tipster" which reads as follows:

O2 are following up the Palm Pre with the Palm Pre Plus and the Pixi Plus. The Pixi is new to the UK having a fixed qwerty keyboard like the RIM devices it shares the 8Gb storage of the original Pre but with a shortened display of 320 x 400 dropping 80 lines from the Pre. The Pixi Processor is a Qualcomm instead if the Omap of the Pre, albeit running at the same clock speed. The Palm Pre Plus is like the original Pre but without the centre button and comes with the matt TouchStone enabled back previously having to be purchased separately allowing the wireless charging of the phone on the induction TouchStone charger. The Pre Plus has 16Gb of storage and a double the ram also. The build quality is said to be better than the original Pre with the keyboard being much more responsive with a definite click. In tests it has been seen to run 50 apps at the same time. The expected launch date is April 2010 shortly after the App Catalogue comes out of Beta for European users allowing access for paid applications.

Earlier today, Palm's shares took a giant hit after the company posted a loss of 61 cents a share, outdoing the expected 43 cents a share loss expected by analysts. After the earnings, two analysts downgraded the stock to "sell" from "neutral/hold" and added a price target of $0, implying they believe the company will be bankrupt within 12 months.

Permalink | Comments

---

AndroidCentral is reporting that the Sprint models of the Samsung Moment and the HTC Hero will be receiving Android 2.1 in the near future, citing an internal Sprint memo.

Reads the memo:

What you need to know:

-With all the anticipation of Nexus One joining the Sprint Android family of great devices, customers with the HTC HeroTM and the Samsung MomentTM with GoogleTM may wonder about the Android 2.1 platform that supports Nexus One.

What you need to do:

-We know that technology has enabled greater productivity and spontaneity in our lives,and because of this we have become very dependent on staying connected. Customers don't only expect more from their wireless phones -- they demand it.

-Let your customers know we are actively working on having the Android 2.1 platform available to our Hero and Moment customers over the coming weeks.

-Look for more information coming in April about Android 2.1 platform for Hero and Moment.

And don't forget:

-The HTC HeroTM and the Samsung MomentTM with GoogleTM are superior devices.

-Sprint is the only national U.S. carrier to offer HTC Hero, and it picked up top honors as the Best Mobile Handset at the 2010 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

-About.com readers have nominated HTC Hero as their favorite smartphone for the 2010 Reader's Choice Awards.

Permalink | Comments

---

Sex.com, the domain name that was expected to go up for auction with a minimum $1 million bid, has seen that auction taken down by its creditors.

Escom LLC., the company that bought the domain name for $14 million just 4 years ago, has filed for bankruptcy protection, saying they are owed $10 million. The three creditors, Washington Technology Associates, iEntertainment Inc, and AccountingMatters.com noted that the auction "would have diminished the value of Escom's assets."

When a company files for an involuntary bankruptcy protection, lenders are temporary prevented from seizing assets.

Permalink | Comments

---

Cablevision, the cable and Internet service provider for 3 million users in NY, NJ and Connecticut has announced that it will telecast the NY Rangers hockey game on March 24th in 3D, the first live 3D sportscast in the U.S.

Mike Bair of MSG says the cable company is planning many more 3D events in the coming months.

"We would consider additional playoff games if the equipment is available," adds Bair, via Variety. "We'll do more games next season and we would like to do a live concert for FUSE, our music network, later this year."

MSG will get its own separate 3D channel eventually as well.

Citing the fact there are very few users out there with 3D HDTVs, the company will offer a viewing party at Madison Square Garden for $20, including bigscreen, RealD projection and full 3D.

Permalink | Comments

---

Shigeru Miyamoto, the man behind the Mario franchise has said today in an interview with the AP that he is trying very hard to get Nintendo's DS handheld into schools as teaching tools or educational aids.

"That is maybe the area where I am devoting myself (the) most," Miyamoto adds.

He notes that the DS is already used in museums and aquariums and that the gaming giant will begin to release the DS "in junior high and elementary schools in Japan starting in the new school year."

Additionally, the designer, when asked about new motion control systems Natal and Move, simply said he was "honored" that Microsoft and Sony were following in the path of the Wii, for which Miyamoto also has design credit.

Permalink | Comments

---

Palm, the struggling smartphone maker, has taken a giant hit again today after blowing earnings and receiving multiple downgrades from analysts.

Shares of Palm stock are down 26 percent to a new 52-week low after the company posted a loss of 61 cents a share, outdoing the expected 43 cents a share loss expected by analysts. After the earnings, two analysts downgraded the stock to "sell" from "neutral/hold" and added a price target of $0, implying they believe the company will be bankrupt within 12 months.

With the earnings report, Palm emphasized high volume of shipments for their Pre/Plus and Pixi/Plus models, however it appears the carriers selling them are having trouble getting customers to buy, even with extreme price cuts.

Ilya Grozovsky of Morgan Joseph & Co., said "Palm is essentially an accelerating death spiral," and cut his price target on the shares to $0. "They have had a tremendous problem selling their devices even at carriers like Verizon with 80 million subscribers."

Palm currently has about $500 million in cash, but Canaccord Adams analyst Peter Misek believes that the cash will only last "up to 12 months" given the giant quarterly losses and recent expenditures into advertising as a way to increase sales. Additionally, "Palm's troubles will only accelerate as carriers and suppliers increasingly question the company's solvency and withdraw their support." Misek also slashed his price target to $0.

Permalink | Comments

---