Palm unveils web-enabled gadget platform

US handset manufacturer Palm attempted to catch up with the leading lights of the mobile world on Friday with the unveiling of its own web-enabled platform, and an accompanying gadget.

Jumping on the cloud computing bandwagon, Palm webOS allows consumers to pull their contact, calendars and personal information down from the internet on any device, wirelessly.

A bit like what Apple, Nokia, Google and to some degree RIM, are already offering.

A key feature of the Palm platform is synchronisation of information between multiple services, so if the same contact is listed in the user’s phonebook and on their social networking sites, both contact details are pulled into the same interface. Likewise with multiple conversation platforms such as text message and email.

Palm is keen to make sure that its new platform is no slouch, “leveraging several industry-standard technologies, including web technologies such as CSS, XHTML and JavaScript.” The idea being that Palm can tap into the vast developer ecosystem already being pillaged by web companies and handset vendors who were more ahead of the game.

The first device to support the webOS platform is the Pre, which will be available exclusively from Sprint in the first half of 2009.

Packing a slide out keyboard and touch screen interface, the Pre will be available with either HSDPA or EVDO connectivity, wifi and GPS. It boasts 8GB of storage and a 3 megapixel camera and probably a handset first in the shape of an inductive charging unit.

The inductive charging system allows the device to be set down on a separately sold tablet like charging dock, without the user having to worry about fitting connections together.

Palm hasn’t yet announced pricing for the device but it seems likely that this kind of technology will bump the cost up significantly.