Foleo -- Engadget Mobile

Foleo posts

REDFLY now available for $499, purpose even less clear

by Nilay Patel posted Aug 7th 2008 @ 5:06PM

Sure, we just saw the Celio REDFLY unboxed last month, but come on -- you know you really wanted one of the Foleo-like WinMo "companions" all to yourself, and now you can have one -- for $499. Yep, 5 bills to use WinMo 5 or 6 on an 8-inch screen -- and you can't use it at all if you don't have your phone. Or, you could spend your money on something 1000x more useful and get one of the million netbooks that have been released since this thing was first announced, but hey -- don't let a silly thing like common sense stand between you and your phone's desire to be loved. One more short unboxing vid after the break.

Continue reading REDFLY now available for $499, purpose even less clear

Celio's REDFLY platform enables Foleo-like WinMo devices

by Evan Blass posted Jan 2nd 2008 @ 9:37AM

It's not that we don't see the appeal of using a supplementary keyboard and display with our smartphones, rather, we simply felt that the Foleo was way overpriced for the relatively limited functionality it provided. Well now a new company called Celio seems to be heading down the same risky path as Palm, announcing the REDFLY Smartphone Interface System, a platform that allows Windows Mobile 5 and 6 devices to be controlled using external hardware; sounds promising, except that the first piece of gear to incorporate the technology will cost $499, the same targeted MSRP as the failed Foleo (after its planned instant rebate). Celio wisely claims that it's initially targeting enterprise users with the Bluetooth 2.0, clamshell device, although frankly it seems like they'd have more success concentrating on the software and letting OEMs deal with designing products that offer a more attractive price / performance ratio.

Palm Foleo unboxed, AT&T-branded Centro spotted?

by Joshua Topolsky posted Oct 3rd 2007 @ 11:55PM

Welcome to Engadget: Bizarro Edition. Look, truth be told, now that the Foleo has been wiped from a foreseeable Palm future, we kind of wish we could get our hands on one (rare gadget collectors that we are). Well, at least one lucky, lucky gentleman has done just that, and he's been kind enough to share the pictures with the rest of the world. We're not sure how an individual goes about procuring this device, but we can honestly say we're pretty jealous. It's essentially like having an embalmed unicorn in your living room. But that's not all, kids. Take a long, hard look at that Centro in the photos (which is referred to as the Treo 500P) -- it's got AT&T branding all over that home screen. Is your curiosity piqued? Join the club. Take a look at the little curiosity after the break.

Palm shareholders approve Elevation Partners sale

by Joshua Topolsky posted Sep 12th 2007 @ 5:01PM

In a move that could be described as "totally unsurprising," Palm shareholders have approved the much-discussed partial sale of the company to a private equity firm called Elevation Partners (of which Bono is a member), and also a change in the board of director's makeup. The plan, if you'll recall, is for Mr. MacPhisto and co. to pay $325 million for a 25-percent stake in the company, while Palm itself will pay out a $9 per-share distribution of cash to current shareholders for a reduction in ownership. There will also be a new executive board chair, namely, Johnathan Rubenstein, an Apple alumni who ran the iPod devision from 2004-2006. Fred Anderson (another former Apple officer), and Roger McNamee (a Silicon Valley investor) will also join the board. Our man Ed Colligan said of the switch, "There are a lot of moving parts here, but the goal is to bring in a transformation and change the dynamics of the company," er... okay. Apparently, Palm has hopes that Mr. Rubenstein will help create "innovative products" and "bring them to market quickly." In our dreams guys, in our dreams.

Palm kills the Foleo dead

by Peter Rojas posted Sep 4th 2007 @ 5:12PM

We are seriously not going to take credit for this, but holy crap, Palm just cancelled the Foleo, just like we asked them to! Palm CEO Ed Colligan just posted a message to the company's official blog stating that they've decided to cancel the Foleo mobile companion "in its current configuration" in order to "focus all of our energies on delivering out next generation platform and the first smartphones that will bring this platform to market." In a way we're sort of disappointed that we'll never at least get to play with one and put it through its paces, but it's definitely the right move -- Palm needs to focus on one thing right now, and that's coming out with a category-killing smartphone. Not that they're giving up on the idea for good; Ed says that they'll do a "Foleo II" based on the new mobile platform they're already developing for their next generation of smartphones

Palm's Foleo in the wild?

by Nilay Patel posted Aug 29th 2007 @ 11:13PM

We're still of the opinion that Palm should just abandon the whole Foleo concept and work on making the Treo competitive again, but despite our pleas, the company appears to be proceeding towards launch -- manufacturing delays or not. Our tipster spotted the gentlemen pictured rocking what certainly appears to be a Foleo at an oil-change joint in Redwood City, California, and sent in a few snaps. According to her, our guy was happily typing away on the unit, occasionally stopping to refer to his phone (which obviously appears to be a Treo). That's all the info we've got -- but judging from the look on this guy's face, the Foleo is just as frustratingly not-a-laptop as we assumed from the start. Two more shots after the break.

[Thanks, Michelle]

Continue reading Palm's Foleo in the wild?