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touchstone posts

Seidio's Innocase for the Pre is Touchstone-compatible

by Chris Ziegler posted Jul 16th 2009 @ 7:20PM

Say you've got a Pre and a Touchstone. Say, further, that you've got butterfingers -- or maybe you just really can't stand the thought of your glossy beauty being scratched beyond recognition by the occasional encounter with a lint ball in your pocket. Normally, the answer would be a case -- but the Touchstone requires special handling since it needs contact with a non-slip back to stay firmly planted and deliver the wireless juice, so what's a Pre user to do? The answer might just lie with accessory maker Seidio, which has released its $29.95 Innocase complete with the promise of Touchstone compatibility -- no need to remove the phone to do your thing. You still need to have the Touchstone battery cover installed for the solution to work, but since it's all concealed by the case anyway, who cares?

[Via jkOnTheRun]

Dude hardwires Palm Touchstone into BMW, charging ensues

by Chris Ziegler posted Jun 18th 2009 @ 3:09PM

In 2004, it was all about iPodding your BMW, but in 2009, it's all about Palming it. No, not "palming" as in concealing your car in the palm of your hand -- "Palming," you know, as in the act of hardwiring a Touchstone into your center console so that you can charge a Pre on the road with the greatest of ease. Ironically, this modern marvel of technology is mounted right where the iDrive controller would normally go, which means you're stuck making the nearly impossible choice between this hack and BMW's.

[Thanks, Mike]

Palm Pre and Touchstone get torn down gently, beautifully

by Darren Murph posted Jun 7th 2009 @ 11:27AM

As much as we love those guys and gals over at Will It Blend?, we couldn't help but cringe each time they "dissected" any given gadget. The cautious cats over at iFixit, however, are more our style. Gentle, loving, appreciative and respectful -- what else could you want in a gizmo surgeon? Per usual, they've done whatever it takes to get ahold of Palm's new Pre and Touchstone, but rather than basking in the glory of ownership, they promptly unrolled their tool belt, fired up the DSLR and proceeded to dissemble both units for your viewing pleasure. We already know that all those little innards add up to right around $170 (for the Pre, anyway), but there's nothing quite like looking at each and every chip and bit yourself. Hit up the read links below if you find your interest piqued, and don't forget to tip your hat as you exit.

Read - Palm Pre teardown
Read - Palm Touchstone teardown

Palm Pre Touchstone sold early, for some reason

by Paul Miller posted Jun 2nd 2009 @ 5:36PM

We're not sure what good the Touchstone inductive-charging dock and rubberized back cover will do you without an actual, you know, Pre, but it looks like at least one Sprint store is selling the things early -- and for just $50 instead of the rumored $70, to boot. Saturday can't come fast enough, can it? One more pic at the read link.

Palm Pre on June 6th for $200: It's official!

by Thomas Ricker posted May 19th 2009 @ 7:00AM

The day you've been waiting for is here. Sprint just announced that the Pre will cost $199.99 after $100 mail-rebate and 2-year contract and will launch on June 6th as rumored this morning. The phone will go on sale nationwide (US-only at the moment) at Sprint stores, Best Buy, Radio Shack, and select Wal-Mart stores. The Pre will be available under Sprint's Everything Data or Business Essentials with Messaging and Data plans. Accessories include the optional $69.99 Touchstone charging dock kit that includes the $49.99 dock and $19.99 Pre back cover. June 6th, that's two days before the WWDC keynote. Poor Apple.

Palm Touchstone date changed to June 7 in Best Buy's system; stars aligning for Pre launch?

by Chris Ziegler posted May 12th 2009 @ 1:28AM

All signs are pointing toward an early June Pre launch at this point; of course, we know it'll launch in the first half of the year -- and we're quickly running out of first half -- but we've heard increased chatter the past few weeks suggesting that June 5 or June 7 are particularly likely targets for bringing Palm's (and Sprint's) would-be savior to market. The latest evidence comes once again from our friends at Best Buy, where the recently-added Touchstone inventory stub has already been updated to reflect an "In Stock Date" of -- you guessed it -- June 7. As we've noted before, that's a Sunday, which is Sprint's traditional launch day; not to say there's anything traditional about the Pre or the hype surrounding its appearance, but it's something to chew on. Worst case, we figure you'll be able to swing by your favorite big box on the 7th and pick up a cool, pricey inductive dock even if you can't pick up a phone.

[Thanks, Mr. Caffoni]

Palm's $70 Touchstone dock, other Pre accessories appear in Best Buy system

by Thomas Ricker posted May 10th 2009 @ 3:43AM

Looks familiar eh? If you're a fan of leaks and pre-release innuendo then you're already acquainted with Best Buy's internal inventory system. According to lgmac, forum jockey and self-proclaimed Best Buy employee over at SprintUser, the first Palm Pre accessories have just been entered into the system. The list includes 5 cases (3 acrylic, 1 leather, 1 labeled "Palm Pre case") and the Touchstone charging kit which lists for a whopping $69.99 -- the same price already rumored. Really Palm, $70? We've been inductive charging our SoniCare toothbrush for years already -- the tech just isn't that amazing anymore, magnet or not. You'll note that the "in stock date" is listed as May 10th so with any luck we'll soon be hearing from Mr. BlurryCam with some shots from the warehouse.

[Via PreThinking]

Touchstone dock for Palm Pre to run $69.99?

by Chris Ziegler posted Apr 13th 2009 @ 4:05PM

Sick of Pre rumors? We certainly hope not, because some magical font of believable Pre data seems to have started gushing fresh information recently with no signs of slowing down. Latest to the table is a sticker price for the Touchstone dock, an inductive charger that'll work with a special magnetized non-stick battery cover for the Pre to juice your baby's batteries without a plug -- and it looks like you're going to have to pony up some serious cash for the pleasure. Screens on some computer somewhere deep inside Sprint are apparently pegging the Touchstone at a stiff $69.99, which is an awful lot to pay to simply charge your phone in style; cool, sure, but $70 worth of cool?

Palm Pre Touchstone to be an entire product line, not just a charging dock

by Nilay Patel posted Apr 12th 2009 @ 5:11PM

Although Palm's reps basically stick to the same script when giving out those lengthy Pre walkthrough demos, every now and again they'll let something interesting slip -- like the fact that the Touchstone inductive charging dock is just the first product in an entire line of Touchstone wireless products. It's not clear if that simply means that "Touchstone" will be Palm's wireless power branding, or if there will be Touchstone products that do more than simply charge devices, but we're certainly eager to find out more -- and hopefully soon. Video clip after the break.

[Via PreThinking]

Continue reading Palm Pre Touchstone to be an entire product line, not just a charging dock

Palm Pre's Touchstone charger requires matte, soft-touch battery cover

by Chris Ziegler posted Feb 19th 2009 @ 6:16AM

We've got this image burned in our brains of the Pre as this slick, black, streamlined, ultra-glossy pebble of a phone, and by and large, that's an accurate image -- unless you spring for the Touchstone. The inductive charging accessory -- which seems like an almost automatic purchase for any Pre buyer with a single geeky bone in their body -- needs magnets in the Pre to hold it in place when it's attached, but it turns out that the standard glossy battery cover doesn't have those magnets. Instead, the Touchstone will include a replacement cover that has the magnets and loses the gloss for a stickier matte soft-touch surface, ostensibly to help secure the phone against the charger's slanted top. For some, the soft-touch is going to be perceived as an upgrade -- but others are undoubtedly going to be bummed that they won't be able to see their own reflection against the shiny Palm logo dead center. What's more, if you want the matte without the Touchstone, you're out of luck (at launch, anyway) -- it won't be available separately. Whatever; it's not like you weren't planning on getting this thing Colorwared anyway.

Gallery: Palm Pre's Touchstone charger requires matte, soft-touch back

Palm Pre Touchstone eyes-on

by Chris Ziegler posted Jan 10th 2009 @ 10:01AM

This isn't a Palm-branded party favor, a paperweight, or a doorstop. Actually, sure, it could be any of those things if you really wanted it to be -- but Palm's Touchstone is mainly about charging your Pre and making sure it looks pretty while it's getting juiced. It's a pretty wild product (and the first accessory purchase for many a would-be Pre owner, we'd bet), so we wanted to spend a little quality time with it. We weren't allowed to do much charging on our own, but the magnets buried in the Pre certainly seemed to do their job of keeping it glued to the base in portrait and landscape orientations. Oh, and just to validate what we know you're thinking right now, yes: we overheard several Palm employees call it "the puck," so you should, too.