GrooveShark App Now Only on WebOS? Wait…What?
Now that's not something you hear everyday -- A popular, high-profile app that is only available on the webOS platform. Well, that's now the case with GrooveShark, who has now been kicked off both iOS and the Android marketplace. WebOS is the lone holdout for this innovative, perhaps not-quite-legal, music-sharing application.
GrooveShark, which just got an slick HTML5 makeover on their website, is popular for allowing users to find, and instantly play, virtually any recorded song. Essentially, it is a cloud-based music sharing service that features 6 million tunes. Add a mobile device subscription for a few bucks monthly, and you have a virtually any song, artist or album you could possibly want to hear, right in the palm of your hand! And that's where the "grey" area exists, legally speaking. Music labels have pressured Google and Apple to pull GrooveShark from their app stores.
Google simply said of their decision, "We remove apps from Android Market that violate our policies."
Of course, Google also is dodging it's own legal troubles – congress is investigating their allowance of alleged software pirates to utilize google advertising. And, they are paving the way for a new Google Music service. But surely, those are totally unrelated stories!
So, for now, GrooveShark rocks on with webOS devices. Perhaps it is because webOS is too small a fish to go after for now? Regardless, at least we can brag about something, right?
[Source: CNet]
Plenty of Uses for Your Old, Retired Palm Pre
The new year has kicked in and rumors of the Verizon Palm Pre 2 being released are swirling around. Not to mention the promised "aggressive release" of new WebOS-based devices by HP/Palm in 2011. Well one question might be facing you soon.
What will you do with your old Palm Pre?
Sure, you could ebay it or recycle it to charity.
But my suggestion is simply to keep using it!
Don't get rid of me!
A "retired" Palm Pre still has lots of life in it and, I've found, can be a great device within your home's wireless network. Here are just a few ways that I continue to use my Sprint Palm, which I 'retired' a few months ago when I moved to Verizon.
- Music Player. Hey, with GrooveShark, Pandora, Slacker, and the other music apps, your Palm Pre is an amazing streaming music device. I've got a touchstone right next to my entertainment center where I can just plug and play. In the past, I would have to fire up my PC or laptop and load one of these websites up to play music. Now, my retired Pre fills my house with music anytime I need it.
- Study Aide. Got a kid in elementary school? Download the Flash Cards app and create study lessons for them to practice using your old Pre.
- eBook Reader. Sure, it's no Kindle, but I've always used my Palm devices as ereaders. The best app for this is pReader. However, as much as I hate recommending Kobo, it does have one very useful function. I can run it on either of my Pre's and read the same books. As WebOS picks up steam in 2011, I'm sure we'll see official eReader apps from Amazon and B&N.
- Gaming for the Kids. My son loves Angry Birds. Now, I can just loan him my 'retired' Pre to play his games. This is great for travel and at home. Most games don't require a data connection, so your old Pre will make a perfect gaming device!
- Email & Facebook Device. One thing that I didn't think about when retiring my old Pre, was that it could still be used as an email device around the house. Perfect use -- set it up with your spouse's email & Facebook settings so they can use it to send and receive emails without having to fire up the laptop or PC.
- XBMC and Boxee Remotes. Yet another very cool use! If you use XBMC or Boxee media centers on your TV, there are a couple great apps that turn your Pre into a remote control.
And I'm sure there are many, many more uses for your retired Pre! How are you using yours?
Verizon Touchstone Accessories Bundle Still Available
It's getting a little trickier to find, but you CAN still get the $14.95 Palm Pre Accessories Bundle at the Verizon Wireless website. This includes a brand new Touchstone, car charger, and a pretty decent holster for your Pre or Pre Plus.
We're assuming that these touchstones will also work on the forthcoming Pre2, so now is a great time to grab a few extras for future use!
You can not find this bundle just by searching or browsing. Here's how we did it.
1. Use this link: http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/store/accessory?action=refineByPhone&phoneId=5129
2. You might be asked to key in your zip code. If so, key it in and then copy/paste the link again.
Verizon Palm Pre Accessories Bundle
3. You should see the bundle at the top of the list. It looks like this:
That's it! Now act fast because we're not sure how much longer this deal will be available, as the Pre Plus has been EOL'd by Verizon.
Happy Touchstone Shopping!