Palm Promises ''New-ness'' at Invitation-Only CES Event

Palm Inc. is sending out notices to media outlets -- including Brighthand -- for an invitation-only event the company plans to hold during the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show in early January.

In the invite, Palm encourages reporters to attend "to see all that Palm New-ness you've been waiting for."

No further information has been publicly released.

Nova Ahead?

The wording has sparked widespread speculation that Palm intends to unveil its new platform, code-named "Nova" to the public. Palm has previously indicated that the new OS, developed in-house, would be ready by the end of the 2008 calendar year, with devices available during the first half of 2009.

A complete lack of leaked images, news, or reports about the company's new flagship initiative has caused many to wonder about whether Palm would meet its deadline. The hosting of a special press event appears to indicate that Palm does have something to announce, though it's unclear what this will be, with possibilities ranging from a preview of the platform all the way up to prototype devices.

High Expectations To Meet

The Palm press event comes at a critical time for the company, having recently announced a 48% drop in their revenue, due to a combination of economic downturn, stagnating product lineup, and increased competition from devices like the T-Mobile G1 and Apple's iPhone 3G.

During a conference call in late June, Palm CEO Ed Colligan said that the new platform would "restore Palm's design and innovation leadership position."

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