HP has purchased Palm

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WebOS on the HP Slate tablet maybe? (kudos to my friend, Aaron Champagne, for making this quick connection)

HP has just announced that it's acquiring Palm to the tune of $1.2 billion, which works out to $5.70 per share of Palm common stock. The deal is planned to close by July 31, which marks the end of HP's third fiscal quarter of the year. Current Palm CEO Jon Rubinstein is "expected to remain with the company," though it's not said in what capacity.

Press release from HP:

HP and Palm, Inc. (NASDAQ: PALM) today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which HP will purchase Palm, a provider of smartphones powered by the Palm webOS mobile operating system, at a price of $5.70 per share of Palm common stock in cash or an enterprise value of approximately $1.2 billion. The transaction has been approved by the HP and Palm boards of directors.

The combination of HP’s global scale and financial strength with Palm’s unparalleled webOS platform will enhance HP’s ability to participate more aggressively in the fast-growing, highly profitable smartphone and connected mobile device markets. Palm’s unique webOS will allow HP to take advantage of features such as true multitasking and always up-to-date information sharing across applications.

“Palm’s innovative operating system provides an ideal platform to expand HP’s mobility strategy and create a unique HP experience spanning multiple mobile connected devices,” said Todd Bradley, executive vice president, Personal Systems Group, HP. “And, Palm possesses significant IP assets and has a highly skilled team. The smartphone market is large, profitable and rapidly growing, and companies that can provide an integrated device and experience command a higher share. Advances in mobility are offering significant opportunities, and HP intends to be a leader in this market.”

“We’re thrilled by HP’s vote of confidence in Palm’s technological leadership, which delivered Palm webOS and iconic products such as the Palm Pre. HP’s longstanding culture of innovation, scale and global operating resources make it the perfect partner to rapidly accelerate the growth of webOS,” said Jon Rubinstein, chairman and chief executive officer, Palm. ”We look forward to working with HP to continue to deliver industry-leading mobile experiences to our customers and business partners.”

Under the terms of the merger agreement, Palm stockholders will receive $5.70 in cash for each share of Palm common stock that they hold at the closing of the merger. The merger consideration takes into account the updated guidance and other financial information being released by Palm this afternoon. The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including the receipt of domestic and foreign regulatory approvals and the approval of Palm’s stockholders. The transaction is expected to close during HP’s third fiscal quarter ending July 31, 2010.

Palm’s current chairman and CEO, Jon Rubinstein, is expected to remain with the company.

HTC Pays Microsoft for Google Phone?

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From The Register:

HTC has agreed to pay Microsoft a royalty when it sells a mobile phone running Google's Android operating system.

But why does Microsoft make money from Google's software? Android is based on open source software - and Microsoft has long raised fears that aspects of Linux may infringe on its patents.

...

Microsoft's bland eight-line statement makes no mention of which patents are covered. Hat tip to Ina Fried at CNET for joining the dots.

...

Mobile players like Nokia, Apple and RIM are in the midst of a patent lawsuit daisy chain.

Microsoft's press release is here.

From Ina Fried at CNET:

The mobile phone wars got a more interesting late on Tuesday as Microsoft publicly asserted for the first time that Google's Android operating system infringes on its intellectual property.

Microsoft has taken the position, according to those close to the company, that Android infringes on the company's patented technology and that the infringement applies broadly in areas ranging from the user interface to the underlying operating system.

In a statement to CNET, Microsoft deputy general counsel Horacio Gutierrez said that, although Microsoft prefers to resolve intellectual property licensing issues without resorting to lawsuits, it has a responsibility to make sure that "competitors do not free ride on our innovations."

His comments came as Microsoft and HTC announced they have inked a new patent deal that specifically provides the Taiwanese cell phone maker with the right to use Microsoft's patented technologies in phones running Google's Android operating system. Microsoft said it has been in talks with other phone makers.

"We have also consistently taken a proactive approach to licensing to resolve IP infringement by other companies and have been talking with several device manufacturers to address our concerns relative to the Android mobile platform," Gutierrez said.

Although Microsoft and HTC did not disclose details of the financial terms of their agreement, they did note that "Microsoft will receive royalties from HTC." The deal covers all Android-based phones made by HTC, including the Nexus One, which Google sells directly.

"HTC and Microsoft have a long history of technical and commercial collaboration, and today's agreement is an example of how industry leaders can reach commercial arrangements that address intellectual property," Gutierrez said in a press release announcing the deal. "We are pleased to continue our collaboration with HTC."

My question is, why is Microsoft going after HTC for making an Android phone, and not Google? Why not Motorola who released the Droid in 2009? And why did HTC cave to MS?

Obama Nails the National Anthem

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From Beskweekever.tv:

Let me first say that there is absolutely nothing funny about the recent West Virginia mine disaster. Twenty Nine men, all of whom had friends and family who loved them, lost their lives. Every day, they descended into a mine knowing that a certain level of danger was inherent in their work, yet, by all accounts, they were happy to do it. They performed one of the few jobs left in America that actually produces something. They dug into the earth and came back up with the very thing that allowed the rest of us to live our lives with comfort. Our lights come on with the simple flick of a switch, but only because men and women like these have the skill and fortitude to, day after day, climb into the bowels of earth and tunnel further and further away from safety. Now they are gone. And there is nothing funny about that.

However.

There was this thing that happened during the memorial service. As a man came to the podium to sing the national anthem, the TV cameras focused not on him, but instead, on Barack Obama who was singing along. And it looked like this: