HP Creates WebOS Pivot Mag To Push TouchPad Apps

HP has taken a somewhat usual approach after announcing webOS Pivot, a monthly magazine designed to provide users with an “entertaining and informative editorial resource” for discovering webOS 3.0 applications for the HP TouchPad.

The magazine is designed to complement the HP webOS App Catalog, and Pivot will showcase a broad range of applications – and the developers who create them – by providing customers the ability to explore based on their interests and lifestyles.

The release is one of HP’s efforts to enhance the webOS Developer Program and invest further in the success of the growing ecosystem.

Ecosystem Move

“Pivot brings app discovery to a new level for customers and developers alike,” said Richard Kerris, vice president of webOS worldwide developer relations, for HP. “We want our partners to experience webOS as the growing platform of opportunity, and we’re investing in new ways to help market their applications on our platform.”

Published on a monthly basis, Pivot is designed to broaden developer exposure and create a dynamic marketplace for the burgeoning webOS developer community.

Consisting of original content by journalists and photographers affiliated with leading publications, Pivot will include visually driven editorial pieces, columns from notable guest writers sharing their perspectives on digital culture, feature stories focused on applications around specific topics, and in-depth reviews – all accompanied by photos and illustrations on HP TouchPad’s screen.

Content will be catered to the specific interests and requirements of a given region and the company said it is designed to appeal to a range of international customers. Pivot will publish initially for English, French, German and Spanish languages and will be updated over the air directly to all HP TouchPad customers. “Pivot has the right focus,” said Joe Simon, chief technology officer of publishing house Conde Nast. “It provides an enriching experience for customers and is a great environment for developers considering the platform.”

Developer Push

The webOS Developer Program enhancements also include a new discount structure. Developers will have access to this pricing model based on their years in the Palm developer program and active applications in the webOS App Catalog.

“Working with HP and the webOS ecosystem has been fantastic,” said Haden Blackman, co-president and chief creative officer of Fearless Studios, a game company recently started by Blackman and fellow LucasArts alum Cedrick Collomb. “It’s a perfect fit with our core values as a company – creative risks mitigated by smart technology choices. Because the platform is so accessible and developer-friendly, we’ve been able to build the game we want to build.”

Columbo also lauded the TouchPad and the webOS platform for game development,” added Collomb, who is the chief technology officer at Fearless Studios. “It’s built from the ground up for seamless connectivity between devices and it’s an open platform, which makes development that much easier,” he said.

The Wi-Fi version of HP TouchPad will be available in stores and online in the United States on 1 July with the option of either 16GB or 32GB of internal storage for $499 (£312) and $599 (£375), respectively.

The TouchPad will be available in the United Kingdom, Ireland, France and Germany on 2 July and in Canada on 15 July, with availability scheduled to follow later this year in Australia, Hong Kong, Italy, New Zealand, Singapore and Spain, according to a company release.