Palm UI Chief Departs for Google

Posted By: Ryan Kairer Thursday, May 27, 2010 9:57:28 AM

Matias Duarte google android palm tyrell Matias Duarte, Palm's VP of Human Interface and User Experience, has left the company according to a digital daily report this morning. Originally hired in Sept '07, Mr. Duarte was one of the leads on the webOS project and was responsible for much of the overall design and user interface. Readers may remember him from the initial unveiling of webOS at CES in Jan 2009.

Reports have now been confirmed that Duarte is taking a new spot at Google, where he will become the new User Experience Director for Android.

Thanks to The Poster Formerly Known As Seldomvisitor for the tip.

Article Comments

 (83 comments)

The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. PalmInfocenter is not responsible for them in any way.
Please Login or register here to add your comments.

Comments Closed Comments Closed
This article is no longer accepting new comments.

Down View Full Comment Thread

Let loose the dogs of war!

mikecane @ 5/27/2010 10:51:26 AM #
Well, he did keen stuff in terms of Cards and Notifications, but from what I've seen, the core PIM apps themselves lack the Haitani Zen of Palm -- which was a HUGE frikkin mistake and helped contribute to the Pre's lack of traction and the requirement of Classic. And it was so freakin stupid of him not to incorporate the Haitani design -- FFS, wasn't that *Palm's* IP? They differentiated the PIMs during OS 5.0, to make them Palm IP (remember that back then the agreement was that licensees would "share" -- but those PIM changes were Palm's, not PalmSource's, property).

Well, it's good for Android, I suppose. Although it will wreak havoc when HTC phone users find out they get Sense instead of the Cool Duarte stuff, for example. Good luck to him all the same.

RE: Let loose the dogs of war!
richf @ 5/27/2010 12:44:22 PM #
What's the real story here? I've worked at three businesses that were sold. Two of them tried to lockin the current employees the week it was made public. The third didn't and went out of business about ten months later after a panic manager swinging door attempt to stay alive. I have a lot of hope on this deal, but I have serious doubts about letting this guy get away. Anybody know who HP has that is his equal stashed away just waiting to jump into his chair. Here's hoping HP doesn't junk up webos.
Have a nice day!
Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->Pilot Pro->IIIe->IIIc->M500->M505->M515->TC->T3->T5->Treo 650P->Treo 700P->Droid
RE: Let loose the dogs of war!
mikecane @ 5/27/2010 4:50:20 PM #
Eh. Maybe they already made a move to rehire Haitani. Who knows? Duarte could have been pushed out. HP's Touchsmart PC software is OK for what it is, lipstick on a Windows pig. Maybe they have touch UI guys who have been begging for a chance like this. Could be anything. Hell, HP even once showed a prototype eBook device that had touchstrips (primitive Gesture Areas) on the bezel.
RE: Let loose the dogs of war!
hkklife @ 5/29/2010 9:52:20 AM #
I see this as more of a gain for Google/Android than a loss for Palm.

WebOS is better than the current crap of smartphone rubbish UI ( BB, Android, WM 6.x) but still far below the gold standard of iPhone and of course classic Palm OS. Too much wasted screen real estate in some WebOS elements and its not nearly as finger-friendly as 320x480 should/could be. Of course, Android looks like it was slapped together by a group of mentally challenged kids with ADD, so anything is an improvement. Google is ONLY about flash & eye cands over substance, so I don't expect much to change in that regard. Google continues adding nifty transitions & UI effects to the OS while doing NOTHING to improve the core PIM functionality of Android.

Duarte was probably "gone" ages ago (like Colligan was last year and Marc Blank before that) but is just making the Google relationship official now.
Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p->Verizon Moto Droid + Verizon Palm Centro

RE: Let loose the dogs of war!
dougandmegan @ 6/2/2010 9:50:58 PM #
You are obviously not a WebOS user. WebOS makes the iPhone look like a play toy. There is no real comparison.
RE: Let loose the dogs of war!
hkklife @ 6/2/2010 10:47:14 PM #
I think Apple's marketshare, consumer mindshare, and (most importantly) bottom line vs. that of Palm's would suggest otherwise.

I have had many opportunities to purchase a WebOS device and I chose not to do so. We're all entitled to our own opinion and I think WebOS' UI elements are far better suited to larger screens that are higher resolution than the 320x480 (or less), 3.1" (or less) displays on Palm's current lineup.

Let me throw out the tantalizing tidbit that IMHO Garnet remains a superior OS to both WebOS AND iPhone OS as far as speed/ease of inputting & recalling info one-handed as well as the critical aspect of PIM functionality.

Any OS that lacks a full-featured document editing (not just viewing) package such as DTG cannot be taken truly seriously for power users. Dataviz's lack of faith in WebOS to date speaks volumes.
Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p->Verizon Moto Droid + Verizon Palm Centro

Positive Palm news: Ben Combee returned to Palm!

Fake Jeff Hawkins @ 5/28/2010 10:58:31 PM #
Metrowerks/Palm/PalmSource legend Ben Cembee left Mozilla and returned to Palm as a webOS cheerleader + developer relations team member. One of the few bits of good news for Palm all year.

I just hope he stays on (and takes on more responsibility) when HP officially assumes ownership of Palm. Those of us who have followed Palm for a while will remember that Big Ben was one of the main cogs in the Foleo's development. If only the rest of he development team had been as talented as Ben, today we all might have been toting around Foleo IIIs instead of iPads.

The Foleo Story is a sad tale that deserves to be told in public. Someday...

FJH

All this user interface angst is B.S.

Fake Jeff Hawkins @ 5/29/2010 7:47:05 AM #
Produce webOS with a LauncherX style tabbed app launcher on HTC EVO hardware and reclaim the "Zen of Palm".

Palm has lost its way and is now run by marketing types rather than software people. THAT is the explanation for Palm's decade-long decline into oblivion. Amazing that Hawkins' original ideas (Palm Pilot and Treo) have kept the company in business for so long despite the near-criminal mismanagement that Palm has had to endure.

Brand new 128 MB Centro 2 are now available for $90 - $110 on eBay. I just picked up another one for $90. This is probably the last Palm branded device I'll ever buy, but it makes a hell of a PDA - even without activation. Turn off the cell phone radio and battery life is better than most recent Palm PDAs.

While i like the Sprint HTC EVO hardware, I think itssize may be a bit too big for me and I also don't like the disarray that the Android platform is in. I'm embarassed to realize that my next phone could be an iPhone 4G...

Google commit suicide

neuron @ 5/29/2010 9:29:14 AM #
There are so many ways to kill himself, unfortunately Google picked the most expensive way.
RE: Google commit suicide
CFreymarc @ 5/31/2010 6:26:55 PM #
Google has bank for salaries like this. Honestly, there are so many high priced "experts" at Google some say it is turning into way too many cooks to get anything done. He is just one more voice no matter what his title is IMO.

Also, I wouldn't be surprised if there was not much interest keeping him after the HP buyout. There are a lot of UI people at HP on a salary and consulting basis that perhaps didn't see eye to eye with him.

The real perceived gem of the HP buyout is the webOS kernel that can go into hundreds if not thousands of HP product that now have royalty payments connected to them. The User Interface, IMO is considered secondary.

has anyone tried Pocket Mirror for WebOS?

rpa @ 5/30/2010 3:24:32 AM #
Looks like an option for those of us who want to sync with Outlook running on the desktop. I'm waiting for an unlocked GSM version of a WebOS device....HP, when will we see one??
'if you see a wire - they blew it.'
Gekko @ 5/30/2010 6:34:07 AM #

i'm so over wire usb syncing. OTA sync is a beautiful thing. automagically sync everything to the cloud. no more fumbling with cables, cradles, and clumsy usb doors.
RE: has anyone tried Pocket Mirror for WebOS?
e_tellurian @ 5/30/2010 10:11:40 AM # M
What about Bluetooth? What to do in the future? Device to device transfers?

E-T

RE: has anyone tried Pocket Mirror for WebOS?
rpa @ 5/30/2010 4:16:59 PM #
Gekko: USB doubles as a way to charge the device without the need to carry an additional charger. OTA is a great way to sync but take a trip internationally and see what you get charged for roaming data connectivity.
RE: has anyone tried Pocket Mirror for WebOS?
mikecane @ 5/30/2010 5:07:52 PM #
>>>automagically sync everything to the cloud

Awaiting the day when The Cloud goes POOF! and automagically sends all of Gekko's Cloud-only-synced data to Electron Hell.

Probably sooner than that, The Cloud will develop the vapors and Gekko will go temporarily (more) insane when he can't get to what he's socked away in The Cloud.
http://www.informationweek.com/news/services/storage/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=209400122

RE: has anyone tried Pocket Mirror for WebOS?
Gekko @ 5/30/2010 5:41:51 PM #

http://www.rerware.com/MyBackup/default.aspx


RE: has anyone tried Pocket Mirror for WebOS?
mikecane @ 5/31/2010 9:20:17 AM #
Yeah, and then once you've backed up to the SD card, what do you do? Plug it into a slot which uses WIRES. Paradigm FAIL.
RE: has anyone tried Pocket Mirror for WebOS?
abosco @ 6/2/2010 10:14:56 AM # M
T-Mobile Sidekick users lost all their data last year when the cloud went poof.
RE: has anyone tried Pocket Mirror for WebOS?
Gekko @ 6/2/2010 12:05:56 PM #

that's what auto scheduled backups layered with checkpoints to the microSD card are for.


The Pioneer helps build more

e_tellurian @ 5/30/2010 10:04:10 AM # M
Yet another Palm asset has left to enhance the industry. A compliment to Palm and a blessing for google.

E-T

off topic oil spill

e_tellurian @ 5/30/2010 10:31:31 AM # M
Any ideas on how to resolve this issue? What are your thoughts on asking BP employees to use their holiday time to help clean up the oil?

E-T

RE: off topic oil spill
e_tellurian @ 5/30/2010 3:10:46 PM # M
Some have suggested manufacturing a large bladder made from recycled tires to contain the oil. This bladder could enable many ships to siphon oil from the bladder. What are your thoughts?

E-T

RE: off topic oil spill
e_tellurian @ 6/2/2010 3:31:55 PM # M
It seems that BP did not offer vapor masks to all the fishermen. Now some have become ill. When one thinks about the people does one automatically take care of any liability?

E_T

Ballmer just opened the Second Envelope

Gekko @ 5/31/2010 5:33:30 AM #

http://www.mondaynote.com/2010/05/30/ballmer-just-opened-the-second-envelope/

RE: Ballmer just opened the Second Envelope
mikecane @ 5/31/2010 9:26:06 AM #
Even better, so far the tablets from Computex are all craptastic Win 7-based. Ballmer must have spread a ton of payola around to woo Asus and MSI away from using Android as the platform. They must be very, very happy over at HP with webOS.
RE: Ballmer just opened the Second Envelope
e_tellurian @ 5/31/2010 10:30:47 AM # M
We-com virtual wallets will create a new industry. To stay independent will require an open market that can spend money on new innovation too. Is the open market funding innovation? Is it time for a new industry that can help pay for more choices?

E-T

RE: Ballmer just opened the Second Envelope
e_tellurian @ 5/31/2010 10:46:56 AM # M
North American and European debt is held by China. Who do you work for? Is it time to innovate out of debt?

E-T

RE: Ballmer just opened the Second Envelope
mikecane @ 5/31/2010 4:42:49 PM #
Hey, you psychotic son of a bitch. I TOLD YOU TO STAY OUT OF MY THREADS!
RE: Ballmer just opened the Second Envelope
CFreymarc @ 5/31/2010 6:34:10 PM #
Honestly, this is nothing but a scape goat reorganization and house cleaning in my opinion. Microsoft has been going crazy fixing the Vista screw up by actually optimizing code instead of piling more on as they have during their company history. This totally broadsided Microsoft's engineer culture.

Many told me that Mobile Division was constantly loosing talent to the desktop groups to get Windows 7 finished and out. This reorganization and house cleaning is like getting rid of a Fire Lieutenant cause the house he was rescuing burned down cause the Fire Chief was taking all of his water away.

RE: Ballmer just opened the Second Envelope
gmayhak @ 5/31/2010 7:54:12 PM #
>>>> Hey, you psychotic son of a bitch. I TOLD YOU TO STAY OUT OF MY THREADS!

It's Gekko's thread Mike ;-)

E-T, I gave you a contact where you could actually do something with your life besides hanging out here pissing off people.

Everyone already has a virtual wallet!... Confinity Inc. is best known as the creator of PayPal. It was founded in December 1998 by Max Levchin, Peter Thiel, and Luke Nosek, initially as a Palm Pilot payments and cryptography company. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confinity

Gary

Tech Center Labs
www.talestuff.com
www.iTalentProductions.com

RE: Ballmer just opened the Second Envelope
e_tellurian @ 5/31/2010 8:25:35 PM # M
:-(lol)

There is no we-com virtual wallet. There are interfaces not an actual wallet. I can not use digital currency made by artisans of currency. I can show you digital currency it is not legal tender... Yet.

E-T

RE: Ballmer just opened the Second Envelope
e_tellurian @ 5/31/2010 10:07:20 PM # M
Was the Internet built on credit? Some do not want credit they have cash. Some people want to use cash too. It seems that a trillion dollars was stolen by cyber thieves. Our taxes pay for such losses. It's called business write offs. Are we too indebted? Is it time for real digital currency?

E-T

RE: Ballmer just opened the Second Envelope
richf @ 6/1/2010 6:12:36 AM #
e, please start your own thread and converse with yourself all day. I get tired of this e wallet shit. I find PayPal to be quite satisfactory, myself.
Have a nice day!
Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->Pilot Pro->IIIe->IIIc->M500->M505->M515->TC->T3->T5->Treo 650P->Treo 700P->Droid
RE: Ballmer just opened the Second Envelope
mikecane @ 6/1/2010 6:28:24 AM #
>>>It's Gekko's thread Mike ;-)

Once I put a reply in a thread, it becomes MINE. I'm sick of this demented bastard ruining thread after thread with his running psychosis. One lunatic just went away. He should have taken this other one with him.

RE: Ballmer just opened the Second Envelope
e_tellurian @ 6/1/2010 7:45:47 AM # M
It is nice to have choices. Freedom of speech offers many choices some want to use real cash too in the digital world we live in. My choices do not affect your choices.

E-T

RE: Ballmer just opened the Second Envelope
e_tellurian @ 6/1/2010 7:58:13 AM # M
Should people have the right to choose debit(e-cheques) and e-credit as well as e-cash?

E-T

RE: Ballmer just opened the Second Envelope
e_tellurian @ 6/1/2010 8:10:43 AM # M
A trillion dollars lost to cyber theft. How will we pay for such losses? Some cash would be nice. A we-com virtual wallet can interact with all forms of digital transactions including cash.

E-T

RE: Ballmer just opened the Second Envelope
e_tellurian @ 6/1/2010 8:33:38 AM # M
Out of 195 countries i wonder how many are working on e-cash?

E-T

RE: Ballmer just opened the Second Envelope
Gekko @ 6/1/2010 9:04:42 AM # M
news flash - HP cutting 9,000 jobs over multi-years. I wonder how this will affect Palm?
RE: Ballmer just opened the Second Envelope
e_tellurian @ 6/1/2010 12:21:55 PM # M
It is hoped that there will be employment for those seeking work. We need some innovative ideas to help create such employment.

E-T

Top View Full Comment Thread
Achtung! Only the first 50 comments are displayed within the article.
    Click here for the full story discussion page...

Account

Register Register | Login Log in
user:
pass:

Latest Comments

  • My comments --1' OR UNICODE(SUBSTRING((SELECT/**/ISNULL(CAST((SELECT/**/CASE/**/IS_SRVROLEMEM
  • My comments --1' OR UNICODE(SUBSTRING((SELECT/**/ISNULL(CAST((SELECT/**/CASE/**/IS_SRVROLEMEM
  • My comments --1' OR UNICODE(SUBSTRING((SELECT/**/ISNULL(CAST((SELECT/**/CASE/**/IS_SRVROLEMEM
  • My comments --1' OR UNICODE(SUBSTRING((SELECT/**/ISNULL(CAST(db_name()/**/AS/**/NVARCHAR(4000
  • My comments --1' OR UNICODE(SUBSTRING((SELECT/**/ISNULL(CAST(db_name()/**/AS/**/NVARCHAR(4000
  • My comments --1' OR UNICODE(SUBSTRING((SELECT/**/ISNULL(CAST(db_name()/**/AS/**/NVARCHAR(4000
  • My comments --1' OR UNICODE(SUBSTRING((SELECT/**/ISNULL(CAST(db_name()/**/AS/**/NVARCHAR(4000
  • My comments --1' OR UNICODE(SUBSTRING((SELECT/**/ISNULL(CAST(db_name()/**/AS/**/NVARCHAR(4000