ALP-powered Emblaze Edelweiss shelved in favor of Monolith?

Posted By: Kris Keilhack Saturday, September 19, 2009 3:33:17 PM

Edelwiess phoneRumor: With Palm OS Garnet already put out to pasture and Thursday's confirmation that Palm is dropping Windows Mobile, Access' ALP remains the one non-WebOS operating system still of interest to Palm-watchers.

Now, according to a Talking Mobile report (via this Israeli site) from August that flew underneath everyone's radar, rumors are suggesting that the mythical Edelweiss ALP-powered smartphone has been shelved in favor of the company's so-called Monolith device.

As you may recall from our story last October, the Israel-based Emblaze Mobile's Edelweiss smartphone was slated to go on sale in Russia in late 2008. With the demise of the Edelweiss, the Monolith remains the company's sole pending product, supposedly still in development with the assistance of partners Sharp and Access. In fact, the Talking Mobile story dated August 29th claims that Monolith "...production will start this year".

While no references remain to the Edelweiss or its URL, the Emblaze Mobile website does claim that the Monolith's launch is still slated for the 2nd half of 2009, though no word on carrier partners or product specifications is available. Little has been heard out of Access since last August when the company repositioned ALP as a solution for tablet-like MIDs as opposed to being a purely smartphone-oriented OS.

Article Comments

 (48 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.

Start a new Comment Down View Full Comment Thread

Cue the frustrated nutjob

mikecane @ 9/19/2009 4:05:18 PM # Q
Where is he to pound on his rheumatic chest to insist that ACCESS is going to beat everyone and that Apple's THIRTY MILLION iPhones are a fluke and the world will one day wake up to the 1990s greatness of ACCESS ALP?

You got NUTHIN'.

Next!

Reply to this comment

Emlaze Mobil

rpa @ 9/19/2009 5:09:35 PM # Q
According to the EM web page, the Monolith is the result of 5 years of research and will be unlike any other mobile device the world has ever seen. Well, 5 years is forever in the tech sector....is EM aware the iPhone came out in this timeframe?

EM states a contract was signed in 2007 with Sharp and ACCESS. So, it's 2009 and where's the beef? A totally new O/S is also claimed so not sure what ACCESS/Garnet have to do with the device.

Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see what if anything emerges.

RE: Emlaze Mobil
CFreymarc @ 9/19/2009 10:41:13 PM # Q
That statement is nothing but a paper tiger.
Reply to this comment

Let's see what it does before we bury it

Tuckermaclain @ 9/19/2009 5:28:22 PM # Q
If it is a decent phone I could get one. Just chill.
RE: Let's see what it does before we bury it
hkklife @ 9/19/2009 6:14:50 PM # Q
Look, guys, my stable of rickety old Garnet devices is not getting any younger or more capable. Tucker has a very good point. More competition for Palm is only a good thing at this point, especially something "homegrown" from Access.

If the unlikely event that this thing EVER somehow makes it to market I'd seriously consider getting one. I mean, it could easily trump the Pre in several key areas (desktop Hotsync & removable memory card slot, anyone?). And I have a sneaking suspicion that it may handily outdo the Pre for PIM functions IF it retains any of the classic Hawkins-esque Palm OS PIM apps.

Also, this thing probably won't be locked down tighter than a chastity belt like the WebOS devices are. Let's kick back for a few months and pray that this thing somehow sees the light of day.
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->?

RE: Let's see what it does before we bury it
rpa @ 9/19/2009 7:17:49 PM # Q
hkklife: agree....I am handling my T|E with care until a viable alternative emerges. A revamped T|X type device (monolith?) or a Treo Pro running a Garnet-like O/S could be attractive to the remaining Palm O/S fans.
RE: Let's see what it does before we bury it
Tuckermaclain @ 9/20/2009 11:07:27 AM # Q
Of course, "Monolith" isn't the most aspiring-sounding name. Sounds like the name of a GM product in the 80's. Shouldn't Lefty know something about this? Access is his baby afterall.
RE: Let's see what it does before we bury it
bhartman34 @ 9/20/2009 3:00:11 PM # Q
hkklife wrote:
Also, this thing probably won't be locked down tighter than a chastity belt like the WebOS devices are.

I can agree with what you said about the Hotsync and expansion of the Pre (and with the PIM argument, too, although I think that's more of a mixed bag, depending on what you think the Contacts & Calendar should actually do), but I think "locked down" might not be an accurate description of WebOS. True, the SDK doesn't have graphics acceleration, but look at everything the homebrew crowd has done with the Pre. None of that would've been possible if it had been locked down, e.g., the way Archos does/did with its products.

Granted, they don't provide easy access through the SDK (which they certainly should, to really get the platform going), but there's a difference between not offering easy access and actually locking you out. If WebOS was locked, there couldn't be a homebrew community.

RE: Let's see what it does before we bury it
Tim Carroll @ 9/20/2009 3:49:38 PM # Q
Kris
Also, this thing probably won't be locked down tighter than a chastity belt like the WebOS devices are.

bhartman34

I think "locked down" might not be an accurate description of WebOS.

As usual bhartman34, your civility amazes me.

Allow me to put it another way: what a crock of shite, Kris! How on Earth could you consider webOS to be "locked down"? It's one of the most hackable, open mobile OS's ever released.

RE: Let's see what it does before we bury it
gmayhak @ 9/20/2009 7:34:21 PM # Q
"Tuckermaclain @ 9/20/2009 11:07:27 AM #
Of course, "Monolith" isn't the most aspiring-sounding name. Sounds like the name of a GM product in the 80's."

Or... A great name for our future pda if you're a 2001 fan?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P95NWAHWLrc

btw, Little Hal is free on the app store for a few days...
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=297161119&mt=8

Gary

Tech Center Labs

RE: Let's see what it does before we bury it
gmayhak @ 9/20/2009 7:59:56 PM # Q
Part 2... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiXR-pUrldw&feature=channel_page

Wish they were still making them instead of the crap we get now.

Sorry, I got off topic ;-/

or... maybe subconsciously I'm referring to PDAs ;-)

Gary
Tech Center Labs

RE: Let's see what it does before we bury it
gmayhak @ 9/20/2009 9:10:55 PM # Q
OK, as long as I'm kinda spamming the group... If you are interested in what Jeff's been up to, they have a new Vision toolkit built on their HTM technology ( www.numenta.com ) and guess what... There's an app for that ;-)
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=326264866&mt=8

Gary
Tech Center Labs
Tech Center Labs

RE: Let's see what it does before we bury it
SeldomVisitor @ 9/21/2009 4:00:15 AM # Q
> "...Jeff's been up to..."

Cool! 70s image processing tech to-DAY!

I always needed another quad-tree application.

RE: Let's see what it does before we bury it
bhartman34 @ 9/21/2009 9:48:42 AM # Q
Tim Carroll wrote:
Kris
Also, this thing probably won't be locked down tighter than a chastity belt like the WebOS devices are.

bhartman34
I think "locked down" might not be an accurate description of WebOS.

As usual bhartman34, your civility amazes me.

Allow me to put it another way: what a crock of shite, Kris! How on Earth could you consider webOS to be "locked down"? It's one of the most hackable, open mobile OS's ever released.

Thanks, Tim. :)

One minor correction I'd like to make to my statement, though, if I may: I singled out Archos as having "locked down" products. That was true of their last generation of products, but their Internet Tablet product apparently runs Android. While their other products also ran a form of Linux and were, indeed, locked down, I can't say the same about this latest generation for sure, since Android has a reputation of being open.

RE: Let's see what it does before we bury it
hkklife @ 9/21/2009 10:27:23 AM # Q
Tim;
http://www.palminfocenter.com/news/9907/using-a-webos-device-without-active-service/

THIS crap is what I am talking about in regards to "locked down". I was not at all referring to sideloading apps, homebrew etc.

My point is a very basic yet crucial one--the Pre cannot be used as a wi-fi based web tablet/PDA without maintaining continued service! Reiterate: without resorting to major hackery, if you cancel your Sprint service and/or move that line to another device, the Pre immediately ceases to function. No PDA mode, no airplane mode, no media player mode, nothin'.

I can dig up an old Treo at work that hasn't had service in several years and it can still function JUST FINE fine as an unconnected PDA or photo viewer. I know a guy who gave his first-gen iPhone to his kid to play with and use as a media player & camera after he upgraded to a 3G. But the Pre sets a precedent by essentially becoming a very expensive, very unusable "Riverstone" (i.e. a pretty brick) without feeding Sprint at least $69.99 a month (or whatever the minimum service fee is).

I know this from firsthand experience, as I have a brand-new Pre sitting on my desk right now that I bought recently (very long story) without a Sprint contract on my desk right now that's absolutely worthless as a test device on wi-fi.
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->?

RE: Let's see what it does before we bury it
Tim Carroll @ 9/21/2009 2:39:20 PM # Q
^^ That stinks. But I thought the real issue was the initial activation. If you can bypass that ( see http://www.webos-internals.org/wiki/Patch_webOS_Bypassing_Activation ) then the Pre is indeed perfectly usable as wifi PDA? (Otherwise what's the point of "Airplane mode"?)
RE: Let's see what it does before we bury it
bhartman34 @ 9/21/2009 6:33:35 PM # Q
I think the issue is that once you've activated the Pre, it's stuck to that carrier (Sprint, in this case). Now that I understand what was meant by "locked down", I have to agree with that.

If it's got to validate against a user's profile, then that profile should be stored on Palm's servers, not Sprint's. Seems like a rather major f*ck-up on Palm's part, to me. They shouldn't be allowing Sprint to hold users' data hostage like that.

Reply to this comment

I want one (probably)

grahamnind @ 9/20/2009 6:34:41 AM # Q
This is our remaining hope. Pre doesn't cut it. I feel like a penniless pensioner hoping to marry a young supermodel. It may never happen but at least I have something to dream about.
RE: I want one (probably)
LiveFaith @ 9/20/2009 8:59:11 PM # Q
If Pre eventually comes with full-blown PIMs, voice recording, and everything that a Treo does, then it could be a winner. Palm cannot forget that the Treo and Palm OS changed the world for some important reasons. Abandoning that for "cool factor" is not a good trade. WebOS has some very attractive functionality if they will keep refining and building on it.

Tethering this with my ancient Treo 680, and waiting on a "GSM" answer from Palm.
Pat Horne

Reply to this comment

The ecosystem problem

Tim Carroll @ 9/21/2009 5:52:10 AM # Q
Should ALP-sporting hardware ever make it to market, it's going to face the same problem bedevilling webOS, but to an even greater extent. Namely, without a bucketload of sales and mindshare, it's going to be an extremely tough uphill battle for Access or ALP device manufacturers to attract the developers and accessories necessary to build a truly attractive ecosystem to consumers.

webOS / the Pre have actually received a pretty good amount of attention from the press, and even they're still struggling in the face of what are assumed to be only "decent" sales figures. I don't envy Access.
Sometime PIC blogger
Treo 270 --> Treo 650 --> Treo 680 --> Centro
I apologise for any and all emoticons in my posts. You may shoot them on sight.

Reply to this comment

Access giving up on ALP and going Android!?

SeldomVisitor @ 9/21/2009 11:45:38 AM # Q
http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/21/access-and-china-telecom-in-talks-to-launch-cphone-custom-androi/

RE: Access giving up on ALP and going Android!?
rpa @ 9/21/2009 3:51:04 PM # Q
That works for me....put a Palm skin or emulator ("Classic"?) on Android and voila, Palm users have a variety of hardware to choose from. Makes more sense that trying to establish an entire ecosystem on ALP.
RE: Access giving up on ALP and going Android!?
twrock @ 9/21/2009 6:33:26 PM # Q
Who knows? Since they did it with Nokia, the precedent is already there.

I'm pretty sold on picking up an Android device as soon as they have the form factor I want here. But if somehow Access throws Garnet onto Android, it just makes the deal all that sweeter.

But that cPhone UI has got to go! "...Access seems to have filtered any number of haphazard Samsung UIs through a case or two of Tsingtao and called it a day."

Hey Palm! Where's my PDA with Wifi and phone capabilities?

Reply to this comment

Where is that Access geek that used to pop up here ranting?

Fake Jeff Hawkins @ 9/24/2009 8:45:37 PM # Q
Now that Android is here, Access' AlpOS is TOAST. Maybe they can re-engineer AlpOS as an OS for toasters?

You have SHAMED us, Davey-san! Here's a dull plastic knife - now go do the honorable thing.


************************************************************************************************************

Access Co., Ltd. (Access) is a mobile software development company. It is principally engaged in designing, development and offering software technologies to mobile and non PC market segment. It offers a wide range of products, including Garnet operating system, ACCESS Linux platform, NetFront mobile client suite, NetFront browser for mobile, networking solutions and server solutions and related services. the company's product portfolio encompasses a range of markets from mobile communications to non PC electronics market such as handhelds, internet terminals, cameras, copiers, home appliances, network equipments, IP phones, fax machines, video game consoles, set up boxes, automobile navigation, amongst others. Access operates through its 18 offices across Asia, Europe and North America. The company is headquartered at Tokyo, Japan.


The company reported revenues of (Yen) JPY 31,156.63 million during the fiscal year ended January 2009, an increase of 2.90% over 2008. The operating profit of the company was JPY 2,816.23 million during the fiscal year 2009, whereas the company reported an operating loss of JPY 15,767.44 million during 2008. The net profit of the company was JPY 840.17 million during the fiscal year 2009, whereas the company reported a net loss of JPY 15,758.21 million during 2008.

Reply to this comment

Numenta HTM and WebOS

gmayhak @ 10/18/2009 12:44:50 PM # Q
">>>SeldomVisitor @ 9/21/2009 4:00:15 AM #
> "...Jeff's been up to..."
Cool! 70s image processing tech to-DAY!

I always needed another quad-tree application.
------------------

They've gone a little beyond Quadtree and I don't know of any Phone app that has this recognition capability...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=we_v_QfcOtY
and this is just one aspect of the HTM technology.

Their Web Services is a natural for WebOS developers.

Gary
Tech Center Labs

RE: Numenta HTM and WebOS
SeldomVisitor @ 10/18/2009 1:42:47 PM # Q
So let's see...that video isn't "face recognition", it's of fixed object (fixed perspective, fixed orientation, fixed brightness, fixed size, fixed everything other than in-scene location) recognition; the fact that it's labeling fixed multi-colored objects "Jesus" is nice marketing, admittedly, but that doesn't make it "face recognition".

I think that could probably be done fairly quickly with just about any object recognition software. From the 70s.

And that's a big No Kidding.

Is that 70s software on a phone?

No.

So can't argue with this statement:

> ...I don't know of any Phone app that has this recognition capability...

RE: Numenta HTM and WebOS
SeldomVisitor @ 10/18/2009 1:49:54 PM # Q
Doing a quickie google of "samet quadtree" is interesting - he was working on quadtrees well before these articles were published, of course.

RE: Numenta HTM and WebOS
gmayhak @ 10/18/2009 3:46:07 PM # Q
Not exactly the technology to use for invariant representation and I didn't post to get in a pissing match with you. If you're stuck in the '70s hiding behind a fake name that's OK with me ;-)

Gary
Tech Center Labs

Samet's Concluding Remarks..
Quadtrees constitute an interesting alternative to the
standard methods of digitally representing regions.
Their chief disadvantage is that they are not shift-
invariant; two regions differing only by a translation may have quite different quadtrees.
Tech Center Labs

RE: Numenta HTM and WebOS
twrock @ 10/18/2009 4:37:23 PM # Q
I dunno SV, but there still seems to be that pattern there. Every time someone brings up JH or what he's working on, you really go after it. Are you still trying to say it's not personal?

Hey Palm! Where's my PDA with Wifi and phone capabilities?
RE: Numenta HTM and WebOS
gmayhak @ 10/18/2009 7:01:02 PM # Q
">>>SeldomVisitor @ 10/18/2009 1:42:47 PM #
labeling fixed multi-colored objects "Jesus" is nice marketing, admittedly, but that doesn't make it "face recognition.
--------------------------------------

Thanks for the compliment but I'm not 'marketing' anything related to Numenta's technologies and I certainly didn't say it was a face recognition app.
I'm not on Numenta's payroll, I'm trying to contribute to an emerging technology on my own time. What are you for doing for our future besides criticizing?

Gary
Tech Center Labs

RE: Numenta HTM and WebOS
Gekko @ 10/19/2009 1:25:46 AM # Q

hawkins uses an iphone?
RE: Numenta HTM and WebOS
SeldomVisitor @ 10/19/2009 3:02:43 AM # Q
gmayhak - I pointed out that the video demonstrated nothing that couldn't be done equally fast in the 70s and that the cutesy "Jesus" labeling of multi-colored regions in the image was pure unadulterated marketing CERTAINLY meant to imply face recognition.

Now you're saying "I didn't call it "face recognition".".

Giggle.

That's really the only comment necessary at this point.

Giggle.

70s tech running on today's machines - even phones - must rip!

BTW - attacking the poster rather than the post is stupid; I don't care who you are. It =is= important that you are attempting to make money off of this, however. Or maybe you're another Hawkins-worshipper who actually believes the hype? But in any case, reread ALL the posts above - note how =I= address the post and YOU attack the poster.

Stupid, huh?

Giggle.

RE: Numenta HTM and WebOS
SeldomVisitor @ 10/19/2009 3:10:03 AM # Q
> hawkins uses an iphone?

Since Hawkins isn't affiliated with Palm anymore, maybe even not as a shareholder, and since his departure from Palm certainly didn't appear to be voluntary to this poster, he has no need to be loyal to Palm w.r.t. the phone he uses. I'd bet, if he is using a contemporary device, it's one of the Android models. Or a Blackberry. Maybe he thinks one of the older-but-still-quite-usable devices he helped design is the one to own. I sincerely AND seriously doubt he would use a Pre as his main device because it for SURE, lacks The Zen of Palm.

Have you seen that Droid (out soon on Verizon)? Yow - these rockets are getting better, huh? See The Boy Genius Report.


RE: Numenta HTM and WebOS
twrock @ 10/19/2009 4:45:35 AM # Q
SeldomVisitor wrote:
But in any case, reread ALL the posts above - note how =I= address the post and YOU attack the poster.

I have never hung with your logic on this one. You keep trying to convince us there is some big difference in going after the people "out there" and doing the same to someone posting in this forum. Sorry, I don't buy it. I figure it should be more along the lines of "you dish it, you take it." (So go ahead and feel free to send it my way; I'm a big boy.)

And just because you couch your "attack" in innuendo and sarcasm doesn't make it an less of an "attack".

Hey Palm! Where's my PDA with Wifi and phone capabilities?

RE: Numenta HTM and WebOS
Gekko @ 10/19/2009 5:08:46 AM # Q

two old guys fighting.
RE: Numenta HTM and WebOS
hkklife @ 10/19/2009 7:47:37 AM # Q
No, make it 3 old guys=Gary, Ron, and SV.

But we love 'em all with their curmudgeonly ways nonetheless! ;-)
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->?

RE: Numenta HTM and WebOS
mikecane @ 10/19/2009 12:57:35 PM # Q
>>>Have you seen that Droid (out soon on Verizon)?

Pffft! Puhleeze. I like that Acer Liquid with Android, tho. Needs gobs more storage, tho.

RE: Numenta HTM and WebOS
twrock @ 10/19/2009 6:29:30 PM # Q
Ha! Make that four; Mike just walked in.

And thank you Kris. It's nice to know we're still loved in spite of our aged uselessness. (Just make sure you pronounce "aged" as a two syllable word there; you young people might not know that.)

Hey Palm! Where's my PDA with Wifi and phone capabilities?

RE: Numenta HTM and WebOS
gmayhak @ 10/19/2009 7:43:27 PM # Q
SeldomVisitor @ 10/19/2009 3:02:43 AM #
gmayhak - I pointed out that the video demonstrated nothing that couldn't be done equally fast in the 70s and that the cutesy "Jesus" labeling of multi-colored regions in the image was pure unadulterated marketing CERTAINLY meant to imply face recognition.
-----------------------------
Certainly not! That multi-colored region is da Vinci's depiction of Jesus, would you rather it labeled SV? BTW color is meaningless to the Vision network, it receives a 130X200 grayscale image.


SeldomVisitor @ 10/19/2009 3:02:43 AM #
BTW - attacking the poster rather than the post is stupid; I don't care who you are. It =is= important that you are attempting to make money off of this, however. Or maybe you're another Hawkins-worshipper
-----------------------------
I don't know where you're coming from on this one, I have about 20 Vision networks on youtube, not a penny of income. A free app on iTunes app store, thousands of downloads but not a penny of income.

Is "Hawkins-worshipper" meant to be a compliment or, maybe, attack?

SeldomVisitor @ 10/19/2009 3:02:43 AM #
Giggle.
Giggle.
Giggle.

-------------------------------

The result of finally realizing that your '70s Quadtree bullshit is totally worthless for invariant representation in image recognition.

NEXT!

(sorry Mike;)
Tech Center Labs

Reply to this comment

ACCESS and Emblaze Mobile Unveil ELSE INTUITION™

Hokidachi @ 10/21/2009 8:28:18 PM # Q
http://www.access-company.com/news/press/ACCESS/2009/20091022_emblaze.html
Reply to this comment
Start a New Comment Thread Top View Full Comment Thread

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