There seems to be some confusion over the timing of the announcement, but it appears that Korean consumer electronics maker LG has acquired webOS from HP and plans to use it to power the company's HDTV sets.
It appears you can't keep a good mobile OS down after all. CNET is reporting that webOS may be getting yet another lifeline, this time in the form of LG Electronics, who plans to implement the WebKit-powered mobile OS into its smart television products.
You may recall that webOS blasted onto the scene in 2008 as Palm's answer to the iPhone, and quickly brought with it a cult of rabid fans. Unfortunately, a series of missteps nearly buried the platform, which was ultimately rescued then buried by HP, who has since relegated the technology to an open source graveyard.
While an official announcement is expected soon, the deal reportedly includes the source code for webOS along with "related documentation," websites and engineering talent along with HP licenses and the original Palm patents for the platform.
Unfortunately, it doesn't appear that LG plans to use webOS to power any type of smartphone or tablet, with most of HP's mobile experts having already moved on to greener pastures, according to sources.
However, the report does claim that Palm users will continue to be supported by LG after the acquisition, although further details are not yet available on those plans.
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