There might be hope for fans of the underrated WebOS after all. LG is interested in using it to power a new generation of smart TVs with Internet connectivity. The move will allow the Korean electronics giant to compete with other TV manufacturers’ in-house efforts as well as the Apple TV, which runs iOS, and Google TV products that run Android. Other devices might be considered at a later stage.
WebOS was initially developed by Palm as a means to reinvent itself for the post-iPhone age, but the company didn’t manage to promote it well enough despite largely positive reviews. Palm was bought out by HP, which released its own smartphones and tablets and announced plans to develop printers and PCs based on WebOS. However HP abruptly pulled the plug on al its WebOS plans and turned the platform over to the open source community as part of an ill-conceived reorganisation plan. While HP will retain Palm’s backend capabilities, LG gets the source code, documentation and staff.