Do you remember the PalmPilot? By 1999, within three years of its launch, the Palm had user base of over 5 million users. I was a fan of the Palm. I went thru a series of them in the 2000’s. In 2011 I marked the sale of the PalmOS on the BachSeat. PalmOS has had a number of names since it glory days. It was also known as HP webOS, Open webOS (HP), Palm webOS, and most recently LG webOS.
LG (LGLD) has been using webOS in their SmartTV’s since 2014 and more recently in their line of smart refrigerators. LG is updating LG webOS to LG webOS Hub. The LG webOS Hub is a new version of its webOS streaming television platform. The newest version incorporates a new hub for third-party partners to plug into.
Son of PalmOS
The webOS Hub will incorporate many third-party applications that are supported by LG’s streaming operating system. Some of the third-parties including Netflix (NFLX), Hulu, Amazon (AMZN) Prime Video, Disney Plus (DIS) Plus, and YouTube Google (GOOG). It will also include LG Channels, the company’s free, ad-supported streaming service. Support for NVidia‘s (NVDA) cloud gaming service is promised in the near future.
LG said webOS Hub was developed in partnership with Dolby, Realtek, and CEVA. It has been certified by over 160 broadcasters around the world.
Park Hyoung-sei, the president of LG Home Entertainment Company, told FierceVideo;
We are committed to refining and expanding our webOS Hub ecosystem, which continues to introduce more and more consumers to the unparalleled user experience of LG webOS.
Smart television platforms
More than 120 million devices in 150 countries are powered by some version of webOS. According to analytics firm Omdia, LG’s webOS is one of the more-dominant smart television platforms internationally. LG’s webOS owns around 18.5% of the market. It is bested only by South Korean competitor Samsung, which has nearly 30% of the global streaming platform market.
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Besides the nostalgia of seem Palm resurrected into the media,. There is the creepiness factor of LG, Amazon, Netflix and Google (YouTube) monitoring and monetizing your TV viewing habits. They can data-mine your viewing habits to profit off what you do.
Do not think they wont use your data to make a profit. Back in 2017 I wrote that Vizio had to pay $2.2 million to the FTC and the state of New Jersey to settle a lawsuit alleging it collected customers’ television-watching habits without their permission.
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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.
