HP has new plans for WebOS

PALO ALTO, Calif., Dec. 10 (UPI) -- U.S. technology giant Hewlett-Packard is planning and developing WebOS devices, Chief Executive Officer Meg Whitman said.

HP, which purchased Palm Inc. in 2010, is also planning to make Palm's WebOS software available as an open-source program, the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday.

Whitman, a former gubernatorial candidate in California, disclosed in two separate interviews that HP would continue to develop hardware, including tablets, for the WebOS platform, the Times said.

HP has had a rocky history with its TouchPad devices. Whitman's predecessor, Leo Apotheker, said in August that HP was backing out of smartphone and TouchPad development, and was studying the option of backing out of computer production.

Soon after he made the announcement, the board elected to send him packing and replaced him with Whitman, a high-profile CEO who made an unsuccessful run for governor in 2010.

Sales of the TouchPad were still disappointing, however, until HP dropped its price to $99, the Times said.