The open source webOS may make a surprise big screen debut at CES 2013 in January, with new a new report claiming LG will use the software to underpin a new Smart TV platform.
The webOS Nation website has heard from sources at Gram (the remaining HP/Palm employees still overseeing the software) that LG has picked the operating system to replace the ageing NetCast SmartTV interface.
The Korean manufacturer, according to the report, is also looking to sever its relationship with the unpopular Google TV platform largely due to an apparent displeasure with Google's terms of use.
Now, it looks as though the aim is to have an Open webOS Smart TV set available to parade at the annual tech showcase in Las Vegas in January.
Deal in place?
LG has apparently signed an agreement with HP (which gifted webOS to the open source community in late 2011) to use the service earlier this year.
To that end, engineers at the two companies have reportedly been working together and LG has allegedly sent its dual-core L9-powered motherboards to webOS employees to test in-house.
Naturally, the challenge for both parties is to ensure the lack of apps - a problem that has plagued webOS since the promising days of the "Palm Pre iPhone killer" - don't spill over into another venture.
The report claimed that popular Smart TV applications, like Netflix, will be rebuilt using the Enyo software used for making HTML5 apps.
The future
While the latest rebirth of webOS would definitely be one of the most intriguing stories to emerge from CES, it doesn't seem likely that a full launch will be possible in the show's immediate aftermath.
Late last month, HP announced that the first version of Open webOS was complete and released it to the public, while the company is also looking to boost the team with 54 new job openings.
These developments point to a lot of work ahead for webOS to get it ready for a main stage debut as big as entering people's living rooms.
The company has also said it still plans to use the operating system for future tablets and smartphones, despite the expensive failure of the HP TouchPad and Palm Pre 3.
Via SlashGear, webOS Nation
