Palm has released the latest edition of its operating system but has not included the ability to sync with iTunes. That may spell an end to a back and forth battle between Palm and Apple to control whether the feature works on the phones.

Palm’s new smartphone is due for release on Sunday and has already been spotted in Wal-Mart stores. But the Pixi’s debut is doing little to calm a barrage of criticism of the company’s tactics.

A job listing at the Sling Media Web site suggests the firm is considering expanding its presence in the mobile market. It could make it possible for some handset owners to watch their cable boxes on the move via 3G without restrictions.

Walmart is undercutting Amazon by offering the Palm Pre for just $79.99. But even that’s more expensive than in Europe where a network is offering the handset free of charge with a service plan.

It’s been another week of mixed news for Palm over its Pre handset. The device will likely get a boost in sales thanks to a major price cut by Amazon, but it appears Verizon has ditched plans to carry the handset on its network.

New rules on the way firms prepare their accounts could lead to a much rosier picture for smartphone providers. While the new-style figures will arguably become more realistic, it could lead to an artificial boost for profit numbers in a couple of years.

It’s been quite the week for Palm, from both a financial and product standpoint. The firm has announced better-than-expected results and the abandonment of Windows Mobile, while analysts appear split over its future prospects.

Full details of Palm’s next major smartphone, the Pixi, are now available. The hardware is impressive under the hood, but from a user perspective there doesn’t seem much reason to prefer it to the Palm.

The price of the Palm Pre is reportedly dropping by 25 percent in an apparent attempt to boost sales. The reports come as leaked copies of a software update show Palm may be considering remote deletion of apps.

Microsoft is to target both Android and the iPhone with its future Windows Mobile plans. The company will effectively have two different “latest” editions of its mobile software by the end of next year.