With Hewlett Packard recently announcing that they were halting production and possibly support for their flagship tablet, the Touchpad, in all its renditions, retailers were quick to drop their prices, causing a massive influx of purchases as people rushed to take advantage. It didn’t take long before all Touchpads were gone from the shelves, opportunists relisting them immediately for higher prices, while others enjoyed their new tablet, purchased for around a third of the price it would originally have cost.
Now the question is, how long will it receive software support? HP have pledged to continue updating the WebOS but they havn’t said for how long. Despite being in the software game now, it seems unlikely that they’d support a product that they have no wish to sell anymore.
However, to combat this impending cut off point, Hack N Mod have announced a bounty for any would be hackers that want to help continue the life of the Touchpad, and it’s cash. The total available funds are $1500, with each task having its own prize: Android Port for $450, Wi-Fi for $350, Audio for $300, Camera for $300 and MultiTouch for $100.
“Complete one (or several) of the tasks above and let the world know!” said Hack N Mod. “Post your source code on GitHub and paste links to your pictures and videos in the comments below (or email us). All work must be documented under an open source license. The first person or group to successfully complete a fully functional task above wins the corresponding prize. The only condition is that your port must have a user-friendly installation process (such that the average user can easily install it).”
