Embattled smartphone maker Palm Inc. will be unveiling its much-delayed yet much-anticipated new operating system and a new phone at its "New-ness" event at the CES on January 8, 2009, according to a BusinessWeek report.

Palm Inc.

"Palm is due to unveil the long-awaited operating system, code-named Nova, as well as the first of a family of products that will run on it," said the BusinessWeek report.

Even better news is that Palm loyalists may get what they wish for as the report says that Palm's objective today is "to create products that bridge the gap between Research In Motion's (RIMM) BlackBerry devices, oriented to work and e-mail, and Apple's iPhone, oriented to fun".

No details yet on the new Palm OS code-named "Nova" or the first "Nova" smartphone, but BusinessWeek says that while Palm's new phone won't go "toe to toe" with iPhone and the Blackberry, soon-to-be launched product would provide something that will breathe new life into Palm and hurrahs from its many diehard fans.

Though it started as the smartphone leader, Palm has been left behind by Blackberry, Nokia and Apple in developing new products. Its current operating system, the Garnet, is capable but old. The company has repeatedly said it is on the verge of unveiling its new, next-generation operating system but have likewise postponed the launch many times. Of late, Palm produced smartphones running on Windows Mobile, to the costernation of Palm users.

Let's see what information would leak in the next few days, and of course, the actual CES event. I can't wait.