Palm opening WebOS SDK up to developers
Michael Abbott at Web 2.0 Expo 2009
(Credit: James Martin/CNET)Palm is ready to let the world get its hands on the software development kit for WebOS, its next-generation mobile operating system.
At the Web 2.0 Expo on Wednesday, Palm's Michael Abbott announced that the company is ready to let developers start playing with its Mojo SDK, until now restricted to a few dozen select invitees.
He also showed how developers can tap into the messaging stream at the bottom of a Palm Pre using a Palm-hosted notifications service, and provided a link to Palm's past with the announcement of an emulator that will let WebOS users run their old Palm applications.
Abbott walked developers through the Mojo Messaging Service, which is a push notification service that developers can use to send status updates, such as the receipt of a new instant message, said Palm's Paul Cousineau, director of product management for WebOS.
If that sounds like the technology Apple just showed off at its iPhone 3.0 event, it is, but with a slightly different implementation: Apple's notification service will display a text-message-like pop-up window in whatever application is running, while Mojo and WebOS use a notifications bar that doesn't interrupt the application.
Palm obviously hopes to attract loads of developers to WebOS in order to tap into the mobile application madness that's sweeping the mobile phone industry, and will make its pitch to a group that's very familiar with the HTML, CSS, and Javascript technologies that are used to build WebOS applications, Cousineau said.
Palm's Mojo SDK and notifications service
(Credit: Palm)But Palm has also found a way to throw its older developers a bone, as was discovered earlier Wednesday. "Classic" is an emulator that will ship with WebOS and allow old Palm OS applications to run on the Pre and other WebOS phones, Cousineau said.
A registration page went live on Palm's Web site on Wednesday. There will be no charge to download the SDK, and neither will developers have to join any kind of Palm developer association, Cousineau said.
And despite repeated attempts, Cousineau declined to share the pricing or release date for the Palm Pre. Palm has trickled out information regarding the Pre over the last several months since announcing it at CES 2009 in January, but has yet to shed any light on one of the most important factors that will decide how it is received.
Tom Krazit writes about the ever-expanding world of Internet search, including Google, Yahoo, online advertising, and portals, as well as the evolution of mobile computing. He has written about traditional PC companies, chip manufacturers, and mobile computers, spending the last three years covering Apple. E-mail Tom. 
Doh ! Steve Jobs got beat to the punch. Actually , this phone jabbed the iPhone to a bloody pulp !
cause the Fandango app has been available along with many many other movie and ticket buying apps for a long long time to iPhone/iPod tocuh customers
So you palm fanboys are getting exited about last years technology !
stop making fools of yourself
How is that any different then Apple fanboys and Skype?
Or Apple fanboys in general. Apple doesn't create, it buys or steals.
Just like every other large tech company.
You're the last person to talk, you iphone fanboys got all excited about copy n paste. You wanna talk about yesteryears technology, copy n paste is EVEN on old windows smarphones. An app is an app regardless, obviously the iphone has been out for a few yrs now. But copy n paste......Stop making a fool of yourself.
Amen
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seigex
Palm webOS Mojo Framework Developer's Network
www.mojodn.com
Join the start of a new programming revolution!
- by ddanckaert April 4, 2009 9:02 PM PDT
- Actually, RIM should buy Palm.
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