Palm Releases webOS 2.0 to Developers
Developers who are members of Palm's Early Access program can now download the first early access release of webOS 2.0.
All those who are not currently a member of the early access program, can learn how to join here.
webOS 2.0 is the next generation of Palms mobile operating system, and it brings a number of new features that developers are going to want to use and features to make using webOS devices better. Palm made this beta of webOS 2.0 available to let developers start building apps that take advantage of the new feature, and will be released to users later this year.
Here are a few highlights of whats coming in webOS 2.0.
Stacks
Palms card metaphor made multi-tasking on a handheld device easy and intuitive for the first time. webOS 2.0 takes it to the next level by grouping related cards in stacks, reducing clutter, and making it even easier to move quickly between tasks.
Just Type
Palm has renamed Universal Search to Just Type and extended it to do much more. Quick Actions makes it easier than ever for users to update social status, set reminders, add items to a shopping list or do whatever it takes to get things done in the context of an app.
Exhibition
Exhibition is a webOS 2.0 feature designed to inform, entertain and delight while a device is docked. Set your device on the Palm Touchstone Charging Dock, and it will enter a special full-screen mode optimized for passive enjoyment and utility. Developers are able to add Exhibition support to an existing app, or build something new just for Exhibition.
Synergy
In webOS 2.0, palm is opening Synergy up to the developer ecosystem. Users be able to develop Synergy connectors for Contacts, Calendar, and Messaging and later, for other webOS data types as well. Using the new Synergy APIs, developers can let users:
* Connect to a chat or IM network from the webOS Messaging app
* Access their personal contacts, their favorite businesses, or a communitys shared address book from the webOS Contacts UI
* View and manage their personal and shared calendars, keep track of their favorite sports and entertainment events, and more, from within the webOS Calendar app
JavaScript Services
Developers can roll their own services with Node.js: The popular Node.js runtime environment is built into webOS 2.0, which means that developers can now develop not just webOS apps but also services in JavaScript. The active Node ecosystem is on hand to provide community support and a growing library of modules that developers can use in their webOS services.
PDK Plug-ins
Today, developers can use the webOS Plug-in Development Kit (PDK) to build games and immersive apps in C/C++. But the feature that gives the PDK its namethe ability to build C/C++ plug-ins for your HTML/JavaScript/CSS appsis still in beta.
This feature will exit beta in webOS 2.0, opening the door for developers to distribute apps that incorporate PDK plug-ins. Using plug-ins, developers can more easily port app logic from other platforms while leveraging the Mojo Framework to give users a familiar interface and integrate seamlessly into webOS.
HTML5 Enhancements
webOS 2.0 also adds a number of new HTML5 features and enhancements, giving developers more tools to work with when building apps and sites for webOS.
webOS 2.0 is the next generation of Palms mobile operating system, and it brings a number of new features that developers are going to want to use and features to make using webOS devices better. Palm made this beta of webOS 2.0 available to let developers start building apps that take advantage of the new feature, and will be released to users later this year.
Here are a few highlights of whats coming in webOS 2.0.
Stacks
Palms card metaphor made multi-tasking on a handheld device easy and intuitive for the first time. webOS 2.0 takes it to the next level by grouping related cards in stacks, reducing clutter, and making it even easier to move quickly between tasks.
Just Type
Palm has renamed Universal Search to Just Type and extended it to do much more. Quick Actions makes it easier than ever for users to update social status, set reminders, add items to a shopping list or do whatever it takes to get things done in the context of an app.
Exhibition
Exhibition is a webOS 2.0 feature designed to inform, entertain and delight while a device is docked. Set your device on the Palm Touchstone Charging Dock, and it will enter a special full-screen mode optimized for passive enjoyment and utility. Developers are able to add Exhibition support to an existing app, or build something new just for Exhibition.
Synergy
In webOS 2.0, palm is opening Synergy up to the developer ecosystem. Users be able to develop Synergy connectors for Contacts, Calendar, and Messaging and later, for other webOS data types as well. Using the new Synergy APIs, developers can let users:
* Connect to a chat or IM network from the webOS Messaging app
* Access their personal contacts, their favorite businesses, or a communitys shared address book from the webOS Contacts UI
* View and manage their personal and shared calendars, keep track of their favorite sports and entertainment events, and more, from within the webOS Calendar app
JavaScript Services
Developers can roll their own services with Node.js: The popular Node.js runtime environment is built into webOS 2.0, which means that developers can now develop not just webOS apps but also services in JavaScript. The active Node ecosystem is on hand to provide community support and a growing library of modules that developers can use in their webOS services.
PDK Plug-ins
Today, developers can use the webOS Plug-in Development Kit (PDK) to build games and immersive apps in C/C++. But the feature that gives the PDK its namethe ability to build C/C++ plug-ins for your HTML/JavaScript/CSS appsis still in beta.
This feature will exit beta in webOS 2.0, opening the door for developers to distribute apps that incorporate PDK plug-ins. Using plug-ins, developers can more easily port app logic from other platforms while leveraging the Mojo Framework to give users a familiar interface and integrate seamlessly into webOS.
HTML5 Enhancements
webOS 2.0 also adds a number of new HTML5 features and enhancements, giving developers more tools to work with when building apps and sites for webOS.
