Although it's just a week after the Pre was released, coders have already been busy proving that the Pre has some game. Looks like we may not need to rely on Adobe Flash later this year to bring gaming to the Pre after all.
PlayScreen launches 25 online Pre games, downloadable versions to come
Have a few minutes to spare? PlayScreen, an online gaming hub for mobiles, has ported 25 of their games to the Pre, reports PreCentral. You can start playing for free online at http://playscreen.com/palmpre/. In addition, they have stated that the games will be ported into downloadable apps available in the Palm App Catalog. From the press release:
"With all the excitement over this new phone and operating system we wanted to make sure consumers didn’t have to wait for their favorite games. Reviewers of the Palm Pre have asked, 'Where are the Games?' Well, the games are here, at PlayScreen.com."
The games can be played instantly via the browser, and are ad-supported. So far, titles include blackjack, solitaire, bowling, sudoku, roulette, backgammon, darts, golf, and more.
Doom ported to webOS, runs well on Pre
For skeptics that feel webOS can't handle an FPS game, think again. Taking a cue from the webOS image released this week, A hacker called Sargund has ported Doom over to the Pre (via the open-source PRDoom), notes Engadget. The game utilizes the DirectFB graphics library to pipe the action through the framebuffer on the Pre, with the process being "fairly trivial", he claims. The game looks to run well so far, so we have high hopes for some demon-blasting action; although we can't say as much for his camera skills (turn your head for the video, after the break).
It's been a busy month here at www.webOShelp.net. The Pre was released (and rooted), Mitch Allen was cranking out chapters of Palm webOS weekly, and preDevCamp went to the brink and back. We've fallen a bit behind in our (Not Quite) Daily Tutorials (tm), but we're scheduled to be on track first thing next week. If you haven't yet seen them, be sure to check them out. They're the next best thing to getting into the Mojo Early Access program; you can write most of a functional webOS application using just the info in these tutorials.
We will also be getting our Mojo API Reference up-to-date with the latest objects, methods and examples, as well as our CSS and UI widget lists. At the same time, we'll be revamping the site's design to make it easier to get the info you need fast.
So, stick around, create an account and chat it up with like-minded developers in our forums (without the usual "noise" you find on those other end-user focused sites) while you wait for the SDK to be released!
The developer mode on the Pre was found from the complete 195 MB webOS root image from a leaked Palm webOS Reset Doctor program found on Precentral. The program is intended for restoring Pre phones with critical system errors. You can download the program here (check the resources folder). Upon cracking open the ROM, several other interesting items have been found so far:
amusing developer comments (e.g. "# what the hell does this do?")
The long-anticipated public Palm Mojo SDK is "very close to launch", stated Palm VP of Global Sales, Dave Whalen, at a press event this morning. Although a firm date was not set, it is still a glimmer of hope, as many hope to start developing third party apps for the Pre as soon as possible. In any case, the sooner the public SDK is released, the better. PreDevCamp, the worldwide webOS developer event, has already been postponed due to the uncertainty surrounding the SDK availability, among other factors.
However, only those in the Mojo SDK early access program have had access to the developer kit so far. "We've always said as we get closer to availability, we'd share more details on when the SDK would be public," Leslie Letts, a representative from Palm, stated previously. And with the Pre coming in less han a day, let's hope we can hold them to that.
Despite a spokesperson confirming a six-month Pre exclusive in response to Verizon saying they were getting the webOS handset in six months, Sprint CEO Dan Hesse stated that "they need to check their facts". In an interview at a press event today, he stated in response to the six-month timeline:
First of all, that's not a true statement...That just is not the case. Both Palm and Sprint have agreed not to discuss the length of the exclusivity deal. But I can tell you it's not six months.
This suggests that Sprint could have an exclusive deal for longer than the half-a-year rumors that have been floating around, notes Precentral. By comparison, AT&T has had the iPhone as an exclusive over three years and is pushing to extend it to 2011. In the interview, Hesse also talks about the suitability of the Pre for business use, as well as plans for app availability and more. Video after the break.
It's been a couple weeks since Chapter 7 was released, and now Chapter 8, System & Cloud Services, is out for budding webOS developers. Below is a summary excerpt of what to expect from the latest chapter:
"This chapter wrapped up the presentation of the Services available on Palm webOS. We covered the System Services in detail, showing examples using the Location services for retrieving the current position or tracking; checking connection status; setting a wakeup Alarm; getting the device ID and the System's date and time. While few of these are used in the News application, there were specific code samples for most of the service calls.
The chapter finished with an overview of the initial Cloud Service, Mojo Messaging an XMPP messaging service. This service is essential for background applications that require notifications from a web service or applications that want to share information and events across a community."
With the launch of the Pre just a week away, new device features, webOS developer news, and other interesting tidbits continue to stream in. Here is a round-up from recent industry sources to keep you on top of the game:
PreDevCamp Update:
Despite the big shake-up last week in the upcoming webOS developer camp, things seem to finally be coming together for the big day. Below is a summary of the latest PreDevCamp happenings:
Greg Stevenson, organizer for Orange County, wrote a letter stating that their camp was scheduled for June 13, but expressed concerns that logistics and timing of the SDK could pose an issue. The organizers have since responded, and have officially scheduled the camp for August 8. This will allow time to arrange a successful event and work around other conferences, such as the Apple WWDC.
Palm has thrown full support behind the camp, with Pam Deziel, VP of Palm Developer Marketing, posting on the PDN blog apologizing for any misunderstanding, presenting an optimistic outlook and offering to field any suggestings and ideas for the future.
Organizers whurley and gio have stepped down from the organizing team, and have expressed their good wishes.
Lisa Brewster and Greg Stevenson have joined the primary team to lead the discussions, bring excitement, and take up some of the slack with their experience.
Head over to the official site to join a camp in your area and to read more about this great event.
Early Palm Pre review:
Boy Genius managed to get their hands on a Pre, and put it through the paces. Overall, they concluded the Pre screen was top notch, second to the iPhone only by size. However, the slightly smaller screen made the unit closer in size to a Sidekick or BB Pearl, so it had a better feel in the hand and pocket than Apple's offering.
WebOS is also off to a great start, and will blossom when developers get their hands on the SDK. Battery life is decent, and it has a great browser and media player. However, they found that the keyboard was cramped (earlier reports compared it to the Centro) and the plastic shell made it feel "a little cheap". Head over the full review here. More news after the break.
A comprehensive walkthrough of Palm Pre features was recently posted on YouTube via PalmPreForumDotOrg, demonstrating everything from the browser, copy & paste, the YouTube App, "Q&A sessions", and much more, reports IntoMobile. The series of 22 narrated videos was leaked via the Palm webOS developer SDK emulator, and is chock full of Pre goodness (minus the actual device, of course). Full list of videos after the break. Also, with the plethora of information presented, feel free to "geek out" on whatever Pre feature most interests you.
Also, for multitouch diehards wanting to get all their Pre gestures committed to memory early, an official Palm Pre Gesture Guide was posted via Engadget. The 10-page brochure gives a walkthrough of all the gestures involving the launcher, quick launch, card view, applications, scrolling, zooming, cursor, and other key functions. TamsPalm notes that most of the gestures will be unfamiliar to iPhone users, so this could help keep the Apple multitouch patent debate at bay.
After months and months of build-up and anticipation, less than two weeks from the release of the Palm Pre, it seems preDevCamp is finally going to happen--with a fizzle instead of a bang. The founders of preDevCamp, Dan, Giovani and whurley have each posted their experiences dealing with Palm to their personal websites, and the stories aren't motivational. It seems that either due to lack of foresight, internal bumbling or both, Palm has conveyed enough disinterest in preDevCamp to motivate the three founders to invest their time pursuing other interests instead of continuing to rally hundreds of cities and developers to the webOS platform.
While they will be leaving the technical infrastructure supporting the camps intact, there will no longer be a central organizing force behind the event, meaning many of the camps may find themselves without leadership or direction. Any orphaned developers without a camp that are interested in continuing their webOS education are welcome to join the growing developer community here at www.webOShelp.net. There are many members in the forums who are actively developing applications for the platform, and we expect to see many more when the SDK is released.
webOS News and Rumors
Have a few minutes to spare? PlayScreen, an online gaming hub for mobiles, has ported 25 of their games to the Pre, reports PreCentral. You can start playing for free online at http://playscreen.com/palmpre/. In addition, they have stated that the games will be ported into downloadable apps available in the Palm App Catalog. From the press release:
For skeptics that feel webOS can't handle an FPS game, think again. Taking a cue from the webOS image released this week, A hacker called Sargund has ported Doom over to the Pre (via the open-source PRDoom), notes Engadget. The game utilizes the DirectFB graphics library to pipe the action through the framebuffer on the Pre, with the process being "fairly trivial", he claims. The game looks to run well so far, so we have high hopes for some demon-blasting action; although we can't say as much for his camera skills (turn your head for the video, after the break).
The developer mode on the Pre was found from the complete 195 MB webOS root image from a leaked Palm webOS Reset Doctor program found on 
The long-anticipated public Palm Mojo SDK is "very close to launch", stated Palm VP of Global Sales, Dave Whalen, at a press event this morning. Although a firm date was not set, it is still a glimmer of hope, as many hope to start developing third party apps for the Pre as soon as possible. In any case, the sooner the public SDK is released, the better. PreDevCamp, the worldwide webOS developer event, has already 
Despite a spokesperson confirming a 
It's been a couple weeks since 
