The awesome Slacker Radio app recently made it’s debut on the webOS platform. The addition of this app to the App Catalog brings such awesome features as major hip-hop, r&B and rock stations (as well as Country if you’re wondering). We’re also getting the options to upgrade to the pro version which gives commercial-free listening, the ability to view lyrics, create custom lists and of course choose specific songs.
All that and more is right at your fingertips. If you want the app, hit up the App Catalog and check it out. You will need a Slacker Radio account to use the service, luckily Slacker Radio has a sign-up form in the app to make the process easy.
It has long been known that true 3D gaming would not be possible on the Pre unless Palm allowed access to it’s core processor and memory instead of going through the webOS platform. Yesterday our fantasies were realized when we were given that opportunity.
Thanks to Palm’s new PDK (Plug-in Development Kit), those who would like to bring true 3D games to the Pre and webOS platform can do so. Basically the PDK allows you to build apps that directly access the hardware internals of the device yet plug into the webOS platform so you can use such features as pause, app switch, volume etc. This also means that a full set of API’s will be made available for developers to use.
Palm wasn’t joking and as of now there are about 7 true 3D games available in the App Catalog. They include:
“Need for Speed(TM) Undercover” (EA Mobile)
“The Sims(TM) 3″ (EA Mobile)
“MONOPOLY(TM)” (EA Mobile)
“Asphalt 5: Elite Racing” (Gameloft)
“Let’s Golf!” (Gameloft)
“Glyder 2″ (Glu Mobile)
“X-Plane” (Laminar Research)
There were other games made available by EA (who is now an official partner of Palm) and others. These include Scrabble, Tetris and others.
For those who though that the webOS was not as robust as that of the iPhone then you might want to read on a little further. Palm just finished giving demos to some of the apps that are in the works, such as NASCAR which is geared to those die-hard NEXTEL cup fans. Pandora and Amazon both got music store apps and FlightView allows you to track frequent flight statuses (for those frequent flight travelers).
Sprint also has a beta beta version of their Sprint TV player for those who can deal with the poor resolution of mobile TV. But some of the coolest features came from Pandora’s app which carries a mini-player that allows you to play / pause and rank tracks up and down as well as view their full name without exiting the app. All this can be accessed by tapping the “P” at the bottom of the Pre screen.
So if you’re interested in the video demo. check it out below. Provided courtesy of Engadget.
PhoneScoop has just gotten a hands on demo of Motion App’s Classic Palm OS emulator for the Palm Pre. Basically you can install Palm OS apps by dragging the prc files into the Pre in mass storage mode and they will run perfectly well.
HotSync does not make the cut but there is compatibility mode. If you want to see the entire thing in action. Check out the video after the break.
Unlike most of us, Tom Conrad, CTO of Pandora is one of the guys who has been able to actually see what’s running the weOS other than those cool but blurred photos that have been circling for ages. Well said CTO has sat down with Palm Infocenter to discuss his take on the webOS as well as development and gaming possibilites.
One thing that is clarrified is the fact that although all apps are mictures of HTML, CSS and JavaScript, the webOS is more than just a big browser and can access local files as well as UI. He would like to see an integrated Flash option in the phone as well as a lower-level API that would allow those interested in creating games direct access to the OMAP processor that runs the Palm Pre.
But if you want full details you’re going to have to click the READ link for the full details.
