Palm opens up web-enabled gadget platform

The Mojo SDK for the platform will now be provided to a broader set of developers, allowing the platform to be refined and improved, with general availability of the SDK scheduled for later this year.

Jumping on the cloud computing bandwagon, webOS allows consumers to pull their contact, calendars and personal information down from the internet on any device, wirelessly. A key feature of the Palm platform is synchronisation of information between multiple services, so if the same contact is listed in the user’s phonebook and on their social networking sites, both contact details are pulled into the same interface. Likewise with multiple conversation platforms such as text message and email.

The US firm has also announced plans to deploy its first own branded cloud computing service later this year. When the Mojo SDK is broadly released, it will include a developer-facing offering called the Mojo Messaging Service, an XMPP publish/subscribe service, allowing users to exchange information over the internet. When new information is available, it is “published” to the cloud and all interested parties who are subscribers are notified that new information is available. This will allow developers to push live content to their applications or services.

The first device to support the webOS platform is the Pre, which will be available exclusively from Sprint in the first half of 2009.

Packing a slide out keyboard and touch screen interface, the Pre will be available with either HSDPA or EVDO connectivity, wifi and GPS. It boasts 8GB of storage and a 3 megapixel camera and probably a handset first in the shape of an inductive charging unit.

The inductive charging system allows the device to be set down on a separately sold tablet like charging dock, without the user having to worry about fitting connections together.