14 DAY TRIAL // A new version of webOS is nearing Palm's devices, namely webOS 2.0, which has been announced officially on Tuesday. The solution should land as the biggest update of Palm's OS, packing a nice range of features aimed both at end-users and at developers.
According to its makers, the webOS 2.0 platform should be released on handsets later during the ongoing year, while the webOS 2.0 SDK is already available in a beta flavor via the SDK Early Access Program.
One thing that is certain here is that the list of novelties on this OS version is a pretty long one.
First of all, we should note that Palm touts the webOS 2.0 platform as packing better multi-tasking capabilities than previous releases.
Moreover, it seems that users should enjoy better Universal Search in webOS 2.0, which has got a new name, Just Type, and which sports a brand new feature, called Quick Actions. Developers can benefit from these features too when it comes to their applications.
“Start an email, create a message, update your status, search your favorite websites—all without having to launch an app. With webOS 2.0, whenever you want to do something on your phone, whether it’s emailing, texting, searching, or almost anything else, just type,” Palm notes in a post on its developer site.
The Palm Touchstone Charging Dock is a well known accessory for Palm devices, and a series of apps that would run on the phone while being placed on the dock should emerge on webOS 2.0, it seems.
Palm Synergy should be open for the development ecosystem in the new OS flavor, so that developers can tap into the features this solution offers (including access to Facebook, Google, Microsoft Exchange, LinkedIn, and Yahoo! Accounts).
Through the new Synergy APIs, Developers can enable users to: - Connect to your chat or IM network from the webOS Messaging app - Access their personal contacts, their favorite businesses, or your community's 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
Moreover, webOS 2.0 should come with new HTML5 features and enhancements, as well as with the final version of webOS Plug-in Development Kit (PDK), and with JavaScript services.
“Don’t think that this is all there is to webOS 2.0—these are just the highlights. We've added a lot of features that will give your apps more power and flexibility than ever. We're excited about what webOS 2.0 has to offer, and we think you will be, too,” Palm concluded.
More info on how to get into the Early Access Program can be found here.