webOS 1.4 SDK is out 67
by Dieter Bohn Mon, 01 Mar 2010 7:35 pm EST
Developers! Hie thee to the Palm Developer Center to download the SDK for webOS 1.4. What's new? We're so glad you asked:
- webOS now incorporates WebKit 4, which features enhanced CSS support and numerous other improvements.
- The webOS implementation of the HTML 5 Media API has been updated, bringing closer conformance to the specification, and improvements to audio performance.
- The Camera API has been extended to let an application initiate video capture, in addition to image capture.
- The V8 JavaScript engine used in webOS has been updated.
You can hit up the full set of webOS 1.4 SDK release notes for the nitty gritty details. We're pleased to see that "Audio playback latency has been significantly reduced," and also glad that any app can "initiate video capture" - in fact it looks like there are enough changed in the Media API that any developers who use media should take a look at the transition notes. (Now if only that Media API included access to the Microphone....)
via the Palm Developer Center Blog, thanks to slp15 for the tip!
67 Comments
now we need to all need to pressure qik into releasing an app for webos
bring on the ustream app!
I sooooo read this as PDK at first. Damn. Already got 1.4, need something new now...
Great news! But what could be the reason for not releasing the api for the mic........??? I miss shazam ... :(
The reason is palm released a beta device (no the Pre doesn't even qualify as first gen), and they're writing the code to catch up as they go. With only 1000 employees that's going to take a while and they're prioritizing.
As I've said elsewhere Palm will lose it's one major cutting edge feature (card based multitasking) to both iPhoneOS and AndroidOS when they each have their next major updates. Palm has totally missed the chance to be a major player in the smartphone market by, after 9 months, still not having a device worthy of being called a smartphone. :-( They needed to beat the Droid and Nexus One to release and they didn't. I really wish they had, Palm would probably do better against Apple that Google at full strength, but it's too late.
I guess i'll take the bait here...
As far as I'm concerned Android and iPhoneOs are catching up to WebOS as far as UI goes. Also, way to compare updates that don't even exist yet to WebOS. You have no idea if the next big update to iPhoneOS will even have multitasking. It's a rumor because everyone who has an iPhone wants it except Steve Jobs and Apple. I mean, if the iPad doesn't even have multitasking - what makes you think the iPhone will? Steve Jobs is a stubborn SOB and if he doesn't think something is worthwhile, he probably won't do it.
Let's say the next big update to the iPhoneOS does have multitasking. What makes you think it'll be as fluid and usable as WebOS card system + gestures. Sorry but if you don't have multitasking built into the platform you'll probably have to go back to square one to implement it.
Plus, let's not forget it took the iPhone a long time to catch up to the feature set of a Treo. Remember MMS and Copy/Paste? Shoot, it's still not even there.
As far as Android goes, what exactly is so revolutionary there? How does Android handle anything differently than the iPhone? I'll give you widgets but honestly I'm glad WebOS doesn't have widgets. Android has a leg up because it can port to a bunch of different phones - thus the market can be over saturated and it doesn't cost them a dime. I applaud them for doing that but let's not blow smoke up Google's bum anymore than tech bloggers already have. Android isn't even on the same level as WebOS.
How is the Palm Pre, which can multitask, play 3d Games, take videos, handle all major email systems, has over 2000+ apps, and has the best notification handling of any OS NOT a smartphone? What are you smoking exactly and where can I get some.
N-word, please.
You forgot the runaway success that WebOS has been, proving that its multitasking is what users really want.
This should have little brackets around it. :-)
No, they want flashy marketing clearly.
used to be hooked...
Like the finer Porsche engines transplanted into chevy and other mediocre frames, the fine WebOS engine will gain none of the needed traction until it is placed under a true "smartphone"-sized screen. WebOS is fine but app writers will not flock to it until Palm bites the bullet and produces an up-sized screen.
Am amazed Palm does not consider reconnecting with Shazam as a (first item on the agenda) issue. So as a user I can hold on thru til w/my centro until summer -- using a 1st iPhone used as wifi pda. Screen is more important than Palm admits-that is why every smartphone post-iPhone has a big screen. nPlease.
nDamas
Jobs is a total SOB, and Apple is shit because of it. Don't get me wrong I'm not touting Apple by any stretch, but there are some realities here to be respected. Mainly Apple being first to the game for a device of this type (app store et all).
First off. As is the trend, anything Apple/Jobs isn't currently doing is "pointless" or "worthless" to Apple and their fanbois right up to the moment they clone it. Then it's "revolutionary". The iPad doesn't have multitasking because it's running iPhoneOS. The fact that the iPad is running iPhoneOS actually a big reason it's guaranteed that iPhoneOS4 *will* have multitasking.
Android (esp in relation to the Nexus One or even Droid) has cloned every good feature from other systems and then added some of their own (best/most google service integration). That's what Google does. They already have a basic form of multitasking, transitioning it to something similar to Palm's card style system will be pretty straightforward. It'll happen.
When you have to wait 1-2 full seconds on WebOS to slide through pictures or much longer to launch an application, to say that iPhoneOS UI is catching up to WebOS UI (outside of the multitasking system) is just disingenuous. iPhoneOS is MUCH snappier than WebOS. Mainly because of the languages the two are coded in.
Again, I say this while owning a Pre myself and despising Apple. Apple didn't have a real smartphone in the iPhone until months after the 3GS was released when they finally cobbled together all basic functionality. The iPhone 3G and 1st gen iPhone were *not* smartphones. And while Palm has come much further, much faster than Apple, they're still late to the game and needed to be at minimum on par with the competition at launch to make a good run. And they simply weren't and still aren't.
Without voice recognition/dialing/commands. Without Lotus Notes email support. Without stable exchange email support. Without something so simple as a voice recorder... The Pre simply does not qualify as a smartphone. This says nothing of the build quality issues Palm has had with the Pre, most people having to replace their phone at least once within 6 months. I'm personally about to go in for my 4th replacement (and I take good care of my phones. Every phone I've ever had previous worked fine for the 2+ years I used it) that's just atrocious!
I was pulling for Palm. I really was. I really believed that at full strength they'd be better competition for Apple than Google will be. But they missed their opening. The investors already know this which is why Palm stock is falling like a rock. I don't think Palm will disappear entirely. I do think the Pre will become a genuine smartphone eventually, and I do believe that the Pre2 (or something along those lines) will release in June. But they moved too slow and missed their chance to be a major contender in the smartphone market because of it. They might get as much as 1% marketshare, but as Symbian dies out and RIM continues to be eaten away the real game will come down between Apple and Google. It's just the reality of the situation.
I love the design too. But it is mainly the videoand camera features that make me fall in love. where do I find cheap auto insurance
Neeeed shazam
hopefuly the PDK will have acccess to it.
hopefuly the PDK will have acccess to it.
:D Glad to hear
is there any news on using the microphone? for programs like shazam?
The article was pretty clear. The news is that the microphone access is still not included in the API (for some strange reason).
So no voice recog. No voice recording. No song recog.
Only thing I can think of is that Palm just doesn't have a good API yet to release and it is not a priority for them (after over a year of developing WebOS... seems odd).
Maybe we should all click on the link for Palm Developer Center Blog and all post comments asking the question about the mic API. That will get them to listen!
SLP15 is a genius. If you want the api to be relased, go straight to palm.
as for the updates, I don't do any of that stuff & it's all gibberish to me, but I'm happy to hear it. Bc I know those of you out there do understand it and you make the magic stuff happen so that we can all enjoy our pre's to their fullest potential. For that, I thank you.
Can't wait to see what you all create.
ps: if you think this is mind blowing, wait till 1.5!
I'm new to webOS.
I'm just a regular user who has fun with the apps and the media and Homebrew stuff.
this is just for developers right?
is the any reason for me to download this?
It is only for people who want to write (develop) applications
I'm new to webOS.
I'm just a regular user who has fun with the apps and the media and Homebrew stuff.
this is just for developers right?
is the any reason for me to download this?
Nah - don't worry about it.
Does this mean that we can have a barcode scanning app soon?
There's already a barcode scanning app.
I think what people want is an app equivalent to "Shopsavy" that is on iPhone and Android. I certainly would like one and we have nothing like it yet.
BTW, you can ask for it at http://www.biggu.com/2009/11/21/shopsavvy-on-palm-pre-and-pixi/comment-p...
I think we probally dont have that due to the camera has no auto focus yet at the moment. when even i try to snap an qr code the focus is shit up close, which is needed to get a good shot at it.
Seriously? Still no API for the microphone? Shazam is available on freaking dumb phones. Palm.Fail = True
Shazam is cool, but if your stereo doesn't tell you the name of the song and artist, maybe you should bitch about that???
Yeah, other than it being a cool bar trick - what exactly is so great about Shazam?
Uh, there are times when you hear a song playing on the radio or over the speakers at a store or restaurant and maybe you want to find out what song it is.
TV Commercials, Radio, Public Places, etc.
YEAH!! Now some of the Apps can get updated! Like PIXELPIPE! :-)
Pixelpipe update for 1.4 please....!!
I hope there is enough in here to let GDial Pro come back, I'm sooo missing that app.
Nope. It is a limitation in how the app handles cookies. Google's change made it not currently possible.
Why do i have a sneaking suspicious access to the mic may exist in the PDK?
lol yeah like palm hide's hidden comments in their ui system, like the sexy sarah comment,all just it their somewhere lol
I know it's cool to complain about no mic API and all, but frankly there are a lot of things I'd prioritize over that, too. Shazam is cool, but it's not really important to my life and who knows if they'd even create an app. I have used voice-api apps on the iPhone in our house exactly 3 times.
HOWEVER, isn't recording audio just a movie with no picture? I'm not sure why they don't spend a day to just have an audio-only mode and "audio" folder...
I hate "complaining" about Palm ... but for my money, voice-related apps (not necessarily Shazam) are the single biggest, glaring omission from the WebOS environment. I mean c'mon ... you can't access the mic in a *phone* ... really??!! The only thing I'm jealous of in my buddy's iPhone is when he fires up that Google-based voice search ... just tell 'em what you're looking for and it finds it ... that's seriously cool!
I guess the best workaround is to use the video recorder and record the song, and then play it back on midomi or something. I mean it is a pain, but should work if you get a good enough and long enough recording of the sound track,
where the flash player at, I hope some one can add as a patch or a plug in.
flash player is coming in the app catalog sooner or later.
So much for eating your own dogfood. Palm obviously has access to the microphone for the video recorder. Why don't other devs? Give them the mic too and let some voice dialing apps roll off the assembly line.
i'd imagine that video and mic are gonna go hand in hand.. if palm allows devs to access the video cam for apps, why would they allow it with no microphone input? what good would an app be that could access video recording with no sound? i'm willing to bet that devs are gonna find a way to make use of the mic now that the cam is available..
While this is all nice and good, WHERE IS THE BELL 1.4 UPDATE, its not even February anymore, my calendar is telling me its March. Damn you Bell.
somebody please enlight me, if there are no microphone APIs how does/did apps like gdial work/ed (im not a developer)
gDial Pro just used the phone in the Pre. Either by dialing with pauses or by using web dial to call you back. It didn't process the mic input directly.
Re: Camera API,
Qik? I've never owned a phone that could use it, but I would have a geek-gasm if I could stream video from my phone.
Ok, someone smart please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please tell me that with access to the microphone, there will soon be a voip/sip app????????
PLEASE!
Could you please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please not use the word please so much...
and could you please please please please please please please please please please please please please read the article and realize there is not microphone access through the official APIs yet, and there will not be an app like that soon (if you're thinking of Skype or something like that.).
I'm thinking that the fact that apps can "initiate video capture" doesn't mean they can access that video stream directly yet. It probably means, just like how photo capture works. The app hooks into the camera app, lets you record a video, and then you can use that recorded video in the app. So it probably won't work for live-streaming (I assume that's what Qik is?) but probably will let you upload video through an app.
For example, it'd be my guess that it won't take long for the Twitter apps to get Twitvid support.
But anything more complicated than that, we'll probably have to wait for the PDK.
Lies. Audio latency for the music app has freakin' tripled. Seriously, loading a track takes 20-25 seconds from the moment I hit play to actually hear audio. This is because my Pre sits there like it's frozen as it loads the CD cover images for the album. Switching tracks also takes longer. When I slide to the next track (in my cases I'm playing Metallica's Death Magnetic album...320Kbps), it randomly takes between 5-15 seconds to change tracks.
Please tell me the music app is unusable for everyone here. I'm of the mind to exchange or toss my Pre. This isn't a joke.
You obviously have no idea what audio latency refers to.
Thank you for your profound insight concerning this matter. If you're done punishing my ignorance whilst ignoring my statement on the basis that I used the word, "latency", then please enlighten me as to what aspect of audio latency they're referring to. From my minimal understanding, I am left to assume that audio latency doesn't refer to the latency of audio in the context of the music application. Therefore, perhaps this is in reference to the amount of time it takes for the speaker itself to produce the sound the phone is telling it to.
Thank you for shitting on my complaint and piously asserting your feeble and unnecessary observation. I failed to consider that my humorous and simple word use of "lies" would cause you, or any other woman, such emotional distress. I'll be more mindful of your fragility in future posts.
What still using Virtual Box 3.0.10 ?
I have to say Shazaam (or however it's spelled) is the single greatest application of the tools available from a phone that I have ever seen. Truly outside the box stuff.
It's just too bad that by the time we have it on the Pre, there will be nobody left to impress with it. I think it's probably available on some pay-as-you-go phones you can get in gas stations already at this point.
At least we will be that much closer to Red Laser, which is the second greatest app that our phones don't have.
if you hear a song on the radio and you like it all you need to do is type like 5 words of it into your phone hit google and voila.
LOL! Just call me and sing it and I will probably be able to figure it out. There! You don't need it! - the standard WebOS App Catalog availability response.
Automation is the key to Shazam. There are alot of things you can do manually by typing, searching, etc. It all goes back to the new age philosophy: laziness is the mother of invention, not necessity.
anybody feeling a blogtv app?
the Pre has had audio recording for a long time. Device info, hit menu, select interactive tests, then audio. You can experience the wonder of the Pre recording your voice.
Palm never made a device that prioritized having Sha-freakin-zam. That's not ever what this device was about, and they never said it was. Not to say it never will be, but there are higher priorities and they are steadily getting to all of those.
I hope Qik make an App now that we have video. It would be nice to have video streaming..
attention to all developers
the vid function is great but
you can not multi task with it what is a major bummer...with the precorder you could multitask to be exact you could let the music play and record at the same time...why is this not possible anymore it's in my eyes a backward devlopment....
pls can some make a patch for it so we can multi task with the recorder and then...
apps like friend flow and slacker radio have major loading problems since the new update to be exact they freeze alot and don't stream liquid as they used to can someone patxh that too pls... And then it's all good but till then it's a major backward development... I want to multitask while I record and I want to enjoy my music without constantly closing and reloading the app it's a big issue I'm talking about I hope someone hears me... Then it's really frustrating...thx for reading much love to the developers
So a skype app can not be developed on Verizon Pre Plus with this SDK right? No mic access?
It always amazes me how people who are fundamentally not musicians cant even fathom a use for audio recording besides shazam. For those of you who never actually created some music in your lives please let me educate you.
The creative musical process usually starts with you humming something on the toilet or while driving or randomly whistling something on a hike that just happens to be good. Its these magical creative moments that are perfect for a recording app on a cell phone, simply because its always with you. You dont need something that creates polished finished tracks, just a musical notepad for remembering ideas to develop later.
If you arent a musician than perhaps you'll never get it. Its like being a cartoonist with no notebook for random sketches when an idea pops into her head. Or a poet with nothing to write lines on the bus. You loose ideas. Good ideas are forgotten forever. Right now the best reason for musicians to forgo WebOS and get an iPhone is that they have several multi track recording apps to choose from. Its almost a deal breaker for musicians. Even a single track recorder would be huge.
zCorder doesnt work for me.