If you were wondering why there wasn’t anything for the start of this week, well, so were we. But Palm’s got some work underway that’s going to bring some updates to the App Catalog. Anyway, today brought us a lot of new stuff, and as usual we’ve got the round-up for you. It’s a long list, so we’ve got it all after the break for your perusal.
New apps:
- Beerology 101, $0.99, by Austin Cameron: Get nutrition, color, ratings, and more detailed information on countless beers. Congrats to Homebrew Graduate socca1157!
- Blocks Lite, Free, by Den Falske Zebra: The classic and addictive puzzle blocks game.
- Bull Bingo, $0.99, by JayGeiger.com: Play bingo! straight on your webOS phone.
- Cowbell, $0.99, by Fisher Software Company: I’ve got a fever.
- Cricket Wars, Free, by Moblyng: Hook up with the popular Facebook app and become a cricket master.
- Free Greeting Card Messages, Free, by MyAppCatalog.com: Free version of Greeting Card Messages, lacks easy SMS and email features. Congrats to Homebrew Graduate kardin!
- iBored, $1.99, by rTag: Find concerts, festivals, and shows in your area.
- Klondike Solitaire, $1.99, by Codenautics: Classic Solitaire with four different Klondike variants.
- QuickText, $0.99, by Kingplus: Quickly send common text messages (running late, in a meeting, etc). Congrats to Homebrew Graduate akiliking!
- Quicktionary, $2.99, by SplashData: Quick and easy access to Wikitionary.org.
- Radio Hibiki, $1.89, by operation 9: Listen in to more than 25,000 live radio stations.
- Random Number Generator, $0.99, by Erik Goddard. Easily generate up to four numbers between 1 and 10.
- Resistor Code, $0.99, by Geeksinside: Decode what those various colored bands mean. Congrats to Homebrew Graduate drewgaylo!
- Rock Paper Scissors, $0.99, by Fisher Software Company: Play Rock Paper Scissors against a friend or the phone.
- Rockus Sound Machine, $1.99, by Rockus Studios: Sound generating machine with 18 different sounds plus a timer.
- Super Sudoku Demo, Free, by OrbSix Software: Play Sudoku right on your phone.
- TealTime, $4.95, by TealPoint Software: Alarm, timer, and world clock all in one.
- Tic Tac Toe for webOS, Free, by Fusion Creative Studios: Play tic tac toe in the sand, on the sidewalk, or on paper against a friend or the computer.
- Topple Ball Mini, Free, by Josh Bilderback: Ten level trial of tilting board game. Congrats to Homebrew Graduate MrJspeed!
- Video Poker, Free, by bytesequencing.com: Play video poker right on your Pre.
- YAHTZEE Demo, Free, by Electronic Arts: Trial version of graphics-rich Yahtzee game.
Updated apps:
- Card Ace: Hold ‘Em, Free
- Citysearch, Free
- Classic, Free
- Flixster, Free
- FreeWeather, Free
- gDial Pro, Free
- JogStats, $4.99
- Lottery Generator, $0.99
- Mobile War, $1.99
- Net2Streams Pro, $2.99
- NewsRoom, $4.99
- P2Wardrobe, $0.99
- Pack ‘n’ Track, $7.99
- Spaz, Free
- Stopwatch / Time, $1.00
- Top Stocks, $4.99
- YPmobile, Free
Filed Under:
Apps; Tags: yahtzee, Topple Ball, Tic Tac Toe, TealTime, Sudoku, Solitaire, Rockus Sound Machine, Rock Paper Scissors, Resistor Code, Random Number Generator, Radio Hibiki, Quicktionary, QuickText, iBored, Cricket Wars, Cowbell, Bull Bingo, Beerology 101, App Catalog
Comments
YAHTZEE Demo, Free, by Electronic Arts: Trial version of graphics-rich Yahtzee game.
I thought I already saw this in the App Cat quite from the beginning. Or are there now two different?
(Have my Pre 'currently' not available...)
Most likely a Pixi compatibility update.
Here's a bit more about Classic update http://motionapps.blogspot.com/2009/11/classic-v201-is-out-and-about.html
This needs to go on the pre|central home page - great news!
I'm really looking forward to some more practical apps coming.. we seem to be stalled with more novelty or "me too" apps and not much new for "gotta have" functional apps. Maybe it's just as well, until Palm fixes the app install limitation.. it's already hard to choose which app I'm going to get rid of when a new one that I want comes out. (which is pretty rare these days)
I think the lack of a real SDK has a LOT to do with that. :(
I feel the exact same way!
I'm not sure we should expect to see any of those practical apps in the near future. No one is sure whether smartphone pricing power really supports the development kind of apps we used to have for, say Palm OS or WinMOB. I guess that would be a good question for Motion Apps (Classic), Chapura or Dataviz. The iPhone has some of these practical apps, however, they are mostly there because everyone is afraid of missing the iPhone App boat and there are a ton of potential users.
Too bad I can't try any due to the app limit. I am way over and have been for 2 months.
I have a Eris on Verizon & a Pre' Trust me the Eris doesn't compaire to the Pre' but droid is gonna beat out Wab OS. Its all because palm & Sprint has Terrible marketing department & the app catalog is awful. I am so tired of the BS apps. Why don't they stop getting out #'s & start getting out quality. The Zombie app is a look @ what the future of apps will be on the pre but this current stuff is a JOKE. The droid OS is slow on (THE NETWORK) I think droid is for the average smart phone user & web'os is for business users. In the end I think palm will stay behind droid because droid wins the advertising wars.
cowbell? Really?
MORE COWBELL!
I am very appreciative of all the work that folks have done to learn the new OS and enable others to build upon their success with better and better applications. I used to code for the PalmOS, and it is truly no trivial task, regardless of how well things are documented, etc.
I have bit my tongue for a while, but I need to say this for the sake for developers and this platform as a whole:
The pricing of applications is ridiculous. $3 for an app which is nothing more than a shortcut to a wiki page is only going to shun people away. $1 for rock paper sissors or a random number generator? Come on. Give out free apps, and then build upon your following to introduce some actual functionality.
I have had a Pre from day #1 of availability in the U.S. Despite my use of, and suggestions to authors of, homebrew apps, I have yet to purchase ONE application from the store. Probably like you, I am the early adopter, who got rid of his Treo 755p (which did everything I needed) for a rough-around-the-edges, probably-released-6-months-too-early, new platform device. I want to show it off by buying apps that we all know should exist, or exist on other platforms.
Respect the users with sensible or free pricing.
As a software engineer I have to agree with this. I saw some quiz applications for around $4 or $5 and thought, "Can't I get this (or something very much like it) free on numerous websites?" Why wouldn't I just point my web browser there and save my money?
People should already know to go to Random.org to get their random numbers for free. I even see it as a disadvantage to have a separate application with the limit in place. It also crowds up my launcher desktop.
I don't follow the Apple iPhone applications so much, but everyone talks about how there are thousands of them. If they are just quizzes and pretty presentation of web services, they shouldn't count. One or two people could probably churn out hundreds of them in a week. It doesn't add up to one Slingbox application, one really comprehensive Facebook application, or one Office Document Editing application.
I realize small developers might not have access to APIs or resources to make these application. My point is more that all applications are not created equal. Some are much more important to the platform than others.
I agree with you wholly. I'm a software engineering student and I've made one-shot class projects better than most of these apps.
No access to the APIs is not an excuse for making all these crappy, pointless apps. They should out until they have a good idea for an app that can be implemented with the current API instead of churning out the first thing they think of to make a quick buck.
Wow...you stole the words right from my brain. Literally, the three apps you pointed out above are the same ones I was about to complain about. I am a huge homebrew fan and think the devs there are tops, but some of them are charging for apps they obviously wrote just to learn WebOS. I am working on my first app and I have no intentions on charging for it. I don't expect all the apps to be free or dirt cheap, but I find charging for some of these apps completely insulting.
I have to agree. I remember anxiously awaiting the day that the App Catalog would allow for paid apps, having owned the Pre since launch.
Now that there have been paid apps for a while, how many have I bought?
Zero. (Though Beerology 101 now has me tempted.) And not because I am cheap, but none of these apps are that inspiring. If it is the fault of the SDK, then so be it, that is Palm's fault and not the developers, but there seems like there is at least the potential for some useful apps that I would pay for, but these apps are not coming out.
Detailed city maps, more subway system/public transportation apps that include schedules, exits, etc., apps to edit photos on the Pre.....Maybe my expectations were unrealistic, but the phone has been out now for almost six months and I thought we would be farther along this process.
I definitely agree but would add to your observations that Palm absilutely HAS to fix the app limit issue. Even with patch hacks and fixes I still can no longer update apps I have or download any new apps that might catch my eye. I cannot fathom how Palm could let this glaring issue linger for so long. A Smartphone is not so smart when there is a huge technical roadblock to many features and QoL programs people need and want on their device.
I hope Palm is listening, but I haven't seen them address this issue directly or comment on whether they plan on fixing this.
Where'd Weatherman go?
I'll chime in here, only because reflect the thoughts of the previous 2 comments.
I too am an early adopter, and obtained my device June 6th, the first day out stateside.
I have not purchased any apps, I would if there were honestly any that I thought were worth purchasing. I would really be interested in a task app that interworked with the pre notifications. Google tasks (free) come close, but don't interwork with the Pre calendar. The WebOS tasks are a joke.
I'm ready to buy, just not going to waste my money on junk.
This is still a new device. Give it a chance.
With incredible competition from Google, Apple, Nokia, etc., there is very little time to waste here. If Palm doesn't get some killer apps out by the Spring, I predict:
- Development will halt on webOS apps and efforts will switch to Android
- Palm Pre will be quickly forgotten
- Continued mass migration from Sprint (including myself in 18 months)
- Buy-out of Sprint/Nextel by foreign investors, or bankruptcy.
P.S. I did sorta lie in my first post above. I bought Classic, but only to use PocketQuicken.
Yes. Something is amiss in the App Catalog. First of all, there is the same ratio of apps to crapps as in the iPhone App Store. There is no magical WebOS catalog that has all of the apps that you want and none of the ones that you consider to be junk. That was just a fantasy that some people had about WebOS ecosystem being smaller than the iPhone ecosystem yet somehow better.
Second, the SDK simply isn't anywhere near as powerful as the iPhone SDK which was built on more than a decade of OSX development. WebOS may be easy but it isn't robust, efficient, or whatever it takes to make complex apps. That's why it isn't inspiring the game developers who made all those cool toys for the iPhone using the touchscreen, accelerometer, microphone, wifi, camera, etc. You may not play all these games but they sell devices, grab mindshare, inspire the developers, and push the platform ahead.
There's a ton of work to be done with the WebOS SDK. I doubt Palm really has the resources it would take to keep up never mind closing the gap with Android and iPhone OS. I'm afraid HTML5 or Flash or whatever Jesusware is coming down the pike is not likely to do it.
Psst (to Derek): Radio Hibiki is also a Homebrew graduate--by me. ;)
And it's only 92k, which makes it a great fit for folks with little space left to download apps with!
All of these little applications are just downright sickening. Where's a new music player like PTunes, or why can't I have playlist capabilty, call forwarding anyone? Can you believe that the Pre doesn't even have the ability to forward calls? Now, i know one of you smartasses will get on here and tell me about some patch shit, but I tried to add the damn thing to my laptop and could not d/l the application necessary to install homebrew apps/patches. Plus, it seesm like the Pre is already getting more buggy just with adding apps from the catalogue. I just don't trust to be adding a bunch of apps that are not approved through Palm, when it seems like the ones that they are approving still makes my phone buggy. In any event, the Pre should just have certain things out of the box and 6 months later, it still doesn't.
So ... Anyone care to stop complaining about the bad apps and speak up about their favorites?
I particularly like Conmigo. It's great concept and good execution with plenty of room for more features. GPS tracking apps for running/biking/etc are great, but being able to invite other people to an "event" and then getting to see each other's stats is pretty damn cool. The price felt a little steep at $5.99 but it's been money well spent for me and I haven't seen anything else like it.
Wow! How did we miss this comment? :-/ Glad to hear it!
http://conmigolife.com
I don't know if anyone else saw this, but yesterday when i looked for new apps, Lexi-Comp was also listed, and I downloaded it. Now when i look on the apps page, it isn't there, so they must have removed it. I guess they found some bugs. Anyway, I've got it and it seems to be working fine. This is a great tool for people in healthcare.
Yahtzee! demo? DEMO??? Come on EA! I've been waiting since the FIRST demo to buy this game. How 'bout the full-blown version? Ugh...
Beerology is sweet. Is there one for wine, too? I always like picking up something new when shopping, and these would be quite helpful
But, um... a rock paper scissors game? Why would you play that against someone on your phone? The only time I can see needing electronic assistance is if you're an amputee, but then I doubt you're using a Pre.
I would kill for a camera app similar to Chase Jarvis' "Best Camera App" for the iPhone. In phone editing, filtering, and uploading.
http://blog.chasejarvis.com/blog/2009/09/best-camera-iphone-app-book-com...
I still am trying to update my Photo Dialer. Says update available. I tap download and still says download cancelled and screen says "App Catalog unavaliable, Try again later. It's been over a week. Same with stopwatch / timer.
Sometimes when this happens, the only choice is to delete the app, then then redownload it.
"I still am trying to update my Photo Dialer. Says update available. I tap download and still says download canceled and screen says "App Catalog unavailable, Try again later. It's been over a week. Same with stopwatch / timer."
The reason that you cant updated those apps is because they are now paid apps...so thats why they will not updated and cause the App Catalog to crash.
I understand it's a paid app now. There was a post here a weekago saying that those who had that app prior can have the updates for free. I guess not huh?
This is getting ridiculous. Nearing six months on now and our "smartphone" still doesn't have standard, core functionality like a VOICE RECORDER and a decent, syncing TASK APP? It's bad enough that these things aren't standard on the phone, that I'll have to pay for them as apps, but I can't even do that as no such apps exist.
These two things are essential to my productivity workflow, and they existed on the Treo, which is supposed to be the phone I UPGRADED from. They also exist on every other newer smartphone on the market. And video recording could be thrown in there, too - it'd be nice to be able to catch little moments with my family on the fly... again, like I could on the Treo. If my Treo wasn't messed up beyond usability now I'd just switch back.
I've had it with Palm. If I don't get a Voice Recorder and a decent, syncing Task App(the ONE they have there now doesn't cut it) by the next update I'll just take the hit with early contract termination and go get a Droid or an Iphone...
I've had Palm devices for YEARS. It's a sad day that they've somehow tossed away all their wonderful productivity functionality on their new "flagship" phone, and have stuck a finger in our eye by not quickly offering such functionality, even as paid apps. I mean, what gives? Are you TRYING to get us to go with other phone manufacturers, Palm? Why is it so hard to give us the same functionality as other major players on the market?
Ditto the voice recorder gripe. This is probably the single biggest problem I have with my Pre day-to-day. In fact, that and video recording are the only two missing features I personally consider a big deal... valid point about task syncing, but I never had that before so I don't miss it like I do the other two, voice recording especially.
I like my Pre quite a bit, but those two items hurt, quite a bit sometimes.
A little perspective to begin with as folks panic/work themselves into a lather...
Multi-media texting, video recording, copy and paste... three amazingly basic functions that took Apple THREE generations to get into their 'revolutionary' iPhone. Add in being on the worst network in the country and Apple is lucky that their customer base is made up of a significant number of iSheeple.
The Pre is a first gen device with a brand new OS. I'd love to see more apps with real functionality, but bear in mind the device has only really been out for 6 months. The more complex the app, the longer it's going to take to develop, especially with Palm having a smaller share of the marketplace. The Pixi will help with that, just be patient.
Agreed, however, Palm's PalmOS last phone, the Treo755p, had all those features. A long time ago.
Video recording has been shown, in the forums, to already exist in the Palm Pre. The hardware and core OS features are already in place. But someone had to hack it to show it is there.
If we rewind and look at the failures of the platform, it seems abundantly clear that Palm did not have enough time to finish the UI to get to the launch window they wanted. So, instead, they have been "finishing" it, and calling them "software updates". Actually, we have all been glorified beta testers.
The first folks to buy the 1st Gen iPhone were glorified beta testers...so does anyone who uses most Google products...oh and don't get me started on MS products...I guess the lesson here is if you want a mature platform, wait a year or 2. If you want the latest toy to show off, be patient and live with the growing pains or do more research before you buy.
It's one thing to have a few quirks in the experience that get worked out over time. We all understand that. It's quite another to have a steep drop in the most basic sets of functionality tools - tools such as the voice recorder - a feature that used to come with previous Palm phones without a problem, and that is also included with any other new smartphone on the market.
We're not asking for anything fancy or hard to deliver on. We're only asking for stuff Palm and others have done as a matter of course on previous and current phones. Sure, video recording wasn't available on the first iphone, but it's 2009 now and a standard feature on any other phone. Droid has it right out of the gate. Voice recorder? We've had that for years on any decent phone. But not on Palm's new "flagship" phone.
If Palm thinks it can play like it's Apple and hold back key bits of functionality because they're so "cool" that people will eat up each new release that adds those features, they are deluding themselves. The iphone was completely unlike anything else on the market when it came out and was considered supercool and "different". You had nowhere else to go to get the same experience, so people would wait for features like video and get it on the newer versions. The Pre is late in that regard. It is not as new or "cool" as the iphone on the open market. It's not a phone that people wait for with baited breath and lines around the block. People have lots of options for a screen-dominated touch smart phone these days. They can't pull this crap if they want to survive.
That's why iphone is getting with the program and adding in key bits of functionality now. They have to in order to stay competitive. Pre is trying to act like the iphone in 2007 - as if people will be so enamored by it they can sell newer versions with things like video, etc and people will sit and wait because they can't get the same kind of phone experience anywhere else. But Palm just can't do that model. Neither can Apple, with many things, anymore. Again, there are plenty of other places to go these days, and people like me will be happy to go there if Palm doesn't get competitive, and quick.
Again, you can't explain away the Pre's lack of the things we're asking for by saying it's a first generation phone. It's 2009. Droid is first gen and it has all the things we're asking for. My TREO had all the things I'm asking for, and it came out years ago. It's not as if Palm can't give us these things. Like they're too hard. Give me a break. For some reason they decided to give us LESS of a functionality experience than we got with older Palm devices, instead of just giving us all the good stuff they'd built up over the years only with the new slick WebOS making the experience better. It's a baffling and maddening thing.
So no - don't tell me they can't give us a simple voice recorder, even as a paid app, because it's a first generation device. Broken record alert - every other smartphone on the market has it, first gen or not, as did their older devices.
How can Palm compete with these new phones when they are so lacking in BASIC features that are standard elsewhere?
You're talking as if Palm purposefully omitted the features you're talking about. Why would they possibly do that? They're a small (by comparison to Apple and Google) company with fewer resources than these other companies have.
We can argue with Palm over where their priorities are. (Maybe you agree with their priorities, maybe not.) But I don't think they're willfully withholding functionality from us. I think they're focusing on areas that are not as important to you and thus not focusing on areas that are of critical importance to you. I think it's that simple.
How can you suggest that Droid is first gen when Android 2.0 is out?
yes, webos is "new", but so what!? I can understand new=few apps, but the os itself needs to get up to par asap! I mean, really... Why compare pre to the first gen iphone? That was then and this is now. If you are buying a laptop would you choose one with windows 2000 or windows 7?
honestly, although I love my pre, the only thing holding me from returning it is the homebrew patches.
PALM, I don't care for your "improved" music player. The remix player is still better, so don't waste your time with it anymore, throw the devs some $ for doing your work for you... for all those patches (since you, palm, couldn't do it yourselves) and then incorporate those ALREADY EXISTING patches natively...
I know some of you may start saying... "do your research" or whatever else... I don't care! The fact is still that when a customer compares device A to device P, and P is half baked (and remains so for 5 monthes with VERY limited if any word from the manufacturer) why would the customer choose the Pre?
... And many coming from the Treos/Centros feel like getting a DOWNGRADE... This is unacceptable.
Palm, if you released a half baked os, then you need to come out and let us "guinny pigs" know what you are working on and how its progressing...
ugh, I feel tired now... :-/ lol
agreed with Josey Wales
Neopets Neopoints
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