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Press Release: February 16, 2009

O'Reilly Media and Palm to Release First Official Resource for webOS Programming--O'Reilly Media Alert: First Chapter of "Palm webOS: Developing Applications in JavaScript Using the Palm Mojo Framework" Now Available Online

Palm webOS: Rough Cuts Version Sebastopol, CA—On the heels of the enthusiasm that has greeted the debut of the Palm webOS platform and the Palm Pre phone, O'Reilly Media and Palm, Inc. (Nasdaq: PALM) today announced that they're collaborating to create the first official resource for programming the new webOS platform. Written by Palm Vice President and Software Chief Technology Officer Mitch Allen and members of the webOS development team, Palm webOS: Developing Applications in JavaScript Using the Palm Mojo Framework, is being edited and distributed by O'Reilly Media, a leading publisher of technology resources.

The first chapter of the Rough Cuts Version of the book is currently available online. Rough Cuts is a service from Safari Books Online that provides early access to books on cutting-edge technologies prior to publication. Programmers eager to learn how to develop applications on webOS can literally read the book online as it is being written or download it as a PDF. And with Rough Cuts, readers can participate in an ongoing discussion about the book and technology. The first chapter is also available for free from the Palm Developer Network at http://developer.palm.com. The complete book will be published upon release of Mojo, Palm's webOS software development kit (SDK).

"Palm webOS is unlike any mobile platform available today," said Mitch Allen, vice president and software chief technology officer, Palm, Inc. "Because it leverages several industry-standard web technologies, including CSS, HTML and JavaScript, it enables them to build native JavaScript applications and provides a rich open development environment that's familiar to tens of millions of web developers. I'm excited to be working with O'Reilly to show the developer community just how easy and satisfying it is to develop applications for webOS."

Unveiled last month at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, webOS has won enthusiastic praise for giving users what other mobile platforms can't: cloud connectivity and data-integration, bringing users' information from the many places it resides--on their phone, at work or on the web--into one simple, integrated view. Palm Pre, the first phone to run on the new platform, has a sleek design that offers a large touch screen and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard.

The Palm webOS book offers developers concise information about the application model and framework, and how to use Palm's Mojo SDK to build applications to run on webOS, along with best practices, considerations, and guidelines for design and development.

"Palm has stepped up to the plate in terms of working with open standards and delivering a platform the mobile community can embrace," said Executive Editor Steve Weiss, O'Reilly. "Mobile application development has emerged as one of the guiding themes in tech for the foreseeable future, and O'Reilly is pleased to be working directly with Palm to create the best learning resources for application designers and developers as quickly as possible."

Mitch Allen will also present a free webcast on Feb. 25 at 10 a.m. PT to offer developers a rare preview of the webOS operating system and development environment, followed by a Q&A session. For more information, see: http://oreilly.com/go/webospreview.

For a review copy or more information please email [email protected]. Please include your delivery address and contact information.

Mitch Allen is CTO of Software at Palm, Inc. where he has worked in various positions for 8 years starting with building and leading the software team at Handspring which conceived and developed the Treo smartphone. From webOS's conception to implementation, Mitch designed the early architecture of the webOS platform and led the development team through the initial design stage and as a result is intimately familiar with the capabilities of the platform and tools.

Additional Resources:
For more information about the book, including table of contents, index, author bios, and cover graphic, see: http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/9780596801816

Palm webOS: Rough Cuts Version
Mitch Allen
ISBN: 9780596801816, 256 pages
Online Access Only: $34.95 USD
[email protected]
1-800-998-9938
1-707-827-7000


About Palm webOS
The groundbreaking Palm webOS platform, designed exclusively for mobile use, introduces Palm Synergy, which brings your information from the many places it resides into one simple, integrated view. webOS also lets you keep multiple applications open and instantly flip from one to another, so you can flow easily between activities without losing your place. It’s designed to be so in sync with your needs that it feels like it’s thinking ahead for you. More information about Palm webOS and Palm Pre is available at www.palm.com. Information about the Palm Mojo Framework and SDK is available at developer.palm.com.

About Palm, Inc.
Palm, Inc. is a leading mobile products company, creating instinctive yet powerful mobile products that enable people to better manage their lives on the go. The company’s products for consumers, mobile professionals and businesses include Palm Treo, Pre, and Centro phones, as well as software, services, and accessories.

Palm products are sold through select Internet, retail, reseller and wireless operator channels throughout the world, and at Palm online stores.

More information about Palm, Inc. is available at http://www.palm.com.

About O’Reilly

O’Reilly Media spreads the knowledge of innovators through its books, online services, magazines, and conferences. Since 1978, O’Reilly Media has been a chronicler and catalyst of cutting-edge development, homing in on the technology trends that really matter and spurring their adoption by amplifying “faint signals” from the alpha geeks who are creating the future. An active participant in the technology community, the company has a long history of advocacy, meme-making, and evangelism.

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