Palm Announces webOS 2.0 Features

Palm, fresh off of its HP acquisition has announced the key features for webOS 2.0.  The seven key new features will effectively take webOS from its current incremental state to a finished one and demonstrate its goal to utilize web technologies for full applications more effectively with the exit of the PDK plug-in from Beta.  Read More for the complete listing.

Stacks

Palm’s Stacks will be improved by grouping related cards in stacks, with webOS 2.0 automatically stacking cards with drag and drop functionality.  User actions in app will automatically be grouped with the app’s main card.

Just Type

Universal Search has been renamed and its functionality expanded. Among the many Just Type enhancements is a new feature called Quick Actions. The operating system will automatically pull up a prompt for the most common actions such as search, email, web browsing or other functions without opening an application  Developers will be able to use the functionality in the following ways:

• Enable search within apps. If the relevant data is stored on the device, Just Type will present real-time suggestions as the user types. If the data is online, users will type a query and then tap to launch the app, where the results will be presented.
• Defining app-specific Quick Actions. Developers will be able to define specific Quick Action triggers for the application which will allow for users to open the app after the specific action is selected

Exhibition

Apps can be designed specifically for phones placed on the Palm Touchstone Charging Dock. Exhibition will launch automatically when the device is placed on top of the charger.  A few Exhibition options will be built into webOS 2.0. Exhibition can be added to an existing app, or built just for Exhibition.

Synergy

Synergy will be opened up to developers.Initially,  Synergy connectors for Contacts, Calendar, and Messaging will be available, with other webOS data types being made available as well in the future. Developers will be able to integrate the following functionality from Synergy

• Connect to a chat or IM network from the webOS Messaging app
• Access personal contacts, favorite businesses, or a shared address book from the webOS Contacts UI
• View and manage personal and shared calendars, keep track of favorite sports and entertainment events, and more from within the webOS Calendar app

JavaScript Services

The popular Node.js Javascript runtime environment is now built into webOS 2.0, which means that developers can build webOS apps and services in JavaScript. The Node ecosystem is also on hand to provide community support and a rapidly growing library of modules.  The Node runtime also powers the new Synergy APIs and adds new capabilities such as low-level networking, file system access, and binary data processing to web apps.

PDK Plug-ins

The PDK will exit beta in webOS 2.0. Using plug-ins, porting app logic from other platforms will be easier while leveraging the Mojo Framework to give users a familiar interface and integrate seamlessly into webOS.  The option of utilizing the PDK for graphics and performance-intensive features as needed will be available while building the rest of the app in HTML/JavaScript/CSS.

HTML5 Enhancements

Highlights of expanded HTML5 support include:

• Enhanced Canvas support, including image data and gradients
• Support for Web Storage, both local and session storage
• Geolocation support, allowing websites to access location information with the user’s permission
• Application Cache, which lets websites cache resources on the device for offline use

The web 2.0 beta will be available for developers later today.