Engadget http://www.engadget.com Engadget http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif Engadget http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[PS3 jailbreak adapted to Nokia N900, Palm Pre in wake of Australian ban (video)]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/05/ps3-jailbreak-adapted-to-nokia-n900-palm-pre-in-wake-of-austral/http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/05/ps3-jailbreak-adapted-to-nokia-n900-palm-pre-in-wake-of-austral/http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/05/ps3-jailbreak-adapted-to-nokia-n900-palm-pre-in-wake-of-austral/#comments Two weeks ago you'd have to pay an Australian importer for a specialized USB key. Four days ago open-source software let you roll your own. Today, there's no need for any of that -- you can hack your PS3 with a tethered smartphone. Working closely with the PSGroove team, hacker Kakaroto adapted the same jailbreak to the Nokia N900, and the open-source community lost no time porting it to the Palm Pre as well. If the videos after the break are any indication, both versions work just as well as the original, and you too can get your game on with downloads and detailed instructions at the source links below.

Sadly, the aforementioned Australian importer OzModChips is a casualty of this little story, with all its shipments of the PS Jailbreak dongle seized (and the item subject to injunction) by an Australian court, but we suppose knowing its product has enabled the hardware hacking community thus might somewhat soften the blow.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading PS3 jailbreak adapted to Nokia N900, Palm Pre in wake of Australian ban (video)

PS3 jailbreak adapted to Nokia N900, Palm Pre in wake of Australian ban (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 05 Sep 2010 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>backupshackhackshomebrewjailbreakmodmodsN900NokiaNokia N900NokiaN900open sourceOpenSourceOzModChipsPalmPalm PrePalmPreplaystation 3Playstation3Preps jailbreakps3psgroovePsJailbreakSonyvideoSun, 05 Sep 2010 16:29:00 EST<![CDATA[WebOS homebrew MyTether app updated, brings WiFi hotspots to Verizon Palms w/o the extra subscription]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/03/webos-homebrew-mytether-app-updated-brings-wifi-hotspots-to-ver/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/03/webos-homebrew-mytether-app-updated-brings-wifi-hotspots-to-ver/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/03/webos-homebrew-mytether-app-updated-brings-wifi-hotspots-to-ver/#comments Since the last time we mentioned it, the MyTether app for WebOS phones has gone up in price from a requested $10 donation to $14.95, but that's still considerably cheaper than Verizon's $40 per month Mobile Hotspot plan. We're still leery about what usage/overusage could mean for your contract & bill, but a new beta version has been posted that officially supports the Pre Plus and according to the developer "makes use of the API calls behind MHS" to let it work more smoothly. Even with the Pre's openness to hackery we had some issues getting the beta installer to operate on our Windows 7 machine but once it was installed it worked as promised, giving comparable speeds to a dedicated EV-DO card on the same network. Other new features include automatic tracking of data usage and the ability to manage connected devices directly on the app. Other than some compatibility issues with WebOS updates there hasn't seemed to be any blowback from Sprint or Palm on this app so far, we'll see if Verizon has any issues with its premium priced turf being encroached upon.

Gallery: MyTether beta

WebOS homebrew MyTether app updated, brings WiFi hotspots to Verizon Palms w/o the extra subscription originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Feb 2010 23:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3gbluetoothev-dohomebrewmobile hotspotMobileHotspotmy tetherMyTetherpalmpalm prePalmPrepamphonephone as modemPhoneAsModempixiprepre plusPrePlussprinttetherusb tetheringUsbTetheringverizonweb osWebOswifiwireless tetheringWirelessTetheringWed, 03 Feb 2010 23:08:00 EST<![CDATA[Hardware accelerated 'Doom' comes to the Pre]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/hardware-accelerated-doom-comes-to-the-pre/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/hardware-accelerated-doom-comes-to-the-pre/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/hardware-accelerated-doom-comes-to-the-pre/#comments Pre homebrew has certainly come a long way in its short but happy life -- and now it's just gotten another little notch in its belt. Apparently, with the release of webOS 1.3.5, Palm has included a software library called SDL (or Simple Directmedia Layer) which allows developers low-level hardware access -- like the kind needed to tap into accelerated 3D graphics. With a little bit of elbow grease, webOS hacker extraordinaire zsoc was able to put together a port of Doom which can be run within a card in the OS, and completely functions (including keyboard controls). You've got to get your hands a little dirty with the Terminal app to make things happen right now if you want to try it for yourself, though the experimenters promise an easier solution in the coming days. Exciting stuff for webOS users hungry for a little more horsepower... now let's see if Palm puts this into play come CES.

Update: PreCentral has a video of the app in action -- check it out after the break!

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Hardware accelerated 'Doom' comes to the Pre

Hardware accelerated 'Doom' comes to the Pre originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hackinghomebrewpalmpalm prePalmPrepresdlSimple Directmedia LayerSimpleDirectmediaLayerweb osweb os 1.3.5WebOswebos 1.3.5WebOs1.3.5Thu, 31 Dec 2009 11:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Palm Precorder brings video recording homebrew to the Pre]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/24/palm-precorder-brings-video-recording-homebrew-to-the-pre/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/24/palm-precorder-brings-video-recording-homebrew-to-the-pre/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/24/palm-precorder-brings-video-recording-homebrew-to-the-pre/#comments If you like your software homebrewed with just a hint of alpha then boy do we have an app for you. The WebOS homebrew community just released Precorder; an app that lets your Palm Pre record audio and 30fps 480x320 pixel video in H.264/AVC format -- you can even control the built-in LED for recording in low-light situations. Unfortunately, there's no video preview presented while recording but hey, it's alpha software bro... and it's free. Check a video sample after the break.

Continue reading Palm Precorder brings video recording homebrew to the Pre

Palm Precorder brings video recording homebrew to the Pre originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 03:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>camcorderhackhomebrewpalmpreprecorderrecordervideovideo recordingVideoRecordingwebosWebOS InternalsWebosInternalsTue, 24 Nov 2009 03:35:00 EST<![CDATA[Third-party Google Voice client hits the webOS App Catalog]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/10/third-party-google-voice-app-hits-the-webos-app-catalog/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/10/third-party-google-voice-app-hits-the-webos-app-catalog/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/10/third-party-google-voice-app-hits-the-webos-app-catalog/#comments It looks like it isn't just bluster from Palm when it comes to thinking differently about its app approval policy. Besides taking a pretty healthy stance on applications that deviate from its current standards, today 10 new titles have shown up for download... a Google Voice app being one of them. gDial Pro, a piece of software which started its life as a homebrew application, is now an official part of the beta store. The program lets you access Google Voice's full feature set (including a dialer), and no one seems very bothered by it. Here's hoping Palm keeps up the flow of new software to the Catalog (they're eating for two now) and they keep a healthy distance from rejection letters.

[Via PreThinking]

Filed under: ,

Third-party Google Voice client hits the webOS App Catalog originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 21:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>app approvalapp catalogAppApprovalAppCatalogapprovalgdial proGdialProhomebrewmobilepalmpalm prePalmPrepreweb oswebosThu, 10 Sep 2009 21:03:00 EST<![CDATA[Third-party Google Voice client hits the webOS App Catalog]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/10/third-party-google-voice-app-hits-the-webos-app-catalog/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/10/third-party-google-voice-app-hits-the-webos-app-catalog/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/10/third-party-google-voice-app-hits-the-webos-app-catalog/#comments It looks like it isn't just bluster from Palm when it comes to thinking differently about its app approval policy. Besides taking a pretty healthy stance on applications that deviate from its current standards, today 10 new titles have shown up for download... a Google Voice app being one of them. gDial Pro, a piece of software which started its life as a homebrew application, is now an official part of the beta store. The program lets you access Google Voice's full feature set (including a dialer), and no one seems very bothered by it. Here's hoping Palm keeps up the flow of new software to the Catalog (they're eating for two now) and they keep a healthy distance from rejection letters.

[Via PreThinking]

Filed under:

Third-party Google Voice client hits the webOS App Catalog originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 21:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>app approvalapp catalogAppApprovalAppCatalogapprovalgdial proGdialProhomebrewpalmpalm prePalmPrepreweb oswebosThu, 10 Sep 2009 21:03:00 EST<![CDATA[Installing Pre homebrew apps: now even easier]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/installing-pre-homebrew-apps-now-even-easier/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/installing-pre-homebrew-apps-now-even-easier/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/installing-pre-homebrew-apps-now-even-easier/#commentsInstalling Pre homebrew: now even easier While Palm is busily engaged in a game of domination with Apple to see which one can keep iTunes sync working or broken the longest, the Pre homebrew community hasn't been sitting idle, introducing two new and painless ways to get homemade software up in your handset. The first is a desktop app called WebOS Quick Install that works on Mac, PC, and Linux, allowing installation with just a drag, a drop, and a click. The other is called fileCoaster, enabling users to download and install IPKs right on the phone itself, plus other files too. Two great apps for fans of unofficial softwares and good tidings for a warm future of basement innovation -- only a month after the first custom apps came to light.

Filed under: , ,

Installing Pre homebrew apps: now even easier originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Jul 2009 10:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fileCoasterhomebrewipkmobilepalmpalm prepalm pre homebrewPalmPrePalmPreHomebrewpreweb os weboswebos quick installWebosQuickInstallMon, 27 Jul 2009 10:11:00 EST<![CDATA[Installing Pre homebrew apps: now even easier]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/installing-pre-homebrew-now-even-easier/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/installing-pre-homebrew-now-even-easier/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/installing-pre-homebrew-now-even-easier/#commentsInstalling Pre homebrew: now even easier While Palm is busily engaged in a game of domination with Apple to see which one can keep iTunes sync working or broken the longest, the Pre homebrew community hasn't been sitting idle, introducing two new and painless ways to get homemade software up in your handset. The first is a desktop app called WebOS Quick Install that works on Mac, PC, and Linux, allowing installation with just a drag, a drop, and a click. The other is called fileCoaster, enabling users to download and install IPKs right on the phone itself, plus other files too. Two great apps for fans of unofficial softwares and good tidings for a warm future of basement innovation -- only a month after the first custom apps came to light.

Filed under:

Installing Pre homebrew apps: now even easier originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Jul 2009 10:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fileCoasterhomebrewipkpalm prepalm pre homebrewPalmPrePalmPreHomebrewprewebos quick installWebosQuickInstallMon, 27 Jul 2009 10:11:00 EST<![CDATA[Palm's Mojo SDK beta for webOS leaks into the wild]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/27/palms-mojo-sdk-beta-for-webos-leaks-into-the-wild/http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/27/palms-mojo-sdk-beta-for-webos-leaks-into-the-wild/http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/27/palms-mojo-sdk-beta-for-webos-leaks-into-the-wild/#comments
Palm has done its darnedest to keep the riffraff away from webOS development while it finishes up its Mojo SDK for webOS development, but the floodgates have finally opened with an opportune leak of Mojo to Torrent-vill. Naturally, Palm will still be locking out unapproved developers from releasing their creations to the App Catalog for the time being, but this should hopefully give the everyman a chance to hone apps in anticipation of a day of approval -- and should really beef up the homebrew community in the meantime. The other good news is that Palm is actually adding developers to its "early access program" at a fairly rapid pace, announcing that it doubled its membership this week, and plans to double it again next week. It's all coming together.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Update: The original leak was strictly Windows-style, but PreThinking notes that it's available for Mac now as well.

Filed under: , ,

Palm's Mojo SDK beta for webOS leaks into the wild originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Jun 2009 11:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>app catalogAppCatalogearly accessEarlyAccesshomebrewleakmobilemojomojo sdkMojoSdkpalmpalm prePalmPrepresdkweb os webosSat, 27 Jun 2009 11:41:00 EST<![CDATA[Palm's Mojo SDK beta for webOS leaks into the wild]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/27/palms-mojo-sdk-beta-for-webos-leaks-into-the-wild/http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/27/palms-mojo-sdk-beta-for-webos-leaks-into-the-wild/http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/27/palms-mojo-sdk-beta-for-webos-leaks-into-the-wild/#comments
Palm has done its darnedest to keep the riffraff away from webOS development while it finishes up its Mojo SDK for webOS development, but the floodgates have finally opened with an opportune leak of Mojo to Torrent-vill. Naturally, Palm will still be locking out unapproved developers from releasing their creations to the App Catalog for the time being, but this should hopefully give the everyman a chance to hone apps in anticipation of a day of approval -- and should really beef up the homebrew community in the meantime. The other good news is that Palm is actually adding developers to its "early access program" at a fairly rapid pace, announcing that it doubled its membership this week, and plans to double it again next week. It's all coming together.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Update: The original leak was strictly Windows-style, but PreThinking notes that it's available for Mac now as well.

Filed under: ,

Palm's Mojo SDK beta for webOS leaks into the wild originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Jun 2009 11:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>app catalogAppCatalogearly accessEarlyAccesshomebrewleakmojomojo sdkMojoSdkpalmpalm prePalmPrepresdkSat, 27 Jun 2009 11:41:00 EST<![CDATA[Homebrew apps come to the Palm Pre]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/23/homebrew-apps-come-to-the-palm-pre/http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/23/homebrew-apps-come-to-the-palm-pre/http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/23/homebrew-apps-come-to-the-palm-pre/#comments
According to Dieter over at PreCentral, real, honest-to-goodness usable apps are starting to "trickle out" for the Pre / webOS. Apparently utilizing a loophole in the operating system which allows unsigned apps to be sideloaded through email, homebrewers have taken to the interwebs with small utilities like the tip calculator (pictured above). This comes just a day after a group of DIY'ers figured out a workable solution for getting software onto the phone without rooting, so obviously Pre hacking is moving along at a healthy clip. These are -- of course -- very early applications, so don't expect perfection, and there seems to be some concern that Palm might want to patch up this hole, as it leaves the phone vulnerable to less altruistic endeavors. While the latter point is reasonable to consider, we do have a piece of advice for the folks at the front of this movement: don't wait and worry on how Palm will react to this stuff. It's important to push platforms like webOS, and the Pre needs all the love it can get on the development side right now.

Read - Right now: Install a Homebrew App without Hacking
Read - Homebrew Apps Tricking Out, but be careful

Filed under: , , ,

Homebrew apps come to the Palm Pre originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>applicationsappsdiyhackhackinghomebrewmobilemodpalmpalm prepalm webosPalmPrePalmWebosprerootweb oswebosTue, 23 Jun 2009 11:31:00 EST<![CDATA[Homebrew apps come to the Palm Pre]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/23/homebrew-apps-come-to-the-palm-pre/http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/23/homebrew-apps-come-to-the-palm-pre/http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/23/homebrew-apps-come-to-the-palm-pre/#comments According to Dieter over at PreCentral, real, honest-to-goodness usable apps are starting to "trickle out" for the Pre / webOS. Apparently utilizing a loophole in the operating system which allows unsigned apps to be sideloaded through email, homebrewers have taken to the interwebs with small utilities like the tip calculator (pictured above). This comes just a day after a group of DIY'ers figured out a workable solution for getting software onto the phone without rooting, so obviously Pre hacking is moving along at a healthy clip. These are -- of course -- very early applications, so don't expect perfection, and there seems to be some concern that Palm might want to patch up this hole, as it leaves the phone vulnerable to less altruistic endeavors. While the latter point is reasonable to consider, we do have a piece of advice for the folks at the front of this movement: don't wait and worry on how Palm will react to this stuff. It's important to push platforms like webOS, and the Pre needs all the love it can get on the development side right now.

Read - Right now: Install a Homebrew App without Hacking
Read - Homebrew Apps Tricking Out, but be careful

Filed under:

Homebrew apps come to the Palm Pre originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>applicationsappsdiyhackhackinghackshomebrewmodmodspalm prepalm webosPalmPrePalmWebosprerootweb oswebosTue, 23 Jun 2009 11:31:00 EST<![CDATA[Pre apps successfully installed on non-rooted phone, world waits for details]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/22/pre-apps-successfully-installed-on-non-rooted-phone-world-waits/http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/22/pre-apps-successfully-installed-on-non-rooted-phone-world-waits/http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/22/pre-apps-successfully-installed-on-non-rooted-phone-world-waits/#commentsPre app successfully installed on non-rooted phone, world waits for details
There have been no shortage of custom apps hitting the Pre already, including a number of old favorites, but all have required a little bit of roto-rooting ahead of time to lay the groundwork for such non-authorized code. That might change in the very near future thanks to the work of a trio of dedicated deviant coders going by the handles xorg, simplyflipflops, and Shaya Potter. Over the span of just a few days they managed to figure out how to package and sign custom apps in such a way that anything can be installed on a completely stock phone -- the only catch is they're waiting to see what Palm has to say about it before they release a full how-to. Since the company has its own plans of making most developers wait at least a few months before setting them free we can't imagine the response is going to be: "This is totally awesome, please tell the world our secrets." But, we'd be happy to be wrong.

[Thanks, Bo]

Filed under: , , ,

Pre apps successfully installed on non-rooted phone, world waits for details originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Jun 2009 08:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>custom applicationCustomApplicationdiyhomebrewinstallermobilepalmpalm developer networkpalm prePalmDeveloperNetworkPalmPrepresdkshaya potterShayaPottersimplyflipflopsweb osWebOsxorgMon, 22 Jun 2009 08:08:00 EST<![CDATA[Pre apps successfully installed on non-rooted phone, world waits for details]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/22/pre-apps-successfully-installed-on-non-rooted-phone-world-waits/http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/22/pre-apps-successfully-installed-on-non-rooted-phone-world-waits/http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/22/pre-apps-successfully-installed-on-non-rooted-phone-world-waits/#commentsPre app successfully installed on non-rooted phone, world waits for details
There have been no shortage of custom apps hitting the Pre already, including a number of old favorites, but all have required a little bit of roto-rooting ahead of time to lay the groundwork for such non-authorized code. That might change in the very near future thanks to the work of a trio of dedicated deviant coders going by the handles xorg, simplyflipflops, and Shaya Potter. Over the span of just a few days they managed to figure out how to package and sign custom apps in such a way that anything can be installed on a completely stock phone -- the only catch is they're waiting to see what Palm has to say about it before they release a full how-to. Since the company has its own plans of making most developers wait at least a few months before setting them free we can't imagine the response is going to be: "This is totally awesome, please tell the world our secrets." But, we'd be happy to be wrong.

[Thanks, Bo]

Filed under:

Pre apps successfully installed on non-rooted phone, world waits for details originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Jun 2009 08:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>custom applicationCustomApplicationdiyhomebrewinstallerpalm developer networkpalm prePalmDeveloperNetworkPalmPrepresdkshaya potterShayaPottersimplyflipflopsweb osWebOsxorgMon, 22 Jun 2009 08:08:00 EST<![CDATA[Palm webOS system upgrades mandatory; hacking scene forbidden from tethering]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/15/palm-webos-system-upgrades-mandatory-hacking-scene-forbidden-fr/http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/15/palm-webos-system-upgrades-mandatory-hacking-scene-forbidden-fr/http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/15/palm-webos-system-upgrades-mandatory-hacking-scene-forbidden-fr/#comments
We've seen a tremendous explosion in the webOS hacking scene ever since the Pre's firmware image leaked out -- between the easily-accessible restore more, Linux foundations and the directly-accessible HTML / CSS / Javascript application code, we've already seen everything from minor tweaks to full on NES emulation to Sprint activation hacks. In short, things are wide open at the moment, and people (including us) are excited by the possibilities -- but that doesn't mean Palm has to play along. In fact, two recent developments have us worried for the future of this happy little scene -- first, Palm's apparently forbidding the Pre Dev Wiki from posting any information about data tethering during the Sprint exclusivity period, and apparently threatening to have the site shut down if it happens:
We have been politely cautioned by Palm that any discussion of tethering during the Sprint exclusivity period (and perhaps beyond-we don't know yet) will probably cause Sprint to complain to Palm, and if that happened then Palm would be forced to react against the people running the IRC channel and this wiki.
Yeah, that's pretty aggro for a company that needs to court all the developer support it can. We're not sure what'll happen after Sprint's exclusivity runs out, but we can't imagine any other carriers are going to be thrilled about hacked tethering options either, so we'd say Palm's going to keep the pressure on until unlocked GSM webOS devices hit the scene -- and we can almost guarantee that tethering hacks are going to make it into the wild regardless of Palm's actions.

Even worse for hackers, Palm's taking an unusually aggressive approach to webOS system updates -- they're mandatory. According to the support docs, webOS updates are automatically downloaded in the background within two days of being available, and they're required to be installed within a week of the download -- after seven days and four install prompts, the phone will give you a ten-minute countdown and then automatically begin installing the update. Sure, we can understand why Palm would want all of its devices to be updated, and we know that a lot of webOS system foundations are in flux while the Mojo SDK is being finalized, but forced updates seem extremely heavy-handed to us -- it's one thing to try and maintain control over a platform, it's another to keep it with an iron fist. Of course, it's probable that we'll see a hack to bypass all of this extremely soon, so maybe it'll all work itself out, but we'd really like to see Palm develop an official policy friendly towards hacking and homebrew and stick to it -- the Pre and webOS have attracted a lot of talent in the past two weeks, and it'd be a shame to lose it.

[Via PreThinking; thanks, Justin]

Read - Pre Dev Wiki tethering policy
Read - Palm webOS updates support doc

Filed under: , , ,

Palm webOS system upgrades mandatory; hacking scene forbidden from tethering originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Jun 2009 11:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hackhackinghomebrewmobilepalmpresprintupdatesweb oswebosMon, 15 Jun 2009 11:48:00 EST<![CDATA[Palm webOS system upgrades mandatory; hacking scene forbidden from tethering]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/15/palm-webos-system-upgrades-mandatory-hacking-scene-forbidden-fr/http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/15/palm-webos-system-upgrades-mandatory-hacking-scene-forbidden-fr/http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/15/palm-webos-system-upgrades-mandatory-hacking-scene-forbidden-fr/#comments
We've seen a tremendous explosion in the webOS hacking scene ever since the Pre's firmware image leaked out -- between the easily-accessible restore more, Linux foundations and the directly-accessible HTML / CSS / Javascript application code, we've already seen everything from minor tweaks to full on NES emulation to Sprint activation hacks. In short, things are wide open at the moment, and people (including us) are excited by the possibilities -- but that doesn't mean Palm has to play along. In fact, two recent developments have us worried for the future of this happy little scene -- first, Palm's apparently forbidding the Pre Dev Wiki from posting any information about data tethering during the Sprint exclusivity period, and apparently threatening to have the site shut down if it happens:
We have been politely cautioned by Palm that any discussion of tethering during the Sprint exclusivity period (and perhaps beyond-we don't know yet) will probably cause Sprint to complain to Palm, and if that happened then Palm would be forced to react against the people running the IRC channel and this wiki.
Yeah, that's pretty aggro for a company that needs to court all the developer support it can. We're not sure what'll happen after Sprint's exclusivity runs out, but we can't imagine any other carriers are going to be thrilled about hacked tethering options either, so we'd say Palm's going to keep the pressure on until unlocked GSM webOS devices hit the scene -- and we can almost guarantee that tethering hacks are going to make it into the wild regardless of Palm's actions.

Even worse for hackers, Palm's taking an unusually aggressive approach to webOS system updates -- they're mandatory. According to the support docs, webOS updates are automatically downloaded in the background within two days of being available, and they're required to be installed within a week of the download -- after seven days and four install prompts, the phone will give you a ten-minute countdown and then automatically begin installing the update. Sure, we can understand why Palm would want all of its devices to be updated, and we know that a lot of webOS system foundations are in flux while the Mojo SDK is being finalized, but forced updates seem extremely heavy-handed to us -- it's one thing to try and maintain control over a platform, it's another to keep it with an iron fist. Of course, it's probable that we'll see a hack to bypass all of this extremely soon, so maybe it'll all work itself out, but we'd really like to see Palm develop an official policy friendly towards hacking and homebrew and stick to it -- the Pre and webOS have attracted a lot of talent in the past two weeks, and it'd be a shame to lose it.

[Via PreThinking; thanks, Justin]

Read - Pre Dev Wiki tethering policy
Read - Palm webOS updates support doc

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Palm webOS system upgrades mandatory; hacking scene forbidden from tethering originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Jun 2009 11:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hackhackinghomebrewpalmpresprintupdatesweb oswebosMon, 15 Jun 2009 11:48:00 EST<![CDATA[Pre gets NES emulation in Linux; our thumbs are in for a world of hurt]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/14/pre-gets-nes-emulation-in-linux-our-thumbs-are-in-for-a-world-o/http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/14/pre-gets-nes-emulation-in-linux-our-thumbs-are-in-for-a-world-o/http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/14/pre-gets-nes-emulation-in-linux-our-thumbs-are-in-for-a-world-o/#comments
Sure, once you get Doom onto a device there isn't much stopping you in the homebrew department, but we thought the implementation of an NES emulator on webOS outside of the Classic environment was worth noting -- even if it happens to be astoundingly easy to pull off. All it requires is a quick trip to root on the device a compile of the FCEUltra NES emulator for Linux and bam, it's good to go. Hit up the read link for instructions (we're sure we're simplifying things just a tad) -- and no, the incredible appropriateness of using a Contra ROM to kick things off hasn't escaped us.

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Pre gets NES emulation in Linux; our thumbs are in for a world of hurt originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 14 Jun 2009 07:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>emulatorfceultrahomebrewnesnes emulatorNesEmulatorprewebosSun, 14 Jun 2009 07:04:00 EST<![CDATA[WebOS homebrewers say 'Hello World!' to Palm Pre]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/10/webos-homebrew-community-says-hello-world-to-palm-pre/http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/10/webos-homebrew-community-says-hello-world-to-palm-pre/http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/10/webos-homebrew-community-says-hello-world-to-palm-pre/#comments It's begun. Although lacking a general release of the SDK, the first homebrew apps have emerged thanks to last night's leaked WebOS root image. The first application puts a stake in the ground by displaying a simple "hello world" on the screen. Unfortunately, the code overwrote the pre-installed Sprint Nascar application... oh wait, that's probably a good thing. Devs have also started tampering with existing code to disable the shutter sound on the camera while leaving the rest of the sounds enabled. Now why would somebody want to do that?

Update: New image from an excited developer that shows scm6079's work over at PreCentral evolving with a 5-second photo timer and more. We're being told that several members of the Pre hacking team consist of old-school PalmOS hackers from the Samsung i300 days. Now if Palm can just lure back the rest of its developers smitten by Android and the lure of App Store riches then they might just make something of this fledgling smartphone platform.

[Thanks, Scott M. and C.J.]

Continue reading WebOS homebrewers say 'Hello World!' to Palm Pre

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WebOS homebrewers say 'Hello World!' to Palm Pre originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Jun 2009 05:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breaking newsBreakingNewshackhello worldHelloWorldhomebrewpalmpresdkwebosWed, 10 Jun 2009 05:43:00 EST