Within a day of Google releasing their first major Android NDK update, a tool that allows for native code to be run in Android applications, Palm has followed suit with a release of their similar too.

The Palm PDK Public Beta is now available for download, and is the first time that most developers will be able to being working with supported, native code on the webOS platform.

Oddly, the beta leaves out support for developing inside of Linux, the underlying operating system that powers Palm’s webOS and its native code. However, with support for both Visual Studio (Windows) and Xcode (Mac) out of the box, developers will be able to start taking advantage of both C/C++, SDL, and OpenGL ES immediately.

Palm has also committed to offering support for native code standards, such as WebGL, later this year. Palm touts the PDK as being consistent with their web-centric strategy, promoting the PDK as offering similar functionality for developers of webOS apps, as plug-ins do inside a web browser on a computer.

Palm Developers Center – PDK

A year ago, at CTIA, we announced MobileEdition. It was the first tool that allowed bloggers to quickly take a blog, and turn it into an App Store app.

No, it never shipped. We were told by Apple it wouldn’t last long on the market, as they’d pull the plug. In fact, they even rejected our early submissions of working apps, such as ones for sites like PhoneNews.com and TechNews.biz.

So, you can probably see why we wouldn’t consider it very newsworthy when other companies came along, got venture-backing, and made the same tool… only to wind up with notice today from Apple that their tools would be rejected. Worse, unlike MobileEdition, these tools cost money to generate an app, and submit it to Apple. Ours didn’t.

So, rather than attack Apple some more on this one, rather than re-hash why we don’t use the App Store anymore… we’re going to tell you what we’re going to do about it.

We’re going to open source MobileEdition, and give both the server processing code and app code away for free. From there, you can modify it as you please, as long as you contribute the changes per GPLv2, which is what we will be releasing it under.

This will give you the freedom to not be a “cookie cutter” and add your own functionality to your MobileEdition-powered app. And, thanks to open source, contributions will be shared, so other bloggers can arm their MobileEdition apps with new tools for mobile users all the time. From submitting content, to peer review, there are a lot of things Apple can’t say their Flash-less browser can handle.

Our hope is that development attention on MobileEdition will help pull in resources to spawn webOS, Symbian, Java, Android, and Windows Phone 7 Series front-ends for MobileEdition. Our goal is that one day a blogger will be able to simultaneously offer up apps for every mobile platform all at once, and offer download links on their own site. By targeting every platform, like Flash, we put the pressure on Apple to not be the odd man out in having an open, secure App Store.

And we look forward to delivering on this in the next month or so.

The Android Developers blog has announced the latest update to the Native Development Kit, which now includes support for the proper extensions needed for developing 3D games using the newer Open GL ES 2.0 standard, placing games and applications developed with the NDK closer in performance to the games available on iPhone 3G/3GS and Palm Pre.

In related news, the first application developed with the NDK is now available for purchase from the Android market, which is a Japanese developed 3D shooter titled ExZeus Arcade for $3.99.  The game is limited to Android 2.x compatibility, limiting the game to the Motorola Milestone/Droid and Google Nexus One.

Qualcomm has announced the development of new dual-mode HSPA+ and EVDO Rev. A and B chipsets for femtocells. Such examples of femtocells include the AT&T 3G MicroCell and the Verizon Wireless Network Extender. Qualcomm further states that the chips are the first to combine HSPA+ and CDMA2000 1X/EV-DO Rev. A/Rev. B access.

The chips will allow future femtocell units to offer access to successive network upgrades where and when available. The chipsets will also consist of baseband processors and network integrated RF access for all major bands. The chips will be sampling by the second quarter of this year with full-scale manufacturing by the end of the year.

Following up, users of venerable forum XDA-Developers have confirmed that AT&T has disabled the capability to install Android applications from sources other than the default Android Marketplace on its build of Android 1.5 via the device.

This means that attempts to load applications from the SD card, over Wi-Fi or unsigned applications will not work on the device in its stock form and requires the setup of the Android SDK with drivers in order to setup ADB access via the USB Debug Menu as a workaround.

AT&T has launched its first Android smart device in the Motorola Backflip after months of anticipation.

The Backflip is also noted for being the first Android device to not feature any Google services, being replaced by equivalent Yahoo! services, owing to the carrier’s current agreement with the beleaguered search provider.

Technical specifications for the Backflip consist of a 3.1 inch HVGA resolution touch display, Android 1.5 with a future upgrade to Android 2.1, hardware and software QWERTY keyboard, quadband GSM/EDGE, triband HSPA, 5.0 megapixel camera with autofocus, video recorder and flash, speakerphone, Bluetooth with stereo audio support and microSDHC expansion slot.

Pricing is set at $199.99 after new 2 year agreement before an additional $100 mail-in rebate via debit card, bringing the total to $99.99.

Verizon has eliminated mail-in-rebates for the Palm Pre Plus and Pixi Plus.

The price for the Pixi is now $79.99 and the Pre Plus is $149.99 with new two-year contracts.  There has been much speculation on the current sales performance of the Palm WebOS handsets but according to a report, a Verizon spokeswoman explains that the elimination of the mail-in-rebates is not due to poor sales performance: “There was ‘a brief period where we tested mail-in rebates on some phones. We have found that online customers expect instant rebates and since this is a very competitive arena in which to do business, we responded accordingly.’”

CNET has posted a video interview with Microsoft’s Charlie Kindel.  It appears that Mr. Kindel got “cornered” for this interview that took place off a busy street in San Francisco but was rather willing to share the handset he had in his pocket running Windows Phone 7.  The handset looked very similar to the one  seen at Mobile World Congress last month.

Windows Phone 7 appeared to be fast, responsive and finger friendly.  The video revealed that Xbox 360 gaming will be a big part of the handset and will allow users to interact with their profile and their friends profile on the phone as previously announced. Kindel also reaffirms that apps from Windows Phone 6.5 will not be backwards compatible, but added some of the code may be used as a base for the new Windows Phone 7 applications.  Most of the applications will use Microsoft’s Silverlight platform and XNA platform which will allow developers to build applications with “very rich UI’s and that are fun and interesting.”

Wirefly has made EVERY AT&T Cell Phones they offer FREE, with free activation and free FedEx Shipping. This sale has no exclusions and features handsets such as: BlackBerry Bold, Motorola BACKFLIP With MOTOBLUR, BlackBerry Curve 8900, HTC Pure, and Samsung Mythic a897. Netbooks and 3G USB Laptop Adapters are also free in this limited time sale as well. The only noticeable handset that is missing on Wirefly is the Apple iPhone, but who didn’t see that one coming?

Wirefly AT&T Phones and Plans

The first solid details regarding Microsoft’s “Project Pink” initiative involving its Danger acquisition have surfaced.

There will be two devices manufactured by former Danger ODM Sharp, the device pictured at right codenamed “Turtle” and another device which will be a horizontal slider codenamed “Pure” with HVGA resolution displays and QWERTY keyboards. The software platform will be based on Windows CE 6.0 and be powered by Nvidia’s Tegra platform.

Verizon will be the exclusive carrier partner for the US version owing to its CDMA EVDO Rev A radios, while Vodafone will be the exclusive international carrier across its network around the world.  Preliminary information suggests an April 20th launch on Verizon with an early summer launch on Vodafone networks around the world.