1. AP Mobile 1.0.0
The Associated Press, www.ap.org
The Palm version of the AP's ubiquitous multimedia news app is as good as all the others. In other words, it's great. AP Mobile offers a customizable front page, with top headlines broken down by category. Bring up a story, and the interface gets out of the way, letting you scroll through full-page news articles without having to press tiny Next buttons every few paragraphs. You can also run searches, or rate stories from one to five stars. In addition, you can share favorites over e-mail, SMS, and Twitter via a little paper airplane icon at the bottom right-hand corner of the screen.
2. Destroids 1.3
K's Cluttered Loft, www.ailis.de/~k/
Anyone who remembers pumping quarters into an Asteroids arcade cabinet will appreciate this one. Destroids lets you blast apart space rocks and fight UFOs. Each new level brings more and faster asteroids. Smooth-as-glass animation, configurable keys, a global high score board, and even adjustable in-game physics make Destroids a rare treat. It's a free game that's actually really well done. Warning: playing this game using the cramped keyboard of a Pre or Pixi may induce carpal tunnel syndrome, but at least it's for a good cause.
3. Facebook 1.2.1
Facebook, www.facebook.com
Facebook's webOS app lets you view your news feed, upload photos, run searches, and browse profiles, in addition to having the usual status update bar. It also displays recent notifications, and it keeps a refresh icon handy at all times. Think you're addicted to Facebook now? Try downloading this app. Don't say we didn't warn you, though.
4. Flixster 0.9.19
Flixster, www.flixster.com
Flixster won't let you buy movie tickets online, but it will do pretty much everything else necessary to help you make your film choice. The app divides up movies into Opening This Week, Top Box Office, and Also in Theaters, with average review scores, stars, running time, ratings, and even box office results. Along the bottom of the screen there are icons for finding showtimes at nearby theaters via GPS, plus upcoming titles, DVD release schedules, and a search function. Still undecided? You can even play trailers from within the app.
5. Foursquare for Palm (Beta) 1.1.8
Andrew Walpole, Christopher Van Buskirk, and Geoff Gauchet, www.foursquare.com/palm
Wondering what all the fuss is about? Foursquare for Palm may be in beta, but it's almost fully functional, and it's certainly good enough to get the point of the service across. In short, the app lets you "check in" to different real-life locations, in order to tell your friends and colleagues of your whereabouts. The app also recommends nearby restaurants, events, and other things you may find interesting. Check into a location often enough, and you can oust the current "mayor" or unlock special badges.
6. OpenTable
OpenTable, www.opentable.com
OpenTable lets webOS device owners search for restaurants and book reservations. It finds nearby restaurants by cuisine type using the phone's GPS. It adds reservations to the phone's built-in calendar app, and it lets you modify them later in case something comes up. The app even displays step-by-step directions on how to get to a restaurant, and lets you send invites to friends or colleagues. Book enough reservations, and you'll build up Dining Awards Points that are redeemable at any OpenTable restaurant later on.
7. Pandora 1.0.4
Pandora Media, www.pandora.com
Enjoy Pandora's custom, streaming Web radio right from your Palm Pre or Pixi. The webOS version lets you key in a song or artist to create a new station, just like on the desktop. You can also log in to access all of your favorite stations, as well as create new ones that get stored in your universal account. A strip of icons along the bottom of the screen lets you like or dislike tracks, bookmark songs and artists, and even buy tracks over the air.
8. Translator 0.9.6
Google, www.google.com
Need to ask a Dutch shop owner if the pastries are fresh? The Google-powered Translator app for webOS is simple to use. The main screen offers basic "From" and "To" boxes and a choice of 45 languages. Once you translate text, you can send it as a text or as part of an e-mail message. As with all translation apps (online or otherwise), you'll get literal results that may not necessarily reflect what you really intend to say. Still, combine this app with the built-in Google Maps, and you'll never feel lost in another country again.
9. Twee Free 1.6.0
Delicious Morsel LLC, www.deliciousmorsel.com
Why pay for a Twitter client when you can get a really good one for free? Twee Free offers location-based tweets and trending topic information. It supports multiple accounts, displays @replies and direct messages, and lets you re-tweet or reply to others. The app also shortens URLs, uploads photos to TwitPic, YFrog, TweetPhoto, and Img.ly, and previews photos that others have posted. The full version offers notifications, lists, nearby tweets, and StockTwits integration for $1.50. But the free version is all many folks will need.
10. The Weather Channel 1.0.0.0
The Weather Channel Interactive, www.weather.com
Weather apps are a dime a dozen. But The Weather Channel's webOS app is one of the best, with GPS-enabled local weather, beautifully arranged pages, and 36-hour and 10-day forecasts. It also features fully animated radar maps for cloud cover and precipitation, plus configurable tornado and other severe weather notifications.
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