¡Buenas noticias, México! It is now possible for you to download paid apps from the App Catalog, they’ll even take your pesos at a very generous exchange rate. Bad news: you have to hack webOS 1.4.5 onto your phone to get it to work, because for reasons that we cannot fathom Telcel’s Palm Pre phones have yet to receive the update to enable the ecommerce App Catalog. They’re still stuck on webOS 1.4.0. Mind boggling, we know.

PreCentral reader Juan let us know that he had managed to get his Telcel Pre running 1.4.5, and up until last week he’d been able to view all sorts of apps in the App Catalog, but had never been able to complete a purchase. But now if he tries to download one of the paid apps that shows up in the Mexican version of the App Catalog, he’s prompted for credit card account information and then permitted to buy.

So far each app he’s tried to buy (iGPS, Internet Radio Pro) has gone through successfully. Additionally, the exchange rate for Mexican pesos to US dollars has been fairly generous, running at 1.00 USD = 10.00 MXN, whereas the current value is more like 1.00 USD = 12.40 MXN.

Is the Palm expanding the App Catalog to support more countries, even where App Catalog support is lacking (or where Palm technically doesn’t even have service), or just a glitch? We don’t know, but we’re glad to see more people getting access to the full App Catalog, even if they have to hack their phones to get there.

Thanks Juan!

 Here's some of the latest discussion in the forums:

• The PreCentral forums are a great place for debate, but there's one thing almost universally agreed upon by webOS users everywhere: the need for Docs To Go.  Forum members are getting fed up with the lack of this essential productivity suite, and have crafted an open letter to DataViz, the company behind the product.  Go ahead, give 'em your two cents.

• Paid apps are available everywhere the Pre is sold!  Now it's time for you  developers out there to get your applications properly translated for the various regions you plan to sell your wares in.  A daunting task to be sure, but there's good news:  number of forum members are offering their assistance to that end.

•  We had waited (and waited!) for video recording to hit webOS.  Now that we've had it for a little while now, member storino03 asks an interesting question: just how often do you actually use it?  I use mine at least a few times per week.

• Speaking of the full App Catalog going international, webOS users outside of the US of A are checking in to let us know which app they bought first.  User amjb71's first purchase was Gameloft's Modern Combat: Sandstorm.  You?

We look forward to seeing you in the forums!  Not a member? Remember: registration is free, and the benefits are plentiful indeed.

With the sad news that we are going to be looking at several different versions of webOS out there for the near future, we had started to give up hope that Canada would join Europe in getting paid apps in a timely fashion, as previously rumored.

Likely we'll have to wait until this evening to find out for sure, but Cocolabaloune points us to Palm's Knowledge Base article for webOS updates for Bell Canada. New since yesterday: they list webOS 1.4.1 and they have the release date down as 1 April 2010. If it pans out, Palm is just one day late - but we figure Canadian users will be happy to be a dollar short. Because they'll be buying apps. See what we did there?

Thanks, Cocolabaloune!

Update: webOS 1.4.1 has landed for Palm Pre users in Canada on the Bell network, as Tyler tells us. Go get it, Canadians! As a reminder, here's what's new in webOS 1.4.1. There's plenty to discuss with 1.4.1.x, so we've set up a few forum threads:

• Use the Anticipation Thread until webOS 1.4.1 is released for your carrier
• webOS 1.4.1 Discussion - for general "I got it!" and other discussion
• webOS 1.4.1 New Features & Changes 
• webOS 1.4.1 Issues 
• webOS 1.4.1 Patch Discussion

Palm has gone ahead and made it fully official on their developer blog: webOS users in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Spain, and France are now able to purchase apps from the App Catalog. Perhaps not coincidentally, those are the only places we've been able to confirm have received the webOS 1.4.1 bugfix update. Palm is encouraging developers to head back to the developer center and update their apps for more regions (us too!).

France, Mexico, and Canada are "coming soon" and we hope that webOS 1.4.1 will also be coming soon to Sprint and Verizon, because though that changelog was small, there are plenty of folks here waiting eagerly for those bugfixes (and for any extra drop of improved battery life they can get).

So, folks, what are you buying?

image from tomi666

We don't know what sort of Faustian bargain has been struck here, but tomi666 (note the name!) once again appears to be the first person on the planet to receive an update to webOS.  He was first with webOS 1.4 while in Vietnam and now this globetrotting fellow is first with webOS 1.4.1 in Holland. We are expecting webOS 1.4.1 to include some bugfixes (especially for background multitasking) and compatibility for international paid applications, which are coming later today.

We can't say yet which carriers and devices will be receiving webOS 1.4.1, but it's a safe bet that if you live outside the confines of the United States, you should be expecting it soon. Things are developing, so we'll keep you apprised as we learn more about who's getting webOS 1.4.1 and what features it includes.

Update 5: As of right now it looks like the webOS 1.4.1 update has landed for O2 and Movistar customers only. Full changelog here, O2 Germany and UK customers can now download and use Mobile Hotspot.

Patchers: Auto Update Patch Technology should for the most part take care of you and you need not remove them. Overclockers: you should remove that kernel patch - a better implementation is on the way anyhow. We mean it - as mrloserpunk notes, your Pre will automatically update itself if left alone.

Updates after the break.

read more

As a breathless world awaits paid apps becoming available in the webOS App Catalog, tidbits are coming out left and right. First, it briefly looked like the App Catalog was offering paid apps to users outside the US, but the availability quickly dropped off and PreCentral members were left wondering what the score was. 

Meanwhile, the bugfixes (and perhaps OS-level support for international paid apps?) expected in webOS 1.4.1 are another hot topic in the forums right now. Kel101 claims a Palm customer service rep said paid apps would come with webOS 1.4.1, which should land "today or tomorrow." Kingsams also notes that O2 Germany has tweeted out that there will be a "mini Palm OS update" coming this evening that will enable international paid apps. 

In other words, overclockers, it might be time to uninstall that kernel patch.

Want more good news outside the US? Cdavidc notes that SFR has even released a webOS app in the web feed, so Pre lovers in France even have reason to get their hopes up.

Thanks to rot for the tip!

Update: We had to take the earlier photo down, but given that webOS 1.4.1 has started trickling out, we feel good that paid apps will hit today or tomorrow! 

We all knew paid apps were headed to Europe. That was well announced by Palm and was well received by eager European users. As a Canadian, I was stuck, sitting there, and thinking "but what about me and other Canadians?" After all, Canada was the first international carrier to get the Palm Pre.

Good news! A few hours ago, arthurthornton posted a Palm email in our forums. The email basically described to developers what the international paid app expansion would mean for them. Interestingly, the email did include this brief key new bit of information:

We'd also like to inform you that in addition to the planned European launch, we will be launching e-commerce support in Canada and Mexico.

No date mentioned was, so it could mean that the Canada/Mexico expansion will occur at the same time as the European expansion (expected at the end of March), or possibly at some later unannounced date.

Regardless, it's good to see progress is being made for Canadian and Mexican users wanting their paid app fix. Hopefully this announcement can help attract more developers with the expanded international user base.

Thanks to Arthur, Keith, and sketch42 for tips!

App availability on webOS outside the United States has been a long and arduous saga - one we're hoping is coming to an end soon. Over at Palm's developer forums, we have some clear evidence from psartini that Palm is well on their way to laying the groundwork for offering paid apps internationally - they've begun adding code to their developer backend to support VAT. 'VAT' as in 'Value added tax,' as in 'necessary for processing payments internationally.

In addition to the above, an anonymous source expresses confidence that Palm is targeting March for offering paid apps to all countries. One more tidbit - right now Palm and EA have partnered to offer EA's webOS offerings for free to webOS users outside the US - but the free program ends ...March 31st.So for all you folks outside the US: Get your EA games for free while the getting's good and take heart at this glimmer of hope that your long international nightmare of not having paid apps on webOS may soon be over.

Oh, one last hopeful note: Palm has also promised to bring the new and improved Facebook app to international users "soon."

Thanks, anonymous!

Well, it’s one more thing to check off the list of things about which to complain: we now know when paid webOS apps will be available outside the United States. In March 2010, folks in Europe will finally be able to buy webOS apps from Palm’s App Catalog. Here’s what Palm’s Developer Network Blog had to say about the whole thing:

“The general app catalog model is not new, but what we’re doing with it is. The Palm developer program extends the unique web orientation of the Palm webOS platform, providing developers innovative opportunities to leverage the web as a promotional channel for applications. We offer greater freedom and choice of how to get your applications to market and unparalleled control to promote and grow your business. For developers looking to make money, it’s all about speed, promotion, and reacting to customer feedback. Our platform gives you greater access to customers and faster cycle times to make higher-quality, compelling applications.”

Developers interested in participating in the European ecommerce program are encouraged to sign up now; details are available on the PDN Blog. As to when the paid App Catalog will be available in places like Canada and Mexico, we currently have no info on this, but our assumption is that the App Catalog will go fully international concurrently with the European expansion, or in a phased deployment around the same time.

Thanks to everybody that sent this in!