Palm developer program set for December lift-off

Palm said Tuesday that its webOS developer program will be open in December with "an unparalleled level of transparency" in a not-so-subtle dig at Apple.

• The company, which is playing catch-up with its application marketplace, opened its App Catalog beta program today (statement). In August, Palm told developers they could submit paid apps for the App Catalog.
• Among the key details of Palm's developer program:
• There's a 70/30 revenue split (Palm gets 30 percent).
• A $99 annual fee. That fee is waived if you submit an open source webOS application.
• Palm can provide a fulfillment service for developers for promotion.
• The company will review every application and developers will pay fee of $50 for each app.
• Palm is betting that rankings and other community features will be plentiful.
• Apps will be purchased with Visa and MasterCard.