Palm is "Paying Companies to Write Apps for the Pre"

[YouTube Link]

Above, TechCrunch's Sarah Lacy Interviews the founders of CitySourced, who are developing an App for the Palm Pre that allows you to report the nasty things in your city directly to the guv'mint.  Very cool app, but that's not what's making headlines about them.

What she reports is this: Palm actively comissisoned CitySourced to bring their app to the Palm Pre.

Palm is really paying companies to write apps for the Pre? Yes. How much? All I got despite truly obnoxious questioning was “under $500,000.”

Does it make sense that Palm is laying down some green to ensure that their App Catalog is getting enough play? Yes. Does it sting those developers who aren't getting in on the lucre incentives? We're betting yes.