The reference to "$99/year; covers up to xx application submissions" is clearly wrong. "xx" as the number of submissions might be the clue.
If you click thru to signup it reads:
Benefits of a Developer Account
- Develop, distribute & manage your apps
- Download the SDK
- Get documentation, contribute on the forums
- Free - annual fee waived for a limited time
- Always free for Open Source Developers
"limited time" here being ... always. Its always been that way and there is no sign its going to change.
You'll notice a Community Membership doesn't mention anything about application submissions. Developer Memberships allow you to...
* Enroll in the webOS Developer program ($99/year; covers up to xx application submissions)
* Submit you webOS application(s) for review and approval by Palm
* Upon approval, your application(s) will be signed to verify its status as Palm approved
* Your signed application(s) will be listed in the HP webOS Application Catalog