Symbian Development @ vehera.symbiandevelopersjournal.com

New ways emerging to add value to mobile phones

Jim Liddle — Mon, 20 Mar 2006 15:52:00 GMT

Thanks to a ground breaking new system in Japan Mobile phone owners will be able to click for more information on building, signs and even on people simply by pointing their handset at them ! This would be similar to the same way website link are clicked on for more details.

Mapion local search allows people to point at what they want more information on, in the real world, from their mobile phone. How is it done ? By combining satellite navigation and sensors to determine what someone is pointing at.

The company that designed the technology is GeoVector. Patrick Bray from GeoVector says that "the phone know where the user is via GPS, and know the direction the user is pointing to thanks to a heading sensor. It send this information to our servers, where the billboard location and information are stored." Brays colleague, Arron Judson adds "the building needs no special beacons, barcodes, or other identifying solutions, we just need to know the location. There are many databases of location being developed, such as Google Local, Yahoo! Maps, MSN MapPoint, Amazon A9."

See a demo here

S60 port of Python language now available on SourceForge

Jim Liddle — Wed, 01 Feb 2006 14:10:00 GMT

PyS60, the Python programming language for S60 is now available here(7.23 MB) from Sourceforge.

How to send an MMS using JSR 205

Jim Liddle — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 19:33:00 GMT

Great example of How to creat an MMS client with midlet source code here from Sony Ericsson

UIQ Technology presents the new UIQ 3 software platform

Jim Liddle — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 16:30:00 GMT

London, UK, October 10, 2005 – UIQ Technology today released the first public version of the Software Development Kit (SDK) for UIQ 3, its latest version of the software platform, based on Symbian OS. At the same time, Sony Ericsson today announced its latest contribution to the smartphone evolution, the Sony Ericsson P990, which will be the first UIQ 3 based mobile phone coming to market. Software developers around the world can now start creating new, innovative applications for the next generation smartphone.

The recently launched UIQ 3 platform is an open software platform, based on Symbian OS, allowing developers to potentially target all UIQ 3 based phones from different manufacturers, using one single codeline. Applications will automatically receive the look and feel of the device they run on without the need for the developer to write extra code for it. Updates and bug fixes will be identical for all target platforms, and only one code update is needed to propagate it to all UIQ 3 based handsets. Developers will benefit from shorter time-to-market since code written for UIQ 3 will be identical through all handsets, unless device specific features have been used.

Manufacturer specific extensions and application programming interfaces (API’s) can be added to UIQ 3, allowing developers to take advantage of special features, to optimize their applications for specific phones in order to improve interaction and to use the full potential of the phone.

The Sony Ericsson P990 is the first smartphone to utilize the new UIQ 3 platform. Built on Symbian OS v9.1, the P990 is based on the same proven concept and recognizable form factor as previous Sony Ericsson smartphones, allowing developers to create powerful, touch screen-based applications in C++, or in Java™ for both flip open and flip closed modes. UIQ 3 is a flexible software platform that provides a unique opportunity for code-reuse in application development.

Developers are encouraged to register with the new UIQ Developer Program, also announced today, at http://developer.uiq.com to find more detailed documentation such as a getting started tutorial and participate in the first UIQ 3 discussion forum. On October 26, 2005, the first public beta release of the UIQ 3 SDK will be available for download from the UIQ Developer Program portal.

Sony Ericsson specific extensions and beta API’s will be available from Sony Ericsson Developer World at www.SonyEricsson.com/developer during Q4 2005. The extension package will include the Sony Ericsson specific Vibration API and Bluetooth Keyboard API as well as emulator components such as fonts and skins.

UIQ Technology and Sony Ericsson both participate in the Symbian Smartphone Show 2005 on 11-12 October at the ExCeL Centre in London. You will find UIQ Technology in booth number 40, where you can sign up for the new UIQ Developer Program. The first 500 to do so will receive a CD containing a limited preview edition of the UIQ 3 SDK. Sony Ericsson is headline sponsor of the show and can be found demonstrating the smartphone evolution and offering Tech Support Live! to developers in booth number 124.

FOR PRESS INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Sony Ericsson Corporate Communications
Telephone: +44 (0) 208 762 5858
E-mail: press.global@SonyEricsson.com

Developer media inquiries:
PetersGroup Public Relations
Emilie Fennell
+1-512-794-8600
emile@petersgroupPR.com

UIQ Technology
Sebastien Peirone
Developer Communications Manager
+46 (0) 708 57 6448
E-mail: sebastien.peirone@uiq.com

About UIQ Technology

UIQ Technology develops and licenses an open software platform to the world's leading mobile phone manufacturers and supports licensees in the drive towards developing a mass market for open mobile phones. UIQ based phones are powerful and give access to enterprise applications, email, multimedia clips and web pages. UIQ is for example used in mobile phones from Sony Ericsson, Motorola, BenQ and Arima. UIQ Technology, established 1999 in Sweden, is a fully owned subsidiary of Symbian Ltd. www.uiq.com

About Sony Ericsson

Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB serves the global communications market with innovative and feature-rich mobile phones, accessories, PC-cards and M2M solutions. Established as a joint venture by Ericsson and Sony in 2001, with head quarters in London, the company employs 5,000 people worldwide, including R&D sites in Europe, Japan, China and America. For more information, please visit www.SonyEricsson.com

Interesting comparison of Mobile development using Python V J2ME from Developer standpoint

Jim Liddle — Tue, 22 Nov 2005 14:04:00 GMT

Nathan Yergler does an interesting comparison of using Mobile Python (from Nokia for series 60) and bog standard J2ME for mobile development here.

Beta of UIQ Software V3 development Kit available

Jim Liddle — Mon, 21 Nov 2005 11:48:00 GMT

The first beta of the UIQ 3 software development kit is available here from the UIQ development Portal

Symbian Signed Freeware Route to Market

Jim Liddle — Fri, 14 Oct 2005 14:36:00 GMT

As of October 2005 Developers who develop freeware applications can get their applications "signed" without having to pay commercial test fees to Symbian LTD - great idea and great programme - download the eligibility details here for more information

Symbian Programming DVD

Jim Liddle — Wed, 27 Jul 2005 15:32:00 GMT

Custom Flix have release a Symbian Progamming DVd that covers Series 60 and UIQ. You can see the steaming video trailer here. This has generated quite a lot of interest in the Symbian community. I've seen no direct feedback yet, and haven't seen the video, so anyone who has drop me a line and let me know your thoughts. You can find out more here.

Bluetooth controlled Camera for p900/P910i

Jim Liddle — Sun, 24 Jul 2005 20:42:00 GMT

Seriously, yes, a bluetooth contolled camera. With ROB-1 Sony Ericsson has produced another fun and innovative ‘first’ for Bluetooth technology. The company’s Bluetooth Car CAR-100, first seen in the Sony Ericsson stand at CeBIT 2003, pioneered the concept of using mobile phone Bluetooth capability for entertainment purposes rather than practical applications.

Sony Ericsson’s new Bluetooth controlled camera, ROB-1, can move around freely, steered wirelessly by the joy-stick or keypad on your mobile phone or as for P900/P910 with the touch screen, enabling you to see on your phone screen exactly what ROB-1 is looking at. You can then capture these images using your phone just as you would a normal photo. The ROB-1 can rove around for a distance of up to 50 meters from the user, streaming video to the phone’s display.

Pretty Amazing and definately innovative !!

New Symbian Application Development Tool: GoDB

Jim Liddle — Fri, 22 Jul 2005 13:47:00 GMT

GoDB by Consigntech is a multiplatform tool with a GUI interface and a new scripting language called GBASIC. The language is similar to the BASIC language with the exception of features like event driven programming, form builder and simulators for Palm, Pocket PC, Nokia, Simputer, Laptops.

GoDB allows you to design Special Hybrid applications that store large master of tables on the device when there is no connectivity available the user can use the local tables which can be synchronized periodically when the conection becomes available . Allowing the user to execute realtime online transactions using the local tables.

Find out more here.

How to install Amazon Explorer Midlet to Symbian PX Series and i-mate Jam

Jim Liddle — Fri, 08 Jul 2005 15:18:00 GMT

I've had a few queries about how to install this so I thought I better provide instructions. It is actually pretty easy:

Symbian Px Series phones & i-Mate Jam

1. Download the zip file for Amazon Explorer from here
2. Unzip to a directory on your PC
3. Put your phone in crade and browse phone file system - select a directory you can get to from your smartphone file manager on your phone and copy the two Amazon Explorer files there from your PC.
4. On the device Navigate to the JAD file and select. On the Symbian Phone this will launch the installer for the Application, and you can select where to install as per normal. You will then see the Amazon Midlet icon. On the i-mate JAM this will launch the Midlet Manager and do an automatic install. Inside the Midlet manager you will then see the new Amazon Explorer application which you can select and launch.

Note that on the P910 you have to configure the Midlet permissions to ensure the Amazon explorer has security and network access permissions. You can do this through the control panel

Below is a screenshot of this running on the i-Mate JAM Windows Smartphone:

Microsoft SP2 for Exchange 2003 to support push email

Jim Liddle — Fri, 08 Jul 2005 14:40:00 GMT

Microsoft has announced new wireless features that will be available in the upcoming Service Pack 2 for Exchange Server 2003, including support for "Push" e-mail and additional security enhancements. This should benefit all Smartphone users......

NetBeans 4.1 Thinlet Plugin

Jim Liddle — Tue, 05 Jul 2005 13:26:00 GMT

Check out the NetBeans Thinlet Project at Java.Net here. This add Thinlet support to NetBeans 4.1 IDE.

SWF to SIS packaging tool

Jim Liddle — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 12:59:00 GMT

SWF2SIS is a wizard designed to help you create more effective applications in Flash Lite 1.1 for mobile handsets using the Series 60 2nd Edition Operating system from Symbian. In short, SWF2SIS provides a way to package your application .swf file with any extra files (sfws, txt files etc.) and attach an icon which will appear on the handset's menu to launch the application, then save it all in a single installer file."

You can get it from here

F(x) On Phone Development tool

Jim Liddle — Thu, 09 Jun 2005 12:43:00 GMT

F(x) is a powerful applet (application) environment designed for Symbian OS. F(x) offers tools to aide personal and professional productivity in various industries including finance, engineering, medicine, film production, networking and many others.

It is actually very impressive and there is a good online review here from AllAbout Symbian.

The website can be found here

AppForge Crossfire now supports Series 80

Jim Liddle — Thu, 09 Jun 2005 11:56:00 GMT

AppForge CrossFire now brings Visual Basic and C# development to the latest Series 80 devices, the Nokia 9300 smartphone and Nokia 9500 Communicator.AppForge Crossfire enables ease of development and deployment of enterprise, multi-platform applications on mobile and wireless devices. AppForge Crossfire uses industry standard tools and languages such as Microsoft C#, Visual Basic .NET, and Visual Basic 6.

Through built in support of multiple types of synchronization and database connectivity, AppForge Crossfire enables mobile and wireless applications to stay up to date with enterprise databases. AppForge Crossfire includes a large selection of controls and libraries to help create robust applications. In order to take full advantage of the features on the mobile device, AppForge requires a Crossfire Client files to be installed on each device that is running an AppForge Crossfire written application.

Supported IDEs:

Visual Studio .NET
Visual C# .NET 2003
Visual Basic .NET 2003
Visual Studio 6.0 Professional
Visual Basic 6.0

I've been using Appforge lately and I'll provide a review of my findings on this site soon...

Sony J2ME course

Jim Liddle — Thu, 28 Apr 2005 16:46:00 GMT

E-learning course by Sony for J2ME - you can download it here

Bandwidth compression for UIQ

Jim Liddle — Thu, 28 Apr 2005 15:03:00 GMT

Toonel.net offers a technique to conserve network bandwidth by attempting to compress resources transferred thereby increasing connection throughput. Recommended for those who are paying a fee based on traffic consumption, have monthly download limit or using narrowband connection (GPRS, Dial-Up, CDMA etc).

P800 Java Course

Jim Liddle — Fri, 22 Apr 2005 17:30:00 GMT

I've been asked about any E-Learning courses recently for UIQ and I remembered at some point I had downloaded something on this. You can download this here. It is self extracting and a good introduction to UIQ Java development.

Coming Soon....MIDP Blog City Blogger

Jim Liddle — Fri, 08 Apr 2005 19:22:00 GMT

I've just started work on this. It will support MIDP 1 and 2.

Currently users can log in and post to a Blog-City Blog. I'm looking to add the ability to:

- Examine and alter last 5 posts
- Add pictures to the Blog that are taken from the phone

Any other features people would like to see in this ?