All About Symbian Forums - Reply to Topic

04-01-2009 10:03 PM

jagga

Media
- Audio/Music

Code:

Nokia PodcastingWhere: Nokia Podcasting Main Site 
Cost: Free or integrated.
Compatibility: S60v3.1/2, and soon S60v5 (if not already)
Synopis: Great podcast application. Allows manual podcast site input by the user, or comb through an immense & quickly growing list managed excellently by Nokia. Sick mention goes to RCadden's Mobile Guru is listed.
Ultra MP3 by LonelyCatGamesWHERE: Ultra MP3 
COST: $5.99 US - maybe this should be left out as prices change often.
Compatibility: Version: 1.52 Symbian v3.1/3.2/5
Synopsis: UltraMP3 loads and plays music in MP3 and OGG format, as well as MOD, XM, IT, S3M. Fully Skinable.

Its possible that some applications' categories may be skewed & up to descretion depending on how you look at it. For example.

Communications - Email, IM, VOIP. All of these mediums are used to communicate with another individual or group. Exchange Server 2007, Lotus Domino, and soon Novel Groupwise all offer Unified Messaging (Collaboration) in this regard. However, some Utilities - such as RSA SecureID SoftToken is used to allow for Remote Email access or for network share (mapped drives, etc) access as well. Without it (with or without a unique VPN Utility) no remote connection is allowed; yet 1 of the servers I mentioned allow remote connections solely on its own without the need for VPN (SSL over html: MS Exchange 2K7) or RSA. Because of this, I'm specifically including RSA under communications - unless disputed. But this is an example where feedback will be needed.

Communications

Code:

Security: CorporateRSA SecureID SoftToken 
Where: hyperlinked above.
Cost: unknown as its provided upon registration on their site or via a corporations licensing & IT Manager/Infrastructure Manager contact/negotiation.
Synopsis: Those familiar with an RSA HardToken will understand the need for 128-256bit secure encryption to corporate resources which include Local PC access, Remote Email, Remote network share (server/files) access with or without - usually with - a VPN software. An RSA SecureID Soft/Hard Token has a specific "key" that changes every 60seconds randomly and is timed so that if off by 60seconds the "key" is no longer valid. Technical Support syncs Previous/Next Tokens to avoid a Temporary, then Permanent disabled SecureID.

My synopsis for RSA SoftToken above was extensive due to the fact that not a lot of public companies use it and its not widely known. Very few corporations are required by federal governments to implement it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Serious Mobile Blog

Nokia … S60 is not only about devices and the apps available, it’s the community behind that gave it its strength. We’re trying to help S60 grow, its time you and your collaboration of partners get to help those apps know the community as well.

This CAN be down by us ... the S60/UIQ community ... end users and coders alike. There doesn't NEED to be an extra exhorbitant cost for Nokia to be charged, then passed down to us the end users. Common how many FREE aplications does Nokia give to us?! Its time we all challenge one another to contribute to something we want and that Nokia needs. Nokia is amazing at listening and carefully inputing what us the users request.

Many have asked that I put this on a central site - which would help organization - but its not good as it'll seem OWNED as one group is already trying to do - buying all domains with N97 in the name.

Great Feedback from Mr. Bruce Carney ...

Quote:

From: Bruce Carney
To: Me
Subject: Your Blog Post about a Symbian Foundation Apps Store
Originally on Tue, Dec 9, 2008 at 12:30 PM

Hi Donny,
I was interested to read your recent blog post…
An apps store is something that we have considered for quite a long time (actually 4+ years) as it is a the logical extension of Symbian Signed..
Probably the reason, it never got off the ground was Symbian did not seek to compete with other people in the value chain, who could potentially do things like this better. However, in actual fact, few people would argue that the current application discovery situation on Symbian is good :-(.
It was fairly obvious (at least to me) that as soon as Apple announced an SDK that they would have to do an App Store, as their (lack-of a) decent security model for openness forces them to control the entry point onto devices, an interesting benefit being a "closed" device vs Symbian's desire for maximum openness for developers, carriers and end-users.
However, the good news is there is an increasing desire to improve this for Symbian developers and the creation of the Symbian Foundation allows everyone to re-assess who does what/where… I am actively looking at ideas to improve the current situation, so your input is welcome :-)
Thanks for going to the effort of posting...
regards,

Bruce Carney
Director, Developer Programs
http://developer.symbian.com
1051 E. Hillsdale Blvd, Suite 520, Foster City, CA 94404 USA

THIS is a great start to a new year so common everyone.
Rafe, I'd love to get some assistance or even critical feedback (postive/negative or both) on my post here and efforts - even a small moment out of your busy days. IT would be most appreciated.

Thank you all.

04-01-2009 10:03 PM

jagga

Download! Remix p3

I don’t know HOW this initiative will be received from sites such as MySymbian or Handango and from developers & companies associated with them for sale of their works. This may cause some friction or hostilities – IF successful on all fronts – as it may pull away potential sales & revenues from them. And it may also be the sole reason why Nokia or the Symbian Foundation have not done this themselves. However, there are a few benefits. More traffic to their sites – links pointing to direct sources for sales or to participating resellers from a more active community responding to this? Eventual lack of costs in ticketing, storage, and other server costs associated in selling these applications. Lastly maybe even proposing thoughts or a side initiative IF again successful for Symbian Foundation to allow a separate download central store (like what RIM is proposing to providers) for their own implementation??

Apple was able to do this with great ease because they started from scratch hardly even 100 applications initially. RIM had a few more but their off to a great start because their community already started (Crackberry.com already had an app store via an application that fronted their server for sales). But in either case BOTH had a Team of individuals and a supporting community. Unfortunately their team was PAID in full for their efforts and I cannot offer that myself – as I myself am currently unemployed and help with another initiative at a local bar for free. I cannot begin or maintain nor deliver the fruits of this ALL by myself. I need your help, everyone. Really need ALL your help, please. I personally believe this can be done and done well. However, if many of you either comment stating its not worth the effort, or hardly any interest at all in this occurs, then I’ll concede.

Mods: A special request. Could you kindly, allow this post to be continuously edited or sourced to the Wiki for the life of this thread? Also can you please allow links to other forums in an attempt to help collaborate this initiative from the users by the users please? Of course other standard site rules would be respected: NO WAREZ please! (torrents or hacking sites like quickie marts etc – you get what I mean if - will be tolerated else this initiative if it takes off will not be respected by Symbian Foundation)

An example of a layout would be …

Browsers
Communications (Email, IM, VOIP SIP/PBX; all of these for Corporate or Consumer)
Games (Obviously non-NGage)
Financial (Money, Debt, or Expense management apps. Apps for Trading, Markets etc)
GPS
Health (Nokia Wellness Diary 1.25)
Media (Music Players, Movie Players - Hardware/Software services like Huna/Sling)
Themes (Wallpapers not needed) - Landscape or Portrait
Utilities
Social & Web Collaboration/Creation Tools (the later I'm sure will be coming)
Ruby & PyS60 ... I'm still considering if these should be seperated. They have for quite a while and remained as low exposure which is unfair to these talented developers so pls comment.

An example of suggestions I guess would be ...

04-01-2009 10:02 PM

jagga

Download! Remix p2

A complete comprehensive list (as best as we can do) of ALL current applications that S60, UIQ, and MOAP users can browse, investigate and link directly to the source. Something as a 1 stop reference that mainstay users can show new users asking questions on.
This comprehensive list (again, By the Users, For the Users) should assist the new Symbian Foundation compile the nuances of how each of the Symbian applications from their respective GUI’s offer to end users. Also to help them investigate specific/unique abilities bring to each platform and generate ideas for a more complete OS for 2010 no matter what handset we purchase from any manufacturer.
A look at a new front end for Consumers. Definitely a new GUI of the app on the handset end most likely on the PC Suite as well and a Web HTML side? The proposed GUI (by the majority of YOU all), must have an Efficient (Fast and easy to use), Powerful (thought out for quickest navigation and useful even with application list updates), and elegant (inviting & doesn’t take away from the content). If you look at the Apple AppStore you notice all those commercials show it in portrait mode, not landscape. Can you imagine finger-scrolling through all the utilities available on S60 this way? Not efficient at all and would blurr the eyes of any user. However we’ll work on the GUI when this app list is just about complete or when the majority of us concede that our effort is well done.
The final stage is to propose this to Nokia & the Symbian Foundation via Direct key contact emails within each organization (professional emails in nature, not threatening). S60 Wishlist postings (I tried a 7 part already). Blog posts – hosts of blogs are members of this very community (check your fellow posters’ signatures you’ll see who they are and how respected by Nokia they are; myself the exception hehe).

Now keep in mind this is NOT limited to S60 (Although majority of suggestions will be), nor will it be limited to S60 Carbide UI (C++ apps). This should also included Ruby, Py60, freeware, shareware, purchase & subscription apps – even hardware/software services that are application interfaced. With your suggestions to the applications please, post a very brief synopsis of what your suggested application does, cost (only if any), location or URL of the app suggested, and compatibility (S60v3.1/2 or v5, UIQ 3, MOAP, FlashLite 2/3).

04-01-2009 10:01 PM

jagga

Why is it when a small guy blogs about this nobody searches to see if anyone discussed this and integrate/dialog thoughts?? No credit. I've discussed this several months ago - and begun to take action.

But I cannot do this alone - while Director of Symbian has given hope in all of us - the community to assist. They did consider a third party to revamp the Download! application store front. But to do this without affecting coders is difficult because many 3rd partys would want recognition or brand to stamp on it.

Please check my blog - and my posts on both HowardForums & Symbian-Freak. I'll try to subsequently post here as well.

my blog: seriousmobile.blogspot . com / 2008/11/ symbian-foundation-s60-mobile-appsocial.html( Saturday, November 1, 2008 )

Mission 1: Download Remix! (12-19-2008, 03:10 )
howardforums . com / showthread.php?t=1474471

Common ppl we the users the S60 Community and the coders can do this on our own and submitt a proposal to Nokia.

A synopsis or my post on HowardForums ... I'll repost here because originally I was afraid to post for fear of retaliation from owners of this site since selling applications is a form of revenue.

[quote]Hmm where do I begin?

Quote:
Originally Posted by SeriousMobile

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prom1 SeriousMobileBlog

Serious Mobile

There is something manufacturers are doing recently that is waking up for the programming & user communities alike. At first it looked like a fad that the iPhone ushered in, until a fairly unknown non-professional programmer made over $1 million in sales for her application that was submitted in the ‘App Store’.

Yes, that’s right this App Store for smartphones is not a fad! However, the way they’re designed and implemented is still sort of a joke to those Smartphone consumers looking for more than just games or the 1/5 utilities offered. It’s more of an insult than a joke to long time Symbian users on many fronts; the most insulting is that the App Store or S60’s Download! Application (it’s been around for years now), does not offer very well known or unknown & powerful applications, utilities, nor support the entrepreneur/student programmer.

RIM has recently made their version of it for the BlackBerry, but went one step further by allowing providers have their own app store for their offerings (apps, themes, ringtones, wallpapers, video clips, etc). My E71 has browser bookmarks, preloaded by Nokia, for themes, wallpapers, ringtones – yet when I load them the site is a dead end, informing me no content is available and to try again later. When on Earth is later, I get this same message for 2mths now! If I didn’t have such strong communities like Symbian-Freak, All about Symbian, and HowardForums, I wouldn’t be able to find applications, let alone the names of them to utilize (for a Google/yahoo search) the full capabilities on my S60 powerhouse.

A Smartphone is only as good as the apps available/compatible for it, and that its user can find to use (purchase/freeware download)! Other than that it’s just a glorified feature phone.

With this in mind there are some things that the S60 community, Nokia and the upcoming Symbian Foundation need, nah, MUST do for S60’s dominance, elegance, and power to truly shine in the face of a struggling market and with new competition (Apple OS, Android OS, LiMo Foundation).

Why? Why do we need a revamp of Nokia “Download!” ?

Do we really need a revamp, an overhaul? Why do we need to take the concept of a centralized download store/center as a central destination for our applications? This concept, pioneered by Apple (or at least first marketed by Apple), is getting emulated/copied by just about ever other hardware & software company out there. This concept is used on by Apple (iPhone), RIM (Bold & upcoming models), Andriod (on the HTC G1 for T-Mobile & soon Lenovo’s Andriod), and now even the upcoming Palm OS handhelds (& now for current WM devices).

Symbian OS being around in any iteration for more than 10years (Psion) and on S60 for almost just as long, has not only THE largest software catalog, but also the largest Unique & Quality applications. Anyone considering assembling a list of such a massive amount of applications is either crazy, willing to sacrifice their reputation, or a glutten for punishment.

Considering I hardly have a reputation online – I’ve blogged about this subject & a few others over the past 3/4mths and only 2 people have ever visited or bothered to even post; so I figured why not.

Many attempts have been made to create a consolidated list of applications in various types “Post your favorite apps, post your top 10 apps, post your most used/10 apps” etc. Not just on this forum but on many others as well (incl Symbian-freak, AllAboutSymbian, MySymbian, Mobile-Review etc). And all with great lists from purists & new Symbian users alike – I myself am overwhelmed to consolidate them. However, among these large & useful threads (we can use them to source this one too), I noticed a few trends – not for the better occurring. Among these trends are:

Repeated application choices (the most popular)
Hardly any have a synopsis/explanation of what each app offers/does.
Application Performance. (This is usually brought out in individual threads, yet rarely discussing versions. Issues/improvements related to them installing, running, upgrades, etc.)

Don’t get me wrong. These threads are awesome and over the past few years are better laid out; I’m sure others such as myself are VERY grateful for those that contributed to them. Simply a list – our 1st goal – is NOT enough; else this would be just another thread to eventual die – and if lucky make it to sticky status just before that. To be honest I feel that Nokia – with plans to go 1yr in advance – before implementing Nokia Music Store or Symbian Foundation and even S60 5Th Edition should have improved upon the Download! Application. Actually, Nokia, Fujitsu, Motorola, Samsung, and SonyEricsson, etc are all at Fault (S60, Nokia Beta, etc)for not thinking of this before Apple.

Ok Ok! I hear yah ... “Enough babbling and get too it!” So whats the real purpose of this thread.

04-01-2009 09:46 PM

jagga

Mission 1 Dowload! Remix

04-01-2009 09:44 PM

Unregistered

No credit?

26-09-2008 08:47 PM

developer-cpp

Download! is a shame for Nokia and a pain for us, the unfortunate users of N series or E series that didn't know when we made the choice about the release of Apples's iPhone 3G and Google's Android G1 which have AppStore and Android Market.

Download! should have been an application like AppStore long time ago.

Nokia just looses the market and the potential new customers.

Yes, the smart-phones are not anymore only phones and people want more from them, but Nokia just does not undesrtand or it is very slow in its movements... like a big-fat corporation with no people like Steve Jobs or Google founders in their management. Nokia looks like a no brainer company. Looks stumbling, groggy, with no clear direction and very confused. I'm writing this maybe some fat-brain manager from Nokia reads this and speeds up something...

I knew about MOSH, I know about SoftwareMarket.nokia.com and about Download.Nokia.com and I know about the S60.com selection of free applications... BUT

A Central place application with an Icon on the main desktop (like "Download!" icon currently is, but unfortunately with no good application when you click it) is more than necessary.

The Download folders have just few (under 5) applications in each section and the content differs on phones and countries.

Here, in North America, there is now folder/section "What's new" or "Try for free"...

And to have a selection of software based on each country, based on each N or E phone is equal dumbness IMHO because too much effort is waisted. Why not to make a Download! or Ovi download! application generally available and people can go themselves to the categories they want?

A system of not registered user rating (1 to 5) and/or comments is absolutelly a necessity.
Let the user to the filtering, not the company (except applications that are illegal).

Why Nokia does not say when or if we will benefit from such a simple and necessary application?

26-09-2008 11:44 AM

bartmanekul

Quote:

Originally Posted by svdwal

The Download Store actually looks very good (at least from a Mac). The only problem I can see is that there isn't a price anywhere to be seen, and there are some devices missing (like the E90).

And, theres only 2 main categories - applications, and games.

And considering theres no search function...browsing is a nightmare.

26-09-2008 11:37 AM

svdwal

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I asked (Ovi) about this and they just pointed me to these two links:

Nokia Software Market
http://www.softwaremarket.nokia.com/

Nokia Download Store
http://www.download.nokia.com/

The Download Store actually looks very good (at least from a Mac). The only problem I can see is that there isn't a price anywhere to be seen, and there are some devices missing (like the E90).

Not showing any prices isn't a good idea, I think. Tell people they can pay for the app by SMS, through their phone bill, or Paypal or by credit card, or whatever. Or tell people that the app is free of charge. The message I get from the Nokia Download site is: "if you have to ask for the price, you cannot afford it".

26-09-2008 10:34 AM

ltv

This article set me thinking and I was trying to list the ways in which Nokia tries to promote the fact that more applications can be installed on an S60 phone. Well, there is
a) the download applications menu option
b) the download applications bookmark in the browser
c) software market bookmark in the browser
d) pre-installed applications
e) download!

On the web , there is
a) the download store
b) mosh
c) beta labs
d) support pages

It is not that they aren't doing enough to advertise the phone's capabilities.
But as this article points out, it feels almost criminal not to have enough applications backing all this advertising.
For example, when I launch the download applications bookmark, I am taken to a page that lists only Wellness Diary and Sports Tracker. Surely only beta labs itself has more graduates than those two.

26-09-2008 10:20 AM

Jejoma

I must confess to being slighly confused. I recently purchased my first Nokia, an E71, and under Download! I only see the following folders:
Applications, News&Info, Office, Communication and Freetime.

None of the folders have much in them and I rarely check them. Does this article refer to the N-series only?

26-09-2008 10:12 AM

Unregistered

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Can someone please confirm if Ovi will eventually replace Download! for all kinds of purchases such as maps, games, music, applications, etc. on the S60 smartphones?

I asked (Ovi) about this and they just pointed me to these two links:

Nokia Software Market
http://www.softwaremarket.nokia.com/

Nokia Download Store
http://www.download.nokia.com/

When I then asked about at least providing those links on the Ovi site, the response was that they are already on the Nokia site.

26-09-2008 10:05 AM

ltv

[IMO, the very simple act of adding a leaflet/slip of paper in every handset box saying something like 'Go to www.nokia Apps.com for games, applications and more.' would increase awareness tenfold.]

When the SE P1i was released in India (I don't know about other places), it was advertised in newspapers by saying that one could download about 100 USD worth of applications free of cost from the p1-choice.com site.
And they made good on their promise too....the site has some high quality apps. I could download pretty much everything that I really needed without spending anything extra other that buying the phone.
Also 100 USD is quite sufficient (for me)....the total cost of third party apps that I have bought for my current e90 would also be in the same range (~120 USD).
Don't think that offer is still on , though.

I also remember that there was a link in the p1i's standby menu - "more apps and downloads" or something like that.

26-09-2008 09:51 AM

Enfors

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unregistered

:Another reason, I think, is that S60 is very difficult to program in C++ for.

That's nonsense. Symbian and S60 programming is a doddle. It's different but not difficlut.

You're the first one I've ever heard say that. On the other hand, I've heard plenty of people saying S60 C++ is a mess.

26-09-2008 09:44 AM

Unregistered

:Another reason, I think, is that S60 is very difficult to program in C++ for.

That's nonsense. Symbian and S60 programming is a doddle. It's different but not difficlut.

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