To wet your appetite for SEE 2009 on Tuesday/Wednesday, here's a weekend video to enjoy, embedded below, in which Symbian CEO Lee Williams talks freely about why Google's Android isn't the best way forwards. He also talks about Symbian's strategy to add new ODMs (original design manufacturers) from China and the Far East. Interesting stuff, though sure to provoke comments!
If you've been registered with Nokia's official 'Dicusssions' board (effectively their official support forums), note that the login system has now been merged with the global Nokia/Ovi login that you've almost certainly also got. The next time you log in, you'll be asked for the latter and thereafter only the Nokia/Ovi one will work. Now....what other Nokia systems still use their own login names....?
Nokia today announced that it is suing Apple over patent infringements. Nokia says that Apple's iPhone models infringe on Nokia patents relating to GSM, UTMS and WLAN standards. Nokia has one the industry's strongest and broadest patent portfolios (10,000 patent families). The patents in question are considered essential to industry standards and as such are licensed on the principle 'fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms'. However it appears that Apple has chosen not to license the patents.
Yesterday the Symbian Foundation announced the release of the EKA2, together with supporting development kit, under the Eclipse Public License (EPL). This marks a major stepping stone is the process to opensource the entire Symbian platform, which the Symbian Foundation is currently undertaking. The microkernel is the heart of the operating system and comprises of a 'robust, fully multi-tasking architecture', which 'manages all system resources and frameworks necessary for the co-existence of the processes and applications that make up the complete system'.
Just a quick note that in two hours time, at 5pm BST, Symbian are giving away a second batch of 50 free tickets to their Tuesday night party at the Science Museum. You know the drill - free drinks, entertainment and all the industry networking you could want didn't get a chance to get done during day one of the Show.
A lot of people hold up Apple's iPhone App Store as the perfect solution to app distribution, but that's not always the case. Long term app developer Gedeon Maheux of Iconfactory (behind apps such as Twitterific) has a detailed post on why he believes the store has failed him. It's worth a read not just because it illustrates the problems behind an app store, but also because other app stores are likely to have exactly the same problems.
The Monday evening before the Symbian Show, branded SEE09 this year, traditionally provides fertile ground for mobile related 'fringe' events - and this year is no exception. Fitting around other events, we will be having a small, informal pub get together. So from 5:30pm or so until around 8:00pm we'll (Rafe, Ewan, Steve) be in the Windmill pub, which is just a few minutes away from Oxford Circus. More below, including a map, if you're in London and want to come along!
Guest writer David Gilson talks about his switch from Windows to Linux (Ubuntu) and his (successful) struggles to keep his desktop-S60 connectivity going, from PIM data to music to backups to tethering. Could you make the same switch? Are there any showstoppers for you? Comments welcome.
Following up on their promise at launch to involve their customers in business decisions, Giffgaff have started a discussion about pricing on their blog and forum. Their initial thinking is for a simple per minute and per text charge, but the community aren't so sure. And there are even more option about charging for data after the first six months (where everyone gets free data from launch).
Spotify, the music consumption service, has made another move into the mobile space. Following on from their iPhone app (and tantalising hint they are working on a Symbian version) their next move outflanks Nokia and their plans for music yet again. The launch of a monthly tariff and handset (HTC Hero), which has Spotify bundled, is going to be attractive to music lovers – not because it's better than Nokia's Comes With Music, but because it is more loved online, so the passionate users will do the evangelising.
In All About Symbian Insight 91 (AAS Podcast 153), Steve expands on his N97 camera and GPS experience from last weeks podcast. Rafe and Steve then discuss Nokia's Q3 2009 result in details, before Steve asks Rafe about his initial N900 versus N97 impressions. Our final topic is Steve's experience with Ovi Suite 2.0. You can listen to AAS Insight 91 here or, if you wish to subscribe, here's the RSS feed.
As ever, you'll recognise Tim Salmon's name: he's a regular round here and he's been through more smartphones than me. Which is saying something! He's now spent a month with the HTC Hero, running Android, and has relaunched his own personal blog with a detailed look at all areas of functionality, pointing out where each platform/OS scores. Worth a read!
The BBC has announced that its old RealMedia radio streams, still bookmarked/used by some knowledgable S60 phone owners to listen to the BBC's network of stations, are to be phased out at the end of March 2010, to be replaced by iPlayer/Flash solutions. The decision isn't without controversy, as you'll see from the extensive comments thread - if this affects you then I suggest you get involved.
Ahem. My monthly update to the 'Do It Yourself' Smartphone-choosing Grid sees new devices and new criteria. Pick your priorities and the page will pick you a winner from currently available smartphones... As usual, accusations of bias comments welcome!
Mobile Jorge has uncovered another useful new entrant to the Java/S60 software scene, in the form of the strangely named J1CK.Tweet, a Java-based Twitter client that works flawlessly on S60 3rd and 5th Edition phones and which, from the screenshots, appears to be challenging the commercial Gravity client, with Twitpic support, multiple accounts, trending topics, and more. Well worth a look, seeing as J1CK.Tweet is (beta) freeware.
