It's definitely not a 'formal' release, but anyone with a penchant for fiddling with Python applications on S60 should note that there's now a build of Python for S60 that includes touch support. There's also an example 'Scribble' application, plus extra modules and easier installation. You can get PyS60 v1.9.3 here and here's hoping that a formal all-encompassing v2.0 release isn't far away. See the full change log here.
As we mentioned last week, Canada's CBC has set up an online OPML podcast directory which can be used to browse all their audio and video podcasts on an S60 device's Podcasting application. One of the CBC's tech blogs has posted an article explaining how the directory was made, using the Macintosh-based NetNewsWire feed reader. However, you can use other readers on other platforms too, and we recently published a similar OPML directory how-to using Google Reader instead. For those of you who just want to browse the CBC podcast directory on your S60 phone, see our "how to add directories to S60 Podcasting" article which also covers the BBC and NPR directories too.
Samsung Mobile Innovator has announced the availability of the Qt for S60 Garden technology preview device DLL installation files with Samsung certification. This enables the Qt for S60 demos , as well as applications created with Qt for S60, to run on Samsung S60 phones.
Richard Bloor, a new addition to the AAS editorial team, recently talked to Thibaut Rouffineau, from the Symbian Foundation, on a range of topics including the challenges and opportunities in setting-up to support developers, how developers might contribute to the platform and the role of academia in the software industry.
Nokia will be holding a four-hour question and answer event for publishers and developers interested in the upcoming Ovi Store on-phone content shop. The registration link and more details are available below.
You have to hand it to David Wood of Symbian Foundation, he sure knows how to whip up and manage an OS release schedule. Here he publishes the timescales for the next few releases of Symbian Foundation OS, which make interesting reading. Of note is the numbering system (though don't get too tied up on the way Symbian OS 9.5 runs S60 5th Edition Feature Pack 1 which will become Symbian^2, and so on) and the mammoth software engineering exercise that will be keeping no less than five major OS versions all in planning/development/release all at the same time. A recipe for disaster or a masterplan that will result in world domination? Comments welcome!
Yesterday saw two announcements that further the options for developers to bring their applications to the S60 platform. Qt Software announced a new technology preview of Qt for S60 and Forum Nokia released Mobile Extensions for Qt for S60. More or less at the same time Red Five Labs announced the availability of Net60 version 2.1 with many improvements and support for the S60 5th Edition touch UI.
The full version, 1.0, of the S60 5th Edition SDK is now available for download from Forum Nokia (previously available was version 0.9). Changes include support for keypad-off display in the emulator, support for additional languages, a start-up progress indicator for the emulator and fixes for a number issues and deficiencies. A number of new plug-ins are also now available for the SDK.
Forum Nokia recently published an implementation of the card games Solitaire as their latest 
S60 5th Edition code example. For consumers it is a nice bit of extra freeware. For developers it is an example of an application fully optimised for touch; it demonstrates handling of pointer events of custom made UI controls and tactile feedback.
Nokia today announced the availability of version 4.5 of the Qt cross platform application and UI framework. The new version sees the first release of the Qt Creator, a cross platform IDE, which combined with the Qt SDK, gives you everything you need to start cross platform development. The release is also the first licensed under LGPL, which is more permissive license and should increase the adoption of Qt.
It seems that Samsung Mobile Innovator's team signed a version of Python for S60 a few weeks ago - and then forgot to tell anyone. You can grab it here, look for post no. 10. Note that this isn't a complete system, in that there's no signed 'Script shell', so you can't run scripts directly. However, Python apps packaged properly as SIS files should now work OK on the Samsung INNOV8 and i7110, which is a good start. Screens below the break. Now, Samsung programming wizards, how about a working firmware update mechanism, eh?
Ovi Store has been announced, and many people just saw another smartphone applications shop. But it's actually a lot more than that, and its launch could be the most significant thing Nokia has done since entering the mobile phone business, or so reckons Tzer2 in an All About Symbian editorial.
As you know, the Symbian Foundation is all about Open Source, meaning that anyone, from the individual to the big company, can get involved with working on the OS source code. Membership is now open, and anyone interested in the process for becoming a member of the Symbian Foundation can now download and view the relevant set of documents here. For more information, see also David Wood's blog entry on the subject.
Ahead of next week's Mobile World Congress next week Symbian has issued a press release with a roll call of the latest companies who pledged their support to the Symbian Foundation. These include Atelier, Bank of America, Gemalto, HP, Imagination Technologies, Mobica, MySpace, Nanoradio AB, OMRON Software, Qualcomm, SanDisk, SESCA, SiRF Technology Inc, and Virtual Logix. This takes the number of companies endorsing the Symbian Foundation to seventy-eight. Read on for more.
Wireless Industry Partnership (WIP), a networking organistion for developers and developer organisations, is a holding another of its Mobile Jam sessions in Barcelona on the last day of the Mobile World Congress. The event allows developer to get together with their peers and talk about issues impacting the mobile industry and mobile development.