Phil Northam: Samsung's Mobile InnovatorSamsung Mobile Innovator is the latest developer support program from a Symbian OS licensee. Richard Bloor caught up with Phil Northam, the program's Global Marketing Manager and one of its founding members, to find out more.
A note from Nokia reps this week informs us that the Nokia viNe application will be rolled out of Beta soon... possibly even this week. viNe is a web service that enables users of the application to share their journeys, along with media collected along the way. As a long-time Sports Tracker user, N95 enthusiasts, and evangelist of all things mobile and geospatial, I was provided with a pre-release version of viNe - details and a complete "How To" install and use the application are provided... enjoy! Enter Nokia viNe 101
It was back in June 2008 that the E71 was officially released to the public - the selling points for the E71 were a sleek, stylish do-it-all device that came with Mail for Exchange mobile email client - pre-loaded with the Nokia E71. Actually, the device boasted much much more than these attributes as you'll see below in my findings after having the pleasure of making the E71 my main device for 3 weeks... enjoy the recap, the images and the videos!
Polish developer Psiloc has introduced an innovative new approach to device customization called SoftVariant. It enables S60 devices to be customized automatically, from information stored on a memory card.
While many large operators get specific builds of S60 devices, it is easy to forget that smaller operators make up the bulk of the 200+ operators selling Symbian smartphones. For these operators the cost of factory customization can mean that the devices they sell are vanilla versions, no different from off-network, SIM free devices.
It is undoubtedly this market that Psiloc is hoping to capture with SoftVariant. Although SoftVariant could clearly be of use to any organization that wants to deliver devices with identical set-up to multiple users. Typically this may also include enterprises, SIM free retailers and distributors, or even marketing companies looking for a unique promotion opportunity on new devices.
Part service, part product, SoftVariant is designed to allow the easy customization of an S60 3rd Edition device from a package written to the in-box memory card. Psiloc claims that SoftVariant can customized almost any aspect of an S60 device, including:
Themes (display colors, ringtones, highlights, and style icons) with immediate activation on installation.
Installation of applications, both Java™ME and native Symbian.
Creation of contact list and contact groups.
Addition, activation, and personalization of device profiles.
Creations of WLAN hotspot configurations.
Setting of the Web Browser for S60 homepage and bookmarks.
Creation of email and Internet account settings.
The ability to exclude or limit access to some applications.
Distribution of content such as videos, music, and images.
Psiloc provides a downloadable demonstration of SoftVariant on the product's dedicated Web site: http://softvariant.psiloc.com. Following the process, a case of performing a factory reset and storing the files in the demo download onto a suitable memory card, SoftVariant quickly customized a Nokia E61i with a theme and a copy of Psiloc's Font Magnifier. The process tool less than a minute.
The SoftVariant demo adds and activates a theme and installs Font Magnifier.
SoftVariant certainly helps maintain Psiloc's reputation for innovative Symbian software. The potential for the service is significant and the company could be onto a winner, with several hundred potential customers worldwide.
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Samsung Mobile Innovator is the latest developer support program from a Symbian OS licensee. Richard Bloor caught up with Phil Northam, the program's Global Marketing Manager and one of its founding members, to find out more.
A note from Nokia reps this week informs us that the Nokia viNe application will be rolled out of Beta soon... possibly even this week. viNe is a web service that enables users of the application to share their journeys, along with media collected along the way. As a long-time Sports Tracker user, N95 enthusiasts, and evangelist of all things mobile and geospatial, I was provided with a pre-release version of viNe - details and a complete "How To" install and use the application are provided... enjoy! Enter Nokia viNe 101 
It was back in 
I’ve been a long-time fan and user of Nokia Sports Tracker. In fact, I’ve considered it to be one of the best location-aware mobile apps anywhere… hands-down! Now it's even more fun, more useful, and easier to share with others... 
It was almost a year ago at 
Polish developer Psiloc has introduced an innovative new approach to device customization called SoftVariant. It enables S60 devices to be customized automatically, from information stored on a memory card.
