Mix Mode UIs – Is A Compromise Ideal? Over the last couple of weeks the mainstream IT press has been somewhat preoccupied with Apple and Palm. The focus of this preoccupation has often been around user interfaces. In general it seems to take as fact that both Apple and Palm have a magic touch when it comes to interface design.

In talking of Apple and Palm many correspondents malign the S60 user interface as slow and clunky, no match for slick touch screens. But is a touch screen interface better than a button based one?

The inevitable hunt and peck nature of a button interface makes it slow. The certainty of control location and their physical feedback makes it possible to control a device without looking at it or in situations where the user may be unstable. This results in a massive use anywhere convenience.

Touchscreens offer speed, as features can be activated in a single movement from anywhere on the screen. There is however a cost, a higher degree of concentration and some element of user stability are needed to make selections reliable.

So could the answer be to provide the user with both? The convenience of buttons and the speed of a touchscreen. Why has no-one thought of that? Of course someone has, the Sony Ericsson P990; a device equally adept at checking emails from a bus, as it is editing a document in the office.

The problem with the “ideal” UI debate is simple: there is almost certainly no “ideal” user interface. What is intuitive to one person can be plain confusing to another. The ideal interface is probably not one, but many. Something that can adapt, or at least be adapted by its user, to suit the task and the environment in which that task is being performed. Could this make UIQ the sleeping giant of mobile user interfaces? We could debate this at length, but it is probably best simply to wait and see.

UIQ Technology announces partnerships with Esmertec, Penrillian and Scalado - UIQ Technology announced today Esmertec, Penrillian and Scalado as new partners in the UIQ Alliance program, adding to the many service, application and content providers worldwide who enhance the value of the UIQ product offering.

Nokia N77 multimedia computer starts shipping - Finland is the first to experience optimized mobile TV with the Nokia N77 multimedia computer. Later this month also Vietnam and India will start shipments of the Nokia N77.

Mind Mapping comes to Symbian OS ... - ... or at least the first steps have been taken. Twm Davies has publicly released the first beta of an application designed to offer editing of Freemind mind maps on Symbian OS phones

Symbian OS News updates

• UIQ Technology announces partnerships with Esmertec, Penrillian and Scalado


• Mobile Systems Announces OfficeSuite 4 For S60


• Upcoming version of Greenlight Wireless' Skweezer service incorporates innovative new features


• TeleNav Adds Social Networking Features and Business Reviews to Mobile GPS Navigation Service


• Nokia works with Björn Weckström to dress up the already stylish Nokia N76


• locr GPS Photo Version 1.1.0 launched - locate your photos


• Nokia N95 Users Can Now Enjoy Free Calls With Barablu


• DreamSpring Releases Upgrade of DreamConnect 3


• Prodege Launches Yowgo.com Image Search


• go2 SpeedPoll Generates More Than One Million Mobile Survey Responses


• Apple iPhone launch date set for june 29 - iPhone or N95 which one do you want?

LBS News updates

• Increased Protection from the Elements for Smartphones and Other Vital Devices


• TeleNav Adds Social Networking Features and Business Reviews to Mobile GPS Navigation Service


• Oracle(R) Database Lite 10g Release 3 Enhances Synchronization of Mobile and Embedded Devices


• Pocket File Manager 1.2 - Manage Files Effectively


• WHERE Enhances Mobile GPS Widget Platform with GeoRSS and KML Support

Interested in more LBS news and resources? Visit our friends at LBSzone.com

A MESSAGE FROM OUR SPONSOR

The market for UIQ 3 applications is growing fast With the P990 smartphone, the M600 messaging device and the W950 Walkman(R), Sony Ericsson is opening up important new markets for mobile developers focusing on high end gaming and mobile productivity. The fact that most applications written for one phone will run on the other two, the dedicated developer support and the Sony Ericsson Application Shop are other reasons to develop for UIQ 3. http://developer.sonyericsson.com/symbian

COMMUNITY / DEVZONE ANNOUNCEMENTS

Latest UIQ Developer Community Interview Showcases WebGate - The UIQ Developer Community has published an interview with Spartak Kabakchiev, WebGate's managing director. WebGate is probably best known for its Advanced Call Manager application, which provides UIQ and S60 device owners control over their incoming phone calls.

DreamSpring's Software DreamConnect 3 Wins Industry MegaApp Award - Burleigh Waters, Queensland, Australia, 06/08/2007 - DreamSpring Announced that DreamConnect 3, an innovative contact manager for Symbian UIQ 3 Smartphone Users, won the MegaApp Award from All About Symbian.

Forum Nokia Updates Device Specs Page - Ever got a little lost in determining which devices are available for an S60 Edition or Feature Pack? An update to the Forum Nokia devices spec page should clear up any confusion.

Kylom Releases Projekt for S60 3rd Edition devices - Kylom has released its innovative hierarchical information manager for S60 3rd Edition devices, such as the Nokia E61 and Nokia N95.

NAVTEQ Continues to Extend Its Reach in Developer Communities - In the 2007 NAVTEQ Global LBS Challenge(R) -- the wireless industry's premier annual program for developing the next generation of LBS -- there was strong representation of North American semifinalists using Java(TM) software to create their solutions.

From Sony Ericsson Developer World...

• Sony Ericsson P1i White Paper
• Developers' Guidelines Themes
• Sony Ericsson Themes Creator - Mac OS
• Sony Ericsson Developer World launches in China to stimulate local content development
• Sony Ericsson S500 White Paper

New at Forum.Nokia...

• Signing Tips v2.0
• Symbian OS: End-to-End HTTP API Example v1.3
• Open C Plug-in for S60 3rd edition SDKs, for Symbian OS, for C++
• Nokia Web Browser Design Guide - Example Web Site
• Carbide.c++ v1.2 beta, the development tool for C++ for Symbian OS and OpenC developers

New in the SymbianOne Downloads...

• Sony Ericsson P1i White Paper
• SymSMB
• Nokia Products Wiki
• locr - geolocate photos
• SMS Chat

CAREERS

The SymbianOne Career Center - Browse the current opportunities available for wireless developers and symbian programmers. Don't see a job you like? Looking for a developer? Send details to us at SymbianOne and we'll list your announcement right here in the newsletter... best of all this is a FREE service.

• C++ Symbian Developers x5 required ASAP (London)
• Senior Mobile Software Engineer, Google
• Sr Software Engineer, Time Warner
• Technical Writer, UIQ
• C++ Symbian Programmer for the Best Mobile Developers in the UK

Have you visited the SymbianOne Symbian Freeware Repository Yet?
More than 150 Apps & Growing!

Link to SymbianOne.com - have you added a link to SymbianOne from your web site yet? To make things a bit easier for you, we've included a small graphic [below] that you are welcome to use.

Symbian OS Software Applications for the Nokia E95

Suggested Application... LCG Jukebox (for Symbian) - LCG Jukebox is music player for mobile devices, that is designed to suit all your music listening desires. It has excellent sound quality, comfortable playlist management, easy music selection, equalizer, Internet streaming, and more.

• Handy Tools Pro for S60
• Handy Safe for S60
• WorldMate for Series 60
• Quickoffice Premier v4 (S60 3rd Edition)
• Handy Weather for S60

Mobile Location Enabled Services 2007 conference
Learn how to expand your profit potential at Mobile Location Enabled Services 2007 conference - a high quality forum for the industry players to meet, discuss and plot the path to mass profits for mobile location enabled services.

Wireless Enterprise Symposium2007
Created exclusively for BlackBerry Solution Administrators, Developers and end-users, this year’s conference offers an unbeatable range of topics on BlackBerry and other wireless technologies.

Request the 2007 SymbianOne Rate Card & Media Kit - Promote your application, device, or services using online banner ads, newsletter sponsorship, or direct email to thousands of mobile technology professionals. Reach thousands of developers and mobile industry architects... Interested in reaching a large, targeted audience of mobile developers, enthusiasts, and wireless technology professionals? Contact us for more information and sponsorship information - info[at]symbianone.com. We can offer you a very competitive, focused campaign. Interested in email a targeted list rental? Contact us for more info.

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