GPS - Ready For Prime Time? (by Glenn Letham, SymbianOne) GPS and mobile positioning is grabbing loads of attention and news headlines lately, however, is this technology ready for prime time? Just this week we've seen QUALCOMM announce that they've now shipped more than 300 million GPS-enabled mobile handsets! In the USA, AAA ("THE" auto club) announced the launch of their LBS platform, AAA Mobile. Developed by Networks In Motion (NIM) - recall these guys scored a big win in the Navteq LBS Challenge a couple of years ago. Obviously, this was a no-brainer for AAA given that research has shown that more than 84% of their customers use mobile handsets, most of them having 2 or more devices in use in their family. Oh, did I mention that AAA has more than 50 million members? Unfortunately, the AAA mobile service just launched on Sprint (think CDMA) although "another carrier" is rumored to be launching the service in the future. Perhaps one day in the future I'll be able to test an LBS service on a GSM handset (like my Nokia N95) and use it with my current plan on T-Mobile.

With GPS shipping on handsets there appears to still be much confusion and unanswered questions being posed by users. Does my device have GPS? How do I know it has GPS? How do I activate the GPS? How accurate is the GPS? What services does GPS enable me to use? I could go on. We've heard about hundreds of millions of GPS-enabled device users around the Globe, however, are these people actually taking advantage of mobile positioning? My Nokia N95 has integrated GPS (as does the Nokia 6110 Navigator and Nokia E90), however, I'm still fumbling, trying to have my photos geolocated "automatically"... something that I assumed would be a no-brainer. A search around flickr leads me to many Geolocation tools, add-ons, and other 3rd party applications... some don't support the N95, some in Beta, some developed by research labs... until I find the best solution I'm left dragging my photos onto a map in an effort to geoposition them. I have access to other "location-sensitive" applications on my deck, like Twitter, Twibble, Zurfer, and many others however, none of them seem to be able to access and use my position to geolocate my data for use in the application. I'm told via support that I can enable the GPS positioning to relay that information... "if I tweak and alter some settings"... realistically though, why should I have to? GPS is quickly become a must-have feature of the smartphone, however, its not quite ready for prime time... but we're close! Do you have a tip on an LBS app that is simple, effective, and useful? Please share details with us - send details to info at symbianOne.com.

Quickoffice Releases New v4.5 for Symbian S60 Devices - Quickoffice, Inc., the leading provider of Microsoft Office document software for mobile devices, today announced the availability of the most recent version of its award-winning software, Quickoffice Premier v4.5 for Symbian S60 3rd edition phones.

New Sony Ericsson Firmware Available - As promised Sony Ericsson appear to have rolled out new firmware updates for the P990 and W950.

Quickoffice Releases Customized Adobe Reader LE v2.5 for S60 Device - Quickoffice’s Adobe Reader LE v2.5 Version Provides Mobile Users with Rich Experience and Increased Productivity - the Reader gives mobile users access to Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files in a reliable and consistent manner

Symbian OS News updates

• Epocware's Software Line for Nokia E90 and MOTORIZR Z8 Released


• The SlingPlayer Mobile for Symbian S60 (BETA) Call for Action


• SBSH Mobile Software announce a new Papyrus for Symbian update to version 1.3 - E90 Ready


• QuesCom MobiQ application receives Symbian Signed Status


• Rock Your Mobile: VideoRingtones for Nokia S60 3rd Edition available


• LiMo reports Symbian senior VP Jumps Ship, defects to mobile Linux


• Nokia 6110 Navigator guides Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman


• 264 Million Mobile Devices Shipped in 2Q but Competition Struggles to Curb Nokia’s Market Presence


• ShoZu’s Media Services Spotlighted on 3’s New Mobile Applications Site


• Four Famous PONS Dictionaries Announced for Symbian Smartphones


• Devicescape Adds Support for World’s Leading S60 Smartphone Platform


• FOMA SH704i launched today is based on Symbian OS

LBS News updates

• Comment - Getting Those flickr Photos on the map


• QUALCOMM Equips 300 Million Mobile Handsets Worldwide with GPS


• Maps In Apps 2007 - A contest from Tele Atlas


• Tele Atlas Global Coverage Expands to More than 200 Countries and Territories


• AAA's Renowned Travel, Navigation, Road Service Now Available Via Select GPS-Enabled Cell Phones


• Alltel Wireless Launches Business Solutions Partner Program

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 Sony Ericsson Tutorial: Maps Using SVGT - Building on our getting started tutorial for SVG Tiny, the new "Using web services for generating SVG Tiny maps" tutorial describes how to convert and optimize online map server content for display on SVG viewers on Sony Ericsson UIQ 3-based mobile phones.

Maps In Apps 2007 - A contest from Tele Atlas - the mobile space, in particular, the LBS marketplace, has always had some great developer opportunities in the form of contests. Typically, the contests offer up developers a chance to access free tools, SDKs, and data. Add to the the opportunity to get some great recognition, your app on a deck, and maybe even some cash... lots of cash!

Forum Nokia issues 'Open C Challenge' to mobile applications developers worldwide - Nokia has announced the first 'Open C Challenge', a global contest for mobile application development for S60 on Symbian OS smartphones. $20,000 in cash and other prizes for developers using Nokia's Open C Plug-In to build or port open source applications for S60 smartphones

Futuremark Announces 3D Content Creation Tool Chain for OpenGL ES 2.0 - Futuremark® Corporation, the world's leading developer of system performance analysis software and services for cell phones, handhelds and PCs, has announced the availability of a Content Creation Tool Chain for next-generation devices which support OpenGL® ES 2.0 programmable mobile graphics API.

Sony Ericsson Developer World Wiki competition: Win a P1 smartphone - from Sony Ericsson Developer World comes a chance for you to win a very cool P1 smartphone! The submission deadline is August 27, 2007.

From Sony Ericsson Developer World...

• Getting Started with the UIQ 3 platform, Part 6
• K770: revealing the new 3G, Cyber-shot, Java Platform 7 (JP-7) phone
• Making mobile mapping services using SVG Tiny
• Symbian Press has published two new books, "Symbian OS C++ for Mobile Phones Volume 3" and "Symbian OS Communications Programming, Second Edition
• Java Platform versions and screensizes

New at Forum.Nokia...

• Extensions plug-in package for S60 3rd Edition SDK for Symbian OS, for C++, supporting Feature Pack 1, Version 1
• Series 60 Developer Platform 1.0: Remote Camera Example v1.0
• Series 60 Developer Platform 1.0: SystemSounds Example v1.0
• S60 Platform: Custom UI and Screen Rotation Example
• Open C SDK Plug-In for S60 3rd Edition SDKs, for Symbian OS, for C++

New in the SymbianOne Downloads...

• Jaiku (S60)
• Navigation SDK Datasheet
• MOSH - mobilize and share
• Video RingTones (S60)
• GEZKiller

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.

• Delphi Developer - At least 3 years of professional development experience. Expert knowledge of Delphi.• Excellent problem solving abilities.
• Experience Symbian C++ Developers (Spain)
• Multimedia Design Lecturer
• C++ Developer
• LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) Developer
• Symbian developers required for top 5 handset manufacturer

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 E60

Suggested Application... Handy Tools Pro for S60 - Handy Safe software for S60 smartphones is a perfect assistant for secure and convenient data managing. Keep your mind free from countless numbers and letters. Have all of your important information in one place, safe, easy to access, and always with you with Handy Safe software for S60.

• ProfiMail (Symbian)
• WorldMate Professional for Series 60
• IM+ All-in-One Messenger AIM/iChat, MSN/Live Messenger, Yahoo!, ICQ, Jabber and Google Talk for S60
• fring - free mobile voip (PC installer) - Talk & Chat for Free to Skype, GTalk, MSN & fring contacts
• X-plore

MOBILE INTERNET WORLD 2007
The development of the next generation of the Mobile Internet has only just begun. Over the next decade, the expansion of the Mobile Internet will represent the single largest definable growth marketplace in the communications industry. The Mobile Internet World Conference & Expo will, for the first time, bring together all the key players in the emerging mobile internet ecosystem. Mobile Internet World is poised to be the defining event for this industry. November 14-16 2007 - Boston, MA USA

Smartphone Enterprise Solutions 2007' Conference
Smartphone Summit Presents 'Smartphone Enterprise Solutions 2007' - An exclusive conference event at The Moscone Convention Center, dedicated to bringing you the top Smartphone mobile/wireless based Enterprise Solutions from all Smartphone OS platforms including Symbian, PalmSource, Microsoft, RIM, Apple and Linux. The targeted attendee demographic includes both enterprise users as well as developers and I.T. professionals. Throughout the conference attendees will be given the inside track on the ways their business can benefit from the latest Smartphone technologies, solutions, hardware, software, and accessories. October 22-25, 2007 - SAN FRANCISCO, CA - USA

The NAVTEQ Global LBS Challenge – Europe
This global program challenges application developers around the world to build innovative location-based services (LBS) that work with mobile phones and/or wireless handheld devices using dynamic positioning technology and NAVTEQ maps.

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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