SlashGear » sdk

Unlocked Windows Phone 7 emulator gets video demos

Chris Davies — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:37:04 +0000

Having been neatly hacked in the early hours of this morning, the Windows Phone 7 emulator has been spilling its secrets ever since. The original source code for unlocking Microsoft’s smartphone SDK may have been taken down, but that hasn’t stopped those who grabbed it early from shooting some video of the less public features of the platform.

Videos after the cut

The videos are the handiwork of Australian tech enthusiast techAU, and go through both an overview of the whole Windows Phone 7 experience together with a more in-depth look at the settings. Of course, part of Microsoft’s reason for hiding some of the functionality could be that they’re planning to change it prior to the first WP7 devices launching, so things could well change in the meantime.

Windows Phone 7 series emulator walkthrough:

Windows Phone 7 series settings:

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Windows Phone 7 emulator hacked for full functionality

Chris Davies — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 09:08:49 +0000

It only took a matter of hours after Microsoft released the Windows Phone 7 series developer toolkit for someone to rip the full smartphone build from it, and now the software has been hacked a little more. Turns out, there’s plenty more functionality in the emulator ROM than appears at first glance, it’s just that Microsoft have done some work to keep certain elements hidden. Dan Ardelean, however, has modified the BIN responsible for which features are accessible, bypassing Microsoft’s lock-down.

Among the things discovered are a file explorer and a native task manager. Meanwhile over at xda-developers they’ve already discovered mention of cut, copy and paste functionality, which Microsoft have admitted won’t be in the initial release of WP7 but will instead follow on in a later upgrade.

Unfortunately, Dan has since taken down the files necessary to remove the lock, fearing a negative response from Microsoft. Of course, this is also a relatively early build of the platform, and part of the reason the company hid certain functionality might simply be because they’re planning to change if prior to launch: if developers created apps using the system as it stands, they might find their software doesn’t work quite right on shipping Windows Phone 7 series devices.

[via istartedsomething]

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Apple iPad PowerVR SGX graphics confirmed

Chris Davies — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 10:01:58 +0000

Apple have quietly confirmed that their iPad tablet is based on the same type of PowerVR SGX graphics hardware as the iPhone 3GS and current-gen iPod touch. Developers digging through the latest iPad SDK beta 3 documentation have found a paragraph comparing the iPad’s graphics capabilities to other SGX-based hardware, including OpenGL ES support.

“Using OpenGL ES on iPad is identical to using OpenGL ES on other iPhone OS devices. An iPad is a PowerVR SGX device and supports the same basic capabilities as other SGX devices. However, because the processor, memory architecture, and screen dimensions are different for iPad, you should always test your code on an iPad device before shipping to ensure performance meets your requirements.” Apple SDK documentation

Previous reports had suggested that the iPad might, in fact, use a less powerful GPU, which seemed at odds with the hardware available elsewhere in Apple’s range. This new information makes far more sense; Apple has made considerable investment into Imagination Technologies, the company responsible for the PowerVR SGX chips.

The GPU is combined into the custom Apple A4 chip, the 1GHz processor at the heart of the iPad. For consumers it should mean similar gaming performance to an iPhone 3GS, while for developers it should mean a more straightforward process translating gaming titles and other graphics-intensive apps from the smartphone platform to the new tablet.

[via Everything iPad]

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Apple iPhone/iPad video calling tipped in 3.2 SDK

Chris Davies — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:18:41 +0000

Rumors – and complaints – about the absence of video chat functionality in the iPhone and iPad aren’t anything new, but seemingly fresh to the table are signs in the iPhone OS 3.2 SDK of video calling in a future hardware build. 9to5mac spotted “AcceptVideo” and “DeclineOrEndVideo” icons in the SDK, as well as hints of deeper software functionality and apps in the underlying code.

iChat makes at least one appearance in the iPad build of the code, as do some VideoChat strings in the underlying iPad telephony apps. While they could be remnants of Mac telephony code, 9to5mac admit, it does seem unlikely that Apple would have built iPad-specific icons for functionality that was never intended to be rolled out.

Of course, as it stands the current-gen iPhone lacks a front-facing video camera, and as far as we’re aware there’s no such hardware on the first-gen iPad either. Apple could add a webcam in, certainly (they may have avoided mentioning it so as not to tip their development hand prior to the next-gen iPhone launch), but we’ll have to wait until units begin shipping to see if that’s been the case.

[via Everything iPad]

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Creative launches SDK for X-Fi 2, free for developers

Paul Fang — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 03:39:11 +0000

In an obvious effort to challenge the rapidly growing app stores of competitors (okay, Apple), Creative has released a SDK for the Creative Zen X-Fi 2, which they’re calling the “Application Development Kit”, or ADK, complete with simulator, coding guide, and API reference.

The Lua-based development kit permits users to not only concoct and draft up applications for the X-Fi 2 platform, but also to completely customize it. Unlike the iPhone App Store Developer Program which requires a hefty fee to create apps for the iPhone/iPod Touch, the ADK from Creative emerges as an absolutely free of charge kit.

Creative’s unreleased Zii Egg digital media player of late should be out by now, and if Creative wants developers to take full advantage of their ADK, perhaps the sleek Zii Egg should be the one receiving some kind of SDK instead.

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iPhone SDK 3.2 beta: “Start Developing Your iPad Apps”

Paul Fang — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 04:41:29 +0000

iPhone SDK 3.2 includes a bevy of iPad developer tools, and has just been updated to beta 2 release.

For those already in the iPhone Developer Program, you can go ahead and download the beta 2 release (still called iPhone SDK) for OS 3.2. Not much has been released in terms of detailed updates, but can imagine that most would focus on iPad support. More information will most likely come in the next several days to come. Any findings? We’d love to know about them.

[via Apple]

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Next iPhone codename revealed in newest SDK

Paul Fang — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 01:31:51 +0000

With iPad buzz out and about, those worried that Apple might be slacking on building its other product (yes, the iPhone) may now breathe a sigh of relief, at least for now. The latest iPhone operating system 3.2 SDK reveals that the next iPhone is currently in the works, specifically, the codename of the new iPhone, the “N89”.

According to some tipsters over at Engadget, it’s “likely the codename of the next iPhone (previous versions were called the M68, N82, and N88)”. Also may be true is the new model “N80” included in Apple’s released 3.1.3 firmware, which may very well be the new iPod Touch codename.

We’ll keep you updated with anything else we find. Any thoughts what the N89 or N80 may come out with?

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Android 2.1 SDK Released

Paul Fang — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 03:20:47 +0000

The Android 2.1 SDK is now finally available, being the first official SDK to actually be released after the availability of a phone running it (the Nexus One). Note to users: ”Android 2.1 does not add significant user features, see the Android 2.0 Platform Highlights document for the latest user features.”

As expected, the SDK adds support for active dynamic wallpaper development and a much visually-stunning 3D-enabled Gallery app. Furthermore, there are changes to signal strength visual output, view selectors for applications and updates to the WebKit rendering engine to allow for geolocation support. New settings are also included for app cache, web storage, zooming based on screen density and methods for handling video, browsing history and custom Views along with app cache limits.

No unexpected huge changes here, but it does indicate that 2.1 will be indeed coming to other Android phones like the Motorola Droid and other HTC smartphones.

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Samsung bada: do we need a new smartphone OS? [Video]

Chris Davies — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:53:15 +0000

As promised, Samsung have unveiled their new smartphone platform, bada, and SlashGear were at the London event this morning. It’s important to note that bada seems at a relatively early stage; the first handset running the platform won’t go on sale until sometime in the first half of 2010, and Samsung didn’t have any prototype phones for us to look at. They did, however, outline some of their thinking behind bada, and show a demo video of the conceptual UI which you can see after the cut.

Video demo after the cut

bada is intended, says Samsung, to bridge the gap between current feature-phones and smartphones, with a range of devices spanning multiple price points and specifications that would all be able to access the same application store. Certain key features would be consistent across all devices – 3G and WiFi connectivity, GPS and a motion sensor, WQVGA or WVGA displays and multitouch-support, and the first bada device will debut the TouchWiz 3.0 UI – giving developers a potentially huge market audience for their applications. The bada application store will launch with fifty countries supported initially, but Samsung intend to spread it worldwide; users will not have to register in order to use the store, and Samsung hope to add both credit card and mobile billing options for payment.

Samsung will have an open SDK available and developers will be able to use various methods to get their applications up and running. bada supports C++ together with web runtime widgets and Flash, and Samsung will be running various developer days where coders can work alongside the company’s own software engineers. There’s already a great deal of developer support; Samsung brought Twitter, Capcom, EA Mobile, Gameloft and Blockbuster on stage with them, who are all planning bada applications, but Facebook, Konami and many others were named on the company’s presentation slides.

As further incentive, Samsung are going along a similar route to Google and others and launching the bada Developer Challenge, which has a $2.7m prize fund to be shared among authors of new applications for the platform. Obviously gaming will figure strongly in the first wave of releases – Samsung showed Resident Evil running in their concept, as an example of the devices’ potential, and Gameloft’s CEO went so far as to describe bada phones as “a full gaming platform” – but Blockbuster suggested the smartphone would become your “uber-remote” and allow for Video-on-Demand (VoD) to be downloaded to an HDTV and then the viewing picked up on your bada phone. EA Mobile’s vice president briefly outlined the potential for bada games to take advantage of the handset’s camera, mapping and social networking capabilities, thanks to Samsung’s APIs.

So far so good, but what’s less clear is Samsung’s strategy in bringing bada to market. We’d argue their point that smartphones have a price barrier keeping general feature-phone buyers away is untrue; there are several entry-level smartphone devices from various manufacturers, especially when you take into account carrier subscription. When asked why the company chose to launch a new OS rather than take advantage of something like Android or Symbian, the EVP of Samsung’s media solution center, Hosoo Lee, suggested that bada is easier to use, cheaper and has the potential to scale globally. Since Google are giving away Android, and it – and other platforms – have been adopted in devices pretty much across the globe, we’d argue that’s not quite true.

It was also difficult to get a straight answer on what exactly bada consists of, the presumption being that it’s Samsung’s proprietary OS with new, open APIs and a more accessible SDK. There’s a sense that Samsung have pushed forward with bada to a large part to maintain control of their platform, while simultaneously being able to sell it as “open”. Nor was there a definitive answer to whether the bada runtime could be downloaded and installed to existing Samsung devices, thus broadening its footprint and giving owners access to the new applications. The only real indication of bada’s technical capacity was a briefly shown slide – which you can see in the gallery below – including such things as OpenGL ES support, face recognition and direct graphics buffer access, but Samsung seemed reluctant to dwell on any hardware details beyond repeating that the first bada device would be one of many on the market by the end of 2010.

We’re also very aware that, while the regular SlashGear readers and geeks among us might question the need for a new smartphone platform, the bulk of Samsung’s sales are likely to be to non-tech-aware users. In that sense, sheer scale of numbers will probably see bada grab market share, even if consumers are buying the devices for their aesthetics, blunt camera megapixels or merely brand-recognition. bada’s application portfolio, therefore, may be a second-sell after the initial contract is signed, with Samsung having to educate new users as to why their device is now smarter than the feature phone they might have had before. It’s hard to pass judgement either way until we see a production device (or even just a prototype); despite Samsung’s broad launch window, we wouldn’t be surprised to see something at Mobile World Congress in February next year.

Samsung bada UI concept video:

Press Release:

Samsung unveils new smartphone platform “bada” to the world

Samsung bada offers a powerful opportunity for developers, mobile operators, and consumers with a wider range of smartphone experiences

December 8th, 2009, London, United Kingdom – Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., a leading mobile phone provider, today unveils its new smartphone platform, Samsung bada. At this unveiling, Samsung showcases the bada SDK (Software Development Kit) for partners and presents the unique benefits and unprecedented opportunities that the bada platform will bring to developers, mobile operators and consumers.

Samsung bada is a driving force in accomplishing Samsung’s vision of a ‘smartphone for everyone.’ To achieve this vision, Samsung bada offers a feature-rich platform for enhanced mobile experiences for consumers, and a complete mobile ecosystem through a developer support program that both the application store and consumers will benefit from. Based on Samsung’s accumulated expertise in developing advanced mobile phones, the company will allow its users to enjoy ultimate mobile experience through superb features.

Dr Hosoo Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of the Media Solution Center at Samsung Electronics said, “In providing Samsung bada, I believe that Samsung will become a true leader in the mobile industry; offering a wider range of smartphone choices for consumers.” He added, “At the same time, Samsung bada presents a powerful opportunity for developers to get their applications onto an unprecedented number of Samsung devices across the world“

Samsung bada, meaning Ocean in Korean, possesses the following key characteristics:

User-interactive

Based on Samsung’s signature TouchWiz User Interface, Samsung bada platform provides an easy, simple, and intuitive UI without compromising efficiency. To enhance creativity and user interactivity, Samsung bada provides flash control, web control, motion sensing, fine-tuned vibration control, and face detection. Also, it supports sensor-based, context-aware applications. By using various sensors such as accelerometers, tilt, weather, proximity, and activity sensors, application developers can easily implement context-aware interactive applications.

Service-oriented

Samsung bada differentiates its position by supporting various service-centric features such as social networking, device synchronization, content management, location-based services, and commerce services – all supported by back-end bada servers. These ground-breaking developer-friendly features support developers to implement various services without additional effort.

Open and configurable

Samsung bada enables developers to take full advantage of mobile device capabilities to create compelling applications with ease. Applications can use device functions to make phone calls, send messages, or access the contact list. Also, various service applications can share information such as personal profiles, social relations, schedules, or contents with a simple user confirmation in order to provide services with greater personal relevance and cooperative service extension. The flexibility of the bada platform makes it applicable to a wider range of devices than any other mobile operating system.

Attendees at today’s launch event will also be introduced to the new Samsung bada Developer Challenge. The Challenge is the first chance for developers to win a share of a US$2,700,000 prize fund, simply by using the features of the new bada platform to build a wide variety of applications for bada devices. The competition is one of the largest ever for developers of mobile software and is testament to Samsung’s commitment to the new bada platform.

Samsung is also set to announce a series of Developer Days to take place across the world during 2010. Open to all developers, the initial events will be held in Seoul, London and San Francisco, with more events following as the year progresses.

The event will also feature insights from current bada development partners including micro blogging service Twitter, movies and games rental outlet Blockbuster, Video and iconic games developers CAPCOM, EA Mobile, and Gameloft . Each partner outlined their vision for the future of mobile apps and how they believe that bada will play a key role in the advance of app services to a wider audience in years to come.

“Our heritage is games machines and arcade machines but we’re eagerly branching out to make the most of mobile,” said General Manager of Online Business Division, Yasuhiro Sumida from CAPCOM. “We recognise our customers aren’t all about games in their homes but want them when they’re out and about, in the palm of their hand. To help us make this move into mobile we want to make sure we are working with the right partner. bada is accessible, open to all and very easy to use.”

“Congratulations to Samsung on the launch of bada. It is great to see one of the world’s leading handset manufacturers embrace software and services on mobile devices so wholeheartedly and wish them all the best,” said Luca Pagano, Vice President, EMEA Publishing, EA Mobile. “The marriage of great games on the right devices is something we take very seriously at EA Mobile and we are excited to light up the upcoming handsets with our high quality games in 2010.”

“We are pleased to once again collaborate with Samsung and launch our games on the bada mobile platform,” said Michel Guillemot, chairman and CEO, Gameloft. “With nearly 100 million Gameloft games downloaded by Samsung users worldwide, it is quite clear that our games on these devices have made significant impact with consumers over the years. Utilizing the new generation device’s technological capabilities we plan to enrich the consumer gaming experience. Samsung bada offers a new and exciting digital distribution channel for Gameloft titles, as well as an additional outlet for users searching for high quality entertainment.”

For further information please visit the bada website (http://developer.bada.com)

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Intel Atom Dev Program SDK released; paid-app validation process open

Chris Davies — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:51:21 +0000

Intel have released the beta of their Atom Developer Program Software Development Kit (SDK), last discussed back in September, to allow Windows and Moblin developers to create (or port) applications and potentially monetize them with distribution on upcoming Atom-based netbooks. Software must be validated and approved by Intel, and paid-for apps are expected to be released in 2010.

The beta SDK contains tools for authorization, crash reporting and a consumer store client emulator for testing, and any apps submitted for validation must integrate with the SDK. The exception is open-source titles, which won’t be revenue-generating. You can download the SDK here, but you’ll need to register first; that will eventually cost $99, but is currently free.

Intel’s eventual plan is for an on-device download store – similar to the various app stores on smartphones – through which netbook buyers (and in fact any device based on an Atom CPU, including MIDs and some future smartphones) could find free and paid-for software for their new machine. No timescale in 2010 has been given for the store’s release.

Press Release:

Intel Offers Developer Kit For Future Atom™ Processor Netbook Apps

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
Developers can now submit their applications and be the first to take full advantage of the Intel Atom Developer Program’s revenue-generating opportunities.
The program’s newly released beta software development kit for Windows* and Moblin* provides developers with tools to ensure their netbook applications are store-ready.
Apps are for Intel-based netbooks, which are forecasted to reach more than 50 million** units sold by end of 2009.

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Dec. 2, 2009 – Intel Corporation has made its beta version of the Intel® Atom™ Developer Program Software Development Kit (SDK) available for Microsoft Windows* and Moblin* operating systems developers. The kit helps software companies and individuals design and submit applications (“apps”) for Intel-based netbooks to ultimately sell at stores opening next year.

Developers can download the kit and learn more at appdeveloper.intel.com.

Unveiled at the Intel Developer Forum in September, the Intel Atom Developer Program is designed for independent software vendors (ISVs) and software developers to create innovative applications and/or components for netbooks. The program provides tools, SDKs and community resources to develop new apps or port existing apps to Atom-based devices, including netbooks, which are forecasted to reach more than 50 million** units sold by end of 2009.

“Consumer adoption of mobile computing and Atom-based netbooks is growing rapidly, and there is an immediate opportunity for developers to capitalize on the popularity of these small form-factor, on-the-go devices,” said Renee James, corporate vice president and general manager, Intel Software and Services Group. “We are excited about the innovation and energy from developers around creating applications and unlocking new uses for Atom platforms.”

The Beta version of the SDK is now available for both Microsoft* Windows (C and C++) and Moblin (C) operating systems. With the Beta SDK, developers can submit their applications for validation and, once validated, begin to take advantage of the program’s revenue-generating opportunities in 2010. Intel is offering incentives for developers to begin submitting applications by offering a chance to win big prizes including a smart car or vacation package.

Developers can download the beta version of the SDK today and learn more about the program, application programming interfaces (APIs), validation process, application store framework and developer contests at appdeveloper.intel.com.

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Qt 4.6 with multitouch released plus second Maemo 5 tech preview [Video]

Chris Davies — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:49:16 +0000

Nokia have pushed Qt 4.6 out of the door, complete with support for multitouch and gestures, a new Animation Framework, and a new OpenGL paint engine. The app and UI framework also gains compatibility with a broader range of platforms, including Windows 7, OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, Symbian and Maemo 6. Meanwhile Maemo 5 support continues to develop, with Nokia releasing a second technology preview today.

Video demos after the cut

That second preview follows on from October’s first code example, which coincided with the initial confirmation from Nokia that they would be making Qt compatible with the OS running on the Nokia N900. Before that, developers had been told that Maemo 5 would be bypassed by Qt in favor of Maemo 6, set to debut in late 2010, leaving the N900 in something of a limbo situation.

As well as Qt 4.6, Nokia have updated their Qt Creator tool for cross-platform development. With them, they reckon it’s easy to create apps with advanced UI and support for multitouch and gestures such as flicking, kinetic scrolling and pinch-zooming (as long as the hardware supports it, of course).

Mobile demos on Maemo and Symbian:

Qt everywhere on Mobile Platforms:

Qt everywhere on all platforms

Qt multitouch and gesture demos:

Qt for Maemo 5 technical preview two demo:

Press Release:

Nokia releases Qt 4.6

Now easier than ever for developers to create great applications for Symbian, Maemo, and other platforms

Espoo, Finland – Nokia today released Qt 4.6, the latest version of the cross-platform application and UI framework. Featuring new platform support, powerful new graphical capabilities and support for multi-touch and gestures, Qt 4.6 makes developing advanced applications and devices easier and more enjoyable.

“Qt 4.6 marks an exciting time for developers, regardless of their target form factor or platform,” said Sebastian Nyström, Vice President, Application Services and Frameworks at Nokia.

“Developers can easily create visually appealing and web-connected applications for desktops or devices, including targeting the hundreds of millions of Symbian and Maemo-based devices,”

“The community will enjoy using Qt’s intuitive programming interface to quickly create powerful, appealing applications.” Nyström added.

More platforms
Qt 4.6 includes support for the Symbian platform for the first time, and also adds Windows 7, Apple Mac OS 10.6 (Snow Leopard) and the upcoming Maemo 6 to the list of Qt supported platforms. Also available is community support for real-time operating systems QNX and VxWorks. Support for Maemo 5 is also currently in development, with the second technology preview being released today.

Qt support for Symbian and Maemo creates the first opportunity for developers to target both of these platforms from the same codebase. Being able to share code across platforms means that the applications they create will reach the market faster and reach a broader audience of device users.

Also released today is a technology preview of new Qt APIs from the Qt Mobility project. These cross-platform APIs provide developers with functionality such as location for navigation-type devices, as well as messaging, contacts, and bearer management.

More eye candy
Qt 4.6 builds upon the graphical improvements of 4.5 and enhances them with the addition of new Animation Framework – including intuitive state machine functionality – plus new advanced graphics effects like opacity, drop shadows, glow, and filtering.

More fingers
One of the most exciting new features in Qt 4.6 is the ability to create multi-touch applications. New multi-touch and gesture based input methods such as flicking and kinetic scrolling make Qt 4.6 a powerful framework for creating dynamic, tactile ways for users to interact with applications and devices.

More horsepower
Qt 4.6 challenges the conventional development notion that advanced UI capabilities normally come with a significant performance cost. Extensive work has been done to deliver the best possible performance while enabling developers to deliver the “wow” effect that is demanded by users.

Key performance improvements come in the form of a highly optimized, re-written Qt GraphicsView rendering algorithm, a new OpenGL paint engine, WebKit, 2D vector graphic support using OpenVG, and new DirectFB support.

Updated tools
Complimenting the release of Qt 4.6 is an updated release of Qt Creator, a cross-platform IDE for Qt development. Qt Creator 1.3 and Qt 4.6 form the Qt SDK which contains everything developers need to create cross-platform applications.

To learn more about Qt 4.6, Qt Creator 1.3 and to download the packages, please visit http://qt.nokia.com/whatsnew.

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Samsung bada SDK unveil on December 8th

Chris Davies — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:23:19 +0000

Samsung have confirmed the launch of their new bada mobile app platform SDK. According to an invitation that went out today, the company will detail bada at an event in London on December 8th; there, Samsung are expected to give further details on how their cross-platform software environment will work for developers and devices.

The London event will be led by Dr. Hosco Lee, EVP and head of the Media Solution Center (MSC) at Samsung Electronics, and is tipped to be followed by a similar launch in San Francisco. As for bada itself, it’s believed to be a software development environment that will allow new software to run on Samsung devices – and potentially other manufacturers’ phones – regardless of the underlying OS.

If Samsung can sufficiently differentiate it from other platforms then they may be able to bring developers on board, especially if bada offers a streamlined way to get apps onto devices. However if it’s merely a new abstraction of the company’s own, proprietary OS, then they face a far tougher challenge.

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Sony Ericsson Nexus UX Platform WebSDK released for Android & Symbian Foundation development

Chris Davies — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:36:17 +0000

We may be giving Sony Ericsson a darn good scolding on the one hand for their XPERIA X10 hijinks, but we’re a little more interested by their new WebSDK for Android and Symbian Foundation devices. The Sony Ericsson WebSDK promises a metaphorical hand-holding for developers hoping to have their wares nestle up against the company’s own apps, whether that be on the XPERIA X10 or the SE Satio. It’s called Nexus, seemingly the official title for the UX platform Sony Ericsson were talking about with regards the X10.

Nexus is a runtime that sits on top of the underlying OS, and while it’s not made explicitly clear in the press release, it sounds as though Sony Ericsson are offering WebSDK as a generic, cross-platform development environment. The company’s own Timescape and Mediascape apps, as loaded onto the X10, are said to be platform agnostic and as such would run on Android or Symbian Foundation devices. We’re checking with SE to find out if this is indeed the case.

General registration is free, and garners you access to the forums, white-papers and developer tools. However if Sony Ericsson like the cut of your jib then they might invite you to be a “premier partner”, the perks of which include access to early hardware, loaner devices, dedicated tech support and software flash equipment.

Press Release:

Sony Ericsson launches a Web SDK and widens mobile market access for web developers

Sony Ericsson showcases the beta version of WebSDK at the annual Web 2.0 conference in New York.

New York – November 18 2009 – The Sony Ericsson WebSDK is a suite of mobile development tools that allows both web and mobile developers to create applications for Sony Ericsson’s Google Android™ OS and Symbian Foundation phones.

Created in collaboration with the PhoneGap open source community, the launch of the Sony Ericsson WebSDK from makes it possible to design applications for Sony Ericsson’s Google Android™ OS and Symbian Foundation devices starting with the newly announced XPERIA™ X10 and the recently launched Satio™.

“With the Sony Ericsson WebSDK our focus is on bringing all the capabilities of web technologies to mobile applications and giving web developers wide access to easy-to-use tools and mobile phone platforms.” says Christopher David, Head of Developer and Partner Engagement at Sony Ericsson. “We are driving this initiative together with the PhoneGap open source community and invite developers to join us as we offer advanced mobile devices and a clear monetization path.”

Nitobi’s CEO, Andre Charland added: “Sony Ericsson’s collaboration with the PhoneGap community is a huge win for mobile users, developers and the future of the open web on mobile devices. Having already adopted and benefited from open platforms like Google Android™ OS and Symbian, Sony Ericsson is now completing the puzzle for developers of cross-platform mobile applications.”

For more information on the new Sony Ericsson WebSDK please visit booth 917 at the Web 2.0 Conference in New York or visit http://developer.sonyericsson.com

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Intel Atom Processor Developer Program kicks off: netbook-centric SDK

Chris Davies — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 09:32:13 +0000

Intel have kicked off their latest attempt to get developers coding especially for netbooks, in the shape of the Atom Processor Developer Program. Aimed at optimizing software to take advantage of the generally smaller screen size of netbooks – and likely their lower-powered hardware, too – Intel are pushing Microsoft’s Silverlight as a broadly-deployable underlying platform.

To begin with, the Developer Program will support both Windows and Moblin devices, but Intel expect to add Adobe AIR and Java runtimes in the future. Like we’ve seen proliferate on smartphone platforms, there’ll be a download store through which users will be able to access netbook-specific titles on-device, and developers will eventually be able to charge for their apps.

Membership of the Intel Atom Processor Developer Program costs $99 annually, though right now it’s free (for a “limited time”). That gives access to the SDK, which Intel expect to streamline the coding process, as well as eventually see apps move from netbooks to handhelds and smartphones.

Press Release:

Intel Atom Processor Developer Program for Mobile Devices to Spur New Wave of Applications

Program Will Offer Software Developers New Revenue Stream for Intel® Atom™-based Devices

INTEL DEVELOPER FORUM, San Francisco, Sept. 22, 2009 – To encourage the creation of innovative applications for Intel® Atom™ processor-based products, Intel Corporation today launched the Intel® Atom™ Developer Program for independent software vendors (ISVs) and developers.

The program provides a framework for developers to create and sell software applications for netbooks with support for handhelds and smart phones available in the future. Through the program, developers seeking to reduce overhead and streamline the creation of new applications may also license development tools and application modules directly from other independent developers and ISVs.

“We want to fuel the growth of Intel Atom-based products designed for the mobile lifestyle,” said Renee James, corporate vice president and general manager, Intel Software and Services Group. “The netbook has become one of the most popular consumer devices in the market today, but its true potential has been limited by applications that are not optimized for its mobility and smaller screen size. The Intel Atom Developer Program provides a great opportunity for developers to create useful and inventive applications that will unlock a netbook’s potential while opening a new sales and distribution channel.”

To provide the broadest choice of applications across platforms, the Intel Atom Developer Program will support multiple operating systems and run-time environments. Run-times enable developers to use a single code base to support multiple device platforms and avoid extensive reprogramming, thereby reducing development costs and time-to-market. Run-times such as Microsoft Silverlight allow developers to access multiple classes of customers and deliver rich applications for Windows and Moblin-based environments using a single toolset, Visual Studio and the .NET Framework.

“Using Silverlight’s cross-device, cross-browser, cross-platform technology, developers will be able to write applications once and have them run on Windows and Moblin devices – expanding the reach of Silverlight applications to more consumers, regardless of whether the device they’re using is a PC, TV or phone,” said Ian Ellison Taylor, general manager, Microsoft Client Platforms and Tools.

“The Adobe Flash Platform enables developers to create and deliver the most compelling applications, content and video to the widest possible audience,” said David Wadhwani, general manager and vice president, Adobe Platform Business Unit. “We expect the Intel Atom Developer Program will be a great way for the flash platform community developing on Adobe AIR to monetize their AIR applications and we are working closely with Intel to deliver the necessary technology to enable this opportunity on the Atom platform in the future.”

The program offers a streamlined and transparent process that will take the developer from application creation through testing and, finally, to the go-to-market stage. Intel is working with netbook original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and other partners to create application storefronts through which validated applications will be sold.

“Customer adoption of our Intel Atom-based netbooks is exceeding our expectations,” said Jim Wong, president, Acer IT Products Global Operations. “Acer is excited to see Intel’s effort in bringing new and innovative applications to netbooks and will use the Intel Atom Developer Program framework to open an application storefront.”

“The Intel Atom Developer Program is an integral element of providing a holistic netbook experience for our customers,” said S.Y. Shian, vice president and general manager, Asus System Business Group. “Asus sees this new development model as an opportunity to encourage developers and ISVs. Asus plans to offer an application store based on this framework in order to make exciting applications available to our customers.”

“Dell is passionate about providing value for developers,” said John Thode, vice president, Dell Small Devices. “The Intel Atom Developer Program will open a new world of innovation and business opportunity for developers and we look forward to working with Intel to foster the creation of exciting new Windows and Moblin-based netbook applications.”

Developers can learn more about the program, APIs, validation process and application store framework through appdeveloper.intel.com. Applications for ISV and software developer memberships are currently being accepted. Members will be given access to tools and resources that will aid the pre-development process. The Intel Atom Developer Program software development kits will be available to members in late fall.

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Nokia Ovi SDK plus Navigation and Maps APIs launched

Chris Davies — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 08:22:43 +0000

Nokia have announced a new set of APIs for mapping and navigation, which developers can use to add location-based information – such as showing nearby search results – and display location-based data. The Ovi Navigation Player API and OVI Maps Player API are also joined by the new Ovi SDK, a platform which the company claims can be used by anyone with HTML, CSS and JavaScript coding skills.

Nokia rolled out some developers to illustrate how easy it can be to tie webapps into cellphones, with UK local search company Qype apparently needing just two people working for two weeks in order to integrate their service. In another example, Nokia innovation competition winner Ground Guidance integrated intelligent pathway-identification into Maps on Ovi with just a few lines of JavaScript.

Asked why Nokia are moving toward webapps, when rivals such as Apple are pushing instead for native apps, Nokia suggested that it’s only now that mobile devices are powerful enough to run them at satisfactory speed. They’re also being pushed by content providers than software developers. Though they’re web-based, they will have growing integration with the handsets’ core features, starting with the navigation APIs and moving on to include contacts, camera and other elements.

Thanks to the new SDK, apps can be coded that run across the Nokia range, and apparently done so far quicker than previously. Registration for the new API, SDK and documentation is open from today. You can access the registration page and the demo videos from today’s Nokia World keynote at http://www.forum.nokia.com/Ovi/.

Press Release:

Nokia expands ecosystem opportunities and showcases work with partners, publishers and developers
September 03, 2009

Nokia makes it easier for web publishers and developers to create applications with integrated services with Ovi APIs and Ovi SDK Beta introducing a new breed of applications for the web and smartphone platforms

Stuttgart, Germany – Nokia today made it easier for web publishers and developers to create applications with integrated services and native-like user interfaces, quickly and with less effort with new Ovi APIs and the Ovi SDK Beta. Announced at its annual Nokia World conference, the company said it will progressively roll out web and mobile APIs for its services, beginning with the Ovi Maps Player API and the Ovi Navigation Player API for cutting-edge location solutions on its smartphones. The company also hosted a keynote from Henri Moissinac, Director of Mobile, Facebook, highlighting the opportunities in mobile social networking and the close collaboration between the two companies.

“This is just the beginning. We will work in close cooperation with developers to evolve the offering, starting with social location solutions,” said Niklas Savander, EVP, Services, Nokia. “Our goal is clear, and that is to make it effortless for our partners to create highly appealing, context-relevant applications that consumers will find indispensable.”

Nokia has already been working with key partners such as Lonely Planet, Deutsche Bahn, Associated Press, Qype, National Geographic, Deutsche Telekom Medien and Langenscheidt to create example applications using the Ovi SDK Beta and Ovi APIs (Click http://events.nokia.com/nokiaworld to see the Ovi SDK video).

Web partner discusses developing with Nokia
“We’ve been very pleased with our relationship with Nokia,” said Henri Moissinac, Director of Mobile, Facebook. “Since its release in June, the Facebook application for Nokia is available for download in more than 150 countries and is currently one of the most distributed applications in the Ovi Store. Needless to say, it’s really exciting to be working so closely with the largest handset manufacturer in the world to bring our 250 million users worldwide an innovative Facebook experience on their mobile devices – and this is just the beginning.”

The Ovi for Developers beta program
Nokia is inviting developers to join the Ovi for Developers beta program on the Forum Nokia Developer Community site (www.forum.nokia.com/Ovi), and will make the Ovi SDK Beta and Ovi APIs available to them. Applications created with Ovi SDK and Ovi APIs will be distributed through the Ovi Store in 2010, bringing the applications available to the hands of millions of consumers around the world.

The Ovi SDK Beta and Ovi APIs
The technology preview, now available to developers via registration, contains:

Ovi SDK Beta – an easy-to-use, web-based toolbox which provides tools to create applications for the web, and Symbian and Maemo platforms, with integrated Ovi features and a distinct user interface. The Ovi SDK Beta contains the Ovi APIs and all-new Ovi User Interface (UI) libraries, which enable effortless creation of rich applications. The Ovi SDK Beta utilizes standard web technologies – HTML, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and JavaScript (JS) – programming languages that are most familiar to the world’s developer community.

Ovi APIs – provide developers with a simple way to integrate service features such as maps or navigation to their web applications. Nokia today introduced the first two Ovi APIs:

- Ovi Maps Player API – bringing maps to mobile and web applications effortlessly. The API is powered by Ovi Maps and features over 180 country maps, location-based search and detailed place information. Other features include vector-based maps that give a range of views, including map, terrain and 3D modes for dynamic map mash-ups. Nokia first introduced the Ovi Maps Player API for the web earlier this year.

- Ovi Navigation Player API – allowing developers to bring Nokia’s industry-leading walk and drive navigation features to their applications, including pedestrian navigation, turn-by-turn car navigation and route planning. This makes it possible for content creators to create applications that take the consumer to his destination of choice – be it to a friend’s location, a landmark, a restaurant, or the bus stop.

Nokia announces the Apps on Maps category winner of the 2009 Calling All Innovators competition
Nokia also announced the Apps on Maps category winner of the 2009 Calling All Innovators competition. Using the Ovi SDK Beta, Primordial, from St. Paul, Minnesota emerged tops in its category by creating Ground Guidance, an application based on technology originally built for the U.S. Army. The application, which wins USD 30,000 amongst other prizes, enables the Ovi Maps user to get from one point to another, even if there are no roads or road data. With the application, all a user would need are his start and end point – and Ground Guidance would present him with a walkable path while avoiding undesirable terrain such as steep hills or water. Calling All Innovators, launched in March 2009, is a global mobile developer competition designed to generate applications and solutions that enhance the use of Nokia mobile devices in real-world scenarios. Apps on Maps participants were required to submit new ideas that harness the power of location-aware services using Ovi Maps.

* More information about the Ovi SDK Beta, Ovi Maps Player API and Ovi Navigation Player API are available from the Forum Nokia website, http://www.forum.nokia.com/Ovi.

Please visit www.nokia.com/press for press materials, including photos and product information.
For more information on Nokia World 2009, please visit: http://events.nokia.com/nokiaworld.

Key Ovi ecosystem partners collaborate with Nokia for location solutions

Mathias Hüske, Divisonal Director Online Sales, Deutsche Bahn Vertrieb GmbH: “We are fascinated by the possibilites of the new OVI platform. It enables us to offer truly innovative services to our customers and makes travel planning easier.”

Phil Chambers, CTO, Qype GmbH: “We jumped at the chance to become a part of the development of the Ovi SDK Beta, and to bring Europe’s best local application to the Ovi platform. The ease of development and fast time-to-market were key factors in us making this investment, and I look forward to millions of users across Europe using Qype Radar on their Nokia handsets soon.”

Chris Boden, Director of Mobile & Innovation, Lonely Planet: “We are thrilled to be one of the first companies developing on Nokia’s Ovi Maps platform, creating a new generation of intelligent, contextually-aware travel guides. Lonely Planet’s trusted content, made available regardless of time or place, teamed with Nokia’s reach will help more travellers get to the heart of a place.”

Ben Broshi, VP New Markets, DeutscheTelekom Medien: “We are excited, after working together with Nokia for so many years, to see Nokia reaching for the next level and we’re proud of being part of this movement with one of the very first apps created with the Ovi SDK Beta, called DasÖrtliche.”

Paul Levine, EVP, Interactive Platforms Group and Business Development, National Geographic: “Ovi is an ideal platform on which we can develop compelling National Geographic mobile applications. It enables us to leverage rich content from across the entire Society, including Travel, Maps, and Photography, in new and innovative ways.”

Benjamin Mosse, director of mobile products at The Associated Press: “Working with the Nokia team, the AP Mobile team was able to develop the AP Mapix app in just six weeks. The Ovi API innovation makes it easy for us to develop a highly customizable mobile news app that provides consumers with the ability to choose their news, anytime and anywhere.”

Greg Turley, CEO of CarTrawler: “We are delighted to be the first car rental application to enable Nokia customers across Europe and the world to access the full local inventory for car rentals. In the fast changing world of travel and telecom technology CarTrawler is constantly working to innovate with new standards based technologies to make it faster and easier for customers to make a car rental reservation through CarTrawler.”

James Brady, founder and president of Earthcomber LLC: “When you look ahead, you see a crucial difference between Google and Ovi. Not only is the environment better, Ovi produces amazing visual perspectives. It’s ultimately control and flexibility that count – you don’t want to arrive at a dead end with your application. We can see immediately that Ovi supports openness and is built, frankly, for orchestrating technologies into the unique experience you’re always aiming for.”

Malte Bumenthal, vice president new media at CTS EVENTIM AG: “EVENTIM offers a state of the art webshop to serve millions of European customers with tickets and information from the world of live entertainment. Wih the EVENTIM Tourbus application users can get closer to the events, tour and music of their favourite bands. Thanks to Ovi APIs, a new dimension is opened for EVENTIM’s mobile users.”

Tobias Ragge, Managing Director of HRS – HOTEL RESERVATION SERVICE: “We are extremely delighted to be one of the launching partners on the Ovi platform. Thereby millions of Nokia customers get access to our hotel database with more than 250.000 hotels worldwide. With the new application, searching and booking a hotel on your Nokia mobile phone is child’s play – fast and comfortable – no matter where you are.”

Henry Bennett, Managing Director, Island Wall Entertainment: “This is a fantastic opportunity for our company to produce one of the apps utilizing the exciting Ovi platform. We will be looking forward to both porting existing product across to the Ovi Store, whilst developing new applications exclusively for the Nokia customer base.”

Rolf Müller, Publishing Director at Langenscheidt KG: “New media have been an important part of our portfolio for decades now. In the world of mobile devices, where things move at the speed of light, it is vital to have strong partnerships in order to keep abreast of the technological developments and changes in user behaviour. The cooperation with Nokia offers us the ideal opportunity to combine our own top-quality standards with leading technology and creative distribution channels.”

Stefan Heimerl, CEO MECOMO AG: “The Ovi platform provides a fantastic opportunity for us to bring location content to users exactly at the time they need it – when they are on the go. Thus, it perfectly supports the goal of our services: To make everyday life easier by providing efficient and reliable guidance, no matter if it’s the next emergency pharmacy or the next ATM that you are looking for.”

Clay Babcock, Vice President, Primordial Inc: “Ovi platform was exactly what we were looking for. We needed a rich LBS/Mapping platform for mobile devices that would target a large user base. We found all of that and more with Ovi. Not only is the mapping development environment for devices very rich, but that same environment exists on Ovi Maps Player API for the web. That allows almost 100% reuse of our development effort, and means that we can deliver our innovative pedestrian routing solution to even more users. It’s a huge advantage for us. In addition, the Nokia team has been a true pleasure to work with. They understand the needs of the development community, and really want us to succeed.”

Konrad Hübner, CEO of Skycoders (Munich): “For a small company like Skycoders, it is a great opportunity to work with the Ovi APIs right from the beginning. This allows us to prove that even a small team can build a powerful application based on Ovi SDK Beta in a really short time.”

Bruno Pellegrini, CEO, TheBlogTV: “We are proud of being Nokia’s partner in this new challenge. We will put all our unique competencies in crowdsourcing and user generated content to support the diffusion of Ovi and make it a big success.”

Amnon Sarig, President, TuneWiki: “We found out that Ovi Maps offer a unique and much richer and immersing mapping experience. Just as important is the support that we received from the entire team at Forum Nokia, to develop and deploy our solutions. We work with many mobile vendors, and the Nokia team gives a perfect example how developers should be supported and treated in the life cycle of developing an application.”

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Samsung Application Store Unveiled by Samsung Mobile

Evan Selleck — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:26:39 +0000

TouchWiz wasn’t the greatest. TouchWiz 2.0 was a huge leap in the right direction. But there was always going to be something holding back Samsung from taking any steps forward in the mobile marketplace, and it had nothing to do with proprietary software on their phones. They lacked what everyone else and their second-cousin has: a way to get first- and third-party developed applications onto their phones. Well, it looks like that’s about to change.

Earlier in the month, we disclosed Samsung’s launch of the TouchWiz SDK, and it looks like they’re holding good on the promise to deliver some quality apps for their phones. Firstly, there will be a portal that’s powered by Samsung’s own native client, and the store will be filtered via an unspecified “content guideline” for getting apps into the Samsung Application Store (we know: creative). A total of 300 applications are said to be available when the store launches, and it will apparently focus on games. Not just random Java games, either. These games are coming from major providers, like Capcom, EA and Gameloft, among others. Samsung also mentioned that they are aiming to get 2,000 applications out to the consumers by year’s end.

Samsung is aiming for high-end phones to begin with: Samsung Omnia i8910 (the Omnia HD), Omnia II, and Omnia Lite. Customers will be able to tie purchases to their phone bills, or pay for your apps via third-party means. The website is available now, but Samsung said that the store won’t be open to purchases until September 14th, and is going to launch in France, the UK, and Italy. 30 countries are lined up in the coming months, and considering that the Omnia II is scheduled for a release here in the States, then it’s a good possibility we get to see some Application Store goodness.

[via Electronista]

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Microsoft OneApp Gets Unleashed for Featurephones

Evan Selleck — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 20:07:17 +0000

We’ve mentioned Microsoft’s OneApp before, as a cursory statement regarding trademarks, but now Microsoft has gone ahead and announced just exactly what we should expect. And it looks like they’re trying to hit a home run. Instead of keeping their road map to their Windows Mobile platform, they’re opening their doors (or maybe breaking them down) and offering the OneApp service for featurephones. That’s right.

You read that right. It’s not just about Windows Mobile anymore; it’s about getting their applications, or the service itself, onto as many devices as they can. And yet, in this same vein of thinking, they’re targeting a certain phones and basing it off their processing power and available memory. The possibility comes from the fact Microsoft is working primarily with the carriers, and not the phone manufacturers. Microsoft created OneApp to be side-loaded from the cloud, so that the processing footprint on the phones themselves is as minimal as possible. Microsoft is even saying that the initial download for the OneApp application is ridiculously small: 150K. OneApp is made to download only a portion of the app from the cloud, so that the user doesn’t have unnecessary memory usage on their device.

At the moment, OneApp is up and running on South Africa’s carrier Blue Label Telecoms. Applications available at the moment are Windows Live Messenger (a given), Facebook, Twitter, and an RSS reader application, among a few others. By the end of the year, developers are getting a shot to code to their heart’s desire, with Microsoft planning further launches of OneApp “within the next year.” So we’ve probably got some time to wait, even here in the States. Which is unfortunate, because we want to take this for a spin right now.

[via Microsoft]

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Samsung release TouchWiz SDK: widgets for all platforms

Chris Davies — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:16:15 +0000

We’ve never particularly hidden our apathy toward Samsung’s TouchWiz UI, nor our feeling that it’s not quite as usable in its standard form as rival systems from HTC and others. However all that could change now that Samsung have released the Mobile Widget SDK for TouchWiz, allowing developers to create their own desktop gadgets for not only the Windows Mobile version of the UI but the company’s own proprietary OS.

In doing so, in one fell sweep Samsung have enabled application compatibility across their range. That’s no small matter, given the number of devices Samsung release – not to mention the countries those handsets are launched in – with TouchWiz giving developers a single platform to code for rather than having to deal with Samsung’s various WinMo, S60 and proprietary OSes.

The SDK is built on the open-source Eclipse platform and includes all the testing, deployment and other tools you might expect; Samsung are accompanying its release with a “Widget Developer Camp” to be held September 11-13 in San Francisco. Developers keen to get started can download the TouchWiz SDK from www.innovator.samsungmobile.com.

Press Release:

Samsung Mobile Innovator Announces Availability of the Samsung Mobile Wigdet SDK

August 17th, 2009
Samsung Mobile Innovator today announced the availability of the mobile widget software developer kit (SDK) for its unique TouchWiz™ user interface. With the release of the Samsung Mobile Widget SDK, developers will have the opportunity to create widgets for different Samsung phones across multiple platforms, including Samsung’s propriety operating system.

The Samsung Mobile Widget SDK, built on the developer-embraced open-source Eclipse platform, will provide developers with the tools they need to develop widgets that bring out the very best in Samsung phones. For more information on the Samsung Mobile Innovator and to download the SDK, please visit www.innovator.samsungmobile.com.

Samsung Widget Developer Camp 2009
To kick-off the launch of the Samsung Widget SDK, Samsung will host its first Widget Developer Camp from September 11-13, 2009 at the Hyatt Regency, San Francisco. Samsung Mobile Innovator will begin accepting application submissions today, at www.samsungmobileusa.com/devcamp, through August 31, 2009. Selected applicants will be notified of acceptance into the camp on September 2, 2009. Samsung’s Widget Developer Camp weekend will kick-off with a cocktail event on September 11 and beginning September 12, developers will have access to a Wi-Fi-equipped, catered and staffed meeting space for 24 hours.

At the end of the Widget Developer Camp, a panel of VIP judges will select a winner in each category, who will each be awarded a $5,000 prize. The judges will award one Best in Show winner, who will receive $20,000 and the opportunity to attend CTIA IT & Entertainment 2009 in San Diego from October 7-10, 2009 and have their widget showcased in Samsung’s booth. To apply, for full rules and regulations and for additional information, please visit www.samsungmobileusa.com/devcamp.

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MiFi Developer Program launches: personal hotspot SDK released

Chris Davies — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:25:59 +0000

Back when we reviewed the MiFi 2352 in June, one of the aspects of the “intelligent personal hotspot” we were left most excited about was the prospect of an open API and the potential for web-connected applications to run on the 3G/WiFi device’s secondary app processor. Now Novatel Wireless have announced the launch of the MiFi developer program, and with it the release of the MiFi Web server Common Gateway Interface (CGI): everything web-savvy developers should need to start coding for the battery-powered router.

The API is applicable both to the MiFi 2352 – currently available with Euro 3G support – and the MiFi 2200 which is on sale in the US through Verizon and Sprint with EVDO Rev.A support - together with future models (such as the tipped 2372 US 3G UMTS model). Developers also get access to the Novatel support forum and can help the company shape future MiFi models.

The MiFi 2352 has a secondary processor, RAM and flash memory, which can be used to run network-attached apps on the device itself. That way, any WiFi connected client will be able to access the app’s services (security permitting). Registration for the MiFi developer program is free.

Press Release:

Novatel Wireless Accelerates MiFi Evolution with First Release of MiFi Web Server Interface to Developer Community

Release of CGI Streamlines MiFi Application Development

SAN DIEGO, Jul 27, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Novatel Wireless, Inc. (Nasdaq:NVTL), a leading provider of wireless broadband access solutions, today announced the availability of its MiFi Web server Common Gateway Interface (CGI) for the MiFi Developer Program. Easy to understand, the interfaces are targeted for both novice and advanced developers. The release of these interfaces will promote the acceleration of the MiFi ecosystem, by allowing the Company to harness the creative power of potentially thousands of Internet programmers. Releasing the Web server CGI is designed as the first step in enabling developers to leverage MiFi’s open CGI interface and access the on-board processing capabilities of the MiFi line of Intelligent Mobile Hotspots.

In conjunction with this announcement, developers will be able to download the MiFi CGI API Programmer Guide from the Novatel Wireless Developer’s Lounge at www.novatelwireless.com/lounge. The API applies to the current MiFi generation of products (2200, 2352) and future generations. Developers will also be able to access a Novatel support forum, get tips from fellow developers and make suggestions for further MiFi enhancements.

“We are very excited about opening the software interfaces of MiFi to the developer community,” said Rob Hadley, CMO of Novatel Wireless. “This is the first of several steps in building a vibrant third party developer community and enabling the development and distribution of advanced enterprise and consumer applications that extend the software power of the MiFi line of Intelligent Mobile Hotspots.”

ABOUT NOVATEL WIRELESS

Novatel Wireless, Inc. is a leader in the design and development of innovative wireless broadband access solutions based on 3G and 4G WCDMA (HSPA & UMTS), CDMA and GSM technologies. Novatel Wireless’ USB modems, embedded modules, Intelligent Mobile Hotspot products and software enable high-speed wireless Internet access on leading wireless data networks. The Company delivers specialized wireless solutions to carriers, distributors, OEMs and vertical markets worldwide. Headquartered in San Diego, California, Novatel Wireless is listed on NASDAQ: NVTL. For more information please visit www.novatelwireless.com. (NVTLG)

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Palm seeking webOS game engineers

Chris Davies — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 10:41:13 +0000

Palm have advertised for a “Game Frameworks Engineer”, who would be responsible for developing and optimizing frameworks for game developers keen to create titles for webOS and the Palm Pre. According to the listing, Palm are putting together a team dedicated to game development on their new platform.

Palm is looking for developers who are passionate about gaming, handhelds, mobile communication and the possibilities for Palm in the gaming arena. The software developers we’re looking for will have strong mathematical/analytical skills and will be effective team members in a small, focused initiative.

Responsibilities:
Design, implement, debug, and optimize frameworks for game development

The advert was posted on June 29th, and seemingly calls for not one but several graphics engineers who can take a place on this new Palm team. Other developers are sought for debugging and mobile communications expertise, suggesting that Pre games titles may have cross-network multiplayer functionality.

Palm have also advertised for a “VPN network engineer” who would be responsible for “modifying open-source software to meet the needs for an embedded device [and] developing and maintaining WebOS specific VPN networking components.” Knowledge of Cisco VPNC clients is also preferable, suggesting that Palm is taking enterprise adoption of the Pre very seriously.

[via MyPre]

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Palm Mojo SDK for webOS publicly released; new apps incoming

Chris Davies — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 14:32:10 +0000

Palm have announced that their Mojo SDK for the webOS platform is available for general download, opening the floodgates for developers to code for the Palm Pre. The company has confirmed that they will be accepting new applications for the on-device App Market from the fall, when the new submissions process opens.

Palm have also announced that there are new applications soon to arrive in the App Catalog, presumably the fruits of the “early access program” in which thousands of developers have been registered since April. While the company is yet to confirm when exactly these new titles will be released, we imagine that Apple’s recent announcement that they have surpassed the 1.5bn downloads mark will encourage Palm to begin distribution sooner rather than later.

The new developer portal can be found at http://developer.palm.com/, where it’s possible to download the Mojo SDK for Windows, Mac and Linux. Palm have also made available the accompanying support literature and UI guide, together with a demo app and guidance on using the SDK.

[via MyPre]

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NVIDIA PhysX SDK is coming to the Wii, too

Brenda Stokes — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 21:00:29 +0000

So it feels like NVIDIA just got done announcing that their PhysX tech was going to be making an appearance on the PlayStation 3, but now there’s even more news to report. In fact, the PhysX SDK will actually be available for the Wii as well.

This is interesting, to say the least. Sure, the PS3 is considerably more powerful than the Wii, but Wii developers are crafty folks. Plus, the Wiimote has a lot of functionality built in, which leaves the door open for numerous opportunities when this latest SDK is added to the mix.

In the end we’ll just have to see where this goes and what sort of cool effects will come of it. The PhysX SDK includes an API and physics engine which is engineered to provide developers with greater control over interactions with the game environment and makes it possible to create scalable physics as you go. This is a perfect match for the Wii, and while the PS3 packs serious power, nothing comes close to the physics of the Wiimote. This might just take it to the next level.

[via HotHardware]

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Palm announces webOS Mojo SDK

Staff Editor — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 19:44:19 +0000

Palm’s new next generation operating system, Palm webOS, takes the power of Windows Mobile and combines it with the simplicity of a web browser. Palm has just privately prereleased the Mojo SDK, which is based on the HTML5 and JavaScript standards that most web developers are already familiar with.

Mojo allows users to build applications complete with gesture-based navigation, transitions and scrolling as well as use the notification system to alert users without interrupting what they are dong. Users can also leverage local storage capabilities of HTML5 so that data is available even when users are in offline mode. Developers can also use JSON-based messages to tap into a wide range of device services including location, contacts and calendars.

An Eclipse-based IDE is included in the SDK that gives users a choice of tools used to build webOS applications. Currently the Mojo SDK is in a private release and will be made available later this year for free from the Palm Developer network.

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Cowon O2 PMP beta firmware & SDK released

Chris Davies — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 11:28:09 +0000

Cowon have released a new version of the SDK for their O2 PMP, allowing developers to create third-party apps for the device without needing to actually have the O2 to hand. The software now includes an emulator, which means new code can be tested more readily rather than needing to transfer it to the PMP itself.

Cowon have also released the latest beta firmware for the PMP, version 1.14. It brings with it better support for large and faulty video files, reduced gaps between audio tracks, improved wallpaper support and new transitions between images in slideshows, among other things.

Version 1.14 of the O2 firmware is required for software created with the SDK to be usable on the PMP. Both are free downloads; however the site seems to suggest that the SDK requires Linux to run.

[via GenerationMP3]

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Microsoft Surface on sale to developers at PDC for $13,500

Chris Davies — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 11:02:12 +0000

Developers keen on coding for Microsoft’s Surface multitouch table will have an opportunity to buy their own version of the machine at the upcoming Professional Developer Conference (PDC). They’ll need deep pockets to do so, however; even with a 10-percent discount at the event, the Developer Surface will cost $13,500. For that, you get five SDK licences; Microsoft is expecting demand for the software kit alone to be high, and is capping availability to just 1,200 of the 6,000 developers attending.

The $13,500 price tag is higher than the roughly $12,500 Microsoft are charging commercial customers such as AT&T for the Surface. Even that is more than the company initially expected; Microsoft’s preliminary estimated price range was $5,000 to $10,000, though they’re hoping that the gradual move from niche to more mainstream availability will bring it closer to those figures.

“We’re not far off from our initial target, but we would like to get the price down. Over time, with economies of scale and [higher sales volume], the prices will go down” Brad Carpenter, general manager, Surface computing unit, Microsoft

Microsoft recently quizzed the public about possible interest in a table-top version of Surface called Oahu, with a suggested retail price of just $1,499. Windows 7, the replacement OS to Windows Vista, will also include multitouch functionality.

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Microsoft Surface SDK promised for PDC this month

Chris Davies — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:14:30 +0000

Having been flaunting their Surface multitouch table around bars, hotels and TV studios, Microsoft are now promising to deliver the SDK at the upcoming Professional Developer Conference. Set to take place at the end of October, the PDC will include a dedicated Surface developer session after which attendees will have access to the software developer kit.

Aside from developing solely for Surface, the session will have interest for would-be Windows 7 coders. Microsoft have already confirmed that the upcoming OS will have multitouch support, and they’re promising to demonstrate “how the Surface SDK aligns with the multi-touch developer roadmap for Windows 7 and WPF”.

Functionality covered will include vision-based object recognition and core Surface controls like ScatterView. We spent some hands-on time with Microsoft Surface back in June; you can see the two video demo sessions here and here.

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T-Mobile G1 Android powered phone is packed with features; Open Source is focus

Brenda Stokes — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 15:14:17 +0000

Today at the T-Mobile G1 announcement, the long-awaited handset did not disappoint. In fact, it is chock full of features and the demo has thoroughly branded in our heads that “there’s always something new to discover.”

The G1 is to offer true multitasking with browsing by album or artist, Amazon one-click ordering and more. Traffic view and street view are supported, contacts pop up as you type, instant messaging the search is tailored to your actions and though there’s no multi-touch, you can frame with a resizable box and zoom.

But the real focus, at least for the first portion of the event was open source.

The Open Source nature of the Android platform was the true focus with ample time given to the subject. Third-party applications are viewed as the heart and soul and the real future of the platform. There were even third-party developers present such as CompareAnywhere, ShopSavvy and Ecorio. It is apparent that the goal here is to create the most robust platform ever, and to Google, that means opening it up for all.

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