Symbian in Motion

In a day and age where mobile developers are caught between a rock and a hard place, it was only a matter of time before a company took the opportunity to create a marketplace that would address the needs of the consumer without sacrificing the will (and livelihood) of the developer. Let’s face it; as a mobile developer, unless you write apps for the iPhone you’re basically looking at Handango if you want exposure. Sure, you can go with one of several smaller shops but the volume won’t be anything like Handango. The problem? 50% of your revenue goes out the door as soon as you upload your first app to be sold by Handango.

Those who have attempted to step out and contend with Handango have experienced mixed success. While no one has come close to approaching Handango as the market leader, companies such as MobiHand have done well for themselves by taking a pro-developer approach. The problem is that no one to this point has exhibited all the key elements that are required to topple a market leader:

1. Innovation
2. Determination
3. Reach
4. Marketing

With that in mind, what better company to embark on such a mission than a company with deep roots in mobile application development? Skyestream is just that; a developer first. It has a variety of apps under its belt including several best sellers that are among the most popular apps ever released for Symbian devices. It is approaching this space with a wealth of experience from both sides of the fence. Their goal is a noble one: Create a new and innovative mobile retail marketplace that values the consumer and developer equally (my words, not theirs).

While I won’t spoil the surprises, I will say that Skyestream is implementing some exciting new functionality and a very attractive feature set that will benefit both the customer and the developer. For the customer; easier access to apps of interest, more and better information about the apps that is far more accessible, and a simplified desktop and mobile shopping experience are among the benefits you can look forward to. Developers on the other hand can anticipate a much more favorable revenue split, new ways to market your products and a variety of tools and features that improve the overall selling experience such as zero developer admin / content-loading overhead.

Contrary to the current leader in mobile app retail, Skyestream is dedicated to moving the space forward in such a way that better-suits all parties involved. While the mission is hardly a simple one, I’m quite confident that if anyone can make a dent in the way this game is played it’s the great team over at Skyestream.

Developers, if you want more info feel free to ping me or shoot a note over to info [[at]] skyestream [[dot]] com. S60 users, here’s the URL to keep your eye on in the coming months: www.skyemobile.com.

UPDATE: A couple more screen shots for your viewing pleasure:

With the announcement of the Nokia N85 has Nokia killed the N96 before it’s even taken a breath?

There’s a great post over at The Nokia Blog by Mark, which brings up a few points on why the N85 is better than the N96, most of which I myself agree with.

Looking at this from a consumer point of view, why would anyone get the N96 if they have the N85 to compare it with? Is it because of the bigger screen? If so then why does the N96 come with a smaller capacity battery? It surely can’t be because of the DVB-H tuner, that would drain the battery even quicker!
The fact is the N96 is aimed at the high-end of the market, but it has features which more or less are weaker than the N85 and misses many the N85 has.

Read the rest on AdonisMobile

SiMo readers, this is your chance to get a sneak preview of a very cool new app / service that Psiloc is cooking up…

Psiloc is looking for Beta Testers to test our latest innovative service - Emoroom. The idea of service is building a space where people who are in a relationship can exchange messages using a unique connection between their cell phones and the Internet.

The participants of this project will have the opportunity to be the first ever to test and use software that is globally unique.

Requirements:

• an S60 3rd edition device
• access to the Internet from the device
• partner or spouse having an S60 3rd edition device with access to the Internet
• discretion (this is a private beta so no blabbing!)

If you fit the bill, shoot me a note at zach [[at]] mobile9 [[dot]] com and we’ll get you set up. Please include your S60 handset model and your mobile number with country code in your email. Thanks from SiMo and Psiloc!

Saara from the See Into S60 blog writes about the upcoming Evening with S60 meet up. I went to the one in London last year and it was pretty good, if you are in New York I’d encourage you to attend. Remember to sign up!

I’ve been on holiday for four weeks and very happy to be back with some great news for everyone in and around New York! If you have been itching to talk to other S60 fans in the area, well here’s your chance! For the second time, An Evening with S60 lands in New York on Wednesday September 17th from 7:30 PM to 10 PM at the Nokia Flagship Store, 5 E 57th Street, NY 10022. Come join us for an evening fun with good food, drinks, people and of course cool technology! This is a night you don’t want to miss!

Sign up here!

I’ve made no secret of my love for SkyeQuiKey. Hit one of those links if you haven’t heard of the app yet. If you have heard of the app, odds are pretty good that you’re using a copy on your handset. Good news! A new update was just issued today that covers much of the feedback I’ve been seeing about the app. Change log:

• Missing softkeys / idle screen ‘hang’ bug fixed.
• Closing slider can sometime cause softkeys to disappear from idle screen bug fixed.
• Improved history support added, smarter and faster.
• Support for adding new phone numbers added.
• Support added for S60 3rd Edition FP2 phones e.g. N78.
• Longer phone numbers now permitted (up to 32 digits).
• Interference with Bluetooth PIN entry and System Lock bug fixed.
• Improved support for emergency call dialling.
• Support added for creating new message (SMS/MMS/E-mail) from a manually entered number/email address.
• Improved support for defaults: Email, SMS and MMS defaults are now used with shortcuts.
• Pressing the green button from a list of options is now equivalent to OK.
• Support for pause and wait in dialled numbers e.g. +4420844223311p123p333w435.
• Improved interoperability with other 3rd party applications e.g. Google Search.
• Improved screen layout.

Get it!

Update: If you haven’t seen the app in person, here’s a great walkthrough from Mark at The Nokia Blog: