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:

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!

For those interested in a pretty detailed battle of the corporate handsets (and some hot qwerty pr0n to boot) definitely head over to BGR to check out a great comparison post assembled by BG himself. The Bold definitely looks like a beast next to the slim and sexy E71 but is a slender physique and a solid build enough to take on the upcoming flagship BlackBerry?

It’s been a while since something interesting came out of the Nokia Beta Labs, but today they have released Nokia Chat - an IM (instant messaging) application which also utilises Nokia Maps to show your location and also presence - something very similar to the Jaiku S60 client.

Phillip Schwarzmann takes us through the introduction video demonstrating the use of Nokia Chat, head over to see the video. The application has been tested with and is compatible with the following models and should also work with some other models listed below, which haven’t been tested.

Tested with:
Nokia N95 8GB, N95, N82, N81 8GB, N81, N76, E71, E66, E51, 6290, 6120 Classic, 6110 Navigator

Should work with:
Nokia E90 Communicator, 6124 classic, 6121 Classic, 5700 XpressMusic

The basic features:

Meet one-to-one

Chat helps you hook up with no hassles by sending your real-time location in an instant message. This unique feature lets your friend pinpoint your position and share her own on Nokia Maps.

Share Your Location

Chance meetings with friends are made easy. Pick out your places on Nokia Maps and choose where you want to publish your presence. Chat automatically updates your location status when you arrive at your hangouts.

Update Your Status

As well as sharing your location, you can edit your status with what’s going on and stay up-to-the-minute with your friends. Status symbols on Chat show when you’re available, on the phone, or away.

Message Friends

Chat puts quick and easy instant messaging at your fingertips. You can also record and send voice messages to friends.

I’m heading over to install it and give it a go, expect more feedback on this soon.

The lovely guys at WOMWorld have kindly sent me this totally awesome Nokia E71 to get my hands on. Ever since the announcement I’ve been eager to get my hands on it and get an impression for myself, as I always say it’s always better to make your own impression of any devices with a hands on approach.

Opening up the box reveals this lovely curvy, mix of metal and plastic that oozes style, sophistication and slenderness, size zero models eat your heart out!

I recently wrestled with the E61i in the wild (only pictures here, didn’t have time to put my views through, apologies) and was thoroughly impressed with the slim design and ergonomics of it all. But I did find it slightly wide. TheE71 doesn’t suffer form any of this, it’s no wider than your average handset, and slimmer than most others. Encased with great metallic edges it slides across your hands, and in and out of pockets with ease, be careful not to drop it!

More in depth views of this very promising handset will be coming as I have only had it for around 8 hours, if you have any questions feel free to  leave a comment and requests (Zach you’ve had your go).

Before I leave this post to go and play with it more, feel free to go through my Flickr feed of more pictures of the E71.