Gadgets @ Home

A free tool (in early beta) for rapid application development (RAD) from Simon Judge, a freelance UK developer and the author of MobilePhoneDevelopment blog allows for fast prototyping on Symbian S60 and UIQ3 devices by using such standard technologies as XML and JavaScript. A great idea that’s worth noting and support. The tool is called SymRAD and is being developed as a “hobby project”.

Symbian OS native (C++) development can be difficult and time consuming. Symbian OS 9.x complicated development further with new platform security and improved UIQ user interface mechanisms.

SymRAD is a free rapid application development environment that allows Nokia S60 3rd and UIQ 3 applications to be defined by a simple XML definition file containing screen definitions and industry standard Javascript.

SymRAD is targeted at hobbyists and commercial developers who want to create quick prototypes. There are a very large number of simple applications that end users need but just aren’t worth building using existing tools (the long tail of mobile applications). Also, companies often need quick demos to stimulate interest and attract funding. SymRAD targets these two groups of developers. It fills the gap left by the absence of OPL under Symbian 9.x.

The most feature-rich (and FREE) internet browser for mobile devices is shipping its 3rd Beta for version 4. It has numerous improvements over previous Beta including support for RSS feeds and ability to synchronize your phone Web links with those of other mobile phones or computers. Good stuff! Go check it out.

Changes since Opera Mini 4 beta 2
-Added Link support
-Added Speed Dials
-Added RSS feed support
-Added shortcut *+0 for feeds
-Added shortcuts for speed dials (*+[speed dial number])
-Added function to ask the transcoders for the title and favicon of a new bookmark or speed dial
-Stylus devices can now scroll shortcut help overlays
-Changed “Fit to width” to “Mobile view”
-Changed “Autozoom” to “Show overview”
-Low, medium and high image quality setting
-Images fit better to the screen (no panning)
-Improved BiDi support
-Page position and scaling is now preserved after reload of page
-Stylus devices without pointer motion events should be able to scroll anyway, just not in realtime
-Faked transcoding progress when using feeds
-Show numbers in ordered lists
-Improved stylesheet handling
-Focus highlight now looks inactive when loading
-New and improved server side cookie handling

Handango is giving away one (1) high quality, fully-functioning mobile software application for FREE on Fridays! The free app is available from 12 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. CST on Friday only and must be downloaded during that time period. In addition, the promotion features other applications at a 25% discount throughout the week.

Just visit www.handango.com/FreeAppFriday for details.

All you have to do is complete a short survey. Handango will then send you an email with a link so you can download your free app. They are calling the promotion, “Free App Friday.”

You can also get 25% off Award Winning applications everyday while promotion lasts.

London and SCHAUMBURG, IL – October 15, 2007 – Sony Ericsson and Motorola, Inc. (NYSE:MOT) today announced a definitive agreement under which Motorola will acquire a 50% interest in UI Holdings BV, the parent company of UIQ Technology AB, which is currently wholly owned by Sony Ericsson. Under the agreement, Motorola and Sony Ericsson will work together and jointly invest in the development of the UIQ open user interface platform. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. As previously announced, Sony Ericsson acquired UIQ Technology from Symbian Ltd in February 2007.

Is it good or bad for the UIQ? We’ll see.

Read the press release.