Nokia Developer Newsletter

Nokia recently introduced the Nokia 3720 classic, a mobile device based on the Series 40 6th Edition platform and designed to resist water, dust, and shock. The Nokia 3720 classic is encased in durable materials and is entirely sealed to protect the inner electronics. The battery cover, which protects both the battery and the internal circuitry of the device, is locked with a screw, making for worry-free usage in wet, dusty, or muddy environments. 'It is a perfect choice for people who want a long-lasting and reliable mobile phone for any environment', says Markku Suomi, Nokia's VP of Connect devices. Other features of the new phone include an LED flashlight, built-in Nokia Maps, 2.2-inch display, WebKit open source browser, Flash Lite 3.0, 2-megapixel camera with digital zoom, and up to 8 GB of memory-card storage. The Nokia 3720 classic will retail for 125 euros, and shipments will begin this summer.

In mid-July Nokia also announced a new device that is more than just a number — it has a name, too. The new Nokia 6790 Surge is optimised for messaging with a slide-out full messaging keyboard and support for WCDMA 850/1900 HSDPA and EGSM 850/900/1800/1900. The Nokia 6790 Surge is an S60 3rd Edition, Feature Pack 2 device that features an integrated assisted global positioning system (A-GPS) and AT&T Navigator, 2-megapixel camera, and 2.4-inch QVGA (320x240 pixels) 16M color display. 'Designed in the U.S., this socially charged smartphone comes in a sleek slide form factor that supports social networking and messaging — and all on an open platform,' said David Petts, VP and general manager, AT&T Account, Nokia. Additional features include Bluetooth 2.0 +EDR with Bluetooth Stereo and USB 2.0. The Nokia 6790 Surge will retail for $79.99 with a two-year AT&T service agreement and after a mail-in rebate.

Check out the Nokia 3720 classic's technical specifications.

Check out the Nokia 6790 Surge's technical specifications.

Version 1.0 of the Nokia N97 SDK is now available for download from the Forum Nokia website (note: You must be registered and signed-in with Forum Nokia to complete the download). This new SDK includes features specific to the Nokia N97 multimedia device in the SDK emulator, including the look and feel of the Nokia N97 device, as well as emulation of the home screen functionality. The Nokia N97 SDK also includes new C++ APIs, including the Homescreen Publishing API and Out-of-Memory Monitor API; and Java™ Runtime 1.4 for S60, which adds Mobile Sensor API (JSR-256) and Nokia UI API 1.3.

The new version of the Nokia N97 SDK also provides updated SDK documentation, and support for the Chinese version of the full keyboard. It also contains updated example applications, along with an updated default emulator theme.

This all-in-one S60 SDK supports development of applications for the following runtimes: Symbian C++, Open C/C++, Java technology, Web Runtime (WRT), and Python (using the Python for S60 SDK plug-in). In addition to the all-in-one S60 SDK for the Nokia N97 device, there are all-in-one S60 SDKs for use with both S60 5th Edition and S60 3rd Edition, Feature Pack 2.

Learn more and download the Nokia N97 SDK.

Get more information about S60 platform and device SDKs.

Nokia recently introduced the Web Browser for S60 7.1. This new mobile browser is based on WebKit 525 and adds features and updates contributed by Nokia and other members of the WebKit open source community. New features in the browser include:

• Enabling users to define the function of shortcut keys.
• Providing users with the option to view a Web page in the full screen by hiding the status bar and softkey labels.

For developers the introduction of S60 Browser 7.1 delivers full support for Flash Lite 3.0. It also extends support for WRT API 1.1, which offers S60 Platform Services to selected S60 3rd Edition, Feature Pack 2 devices. The new browser is already offered in the following S60 3rd Edition, Feature Pack 2 devices: Nokia 6710 Navigator, Nokia 6730 classic, Nokia N86 8MP, Nokia E52, Nokia E55, and Nokia E72. Other selected S60 3rd Edition, Feature Pack 2 devices will gain S60 Browser 7.1 through firmware updates.

Early versions of the Web Browser for S60 7.1 were released without support for onKeyPress to capture select and navigation key events. For full details, see the Knowledge Base entry in the Forum Nokia Wiki: TSS001451 - Key event handling in S60 Browser 7.1 and S60 WRT 1.1. This omission affects both Web and WRT widget code. Later versions of the browser will correct this omission.

Get the latest about full Web-browsing technology from Nokia.

For more information, check out the Web Developer's Library.

Calling All Innovators challenged mobile and Web application developers worldwide to submit best-in-class applications for use on Nokia devices. In the end, more than 1,500 applications were submitted by developers from around the world. Now it is time to honour all of their hard work.

Join Forum Nokia for the Calling All Innovators Awards Ceremony and Reception before Nokia World 2009 on 1 September at the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, Germany, to meet the winners, congratulate the finalists, and network with your peers and other industry leaders.

After a night of networking and celebrating the best in mobile applications for Nokia devices from around the world, join Forum Nokia at Nokia World, 2 – 3 September in Stuttgart, and participate in an event that will shape the future. Attend developer sessions about Ovi API integration, making money with Ovi Store by Nokia, partner successes, and much more. Also, you will have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with Forum Nokia executives and Nokia experts, participate in roundtable discussions, and experience the latest devices, services, and solutions.

Seating for the awards ceremony is limited — sign up today.

Join Forum Nokia and your peers at Nokia World — register now.

A beta version of Nokia Platform Services 2.0, which provides a simple JavaScript™ API that lets developers access key device features in WRT widgets, is now available. Nokia Platform Services 2.0 also adds a new API that enables the use of a device's camera with just one or two lines of JavaScript code.

The components of Nokia Platform Services 2.0 include two versions of the JavaScript library, source code, API documentation, and two sample widgets. Compatibility is offered with the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic and Nokia N97 multimedia device, as well as with the emulator supplied in the S60 5th Edition SDK for Symbian OS. Developers should have a basic understanding of how to create Web content using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

Explore and download the beta version of Nokia Platform Services 2.0.

Give feedback on the Nokia Platform Services 2.0 discussion thread.

Developers can now use Nokia Mobile Web Templates, a series of custom, styled, and tested mobile Web components. Developers can mix and match the components — or use the full series to customise their mobile Web sites and applications completely. The components are suitable for most S60 3rd Edition and S60 5th Edition devices from Nokia, and they also are compatible with newer Nokia Series 40 WebKit and maemo™ devices. The templates also include standards-compliant markup, and they conform to the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) standards. Future Nokia Mobile Web Templates will address Nokia's non-WebKit S60 and Series 40 devices.

The free templates include:

• A collection of pre-styled mobile Web components, including navigation bars, lists, grids, flexible buttons, form elements, data tables, and a simple slide show.
• A short guide to each component, including any device-compatibility issues and instructions for adapting colours and sizes where needed.
• Commented Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and JavaScript files, which developers can modify to further personalise the look or behaviour of their content.
• Graphical source files in Adobe Illustrator CS4 and Adobe Fireworks CS4 formats that can be adapted easily to suit a brand or colour scheme.

Explore and download the Nokia Mobile Web Templates.

The winners of the Forum Nokia Mobile Design Challenge, Part 2, have been announced. The competition called for entries from the Forum Nokia community in four focus areas: Theming, Flash Lite UI Components, Usability, and Surprise us! (anything related to mobile design). The prizes were new Nokia N97 devices.

And the winners are:

Jappit contributed an extensive range of articles on File Upload, Web Runtime widgets, SMS Form, and more.

Alen Alebic wrote an article, 'The GridMenu Component for Flash Lite', that is a mobile-specific implementation of a familiar component that can be utilised easily in any application.

JasperJager wrote 'The Kinetic Scroll Component for Flash Lite', which shows how to utilize the interactive possibilities of a touch screen. Using this component will surely save time.

Kamaljaiswal created themes articles, including 'Themes: S60 UI Components', that build on material found in the Forum Nokia Library and Carbide UI documentation.

Mayankkedia, an active member of the Forum Nokia community, contributed several articles, including 'Listbox Usability'. Mayankkedia has also spiced up numerous text-only articles, such as 'Colours in User Interface', with illustrative visuals.

Aadhar14b contributed several articles, such as 'Information Visualization For Mobile Applications', which included both images and out-of-the-box thinking.

Check out the winners.

Browse articles by the Mobile Design Challenge winners.

Browse the full list of competition entries.

Join the Mobile Design and User Experience discussion.

It's been an exciting five months since Forum Nokia announced the Open Screen Project Fund. Since then we have received hundreds of submissions from developers around the world and have funded 14 applications. These funded applications are now developed by Flash developers receiving technical support from Forum Nokia and are shaping up nicely. Some of the newly funded applications include:

• Twittle from Flash Widgets LLC of the U.S., a cool Twitter client for S60 and Series 40 devices.
• ECG Mobicare from i2 tecnologia of Brazil, an app that will collect and report data from a pacemaker to a patient's mobile.

The $10 million Open Screen Project Fund is awarding grants to developers of exciting new applications and content through January 2011. The fund also supports marketing and education for the Open Screen Project, which aims to establish cross-platform runtime environments, remove development and distribution barriers, and innovate through industry collaboration.

Explore the Open Screen Project Fund.

Apply for an Open Screen Project Fund grant.

Follow the Open Screen Project Fund on Twitter.

The new Forum Nokia Champion of the month is Felipe Andrade, co-founder and CTO of i2 tecnologia, an official Nokia supplier in Recife, Brazil. As comfortable with a business plan as he is with distributed architectures, Felipe is an enthusiastic supporter of the Forum Nokia community. He writes a regular Forum Nokia blog and, under user name felipebzr, contributes to the Forum Nokia Wiki, where he writes in both English and Portuguese. Felipe also participated in the first Forum Nokia Developer Hackathon, held recently in Monaco during Nokia Developer Summit 2009. His awards include the 2009 Nokia Sem Limites Challenge and 2008 Forum Nokia Code Example Challenge.

Meet Champion of the Month Felipe Andrade.

Explore the Forum Nokia Champion programme.

Did you know that the Forum Nokia Wiki now contains 400 code snippets, short blocks of code that developers can use in their applications? These snippets cover a wide range of possible use cases, including telephony, messaging, networking, application frameworks, personalisation, and user interfaces.

Also, Forum Nokia recently added a Code Examples page to the Web site. Here, developers can find examples — complete application projects containing the full source code that can be installed and run on Nokia devices. Recent code examples include a Qt example of the Noughts and Crosses game, Flash Lite components, and Mobile Web Templates.

Check out the collection of 400 code snippets in the Forum Nokia Wiki.

Browse the new Forum Nokia Code Examples section.

Two new podcasts bring information from Forum Nokia experts to developers around the world.

Episode 002 — Open Screen Project Fund.
Forum Nokia's Bill Volpe speaks with Bill Perry, Senior Services Marketing Manager at Forum Nokia. They discuss the Open Screen Project Fund, as well as additional information regarding mobile Flash development.

Episode 003 — Series 40 6th Edition Update.
In this episode, Bill Volpe speaks with Jouko Nuottila, Forum Nokia's Series 40 Technology Marketing Manager. They discuss the latest news from the Series 40 team, including the Series 40 6th Edition release and the opportunities it brings for mobile developers.

Listen to the Open Screen Project Fund podcast.

Listen to the Series 40 podcast.

Did you miss the recent Webcast, 'Developing Web and Java Apps for Nokia E71x', hosted by AT&T devCentral? The Webcast, originally broadcast on 23 June, is now available on demand.

On the Webcast, two Forum Nokia experts, Daniel Rocha and Ravi Belwal, provide a look at the Nokia WRT widget framework, WRT Plug-in for Aptana Studio 2.0, Java Runtime for Symbian S60 3rd Edition, and what's new in Java tools and SDKs. They also demonstrate two applications created for the Nokia E71x device with WRT; explain how to create mobile applications and content quickly and easily with standard Web technologies such as HTML, JavaScript, and WebKit; and provide Java tips and tricks for Symbian specialists.

Download the Nokia E71x Webcast.