Update: Disclaimer - Data Transfer application is a Nokia specific feature. Therefore, Nokia folder is not a S60 API, and using it is not officially supported by Nokia or S60. Use it the way you want, but with your own risk. I think it's good.
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Exclusive: important info for S60 application developers, inside and outside Nokia

Does your application generate user specific data - bookmarks, RSS feeds, settings, etc?

Do the users lose their personal data related to your app, when they upgrade to a new S60 device?

Well, here is your solution:

All new Nokia S60 devices have a built-in application called Data Transfer (or Transfer), that is typically under the Tools folder. With this app, the users can easily transfer their personal data from the old device to the new one. In addition, if the user has multiple S60 devices (see Darla's post), s/he can keep the personal data easily in synch between devices.

Now, dear S60 application developers, if you save your application data under the Nokia Folder, the users don't lose their valuable application data when switching devices.

Please note:
- "Nokia Folder" means folders C:\data\Nokia and E:\Nokia.
- be careful with file names to avoid conflicts
- the application synchronizes one file at a time. If you put large files in Nokia folder, even a small change causes resending of the whole file. Therefore, having several small files in Nokia folder is better than one big file.

Simple but working solution, isn't it?

Please spread the word. And if you decide to use this trick, please drop a comment to this blog entry or send me an email (tommi vilkamo at S60.com).

Those interested in the 2D barcode stuff, check out Microsoft Live Barcode:
Windows Live Barcode website
Chris Overd: Windows Live Barcode launches
The Pondering Primate: Microsoft's Windows Live Barcode Disrupts PWC Space

Yo Microsoft, let's be friends?

ps. sorry about not posting my latest thoughts about Nokia's barcode reader app, and about 2D barcode ecosystem. I will do so in due time. Please be patient.

If you have found Python for S60 useful/valuable, please write your "success story" to this Kevin Sharp's blog entry. Somehow I feel it might be important.

via Erik Smartt

SymTorrent joins the group of S60 file sharing apps with Symella and PeerBox Mobile. This starts to get interesting.

The usual warning: don't play with this stuff if you don't have a flat-fee plan. And please don't break the law, and say that Tommi told you to do it...

via Symbian-Freak

Good article at MobileUserExperience.com: Why value is slipping away from the operators. Quote:

I was struck by how little added value my network operator brought to the process. Almost all of the value in my user experience was associated with third party brands and the handset manufacturer.

I have noticed this trend in my own mobile user experience too. How about you?

via Tom Hume

Note: totally off-topic. Writing about something I'm not an expert on. Feel free to ignore.

Today, I made some some investigative journalism.

First, I looked at the websites of Nokia, other major mobile device manufacturers, and some consumer electronics giants:
- Nokia.com, Nseries.com, Nokia for Business, Nokia X-Factor, Nokia Unwired, N-Gage.com
- Motorola.com, SamsungMobile.com, SonyEricsson.com, LGE.com
- Sony, Panasonic, Samsung.com

Then, I looked at the world's most popular websites, as listed by Alexa, which included:
- Yahoo, Google, and Baidu
- Microsoft.com, Live.com and MSN.com
- eBay, Amazon
- Apple, Dell, IBM
- Walmart, IKEA
- various social networking sites, news sites, wikipedia, IM services, Skype, Web2.0 serices, etc.

Hmm... If you concentrate strictly on the web design, I think there is a pattern. Can you spot (1) the similarities within the groups, and (2) the differences between the two groups?

About our own home turf, I think S60.com design is now closer to the latter "Internet" group than the first group. But what do you think? How could we improve our site?
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p.s. please don't say bad words about the abovementioned companies or their websites, as many of them are Nokia's competitors or collaborators. Otherwise, I'll have to moderate (= delete) your comments.

Darla was way too kind to nominate this blog to Fierce Wireless competition that asks you to "Vote for your favorite wireless industry blogs".

Please go and vote for your favorites! I already voted for All About Symbian, Mobile Opportunity, and of course Darla Mack.

On November 7th, we'll see if the wisdom-of-crowds effect brings us a great shortlist of interesting stuff.

So you finally unearthed Nokia's (local/in-device) Search application. Good work! More info and free download links available from e61Life, Symbian Freak, All About Symbian, Darla Mack, etc.

This app it is built-in in Nokia E50, but as far as I know, there are no technical limitations why it wouldn't work in all S60 3rd edition devices. In fact, I wonder why we don't offer it officially under product support pages. I understand that among Eseries owners there are more business users, who have more need for local/in-device search, but I can't see valid reasons why we should restrict this from other S60 3rd edition users. Of course, one could argue something about pricing strategies for information goods, or something about product differentiation, but in this case I don't buy it.

Anyway, local search was the one of the most-asked features in our gallup:

Add full in-device search
- Full in-device search (notes, calendar, contacts, to-do, etc) – 7 votes

Well, here you go :-)

ps. even though I'm partly involved in this case, this is not an official comment from Nokia

pps. I feel bad for Max, the guy behind the really nice 3rd party Mobile Search app. Max: I hope you understand that this functionality is a natural feature to be built-in, not that we are evil bastards who like to rob business from our collaborators...

If there is still someone out there who hasn't noticed our brand-new S60 blog addition, check out Nokia Podcasting blog, written by its product manager Steven Stewart. I listened Steven's interview at Voice of S60 this morning, and it seems he is really open to feedback. Go give comments and see if the app gets improved the way you like!

S60 3rd Edition owners can download the Podcasting app from here. But beware, as Steven says:

Podcasting is probably the killer app to really give your WLAN a workout, because podcasting is all about transferring large files over the air. So (if you don't have WLAN) you are going to need flat-rate data plan using 3G or edge. If you do not have a flat-rate, you don't want to use Nokia Podcasting, because you will be charged by megabyte by your operator, which is a wonderful thing, until you get your bill.

Once again, warm welcome Steven!

ps. to which thread do you want us to post feedback (and improvement wishes) about the Podcasting app?

What a trip. Learned a lot, met a lot of cool/smart/important people, and had a really good time. Special thanks for Rafe, Carlo, Matt, and Paul - escaping the official Symbian party to Swedish Beer night was fun :-)

I won't bore you with long stories about the actual show, as it has been more or less covered on other websites/blogs. But I'll highlight one funny detail from Lee Epting's keynote speech:

"17 Independent Eseries Blogs". Hmm... I wonder where she got that figure.

Once again, Hugh nails it.

:D !!!

See you at All About Symbian Pub meet on Monday!

Off-topic rant.

Via Symbian-Freak, Strategy Analytics reports that a slim form factor is not enough when it comes to promoting cell phones anymore.

Oh, really?

Sometimes I marvel at the occasional cluelessness of mobile industry and it's observers.

(clarification: Strategy Analytics does make a good point, but the fact that they have to write an article about it, makes me feel sad)

Ah, Forum Nokia blogs are starting to get interesting. Thanks to All About Symbian recommendation, I found Sampo Suvisaari's great post Symbian Signed means less choice, in which he even makes a suggestion that Symbian Signed rules should be changed:

Symbian Signing could be given to a company rather than to an application. After all, a serious company would not want to do itself harm by distributing bad or malicious software. Symbian Signing would identify the source of the software.

What do you think?

ps. testing dPolls as voting widget instead of Majikwidget that apparently had some problems.

This morning, I downloaded the 15 Smartphone Radio interviews/podcasts from Symbian.com, to be listened to during my commutes. The first victim was Nigel Clifford, the CEO of Symbian (Nigel Clifford.mp3). The interview was refreshingly open and interesting, even though the CEOs understandably have to be a bit more careful with their words than us ordinary mortals.

One detail from the end of the interview:

...for example, Nokia just launched their product with code name --confidential---, 5500 I think is the correct name ...

ps. this has been a slow blogging week, and the next one is probably going to be one too, as I'm out of office most of the time... But I hope to see many of you in Symbian Smartphoneshow!

Heh, so you found out that the Turquoise theme sis package installs also a Flash Lite screensaver. Pretty good detective work :-)

However, as far as I know, you can't set it as a screensaver in S60 3rd Edition, only in FP1 devices.

Sorry boys, no bonus.

Nokia software update service has added the long-awaited support for N80, and it seems to work fine. Thanks Bruce and David for letting me know.

Bonus link: what we learned from one infamous episode, that I handled in a non-professional manner.

Update: according to the comments, there seems to be a problem with recovering the contacts etc from the backup after the update. *Sigh*. But... Please post your rants somewhere else. Please don't link to this post. I'm not in any way working with Nokia software update or PC suite. This blog is not a Nokia support site or a generic bug reporting system, and I don't want it to end up as one. Otherwise, I'll have to quit blogging to have time to do my real work. Tired now. Suffering from flu. Going home.

Hey-ho! Let me introduce the first* English-speaking Nokia-independent blog dedicated 100% to Nseries: N80 Geek.

Essential posts:
Essential Applications for Your N80 And NSeries Device
Essential (Java) Apps For the N80

Anything you would like to add?

Let's see, the current score in fan-blogs went to Eseries 19 vs Nseries 3. Quite a lead for Eseries, although I'm sure the new devices such as N95 will help Nseries to catch up...
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* = the first I'm aware of

Do you read this blog with your mobile browser? If so, would you need a mobile-optimized version of blogs.s60.com?

The S60 Web Browser displays the blog quite nicely, or you can use an RSS reader (e.g the Web Feeds feature in S60 browser). But if there is still a big demand for a mobile-optimized template, Phil said he could create one. But only if there is a demand, as it would require some extra work from him, taking his time away from creating other cool stuff for you...

Have your say.

Ganesh Sivaraman, of our S60 browser team, is pleased to hear that the S60 browser is getting good feedback from the blog world. I promised to post these links:

Treo Today: Treo 650 vs Nokia E61 : Browser fight (including a video comparision)

The winner is … the Nokia E61.

I have tried browsing on Windows Mobile, Palm, and Symbian devices over the last 9 years and I think the browsing on this new S60 3rd Edition browser is the BEST I have ever experienced.

ps. I wonder who will be the first one to comment (again) that "please put the new version S60 browser available for existing S60 3rd Edition devices"?