Daniel Rocha's Forum Nokia Blog

This is a very tough question. :)

It's not easy to find something that satisfies all parties.

Personally, I would prefer AJAX with some extensions to access phone functionalities. Many people believe that Web applications connected to "the cloud" is the future.

Btw, why not supporting the most widely used technologies out there, i.e. standard C/C++ (not the "strange" Symbian C++), Java and Flash.

My vote goes for Native only development using C++

All of them! You can't provide too many environments for developers... except maybe Silverlight, but that's just because I don't like the way Microsoft does business.

If I had to pick a restricted set I'd go for native development (although with the evolution of Open C/C++ continuing + Qt) as top priority, then Python, then Flash Lite. The rest don't matter since they don't really offer anything more except more developers that know about them.

@Antony, Symbian/Nokia is adding standard C/C++. I think the plan is even to be ISO standards compliant by around v9.5 of the OS.

Mark

I have to say I agree with Mark. Having many environments means the platform will attract many developers. Having just one environment would narrow it down to people skilled in that particular programming language.

On top of my list would be: C/C++, Java, Python and Flash. I suppose having JavaScript and Silverlight couldn't hurt but I'm not too familiar with them so I'll refrain from making comments on them.

"Include a security framework for each runtime, or for all of them."

There MUST be a security framework, but it shouldn't be ALL that there is.

There should also be a non-secure sandbox, which would allow developing, distributing and installing completely unsecure ad hoc software.

It's insane to demand that e.g. freeware sudoku game must go through Test House examination, Symbian Signing and finally get approved by an operator for distribution! There should be a public, well secured and isolated sandbox in mobile, where certain limited capability applications could happily wreck havoc, use all allowed resources and crash anything they can imagine.

Disclaimer: not all freeware is badly designed or contain trojan. I've written and released dozens of freeware and not once a virus. No comments about design, but at least everything has worked :)

Without such liberated "freezone", there won't be hobby developers, users won't know that sw exist, won't know they can actually install something and especially will not demand better versions - for which they would be willing to pay for. Platform is dead without voluntary freetime hobby developers.

"Create a distribution model for applications developed on your set of runtimes."

Everybody is thinking about Apple's App Store. We have to wait a while to see where to improve. However the very first step is to match App Store. Waiting to long only means that App Store 2.0 will be further away from reach!

"Provide support for development tools."

Tough.. I've used commercial, pre-release and "unofficial" tools. Best support has always been from enthusiastic people.

Just one comment: are you selling development tools or platform? How much do you want to have developers? How many, in which schedule? Offering way too much crippled "free/entry level" tools might turn some people away, to other platforms.

"You can also ignore legacy technologies (including operating system)"

There is always legacy, at least in users' mind and expectations. Even iPhone wasn't complete new innovation, just putting old things together in a bit different way.

But to choose new technologies: I'd like to use that wireless electricity (demo at some expo), real non-breaking and fully automated network roaming, automatic settings configuration, integration to home electronics, actually working voice commands..

Hmph, lot of automated things which currently just waste my time :) I don't want to use mobile device, I want to use/get service totally regardless of media, location or context. Give me solutions and service, not technology!

"Native-only development"

No native for majority of use cases, it's just too much trouble. Phones have more memory, CPU, harddisk and connectivity than desktop computers 15 years ago. This development is going to continue, so native code is not needed - in most cases.

On the other hand there shouldn't be any limitations, if that can be avoided. It should be possible to embed native code into "standard" run-time interpreted environments. Could be C/C++ or assembly, what ever can squeeze the last bits out of pipe.

"I promise I will pass this information on to important people in Nokia. Whether they will use it/like or not, I can't guarantee! :)"

Would love to see summary, but understand that it's just not possible. Have fun!

Cheers,

--jouni

Hi everyone.

A few days ago, I was surfing the web and I found out a project that works over most mobile phones which lets you know where your friends are in real time and update your status in twitter. It´s called Dimdix.

On their website they say you don´t need a GPS system to detect your location. Does anyone know how this works?

I´m using a Motorola L7 and amazingly it detected my location.

I cannot stop thinking of all the things I could do with it.

If anyone wants to take a look you can go

If you have a good route-to-market and developers are making lots of money, nobody cares about the technology. If your competitors have a good route-to-market, and you do not, watch your ecosystem evaporate. This discussion is only of interest for those developers who's income doesn't depend on selling software.