Have you noticed the validity period of different certificates? If you create a certificate with makekeys it is valid for a year. A Symbian DevCert is valid for a half a year. ID certificates (like the VeriSign ACS Publisher ID) are commonly valid for a year.

This brings in interesting scenarios: imagine that the ID certificate has expired but with it you use a valid devcert to sign a SIS... It should not install. What about the self made keys used with themes...

Please be careful with the expiration dates!

PS. You can see them easily in Windows by double clicking the cer-file.

I had a chat about the AppTest Lite application, which is a free application helping to assure that the application passes the Symbian Signed testing. The chat was not really reassuring that we have done something right, even all our attentions were good with AppTest Lite.

Do you, dear readers, have any comments on AppTest Lite? Has it changed your life? Made it easier to pass Symbian Signed? Do you use it? Had you herd of it?

Wanna stir up some discussion about test houses in Java Verified and Symbian Signed. Please bear in mind that I will only publish constructive comments, the rest will remain between you and me...

I don't want to discuss pricing. As any cost is too much anyways. And my dream is a box in the Internet where you submit the application and it will say pass/fail (if failed, you get results why and advice how).

I would like to see how you find the test house services? Should the test house just do testing or provide additional testing/coding/"passing the process" related services? Would you be willing to pay for such? What is important. How do you find the current offering? Any differencies between the test houses?

What about testing quality? Is it better to pass the process and suffer the consequences for the left over bugs or the get all the bugs found and move on to other projects?