Android UI becoming more like Symbian?

Some people have noticed that the latest Google Maps application on Android might be using new "Gingerbread" UI style that is coming out later this year. The post mentions "squared-off" look. The buttons also look more flat than before.

Well, that's pretty much how the new Symbian^3 UI (softkeys, menus) look like. Maybe Google is now looking for design direction from Symbian for the new Android OS version.

Google's Froyo UI on left and Gingerbread on right.

Nokia N8 menu buttons.

Symbian website shuts down - last chance to download the source!

As announced, Nokia will take down Symbian Foundation's website December 17th. After that lots of interesting information about Symbian and also the source code disappears form being available for everyone. As mostly Nokia is developing Symbian further, they don't want to keep the open source project running.

It has been really interesting to read Symbian Foundation's roadmaps, specifications, meeting notes, and even bug notes. I have written many blog posts simply by finding something interesting on their website. It means that after a while some of my posts will have dead links. Here are some of the posts:

http://www.nokiaviews.com/2010/06/symbian3-screen-resolution-capped-to.html
http://www.nokiaviews.com/2010/06/nokia-planning-flashlite-widgets-for.html
http://www.nokiaviews.com/2010/07/symbian-and-multicore-processing.html
http://www.nokiaviews.com/2010/06/nokia-plans-to-renew-internet-radio-app.html
http://www.nokiaviews.com/2010/06/flash-widgets-more-efficient-than-web.html

Mobile payments initiative in North America - is Nokia included?

To read from the gigaom article, AT&T, Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile USA have started a joint venture called Isis. The goal is to start up a mobile payment system using NFC (Near-Field Communications) technologies in the USA in the near future. It's interesting to see such big players working together on something. Instantiating a completely new payment infrastructure to such a big country as USA will be a challenge though. Android handsets will have NFC capabilities, maybe iPhone too. Will you be able to use Nokia's phones, such as C7, within Isis payments system too? Only time will tell.

Qt coming to Android, iPhone

Not sure if Nokia will ever officially approve this, but there are people who are working on making Qt run on Android and iPhone. The Android port seems to be going well based on the video. I found two iPhone Qt projects: one here and then another one in YouTube. The latter is somehow related to Qt Lighthouse project.

It would be great to be able to run Qt applications on Android and iPhone. If Qt was ported to Android it would be easier for Nokia to start using Android OS in the distant future. Not that I would want that, though. I actually like Symbian^3.

SEE 2010 and the future of Symbian

Symbian Exchange and Exposition (SEE) 2010 starts tomorrow. It looks like it is not possible to watch keynotes live online, but websites like AllAboutSymbian promise to follow the event closely.

At the moment not much specifics are known of the Symbian roadmap after the plan changed dramatically few weeks ago. Therefore it would be good to hear about the future roadmap of Symbian either in the keynotes or other session. Would for example Ian Hutton reveal something interesting in his session labeled "The Symbian Platform: State of the Nation and Future"? We'll see tomorrow. :)