Xperia™ panels are always one click away, and with simple touch selection, applications are placed at the center of the user experience. With the Sony Ericsson Panel SDK for X2 it’s now easier than ever before to create Panels. New Panelizer tools enable you to quickly make Panels not only from native applications, but also Flash, Java and Project Capuchin.
Xperia™ X1
- Download the Sony Ericsson Beta SDK for Windows Mobile® 6.1 (v1.0.5).
The Sony Ericsson Beta SDK for Windows Mobile® 6.1 is a set of tools, plug-ins and documentation that allows you to develop and test Xperia™ Native Panels, Xperia™ Web (HTML) Panels, Xperia™ Panels with OpenGL ES support and applications for Windows Mobile 6.1 for Xperia™ X1 phone.
The Microsoft® Visual Studio® IDE Plug-in allows you to develop and debug Xperia™ Panels that run on the Xperia™ X1 phone using the included Xperia™ X1 Device Emulator.
The SDK v1.0.5 release adds Xperia™ Panels with OpenGL ES support, allowing developers to incorporate a broad set of redering, texture mapping, special effects and other powerful visualization functions and provides a graphics pipeline that allows free access to graphics hardware acceleration on the Xperia™ X1 phone through the Xperia™ Panels interface.
Xperia™ Panels are Windows Mobile applications that extend the Today Screen API in order to provide a Full Screen immersive experience.
The Sony Ericsson Beta SDK for Windows Mobile 6.1 includes:
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Software Requirements:
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XPERIA™ Panels FAQ
What is a Panel?
XPERIA™ Panels are applications that extend the Today Screen API in order to provide a Full Screen immersive experience. New with XPERIA™ X2 Panels can also be Java ME, Capuchin or Flash applications running within the Panel Manager.
What is special about Panels?
The XPERIA™ panel user experience is unique to Sony Ericsson. This UI gives configurable, finger-tip navigation to access different options through panels displayed in Panel Manager. The phone comes preloaded with panels allowing the end-user to switch between various experiences and configure panel behavior/settings. Further panels are available for purchase or free download and developers can submit Panels to the Sony Ericsson sales & distribution channels.
How does the user interact with Panels?
There is a Panel button which takes the user directly to the Panel Manager, where nine panels are displayed. The Panel Manager has several display modes including portrait and landscape. To access a panel, the user simply touches the required thumbnail. Panels can be viewed as favorites (shown) or in an easily scrolled list view.
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Panel Button X1 (top); |
Panel Manager interface (X2) showing nine Panels |
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What is SlideView?
SlideView is a new feature debuting on the XPERIA™ X2. SlideView provides quick access to frequently used mobile phone activities including Panels.
Can the user configure Panels?
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Panels are highly configurable and the user can add, remove or change a panel very easily. Simply touch the settings button and select the item to change. New panels can be selected from the list or downloaded.The user can schedule Panels by time of day. For example, work-oriented Panels for daytime and fun Panels for the evening. |
Which Panels are pre-loaded on the XPERIA™ X2?
Panels that may be pre-installed on the XPERIA™ X2 phone include the following: CNN, Tilewave, Professional Panel, Growing Panel, Lifestyle Panel, Pixel City Panel Day, YouTube™, Facebook™, Google™, Skype, Support Panel, Gokivo Navigation Panel, Today Screen.
Which Panels are available to download?
The following Panels will be available for download when the XPERIA™ X2 launches:
Dashwire Panel, Windows Live Panel, SlideShow Panel, Evernote Panel, Mytopia, Panel, Monster Panel, Sony Ericsson Panel, Fish Panel, Cool Hunting Panel, Twitter Panel, Linkedin Panel, Clock Panel, Amazon Panel, eBay Panel, Spb Traveller Panel, On-The-Road Panel, Last.FM Gig Finder Panel.
Remember that developers can submit Panels to PlayNow™ arena from mid-September 2009, so the range available for download can rapidly grow.
Can developers produce XPERIA™ Panels?
Certainly. New Panelizer tools make it easy to turn existing native applications, Flash and Java in to Panels. The Panel SDK includes the Panelizer tools and the SDK for native, HTML and OpenGL ES application development.
How do I make a Panel?
To make a native, OpenGL ES1.1 or HTML Panel for X1, use the Sony Ericsson Beta SDK for Windows Mobile® 6.1
To make a native, OpenGL ES 1.1 or HTML Panel for XPERIA™ X2, use the Sony Ericsson Beta SDK for Windows Mobile® 6.5
To turn an existing .exe or ,net application in to a Panel, use the Panelizer feature in Visual Studio (the SDK must be installed).
To turn an existing Flash or Java ME application in to a Panel, use the Flash or Java Panelizer tools included in the SDK. Visual Studio is not required to be able to use these two Panelizer tools.
What is the Panelizer?
The Panelizer is a simple, free-to-use tool which converts an existing application in to an XPERIA™ Panel. There are four Panelizers in the SDK:
- Flash Panelizer – standalone tool which converts a Flash application to a Panel
- Java Panelizer – standalone tool which converts a Java ME application to a Panel
- EXE Panelizer – Feature in Visual Studio which converts an existing exe application in to a Panel
- NET Panelizer – Feature in Visual Studio which converts an existing .net application in to a Panel
Do I need Microsoft Visual Studio® to run the Panelizer tools?
The Flash and Java Panelizers are standalone tools and do not require Microsoft Visual Studio®. When you run the SDK installer, it will check for Visual Studio and install just the Flash and Java Panelizers (plus other relevant items) if Visual Studio is not present.
What is the test and verification procedure for Panels that I submit to PlayNow™ arena?
So that you do not have to pay for certification and signing up front, Sony Ericsson allows you to submit an unsigned Panel, Once Sony Ericsson has accepted your Panel, you can then proceed with certification knowing that your Panel will go on sale.
Certification
Certification requirements depend upon the type of content:
| Content Type | Signing and Certification |
| Java Me | Java Verified (sign and then use Panelizer tool) |
| Project Capuchin | Java Verified (sign and then use Panelizer tool) |
| Flash | Not applicable. Just run the swf file thru the Panelizer |
| Native | Microsoft Application Certification Program or XPERIA™ Certification Program |
| HTML | Microsoft Application Certification Program or XPERIA™ Certification Program |
| OpenGL ES 1.1 | Microsoft Application Certification Program or XPERIA™ Certification Program |
Links and documents for further information:
- Read more about Microsoft Application Certification Program.
- Download the Sony Ericsson XPERIA™ Panel certification requirements specification. Provides more information about cerifying XPERIA™ Panels and details of test cases.
Helpful links
- XPERIA™ Certification Program Enrollment Process with Intertek NSTL.
- VeriSign Code Signing Account Enrollment Process.
- VeriSign Authenticated Code Signing.
- Microsoft Application Certification Program.
- Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Professional trial edition.
- Windows Mobile product page.
- Windows Mobile for developers.
- Windows Mobile 6 developer resource kit (Visual Studio 2005, ActiveSync etc).
- Microsoft Windows Mobile 6 Professional SDK.