Get ready to code some Samsung TouchWiz widgets

Samsung’s TouchWiz UI, is no stranger for Windows Mobile users, they’ve also have got TouchWiz up and running onSymbian, and Samsung’s own proprietary OS. TouchWiz looks and behaves more or less identically on all of these platforms, providing some degree of uniform user experience across vastly different interfaces.

According to MobileCrunch Each TouchWiz-enabled device came with 10-15 widgets, and that was that. If you wanted to download more, you were out of luck. If you wanted to make your own, that was just too bad. That’s all about to change coz Later today, Samsung will be launching a TouchWiz section of their Mobile Innovator portal. With this, Samsung is officially opening up development of TouchWiz widgets to third party developers. Currently limited to the likes of world clocks and picture frames, TouchWiz may soon be jam-packed with Twitter widgets and fart buttons ( ah the good old fart apps , dont they seem to find their way in to everything )

Why build Widgets?
Unlike complex native languages widget development utilises the comparably simple web authoring technologies HTML, JavaScript and CSS. Once developed they can be run on any Samsung device running the TouchWiz UI, and indeed, with some minor adjustments any platform or device featuring a web run-time engine. This could be a mobile device from another manufacturer, a PC or even an appliance such as a Samsung Series-7 television.

What will you find in the Widget Portal?

• Tools and SDKs
  You can download Samsung Mobile Widget SDK, a development environment, which is based on the Eclipse platform, and is designed to help you develop widgets for Samsung mobile devices running the Samsung TouchWiz UI interface.
• Knowledge base articles
  This area provides you with the information you’ll need to get started building Samsung Mobile Widgets. You’ll find an in-depth overview of the technical specifications and features of our widget implementation and sample widgets.
• Discussion Boards
  You can share your thoughts on widgets and your experience developing widgets previously with other program members, or you can discuss your techniques you use when designing a widget interface.
• Testing tools
  The Widget Test Page will provide a well documented online interface to upload and download widgets. A developer might publish his/her widgets (making them available to the public with or without charge). The widgets will be certified before being published. Support for tests will be also provided (documentation and tools).