I would like to do Symbian programming with features that require an application to be signed with more then the standard self signed cert. I don't want to pay mony for a cert since I don't know if I will get to a point of selling an application. Is there a way to grant capabilities such as read and write device data to my application for use on just my phone?
If you don't have a Publisher ID the only option for you by now is Open Signed Online.
Open Signed Online allows you to sign an application for installation onto a single device. Unfortunately you will get the signed application, not a certificate itself.
Aside from Open Signed Online, which is pretty hopeless when you want to debug on the device, the only options at the moment are to find someone with a publisher ID to create a developer certificate for you device via Open Signed Offline, or wait for Symbian to come up with another way to get you a developer certificate. They are already planning to make publisher IDs cheaper and easier for individuals to get (currently you need to be a registered company) and wider availability for developer certificates is also on the cards.