In much the same way as most GMail users also run the Java-based GMail client on their phones, there's now GCal, a Java-based Google Calendar client - except that this one's not an official Google product. It's also still early alpha status, but looks rather promising for those that want a lot more than Google's existing web-based Calendar view.
There have been enough ports across from the Symbian world to the iPhone one, it's about time an iPhone app made its way in this direction. ZooZBeat (which I reviewed on the iPhone here) is an accelerometer-driven music app, now available for the N82, N95 and N95 8GB. More please, like this. (via S-F)
Nokia has often given away a 3-day trial of voice-guided, real time navigation in Nokia Maps, but it seems that this has now become a full week's free trial, courtesy of an official page here. Just enter your details and get a license code etc. Good move, Nokia - let's hope this page stays up permanently. (via Jay and others)
Python for S60 has been almost totally rewritten, it seems (around the Python 2.5.1 core), with a huge version number jump to v1.90, available here. The most obvious changes are for developers, including a new GUI-driven SIS packaging tool and far better support for 'standard' Python libraries. Here's the download page, here's the readme that you'll want to scan over (it looks like it's something of an interim release before v2.0) and here's where I read about it.
What happens when you have regular releases, and everyone expects a game on a certain day? You have a good feeling building around your platform. Will Nokia continue the regularity of the N-Gage game releases in 2009? Ewan think aloud on what could happen in the New Year.
Yes, we know we're very late in reporting this, but better late than never... The new installment of Capcom's infamous franchise Resident Evil: Degeneration is available on the N-Gage platform. Based on a recent CGI film of the same name, RE:D is a horror survival game where you have to fight zombies in an airport. Not very seasonal, but there you go! You can get the game from the N-Gage application's showroom section, if you can't see it select "Options" and "Update Now" and then "Available Games", and you may also see it in the "Latest Games" section.
S60Inside is reporting that v11.0.008 firmware is about to hit the 5800 - Been There Done That, in my case, since this 9th Dec firmware was the one loaded on our review unit 8-) - still, watch NSU if you're still on v10 and avail yourself in a day or so's time to a load of bug fixes!
Just a quickie - Nokia's prolific Beta Labs has just launched itself in Beta - that's right, a whole new site layout for you to... errr..... test drive. Go on, give 'em some feedback, after all the freebies they've plumped our way this year.
You'll have already seen Rafe's exhaustive (p)review of the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, the first S60 5th Edition phone: Intro and Hardware, Multimedia, Software and Compatibility. In today's review feature, Steve Litchfield gives his own pointed slant on the device. Armed with production (9th Dec 2008) firmware, he critiques the 5800 XpressMusic from various standpoints, including text entry, user interface, camera and web browsing.
Steve and Ewan round up the last of the news before Christmas turns up in the latest All About Symbian Insight podcast. We talk about the beta labs image Exchange, how much to charge a user for Web 2.0 services in 2009, Resident Evil on the N-Gage, ask where Rafe is, and finish with a musical number from Geoff Smith.
UIQ stawarts CellPhoneSoft have released Padissimo, claiming to "bring novel and unique features". Padissimo "enhances navigation by providing two extra directional pads: one on the screen, and one on the keyboard". These new ways of moving around the screen can be used in any application apparently. More info and links below.
Crash! On the N-Gage. Or more precisely Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3-D makes an appearance just in time for Christmas. The themed arcade karting game based on the Crash Brandicoot characters makes a return to the N-Gage, after a rather poor effort on the N-Gage classic. Thankfully Vivendi's little racer is far more fun this time around. The free demo is online now, and the full game is 8 Euros.
Ewan continues his idiosyncratic look at Nokia's new OLED-screened Nseries for the masses, the N85. In this third part, he looks at multimedia, focussing(!) on the camera, multimedia playback and some interesting UI notes and toys along the way.
I just squeezed in a last programme of The Phones Show before Christmas. No 72 includes a video demo of YouTube in Web on the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, News, Conclusions from my AAS series on phone cameras, hands-on thoughts on the Samsung Omnia, plus a demo of installing an app from the Android Marketplace.
Now this is good timing for the many people (including us) now in possession of the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic. Although many S60 3rd Edition applications run on the device, the implementation doesn't really fly very nicely with the touch-screen. Epocware have always been quick off the mark and they've now announced that all their S60 applications have been optimised for S60 5th Edition. So that's the usual Handy Safe, Handy Shell, Handy Weather, and so on. Screenshot of Handy Shell running on the 5800 below...
