Carnival 154
Roll up, roll up, for the last Carnival of the Mobilists of 2008...
Recent News - Page 187
Graphics Acceleration: the Price of Progress? Let's hope not
Having heard many a user refer to 'upgrading' from (for example) a Nokia N95 8GB to an N85, I thought it worth examining an important way in which all is not necessarily positive when going from an older phone to a newer one. With SPMark benchmark figures to back up my arguments, I'm rather disturbed by the hardware inside Nokia's current and upcoming (announced) ranges.
"Symbian is Running In Molasses"
After attending the recent Symbian Foundation Developer Day in San Francisco, former VP of Palm and now Consultant Michael Mace has blogged in detail his view of what was on display. "Every time I think about Nokia and Symbian, I can't help picturing a man knee-deep in molasses..." You can read more on his blog, and then check out the reply from David Wood, Symbian's EVP, on his blog.
Daily Mobile Reporting US Shipping for N85 and N79
Just in time for a last minute festive present, the Nokia N85 and N79 have commenced shipping in the US, and will be in various stores, including Amazon and Nokia's own flagship stores for around $550 and $400 respectively. Unlocked handsets can also be purchased online and direct via www.nokiausa.com.
Wikipedia now OFFICIALLY mobile
Wikipedia, the reference site that had already spawned a thousand (ok, I exagerate a little) unofficial mobile versions, has now launched its own 100% official mobile site at mobile.wikipedia.org. It is also available in several languages. Definitely one for your permanent on-device bookmarks. (via CJ)
Relevant Mac updates
Mac owning S60 fans might like to note that OS 10.5.6 is just out, with one of the highlighted features being 'improved reliability of Address Book syncing with iPhone and other devices', so if you've been having trouble syncing S60 Contacts using iSync then it's well worth a try updating. Use the Apple menu 'Software update' feature to grab 10.5.6.
Picking up last minute presents with 15% off...
If you're stuck for a last minute Christmas present for a gadget-owning loved one (or yourself!) then note that I've arranged an exclusive one-week-only 15% discount for AAS readers over at Proporta - look out in particular for their (rightly) award-winning mobile chargers. Just enter "ALLABOUT" in their shopping basket system.
Symbian Signed Basics
With Symbian Signed having been maligned by some in the past, David Wood reminds us in no uncertain terms of all of the reasons why such a scheme has to be in place. Google's Android marketplace is now hitting some of these issues, while the iPhone's App Store is artificially protected by the iPhone not allowing background applications of any kind. But David's arguments hold fast for all phone platforms that want to make it into the future...
Insight 52: Between Flights, the N97, Sony Ericsson and the Surging N-Gage
Hot on the heels of the last one (I don't know, you wait forever and two come along at once), it's the latest Insight podcast from All About Symbian. Catching them between flights, Steve chats to Rafe about Sony Ericsson and the Open Handset Alliance and some of the shorter news pieces, while Ewan talks about a brief hands-on with the N97 and the welcome regularity of N-Gage games.
Graphics acceleration: building a list
Can you help me? I'm preparing a feature on graphics acceleration in S60 phones and am trying to build up a list of advantages and (specifically) software that only runs well (or at all) on devices with graphics acceleration. Read on if you can help...
HJ3 for the INNOV8
Buzz seems to be growing in our forums that Samsung are getting their act together in terms of firmware updates for their S60 phones at last. Nothing over the air (yet), but firmware HJ7 (though from mid October) is now being offered via the latest version of their PC Suite. Join in the drama if you're feeling brave!
The Phones Show 71
For completeness, note that The Phones Show 71 is now online, with a video version of my musings on the Nokia N82 and robustness, plus (from the non-Symbian world) a detailed hands-on review of the HTC Touch HD and why TouchFLO needs to take over or die, plus a walkthrough of web browsing on the Android-powered T-Mobile G1.
How to: Get Connected with a Bluetooth Keyboard
In which I explain, for beginners, how to get hooked up to a Bluetooth wireless keyboard and dramatically increase the speed of text entry on your phone... It's a very quick and simple solution, once you've gone through the initial two minute setup process...
Insight 51: Nokia World 2008 and the N97
A few days later than usual, but hey, at least you've got some weekend listening - it's AAS podcast 104, a.k.a. Insight 51, in which the usual AAS team discuss all the announcements at Nokia World 2008, including (of course) the Nokia N97.
Buddycloud released for S60 3rd Edition
Buddycloud, a location aware social networking client with a difference, is now available in native S60 3rd Edition form. The difference is that it's built on open standards, so will chat to anything that talks XMPP, as well as automatically updating your Facebook and Twitter feeds. Location is apparently via a mix of cell towers, Wi-Fi and GPS. Some screenshots are shown below. (Thanks to MIR for the heads-up)
