The next part of my Mac virgin series, trying to get to grips with OS X and get my Nokia N95 8GB connected up and productive. In part 1, I found it fairly easy to get the two devices paired up by Bluetooth and synced using iSync. In part 2, I look at connecting my phone up via USB cable and archiving my photos and videos.
Vodafone has made available, via widgetvine.mobi, a number of WRT Widgets which have been developed by Vodafone's Group Research and Development department. There are some genuinely useful widgets available such as cinema listings, travel planning and news retreival. Read on for more information and a few screenshots.
Digia has announced it has integrated TD-SCDMA to the S60 platform. TD-SCDMA is the version of 3G being used in China with networks covering 8 major cities and more to follow. The solution will enable manufacturers to reduce device development time as they will be able to use a ready-to-go software and hardware package (specifically a TD-SCDMA/EDGE modem from ST-NXP Wireless). This should help increase S60's market penetration in China.
In All About Symbian Insight #35 (AAS Podcast #88) Rafe, Steve and Ewan chat about the launch of the N-Gage's Reset Generation, carbon offsetting from your phone, the continuing importance of voice and the Nokia Music client/store.
Apparently the Nokia 6220 Classic just got a firmware update, to 3.23, with photo processing improvements, Share Online on the standby screen and general bux fixes and speed benefits throughout. Anyone able to try this on Nokia Software Update and report back? (via p@sco)
Well, you hire umpteen Flash programmers, you've got to give them something to do each month.... This new affair has multiple 'video' screens showing reality clips shot on the London Underground, each (vaguely) promoting FIFA 08 and N-Gage in general. Strangely, they're still giving the game away for free! (via Darla)
When the Apple iPhone appeared with its single 'simple' page of app icons, S60's folders of icons were ridiculed by some. As Justin points out here, with iPhones now filling up with page after page of disorganised icons, a system like S60's hierarchical folders is sorely needed. Some fans are now acknowledging the sense in S60's UI after all(!) (via this week's Carnival of the Mobilists)
It has a super clamshell form factor, it's beautifully made with brushed metal outer casing, it's got the battery from the E90, it has disco-worthy colour-cycling LED backlights, it has a cover UI, it has GPS - and it runs S60 3rd Edition FP2. And you can only get it from one network. The Nokia 6650 is something of an enigma, one which I have valiantly tried to unravel in my All About Symbian review.
I'd more or less given up reporting on smartphone coverage in Channel 5's Gadget Show (in the UK) because I kept forgetting to watch it, but have just discovered that Channel 5 has put the whole of the last 3 series up on the web for anyone to watch as and when. Of note is the very latest episode, in which the Apple iPhone 3G is pitched against the Nokia E71 in three real world tasks - the result? An honourable draw, but worth a look!
With eclectic musical tastes and a love of all things Web 2.0, Ewan was the natural choice to review Mobbler, a new S60 client that integrates with Last.FM to share your music favourites with the world and present to you other tracks and genres that you'll probably like. And it's Open Source too, i.e. free - what are you waiting for?
Over on sister site All About N-Gage, editor Tzer2 plays through all twelve levels of new N-Gage game Bounce Boing Voyage, proclaiming it a brilliant debut for the developers Rovio. With colourful graphics, good sound, smooth animation and clever puzzles it's clearly super value for money at only 7 Euros. There are three bonus N-Gage Arena levels, too, with an online competition for highest scores. A certifiable hit.
There's been a blitz of Eseries coverage in the last day or so... Just a sample: PhoneScoop have reviewed the Nokia E71, calling it 'classy, smart and nearly perfect'. Dotsix has been doing a series of Nokia E90 comparisons with a laptop, no less. An engineering firm in Texas is trialling five E71s and initial impressions are that they've 'never seen any mobile device come close to it for speed'. And PDA Essentials magazine have given the E90 the convincing nod ahead of all its competitors (from HTC, Toshiba and Asus) in a big roundup of qwerty smartphones, in issue 78, out today in the UK (and no, I didn't write this one!)
A beta version of Nokia's new e-mail client for S60 devices is now available from Beta Labs, and provides an alternative to the default S60 Messaging application. It will work with most services including Gmail, but it doesn't currently work with Hotmail or corporate mail. There's also a consumer site for this client called Nokia Email. (via Symbian-Guru.com)
Nokia's programmers are certainly staying busy - their insanely-useful GPS-aware Chat utility just got updated too, to build 5 - see the official Beta Labs blog entry announcing the update. Make sure you also install the updated support file.
Integration between the Nokia Music PC Client (available via Beta Labs) and the Nokia Music Store has now gone live. This means you can browse and buy music, from the Nokia Music Store, within the Nokia Music PC Client application. This gives Nokia a seamless music experience, akin to Apple's iTunes, for discovering, purchasing, downloading and transferring music to a mobile device.
