News reaches us from Norway that Opera, the mobile browser that many people turn to on a variety of mobile platforms, now has 105 million active mobile users every month. Made up of 90.4 million on the (mostly) java-based Opera Mini and another 15 million on Opera Mobile. That’s a huge achievement, so congratulations to everyone in Oslo that worked towards this. In addition, a new bespoke version of each for Symbian^3 smartphones is to be shown off at MWC next week.
Widely reported in the media today is the leak of an internal Nokia 'memo', penned by Nokia's CEO Stephen Elop. It lays out the problems facing Nokia, most notably around its software strategy, and argues that Nokia is "standing on a burning platform" with a choice to be made about the future. And what is that choice? That's what we'll be finding out on Friday, when Nokia holds its Analyst and Financial event (Capital Markets Day).
The Angry Birds “expansion” application, Angry Birds Seasons, has received an update in time for Valentines Day. Joining the Halloween and Christmas levels are another 18 collections of hiding pigs, flying cupids, smashable blocks and bonus cakes all wrapped up in some fiendish physics.
Following his 4500 word part 1 of the All About Symbian review of the Nokia E7, Rafe also took time to shoot a comprehensive 14 minute video (embedded below), up close and personal with the device. If you haven't got time to work through the review text, sit back with a cup of tea and watch this instead. The video focusses on the hardware, especially the QWERTY keyboard and with some nice comparisons to previous Communicators, but Rafe also covers some elements of the Symbian^3 software and Ovi services that power the device.
Mbuntu is a flash based application launcher available for all flavours of Symbian, aimed squarely at Ubuntu fans. The application simulates the GNOME-based Ubuntu desktop, with the Jaunty Jackalope wallpaper. From the Ubuntu application menu, users can access all of the phone's core applications, such as: contacts, messages, Bluetooth, USB mode, Web, etc. There are also indicators for WiFi and battery level. Read on to find out more.
Finishing the triumvirate, All About Symbian’s Nokia C6-01 received the PR 1.1 firmware update this morning. Clocking in at the expected 7MB, this is v13.016 for the smallest Symbian^3 device. Updates include changes to the web browser, email client, music player and a number of miscellaneous issues around the handset.
Nokia has announced that "The highly anticipated Nokia E7 will begin arriving in stores in select markets this week, with broader availability building up quickly in several markets." Many readers have said that they've been texted by Nokia to say that their order is ready for collection in-store and we also now have (as you'll see from the review adjacent) a full retail E7 of our own, which Rafe has been testing intensively for a few days. More from the press release below.
While the BBC News App in the Ovi Store is little more than a web shortcut to open up the mobile site in your browser, it’s a good decision to make an application like this available. Yes, it doesn’t take much to type in “B B C” in the browser, but providing an icon on the screen and in the Ovi search engine, reinforces the idea of content on the phone. It’s also a potential first step to a dedicated BBC News application to sit alongside the iPlayer integration in the UK.
The first outright firmware update (version 13.016) , also known as PR 1.1, is now available for the Nokia N8, too (the previous firmware was 11.012). The update, which is 7MB in size, is available OTA (over the air) and can be downloaded using Device Manager (type *#0000# in the dialler to get to it quickly). Updates include updates to Web and Quickoffice (gains editing facilities as standard), plus upgrades and patches for email and Music player and fixes for a lot of miscellaneous issues. There's also support for landscape mode in the dialler (call) application. Full changelog below.
Following Ewan's first (hardware) and second (software, conclusions) review parts for the Nokia C5-03, he and Emu continue to do things the wrong way round and take on a new Internet meme - a reluctant (to send back to Nokia) 'video reboxing'. Embedded below. Oh, and be sure to watch to the very end - that Emu's a sneaky bird...
There have been various widget-making (i.e. Web Runtime shortcuts, in this case) systems tried out, but AppMe is possibly the easiest so far. Find a mobile-friendly web site you want to go to often (for example, something you'd normally set a bookmark in Web for....), paste its address into the AppMe wizard, choose an icon, and you're halfway there already. Read on for links and a walk-through. The end result: web sites on your menu or homescreen, properly labelled (on the menu) and with the icons of your choice.
The first firmware update (version 13.0.16) , also known as PR 1.1, is now available for the Nokia C7. The update, which is 6.8MB in size, is available OTA (over the air) and can be downloaded using the 'SW update' application. Updates include a noticeable improvement in overall performance (e.g. smoother scrolling and transitions), support for landscape in the dialler (call) application and a number of bug fixes.
Nokia have released a promotional video that features the Nokia E7's lead industrial designer, Shunjiro Eguchi, explaining the inspiration behind the device's design: 'making the complex simple'. It explains some of the thinking behind the keyboard, the mechanics and physical properties of the new high end Symbian^3 device. There's also a behind the scenes look at the E7's factory production line, concept sketches and more.
Without word of mouth, the success of an application depends on getting into an App store, and making it easy to find. The approval process of application stores is a frequently complained about issue in the developer world, and the Ovi Store is not immune from these complaints. Therefore, if you are a developer looking to get into the Ovi Store, there are a few things you should bear in mind... Read on to find out.
A couple of links of interest from Mike Macias that I've just stumbled across and thought you'd like. Firstly, a piece from Mike himself in which he reminds us that there's a one-tap way to bypass Nokia Messaging service and thus gain reliable access to your Gmail account. And secondly, a pointer to a super (and comprehensive) Purple theme from the wonderfully named (for a computer guy) Logon Aniket that's available in customised versions for everything from S60 3rd Edition FP1 onwards.
