SymbianWare have launched SBasic, letting you develop simple applications and games using standard BASIC commands. You can find details, screenshots and program examples here.
GRN Consulting has released Expenses Pro for UIQ devices. Featuring CVS and HTML export of your data, it's a well designed application if you need to keep track of any expenditure while you're away on business.
We hear from sources that one of the 'niggles' of the multitasking in UIQ, that of an applciation returning to a "home" screen when you switch away to another application, will not be present in UIQ. To quote... "In UIQ 3.0 an application keeps the state the user left it in and does not automatically return to the base view." Now we just need the devices.
The N-Gage game scene was looking really healthy before E3, but two new games (one announced, one merely 'on display' at the booth) have caught my eye. Pathway to Glory: Ikusa Islands takes the wartime strategy game into the Pacific Theatre, while X-Men Legends 2: Dawn of the Apocalypse sees the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse challenge Wolverine, Cyclops and the rest of the gang. Both titles are expected Q4 2005.
Now the platform news from E3 is out there, it's time to pick over the rest of the news. To keep the N-Gage range 'fresh' a number of accessories are coming from Nokia. The full list of new peripherals (including a Jabra based bluetooth headset) are after the fold, and they're expected to be available in Q3 and Q4 2005.
N-Gage Inside? Now that’s probably going to raise the eyebrows of Intel if they did decide to go for that slogan (not that they are, I’ve just made it up), but that’s essentially what the Nokia N-gage announcement at E3 has boiled down. While all the indications were for a new N-Gage type phone, what Nokia have done is make two big leaps.
When we spoke to Symbian's Chairman at 3GSM, Sir Peter Gershon said that the Symbian Board would take as long as they needed to find a replacement for David Levin. That search is now over with the appointment of Nigel Clifford. Mr Clifford's background includes time at Tertio Telecoms (who sold a number of software solutions to Telecoms Operators such as T-Mobile and Vodafone), a Senior VP role at Cable and Wireless, and five years as the Chief Executive of the Glasgow Royal Infirmary. All About Symbian wish him luck when he takes up his new role in June.
Nokia today released a demo video of the Next Generation graphics (apparently on a par with the PlayStation Portable) available for a new wave of Nokia Symbian smartphones due to start appearing in the first half of 2006. This is effectively the N-Gage 2 that everyone had been waiting for, but instead of being on a single unit it'll be an armada of Next Generation Nokia smartphones. The Next Gen games (details of which will be announced in September) will be part of the "Nokia Mobile Gaming Solution" which will also allow the purchase and download of N-Gage 2 and current N-Gage games onto these new smartphones over the internet, straight onto the phone or via a PC.
Just in from E3 is Nokia's N-gage announcemnt. It's not the next N-Gage phone, but a change of direction for the the N-Gage. Essentially N-Gage will become a "feature" of a number of Nokia Smartphones. More Smartphones supporting the "Mobile Gaming Solution" will be available before the middle of 2006. We'll have more thoughts and reactions on this later. For now, here's the Press Release.
No Nokia haven't shouted any new Nseries phone at E3 (although there are a few days left) but Nintendo may just have stolen a march on any coverage they might have got with the 2 inch wide GBA Micro.
No Nokia haven;t shouted any new Nseries phone at E3 (although there are a few days left) but Nintendo may just have stolen a march on any coverage they might have got with the 2 inch wide GBA Micro.
Steve takes delivery of one of the first MOBILE 5 kits off the production line and puts it through its paces. He's been trying it on a Nokia 6670 (Series 60) device, but there will be UIQ and Series 80 mini-reviews along shortly. In the meantime, you can see why he was so impressed here.
