Nokia has now integrated their long available Internet-based Search utility with the local (i.e. on your device) Search previously only (officially) available with the Nokia E50. Less confusion and more functionality all round. Mobile Search is available for every S60 3rd Edition smartphone. The full press release follows. Update: See comments below before visiting site...
So much better than traipsing across the world, enduring hours of travel and sitting in a stuffy theatre - Nokia are doing another worldwide webcast 9am tomorrow (Thursday). The subject's not officially announced but clever money is on an expansion of their mapping and navigation software systems (e.g. that in the N95) into the wider S60 world.
Just as we're about to get our hands on the first 3rd Edition Feature Pack 1 devices, Nokia go and announce S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 2... In addition to ease-of-development benefits, this comes with "Usability enhancements supporting ease of use in (for example) messaging, multitasking and downloading. Feature Pack 2 also enables instant media playback during downloading and animated notification of inbound calls." More details and actual screenshots are available here on S60.com. The full Nokia press release follows....
It seems that after a gentle kick from yours truly Nokia N93 firmware updates via Nokia Software Update are finally back online after 3 months downtime. Moreover, the next-gen (masses more RAM, WLAN wizard, Search, Download!) v20.0.58 firmware is finally available, though watch out for a nasty camcorder bug. (Via Symbian Freak)
In another superb and comprehensive piece, our very own Krisse analyses the successes and (mainly) the failures of the original Nokia N-Gage, then looks at the way the new next-gen gaming platform will directly address each problem. It's all looking rosy - apart from the name! Krisse explains...
With the Nokia N92 and DVB-H mobile TV still not really established in most of the world, I was interested to see Marek Pawlowski's blogged review of his data-based 'Mobile TV' experience on a S60 smartphone. The jury's still out on the best way to provide TV on a smartphone, but suffice it to say that Marek was seriously underwhelmed by his trial.
Almost unnoticed in a post about another topic, the official N-Gage Blog recently revealed for the first time a specific month for Nokia's Next Gen Gaming Platform's launch: September 2007.
Good games for S60 3rd Edition seem to be arriving in a steady stream. Quite a number of them from ZingMagic's direction, it has to be said. Here I review Magi-Mix, a superbly-implemented and very challenging word puzzle.
Another Nokia N95-related link - I've just added it to my interactive smartphone-selector Grid. Plug in your personal preferences and see which are the most suitable devices for you. And if the N95 wins - well, you've only got another month or so to wait!
X-Plore is a file manager for S60 phones from Lonely Cat Games the authors of Smart Movie and Profimail. X-Plore is currently available as a free beta. It includes the usual file manager features and also includes a images and text viewer. It does not use the standard S60 UI elements and consequently is able to fit more information on the screen at one time.
Just a note that I've now updated my big one-page S60 device comparison table over on 3-Lib to include this year's new Nokia S60 3rd Edition smartphones. As usual, comments and corrections welcome!
Just as we're about to get our hands on the first 3rd Edition Feature Pack 1 devices, Nokia go and announce S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 2... In addition to ease-of-development benefits, this comes with "Usability enhancements supporting ease of use in (for example) messaging, multitasking and downloading. Feature Pack 2 also enables instant media playback during downloading and animated notification of inbound calls." More details and actual screenshots are available here on S60.com. The full Nokia press release follows....