The N-Gage application has been updated to a new version. There don't seem to be any major changes visible, but apparently this fixes some score sync and predictive text problems, and possibly other bugs. If you want to update, open your N-Gage application, select "Options" and then "Check For Updates", then follow the instructions. Alternatively you can download directly from this link. Important Notes: The update download file may have the old app version number, but it IS the new version. Also, after installation the N-Gage icon may get moved from the front page to the Applications folder, you can move it back to the front page by using the instructions below.
Thanks to CJ for noticing that a S60 5th Edition Touch version of Nokia’s Friend View application is now available. Friend View is similar to Google Latitude in that it lets you add friends to a custom list and shows you where each is at the moment, along with a status update or message. Do you think Friend View has a future and will it ever make it into a device's firmware? Will it ever get integrated with Nokia Maps in the way that Ovi Contacts has been? Comments welcome!
You've got to love Ricky and Rita at Symbian Guru, here unearthing (and providing a brief tutorial for) another gem - Pixelpipe, a new plug-in for Share online which widens the photo (and video) uploading compatibility to encompass Facebook, Twitpic, Picassa, YouTube and others. If you've used Pixelpipe then your comments welcome.
Nokia has recently made available a major firmware update for the Nokia N96. The new firmware, version 20.050, improves email support (including an email shortcut on the homescreen), adds personalisation settings for Audio Themes, slide handling and slide show wallpaper. There also improvements to WiFi support, camera image quality, Flash Lite video support and more. The firmware can be updated over the air or via Nokia Software Updater. Read on for more details and screenshots.
The classic 3D platformer Pandemonium is out now in the N-Gage showroom. To see it, go to the N-Gage application on your compatible phone, select the "Showroom" tab, select "Options" and then "Update Now". You should also be able to see it in the "All Games" section. You can find out more about the N-Gage platform including a list of compatible phones in the All About N-Gage FAQ.
In All About Symbian Insight 69 (AAS Podcast 127) Rafe, Ewan and Steve talk about Bobba, operating billing on the Ovi Store, v21 firmware for the Nokia 5800 and the new N-Gage game - Age of Empires III. Rafe then reports back in detail from the Nokia Developer Summit 2009. You can listen to AAS Insight 69 here or, if you wish to subscribe, here's the RSS feed.
Nokia’s Ovi Contacts application for (seemingly) all S60 3rd Edition phones has been updated today, with v1.06 mainly containing reliability fixes, though there's also an enhanced name search function, to help find people to chat to. See also the Beta Labs post on the update.
David Wood, writing on the Symbian Foundation Blog, about reviewing the release plans, has highlighted some details of upcoming Symbian releases. Symbian^2, the equivalent of S60 5th Edition Feature Pack 1, will be functionally complete next week and in devices early next year. Symbian^3, for which the majority of the source code should be available, enhances communication architecture, multimedia and graphics functionality, and should reach devices in the second half of 2010.
Symbian ^4 will see the full integration and optimisation of Qt into the Symbian platform. Further proposals includes the 'Orbit' extension library for Qt (replacing AVKON) and a new 'Direct UI' interaction and navigation logic. Put crudely, this means we will see an evolution of the existing S60/AVKON UI to a new Qt-based 'Orbit' Symbian UI for devices coming out in 2011. Read on for more details.
The next version of Nokia’s tool for S60 widget development is currently in beta testing. In ‘A First Look at Nokia WRT Plug-in for Aptana Studio 2.0’ I’ve been given the opportunity to preview the new features and find a considerably richer tool, offering support for all the current and forthcoming S60 widget features.
Maps on Ovi, a comprehensive mapping service running on Nokia's web servers and which syncs down to Maps 3.0 running on S60 3rd Edition FP1 and FP2 phones, was initially released for Windows-based browsers but has just gone live for Safari on the Mac (see maps.ovi.com). As with Windows, there's a browser plug-in involved. See below for screenshots and brief comments.
Google's YouTube team thankfully seem to work at a fair old pace. In this case following up a new client (S60) with several updates to fix bugs. The latest is v2.0.11 and fixes a major bug where videos played at high speed on some devices. You can get the (excellent and free) YouTube client for any S60 3rd Edition phone by going to m.google.com in Web.
Sulake, best known for their Habbo Hotel online community for PCs, have now launched a new online community for S60 devices called Bobba. It's still in beta testing so there may be some bugs, but you can download the Bobba application free from the Bobba.com website, and there are no charges for using the service either (though of course you may have to pay data charges to your phone network). Bobba is compatible with all S60 3rd Edition and S60 2nd Edition devices, including all N-Gage-compatible phones.
Nokia's upcoming launch of the Ovi Store in the US will not, apparently, come with carrier billing – the ability to have any purchases added to your phone bill, as opposed to inputting credit card details into the system. To be fair, no other on-device store has this facility in America, so Nokia aren't being unduly penalised in not having this feature. But it does create another step in the process for the end user, and the seamless experience Nokia were planning on isn't quite in place in that territory. Read on for more.
One of the biggest developers for UIQ, DreamSpring, has followed up its commitment to porting its software to S60 with the announcement of DreamConnect. Think of this as a contact manager on steroids, with with an 'innovative business card layout', plus 'hierarchical categories that let you organise your contacts to accurately reflect your real life relationships'. Sounds interesting - hopefully, given the UIQ heritage, there's a touch version coming for S60 5th Edition.
The historical strategy game Age Of Empires III is out now on N-Gage-compatible phones, and yes it does indeed have an online multiplayer mode as well as a rather sweeping orchestral soundtrack. You can download it from the N-Gage application on your phone by going to the Showroom tab, then select "Options", then "Update Now". As always you can find out more about the N-Gage platform including a list of compatible devices by visiting the All About N-Gage FAQ.
