I'm still filing this under 'Nokia was mad not to have released the inclinometer plug-in months ago', but.... Aha, someone's produced an app that finally uses the N95's built-in accelerometer to do something really, really useful, day to day. Yep, it's your very own light sabre. Run the app, press the d-pad button and challenge a new iPhone owner to a duel (via Ricky Cadden).
For one day only Handango is offering a copy of LCG Jukebox by Lonely Cat Games for free (usual cost of $25). LCG Jukebox is a music player with play list management and support for MP3 and OGG audio formats. The software also includes features than enable you to stream various Internet radio stations to your phone.
A new version of mBrainSoftware's Pdf+ is on the way. The highlight of the new version is printing support and the ability to create PDF files (via a printer driver) on the phone itself. The new version will be available in three different editions: basic standard, and professional with differing functionality and price points reflecting different use cases for different sets of users.
After one of the longest beta test programmes I can remember, Opera Mini 4 finally got finished. Head for mini.opera.com on your phone or www.operamini.com on your PC. Highly recommended. Some more details below, but essentially it's a proxy-based web browser that runs under Java but compresses content hugely and thus saves time and money.
Nokia Audiobooks beta, which allows you to listen to compressed audio books on your S60 3rd Edition phone, has been added to Nokia Beta Labs website. Nokia Audiobooks comprises the Audiobook Plater for S60 and the Audiobook Manager for Windows PCs.
In one of the most significant announcements of the year Nokia and Vodafone today stated their intention to launch a range of Nokia handsets with both Nokia's Ovi services and Vodafone's own integrated suite of service. Nokia's Ovi services include Nokia Maps, Nokia Music (including the Music store), Nokia Photos and the N-Gage gaming platform. Additional web based services are also likely to emerge over the next 6 months.
Both Ewan and I caught up with David Quin from ALK at the recent Smartphone Show, to find out about the new CoPilot Live 7, becoming available for both S60 and UIQ. My video podcast was something of a lighting disaster and has been scrapped, but fear not for Ewan has a complete interview with David in AAS audio podcast 44.
From Jukka Silvennoinen, author of the famous Y-Browser, come two new utilities, both free and both hosted on his MOSH account. There's an N95 'Inclinometer' (no, really, it uses the accelerometer!) and a dedicated AllAboutSymbian RSS-based newsreader, for the real AAS addicts among you(!)
Nokia Multimedia Transfer 1.2 Beta for Mac just got Leopard-compatible! It also adds an improved Nokia Device Browser with folder view and the ability to customise the transcoding of files in iTunes and iPhoto transfers.
The Nokia Music Store (UK) is now live at music.nokia.co.uk. The PC site requires Internet Explorer (partly due to the Nokia Music Bar which is used to download tracks) and is open to allcomers. The mobile version (same address) can currently only be accessed on a Nokia N95 8GB or a Nokia N81, using the dedicated on-device client. [Updated] Screenshots showing both the store and buying tracks below the break! See also our earlier story which gives additional background details on the Music Store.
Si Brindley has spotted that there's a (hidden) new version of Nokia Multimedia Transfer that works with Apple's new Leopard on the Mac. You have to use the exact URL though. There are new features, too - customizable transcoding settings and the option to transcode all files if so desired.
How come these technologies didn't surface nine months ago? First we had that early beta of Rotate Me, with auto sensing of attitude to swivel the N95's screen. And now (from the forum) comes news of an accelerometer project demonstrating the power and response of the N95's sensor with a moving ball example, with even vertical movement sensed and reacted to. Link and notes below.
