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.
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.
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.
Open up the Ovi Store client on your Symbian^3 smartphone and you should have a mandatory update available, which offers 'full Arabic Support, better installation support for Qt-based apps and numerous fixes', plus a new blue/green startup screen, miscellaneous other small fixes and, significantly, for all phones of all vintages, an upgrade (at Nokia's end) to their Search algorithms.
The Nokia Bicycle Charger accessory is now available in select markets. It can be bought from Nokia's online shops and other select retailers; the Nokia UK online shop is selling it for £25. The accessory uses pedal power to recharge the battery in your phone. It works by attaching a dynamo to the wheel that generates power as you move. Those using the accessory will need to maintain a speed of at least 4 mph and no more than 31 mph to provide sufficient energy for effective charging.
You may remember our spot on getting Internet Radio working on Symbian^3 phones? We concluded that the S60 5th Edition version of Nokia Internet Radio worked but didn't get on well with the multitasking in Symbian^3? Thankfully, Nokia has listened (no pun intended!) and has produced a new, Symbian^3-optimised version of Internet Radio, now available in the Ovi Store for all the Symbian^3 phones. Some screenshots below.
The Ovi Daily App blog has posted today about their new Appitype questionnaire, which is a novel way of helping people with application discovery. By answering a series of questions about your usage pattern with your phone and applications, Appitype will recommend six applications for you to try, as well as what should be your 'ideal' Nokia phone. The latter point may make for some awkwardness if you'd received a different phone at Christmas! Appitype complements work that Nokia is doing with Trevor Pinch, professor of science and technology studies at Cornell University.
