I'm taking part in a discussion over on Seesmic , a 'Twitter like' Video Chat site. One topic from the questions from overnight was 'what's cool on the N95?'(a lot of the users have just picked up the 8gb version). So I thought I'd walk through my N95 . Full video after the break.
Google has launched a revamped version of its mobile search for select markets. The service is available in the UK, USA, France, Germany and Canada. The new system offers blended results and has a stronger location-based element. Blended results mix in local and news search results with web search results. In practice this means that Google shows the result type that it thinks is most relevant first. Read on for more and lots of screenshot examples.
Showing off the power of Python (again) and the usefulness(!) of the S60 accelerometer plug-in, ShakerRacer is a project to control a (model) racing car using just your smartphone. And you can now grab the source code and hardware mod instructions for free, to have a play yourself, if you've got the time and inclination.
PDA Essentials magazine issue 71 is out today (in the UK) and is notable for a five page 'Real World Test' between the iPhone, the Nokia N95 8GB and a smattering of HTC, Palm and Blackberry models. Tests included 'Outdoors' (contrast in sunlight), 'Pub' (ease of use when err.... inebriated) and 'Bus' (ease of use on shaking transport, possibly one-handed). There was also a seven page 'Smartphones with GPS' round-up. Read on for results and comments!
It seems that Nokia Maps just got new data. Or at least when I started up Map Loader just now, a popup message informed me that there was new map data and that my existing map sets (on memory card) would be deleted and replaced. Alas, there are no clues as to what exactly has been improved, so comments welcome if you spot any changes in your neck of the woods!
Skyfire is a new proxy-based browsing solution that uses the Firefox 'Gecko' engine on the handset and which can apparently cope with Flash video and other advanced page objects. According to PhoneBoy, it's coming to S60 this quarter and should give both the Webkit-based S60 Web and Opera Mini 4 a run for their money.
As Amazon announce plans to expand their music store, StrategyEye points towards Sony Ericsson’s similar plans for a music store. Details are limited, so there’s no word on what file format will be employed (and ergo what form, if any, of DRM will be used), nor on what countries will receive the service ‘by the end of 2008.’
Location Tagger, an application that enables the geotagging of photos captured on your phone, is the latest release from Nokia Beta Labs. Location Tagger serves as a preview release, Nokia are planning on building Location Tagger's technology into the core Camera and Gallery apps themselves. Much more below the break, with comment, screenshots and examples.
Competition for Nokia's Music Store perhaps? Amazon have announced the expected expansion of their DRM-Free MP3 Store from the American market into international territories will happen in 2008, although the press release does not give any indication of when this will happen. Thanks to the MP3 format, pretty much any smartphone should be able to handle Amazon downloaded songs, as opposed to the DRM restrictions Nokia's Windows Media based store will have; and Nokia's in-device advantage is limited to a subset of N-Series devices.
Photos have appeared on a German site (and reposted here in English) of a new Nokia E90, apparently a 'version 2', with totally redesigned, flush keyboard, presumably to stop any possibility of greasy fingerprints on the keys transferring to the screen. Comments welcome if this has made an appearance in other countries or if you can shed any light on timescales and distribution details.
Symbian Press has announced a new developer's title: "Games on Symbian OS", by Jo Stitchbury. Full details here, with availability next month. From the blurb: "...shows the potential for creating mobile games for Symbian smartphones... It covers various aspects of mobile games on Symbian OS, with contributions from a number of experts in the mobile games industry, including Nokia'’s N-Gage team, Ideaworks3D, and ZingMagic, as well as academics leading the field of innovative mobile experiences".
Nokia has started to put up information and links to do with the upcoming Mobile World Congress (3GSM). Quite apart from any devices that may (or may not) be launched, OPK's keynote is trailered by "will share his views on the significance of 'disruptive changes' in the industry". Plenty of scope for Facebook/N-Gage/Ovi chat then?
F-Secure is reporting that a new worm, Beselo, is in the wild. The worm, similar to the Commwarrior worm, targets only S60 2nd Edition handsets such as the Nokia 6600. The worm is notable for its use of social engineering; when spreading it appears as a JPEG or MP3 file which is more likely to be opened by a user. However simple common sense can readily protect you against infection.
UIQ Technology today announced that it has added six new partners to its UIQ Alliance Program. UIQ Technology gives its partners extra support in creating and marketing UIQ related software and services. The new members are ArcSoft Inc., CleNET Technologies, Fring, Google, iSkoot and Mobica.
