Despite a few misgivings over the status of the items people might download (especially cracked applications), it's good to see SymTorrent continuing to receive updates; version 1.4 adds browser integration support, selectable file downloads within torrents and improvements in speed and stability. There's also a promise of S60 5th Edition support in the near future.
Not just for developers, Forum Nokia's web site has been an invaluable resource for everybody connected with Nokia, S60 or Series 40 over the last few years. As of 10 minutes ago, Forum Nokia has re-launched its web site with a new look and a new 'I want to', mission-based structure. If this wasn't in your Nokia/Symbian bookmarks before, then time to take a look now. Screenshot of the new home page below...
Not quite free but very close to it, you can now buy the updated puzzle game Quartz 2 Deluxe for S60 3rd Edition and UIQ3 devices for just €0.78 from Clickgamer (that's about 66 pence or 1 US dollar). As well as a single player mode the game also features internet and bluetooth multiplayer, and multiplayer versus computer opponents.
I do enough phone camera comparisons of my own here without really needing to link to other people's, but Clinton Jeff's incredibly detailed head to head here between the Nokia N96 and N82 is worthy of mention. It seems that the newer device is hamstrung in firmware when it comes to focussing on close-up objects and that exposed camera glass seemingly doesn't help when shooting into light.
If you were planning to try out the Skyfire proxy-based browser but haven't had a chance yet, or if you live in a country not 'supported' yet(!), then you might like to watch Steve O'Hear's rather nice real-time video walkthrough. It seems as if Skyfire lives up to some of its promises but falls down a little at this stage when it comes to keeping videos smooth and in sync.
There's a particularly interesting Carnival of the Mobilists this week, no. 151 over at Golden Swamp. Look out for Helen Keegan's contribution in particular...
In this environmentally conscious mobile world, five of the leading manufacturers (Nokia, LG, Samsung, Motorola and Sony Ericsson) have announced a simple 'star rating' to show how energy efficient their AC chargers are. Four or five star chargers will help you do your bit for the environment, so watch out for the ratings on your next purchase.
There are now six separate competitions running simultaneously to promote the N-Gage platform, with some rather good prizes ranging from phones and games to a big pile of Star Wars and football goodies. We've collected together all the links and info you need to enter these contests and grab some loot. As these contests have been poorly advertised there is actually a very good chance of winning too... :-)
Vaibhav has put together a great summary of Nokia's recent 'Legends' online Q&A concerning Near Field Communication, well worth a read if you want to know what's coming up from Nokia and others. I think NFC has huge potential, even if we are a few years from mass adoption.
For Phones Show completists(!), show 69 just went live, with a much more condensed (3 minute) version of my day at Nokia's Test Centre (in case you haven't got time to watch the full 35 minutes on AAS!), plus a hands-on review of the Sony Ericsson C905 (8mp cam, Xenon flash) and a reminder about firmware updates.
EA produces its traditional annual update for one of their major titles. But have they done enough to warrant an upgrade? Ewan Spence decides to leap in and play 'spot the difference' from the 2008 version in his review over on All About N-Gage...
I couldn't resist linking to this Flash site promoting the new Nokia N96 Bruce Lee Edition. Apparently the phone comes with rare photos, a Bruce Lee doll, a special back cover and a wrist strap adorned with nunchuks. There's also a somewhat amazing YouTube video (below), of Bruce defeating some Chinese table tennis champs... (via Unwired View)
Always good to see some enthusiasm from Nokia for carrying on developing Mac OS integration software, as can be seen from this article and video featuring Marko Lindgren. One tip for the Nokia Conversations team though - next time you have really poor audio on an item, don't make it even harder to hear by adding non-stop cheesy music!
You've got to love those who push the boundaries - here, Vaibhav has found that putting the 1200mAh BL-6F battery into the Nokia N96 does fit, with the battery cover only 'bulging a little'. A 25% boost in battery life in exchange for putting up with a little bulge? Hmmm.... tempting!
The latest branch of Nokia Music Store has gone live in Italy, if you head over to music.nokia.it you'll find instructions in Italian on how to use the service. Interestingly in this globalised age the press release for the launch emphasises the need for local music, giving a statistic that 54% of music bought in Italy is Italian. Full text of the release is below.
