Recent News Headlines - Miscellaneous
NimbuzzOut launches
With Skype's native Symbian incarnation still somewhat AWOL, it's interesting to see that Nimbuzz has stepped into the breach with their own pay-as-you-go VoIP to traditional number service, dubbed NimbuzzOut. More details and links below.
Rafe's SEE 2009 walkabout (part 1)
SEE 2009 (Symbian Exchange and Exposium) is Symbian's annual big show. In the video below you can join me on a walkabout around the show floor at SEE 2009. I share my impressions and analysis in an unscripted, one-take, walk and talk. As well as covering many of the Symbian related consultancy and developer tool companies there's also a quick look at the Nokia, Sony Ericsson and Samsung stands.
Symbian aim for 'Satisfaction'
The third party community support site, GetSatisfaction, is fairly well known. It transpires that there's now an official (as in manned by Symbian employees) Symbian sub-community here, hopefully worth bookmarking should you 'need to ask that awkward question'.... Early days, of course, so the numbers are small but I'm sure it will grow.
Ovi Maps inside buildings - coming soon
Forum Nokia Kevin Sharp has produced a nice summary of Nokia's plans for Ovi Maps in terms of in-building navigation (think malls, airports, etc.), collating material from several recent events, much of it from Michael Halbherr, VP of Social Location. It's a good read, although the paragraph about Nokia collecting 'cell learning' data from our phones gave my privacy nerve a little prod. Comments welcome if you can expand on what Nokia is (or isn't) doing here!
Nokia N86 8MP to N97 mini: The reluctant baton hand-over?
In which I muse on the seemingly unstoppable handover in all parts of the phone world from traditional phone form factors to large touchscreens and wonder, in particular, just how far the Nokia N97 mini actually is a step forwards from the last (and best) of the mainstream S60 3rd Edition line, the Nokia N86 8MP...
microUSB marches on, Symbian theme, Horizon app store launches
It's.... another compendium of interesting links that I really wanted to flag up for attention here. Firstly, the ITU (the telecoms bit of the UN) has joined the American CTIA in agreeing on microUSB as the cable standard for phones for the future. Note that most Symbian-powered phones already use this. Secondly, there's a new, official Symbian Foundation theme (screenshot and d/l link below), which I'm determined to try out. Finally, Symbian's Horizon app-recommendation programme has gone live and is worth bookmarking.
The non-invasive DIY way to fix N97 LED flash flare
I'd been seeing comments about improving N97 camera flash flare (refracted through camera glass scratches) by using a marker pen, but hadn't quite got my head around exactly what to do. Luckily, I came across this helpful video on YouTube (embedded below) - the marker pen has to be applied to the sidewall between the flash silo and the start of the camera glass. See especially the photo at the end of the video.
When is a phone not a phone any longer?
In this feature, I look at the creeping size increases in modern 'phones' - at what point do they cease to become phones and turn into media 'tablets'? I postulate a definition that refers to the way in which these devices are used - proving that the Nokia N900 and HTC HD2 definitely aren't phones at all and throwing doubt on the N97 and iPhone in the process. Controversial? Moi?
Ovi Store re-downloads thankfully widened
Posting on their official Twitter account, Nokia's Ovi Store team have widened the qualifications for re-downloading purchased content, restoring the situation to how it was immediately after the system was trialled a month or so ago. They posted: "OviStore Redownload update: Re-DL poss on replacment device if same model or compatible one". So, as long as you're signed into the store and have a device that's compatible with the one you bought the original item for, re-download should be possible. Which all sounds eminently sensible - at last.
Your Friday reading links
In case you're after some weekend reading, have a scout through these links: Rita el-Khoury waxes lyrical about how she gradually fell in love with the (white) Nokia N86; Jay has written up the WOM-invited blogger interview with Nokia's Ovi Maps/Good Things team; away from Symbian but very definitely of competing interest, is the qwerty-driven Motorola 'Droid', here's BGR's exclusive and lengthy preview; and finally, Ewan MacLeod has started up a (free) weekly mobile industry newsletter, subscribe away!
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