Skyfire, the proxy-based web browser which can handle Flash video, is reportedly tightening its belt, closing down its support, availability and operations in most countries from Thursday (1st July), according to Mobile Royale. A shutdown notice, curiously worded to only apply to Windows Mobile and Symbian users, is presented when attempting to use the browser [updated] anywhere other than the USA, the UK or Canada. [further update] There has now been an official Skyfire blog article on this, albeit with some mixed messages.
Nokia's latest first party game title, The Big Roll in Paradise, is now available in Ovi Store. The title is based around games of bocce (similar to bowls and pétanque) played in a resort setting with multiple challenges, tournaments and collectible items. At first glance this might not catch your attention, but the game has been extremely well implemented and is surprisingly addictive. The game, which has been developed by Infinite Dreams, will be available for free until the 2nd of July, but after that it will cost €2. Read on for further details.
In All About Symbian Insight 124, the team discuss the future of Nseries devices and the respective roles of MeeGo and Symbian in Nokia's software strategy. We move on to a discussion of the application business model and app store, which leads into a discussion of Nokia's new developer initiatives. We also share news of updates to Ovi Store and Ovi Suite and the opening of Sports Tracker's online shop. You can listen to AAS Insight 124 here or, if you wish to subscribe, here's the RSS feed.
It’s taken a while, but the 32GB Comes with Music variant of the Nokia X6 has finally received the official firmware update, taking it to v20.0.005. The main additions include kinetic scrolling through the UI, updates to the Ovi applications (including Ovi Sync), and a general brushing up of the performance of the X6 which is certainly noticeable in the music application.
Ewan and I have a rule of thumb, that 95% of content in every mobile app store is complete rubbish, without significant merit. But, rather than dismiss this 95% en-bloc, or one at a time, we thought we'd do better to dismiss some of the worst offenders category by category, so that you can spot future offenders yourself more easily in future. The traditional way is to handle software roundups is to go for a Top Ten list. But, by way of something slightly different, here's some coverage of the Top Ten Lists we won't be compiling... naturally itself in the form of a (somewhat recursive) Top Ten List!
PhoneTorch has been one of the most popular utilities for S60 5th Edition for the last year - and users like myself have been pleading with the author Harald Meyer to say the magic words and sacrifice the necessary goats to the masters of Symbian Signed in order to get it working for S60 3rd Edition FP2 too. And it's finally here, using the dual LED flash lights to revolutionise your walk home from the pub or find your way around the house in the dark without waking everyone else by turning on the main lights. Links and more below.
Nokia has made a number of developer announcements today, which significantly strengthen their developer services and offerings. Perhaps most interesting is news of a public beta service that allows developers to get their content Symbian Signed at no cost (compared to a previous first time signing cost of up to $215). Also important is the news that individuals can now register as Ovi Publishers (previously restricted to companies) and that the Ovi Store is now accepting Qt-based applications. Finally, and the most significant in the long term, is the first full release of the Nokia Qt SDK 1.0 and the accompanying Nokia Smart Installer (previously in beta). Read on for additional details.
Nokia has quietly updated its Ovi Suite desktop connectivity suite, from v2.1 to v2.2(.0.241), adding simplified navigation, Office 2010 support, awareness for newer devices and a new 'full-screen' photo and video viewer. You'll be prompted when you next start Ovi Suite - or you can 'Check for updates' manually. It's a 69MB download.
Sports Tracking Technologies, the company behind Sports Tracker, has opened an online shop where you can buy a 'Polar WearLink transmitter with Bluetooth' (a heart rate monitor) for €69.99. If you're serious about tracking your exercise regime it is the must have accessory for Sports Tracker. The Sports Tracker application lets you track exercise activities and turns your Nokia smartphone into a GPS sports computer is available for S60 3rd Edition and S60 5th Edition devices (compatible with more than 100 million Nokia phones).
Over the last few years, I've had a burning conviction that's been growing and growing as I watch the current craze for 'Apps' blossom. Now, I've nothing against genuine applications or games, but it has to be said that a large number of so-called 'Apps' are simply scraping or managing exactly the same data as you can get right now, on any phone, for free. And, my way, there are no installations, no complications and no hassle. Apps? Pah - I've a new slogan to rival Apple's. "There's a Bookmark for that!"
Nokia's Ovi Store has been updated, with changes to both the mobile client and the publish tool used by developers. The client for S60 3rd Edition and 5th Edition has been updated, from version 1.06(18) to v1.07(12). The key changes are the introduction of 'continuous' pages for content lists (behaving more like the Android Marketplace or Apple App Store), improved search and an updated category structure. The Ovi Publish tool has also been updated with changes to meta-data that developers would be well advised to pay attention to. Read on for more.
In All About Symbian Insight 123, the team discuss the news of the Nokia X5-01 and X6 8GB, which were launched at Nokia Connection in Singapore. Ewan gives us an overview of the Nimbuzz application, before Rafe explains that Symbian^3 is now functionally complete. Finally, Rafe and Steve discuss their thoughts on what they learned at the recent Nokia N8 hands-on event. You can listen to AAS Insight 123 here or, if you wish to subscribe, here's the RSS feed.
Time Out, best known for its events listings and city guides, has been added to Ovi Maps. The location aware listings are found under the 'More..' section of the main menu (similar to the recently added Qype and Expedia hotel booking). The key benefit of Time Out is its focus on short duration events (e.g. a concert that's on for a single night) and its detailed reviews of events, venues and related services. Time Out listings in Ovi Maps currently cover Chicago, Kuala Lumpur, Lisbon, London, New York, Singapore and Sydney.
