Amazon's portable ebook reader, the Kindle, is in its second hardware iteration, and has now expanded out from the dedicated reader into a software platform. At the moment the Kindle and the Apple iPhone are the only devices in the ecosystem, but you have to expect more platforms to join the party. Here's why.
Forum Nokia recently published an implementation of the card games Solitaire as their latest 
S60 5th Edition code example. For consumers it is a nice bit of extra freeware. For developers it is an example of an application fully optimised for touch; it demonstrates handling of pointer events of custom made UI controls and tactile feedback.
Fancy plugging your Nokia N95 8GB (or similar) into a battery-powered portable projector and having your own mobile cinema? Thought so. James Burland (Nokia Creative and iPhone buff) has been reviewing the Optoma Pico PK101, using it with both N95 8GB and iPhone, and delivers his verdict here in both text and video form (the video bit is also embedded here below the break).
When the N97 was announced at Nokia World last year, some 8 months ahead of its retail release, it was clear that the software was a work in progress. At MWC, it was equally clear that progress had been made. For example, Nokia were showing off a number of fully operational homescreen widgets, including one for Facebook. A new addition, which caught my attention, was the implementation of kinetic scrolling (finger flick) in the browser, which improves its usability. Read on for (extensive) further discussion and example video.
Ah. Merely days after dismissing Fring (VoIP, Skype, other IM, etc) as not ready for inclusion in my 'top freeware for the Nokia 5800' piece, the guys in Israel go and formally release it! C'est la vie, and you can be sure that Fring will make the next iteration of my roundup. In the meantime, here's Fring's official blog announcing availability. And there's a video after the break. What are you waiting for, go download...
Nokia have released Monopoly, Here and Now: The World Edition for the N-Gage platform. Bringing the classic property trading board game into the next generation gaming platform, the EA published title allows up to four players to play on a board populated not by streets, but by the major cities of the world.
Even if you're an old S60 hand, there are some unique aspects of the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic and S60 5th Edition which need a little pause for thought. Here's my take on how to get optimised on the 5800's home screen, from realising all the additional shortcuts available to populating the new Contacts bar. Which home screen view do you prefer? [See also our complete list of Nokia 5800 tutorials]
It's Brain Training - for S60, with SPB kindly porting their own take on the genre from their Windows Mobile version. The result is something that's clearly not optimised for non-touch S60 phones, but despite this Ewan found the SPB Brain Evolution games challenging and the overall package good value. Will it actually help your brain to evolve? I suspect not, but it sure looks like a good way to keep your grey matter on an even keel while waiting in queues...
Further to our thoughts on who owns the customer, Jan Rezab on the MobileGamesBlog has pitched in with their ideas on what the networks really think of the rise of manufacturer's app stores. In short they feel that the networks have been lazy, and now the challenge of OEM stores is here they need to sort this out and use their unique selling points – a direct relationship with billing mechanisms already in place – to create the app stores that customers have wanted for years.
Nokia today announced the availability of version 4.5 of the Qt cross platform application and UI framework. The new version sees the first release of the Qt Creator, a cross platform IDE, which combined with the Qt SDK, gives you everything you need to start cross platform development. The release is also the first licensed under LGPL, which is more permissive license and should increase the adoption of Qt.
Despite it being post-MWC week (or perhaps because of it), Carnival of the Mobilists 163 is a good one and well worth checking out. Happy reading!
It is just a matter of time before the Nokia Music Store (purchase per track) goes DRM free, but reports from Nokia's 'Comes with Music' launch in Singapore cite Adam Mirabella, Director of Global Digital Music Retail at Nokia, as saying DRM free music is also 'on the roadmap for the future integration of Comes With Music'. Clearly such a move is still some time away and the statement is not definitive, but it's a sign of how keen Nokia is to push its music offerings.
In All About Symbian Insight 61 (AAS Podcast 117) we look back at some of the software highlights of MWC (including a quick N97 mention), discuss the Nokia Netbook rumours / ideas, talk about Ovi Contacts and go over the latest N-Gage developments. You can listen to AAS Insight 55 here or, if you wish to subscribe, here's the RSS feed.
There are fifty, that's right Five Zero, Samsung Omnia HD smartphones (8mp cam, huge OLED screen, S60 5th, etc) available to each person accepted as a Omnia HD 'ambassador' next month. If you run a blog or media outlet and can get some buzz going about this latest Symbian OS super-phone then you've got a good chance of early access to the HD and a free device - apply now! The ambassadorial activities are due to start on April 4th, although Rafe and I should be able to bring you quite a bit more hands on Omnia HD coverage before then.
Continuing a fine and longstanding tradition, I bring you what will be a regularly updated top pick of the very best freeware for S60 5th Edition. At this moment in time, this means the Top Ten freeware for the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic. OK, OK, so I relent after 10 and give you a bonus 'next 10', bubbling under. Hopefully there are some items in here that you hadn't considered until now!
