Nokia N8 goes official !

After the early preview by MR, N8 goes official and for everyone asking about price and release dates check out the conversations blog

SymVPN 2.0 is released !

SymVPN 2.0 is released. The major difference from previous version is added FULL support for S60 3.2 and S60 5th editions. This means more applications can work via SymVPN 2.0 created Access Points and take advantage of VPN security.

New SymVPN 2.0 is available for download from here

Updated version of SymNC 1.0 (Build 59) is here

Both upgrades are free for existing customers.

Please note, that you need to remove old SymVPN and SymNC from your phone before installing new versions as they are not backward compatible. Please make sure to write down software configuration before uninstall to restore your settings faster.

For your convenience here is some useful links: SymVPN 2.0 Compatible Applications (please update if you know more) and SymVPN 2.00 How to Install.

Facebook Chat added to LCG Slick v0.60

slick has been updated to add facebook chat support !

Features

• Supported protocols: ICQ, Yahoo, Facebook chat, AIM, MSN, Google Talk, Jabber
• Text messaging
• Emoticons
• Alerts - sound, backlight, vibration, notify window displaying the number of new messages
• Group and buddy management (add, delete, rename)
• Message history
• File transfer - send and receive files
• Sending / receiving offline messages
• Downloading files sent as links
• More features to be added

Download it !

Nokia Image Space : a new way to view photos

Just to let you know that Nokia Image Space is now available for you. It is a solution for showing a new view to your photos, as well as to those from your friends and other people.

You can currently sign-in to the service using your Yahoo! ID, as you do to your Flickr account, If you have Flickr account and a supported Nokia phone, you can get your content contextualized easily. Apart from geotagging from GPS, the photos will have full orientation information in the metadata. This allows spatial browsing of photos. Photos from different Image Space users are contextually linked between each other. This creates a better understanding of the place you are browsing.





When there are enough photos of a given area which have been made publicly available, Image Space generates a 3D presentation from them. This feature will be ramped up in phases during the next two months, so please be patient. You can see some examples now at Helsinki and Tampere.

Compatibility and system requirements
 
Nokia Image Space browser

- Adobe Flash 10 plugin for browser
- Firefox, IE or Safari browsers (Some differences in behavior between PC and Mac)

Nokia Image Space Capture for S60

- Tested on: N97 mini, Nokia 6210 Navigator, Nokia 6710 Navigator, Nokia 6720 Classic. Should work in S60 3.2 and 5.0 devices with inbuilt compass.
- Known issues: N97, some sensor issues with IS Capture


Via : betalabs.nokia

Skype for Symbian beta release !

Skype released a beta version of their Skype for Symbian App today

This beta release of Skype for Symbian supports more than ten different handsets, with the production release planned to be compatible with even more phones.

Skype for Symbian supports:
* Free Skype-to-Skype calling
* Call phones with Skype credits or subscription
* Receive calls on your Online Number
* Instant Messaging
* Group conversations
* File sending and receiving

Skype for Symbian works over Wifi or 3G data connection. We recommend having a unlimited data plan when using 3G connection.

Please remember that it is a beta release, which means that the quality is not up to our usual high standards. If you experience any bumps during the usage of the client then please let us know.

Supported phones and download links:
* Symbian S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 1 devices
* Nokia E71
* Nokia E63
* Nokia E66
* Nokia N82
* Nokia E51
* Nokia N95
* Nokia N95 8GB
* Nokia N81
* Nokia N81 8GB
* Nokia E90

* Symbian S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 2 devices
* Nokia N96
* Nokia N85
* Nokia 5320
* Nokia 6210 Navigator
* Nokia 6210 Classic
* Nokia N78
* Nokia N79

Some usage notes:
* Install it to the phone memory (needs 6mb of free space)
* Install over the air or via Nokia PC Suite, or just send the application file to phone over bluetooth

Please see list of the known issue on our Skype for Symbian Wiki page and read the full user guide.

[PART 3] N900 Audio Test Vs 5800XM, Omnia HD and N95 8GB

As promised yesterday, here is the third part of the head to head audio quality test, this time i choosed to plug the Tv Cable to a Tv Set to see how the N900 performs against the 5800XM, the Omnia HD and the N95 8GB, some nice surprises to check out :




In addition, i grabbed my Sennheiser HD 448 to make some comparisons and the results was somehow the same as the ones on the video above, i see that the N95 8GB has a "normal" rendering sound in a way it has an average bass and trebles output but the N900 has surprisingly deeper and clearer sound (even if i set up the N95's EQ to bass boost mode, the N900 is still a little ahead !), when it comes to the 5800, sure it has deeper bass rendering than both the N95 8GB and N900 but a lower volume, also no Cristal clear sound, it's the Omnia HD who wins this race (Cristal sound effect) as you can see/hear.

For the N900, the lack of equalizer will make things a little difficult for some earphones/headphones to provide sound as how it's meant to sound.

In summary, the N900 has a really, really great potential when it comes the sound delivered by the earphones/headphones, it just needs hardware access to EQ and i'm sure it'll beat the best in class ;)

Anyway, i'll go much deeper in my detailed review, if you've some questions or tests you want me to make, just leave a comment :)

Ps : Please do not confuse speaker sound quality with the quality on the headphone jack

[PART 2] N900 Audio Test Vs 5800XM, Omnia HD and N95 8GB

Hi everybody, today i decided to grab a N95 8GB to test its speakers quality versus the N900's ones as requested by many readers after the Part 1 Audio test series.

This time, the actual devices speakers orientation isn't the same, the devices are oriented in a position when they should be used in a day to day use (as advertised !) to output the sound, all settings are the same, no sound effects, no equalizer, volume is set at the max, check it out :



Let me know what you think, and if you have any suggestions of things you would like to be tested with this Preview N900 handset then let me know ;)

The part three will include the headphones and TV Out sound quality, stay tuned ! ;)

Shazam Launches Enhanced Application on Ovi Store by Nokia

This new enhanced version of Shazam allows you to tell your Twitter followers or Facebook friends the songs you’ve identified. More importantly you’ll be able to preview, and purchase, the songs you’ve identified from the Nokia Music Store.

This new application is compatible with S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 2 and 5th Edition devices. It will be free for the first 30 days, and then cost $4.99, €3.99 or £2.99 depending on where you are. The free version will still work, but you’re going to be limited on the amount of songs you can identify.

Existing users of Shazam will be prompted to upgrade ;)

Via : finance.yahoo

Opera Mini 5 & Mobile 10 Updated to Beta 2: Includes Opera Link & Download Manager

Both Opera Mini 5 and Opera Mobile 10 browsers were updated to Beta 2 today !

Download Opera Mini 5 beta 2 directly to your phone for free from http://m.opera.com/next/ or read more at http://www.opera.com/mini/next/.

The second beta of Opera Mobile 10 (10.00.315) is available as a free download to Windows Mobile and Symbian/S60 handsets from http://m.opera.com/next/ or read more at http://www.opera.com/mobile/.

The new versions include Opera Link support and a Download Manager which should make it a lot easier to sync bookmarks between the Opera Browser on your Computer, and your Opera Mobile Browser.
Straight from the Press Release :

Opera today launched the second beta versions of Opera Mini 5 and Opera Mobile 10, available as free downloads. In this second beta release, Opera Mini and Opera Mobile users can now enjoy popular desktop features, such as Opera Link and the Download Manager, from their mobile phones.
With Opera Link, users can synchronize personal browser settings with their Opera desktop browser, as well as all their connected devices, ensuring that their bookmarks, Speed Dial and search engines are always accessible. The Download Manager gives users a better way to control and speed up downloads to mobile phones.

Opera continues its mission to unify its browser products, and today’s beta release is no exception. Features further polished in the second beta release are the unified look and feel across Opera’s browser products, the visual bookmarks known as Speed Dial, and tabbed browsing, one of the most popular innovations in browsing history.

“For Opera, status quo is not an option. We are always improving our products, adding new functionality and features to deliver a faster and more personal Web experience,” said Jon von Tetzchner, CEO, Opera Software. “Also, unifying the look and feel, regardless of device, makes it easy for anyone to get online anywhere, anytime.”

The far-reaching popularity of Opera Mini continues to grow month after month. Opera reports that almost 40 million people used Opera Mini in October, saving the consumers 9.4 billion USD per year just by choosing Opera Mini.

Via :  zomgitscj

HappyWakeUp Updated to v1.25

If you followed my other blog some times ago, you'll surely remember HappyWakeUp !

Can you check out this update?

Version 1.25
Free 30 minutes nap functionality
Improved feedback in the morning
More alarm sounds

Version 1.20
New phone models supported (Symbian 60 3rd and 5th edition)
Adjustable length of the monitoring window
Improved continuous functionality

Version 1.15
Supports Symbian 3rd edition FP2 devices
Customizable alarm tone: HappyWakeUp uses the same alarm tone as the phone alarm clock
Small fixes and improvements

More infos to be found over here !

New Open Video Hub Version (1.0.39) Ready To Download !

Read about this :

Most important things from our TODO list (and the most wanted one) have been accomplished. New version of Open Video Hub is ready to download - and yes, the SIS installation packages are already signed - so no further actions in order to install the software is required.

Before installing this version (1.0.39) please remove previous installation (1.0.38). Also, on some phones it might be required to reboot the device after installation before the application can be started. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Todo List :

- Allow users to define categories in "Saved clips" and move clips around categories.

- Add option to start playback from user defined (in seconds) position.

- Add ability to access user videos/favorities/playlists/subscribed channels on youtube. Might require adding new functions to the plugins API.

- Fix help and documentation to reflect the changes in scale change settings.

- Enable playlist support, fix any remaining problems and bugs.

- Shuffle playlists using accelerometer and shake.

- Add a code that warns user about transfer manager not being empty when exit is being called.

- Support for KCapsVideoDownload flag in gvh app. Do not show that plugin on the list, and on the tabs. Only on the upload dialog.

- Seeking doesn't work with youtube clips. Check the demuxer for possible problems with index handling.

- Add ability to display more than one thumbnail. When user waits on one entry download them and change using timer.

- Use the new OSD (for touch UI) as default. It has to be modified to support scaling the interface down.

- Enable FindBox in Saved Clips. Since this code was not tested, heavy bugfixing might be required.

Download it !

ActiveFile v1.43.3 Comming Soon! : Speed improvement And Other New Features

The powerful and my preferred file manager, Activefile will get a major update in the upcoming days :

Whats new:

- Speed improvement (2 times speed improvement)
- Files/folders list with file size details on the right side
- Font size(small, normal, large) and color settings
- New cool icons
- Image viewer

Stay tuned !

Swiss Manager Pro S60 3.00

I think SMP fromcellphonesoft can be the same kind of "memory remedy" for the N97 as it was for the P990. Not to mention its several other uses.

Synopsis:

Swiss Manager Pro (SMP) is the unique application on the market that provides sufficient control over a Symbian smartphone for the advanced user. By manual and automated cleanup it is the only remedy for phones that suffer from frequent low memory problems.

In addition to memory and task management functions, SMP also provides extensive system information, and a fully fledged file manager. A composite system utility that indeed acts like the Swiss army knife for smartphones, considered as an essential addition by many users.

Swiss Manager Pro is compatible with all Symbian S60 smartphones by Nokia, Samsung, LG and Sony Ericsson, working equally well on keypad-based phones and on the latest touch-screen devices, like the Nokia N97 and X6, the Samsung i8910 (Omnia HD), and the SE Satio.

Major features:

- Task manager, system information, file navigator in one application.
- Full control over running and installed programs.
- Advanced memory cleanup functions to maximize free memory, both manually and automatically.
- Useful system information (device characteristics, system uptime, status reports, and much more).
- File manager providing fast and convenient operations (copy, move, delete, rename, etc.).
- Status icon displaying time, free memory, CPU usage, battery level, and drive usage.
- Floating menu for instant access to all major services.
- Fully customizable Favorite list for convenient application launch.
- Recent list providing automated access to the most frequently used programs.
- Key-press shortcuts for all major functions.
- Many options for full customization and convenient use.

Download it ! (Free trial)

Nokia Image Exchange for S60 updated with Activity Notifications

Written by Janne Kaasalainen, Nokia Image Exchange Team
A new version of Nokia Image Exchange for S60 is now available for download. In addition to multiple bug fixes and accelerometer support for 3.2 devices, we've added notifications to inform you about activities relating to your images and contacts.

Notifications inform about new images from your friends present in the People menu as well as comments to your images and images that you have commented. There are also a few new settings to control the notifications. If you want to give us suggestion about the defaults, please let us know.
The new version also includes changes to the way connections are made. The new version includes new load balancing architecture that should provide better responsiveness for more users. We would also appreciate any feedback about possible issues this may cause.

The Nokia Image Exchange team has been studying the possibilities of a touch UI version of the application. Unfortunately, the version released now doesn't yet support touch devices, but stay tuned.

By the way, we also updated the version of Nokia Image Exchange available in Ovi Store.  It is more stable than earlier (but doesn't have the features described above), and is downloadable there for supported phones.

On behalf of Nokia Image Exchange team,

Janne Kaasalainen

Fring now supports Video Calls !

That's what we can read over the Fring Blog :

we’re very excited to announce the healthy arrival of….the world’s first mobile video calls over internet! (with fring and Skype video calls )

Now for the first time ever fringsters can make and receive internet video calls from mobile devices (for free!), picking up your fring and Skype video calls from the road, and seeing the person you’re talking to from your mobile phone.

fring video is currently supported on Nokia touch (such as X6, N97 mini,N97, 5800), N95, N95 8G and N82 devices.

Spotify Officially launches Symbian Client !

Earlier today, Spotify, the Music service that many have come to enjoy, released their Symbian Client.

Here’s a bit of the blog post on the Spotify blog :

Today we’re delighted to announce the launch of Spotify for Symbian. Symbian is the operating system used by a number of smartphones including Nokia, Sony Ericsson and Samsung.
Today’s release means that Spotify Mobile is now available on millions more phones, such as the Nokia 6220 Classic, E71 and 5800 XpressMusic models. The application will also run on some of the more popular Sony Ericsson and Samsung smartphones, such as the Samsung GT-I8910 Omnia HD and Sony Ericsson Satio. Symbian is our third launch for Spotify Mobile, along with previously released iPhone and Android versions.
So how do you find out if your phone can run Spotify? Visit m.spotify.com from your mobile browser and find out if your phone is supported. Alternatively, enter your phone number in the Spotify Mobile page. We’ll send you instructions via SMS on how to get started with Spotify Mobile.

We also list all supported devices on our Symbian page, so if you’re looking to buy a new phone and want to know which ones we support you can find them there.

Of course, you’ll need to have a Spotify Premium Account to use it. But hey, atleast we finally have a mobile Client !

Head on over to m.Spotify.com in your device browser, to download it on your Symbian S60 Handset !

Via : zomgitscj

Get most of your Symbian device [Part 13] : Free Up Some Space On C:

Here's a forgotten tip (at least by me) to gain 5 extra megabytes of phone memory ! This space is only used if you do an "over the air" firmware update.

Your device must be hacked and open4all patch applied, you need also a strong file manager...ready?

- Use Active File and navigate to C:\Private\102072c4

- Delete the file reserved.bin

- Optionally, you can make an empty text file called reserved.txt and drop it into C:\Private\102072c4 to prevent system recreating it after boot ;)

Ps : If you go to the device manager app, the reserved.bin file reappears, so it's safe to remove it, we wont need it as we (Omnia HD's user) never get any FOTA updates. you can delete it to.

Telexy Networks: New Releases !

New versions of Telexy's applications released and they are now available for download from the Telexy Networks website (www.telexy.com).

These new software releases include bug fixes and several new features as requested by you our customers.

Following is a list of features and enhancements for each product:

New Features and Enhancements:

SymRDP :
 
- Added "Left handed" mouse support
- Added Zoom
- Added "Always Ask" Access Point support
- Added "Console" session support
- Added support for non-default RDP port

SymPlayer :
 
- Added touch screen controls (for S60 5th edition only)
- Added support for the phone's media buttons (including Volume Control)

SymNC (Telexy Network Commander) :

- Added one click copy/move ("Copy To..." & "Move to..." in "Files" submenu)
- SymRDP is now part of SymNC (for S60 5th edition only)

Also :

- Embedded components(:Cores) are installed on a drive selected by the user, but not on C: unconditionally as before
- Removed the annoying "Component missing..." warnings from the Symbian installer. However, this comes with a potential cost during uninstallation



If you have installed just one software product from the above list then there is no any specificity with uninstall. Regular uninstall procedure should be performed.

If you have installed 2 or more software products from the above list then please keep in mind that after uninstall of one of the product you may need to repeat installation for product(s) that you prefer to keep on your phone.

For example, you have two Telexy products "A" and "B". Product "A" was installed first and then "B". Two situations are possible.

1) You decided to uninstall the product "B". In this case everything will go normally.
Remaining product "A" is still operational.

2) You decided to uninstall the product "A" - this case requires special attention.
After un-installation of product "A", product "B" may lost some of components that are common for these two products because such component could be uninstalled during of uninstallation process for product "A". Therefore in this case the product "B" should be re-installed.
If you have more than one product from the above list, then all these products should be re-installed as well.

More details about this are available in User Guide for corresponding products, for example you may have a look at paragraph 6 of SymNC User guide available on this link: SymNC User Guide in PDF format.

JoikuBoost : Multiplexing WiFi Tethering software for Smartphones !

JoikuBoost multiplies your mobile internet Speed.

JoikuBoost joins multiple 3G connections from mobile phones and operator networks into one larger unified and shared bit pipe, accessible over WiFi from e.g. laptops.

You can create your personal 4G WiFi Network over 3G today, and boost your mobile internet experience into a totally new level. You can add multiple Boosters to your WiFi hub and add to your overall mobile internet capacity and network connection speed.

JoikuBoost bases on an entirely new 3G internet communications protocol developed by Joikusoft. JoikuBoost is unique in the world, and Beta version is released to gain Joiku-user feedback on UI, feature and functionality wishes, common use cases for the solution and beta stage performance and bug reports. Please report any feedback at boost@joikusoft.com or share publically via our dicussion forums.

Speed is an actual market dilemma in mobile internet. The actual user evidenced speed deviates a lot from market promises. JoikuBoost solves this issue as you can add more bandwidth to your mobile internet connection by joining multiple 3G connections into one shared WiFi Hub. Start sharing 3G today with your friends and gain an multiplier to your internet speed.

JoikuBoost WiFi network can be secured just like JoikuSpot WiFi access point. JoikuBoost users can choose which other JoikuBoost connections they allow in their WiFi Hub. The bits get routed via multiple phones and underlying operator 3G networks resulting into higher internet speed and throughput.

With 4 connected Boost clients using 3 different operator 3G networks we have evidenced an increase of 3.4X multiplier to the mobile internet speed in our lab environment. How much additional speed are you able to Boost through your operator's 3G?

JoikuBoost complements JoikuSpot. JoikuBoost adds to JoikuSpot with a capability to multiplex 3G connections into one WiFi bitpipe (3G sharing with friends). When used as a standalone client (no additional Booster phones connected to the WiFi network), JoikuBoost operates exactly as JoikuSpot. The difference is also that JoikuBoost is in BETA, which means that connection quality in JoikuSpot is at the moment in better stability level as JoikuSpot is a commercial quality product. JoikuSpot is a single 3G internet connection WiFi sharing utility whereas JoikuBoost is a multi-client 3G WiFi sharing solution.

JOIKUBOOST BETA IS FREE and offered on as is basis. We hope to get loads of FEEDBACK of beta version functionality, performance, feature wishes, UI, ease of use and beta phase bugs. Please report any such at boost@joikusoft.com. Please also share your views at our discussion forum at Joiku.com main page. Read FAQ and User guide.

Known issues in Beta:

- Only the primary Boost phone (the one that creates the WiFi network for other Booster phones to join in to) displays the full WiFi network speed. The Booster phones only show their own speed.
- If primary Boost phone leaves the network, the connection jams
- It takes 10-20 seconds for Boost impact to take effect
- Old phone firmwares dont work well (please update to get proper WLAN drivers)
- Peering the phones is manual (autopeering and buddy lists added later)
- Sometimes server does not respond in start up (try again)
- Boost WLAN network discovery may disappear from booster phones after stopping the connection (start over the boost network and wlan appears again)

Vlingo : Do It All With Your Voice !

Instantly send a text or email message, call a friend, search the Web, create a "note to self" and more by speaking to your Nokia smartphone.

Vlingo is the fastest way to get things done on your device !

At this time, Vlingo runs on the following Nokia devices:

• N95
• N95 8GB
• E51
• E71
• E75
• 5530 XpressMusic
• 5800 XpressMusic

Vlingo will also be preloaded on the new N97, E72, and N97 Mini when they are released by Nokia. If you already have an N97 without Vlingo, you will be able to get Vlingo by updating your phone's firmware tov2.0 when it is released (10th October !).


Download it !