LATEST ANDROID SYMBIAN NEWS AND SOFTWARE

Amazon adds the ability to scan barcodes to its iPhone app

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 02:21:00 +0000

Amazon has just added the ability to scan barcodes to its iPhone app, Amazon Mobile… but that new functionality, meager as it might seem at first, may be yet another blow against beleaguered brick and mortars.

Here’s how it works. Install Amazon Mobile on your iPhone 4 or iPhone 3GS running iOS 4, then when you’re out shopping and see something you like, just load up the app and take a quick snapshot of the item you’re coveting. The app will beam the barcode up to Amazon’s servers, analyze it there, then send you back the best price they can find: if it’s lower than what you’re looking at, you can order it to be delivered straight home with just one quick.

That’s actually pretty deadly. The bottom line is that Amazon is usually going to have a cheaper deal on almost anything than a brick and mortar, and by giving customers the ability to easily compare prices without having to bother with text entry, Amazon’s effectively removing the “impulse” from flesh-and-blood shopping. Nicely done, Amazon.

Samsung and Apple more friends than rivals

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 01:43:00 +0000

Apple has the iPhone and the iPad, Samsung has several smartphones and its new Galaxy Tab computer -- wherever Apple goes these days, it seems, the South Korean giant is sure to follow.

But, analysts say, the tech heavyweight rivals are not so much heading into battle as strolling hand in hand into an ever more profitable future.

"Apple and Samsung have a very good relationship," Young Park, a tech analyst for South Korea's Woori Investment and Securities, told AFP.

"Samsung is both a provider and a competitor to Apple. But they have very different strategies. Apple is aiming for the high-end market, whereas Samsung is geared more towards the mass market."

Up to a third of the components of the iPad and the iPhone are actually sourced by Apple from the South Korean firm, analysts say, meaning Samsung has a lucrative finger deep in Apple's pie.

"Apple is dependent upon Samsung to a certain extent for their components but Samsung is clearly benefiting from Apple's innovation," said Hong Kong-based Young.

"Apple has almost single-handedly created a new market for tablet computers, for instance, which Samsung will capitalise on. But Apple's products are dependent upon Samsung hardware."

Samsung Electronics refused to comment on its relationship with Apple but insists the company does invest in innovation and aims to "provide consumers with breakthrough technology."

It is also looking for an Apple-esque relationship with its customers.

"In 2009, we refined our brand story in an effort to bond with consumers more on an emotional level," a Samsung Electronics marketing spokesman told AFP.

"In 2010, we are continuing to spread our new brand story. Samsung is known for electronics, but has a more human mission as well.

"We are clear in our goals for Samsung. We are currently market leaders in a large number of product categories and business areas. In the future we want to be clear leaders in all of the categories and areas in which we compete.

"We want to be a loved brand, one with a loyal base and one that is in the front of consumer's minds as they make purchase decisions."

However, it is what can be done with the smartphone or tablet that counts. A smartphone or iPhone is just a phone and an iPad or tablet just an elaborate slab of glass without the applications and games that run on it.

Samsung's suite of Galaxy S smartphones and its tablet run on Google's Android, with applications available from the Android Market app store.

It has also produced a smartphone, the Focus, which will run on the new Windows Phone 7 platform.

Apple sells applications exclusive for its products through its own app store. Samsung also has its own fledgling app store, Bada.

And veteran Apple analyst Ashok Kumar, of New York investment bank Rodman and Renshaw, believes this is the true battleground.

"In the clash of the titans in this market, I believe there are only going to be two platforms standing in the end: Apple and Android," he told AFP. "And Samsung will be first among equals on Android.

"Samsung has a huge competitive advantage in the supply chain as it produces up to a third of the materials in smartphones and tablet computers.

"Purely on the hardware side of things, Samsung's products probably have the advantage but Apple's app store is where it stands apart.

Apple dominates the high-end market but, as the price of smartphones comes down, Samsung's market share will increase -- especially in emerging markets such as Brazil, China and India, Kumar says.

"Apple is a premium product, it is not really in their DNA to go for the mass market jugular. This is where Samsung can, and will, capitalise," says Kumar.

"Samsung may not have the "cool" factor that Apple has and Samsung is not really in Apple's league when it comes to innovation but they are a very, very successful follower. They are good for each other."

Cars and Wind: What's next for Google as it pushes beyond the Web?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 00:29:00 +0000

Google, a vanguard of the Internet, has placed its bets on the high-tech transformation of non-tech industries -- cars and wind energy.

Why the jump into areas so far beyond its core cash-cow business of Web search? To ensure its place in future waves of technology growth, the company says.

"We have money in the bank and this is another place where we can take risks with early investments that could amount to dramatic returns," said Jamie Yood, a spokesman for Google.

Google said Monday that it invested in the Atlantic Wind Connection project, which plans to use wind turbines 350 miles off the coast of New Jersey and Virginia to bring energy to 1.9 million homes in the mid-Atlantic area. The company will provide 37.5 percent of the equity for the initial development stage of the project, in which officials hope to obtain the approvals that would be required to begin construction. The project is estimated at about $5 billion.

Google has been exploring alternative energy projects that it believes will be a good investment but can also help supply the increasing energy demands of companies like itself. Google consumes massive amounts of energy with its clusters of data centers that put applications such as Gmail and Google Docs in remote servers so that they're accessible on the Web.

The company has long pushed its engineers to think beyond the search engine business. It gives engineers 20 percent of their time paid to work on projects apart from their core tasks.

The results have been spotty. The company produced a mobile phone, which it shelved after less than a year on the market. It announced a plans to bring 1-gigabyte fiber networks at a competitive price to select communities. It produced the Android mobile phone operating system, which is now the fastest-selling platform for smartphones. Other projects, such social networking program Google Buzz and news sharing site Google Wave, were launched with a lot of noise but never really caught interest.

The wind energy news follows Google's announcement late last week that it has created artificial intelligence that allows a car to drive itself using video cameras, radar sensors and other technology to "see" traffic.

The company said its founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, want "to solve really big problems using technology."

"One of the big problems we’re working on today is car safety and efficiency," wrote software engineer Sebastian Thrun on the company's blog. "Our goal is to help prevent traffic accidents, free up people’s time and reduce carbon emissions by fundamentally changing car use."

Japanese Firm to Buy iPhone Game Company Ngmoco

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 00:22:00 +0000

TOKYO — DeNA, a Japanese social game company, said on Tuesday that it would acquire Ngmoco, a Silicon Valley iPhone game developer, for $400 million — one of the largest deals involving an iPhone software company and another sign that Apple’s products are fast becoming the hottest mobile game devices on the market.

The acquisition is also the latest in an overseas spending spree by DeNA, which is little known outside of Japan but aims to be a global rival to the big names in social networking and games, including Facebook and Zynga, which makes the FarmVille games.

“The big tide in social gaming is coming, right now,” Tomoko Namba, the founder and chief executive of DeNA, said in an interview. “We’d like to capture it and quickly become the world’s No. 1 mobile gaming platform.”

“We’re only active in the Japanese market, and we haven’t figured out how to cover the Western market,” she said. “We want to enable developers to go cross-device and to go cross-border. And we need this to happen quickly, in about the next one or two years.”

Ngmoco was founded two years ago by Neil Young, a longtime game executive who left his post at Electronic Arts to form the company. Not long after, it received financing from the venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.

The company’s flagship game, Rolando, released in 2008, challenges players to navigate a smiling round character through a colorful animated landscape.

DeNA, which runs the wildly popular Mobage Town mobile social game platform in Japan, began an aggressive global expansion in the last year, acquiring game developers based in the United States to add more content to its platform and translate its success overseas.

The company is racing to get a piece of the rapidly expanding market for online social games, or games played on social networks, like FarmVille on the Facebook site. This year, the research company Screen Digest forecast that the social games market would grow to $1.5 billion in 2014, from about $640 million in 2009.

This year, Google invested in the social game company Zynga, while Disney bought Tapulous, an iPhone application developer best known for its Tap Tap Revenge games.

Mobage Town, a platform of social games, chat rooms and virtual characters that has 20.5 million users, has been a hit with the mobile-savvy young generation in Japan, bucking a general decline in the Japanese console game industry in recent years. The service offers games free but requires users to sign up and create online avatars, or virtual characters, so they can interact with one another. DeNA then sells virtual clothes and other game accessories for the avatars.

DeNA booked sales last year of about 48 billion yen, or $575 million. Ms. Namba said it was on track to double that figure this fiscal year to more than $1 billion.

DeNA is betting that social games will increasingly be played on mobile platforms and that the company’s focus on mobile technology will broaden its user base. In May, DeNA introduced MiniNation, a global version of its Mobage social game platform for the iPhone and iPod Touch, which lets users play simple games, befriend other users, post messages and create communities.

DeNA plans to integrate its Mobage software with Ngmoco’s own social networking platform, called Plus+, which runs on Apple devices and smartphones that use Google’s Android system.

The new global platform will allow developers to aim for both Apple and Android users and gain access to Western and Japanese customers, said Mr. Young of Ngmoco — short for next generation mobile company. Ngmoco’s games have been downloaded more than 60 million times.

“Whether you’re a developer in Japan working on a Mobage, or you’re a developer in the West making apps, you’ll be able to work with us, and your games will be able to move across borders and move across devices,” Mr. Young said.

Mobile devices will be crucial to the growth of social games, because the social relationships encourage users to log in throughout the day, whenever they have time, said Hirokazu Hamamura, president of Enterbrain, a Tokyo-based game research company.

“But the competition will be intense,” he said. “If your games can’t attract a mass following, they’re not social, and there’s no point.”

DeNA follows a trend of Japanese companies that have capitalized on the strong yen, which is at 15-year highs against the dollar, with acquisitions abroad.

Rakuten, Japan’s biggest e-commerce company, acquired the American online retailer Buy.com in May for $250 million and paid a similar amount for a European Web shopping site, PriceMinister, in June.

In the last month, DeNA said that it would invest in Astro Ape and Gameview, game developers based in the United States. Last year DeNA bought IceBreaker, an American game studio, and acquired a 20 percent stake in Aurora Feint, a developer of mobile game platforms.

But Ngmoco, which is based in San Francisco, is DeNA’s most prominent acquisition. It has grown rapidly, partly by using venture capital to acquire the game developers Miraphonic in 2009, and Freeverse and Stumptown Game Machine this year.

Its acquisition was approved Tuesday by DeNA’s board and will close within weeks, DeNA said. Last week, TechCrunch first reported that DeNA was considering acquiring Ngmoco.

Microsoft launches new phones, available Nov. 8

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 00:17:00 +0000

SEATTLE/NEW YORK, Oct 11 (bdnews24.com/Reuters) - Microsoft Corp unveiled a new line of phones running its Windows software on Monday, as it attempts to pull back market share from Apple Inc's iPhone and Google Inc's Android system in the fast-growing market for multi-featured "smartphones."

The world's largest software company is hoping that the new phones, from handset makers Samsung, LG, HTC and Dell Inc, will propel it back into the mobile market, which many see as the key to the future of computing.

The new phones, initially available on AT&T Inc's network in the United States, are much closer in look and feel to Apple's iPhone, with colorful touch-screens and "live tiles" for easy access to email, the Web, music and other applications.

Some analysts say they represent Microsoft's last chance to catch up in the smartphone market with rivals who overtook it in the past few years.

"I've been looking forward to this day for some time," said Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer, showing off nine phone models at a launch event in New York.

Ballmer, who has admitted that his company "missed a generation" with its recent unpopular phone offerings, said the new phones would eventually be available from 60 mobile operators in 30 countries.

The first phone from AT&T, priced at $200, will be available on Nov. 8, said Ralph de la Vega, CEO of AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets.

The new range of phones, which are built on the Snapdragon processor made by Qualcomm Inc, represent Microsoft's best attempt yet to introduce live connections with its other products and the Web.

Users will be able to play Xbox games on the phones, link to Windows Office, use the Bing search engine and download and play music through its Zune music software. TV episodes are also available for download via AT&T's U-verse service. Updates from Facebook will be incorporated into a user's contacts.

Game maker Electronic Arts Inc said it will introduce a wave of games for the new phone software this holiday season.

Microsoft has a market share of only 5 percent in the global smartphone market, according to research firm Gartner, compared with 9 percent a year ago. Google's Android system has a 17 percent market share, jumping from only 2 percent a year ago.

The market for multi-feature phones that allow users to email, surf the Web and play games, as well as have access to music and video, is set to expand massively.

Gartner expects almost 270 million smartphones to be sold around the world this year, up 56 percent from last year.

In comparison, Gartner expects only a 19 percent increase in worldwide PC sales to 368 million units this year.

Microsoft shares were unchanged at $24.57 on the Nasdaq on Monday morning. AT&T shares were up 15 cents at $28.37 on the New York Stock Exchange.

bdnews24.com/lq/2147h.
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Microsoft to officially unveil Windows Phone 7 devices

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 01:12:00 +0000

SEATTLE (AP) -- Microsoft Corp. is taking the wraps off the first batch of Windows Phone 7 smart phones Monday at a press event in New York.

Microsoft hasn't been shy about showing off the software that it hopes will put its mobile business back in the running against Apple Inc., maker of the iPhone, and Google Inc., which makes the Android phone software.

But the company has not officially announced what hardware makers will be producing phones for the holiday shopping season or what carriers will support Windows phones. Taiwan's HTC Corp. is likely one of the companies that will produce a Windows Phone 7 handset. Both AT&T Inc. and T-Mobile USA are rumored to be Microsoft's carrier partners.

Microsoft has hurdles to overcome. In the second quarter, Windows Mobile, Microsoft's existing phone system, accounted for only about 5 percent of smart phones sold worldwide, compared with 41 percent for Nokia Corp.'s Symbian system, 18 percent for Research in Motion Ltd.'s BlackBerry phones, 17 percent for Android and 14. percent for iPhone.

The iPhone and Android are popular in part because of the tens of thousands of tiny applications, or "apps," made by outside software developers. But those developers may not want to devote the resources to build programs for another smart phone system until it gains traction with users.

In the past, Microsoft focused narrowly on building phone software, giving handset makers and wireless carriers lots of leeway to adapt and customize their products. In the wake of the iPhone's success, Microsoft has adjusted its strategy, retaining more control over the way the phones look and work.

The iPhone prompted a generation of look-alike smart phones, with screenfuls of tiny square icons representing each program. Microsoft has tried to avoid an icon-intensive copy, instead relying more on clickable words and images generated by content. For example, a weather program might show a constantly updated snapshot of weather conditions; photo or music libraries would be represented by a recent snapshot or the cover of the last album played on the device.

Windows Phone 7 borrows its aesthetic from the company's Zune media players, and the entertainment "hub" on the phone is based on the Zune the say way the music on the iPhone is filed under the "iPod" section. Many other Microsoft programs and services come built in on the new phones -- there's a mobile version of the Bing search engine, for example, and a games "hub" that can connect to Xbox Live, Microsoft's online gaming community.

Nokia's second Symbian 3 smartphone to hit the market

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 01:05:00 +0000

Espoo, Finland -- The smartphone for the design-conscious social networker, the Nokia C7, has started shipping to customers around the world. The second Nokia smartphone based on the new Symbian platform, the Nokia C7 follows hot on the heels of the company's entertainment powerhouse, the Nokia N8.The Nokia C7 combines stainless steel and glass in a sleek, full-touch design. The 3.5 inch AMOLED display is ideal for networking, with updates from Facebook and Twitter fed directly to the home screen, as well as one touch access to many popular email accounts including Ovi Mail, Yahoo!® Mail and Windows Live(TM) Hotmail. The Nokia C7 also opens up a world of apps, games, videos, and web and location-based services through the Ovi Store.
"The Nokia C7 is our second smartphone based on the new version of Symbian to hit the market," says Jo Harlow, head of smartphones at Nokia. "Designed specifically with the style-conscious consumer in mind, the Nokia C7 also brings excellent social networking abilities, making it perfect for people who want to check-in and stay up to date."
Following the release of this social-networking centric device, Nokia will be setting out to find the most active Facebook user from the more than 1.4 million fans on Nokia's own global Facebook page. Nokia will then pick five finalists who will each be provided with a Nokia C7 to organize a party using various social networks. The fan who best captures their party through Facebook - generating the most coverage with updates and posts - will win a Nokia C7 for themselves and 20 of their friends.
The estimated retail price of the Nokia C7 is EUR 335 before applicable taxes or subsidies, with pricing and availability varying from region to region, operator to operator.

Foursquare:Symbian social platform

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 00:57:00 +0000

Summary: Foursquare for Symbian s60 5th edition helps you find new ways to explore the world around you.

Requirements:
Symbian s60 5th edition

Foursquare Description
Foursquare for Symbian s60 5th edition helps you to find new ways to explore the world around you. See where your friends are, learn about the places they frequent, keep track of all the things you want to do and learn about new things to experience from your friends!
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Handylearn Counter:A symbian counter

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 04:35:00 +0000

• Summary: Handylearn Counter for Symbian s60 3rd and 5th edition mobiles helps you to make all kind of statistics.

Requirements:
Symbian s60 3rd or 5th edition

Handylearn Counter Description :

Handylearn Counter for Symbian s60 3rd and 5th edition mobiles helps you to make all kind of statistics.

All the questions that you can answer by going out and just counting it. You can get surprising results and learn a lot. However using a sheet is eye-catching, and you need both hands to do it. Now this becomes easier with the use of your mobile phone!
Just use the Handylearn Counter - all you have to do is pressing the digit keys of your phone. The software counts which keys you pressed. You get a summary immediately.
Share your results: send them with SMS or upload and publish your results to the counter uploads web page. You can further process your count, or share it with the world. There is no need to register. Just use the number the software creates to access your result.

Usages: traffic census, visitor counter at events, stock-taking, hair colors, shelf space for mobile phones, school grades or political polls... all you can imagine!

In new Facebook features, a comeback for community

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 04:12:00 +0000

Nearly 750 tweets bombard the web every second. Internet traffic is growing by 40 per cent a year. People post 2.5 billion photos on Facebook every month. Every minute, 24 hours of video is uploaded on YouTube.

But who owns all that data? Until now, big business was in complete control and used the data to monetise operations. But all that is set to change. With Facebook launching two new features, ‘Groups' and a ‘Download your information,' the community is making a comeback.More control over data.

If Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is to be believed, users now have more control over who sees their data and how much. They can also bundle up their entire social graph (as a zip file) and walk away to another service.

‘Groups' tries to tackle one of Facebook's long-standing problems. On Facebook, everyone, from your boss to your long-lost school friend, is a “friend.” And this means annoying, sometimes embarrassing situations.

An easy way to form small private groups on a social network, as we do in real life, is the “biggest problem in social networking,” Mr. Zuckerberg told journalists after the announcement.

The Groups feature allows you to form small circles of friends. Up to 300 Groups per user are allowed, and the tool also allows Group chat and emails. The groups can be open, closed, or secret, depending on the privacy settings.

Gaurav Mishra, Director (Digital and Social Media), MS&L Group, Asia-Pacific, says this step is important for Facebook, given the rising competition in social networking.

With alternatives on the horizon, such as Diaspora, which is being designed as an open-source, privacy-conscious social network, and Google's plans to integrate social networking elements into its services through ‘Google Me,' Facebook has to take up this “strategic pre-emptive move,” says Mr. Mishra.

But the Groups feature comes with its own baggage. It is not ‘opt in.' A friend can add you to the Group, and you get to decide whether you want to be in it or not. It appears that in the trade-off between giving the user more control and encouraging use, Facebook has chosen the latter.

Users will also have to be prepared for more noise as the new features offer a mirage of secure conversation space that will encourage them to share more personal details.

“The amount of sharing will go up massively and will be completely addictive,” Mr. Zuckerberg predicted.

Sunil Abraham, Executive Director, Centre for Internet and Society, says: “Facebook has always taken a more promiscuous approach to configuring our social behaviour online, the primary motivation being the maximisation of user transactions and consequently profits.”

According to him, the logic of adding a user to a group without seeking permission first makes a lot of assumptions, including that you check your account regularly to do early damage control and that your friends follow best security practices.

“I would warn people not to do anything on a Facebook group — open, closed or secret — that they would not do on email.”

BlackBerry escapes UAE ban

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 10:58:00 +0000

BlackBerry services will not be suspended in the United Arab Emirates next week, the UAE’s state news agency has reported.

The UAE had threatened to suspend BlackBerry services unless RIM, which manufactures the devices, would allow the government to access messages sent by BlackBerry users.WAM, the UAE’s news agency, reported: “The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has confirmed that Blackberry services are now compliant with the UAE's telecommunications regulatory framework. Therefore all Blackberry services in the UAE will continue to operate as normal and no suspension of service will occur on October 11, 2010.”

RIM has also been involved in disputes in recent months with the governments of Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Lebanon and India over its BlackBerry services because of the way messages are handled. BlackBerry data is encrypted and sent through RIM’s own servers. Several governments have expressed concern at this arrangement, claiming that BlackBerry messages could be used by terrorists or those who want to flout Islamic laws.

In August, the Indian government extended its deadline for suspending BlackBerry services after RIM reached a deal allowing limited access to BlackBerry data.

Three years ago, the French government banned officials from using BlackBerry devices because of fears that the data could be intercepted. Barack Obama, the American president, still uses his BlackBerry but it has extra security measures in place.

Review: Apple TV

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 10:43:00 +0000

Apple is a pioneer in many fields, but in the race to connect our TV sets to the internet, it's been lagging badly.

Three years ago, the company put out a small box called the Apple TV that brought iTunes movies to the TV set, but it was too cumbersome and expensive to be a success. Now, there's a new, revamped and cheaper Apple TV, costing $129. It mainly represents Apple catching up to what competitors have been doing in the intervening years. However, with Apple being Apple, it also has some nifty features that set it apart.
So what is the Apple TV? Every time I write about it, I feel compelled to point out that despite the name, it's not a TV set. It's a black box that comes with a small remote. You connect it to your TV set either directly or through a receiver. It shows a computer-like interface on the TV screen, which you navigate using the remote's buttons.

To connect the Apple TV to the internet, you enter the password for your Wi-Fi hotspot, or connect the box to your router with an ethernet cable. Once online, you can start renting TV shows and movies from Apple. You can also watch internet movies in the US from Netflix, if you have an account.

In setup and operation, the new Apple TV is simpler than the old, which was more like a small computer, with a hard drive of its own. It was designed to download shows from iTunes or your computer, then play them back. By contrast, the new one has no hard drive, which makes it smaller and cheaper, and it is designed to play video as it "streams" from the internet rather than storing them. That means you don't have to worry about the hard drive filling up, either.

So far, so good. But my main problem with the Apple TV business model is still very much a problem. When you rent a movie - usually for $US4.99 if it's in high definition - and hit the "Play" button, you have 24 hours to watch it. If you can't finish it in one evening, you're going to have to cough up another $US4.99 to finish it. Watching a movie in one sitting is a distant memory from my pre-parenthood days, so this model simply doesn't work for me, and I'm sure I'm not alone.

There's nothing about the Apple TV itself that dictates a 24-hour movie lifespan. It's all Hollywood's fault. The only progress on this issue in the last three years is that we now have 48 hours to watch rented TV shows. So we have twice as long to watch shows that are a quarter of the length of full movies. Thank you, thank you, dear studios.

The Apple TV, does in the US, however, offer a cheaper way to watch movies. If you pay at least $US9 per month for a Netflix subscription, you can watch as much as you want of Netflix's streaming movies through the Apple TV. The image quality isn't quite as good as the rentals, the movies aren't as fresh and there's no surround sound, but this is good value for money.

Streaming Netflix movies on the TV is old hat, though. Two years ago, a small company called Roku brought out a small box very reminiscent of today's Apple TV. It cost just $US100 and did a good job. Since then, Netflix service has been extended to game consoles and DVD players. Some TV sets can even play Netflix movies by themselves, with no accessories of any kind.

I took a look at the Roku HD, an updated model of the original box. It costs $US70 and plays Netflix just as well as the Apple TV, though it's a bit bigger and the interface is not as polished. For $US100, you can get version that can connect to older TV sets that don't take digital inputs; Apple TV can't do that.

The Roku boxes don't play Apple or iTunes content, but can play rented and purchased movies and TV shows from Amazon.com, under similar terms. It also offers baseball from MLB.tv and streams from less-known providers. In the next few months, it's also adding Hulu Plus, which provides ABC, Fox and NBC shows for $US10 per month.

So why get an Apple TV instead? Well, it does play well with other Apple products. If you have a computer running iTunes at home, the Apple TV can reach into it to play movies and music from your hard drive, including purchases from the iTunes Store that you wouldn't be able to buy and store with just the Apple TV. Instead of the tiny and eminently losable remote, you can control the Apple TV from the touch screen of an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad.

Apple promises an even cooler feature in November, called AirPlay. A software update will let Apple's handheld gadgets stream photos, audio and video to the TV through the Apple TV, using Wi-Fi. That will be an easy way to get movies and photos you've shot yourself on to the big screen.

Like the Roku boxes, the Apple TV has the potential to save a lot of money for people who like watching movies and a few TV shows, but don't care much about news or sports and can put up with the 24-hour limit on rentals. If you're in that category, you can get rid of cable or satellite service in favour of a TV antenna and a Netflix subscription. Forget "100 channels and nothing on" - you'll have 15 channels and something always on, online.

It's a fine stop-gap solution for the problem of bridging the distance between the TV and the internet. In the longer term, standalone boxes like this will go away, and TVs will come with internet connections as standard. It will be interesting to see if Apple has a place in that future.

AP

Firefox Browser arrives on Google Android and Nokia Maemo

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 02:54:00 +0000

Firefox has entered into the mobile space by launching its first beta of Firefox 4.0 for Google Android and Nokia Maemo. Google android and Nokia Maemo are the two mobile devices which will support Firefox from now.

The new Firefox 4 beta 1 includes all the necessary features of Firefox 4 beta web browser for desktops. So now you can enjoy the amazing Bar, Firefox Syncs and Add-ons on your mobile phones using Firefox 4 beta. This version of Firefox is expected to be less problematic and more stable compared to the Firefox 4.
Firefox developers have paid a lot of attention on improving the performance and responsiveness of the device and the mobile browser is made more user friendly and is easy to access. Scrolling the bars and reception of the screen has been improved and is quick and easy to use now.

The Firefox Sync feature is the best part. It enables you to synchronize your passwords, open tabs, bookmarks, history and even form data for using it anywhere – on desktop or mobile.
Beta can be easily downloaded from the official website of Mozilla.

SPB TV:A symbian ip tv

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 08:50:00 +0000

• Summary: SPB TV is a highly usable IP-TV solution for Symbian s60 3rd and 5th edition.

Requirements:
Symbian s60 3rd and 5th edition

SPB TV Description:

SPB TV is a highly usable IP-TV solution for Symbian s60 3rd and 5th edition. SPB TV provides users with lots of live channels in multiple languages with easy-to-use features and settings. No subscription fee!
More than 100, subscription free, TV channels!
* A wide selection of public TV channels
* Quick channel preview
* Integrated TV guide
* Quick channel selection
* Channels from more than 17 countries
Integrated TV Guide with Calendar Integration
* Today's full day guide
* Current week guide
* Current and upcoming TV shows
* Calendar reminders
Watching TV on your phone has never been easier
* Unique TV browser with quick channels preview for fast channel selection
* Finger-friendly onscreen controls for one-handed navigation
* Full support of hardware buttons controls
* Clever integration of mobile TV functionality with other mobile phone features
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Track and Protect: A Mobile guard

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 06:06:00 +0000

Summary: Track and Protect for Symbian s60 3rd or 5th edition locates your phone wherever you are and many more!

Requirements:
Symbian s60 3rd or 5th edition

Track and Protect Description

LOST OR STOLEN MOBILE PHONE ?

Track and Protect for Symbian s60 3rd or 5th edition locates your phone wherever you are and many more!

* Get your phone location on a map instantly
* Lock your phone remotely and display owner info on phone screen
* Get thief's phone number and front face photo!
* Keep remote control and track phone location even after SIM change
* Wipe your contacts, calendar, messages, and images remotely
* Feel secure about your phone and your data
* If lost, increase the chance to get your precious phone back
* If stolen, handover all the info to the police

Free Features:

* Periodic passcode check on phone
* Passcode check at phone startup
* Auto phone lock at SIM changes
* Lock screen with owner details and return reward
* Report thief's location at SIM change
* Report thief's phone number by SMS
* Send thief's photo after 3 wrong unlock attempts

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imiChat instant communicator

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 08:32:00 +0000

Summary: imiChat is an instant communication application for Symbian s60 5th edition

Requirements:
Symbian s60 5th edition:

imiChat 5th Description:

imiChat is an instant communication application for Symbian s60 5th edition, using no call charge or roaming fee. imiChat connects mobile handsets, and PCs, allowing users to communicate with each other using instant text messages as well as two-way interactive video. imiChat is able to support smooth two-way video over todays 2.5G GPRS networks.
imiChat requires mobile network connection and its flow rate is approximately 12 kbit/second or 90 kb/minute. The flow rate for text and voice chat only is approximately 2.5 kbit/second or 19 kb/minute.

Key features of imiChat:

● World's first mobile video communication software, the world's existing mobile network application (GSM, CDMA, GPRS, EDGE, WCDMA, TD, CDMA2000, HSPA)
● Real-time video, voice, text chat, the best all-round communication
● Support six simultaneous users of video, voice, text chat, the most exciting multi-communication
● High compression video technology, video is clear and smooth, substantial savings in Internet traffic
● Tens of millions of user all over the world more than 200 countries and regions

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Species Explorer:A Wildlife Browser

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 02:40:00 +0000

Summary: Species Explorer for Symbian s60 5th edition lets you record wildlife sightings of any plant and animal and share with users worldwide!

Requirements:
Symbian s60 5th edition

Species Explorer Description:

Species Explorer for Symbian s60 5th edition lets you record wildlife sightings of any plant and animal and share with users worldwide! The mobile application lets you browse and submit observations from anywhere you can use your mobile phone.

Main Menu

Choose "Report" to submit a new sighting or "Browse" to see existing sightings. Buttons at the bottom of the screen offer Help, Options, and Exit.

Clicking Options lets you how to filter sightings searches: by date, number, and/or proximity. If GPS is connected, it will offer the option to use that lat/long position. Alternatively, you can enter an address which will be geocoded to the closest lat/long.

Sightings List

From the main menu, click Browse to connect to the Species Explorer web site and retrieve sightings according to the settings on the Options menu. When the list of sightings is displayed, touch-slide list to scroll up/down.
If proximity is set on Options, the list is ordered by proximity to that location. Otherwise, list is sorted by most recent sightings at top.
Double-tap a list item to access details about that sighting. Touch-slide screen to scroll details information up/down.

Sighting Details

The details screen shows information entered by the user for a specific sighting.
Tap photo (if available) to zoom/unzoom photo.
Tap "Show Map" button to load map of sighting location.

Report a New Sighting Select "Report" from main menu to report a new animal/plant sighting.
You must enter login information to report a new sighting.
Note: If you wish to try the service out without registering, you may login using "guest" for both user name and password. Tap "remember me" checkbox to have the application remember your login name for the next session.
On report screen, enter a title for your sighting (typically the name of the animal/plant) and optionally add a photo, location and notes:

* Tap "Take Photo" button to launch your phone camera and take a picture. After taking the photo you can choose to accept/retake. After accepting photo it will be added to your other sighting information when you submit your sighting.
* If GPS is connected, you will be given the option to automatically add your lat/long location to the sighting.
* If GPS is not available, you are required to enter an address location, which will be geocoded into a lat/long.
* If your Species Explorer user account has Twitter enabled, you will be given the option to "tweet" your sighting to your Twitter feed.

When all your sighting information is complete, tap "Submit" to send the sighting to Species Explorer.

On any screen, click "Help" (? button) to access information relevant to that screen.
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T-Mobile G2 Can Now Be Pre-ordered

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 23:44:00 +0000

After unveiling it several weeks ago, T-Mobile USA just has begun taking pre-orders for its next high-end Android OS smartphone. However, only current customers of this wireless carrier can place their orders now.

The T-Mobile G2 is going to be a slider with a large touchscreen, high-speed processor, and the most recent version of Google's mobile operating system.

This carrier is taking pre-orders from now until October 4, and the G2 is going to launch on October 6. Those who aren't already T-Mobile customers won't be able to order this smartphone until launch day.
It costs $200 with a two-year contract, or $500 without.

Android 2.2.1 is out, breaks 1-click root

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 23:42:00 +0000

Google is pushing out Android 2.2.1, build number: frg83 to Nexus One users over the air, and while we love us some updates, you may want hold on before riding this wave. Users over at the xda-developers forum and around the web are revealing a couple issues with this one:

* “fixes” (ie: prevents) Universal Androot 1-click rooting
* prevents you from using unlock gesture for Exchange (must use numeric unlock)
* issues with Swype and Swiftkey not working properly
(FYI: user Devastatin states this update was done on an unlocked Nexus One, running stock Android)

1. Download the Android 2.2.1 firmware for the Nexus One >HERE<
2. Rename the file update.zip and copy it to your microSD card via USB. [Note: make sure the file is named update.zip and not update.zip.zip.]
3. Power down your Nexus One
4. Hold down the “Volume Down” button as you power the phone back on.
5. A screen should appear showing your phone’s system searching for various files. Scroll down to “recovery” and press the “Power” button.
6. When you see the triangle with an exclamation point symbol, press the “Power” and “Volume Up” buttons at the same time.
7. From the menu that appears, select “Apply sdcard:update.zip.”
8. When the screen displays “Install from sdcard complete” select “reboot system now” and wait for the phone to power back up. (this will take a long time)

Sony Ericsson Ditches Annual Symbian Release

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 23:33:00 +0000

It’s not really much of a surprise but Sony Ericsson said it is not working on any more Symbian devices in the near future. The handset maker will likely focus on Android to help it claw its way back into the top rungs of the market.“We have no plans for the time being to develop any new products to the Symbian Foundation standard or operating system,” Aldo Liguori, a spokesman for Sony Ericsson, told Bloomberg....

Symbian SIP Client 1.0.0

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 23:26:00 +0000

Adore Softphone has come up with “Symbian Sip Client” for Symbian based Mobile phones. Adore symbian softphone lets the callers make VoIP calls through their standard Mobile phones.
The symbian dialer is meant for service providers who can use this Softphone and get it integrated with their existing SIP servers. It works just like standard SIP Softphones i.e. it gets registered on the SIP server and then let the authentic caller makes calls.

The biggest advantage that this symbian voip client provides is the huge base of potential customers who can now make calls using their standard mobile phones. The mobile phones need to be connected to the internet either through GPRS/EDGE/Wi-Fi/3G.
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Nokia Own Voice

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 13:58:00 +0000

Summary: Nokia Own Voice for Symbian s60 5th edition helps you to record the commands in your own language!

Requirements:
Symbian s60 3rd and 5th edition

Nokia Own Voice Description:

Nokia Own Voice for Symbian s60 5th edition helps you to record the commands in your own language!

Are you tired of the same old “Turn left” on your Ovi Maps Drive Navigation? Wouldn’t it be better if the guiding voice is someone you care about? With Own Voice 2.0 for Ovi Maps you can create and share your own drive guidance instructions with your friends and loved ones.
NOTE: Please note that this release can only be used with Ovi Maps for mobile version 3.03 - 3.06 (in online mode).
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Smart Connect

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 13:53:00 +0000

Summary: SmartConnect is a connection manager for Symbian s60 5th edition.

Requirements:
Symbian s60 5th edition.

Smart Connect Description:

SmartConnect v1.03 is a connection manager that automatically connects Symbian s60 5th edition mobile phones to wireless networks. You have to pre-define your network preferences so that your device switches to Wi-Fi networks and back to a 3G / 2G network if Wi-Fi coverage is lost. This process is entirely automatic and transparent enhancing application performance and reducing communications costs.
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Nokia C7-00 - Symbian^3 goes mid tier

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 07:15:00 +0000

As part of its Nokia World announcements, Nokia today introduced the Nokia C7-00, a mid-range device, running Symbian^3, in a touch slab form factor. Features include a 8 megapixel autofocus camera with the ability to record HD (720p) video, a 3.5 inch AMOLED screen, 8GB of internal memory, microSD card slot, integrated GPS and comprehensive connectivity options. The C7 will be available in Q4 at a price of €335 before taxes and subsidies.
The C7 does not quite match the specification list of the Nokia N8, but it comes close. Compared to the higher end device, it misses out on the HMDI port, has less internal memory and a lower specification camera. However, crucially, it costs significantly less. If you're looking for maximum value, while maintaining a top-end specification, the C7 is going to be a very attractive device.

Key hardware points

117.3 x 56.8 x 10.5 mm in dimensions, 130g in weight; monoblock touch form-factor, combination of plastic and metal materials
3.5 inch, OLED, capacitive screen with scratch resistant glass; 640x 360 pixels resolution
8 megapixel autofocus camera; video recording at 720p resolution (1280×720) and 25 frames per second.
Camera aperture of F2.8, focal length 5.4.
Integrated A-GPS with location support for GPS, A-GPS, WLAN and Cell-ID
3.5 mm Nokia AV connector for audio in/out and TV-out
FM transmitter and FM Radio (with RDS)
microUSB port for PC connectivity, charging and USB on-the-go functionality
BL-4D (1200mAh) Li-Ion battery
WCDMA 850/900/1700/1900/2100 and GSM/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900
WiFi; WLAN IEEE802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 3.0
Upto 350 MB of internal memory, 8GB mass memory and microSD card slot (supports sizes up to 32GB)
256 MB RAM

SMS Tag

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 06:56:00 +0000

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Version: 1.0
Platforms: Series 60, Symbian OS
Categories: Internet & Communications
Upload Date: 14 Sep 10
Developer:

Distribution Type:
Freeware

Downloads: 0
File Size: 79 Kb

SMS Tag-enables you to add labels and tags to your messages and sort them into groups. You can apply labels to your SMS messages, and find them easily, in a click! SMS TAG allows you to tag all your SMS messages with all the labels and colors you want, to keep them organized and easily browsable!