Microsoft has signed a deal with Nokia to bring its Silverlight platform to millions of mobile phones. If you are wondering what on earth Silverlight is, it is essentially a browser plugin that enables rich web content such as animation, vector graphics, and audio-video playback.
Allowing the software to run on the Symbian operating system on Nokia mobiles marks an extremely aggressive push for Microsoft into the mobile web space as well as what might be the beginning of the end for watered down, clunky mobile web browsing. The union is also an unlikely consolidation of efforts between two companies that have been competing in various areas of mobile technology.
Continue reading ‘Breaking news: Microsoft and Nokia targeting mobile internet together’
As we may have mentioned, we rather like the old Palm OS devices here at Pocket Picks. Whatever your misgivings about the PDAs themselves, you can’t deny that they had one of the best libraries of freware and shareware pps around - over 20,000 apps at the last count.
StyleTap is a Palm OS emulator that has been available on Windows Mobile for some time, claiming high levels of compatabilty to that lovely library of apps and games and operating a ‘Runs on StyleTap’ certification program that app developers can use to show their compatibilty with StyleTap.
The publishers have just announced plans for a Symbian port and - crucially - a version for the iPhone. Assuming they get it working with the iPhone SDK, this could be a great way to extend the Apple handset’s capabilities.
Syntrax is not the most useful bit of S60 and Windows Mobile software out there, but for a certain type of person - one who likes electronic music, bleepy synthesizers and harbours secret ambitions to perform with The Orb - it is great fun.
Syntrax is a bit like a scaled down version of the PC/Mac synth Rebirth. Wheras Rebirth emulated a variety of real-world analogue synths like the TR-808 and TR-303, Syntrax is more like a ‘tribute’ to analogue synths with its cut-down display and sawn-off sequencer.
It’s pretty powerful for all that. For the cost of a download, you get an 8-track midi-compatible sequencer, synth and a sample editor.
You can build your own tracks from scratch or play with one of the library of presets and example tracks. The only limitation in the version linked here is a lack of Save option - but a free registration will soon take care of that.
VITO Technology are celebrating their 7th birthday by selling all their Pocket PC, Windows Mobile, S60 and UIQ software for $7 a pop.
They seem to have been producing apps t the rate f about ten a day during their 7-year history, with a huge back catalogue of apps. Some of thes, like VITO Audioplayer, have freeware equivalents, but there are some gems.
Some of their better efforts have passed through PocketPicks before, including Pocket PC GPS utility VITO Find Me, S60 dictaphpne VITO AudioNotes and Windows Mobile SMS threader SMS-CHAT.
If you have $7 burning a hole in your account, the offer runs until Feb 26th.
Without pausing for breath following Nokia’s announcement last week that they are integrating Google into Nokia Search, Google have released a native S60 client that could see them getting a crucial one-click headstart on their rivals.
The app sits on the standby screen activated by the ‘Pencil’ key on most Nokia mobiles, and will pop up a search bar that will send your search terms to Google via the phone’s web browser.
Browser esults are opened in the newly-revamped mobile versionof Google’s search engine that should be clearer to read on small screens than the main site.
pyBudzik is another Python applet written using Nokia’s port of the popular Open Source programming language.
The app is intended as a replacement for your phone’s built-in alarm. It’s USP? Whereas the standard alarm allows you to play a music file instead of an annoying beep, pyBudzik will stream audio from a variety of apps, including Smartmovie, LCG Jukebox and Visual Radio.
pyBudzik requires a Python install but is available as freeware here.
We found this interesting phone/communicator from LG hiding out on the Nokia booth. The reason is it’s one of LG’s Series 60/Symbian phones.
It looks quite traditional - even slightly chunky from the outside. There’s a 2MP camera on the back and just check out the fake leather effect (with slightly rubberised finish). Very retro. Not very business.
But rotate and flip it open and you have yourself something very different thanks to a neat little QWERTY keyboard and stereo speakers.
We were quite impressed actually. Despite the small form factor, it felt very solid and if the build quality wasn’t up there with LG’s more stylish metal-cased models, it certainly remained better than industry standard. So not too bad for a HSDPA phone with a QVGA res screen.
More images after the break. Continue reading ‘LG gets S60 QWERTY with KT 610′
ShakeLock is Yet Another Accelerometer app for S6o 3rd Edition. Unlike some of its more frivolous brethren, this might actually be some use.
With the app running in the background, just give your phone a shake and it will lock the keypad. To unlock it, just give it another shake. Easy!
Because this is developed by an amateur coder there is a slight wrinkle to the install procedure - an expired deveoloper’s certificate means you will have to alter the date on your phone to March 2007 to allow it to accept the app (you can change it back again when the app is installed).
ShakeLock has been tested on the Nokia N95 but should work with the N95 8GB & N82. Here is a video demo of the app in action.
Mouse-shy Mac users have been enjoying an app called Quicksilver, which allows fast access to applications and files via the keyboard and has become something of a cult among productivity geeks.
SkyeQuikKey from SkyeStream is a reasonable stab at a Symbian 60 3rdEdition version of the same idea.
Once installed, your standby screen will accept text input as well as dialed numbers. To find an app, browser bookmark or contact, just enter the first couple of letters of its name and SkyeQuikKey will bring up a list of matching items. Scroll down the list with the joystick and use the soft keys to perform appropriate actions like run, call or create an SMS.
How useful you find this will depend on how you use your phone - if you have a lot of apps or contacts and are quick with your thumbs you might find it a real time saver but if you are a more casual user it will more than likely just get in the way.
SkyeQuikKey costs around a tenner, but the developers have generously provided an entire day’s worth of free trial - available here.
One thing I find irritating about my Nokia N73 is the way the “You have 1 new message” popup doesn’t give any clue about who the message is from. The only way to find out is to open the message, or to cancel the popup and look in my inbox.
Yes, I know, it’s incredibly minor and petty, but admit it - you find it annoying too.
S60Ticker might be what I am looking for. This app runs in the background and - whenever you receive a text - displays a tickertape with the incoming number or contact name and the beginning of the message
Screen position, colours, font and duration are all configurable and there is a development kit available which holds out the possibility of plugins to display other info such as RSS feeds or news alerts.
S60Ticker is freeware from here, but unless your German is up to scratch you should go here for a Google Translation. Executive summary - install this (the main app), then this (the control panel).
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