Nokia S60 Phones to turn on Microsoft’s Silverlight

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Nokia announced today plans to make Microsoft Silverlight available for S60 on Symbian OS. Microsoft will also develop a version of Silverlight to run on Nokia’s older S40 platform, as well as Nokia’s Internet tablets

Silverlight is a cross-browser, cross-platform plug-in which can be used for a wide variety of interactive multimedia applications similar to Adobe dominant Flash player. Microsoft Silverlight allows designers and developers to produce rich web applications that are independent of browser, operating system and handset.

www.microsoft.com/silverlight

It is used in the upcoming Nokia’s N96 smartphone.And I think this is a great shot for Microsoft to partner with Nokia ,The market leader of smartphone technology.

“This is an important relationship on so many levels. Working with Nokia means we are easily able to reach a huge number of mobile users, including customers of all S60 licensees. This is a significant step in gaining broad acceptance for Silverlight and ensuring it is platform agnostic. This is critical since we want to make sure developers and designers don’t have to constantly recreate the wheel and build different versions of applications and services for multiple operating systems, browsers and platforms,” said S. Somasegar, Senior Vice President of Microsoft’s Developer Division.

According to Adobe, 450 million devices have been shipped with a version of Flash, known as Flash Lite.And the question now is , Will Micrsosoft Silverlight be able to compete with Flash?

An in-depth look into S60 feature pack 2: Screenshot galore at Mobile-Review

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In this case it totally does NOT matter whether you can read Russian or not.

Mobile-Review reviewed S60’s feature pack 2 and has put up all details in one huge post… containing an amazing load of screenshots of all possible screen in this version of S60.

“See” the full review here. 

Mad Monday: Nokia N95 and S60 linkage

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After a very dynamic weekend, time for some linky-love to some very interesting posts:

Yup, enough reading stuff again… ENJOY!

Oh, by the way, if you are designing applications for the Nokia N95 and you want them to be promoted here on N95blog, please do not hesitate to ask!

Using CalSync for S60 on Nokia N95

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This neat little application has not gotten much attention yet, most probably because it is a very early beta.
Still, it needs to get more attention as it has great potential.

CalSyncS60 provides two-way synchronization between S60 calendar and Google Calendar.
For example, when you add appointment to Google Calendar it will appear also in your phone.
Just start the application and hit sync.

I tested the application yesterday:

N95blog scrnsht 0007 N95blog scrnsht 0008 N95blog scrnsht 0009 N95blog scrnsht 0010

Biggest irritation so far is that it can only sync correctly when connecting over WiFi… which is a bummer, cause it certainly limits its possibilities.

The entries it is not able to retrieve are the entries belonging to other than the main calendar. I am using 5 differently dedicated calendars, but it only syncs those entries belonging to my main calendar.

So, head over, download the app and give feedback to S60Addons, cause this app deserves to be developed further into a solid synchronization tool between S60 and gCalendar!

Week 39: N95-3 + Slingbox for the US

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In the spotlights this week: The US bound Nokia N95-3.

  • [engadget]
    With nary an AT&T agreement in sight, Nokia has gone out on a limb to launch the unlocked N95-3 today, bringing the all the original N95’s goodness back for a second round with a few key changes. Most notably, of course, is the presence of HSDPA on the 850 and 1900MHz bands, but other modifications include a higher-capacity battery, recessed camera lens (sans protective shutter this time around), twice the RAM, and availability in black and “dark sand” (for the rear only — the front’s always silver). Grab it starting today in Nokia’s flagship stores in New York and Chicago for $699.
  • [gizmodo]
    We knew it was just a matter of time before the HSDPA-enabled Nokia N95 would score itself a Series60 friendly Sling Player, and lo, here it is. As you can see in the gallery, you initially access commands through menus, but the trick is to set your favorite commands along with your favorite channels. In case you were wondering, you can’t use the transport keys for the N95 video player. One of these days, that would be nice. But as hand model Dave Zatz was showing us, you can do some quick maneuvers using keypad hot keys.
    DSC_0310.JPGDSC_0309.JPGDSC_0307.JPG
  • [3G.co.uk]
    Nokia N95 US Customers Will Receive a Free Version of SlingPlayer Mobile
    US : Sling Media says its award-winning SlingPlayer Mobile software is now available in the U.S. for select Nokia Nseries and Eseries devices running S60 3rd edition software on Symbian OS™, including the just released US HSDPA (High Speed Download Packet Access) version of the Nokia N95. SlingPlayer Mobile gives Slingbox owners the ability to watch and control their home TV from a network-connected mobile phone. For a limited time Sling Media is offering Nokia N95 current and future handset owners in the U.S. a discount on Slingbox AV. In addition, all U.S. Nokia N95 customers will receive a free version of SlingPlayer Mobile (a $29.99 value).

    “Customers have been calling for this software from the time we first announced support for Symbian OS last fall and I am thrilled to be answering the call with today’s announcement,” said Blake Krikorian, co-founder, chairman and CEO of Sling Media. “SlingPlayer Mobile really showcases the multimedia capabilities of the N95 and we are greatly enhancing the overall mobile experience on these Nokia handsets with our SlingPlayer Mobile software. People love their living room TV programming and simply want the ability to watch it on any device wherever they happen to be.”

    “Using SlingPlayer Mobile on the new high-speed Nokia N95, you never have to miss your football game again,” said Andrew Elliott, Director, Multimedia Experiences, Nokia North America. “The award-winning Nokia N95 offers a first class entertainment experience with a large 16 million color display, built-in stereo speakers and industry standard 3.5 mm audio jack for a great personal TV experience on the go. In this sense, the Nokia N95 and SlingPlayer Mobile are excellent companions.”

Did I miss any news on slingbox for iPhone? ;)

Reader Question: Exporting bookmarks, deleting apps and deleting themes on a N95

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A few days ago I received a very nice email from Jani Helle. As an intense N95 user, she experienced a few hiccups in its functionality:

“First, I use the N95 as my only computer, every single day, stretching the capabilities of the device to the limit. In the past months I’ve managed to accumulate some 400 bookmarks with the web browser. Is there any way to send all the bookmarks at one time to an email address or a PC, possibly as a text file?”

First of all, I am impressed with someone making 400 bookmarks on the N95… ;)
Anyhow, to answer her question I did some serious digging on the internet, but found out soon enough on the S60.com website that it is a requested feature… still on the wish list.

So, how to export your bookmarks alternatively?

  • While having my Nokia N95 connected in either PC Suite or Mass Storage mode, I could not find the folders in which my bookmarks were stored.
  • Using the backup function of PC Suite, I did manage to isolate the bookmarks and back them up to my PC.
  • Now to functionally show the contents of the resulting .nbu file, I had to find something. A small program called “Noki” did not bring the solution… where it should be able to extract .nbu files (about all .nbu files except for the booksmarks so it seems…).
  • Yes, well… this seems to be where it ends. For these .nbu files, except for Nokia PC Suite, there is nothing that can read nor convert them.
  • So there is no solution? Yes there is:
    • We wait for the export function to be implemented in the next version of S60 browser (lame answer, I know, but safest though)
    • You install an old version of PC Suite that generates .nfb rather that .nbu files and convert them with this little proggie into a HTML file, from which you can import the bookmarks into e.g. Firefox. (I haven’t tested this, but it seems to be possible)

Not a final answer, but this second option could help for now.

Next question:

“Second, since the last firmware update, I’ve had many applications corrupt, making it impossible for me to delete them. Several of the apps I’ve been able to delete by reinstalling them, but most of them I can’t find any more. Is there any way to force delete these apps through some freeware app?”

Standard answer would be:

Go to: Menu > Tools > App Mgr > and find your game in the list of installed programs then press: Options > Remove.

If this does not work and you still have these “corrupt” files, you might want to give it a try by deleting them when your phone is connected in “mass storage” mode to your PC/Mac. Should also be possible from the phone itself, using Y-Browser.

And the last question:

“I have a bunch of themes installed on my memory card (old habit from my last phone, the 3230) and I can’t delete them. Not through the application manager
nor through the themes app by pressing “C”. I’m beginning to think this might be a problem with my memory card, unless it’s happened to others, just like the corrupt apps (which, incidentally, are also mostly installed on my memory card).”

Hmmm, that should also be solved with Y-Browser.

Another option (be careful, because the numbers mentioned vary from theme to theme) is as described previously by Darla Mack:

  1. Connect your phone to the pc using the data cable
  2. Select “Data Transfer” mode (for other phone models, it’s the option where the mobile is like a usb)
  3. Make sure your pc has SHOW HIDDEN FILES AND FOLDERS on (if you don’t know how to, choose Tools > Folder Options > View > Show hidden files and folders)
  4. On the computer go to My Computer > Removable Disk (the memory card) > Private (it’s a hidden folder) > 10207114 > Import
  5. Now you’ll have a number of folders with barbarian names, like “dc60815d47351ce2″ and others. Each folder corresponds to one theme.
  6. Open each folder and you’ll see in the contents 4 files: a settings file, a .mbm file, a .mif file and a .skn file. The 4 files have in their title the theme name. For instance, in my dc60815d47351ce2 folder, i have the following Pink_Seaflower_3250.mbm, Pink_Seaflower_3250.mif and Pink_Seaflower_3250.skn which means that the dc60815d47351ce2 folder is the one of the Pink Seaflower theme (by Babi)
  7. When u come across a theme that you want to delete, go back to the Import folder and delete the whole theme folder. Like if I want to delete the pink seaflower theme, I would delete the whole dc60815d47351ce2 folder
  8. Safely remove your phone
  9. Enjoy your emptied theme gallery :D
    *For other phones, the parent folder “10207114″ may be different (I think). You just have to find the folder that contains an “Import” sub-folder.

So, 3 questions answered (1st one more or less), if anybody has additional information or tips on these topics for Jani Helle, please post the in the comments.

Great resource for N95 themes

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Just received a very nice email from Paul, of MmcForums.

He pointed out the great collection of themes for S60, 3rd edition and in that range also the Nokia N95…

This community based site provides in a very wide range of themes, with currently these as most popular:

Sonic the hedgehog theme Winter Moon Theme SweetButterfly

Brushed Metal Theme - Nice Smart theme (Blue) hot

More themes and a great forum available at MmcForums.net

Wobbly Wednesday linkage for Nokia N95

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Having been away from my Powerbook a few days, I was amazed by the N95 news that had filled my RSS reader.
Not spamming this blog with numerous “old news” posts, I put them together list-style:

  • Iphone and Mobile News reviews the Nokia N95:
    The N95 is certainly packed with features, but more isn’t necessarily better. The phone is large, its software seemed to run a bit slow at times, the build quality is not that good, battery life is poor and the GPS antenna was not as efficient as some. On contract it might be attractive, but SIM free it’s vastly overpriced.
  • Tether your Nokia N95 to a Mac to Access the Net via Bluetooth:
    I’ll show you how you can tether or connect your laptop or computer to your Nokia phone for internet connection via bluetooth. This is useful for accessing the internet on your Mac if there are no accessible WiFis in your area.
  • FCC approves 3G version of Nokia N95:
    The proposed 3G N95 will run on HSDPA (high-speed downlink packet access) networks currently being rolled out by AT&T and T-Mobile in the U.S., but it only supports the 850MHz and 1900MHz bands used by AT&T; T-Mobile’s HSDPA network will use the 1700MHz band. It will use all four GSM bands for both U.S. and international networks.
  • Black 8GB Nokia N95 hits FCC:
  • Mail for Exchange 2.0 on Nokia S60:
    * Support for accept/decline of received meeting requests.(Response–>Accept/tentative/Decline)
    * Global Address List (GAL) lookup (Options > Company Directory)
    * Task synchronization -server tasks are listed in the calendar.
    * In device search - the search application on ESeries devices will search for content in Mail for Exchange emails synchronized to the device.
    * Additional support for Nokia Nseries devices -MFE is compatible with Nokia N73, N76 and N95
  • Nokia N95 reviewed by The CellFreak [funny]:
    What’s the greatest phone ever? The iPhone. What’s the second greatest phone ever? Some would say the Nokia N95.
    Here Noa gets to the bottom of what the Nokia N95 Smurfs, how well it Smurfs it; and other questions you were just Smurfing to have answered.
  • Jaiku updated for S60:
    - Live contact list
    - See what your friends are up to right in your phone’s contact list
    - Browse Jaikus from your contacts
    - Browse the latest updates from your contacts, add comments
    - Post Jaikus
    - Post new Jaikus and have them instantly show up on the Web and in your friends’ phones
    - Share presence
    - Share your availability, location, and calendar publicly or with selected contacts only

Yup! Linky linky, enjoy the reading!

Are you using copy & paste on your N95?

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If not, take a look at this video and you can!


YouTube source: SmartPhonin

Getting the most out of the N95 UI (S60)

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When you are busy and want to get the most out of your S60-operated phone, you might want to read the following post over at cubeover.

6 Steps to improve Nokia S60 UI. Here I will focus on how this UI makes you focus more on what you want, instead of trying to get out of your way.

I just changed a few things in my own setting already. Really appreciate how Sergey Zak has searched in depth for solutions for using your phone more efficiently.

Full article here: http://cubeover.blogspot.com/2007/07/6-steps-to-improve-nokia-s60-ui.html