MODDING: blogs

With Symbian taking a right royal bashing in the tech industry gossip columns in recent months, I was determined to get Symbian’s side of the story. Heading to their HQ in London, I collared Executive Director Lee Williams for a 20 minute interview, putting over my (and your questions). Here’s the interview, transcribed in full (grab a coffee first). And, if you prefer, embedded below is a condensed 9 minute video version, forming the lion’s share of my Phones Show programme 97.

Skype has released the first beta of its own native Skype client for Symbian phones. The Symbian Skype client supports a full range of Skype functionality including Skype to Skype calls, Skype Out calls, instant messaging, file transfer, credit top-up, voice mail access and more. In the beta phase, a limited number of S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 1 and 2 phones are being supported. Compatibility will be extended to other phones in due course. Read on for screenshots and additional information.

Today, EA announced Dantes Inferno “Divine Edition” will be exclusive for the PlayStation 3 console entertainment system. In addition to the game, all those who purchase Dantes Inferno on the PlayStation 3 will receive this special edition which includes developer commentaries, a Wayne Barlowe digital art book, the soundtrack to the game and a digital version of the complete Longfellow translation of Dante Alighieris Inferno all for the standard retail price of $59.99. EA also announced that a Dantes inferno downloadable demo for the PS3 is available for free starting today. The demo will be available on Xbox LIVE on December 24, 2009.

EAs Dantes Inferno is an epic descent through Dante Alighieris nine circles of hell limbo, lust, gluttony, greed, anger, heresy, violence, fraud and treachery. At a blazing-fast 60 frames per second, each circle features unique environments, all new creatures, terrifying demons, story elements and are scored distinctly to set a tone that fits each circle of sinners.Dantes Inferno will be released for PlayStation3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360 videogame and entertainment system and Sony PSP (PlayStation Portable) on February 9, 2010 in North America and is rated M for Mature by the ESRB.

With 3D display technologies set to appear in consumer markets, ATI and NVIDIA are racing to develop and market competing products that allow users to view games, movies, and specifically Blu-Ray high definition content in 3D. Into this niche, NVIDIA has announced it's 3D Vision technology, which combines advanced 3D glasses with a GeForce GPU and high resolution monitor to provide a full experience.

Dec. 9, 20092010 is poised to be the year where consumers can enjoy stunning 3D experiences across all entertainment mediums, including gaming, photographs, Web browsing, and of course, movies. And, with the forthcoming 3D Blu-ray specification expected to be formally announced later this year, NVIDIA and its partners are pleased to announce that the amazing 3D experience that has proven so popular in movie theaters is about to come home.

Apples recent acquisition of the online music service Lala has sparked major speculation on that the company is looking to make iTunes available to the web. Many speculate that the purchase of Lala is a move to compete with subscription-based services like Rhapsody and Napster, while others predict we might be seeing online video streaming in the near future.

Most are speculating that Apple may be moving into the cloud to compete with subscription services from competitors like Rhapsody and Napster. Or that Apple will follow Lala's current format where you can actually own a cloud-based version of a particular album or song at a reduced price.

Easily enjoy your photos, movies and music on your TV with the Seagate FreeAgent Theater+ HD media player. The FreeAgent Theater+ features HDMI connectivity and supports 1080p HD video playback! It also offers support for Dolby Digital and DTS audio standards to give you great audio quality. Read on to see how the Seagate FreeAgent Theater+ compares to other media players!

Seagates FreeAgent Theater+ is one of the most versatile media players on the market. Based on the Realtek 1073 chipset, the guts of the Theater+ are technically the same as the Patriot Box Office. Doing a side-by-side comparison, however, shows the Seagate to be a tad quicker when navigating around menus and playing files. The operating systems for devices featuring the Realtek processor are notoriously clunky or bland. Not so for the Seagate. The OS is actually quite sleek almost minimalist.

There were more than 450 million mobile Internet users worldwide in 2009, a number that is expected to more than double by the end of 2013. Driven by the popularity and affordability of mobile phones, smartphones, and other wireless devices, IDC expects the number of mobile devices accessing the Internet to surpass the one billion mark over the next four years.

More than 1.6 billion devices worldwide were used to access the Internet in 2009, including PCs, mobile phones, and online games consoles. By 2013, the total number of devices accessing the Internet will increase to more than 2.7 billion. China continues to have more Internet users than any other country, with 359 million in 2009. This number is expected to grow to 566 million by 2013. The US had 261 million Internet users in 2009, a figure that will reach 280 million in 2013. India will have one of the fastest growing Internet populations, growing almost two-fold between 2009 and 2013.

VIA Technologies today announced the VIA VN1000 digital media chipset for next generation desktop and all-in-one PCs, offering a world-class HD multimedia entertainment platform compatible with the advanced desktop features of Microsoft Windows 7.

The VIA VN1000 is the most power efficient DX10.1 digital media chipset available today, making it the perfect solution for next generation small form factor and all-in-one Windows 7 PCs that focus on entertainment, multimedia and touch screen capabilities. The DirectX 10.1 hardware environment provided by the VIA Chrome 520 IGP means Windows 7 users can enjoy a more fluid and visually enhanced desktop experience as well as the latest gaming titles.

Looks like Gravity just got a major competitor. Nimbuzz has released a new version of its free Symbian client with “industry-first Homescreen Notifications and sophisticated Twitter functionality”. The new version 2.2 also has full kinetic scrolling on all touchscreen phones, a number of layout improvements and ties in with the NimbuzzOut rate calculator for international calls. Full details, screens and links below.

Just a quick note about the widespread reporting of Nokia’s intent to close the three flagship stores (in London, New York and Chicago) - e.g. Chris’s analysis here. Rafe is investigating the story behind Nokia’s strategy, so watch this space for his report. In the meantime, yes, I agree that the flagship stores were about more than just making a profit and it’s a shame to see them go. But, putting them into perspective, Nokia has pointed out that have (ahem) 600,000 other relevant retail outlets around the world.