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Posts with tag Beta

Skyfire v0.85 supposedly available for worldwide consumption


Being that we're currently situated in the United States of America, we can't personally test out Decoder's claims that the latest and greatest version of Skyfire is ready for global domination, but we're taking it's word for it. Reportedly, most WinMo users and Symbian S60 owners can point their browsers to Skyfire's download page and suck down v0.85 without having to prove that they're in the US / Canada. Stop salivating and give it a go, hopefully everything turns out just peachy.

Nokia's Friend View keeps you and your posse well connected


If your crew is just too occupied to keep tabs on your every move via Qik, you should probably give Friend View a spin. Fresh out of the Nokia Beta Labs comes this application, which queues up your location and then enables you to socially network with other online buddies in order to plan a meetup, just say hello or engage in acts of stalking. The app has been tested to function on the 5320 XpressMusic, 6110 Navigator, 6210 Navigator, N95, N95 8GB, N82, N96, E71, E90, N80 and E61, though it should do just fine on any device running S60 3rd Edition. Hop on past the break for a riveting demonstration, or tap the read link to get straight to the download.

[Via Beta Labs]

Live Mesh for Windows Mobile beta released, ready for brave souls


Ready to get your Mesh on, Windows Mobile 6.x users? Fantastic. The Live Mesh team has just released (and updated, interestingly enough) the Live Mesh for Mobile client in beta form for users in the US and UK. After following the lead in the read link, you simply sign in with your LiveID and wait to be redirected to a device ring where you'll "Use Live Mesh for mobile devices." If your digital life has just seemed all sorts of out-of-sync lately, why not give this a go and see what it does for clearing things up?

[Via the::unwired]

Mobile Firefox (Fennec) alpha officially goes live


We knew the Fennec alpha was but moments away from release, but at long last, the wait is over. Mozilla has crafted a dedicated page for the early, early version of Mobile Firefox along with release notes, known issues, tips / tricks and installation instructions. Speaking of which, this release was made to be used solely on the N800 or N810 Internet Tablet from Nokia, though there are versions available for Windows, OS X and Linux computers in case you want to dabble from the comfort of your desktop / laptop. We won't bother keeping you any longer -- feast your eyes on the links below for all sorts of long-awaited mobile browsing goodness.

[Via NetworkWorld]

Read - Mozilla Fennec page
Read - Fennec video walkthrough
Read - Fennec on Windows Mobile screenshot

Apple outs iPhone firmware 2.2 beta 1

Apple has released the first beta of iPhone firmware 2.2 to developers, and we're hearing that it'll cause your phone to sprout wings, run Android in emulation, connect to fully-operational LTE and WiMAX networks all over the world, and bring world peace. Oh, and it'll be able to copy and paste things you never dreamed possible, like ponies and happiness. On a more serious note, though, no one seems to have a firm grip on exactly what it adds yet -- push notifications are high on the wishlist, as always -- so we'll keep you posted (and you do the same).

Video: Android SDK v0.9 hits the internet looking almost ready for primetime


It's an interesting day for the folks at Google. Not only do we see the supposed GPhone (AKA, the HTC Dream) get trotted out to the FCC, and hear new rumors about the device's release date, but now there's a brand-spanking-new release of the Android SDK available. The version? 0.9 -- a number which puts this dangerously close to a number that most would consider non-beta. Meanwhile, the new version of the mobile OS has been significantly changed, adding a new widgetified (big old clock: present!) and flickable homescreen, a handy (and speedy) tab to pull up your apps, plus a media player, camera, and handful of other noticeable design tweaks. Don't believe us? Check out the video after the break showing it all in action.

Update:
We've included a gallery of screenshots as well. Check out the sync contacts option. Sweet! Also, you may note that it asks you to "open keyboard to compose message" in the SMS screen -- almost like it's made for a device with a slide-out keyboard.

Nokia launches Email beta -- an admission that S60's email app could use some work?


So Nokia has officially launched the beta process for an app it simply calls "Email," a replacement for S60's in-built Messaging application for managing -- you guess it -- email. Besides a true push service and a slightly slicker interface than what we're used to, it doesn't seem to offer terribly much that the standard client doesn't, and what's more, it sounds like Nokia intends to charge for the pleasure of using it once it exits beta. It'd better be crazy cheap, crazy impressive, or preferably, a combination of the two by the time it launches -- otherwise, Messaging will continue work just fine for us, thankyouverymuch.

Mark/Space offers up Missing Sync beta for S60 / UIQ devices


Mark/Space's Missing Sync -- an OS X lovers best friend -- has just loosed the Symbian Public Preview for all who dare to download. Currently, the build stands at v1.0.0 (028 Preview), which suggests that there are quite a few bugs just waiting to be discovered. Still, those handling S60 / UIQ-based mobiles can certainly give it a go and see just how effective it is at syncing information between your Mac and that beloved handset. Chime in below with any overly dramatic success / failure stories.

[Via AllAboutSymbian]

Microsoft announces Windows SideShow for Windows Mobile Development Beta


We've heard rumors about it and even seen some third party apps that bring Vista's SideShow tech to Windows Mobile devices, but Microsoft has finally made the obvious crossover an official reality with the release of the Windows SideShow for Windows Mobile Development Beta. It's still in early, early stages (the version number is 0.01), but if you're feeling particularly courageous you can install the beta on WinMo 5 and 6 devices that use the Microsoft Bluetooth stack and have the .NET Compact Framework installed and have them function as SideShow devices when in range of your machine, and access previously-sent data when you're away. Let us know how things go in comments, won't you?

[Via the::unwired]

HAVA Mobile Player comes to S60 handsets


It seems like just yesterday that Nokia's N800 and N810 internet tablets garnered HAVA support (not to mention those WinMo cellies), and lo and behold, Monsoon Multimedia is now announcing that S60-based handset owners will be able to enjoy the same luxuries. Hailed as a TV place-shifting, video-streaming solution for S60 3rd edition on Symbian OS, the HAVA Mobile Player gives HAVA adopters "the ability to watch and control all of their home television channels and services from anywhere in the world on a mobile device." Unfortunately, the free download (for HAVA owners) won't be available until Q3, but it's being shown off now at the S60 Summit 2008 and in the gallery below. Dig in, won't you?

New Sprint Mogul beta moves to Windows Mobile 6.1

Whoa now, hold up there -- yes, we know HTC's got some serious equipment in the works for Sprint this year, but we can't put that Mogul out to pasture just yet. Fortunately, Sprint and HTC both seem relatively committed to keeping the flagship Windows Mobile model up to date, and we now have an official beta firmware floating around that adds Sprint TV and the real prize, Windows Mobile 6.1. Naturally, due caution must be observed when dealing with prerelease wares, but let's be honest, Mogul owners: every single one of you are going to give this a shot, now aren't you?

StyleTap beta for Symbian gearing up, Garnet pwnage nears completion

Turning our attention away from the unobtainable iPhone version for a moment, let's take a look at something far more real that StyleTap has in the cards: Symbian support. The Palm OS emulator is already a well-worn member of the Windows Mobile community (pictured), and seeing how Symbian's got a huge installed base, it makes sense that they'd want to attack it next. There's no word on exactly what models and flavors will be supported, but it certainly seems like having a touchscreen would be a good idea -- sorry, N95 owners! The beta program kicks off May 12 and StyleTap's soliciting applications now, so head on over to the site if you have some insatiable desire to be the first kid on the block rocking all your favorite Garnet apps atop a P1i.

[Thanks, Jason]

Nokia sits us down and tells us where Beta Labs apps go when they die


Now that Nokia's Beta Labs has had some time to stew and develop, the fruits of its labor have started to ripen -- and, in some cases, over-ripen. So what exactly happens when the beta process is complete? The best-case scenario is "graduation," meaning that an app has gone through a full beta phase -- possibly comprised of multiple update and feedback cycles -- and go on to become production offerings. Otherwise, they're "archived," in which case they'll either be embalmed and offered as-is for posterity's sake or disappear quietly into the ether, never to be heard from again. Nokia says that it usually won't be able to disclose exactly why certain projects get archived, other than that they've served their official purpose to the company -- but for what it's worth, Beta Labs chief Tommi Vilkamo figures that roughly half of the Labs' apps will graduate and half will head to archival purgatory. Here's hoping Maps 2.0 doesn't head toward the latter category, eh?

iPhone Enterprise Beta Program lets suits try 2.0 firmware early


Here's the good news: "select" registered Apple developers won't be the only ones with access to iPhone 2.0 beta software before the official June launch. The bad news? It still probably won't be you. Apple is courting enterprise IT departments to test out the 2.0 beta in a new "iPhone Enterprise Beta Program," but there are quite a few restrictions and caveats, with an extensive application form and no guarantee of success. If you get into the program, you'll get to test out all those new enterprise features announced today, and provide Apple with feedback on how awesome everything is.

Nokia's Text Messenger: another phone feature you probably didn't need on your PC

Bless the hearts of the good folks at Nokia's Beta Labs, because they're really working overtime to make the Finnish devices in our lives do all sorts of things they were never exactly intended to do. Everything they've done so far has been absolutely brilliant at best and merely nifty at worst, and we think this latest effort falls more on the latter end of the scale. Beta Labs' PC Phone dropped a couple months back for controlling basic phone functions from the comfort of a lappie or desktop, and now we have this: Text Messenger is a Sidebar-dockable gadget for Windows Vista that simply displays your connected phone's text messages, and while we can't speak for others, SMS is enough of a time drain for us as it is -- the last thing we need is access to it when we're sitting at our PCs trying to get some work done, too. Now threaded SMS, on the other hand... yeah, we'll take us some o' that.

[Via All About Symbian]




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