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Monthly Archives: April 2010
MobileQs Trivia Game for BlackBerry: free question pack for 50 PDA_247 readers!
MobileQs Trivia Game for BlackBerry is an excellent game which is currently on sale for only $2.98 (may have expired already). The first 50 PDA-247 readers to use discount code ‘MQPDA247′ at this link can get Question Pack 2 absolutely free! Enjoy. Remember that you need the game to enjoy the free question pack.
“MobileQs is the #1 trivia game for the BlackBerry. In addition to the game, you get Question Pack 1 with 1100 Questions from random categories with questions written by the MobileQs team. Question types include geography, movies, music, people, history, nature and current events, as recently as 2010. Easy to add Question Packs when you want more questions.”
QOTD: Who do you want to buy Palm?
Who would you like to see buy Palm? Personally RIM or Nokia would be a good fit for me and would enable the webOS platform to work properly on hardware that is worthy of the software.
Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Review (part three and conclusion)
It’s time to conclude my thoughts on the X10 and it has been a bit of a ride over the past few days. I need to correct a point in yesterday’s article where I stated that I could not get landscape data input. I can now after I did a battery pull so it seems as though something was amiss when I first used it.
One hardware part I have not covered is the camera which is a bit hit and miss in my opinion. I say this because the 8.1 Megapixel spec is a real eye catcher and will lead many to believe that this is one of the best cameras on the market which is definitely is not. Having said that, it is far from a slouch and capable of producing excellent stills in the right lighting conditions. The problem is the software which is a little clunky to use and the fact that it can take some time to focus and produce the resulting snap. Smartphone cameras should not look to replace standalone digital cameras, but be available when the time arises to capture a moment. A balance between excellent results and speed of use is always needed and it seems to me that the X10 leans towards the former more.
Video capture is not what you would expect from an 8.1MP camera setup and I had problems with colour saturation (quite washed out) and in particular the sync between sound and the video. It definitely needs a software update to make the video recording side worthwhile.
On the software side it is also a bit of a mixed bag. There are some highlights such as Timescape which shows you all of your contacts social updates, but the Moxier set of PIM apps are a strange addition. They work well, but do not feel like part of the core Android system which of course they are not. Using Android 1.6 is not a problem in itself, but if you have been near 2.1 you start to realise that the changes in the background are well worth having.
The X10 is at times ahead of the rest of the pack by a mile. The screen is glorious in most conditions and the sound quality for music is exceptional (poor through the external speaker). It is a speedy unit and works well for ‘to the ear’ voice calling so you do get almost everything you need in a high-end smartphone. The fact is though that it is almost £450 and the materials used are not as good as those in the HTC Desire and Legend. It is fantastic in specific areas, but not necessarily ahead of the completion overall. The camera is a disappointment when the specification is considered and a few software updates are needed to bring it up to the level that would be considered reasonable for the price.
I have to say that I like the X10 and that it has grown on me over the past week. The battery is decent, the screen is great and the design is smart- if you have specific needs, this could be the smartphone for you. Otherwise, check out the HTC Desire which feels like more of an all-rounder.
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Send a snap, win an app!
“No, it’s not a Borg cube, but rather Belfast’s City Hospital. Frankly, it looks better in the photo than it does in real-life. Taken with my Palm Pre and the built-in camera application without any post-edits.” Andrew
We are running a new competition on 247 each week for the forseeable future. All you need to do is send in a photo taken with your smartphone, tell us what phone it was taken with (and / or with which software) and the best one received each week will receive $10 of smartphone software of their choice. A new photo will be published every day and the decision on the previous week’s winner will be made each Monday. Photos needs to be sent to shaun (at) mailstm.co.uk. Good luck!
After lots of head scratching, last week’s winner is Maureen who sent in this picture taken on an iPhone. It was difficult because there were some great ones last week, but the colours in the sky are magnificent.
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The Happy Meal phone
The Palm Pixi is now available for free from Sprint with a two year contract. How long before it is free with a Happy Meal…?
From Pre Central- “It was only a matter of time before the WiFi-less, Sprint bound Pixi dropped to “free with a 2-year contract” pricing on the America’s 3rd largest network, and you can now hit Sprint’s online portal to get the diminutive smartphone for the sweet sweet price of zero dollars with a new contract. As is generally the case with Sprint, brick and mortar corporate stores can’t match the web pricing on these kinds of deals, so if you want your free Pixi through Sprint proper you’ll…”
Pepsi adds refreshing content to Nokia’s Ovi Store
Football loving, Symbian owning people will appreciate the following press release- “Espoo, Finland – Nokia today announced the launch of the Ovi Store football channel featuring exclusive Pepsi content as well as entertainment, apps and information from the world’s most recognized football content providers. The channel leverages Ovi Store’s global reach to offer Nokia football fans around the globe the easiest place to shop for the most popular and most refreshing mobile football content.
Launching today, Nokia’s Ovi Store football channel is the ultimate football fan destination featuring highly popular apps, games, and the ability to quickly personalize and refresh your Nokia.
As part of Ovi’s football offering, Pepsi’s charity football anthem ‘Oh Africa’ will be featured for sale on Ovi Music Store. The charity single performed by six-time Grammy nominee, Akon, featuring Keri Hilson, the Soweto Gospel choir and sixteen youth from around the world is the soundtrack to Pepsi’s 2010 football campaign. In addition, Pepsi’s football athlete themes and wallpapers will be available for free on the Pepsi home page at www.ovi.com
“Pepsi’s unique content combined with Nokia’s unparalleled global reach offers football fans around the world the chance to get involved with this year’s great Football summer no matter where they are,” said Marco Argenti, VP and Global Head of Media, Nokia. “The Ovi Store football promotion offers passionate football fans instant access to news, apps, games and a growing selection of personalization content from some of the world’s top teams.”
Claudia Lagunas, Digital and New Media Director at PepsiCo International commented: “Working with Nokia allows us to connect and communicate with the worldwide mobile community. Nokia’s Ovi Store offers an exciting new channel through which to share our football content with millions of football fans around the globe.”
Also launching today is the Nokia Skill Dribbler competition giving mobile gamers the opportunity to win a Football trip of a lifetime for two to see ‘El Clasico’ in Barcelona. To win, skill dribblers have to show off their silky football game skills, avoiding tackles and keeping control of the ball for as long as they can to accumulate points. The highest weekly scorers will receive a shirt signed by a one of the worlds’ top footballers and Nokia N97 mini. The top scorer of the competition will be on their way to Barcelona. To enter and play Skill Dribbler visit www.ovi.com.”
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BlackBerry Bold 9650 and Pearl 9100 announced
RIM has announced two new smartphones; the BlackBerry Bold 9650 and Pearl 9100. The Bold 9650 offers little over the 9700, if anything, and the Pearl 9100 brings a trackpad and 3G to the Pearl form factor alongside two new keyboards.
Bold 9650 specs-
* 3G network support
* Email and text messaging
* Instant messaging
* Phone
* Browser
* Social networking
* Camera and video recording
* Wi-Fi®
* GPS
* Media player
* Organizer
* Trackpad (BlackBerry Bold 9650 and BlackBerry Bold 9700)
* Bluetooth®
* Expandable memory
* Tethered modem
Pearl 9100 specs-
* 3G network support
* Optical trackpad and dedicated
media keys
* SureType® technology
* Simultaneous voice and data
* Email and text messaging
* BlackBerry® Messenger
* Instant Messaging
* Phone
* Browser
* Social networking
* Video recording
* Wi-Fi®
* GPS
* Media player
* Organizer
* Bluetooth®
* Expandable memory up to 32 GB
* Tethered modem
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Pimlico Software releases Pimlical with Google calendar Support
Pimlico Software has just released Pimlical with Google calendar Support and the good news is that it works with a variety of mobile platforms. Thanks to George.
Now on your windows desktop, you can use Pimlical to manage your Google Calendars with all its powerful search, viewing and calendar management capabilities. And since those changes are then easily synced to your iPhone, Android Phone, Windows Mobile phone or Palm OS Handheld, you can have the immediate benefit of updating calendar events easily on the desktop.
You can download the latest version (1.2.22) of Pimlical from: http://www.PimlicoSoftware.com/pimlical.msi and look at the feature set and screen shots (click on graphic at top right) and also purchase a copy from: http://www.PimlicoSoftware.com.
Pimlical also provides you with a valuable path to migrate your Palm data onto other platforms, as release 1.2.23 (posting date: 25apr2010) includes an iCalendar Export function that allows you to export your entire Palm calendar database as an industry-standard, ICS type file, suitable for direct import into other calendar applications such as iCalendar, Google, etc.
CESD at PimlicoSoftware is now working very hard on getting a preview release of a Pimlical client for Android available, but he needs your help right now too! As you may well know, all the revenues from the sale of Pimlical Software products go towards Wildlife Conservation, so he is also spending valuable time working on keeping the Gorilla Haven facility open. But with Palm’s fortunes sinking rapidly, so are the revenues that pay for this facility. So your purchase of Pimlical at this time will really help gorillas as well as provide you with a useful calendar application for the desktop. It will also help speed up the development of the Android version if he doesn’t have to spend as much time fund-raising for Gorilla Haven!
Those of you who no longer have Palm devices will find its management of Google Calendars helpful almost no matter what Smartphone you have as almost all of them now can sync with Google Calendar!
As soon as the Android version is out, work will commence on other implementations as the Pimlical calendar code is written in Java which facilitates moving it to other platforms.
QOTD: Is your smartphone ever unconnected?
Is your smartphones wireless receiver ever set to off? My BlackBerry is on 24 hours a day (site downstairs on silent overnight), but my iPhone is never connected overnight.
GT Racing: Motor Academy for iPhone Review
Gran Turismo was the first driving game to gain worldwide recognition for offering more than just driving. It offered progression, longevity and somehow managed to squeeze in the thrill of a top class racer in the one title. I spent many hours hunched over my Playstation playing the game and then my children entered the world which put an end to the days of video game playing for long periods at a time. I have dabbled with a few driving games since, but none have offered an experience deep enough to keep me going for more than the occasional game, and then Gameloft released GT Racing: Motor Academy for the iPhone.
I bought it and played it twice and then largely ignored it for the next few weeks. It felt like an OK racing game with lots of menus to interrupt the action and that was that. Like so many iPhone games and apps, it was assigned to a lowly place on iTunes never to grace my iPhone again. One of the main issues I had was that it stuttered a lot on my iPhone 3G which effectively ruined the experience, but an upgrade to the 3GS offered me the chance to try it again in stutter-free mode.
Since that time I have played the game every day for at least 20 minutes and it has become my relaxation moment after a hard day’s work. Just one more race… Just want to get a higher licence, a faster car, more credits to improve my car. It goes on and on and on and is almost perfectly balanced to keep the player coming back for more.
As you gain your licences you can then enter races which correspond to the licence you have earned. The tracks are largely similar throughout, but there are 14 included such as Laguna Seca and Monaco and even rally and urban tracks for variety. As an example of the variety included, when you race on a rally track you have to skid around corners to succeed whereas you do not on standard race tracks. Snow and rain add to the mix on hardy levels and you have to constantly adjust your driving technique to win each race. Somehow each car had a different feel and when you reach the stage where you can purchase faster cars, there is a genuine sense of speed which is at times virtually scary.
You have to be careful how you spend the credits you earn though because it is quite easy to run out of funds as you progress, and this could leave you with an unmodified car that is unable to compete. At this point you either need to build up your credits again in earlier races or start again. The after market add-ons for each car make a tremendous difference if you buy the lot. They cost a serious amount of money, but can enable you to win a series of races where you gain even more credits and sometimes a new car for good measure.
Special invitation events are also included and the experience of driving a Ford Model T at just over 40 miles per hour is something I did not expect in the game. Indeed, there are more than 100 cars to buy and these are the real deal. When you get really got you can buy yourself a nice Bugatti Veyron, but I sadly haven’t got there yet. After a few hours of playing I am just over 50% of the way through the game and look forward to finishing it all.
Very few games have as much longevity and diversity built in, especially driving games, but GT Racing has it in spades. The fact that it is a mobile game is even more impressive and the price makes the whole thing better still. There are some minor quibbles such as sometimes having to move your iPhone from side to side at extreme angles, but with 6 player multi-player, YouTube replay posting and worldwide rankings I am struggling to find much wrong here. Oh, and various camera views plus different control schemes and…. The list never ends.
In my opinion GT Racing is Gameloft’s finest hour so far on the iPhone and I implore you to try it out for yourself.
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Send a snap, win an app!
“Took this photo today with Pro HDR on my iPhone 3GS. It’s ‘Wallace Monument and Dumyat from Tullibody’.” Austin
We are running a new competition on 247 each week for the forseeable future. All you need to do is send in a photo taken with your smartphone, tell us what phone it was taken with (and / or with which software) and the best one received each week will receive $10 of smartphone software of their choice. A new photo will be published every day and the decision on the previous week’s winner will be made each Monday. Photos needs to be sent to shaun (at) mailstm.co.uk. Good luck!
After lots of head scratching, last week’s winner is Maureen who sent in this picture taken on an iPhone. It was difficult because there were some great ones last week, but the colours in the sky are magnificent.
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Nokia C6 Review
Mobile Review have pulled off their usual trick and posted a HUGE review of the Nokia C6. It is billed as a first look, but is still longer than most reviews.
“It’s not an uncommon practice for phone manufacturers, especcialy the “big” ones to create “platforms” sort of speak with some hardware and software features and then use this “platform” in more than one phones with small or no differences between each device.
Nokia seems to be following that practice to the letter the past year and they are trying to make the most of the way to old by today standards “platform” used for the first time in the 5800.
We saw the second device based on this platform named as N97 with some minor and some interesting differences, and both N97 mini and X6 that followed were devices from the same… family. Each and one of them featured some changes and improvements but as a whole was just the same offer in a different package.
This time around, the technology initially used in a mid range device that later climbed a couple of price brackets and reached the top in the form of N97, climbs down the stair again and is presented in the form of a C Series device wich frankly speaking doesn’t have anything new to offer.
By simply changing the design to a more “youthfull” one at least according to Nokia’s view of what youthfull is, and by lowering the build quality both in materials used and the “feel” that the device leaves to the user the Finnish manufacturer has come up with another S60 5th edition device with all the usual stuff on-board.
So lets see what “new” the member of the newly founded C Series has to offer, or to be more exact how the same old features are covered or “revamped” in a different suit.”
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MiniPaint for BlackBerry updated and reduced
MiniPaint for BlackBerry has been updated and reduced in price to just $3.99. I can think of no other BB app that can do this. “MiniPaint is a small application for editing images on BlackBerry devices. Their main purpose is to create funny pictures with the use of clipart.
BlackBerry MiniPaint have unique features, all in one pack. You simply won’t find a product with all features offered MiniPaint, mainly by the Image Filters.
Image scaling
Image cropping
Clipart.- Early 100 images available, and many more will be added.
Text.- several fonts, sizes, colors, bold & italic
Image filters.- Sepia, Solarize, Invert, HSB, Gray Scale, Borders and others
In fact, the images created with MiniPaint are ready to be shared with your friends or family by MMS, Twitter, FaceBook, Email. They are small and they are funny!”
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The Browser: The World in a Window
This week I wrote about the problem of too much digital content and how it is easy to hoard information, especially with tools like InstaPaper, that are never read. What I have found is that by reading one article a day I am learning much more than by reading eBooks and at times the writing is breathtaking. The main problem is finding good content, but then I discovered The Browser. It describes itself as an intelligent general reader and so far has proved itself worthy of that tag line. Worth a bookmark if you are looking for new mobile reading material.
Also, check out this Twitter feed which provides links to long reads on the internet- some very good content included.
Angry Birds updated: new levels, new bird
Angry Birds has been updated and comes with 15 new levels and a new boomerang bird. So addictive and it’s great to see some new challenging levels added.
To celebrate the global success of Angry Birds, we give you the best update ever, with NEW LEVELS not just for Angry Birds, but with some unique levels for Angry Birds Lite!
- NEW BIRD! (YES, REALLY!)
- THE BOUNCY MATTRESS!
- NEW EPISODE BEGINS!
- 15 NEW LEVELS!
- NEW GRAPHICAL THEME!
- NEW ACHIEVEMENTS!
And if that is still not enough, try the new version of Angry Birds Lite, available for free! The latest update includes six new levels and an achievement that are only available in Angry Birds Lite.
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