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Who needs an iPhone anyway?
This photo was taken on June 29, 2007, which -- in case you forgot -- was the date of the first iPhone's retail debut. Flickr user Tim Samoff fought the good fight with his Nokia N800, and to his credit, a cursory review of his Flickr history reveals nary a reference to, or photo of, an iPhone in the years since. Stay strong, Tim. Stay strong. [Photo credit: Tim Samoff]
Keepin' it real fake: N8 available now, only not from Nokia
Well, it was bound to happen: a flagship device released as a KIRF (for the second time) well ahead of its official launch. Unfortunately, that's what happens when you delay a product that already leaked months in advance. The $99.20 "N8-00" might share its name and stylings with Nokia's imminent Symbian flagship but that's where the similarities end. This Chinese N8 packs a 3.3-inch touchscreen (resistive, no doubt), a quad-band GSM radio, pair of VGA cameras (ha!), 2GB of MicroSD blah blah blah... hey, let's be honest, the specs don't really matter do they? This "Nseries" device, like all KIRFs, will be sold to poseurs who want to look the part before quickly discarding it for the next trend. Picture of the backside after the break. [Thanks, Arnout and everyone who sent this in]
Nokia N8 benchmarked against N97, makes it look old and busted
Nokia's new hotness, the N8, is starting our week off in fine style. Finest Fones, what looks to be a Symbian-only mobile news site, is reporting its own tests done with the handset that show it comfortably outpacing its predecessor. Of course, in these fog of war-obscured times (before proper hardware is dished out), we can't really be sure of the veracity of what we read, but Symbian^3's newfound ability to exploit graphics hardware seems to be paying off relative to the more primordial ways of the S60 5th software on the N97. The intrepid investigators found a 180 percent performance delta between the two phones in Speedy Go! tests, while the N8 ran through a cycle of FPC bench 3D with perfect 60fps scores each and every time. We won't be convinced by the purported 680MHz CPU inside till we test it out for ourselves with a load of widget-heavy homescreens, but early signs seem to be encouraging.
Nokia N900 running Android 2.1, still rough around the edges
This wouldn't be the first time we've heard of Android being lovingly grafted onto Nokia's N900, but this looks to be the most proactive effort yet to get it functional enough for lay N900 users (read: us) to actually install. Eclair's now up and running on the device, complete with both keyboard and touchscreen support -- important fundamentals, we reckon -- and it looks like there's enough chatter on the subject going on over in Maemo's official forums to keep this ball rolling. Everything's being managed under the so-called NITDroid project that aims to get Android ready to roll on both the N900 and the N8x0 series of tablets, so feel free to chip in some advice if you like -- a functional radio stack would have to be high on the priority list, you can bet. Follow the break for a little video of brilliant hackery in action. [Thanks, Nosa]
Hanvon debuts new line of WISEreader e-book readers
Hanvon (also known as Hanwang) hasn't exactly been churning out one product after the other as of late, but it has made a fairly respectable showing for itself at CES, where it's just introduced five new models in its WISEreader line. Those include the N500, N618 (pictured above), N628, N638, and N800, which all sport Vizplex e-ink displays that range in size form five to eight inches and, in all but one case (the N638), use an electromagnetic panel and pen for note-taking complete with handwriting recognition. Even more surprising, Hanvon says that the whole lot will be available in the US sometime this year -- although they could well show up under a number of different brands, as Hanvon also works as an OEM. Hit up the gallery below for a look at the rest, and head on past the break to peruse the complete specs in convenient press release form. %Gallery-81900%
Samsung's WiMAX-packin' Mondi sized up against brothers, cousins and enemies
It's one thing to see a Samsung Mondi and just imagine how sweet it'd feel between your palms, surfing on the blazing WiMAX superhighway whilst providing an almost dangerous level of satisfaction. It's another to see just how chunky / slim / ostentatiously lofty it is when sized up against its greatest competition. The good folks over at Pocketables took the time to disconnect for a few brief moments in order to photograph the 4G-capable MID alongside a few other mobile internet devices, smartphones, UMPCs and defunct wannabes. Heck, there's even a side-by-side with a stapler. Yeah, it's a can't miss piece, and it's all there for the taking in the read link.
Video: HY Research's Beagle Board-based MID
This next item is a homebrew MID loosely based on the funky and fresh Nokia N800. Sure, until Mr. HY Research gets a battery installed, the "mobile" part of this internet device will rely on an extension cord... but that said, this is one fun little project. Based on the ARM Cortex A8-based Beagle board, it features a 4.3-inch (480 x 272) display, Bluetooth, support for OpenGL ES 2.0, S-Video and HDMI outputs, USB, SD / MMC, RS-232, and audio in / out connections. As controls go, this thing sports not only a touchscreen, but a five position joystick, three position slider, and plenty of buttons as well. Not bad, not bad at all. The company is on the lookout for "consulting and designs of custom expansion boards," so if you're in the mood to do some business, hit that read link. If you're really just a fan (aren't we all?) there is an action packed video of the thing in action, after the break. [Via SlashGear]
Ubuntu 9.04 ported to Nokia's N8x0 Internet Tablets
Already bored with Cupcake, are you? If your Nokia Internet Tablet needs just one more operating system to test out, we've excellent news to pass your way. Ubuntu 9.04 (Jaunty Jackalope) is primed and ready for installation on Nokia's N8x0 family of handhelds, which obviously includes the N800 and N810. It should be noted, however, that Usplash and audio aren't working at the moment, but everything else seems to be humming along just fine. If you're looking for the step-by-step guide of hooking your handheld up with a real-deal OS, give that read link a long look.[Thanks, Addae]
Nokia's Internet Tablet hacked into secondary PC monitor
What's more exciting than seeing Cupcake on a Nokia Internet Tablet? Seeing your Internet Tablet double as a secondary display, naturally! If you're too cash-strapped to go out and get one of those newfangled USB displays to run your widgets / chat windows / etc. in, and you're scrambling for reasons to not toss that N800 or N810 on eBay, you should certainly give the read link a look. We can't say this is the easiest hack in existence, but considering that no soldering irons are required, we'd say even the novice could at least give it a go. Plus, you can't put a price on extra utility. You just can't. [Thanks, Addae]
Nokia's Handwriting Calculator makes math cool again
Be honest with yourself -- you loathe math. We mean, you're totally kosher with counting ohms and watts when dealing in DIY projects, but you'll gladly pay a certified accountant to handle your taxes. Chances are, though, that Nokia's new Handwriting Calculator will have you doing calculations you never thought you'd do once you nailed that Calculus IV book shut with a completely respectable B-. It's designed to operate on Nokia's "latest touchscreen devices (read: S60 5th Edition), such as the N800 and the 5800 XpressMusic," and it's being delivered free of charge from the always inventive Beta Labs operation. The greatest part about this is its ability to understand unorthodox symbols such as square roots and the like; too bad most professors outlaw cellphones during testing periods, huh? Video demonstration is after the break.[Via MobileSyrup]
Android-stuffed Cupcake comes to Nokia's Internet Tablet
It has been but a matter of hours since we first heard of the Cupcake branch of Android, but the tweaked-for-the-better operating system has apparently already made its way onto Nokia's Internet Tablets. The latest port of NITdroid is chock full of those sweet, highly fattening Cupcake goodies, and honestly, this whole development makes us cautiously optimistic about where all this is headed. Anyone care to give their N810 somethin' new to run on? Let us know how it works out.
Mobile Firefox (Fennec) being developed for Symbian
We can't be certain, but we're fairly sure we just heard the remnants of a million celebratory shouts from Symbian users the world over. Mobile Firefox, the promising web browser that just went alpha a few months back, is reportedly well on its way to S60 land. According to Mozilla's Christian Sejersen, the team feels that "in order for Mozilla to be relevant in the smartphone space, it needs to have a presence on the Symbian platform." Better still, the crew has already sparked up conversation with Symbian engineers, and early word has it that an initial release could be but months away. It's cool, you have every right to be thoroughly stoked.[Via UnwiredView]
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 pageRead - Fennec video walkthroughRead - Fennec on Windows Mobile screenshot
Nokia dishes out OS2008 Feature Upgrade for N810 / N800
The first official OS2008 update came to Nokia's internet tablets late last year, and those yearning for yet another can finally breath a sigh of relief. Reportedly, the company has pushed out the OS2008 Feature Upgrade for the N810 and N800, but we are told that users will still need to "reflash the device in order to install this release." Thankfully, future OS updates are slated to be provided over-the-air without the need to reflash. The changelog is actually quite lengthy, but the highlights include an open source email application based on Modest and the tinymail framework, simplified account setup and the introduction of Chinese character rendering support in email, browser and RSS feeds. Let us know how it goes, will ya?[Image courtesy of Seartipy, thanks Ryan]
Nokia Internet Tablets to get Ubuntu and Qt ports
We've already seen Google's Android mobile OS get shoehorned onto Nokia N810 tablet, but it looks like the Internet Tablet OS is about to get even more flexible with ports of Ubuntu and the Qt toolkit. Nokia is acquiring Qt developer Trolltech, so it's no surprise the Qt is making the jump, but it looks like it'll be mostly a third-party-targeted framework, with the ITOS interface and bundled apps still using GTK+. Nokia told Ars Technica that it's exploring cross-platform possibilities between ITOS and Series60, and that it wants to see if GTK+ and Qt can coexist on the tablets like they do on the Linux desktop. That's pretty ambitious for a low-powered tablet, but we're all for more flexibility -- which seems to be in the cards with the Nokia-sponsored port of Ubuntu to ARM. Several pre-Hardy Heron versions have been ported and run off SD cards, if you're feeling adventurous -- we're not sure what the advantages are, but it's nice to know that Nokia's keeping things wide open.[Via Digg]
HAVA player hits Nokia's internet tablets
Monsoon's HAVA HD streamer doesn't get quite as much love as the various Slingboxes, but it's a fine piece of kit with features Sling doesn't have quite yet, like pause and rewind -- and now it's got one more supported client platform, as the company's using CTIA to roll out support for Nokia's Internet Tablet OS. That means the N800 and N810 can now get in on the action, and the quality looks pretty decent -- the crew over at Internet Tablet Talk got a chance to play with an early version, and they think it looks even better than the PC client. Hmm, looks like that WiMAX N810 could double as a fairly decent portable TV, eh? Video after the break.[Thanks, Joey]
Keepin' it real fake, part CVI: N800 gets Chinafied
$140 can't get you too far in the gadget world these days, but if you're in the market for a totally crap-ass knockoff of Nokia's slim and slender N800 tablet, look no further than this "dual-band PMP cellphone," all hooked up with a QVGA display, dual cameras, Bluetooth, 128MB memory, and enough snazz to blow away the real thing. We're being so sincere right now.[Via PMP Today]
Xohm on track for April launch with up to 10 devices, nation mops brow
Sprint's CTO, Barry West, is working hard to alleviate concerns that their mobile WiMax service plans might be in jeopardy. Speaking on a WiMax panel here at CES, West said that things are on track for a commercial launch of their Xohm service in April in the Baltimore, Washington, DC and Chicago markets. At that time, up to 10 WiMax devices should be ready to roll which, if our Xohm booth tour is any indication, would include a WiMax-enabled Samsung Q1 UMPC, Nokia N800, and Eee PC among a few laptop and desktop modems. The service will sell for "reasonable rates" with plans to cover daily, weekly, monthly, or longer commitments. Devices like WiMax-enabled cameras could be sold with the service price baked in according to West. A 1-week disposable camera we imagine. However, unlike cellular services, Sprint has no plans to subsidize WiMax devices. While none of this is new, we're definitely relieved to hear it again.
Amazon's "Best of 2007" topped by Wii, a few surprises
Certain winners on Amazon's "Best of 2007" list of could've been seen coming a mile away, but in the top sales category we were just a little surprised to see the Canon PowerShot A570 IS topping the list of electronics, and Nokia's Internet Tablet topping out computers (unclear if that counts as the N800 or N810 or both). The Wii naturally held top honors for video games. "Most-loved" included Garmin's nuvi 350 under electronics, the MacBook Pro under computers, Leopard in software and Wii under video games. Wish lists were dominated by the 3rd-gen 4GB iPod nano, Asus EEE PC and the Wii, while top gifts included that same nano, as well as the MacBook and Super Mario Galaxy.
Nokia N810 firmware leaks, runs on N800
Although we can't see why you'd want to run anything except Palm OS Garnet in emulation on your Nokia N800 tablet, those of you aching for the latest and greatest are getting a little boost -- the firmware for the N810 leaked yesterday, and users have discovered it runs like a champ on the N800. The update boosts the processor to 400MHz, revs the browser to a faster Mozilla-based core, and includes Skype video support. It's not a drag-and-drop upgrade -- you'll have to score an N810 serial number and have access to a Linux box -- but something tells us those of you who've snagged an N800 aren't going to be all too fazed by that.[Thanks, Kozzi]