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Volvo says all its new vehicles now support over-the-air updates
Volvo now offers over-the-air (OTA) software updates across its entire vehicle lineup, it announced.
Volvo is betting big on mobile to push its car subscription service
The Volvo S60 will be the second car the automaker will "lease" via its Care by Volvo subscription service when it lands in showrooms in the next few months. But it turns out, that half the folks that flocked to subscribe to the XC40 didn't walk into dealerships. They "bought" the small SUV via their phones.
Volvo surprises with its stylish and quick S60 sedan
When you mention safety and cars, most folks bring up Volvo. For decades, safety wasn't (as the kids say) cool. But in a world with increasing amounts of cars on the road in dense urban areas teaming with motorcycles, bicyclists, pedestrians and fearless raccoons, having a car that aims to protect everyone is now the coolest thing you can have on the road.
Volvo's subscription-only performance hybrid launches today
The almost-everything-included Care by Volvo subscription service is about to debut its most desirable vehicle, as the S60 T8 Polestar Engineered sedan will be available exclusively via the (iOS-only) app starting at noon ET today. The "Polestar" brand is supposed to indicate the extra performance touch applied to Volvo's electric powertrains, similar to the M or AMG brand seen on high-powered BMWs and Mercedes. It will also pop up on versions of the V60 wagon and XC60 SUV next year.
Volvo’s new US-made S60 sedan will be available via subscription
Volvo's new S60 sedan marks a bit of a sea change for the automaker: It's its first of its vehicles not to have a diesel variant, the first manufactured in the United States and the third to be included in the company's car subscription service. Given its commitment to release any new models after 2019 only in EV or hybrid, and half its sales electric by 2025, the S60 may be how Volvo vehicles are released going forward.
Panasonic reveals pricing for (most) 2013 HDTVs, puts plasma R&D on ice
Panasonic's NYC press event had more than pricing for its media streamers and Blu-ray players, as the company also put tags on its 2013 HDTVs. While it wasn't ready to announces MSRPs for its top of the line ZT60 plasmas that impressed us greatly at CES, it did put prices and shipping windows on its other models (check after the break for a complete list). The former flagship VT60 series will be available in 55-, 60- and 65-inch versions later this month for $2,600, $3,000 and $3,600, respectively. Cheaper plasma models include the ST60 and S60 series, available in sizes up to 60-inches. Its top of the line WT60 LCD LED-lit models will also ship later this month, topped by the 55-inch version with a sticker price of $2,999. The bad news? While Panasonic's plasma manufacturing will continue, The Verge reports VP Kiyoshi Okamoto confirmed at the event that development has ceased on its plasma models, although some engineers have been shifted to work on OLED displays. We'll see if its recovery efforts and technological developments lead to new large-size OLEDs anytime soon, but for now it appears we're seeing the last of its efforts to push plasma technology forward.
Volvo's driverless road train in Spain is public mainly on the plain (video)
It's been awhile since we saw Volvo's SARTRE (Safe Road Trains for the Environment) project, which was last running out of harm's way on a test track near Gothenburg. Volvo has just taken a big step forward in fostering confidence by conducting its road train on public asphalt. The 124-mile Spanish test both proved that the cars could stay driverless without posing a threat and upped the ante for what the cars could do: the lead truck, an S60, a V60 and an XC60 all moved along at a brisk 53MPH with a tighter gap between vehicles than there was in the original test, at just 20 feet. SARTRE was so successful in the public run that Volvo is now focusing on far less contentious issues -- like making sure fuel use drops by the promised 20 percent. There's still the looming question of making a viable business model, though Volvo's dream if realized will make sure no driverless car has to go solo.
Opera Mini 6.5 and Mobile 11.5 embark on data awareness mission, now available for download
Nearly three weeks after Opera Mini 6.5 graced the Android Market, it's now ready for iOS, BlackBerry, J2ME and S60 (the latter's in the form of Opera Mobile 11.5). The download, which is no different than what we saw on Google's mobile OS, brings with it an option to keep track of the amount of data you've used. This type of feature seems to be catching on all over the mobile world as more and more companies continue to switch to capped internet plans. If you're looking for this option, it appears as a dedicated page within the browser's help menu. Now is the time, Opera fans, to go forth and save data.
Nokia Nearby tells your S40 where the action's at
Just because you're packing an S40 or S60 device doesn't mean you should have to miss out on the haps. That's why Nokia Beta Labs is debuting a pilot app called Nokia Nearby, a hyper-local search app -- geared toward emerging markets with a heavy concentration of S40 handsets -- that helps you find restaurants, movie theaters and other locations within close range of your current location. Fortunately, GPS isn't required for the service to work properly, which makes it even more tempting to at least try out. Glance at the video below the break to get a quick demonstration, and move over to the source link to download the beta program.
Opera delivers new Mini, Mobile browsers with pinch-to-zoom and shows off one for TVs
Web browser maker Opera is staying busy, unleashing several new versions of its product upon the populace today. Both of its on the go browsers have been updated with modern technology like pinch-to-zoom, sharing to other apps, improved scrolling and new tablet-friendly interfaces, while its also ready to show off a new version for set-top boxes and updating tools to help developers create apps for Opera-powered TVs. In case you need a scorecard, Opera Mini 6 (available for J2ME, Android, Blackberry, Symbian/S60) compresses pages before downloading them and Opera Mobile 11 (for Android, Symbian, Windows 7, MeeGo, Maemo) promises the entire web for those on high speed connections like WiFi, explaining the platform crossover. Peep the demo above or press releases after the break if you're still not sure what pinch-to-zoom means in or just point your mobile browser to m.opera.com and download the latest version for your device -- iOS need not apply at this time.
Nokia toys with context-aware smartphone settings switch, Jigsaw provides better context for apps like this
If Intel prognosticated correctly, context is the future of apps -- your device's array of sensors will determine where you are and what you're doing, and clever programs will guess from there. Problems arise, however, when one tries to run those accelerometers, microphones, radio antennas and GPS tracking devices constantly on the battery life of an average smartphone and determine what the raw data means, and that's where a group of Dartmouth researchers (and one Nokia scholar) are trying to stake their claim. They've got a bundle of algorithms called Jigsaw for iPhone and Symbian that claims to be able to continually report what you're up to (whether walking, running, cycling or driving) no matter where you place your device, and only pings the sensors as needed based on how active you are. (For better or for worse, Jigsaw also dodges the privacy concerns Intel's cloud-based API might raise by storing all personal data on the phone.) Of course, we've had a very basic version of context-aware functionality for years in apps like Locale for Android and GPS-Action for Symbian -- which modifies your smartphone settings under very specific conditions you specify. Now, Espoo's doing much the same with an app called Nokia Situations. Presently in the experimental stage, Situations is a long ways away from the potential of frameworks like Jigsaw, but here you won't have to wait -- you can download a beta for Symbian^3, S60 5th Edition and S60 3.2 at our source links without further delay.
Opera Mini 5.1 hits Symbian, moves away from Java
Version 5.1 has been Opera Mini's big push for much of this year, and the release is finally filtering down to Symbian today. The big news, though, is that S60 owners will be able to use a native version of the popular proxy-based browser rather than the Java build they'd been left with previously, so we can assume that the move to native code is probably going to have a positive effect on performance. New features include clipboard and email client integration, the ability to select a default internet access point (so you're not prompted every time), better fonts, and a variety of performance-centric improvements. The beta is available now; follow the break for the press release.
Fring reveals FringOut for cheap VoIP calls, challenges Skype head-on
When we first caught wind of Fring a while back, Skype compatibility was the draw, but as the years progressed and Fring grew some, the VoIP services didn't exactly get along. Today, the company's taking matters into its own hands with the not-so-subtly named FringOut, which appears to provide even cheaper calls to landlines and mobile phones than its powerful namesake. Starting on Nokia's S60 platform and "coming soon" to Android and iPhone, FringOut's promising as-low-as one-cent-a-minute calls. Sounds like a deal to us, but of course, call quality is paramount -- let us know if you like what you hear if you happen to try it out. PR and video after the break.
Swype beta hits S60 5th Edition
Swype is still far more difficult to get than we'd like -- basically, you either need to be in an invite-only beta or own a device where it ships in ROM -- but it's being opened up to a pretty sizable new set of potential customers this month now that it's been ported to S60 5th Edition in an open beta. It's currently tested for use on the 5800, 5230, X6, N97, N97 Mini, and C6 -- and considering that most of those devices use resistive screens, we're really curious to hear how well it works (for what it's worth, Samsung's Omnia II includes Swype in the box and uses a resistive display, so this isn't a first). Installation looks pretty straightforward and you don't need to jump through any hoops or be invited to get the binary, so let us know how it goes for you, alright? Follow the break for the official video demo. [Thanks, Lloyd N.]
Nokia C6 firmware hacked with care onto 5800 and 5530
Considering the sheer volume of 5800 XpressMusics that Nokia has sold over the past year and a half, it's little wonder that they've got a few dedicated hackers out there working on keeping the company's first S60 Fifth Edition device up to date, isn't it? Sure enough, the C6's updated skin with legit home screen widgets has been shoehorned onto both the 5800 and its 5530 sibling -- and although the update process seems like a bit of a nightmare fraught with bricking dangers, a successful update means you might be able to go another year without shelling out for a new set. Cheers to that, we say. Follow the break for the firmware in action on a 5800 (Navigation Edition, we think). [Thanks, Kalle H.]
Sony Ericsson Vivaz coming September 5th to AT&T
In the mood for a good Ma Bell camera phone (emphasis on the camera more than phone)? Sony Ericsson and AT&T have just now decided to bring the Symbian S60-packing Vivaz stateside, still touting a 720p autofocus HD video mode and a 8.1 megapixel camera. Price of entry is $80 on contract (after $50 mail-in rebate) and according to the press release will hit retail September 5th in Galaxy Blue -- or should you like a more specified celestial color, a Venus Ruby option will be offered online for a limited time. Just don't forget it's a resistive screen; lose the stylus or you'll be keeping a fingernail long for about two birthdays. Press release after the break.
Nokia C6 already updated with 8 megapixel cam, dual flash?
For whatever reason, Nokia's Dutch outpost is showing off a C6 variant that's been up-spec'd to 8 megapixels with dual flash, a 3 megapixel bonus over the existing model -- a phone that still isn't widely available in all markets. This kind of has a whiff of something Nokia would do; they've done it in the past by gently massaging the N85 into the N86, for instance, but so soon? [Thanks, Patrick]
Symbian-Guru shuts down, says Nokia is 'losing hard'
Well, we can't sugar-coat this one -- when a major Nokia / Symbian site like Symbian-Guru decides to close up shop "thanks to Nokia's consistently piss-poor hardware choices and Symbian's lack of ability to even remotely compete in terms of features," there's not much else to say. It sounds like shutting things down was at once both incredibly easy and incredibly hard for site heads Ricky Cadden and Rita El Khoury, who've both penned long letters about their decision -- you can tell both of them remain incredibly passionate about Nokia and Symbian, but that they've been disappointed by mediocre handsets like the N97 one time too many. Better hope Nokia can take that MeeGo for handsets pre-alpha we saw yesterday and whip it into something good, we suppose. You should really hit the source link and read the entire post on Symbian-Guru, but we've collected some choice quotes after the break.
Nokia E73 Mode review
Some two years after its release, there are still plenty of people who'll swear up and down that the E71 is the finest phone Nokia has ever produced -- and for good reason. As a platform, S60 was the product of a simpler time when the smartphone market was dominated not by touchscreens, but by numeric keypads, and the E71 was arguably the last of a string of bona fide successes that Nokia enjoyed in the platform's heyday alongside pioneering handsets like the N82 and N95. Thing is, the E71 was different than those other models in a very important way: it was elegant. Historically, Nokias have typically favored function over form and saved the highest-quality materials for the Vertu line, but the E71 bucked that trend -- it was slim, sexy, chock-full of metal, and curved in all the right places. In fact, to this day, it remains one of the best-looking, best-feeling smartphones ever made. Customers (and reviewers) made their love for the E71 clear, and Nokia sought to recapture the glory with the introduction of the refined, upgraded E72. For Americans, of course, the biggest problem with the E72 was that you couldn't buy it from a carrier -- and unlike the E71, it never got much traction as an unlocked purchase. That's where the E73 Mode comes into play, a mildly reworked version of the E72 with T-Mobile branding and, of course, support for 3G on T-Mobile's AWS bands. Put bluntly, though, this is still just a warmed-over E71 -- and in 2010, is there a market for that? Let's have a look.%Gallery-95094%
Nokia X5 square slider gets official in Singapore (update: video!)
Well, hey, Nokia just officially launched the X5 in Singapore, apparently as a followup to the Twist and the latest chubby square slider to hit in the past few months after the Motorola Flipout and Kin One. No, we're not sure why this form factor is suddenly a Thing either. This guy is actually Nokia's second X5 --a China-only X5 with a totally different design was announced in April, so that's nice and confusing. We don't have an official spec sheet on this new X5 yet, but we're told it runs Symbian S60, and has a five megapixel camera, Facebook, MySpace and YouTube integration, as well as some sort of shake-based notification feature we don't really understand. It comes in black, hot pink, bright blue, and, um, unattractive yellow, and it's pretty thick, if the hands-on photos are to be believed. That's all we know for now -- hit the source links for a bunch more photos, and we'll let you know if we hear anything else. [Thanks, Gabriel]
