bellerefresh
Latest
Refresh Roundup: week of March 18th, 2013
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Nokia Belle Feature Pack 2 pulled again due to reported user issues
Like something from a school play, Nokia's Feature Pack 2 for Symbian Belle first bounded onto the stage prematurely, before being ushered back behind the curtain. Now, despite walking out at the proper time, it looks like it's fluffed its opening lines, and has been taken offline once more. The announcement came via a support discussion on one of Nokia's forum threads, with some users claiming they were unable to install it at all, or that some functions weren't working properly -- or worse, being unable to turn the handset back on -- for those that could. At the moment Nokia simply states that it has been pulled from servers, and it will advise once the update is back online. If you've been affected, head to the source for the official thread on the issue.
Nokia launches Belle Feature Pack 2 firmware OTA, Pureview 808 gets extra imaging goodies
Like the proverbial groundhog, Nokia's Feature Pack 2 for Symbian Belle peeked out a bit too early last month and had to withdraw back into its burrow. Now the new firmware upgrade for the Nokia 701, 700, 602 and Pureview 808 is out for realsies, with the latter star of the lineup getting the lion's share of new trinkets. Specifically, the big-sensored phone will now have a landscape Gallery Grid view option, which will enable faster and easier zooming, editing and sharing of images; more picture info like ISO value, white balance and location; and a reset button to get back to the default image setting in one touch. All the above Symbian Belle phones will get an updated browser with better HTML5 support, a (much) faster keyboard, the Video Pro editing application and Car Mode -- which gives "easy access to your phone's key features when you're driving," according to Nokia. If that makes you feel better about your legacy Nokia OS investment after all the company's Windows Phone 8 hoopla, check the source to see how to get it. [Thanks, Fakhre]
Refresh Roundup: week of September 17th, 2012
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Symbian Belle FP2 for Nokia 808 PureView spotted early, pulled quickly
Nokia has been tuning up its Symbian Belle phones with new software over the past few days, but there's been one glaring exception: the 808 PureView. The camera-centered behemoth isn't far behind, though, as a handful of users have spotted and grabbed a 113.10.1506 OS update lurking on Nokia's servers before it was abruptly yanked. While Nokia hasn't confirmed details of the upgrade, those few who tried the download can vouch that it really is Belle FP2, or Belle Refresh. As such, it's bringing an overhauled keyboard with text prediction, new versions of the browser and music player apps, fresh widgets and no doubt a few under-the-radar bug fixes. It's hard to know if the update is final code, so we'd advise caution before loading up any unofficial copies you might find -- even so, it's a portentous sign for 808 owners who'd like to have a definitive instance of smartphone-grade Symbian before the platform rides into the sunset.
