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Nokia Xpress Now brings content discovery to Asha phones, in beta now
Nokia took to its blog today to introduce Xpress Now, an enhancement for its Xpress browser. Made for Asha devices, the web app delivers personalized content suggestions based both on your personal preferences and those of the browser's "more than 80 million monthly users." These new recommendations come courtesy of three separate browsers views: What's Hot, You May Also like and Most Liked. The categories are largely self-explanatory, and we imagine suggested content will be more spot-on after the app has been around for a few months. For the time being, though, Nokia Xpress Now is in beta in India, and it should make its away to other countries later in 2013.
Opera Mini 7.5 update for Android adds Smart Page for social and news updates
Opera Mini for Android has been upgraded to version 7.5, bringing with it a new "Smart Page'" feature that aggregates social media updates and news from your most frequently visited websites. Smart Page works by creating feeds for your favorite web destinations and suggesting other sources based on your surfing habits. So far, Opera Mini 7.5 with the Smart Page is only available on Android -- you can download it via the browser's site or through Google Play. Check out a demo of the new feature in action below.
Baidu launches mobile web browser, wants a bigger slice of China's mobile Internet
Being the biggest search engine in China just isn't enough for Baidu, which has revealed its new mobile internet browser. The Internet company already dominates desktop-based internet search but has to spar with the likes of UCWeb and Tencent for attention on smartphone platforms. Baidu says its new browser will improve browsing speeds and offer access to its other web-based apps. The program will also augment Baidu's own mobile OS, which launched back in May, with the company aiming to get its browser pre-installed on 80 percent of smartphones sold in China by the end of the year.
Opera Mini 7 comes to feature phones and BlackBerry, upgrade notifications in tow
Opera Mini 7 has been available via the Google Play market since the end of March, but if you're still milking a feature phone for all it's worth, you haven't been able to enjoy the latest version of the mobile browser. Opera Mini 7 is now available for basic phones and BlackBerry, allowing these devices to store an unlimited number of speed dials and access the new Smart Page feature for shortcuts to favorite sites. In addition to those new features, Opera Mini 7 includes several improvements and tweaks, including upgrade notifications and the ability to close tabs with one click on touchscreen phones. Of course, the browser still promises to cut down on your device's bandwidth usage, so your flip phone can keep on chugging.
The BBC's coverage promises to make you sick of the Olympics by the time it's done
How much Olympics is too much Olympics? The BBC aims to find out at this year's London 2012 games, by offering up "the most comprehensive coverage ever," a list that includes 2,500 hours of coverage via the broadcaster's site and up to 24 live HD streams. Live coverage will be offered up for every sport and each sport, athlete, venue and country will have its own page on the site. The BBC will also be providing a free mobile app, a mobile browser site and apps for connected TVs -- 3D and Super Hi-Vision coverage is a bonus. Check out an explanatory video about the new video player after the break, as well as some scheduling information in the source link below. And maybe think about a training regimen to get ready to watch this summer's games.
Twitter makes its mobile site more feature phone friendly
When you look at the latest, greatest devices from Apple, Samsung, Motorola and the like all day, it can be easy to forget that not everyone out there is sporting a smartphone. But feature phone users have thoughts and feelings that need to be tweeted at all times, too. It's a good thing then, that Twitter's seen fit to update its mobile site to help offer a more uniform experience to users with old browsers, low bandwidth and handsets that don't quite fit under the "smart-" moniker. The new mobile site, available at mobile.twitter.com, rolls out today.
Dolphin iOS browser adds voice control
Dolphin has updated its popular iPhone web browser and the latest version now includes voice control. The feature, called Dolphin Sonar, lets you use your voice to search the internet, share content with your favorite social networks, add bookmarks and do simple navigation tasks like opening new tabs or moving to the top of a page. To launch voice control, all you need to do is shake your phone or press the on-screen microphone button. Dolphin also brought back the URL keyboard and now lets you download images directly to your photo library. There's also a few customizations, like four different search engine options, three font sizes and night mode, that'll make browsing on your phone or tablet an enjoyable experience. You can download Dolphin Browser for the iPhone from the iOS App Store for free. Dolphin Sonar can be activated with a 99-cent in-app purchase.
iOS ends 2011 with 52% of mobile Web browsing
iOS began 2011 by grabbing more than half of the mobile browser market share and ended 2011 equally strong. According to mobile web browsing data from Net Applications, which counts unique visitors to its network of websites, iOS accounted for 54.07% of the mobile browser market in January 2011 and dropped slightly to 52.10% by the end of the year. The mobile platform stayed mostly steady in the intervening months, but there were a few fluctuations. Market share climbed to 61.50% in October 2011, presumably fueled by the launch of the iPhone 4S, and fell as low as 46.57% in February 2011. This dip might be the result of the iPad 2. Some original iPad owners may have sold their tablet in anticipation of the iPad 2, which was unveiled in early March. Among its competitors, Android climbed from 12.75% to 16.29%, while Symbian fell from 7.40% to 5.76%. Other platforms remained about the same with only minor changes in market share. These figures are interesting because they don't fit in with other metrics that show Android is the leading mobile OS. When you look at activations and handset sales, there are more Android handsets being sold than Apple iPhones. Consequently, you would expect Android to have a larger market share than it does. So why the discrepancy? This difference is likely the result of mobile Safari which, in my opinion, offers a better browsing experience than Android. Mobile Safari is an excellent browser, which was made even better now that it supports tabs on the iPad. Safari for iOS also loads pages quickly and is very responsive to multitouch gestures like pinch to zoom. Though Android's mobile browser is decent, it just isnt as smooth or polished as iOS. Scrolling can be choppy, copying text from pages is clunky and Adobe Flash seems to slow things down. It's a capable browser that'll serve up information, but it doesn't have the same enjoyable experience as iOS. [Via AppleInsider]
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.
Android Browser leapfrogs Opera Mini, but Safari increases its lead
Web browser warriors have some more statistical firepower to play with, now that Net Applications has released the latest usage figures for mobile browsers. Google's vaguely titled Browser has inched up from a 16.3 percent share last month to 18.7 percent, counterbalanced by Opera Mini, which declined from just under 19 percent to 13.1 percent. Similarly, both Symbian and BlackBerry's mobile browsers dropped a few percentage points, down to 2.6 and 2.4 percent respectively. While rumors of a mobile-friendly version of Chrome continue to bounce around, there remains a substantial gap between second-place Android and the current mobile browser boss, Apple's Safari, which has now extended its dominance from 55.6 percent to 62.2 percent. The battle of the browsers wages on.
Qualcomm launches Vellamo browser benchmark for Android devices
Qualcomm's not exactly a novice when it comes to sizing up phones -- it's already responsible for the graphics benchmark Neocore. Now, it also wants to show you just how much your mobile browser is lagging. The company just introduced Vellamo, a suite of 11 tests designed to gauge browser performance on Android phones and tablets. In case you're curious, it takes its name from the Finnish goddess of the sea who lures away sailors web surfers (Qualcomm's joke, not ours). And yes, it'll work with any device running Android 2.0 or above, even if it doesn't pack a Qualcomm-made processor. These tests span four broad categories -- rendering, JavaScript, user experience, and networking -- with only two requiring an internet connection (even then, you can cherry pick specific tests to run). We took it for a spin on our aging, Froyo-packing, Motorola Droid, whose score of 237 landed at the very bottom of the list of results, far behind tablets and newer handsets. (As of this writing, Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 took the cake.) Curious to see how your device ranks? Hit the source link to download the free APK file. %Gallery-128414%.
Google Sites simplifies iOS and Android viewing with automatic mobile rendering
Do you use Google Sites to publish to the web? The search giant just added automatic mobile rendering to make your website more mobile-friendly when viewed on an iOS 3.0 or Android 2.2+ device. A new setting to "Automatically adjust site for mobile phones" can be activated in the site management page, at which point pages designed for desktop viewing will be displayed in a much simpler web format, so readers won't need to pinch-to-zoom just to see a page's content. Google also added mobile versions of the site list, sites search, and browse sites categories, for easy access from your smartphone. There's nothing groundbreaking here, but if you happen to run a Google Site or have a friend that does, it wouldn't hurt to flip the switch on mobile viewing -- your visitors will appreciate it.
Bing Mobile updated, news and maps get minor facelifts
How can you "be what's next" without having what's next on your phone? Bing is here to help you fulfill its tagline by updating its mobile site for any device that runs HTML5. If the update had a highlight reel to show off the newest features, here's what would be on it: a carousel-like interface in the news section that lets you swipe your finger left or right to switch to other categories; maps that show directions together in split-screen format; a search history complete with trending topics; and the ability to share images and links on Facebook. The new enhancements are now available to iOS, Android, and BlackBerry, so it's an easy jaunt over to your browser to check it out. Or, if you're reading this on your phone, give the ol' More Coverage link a quick tap.
Firefox 5 for Android adds CSS animation, support for Do Not Track browsing
The Firefox team is moving as quick as a...well, you get the idea. Nearly two months after releasing its latest browser to the masses, the folks at Mozilla have unleashed Firefox 5 for Android as a beta for willing souls who happen upon it in the Market. The latest rendition will hook you up with support for CSS animations, improved canvas and JavaScript performance, and lower memory usage. You're also going to find Do Not Track included for the first time, which is a privacy setting that prevents other sites from following you around. Otherwise, for a major release, there isn't a ton of meat -- then again, Mozilla's switched things up a bit by popping out updates on a more frequent basis, making few changes to each one, so anyone feeling a bit underwhelmed should know that the team's already hard at work on Firefox 6. Head down to the source links to download the beta and learn what's new.
Google updates Maps for mobile browsers
Google has updated Google Maps for iOS and Android mobile browsers, adding features that those who use Google Maps for iOS or on a desktop have had for awhile. These features include the ability to view your current location, suggestible search and auto completion; clickable icons; directions for driving, walking, biking and transit; different map layers to toggle satellite, traffic and more. I'm honestly surprised these features weren't in the web app before. To give it a try, head to maps.google.com via a mobile browser. [via MacStories]
Firefox 4 for Android launched, ready to Sync and speed up your browsing
It was a release candidate just about a week ago and today it's all ready to go. Firefox 4 for Android has just been released from the Mozilla labs and is now prowling the mobile internet. You can get yours at the Android Market, in no less than 10 languages, though there'll be no Flash playback. Still, tabbed browsing, extreme customizability, and bookmark / tab / history coordination between desktop and mobile (via Firefox Sync) are all nice to have, as is the promised threefold improvement in speed over the stock Android browser. Pretty nice list of improvements for some freebie software, wouldn't you say?
Bing for Mobile portal gets updated, brings HTML5-based fanciness
Whatever Google (and Yahoo!) can do, Bing can do better? It doesn't exactly have that so-called ring to it, but Bing has proven to be a legitimate contender in the search wars -- particularly on the mobile side. This week, Microsoft launched a number of updates to the Bing for Mobile browse portal, giving users access to better and faster image search, real-time transit and directions, app search for the iPhone, and more. The new version relies on HTML5, and the company assures us that Windows Phone 7 support for the updates (and HTML5) will be available later in the year. On-the-go users will also see transit directions (real-time in Boston, San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, and Los Angeles), a reorganized shopping experience, automated weather suggestions and app / movie searches. Head on down to the source link (on your phone, of course) to see if any of the new features have you sold.
Mozilla Firefox 4 RC for Android and Maemo now up for grabs
If you're liking what Firefox 4 for mobile already offers in its previous beta builds, then you'll certainly want to check out its release candidate that went live on Monday -- just less than six months after the browser when beta. According to Mozilla, this new build provides a better overall user experience with faster scrolling and improved Firefox Sync, along with other goodies like Awesome Screen smart shortcuts, tabbed browsing, Firefox Add-ons, and Persona themes. Sounds a lot like its desktop sibling (which has a healthy 4.9 million downloads already), doesn't it? Head over to the source page for the Android and Maemo download links, or you can have a look at Mozilla's latest video after the break if you need some convincing.
ThinkFlood's RedEye universal remote control becomes web compatible, leaves past woes in the dust
After going through some rough times with its RedEye mini dongle and doing right by replacing them, ThinkFlood appears to be running full beam ahead once more. Specifically, the company has announced that RedEye owners will soon have the ability to setup and control their remote systems straight from their PC or mobile browser. On the mobile front, apparently the web app will even work on Android and BlackBerry devices, despite being optimized for Safari on iOS -- hinting that non iPhone owners could possibly let their phones control more than their social lives soon. Setup wise, the web version also allows users to automatically align and move multiple buttons at once, plus assign commands to over 70+ keyboard shortcuts. Combined with the ability to make adjustments using a mouse on a computer's larger screen, tweaking custom RedEye remote layouts just got infinitely easier -- you hear that Harmony? The iOS app 2.0 update is also now available as a free 'Plus' download in the iTunes store, and finally supports the iPad's lovely screen in either orientation. In a sense, it's further substantiating the tablet's new career path as a jumbo-buttoned geezer remote of the future, but hey -- no gripes here.
Windows Phone 7 will work with third party browsers, so long as they're based on IE? (video)
Internet Explorer not stirring your cup of Windows Phone 7 tea correctly? Well, you now have an alternative in the form of a new browser that's arrived in the Marketplace: Browser+. It does seem to have been built on IE code rather than its own framework, so don't get your hopes up for Chrome to Phone on WP7 any time soon. Anyhow, the new app's been given a test drive by a couple of sites, who note it integrates a view of your current tabs and a Google search box right into the general web view, providing a slightly more accessible interface than the default option, while also throwing in a private surfing mode for the paranoid among us. A few crashes and bugs have been spotted in Browser+ so far, but hey, it's cheap and it at least gives us hope for a less monotheistic browsing experience. See it in video action after the break.
