Wireless Archive

I just published a review of the Nokia 770 Linux-based internet tablet over at TuxTops.com. For the past week I got to fully test the hardware and software supplied and then evaluate the strongs and weak points of the product.

As reported by Engadget, Apple Newton enthusiasts have the Einstein core running on a Sharp Zaurus SL-5500 PDA. The port is still slow but the developers are hopeful to fully optimize it soon.

"Palm this week introduced a Treo model that uses the latest version of Microsoft's Windows Mobile software (formerly known as Pocket PC). On the outside, the new Treo 700w looks very much like the current Palm-based model, the Treo 650, which will remain on sale and will continue to be developed on a parallel track. On the inside, though, the new Treo's key software functions - phone, email, Web, multimedia - are all different."

Commodore, famous for revolutionizing the personal computer space, has had many ups and downs. But now the name is back, emblazoned on a handheld that does the lot - the Commodore Combo. The Combo is a portable NAV/MP3/MP4/CE device based on a Windows CE platform.

PalmSource officials insist there is a future for the veteran handheld operating system, but some industry experts say deploying Palm OS-based handhelds is risky. Access, which is best known for its NetFront cell phone browser, has yet to provide a detailed road map for Palm OS.

When the first announcements came out that a new Sharp Zaurus would "run Linux," the Linux community was abuzz with fascination and rumors. Years later, there are still handheld devices running Linux that draw inspiration and ideas from Sharp's work, even though the Linux-based Zaurus has faded to obscurity in the U.S. market. In this article Peter Seebach dismantles the Zaurus SL-5600 to get a better look into history. Elsewhere, Linux boots on Palm devices.

The most full-featured smartphone in the world, the Nokia N80, is previewed by AllAboutSymbian. The SymbianOS 3rd Edition S60 phone has all modern features a user needs (including WiFi, 3G, VGA videoconf camera in addition to a 3MP camera, UPnP, Bluetooth 2.0 with the A2DP and printing profiles, 352x416 screen, stereo FM radio etc) and it's short only to DVB-H TV reception and a more powerful 3D accelerator. The russian site Mobile-Review previewed the S60 3rd Edition a few days ago too showing off the immense visual and other differences of the operating system compared to the older version.

"After spending a few days using the 770 intensely, I feel conflicted about it. I want to love it, and some aspects of it exceeded my expectations. At the same time, the 770 has some serious shortcomings that need to be addressed in v2.0 of the 770 (or in the 771) if it is going to have wide success." More reviews: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6. Update by ELQ: And another one too.

OpenSync is a synchronization framework that is platform and distribution independent. It consists of several plugins that can be used to connect to devices (e.g. phones, PDAs etc), a sync-engine and the framework itself. It is capable of synchronizing any type of data, including contacts, calendar, tasks, notes and files. Version 0.18 was released a few days ago and its team and KDE's have joined forces.

LG and SavaJe Technologies have annoucned a handset using SavaJe OS, a Java Platform, Micro Edition (Java ME) Connected Device Configuration (CDC) based open OS. Elsewhere, Palm is not going to abandon PalmOS until 2010 (well, except if RIM buys them, we guess), two new Motorola Razr phones carry the iTunes software, and finally, Siemens/BenQ dumps Symbian for Windows Mobile.

Nokia released today a number of updated development PDFs on their 'S60 3rd Edition' platform on top of Symbian OS v9.1: "S60 2nd/3rd Edition: Differences In Features", "Introduction To The S60 Scalable UI", "S60 Platform: Scalable UI Support", "S60 Platform: Source And Binary Compatibility", "S60 Platform: Avkon UI Resources". Nokia also released a new web browser based on KHTML. Except the innovative zoomable interface, the browser also supports pop-up blocking, visual history, find-as-you-type, integrated RSS support, DHTML with AJAX support and Netscape-style plug-ins for Flash Lite, SVG-tiny and audio. The new web browser (check the flash demo) is available to all new Nokia phones using the 'S60 3rd Edition', like the impressive and newly announced N80.

Nokia rebranded its 'Series 60' platform as simply S60. They also released an overview of the 3rd edition Feature Pack 1 of the Nokia UI for the Symbian-based S60, with a new security framework and built-in content protection improve developer investment protection, while still enabling freeware applications. FOTA enables software upgrades to be performed over the air, initiated by either the user or operator. POC brings "walkie-talkie" functionality to mobile devices without the limitation of distance. There are also enhancements to the XHTML browser, a flexible XML based framework for UI customization, stronger multimedia features and improvements in performance. Elsewhere, Palm's CEO says that Palm won't use Symbian because "Nokia owns Symbian", while he claimed that the Palmsource spin off from Palm was a mistake.

"Blackberry killer. That's Microsoft's hope for its new ActiveSync Direct Push Technology in Exchange 2003 Service Pack 2 for Windows Mobile 5.0." And elsewhere: "Accoding to research firm Canalys, global shipments of smart mobile devices is up 75% year-on-year in Q3 2005, with handheld shipments falling 18%, while converged devices more than double in volume."

Mobile-Review posted a multi-screenshot article introducing the UIQ 3.0 user interface for the Symbian OS. Even more screenshots here. The same web site also discusses the foot Nokia tries to put in enterprise communications with its new E series smartphones using Symbian kernel 9.1 and as its user interface the 'Nokia Series 60 v3'.