I e-mailed Mikhail Sobolev regarding new screenshots of FBReader on Maemo platform, and today he posted some updated screenshots. I asked for a book with an image in it specifically, just to see how well the text aliases and how easy it is to go through an e-book, while on the plane, since I usually pack 2-3 titles into my PDA whenever I have a long trip and airport wait ahead.
I’d say overall it looks pretty good. Visit Misha’s page for more screenshots. You might have guesses from the images that the book on screenshots is The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupery.
Cisco Systems is interested in buying Nokia. What a strange marriage that would be, but there are some reasons to believe MarketWatch rumor:
The move is part of Cisco’s effort to increase its wireless infrastructure technology, according to the newspaper, which did not identify the source of its information. The report said Cisco had traditionally concentrated on acquisitions of niche technology players, but its Chief Executive John Chambers is believed to be interested in merging with a wireless infrastructure company, and Nokia has been identified as a likely target.
Update: BusinessWeek offers more insightful analysis:
It’s an audacious project, one with the potential to make Linksys more of a household name — maybe not as a maker of phones, TVs, and cameras, but as the company that makes them all work together. With the number of networked homes expected to rise from 2.5 million in 2004 to 21.6 million in 2009, according to IDC analyst Jonathan Gaw, there’s a rich potential market.
ExodusMachine points to Maemo as one of the reasons to get excited about Nokia 770 and also speaks of competition out there:
And don’t even talk to me about the pepper pad. That device looks neat, but I just can’t get past 802.11b and USB1.1 only on an over $700 device. I can get past that with something around the Nokia 770’s price (~$350).
Note to Nokia - how about pricing the 770 below $200? Parks Associates says that’s where the user interest peaks and the big bucks start rolling in.
I am a big fan of the Day of the Tentacle, the game being one of the first ones my friend loaned me when I got a computer, so the news abut ScummVM ported to Maemo by Tommi Komulained definitely sounds great. A whole bunch of LucasArts classics suddenly available on the gadget when it comes out.
So now we know two things for sure:
- Maemo has no problems with Cyrillic fonts (used in Russian, Ukrainian, and a bunch of other Eastern European languages).
- The display is pretty darn good for reading e-books.
TeleRead broke the news and then pointed to the posting on MobileRead forums and also linked to the development page, which warns us that the screenshots are quite old (well, and what’s up with that?)
Leave it to Mohammad Damt to surprise us with new game ports to Nokia 770. This time it’s Prince of Persia:
It was running fullscreen by switching to low resolution (I guess it’s 320×240) and I had nothing but the game screen. The game was quite impressive since it reminded me of the good old DOS days, although the move of the character needs some love. After a few minutes, I stucked with an important question: how to quit the game?
I will be holding out for Super Mario Brothers.
LibDev talks about alternative access devices in libraries:
Two devices, the Pepper Pad and Nokia 770, have spawned renewed interest in internet access devices that aren’t PCs or computers as we know them. I had a chance to meet with the Pepper folks and get some hands-on time with a Pepper Pad and I’ve started to imagine some of the ways I’d like to use such a device in libraries.
Nokia outgoing CEO to move into oil business.
How soon before we see this guy holding a 770 on an oil rig?
Mike Cane points to a Business 2.0 interview of Nokia CTO by Om Malik. Pertti Korhonen talks about the current problems of phone usability - keeping the devices simple yet functional:
User experience is really Nokia’s strength, and we are working on that all the time. I think our Series 60 platform is a good example of that simpler, easier interface.
According to Parks Associates survey, users are pretty vocal in pointing out they want few functions, but the ones that are most important to them. Notice how a lot of features, like PC synchronization, Internet browsing and photo capabilities arte actually getting more negative votes than positive.