Spark: Homescreen replacement for social networking junkies

Hiplogic announced today their homescreen replacement for Android and Symbian devices.  Consisting of 3 major modules, Weather, Headlines and Status, it provides a simple and easy to use interface for integrating and keeping track of social networks and media. It’s available as a free download here.

Give it a try and tell us what you think.

Demo video below

via

Video: Nokia N8 Stop Motion Unboxing – with a twist!

As unboxings go, you’ve seen one , you’ve seen them all. But as a prospective buyer, every video is gold. Stop Motion unboxings are a bit of a rarity – and this one comes with a twist in that you can see the same video played back through the Nokia N8 – not through video but by picture flicking. Nice.

 

Thanks to Gadgetbuff/Bharad for the heads up on his unboxing over at his blog, Gadgetbuff

[Any cool unboxing ideas? totally got beat out with the stop motion one – currently nursing a major flu so my N8 coverage is slightly delayed – you know it would be there on the dot otherwise – soz readers. Can’t speak or even hold anything steady]

All you can eat music with (update, a few) Nokia N8’s from Ovi Music Unlimited (+Poll: were you aware of this?)

Skip to the poll!

UPDATE:Well this teaches me to verify info through twitter alone. This post about all N8s with free OMU is erroneous. Major apologies.

 

Well this is absolute NEWS to me. I have a major flu going on and my memory’s taking a hit, but I think I’d remember something as major as this if it was given enough of a promotion.

You may have heard about it but why was this not shouted about more to get it buried in our heads as much as “biggest sensor, 12mp, anodized aluminium”?

Normally Comes With Music phones (now Ovi Music Unlimited) are slightly more expensive than their non CWM/OMU counterparts – but the N8 is the same price (well dependent on where you buy it, but you get what I mean).

This is incredible, and such a huge factor to get the N8 on top of its already amazing host of features.

So why wasn’t there a fuss made about this. All you can eat, legal, DRM free songs/albums. TOTAL AWESOMENESS. I’m betting that this would influence a lot of sales if they knew that there’s like 5 million pounds of music FOR FREE.

• Fantastic way to get all the latest tracks – FOR FREE  – from international songs to local favourites.
• Now that there’s stronger crack down on digital piracy, this is a great way to stay legal
• Great way to discover tracks – no need to even try before you buy – just download!
• Partners the N8 very well – very nice, loud speaker, brilliant through headphones/A2DP headphones or surround sound system.
• Keep everything you download Forever
• (Should be possible to play on any device being DRM free.Ovi Blog was misleading about the DRM thing. Apparently it is bundled into OMU. See comments.

@DhruvBhutani and @NormanJ are already enjoying their N8 Ovi Music Unlimited. Go to Nokia Ovi Player and click activate under Ovi Music Unlimited. For some reason it doesn’t work for me 😦 Is it a UK thing? Trial handset thing? Maybe my Uni internet is blocking it. (Seems all you need is an OMU account as there is NO OMU edition of the Nokia N8 – they should all come with it. )

Now the poll. Being Nokia fans, you would probably be more in the know than most. Perhaps I just totally missed the boat on this one :p
Poll

Video: SPB Mobile Shell 3.7 demoed on the Nokia N8

SPB Mobile Shell is an application that revamps your Symbian phone’s user interface, and this year won the Nokia “Calling all innovators 2010 special prize”.

Matthew Miller from Nokia Experts gives us an overview of SPB Mobile Shell on his Nokia N8.

[YOUTUBE=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzUeDABMmo8]

VIA palmsolo

As Matthew says, it is a bit expensive (at 29.95USD) though this may be something you’ll be using everyday so the functionality and practicality of it all balances out.

Thanks to Duncan for the heads up

Nokia N8 Components cost 187USD (Same as iPhone 4 16GB) says iSuppli

A tear down of the Nokia N8 by El Segundo, California-based iSuppli has revealed an estimated components cost of 187.47. The iPhone 4 out of interest cost 187.51. Shockingly 4 cents difference in production whilst final cost of the N8 is around 549USD (much cheaper elsewhere btw if not buying from Nokia.com) whereas the iPhone 4 is 748.99. Over priced, over inflated iNess anyone?

The estimate doesn’t include costs for items such as labour, shipping, advertising, software development, patent licensing and general R&D.

According to Bloomberg,

“Samsung supplied the 3.5-inch AMOLED touchscreen, similar to that used in its own handsets,”. I wonder where the E7 screen came from. hmmm…

The camera component cost apparently 31.08USD, a bit of difference from Eldar’s 70EUR estimate.

via Bloomberg

Thanks to Rich Hafley for the heads up to tips@mynokiablog.com