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LiMo Foundation, global communications company, Orange and ACCESS CO., LTD, a global provider of advanced mobile software technologies—pioneers in the Mobile Linux movement—today announced that Orange and ACCESS have joined LiMo Foundation to unify the Mobile Linux industry and make truly open devices more accessible to mobile users all over the world. In recognition of its historic and pioneering role in the mobile Open Source community, Orange has been invited to join LiMo as a Founder member, alongside original Founders Motorola, NEC, NTT DoCoMo, Panasonic Mobile Communications, Samsung Electronics and Vodafone. ACCESS, which shares a strong heritage in Mobile Linux innovation, joins as a new Core member and will also hold a seat on the LiMo Foundation board. “The reputations of Orange and ACCESS for leadership within the Mobile Linux community are widely recognized, so these companies represent major additions to LiMo Foundation’s governing board,” said Morgan Gillis, executive director, LiMo Foundation. “Both Orange and ACCESS will make an invaluable contribution to delivering the LiMo Platform™ as a consistent, open source-based software platform that will benefit the entire mobile industry.”Dr. Malik Kamal-Saadi, principal analyst with Informa Telecoms & Media commented, “With Orange and ACCESS joining LiMo Foundation, we are now seeing even stronger industry support for LiMo’s open, transparent approach to delivering a global handset platform based on Mobile Linux. This important milestone illustrates an intensifying commitment across the industry to Mobile Linux compliancy, portability of applications from one mobile device to another and the achievement of better user experiences through unification.”“Orange was one of the first mobile operators to make significant strides in open source innovation,” commented Yves Maitre, senior vice president, devices, Orange. “Our vision is for a truly open mobile community which delivers richer mobile services, more affordable devices and a better experience for our customers. We previously supported open source Mobile Linux through our participation in the LiPS Forum. Today, we believe that by participating in LiMo, we will accelerate the delivery of new and compelling mobile services.”The addition of ACCESS provides further evidence of strong industry-wide engagement with LiMo Foundation. ACCESS and Orange have a long track record of collaborating to promote the introduction of Linux in the market for mobile and convergent devices. By participating in LiMo Foundation, the two companies will work to substantially advance the creation of Linux-based mobile platforms; establish an ecosystem that highlights the advantages of Linux development (including transparency, innovation and scalability); collaborate with other industry peers, and promote platform standardization.“Our motivation to join LiMo grew out of our longstanding dedication to accelerating Mobile Linux innovation,” said Toru Arakawa, CEO, president and co-founder of ACCESS. “Mobile users are demanding easier-to-use products with more sophisticated applications. Our experience in developing the ACCESS Linux Platform and our work with LiMo Foundation will help to meet these demands and hasten the development and delivery of new, innovative products. Together with Orange and the other Founder members, we look forward to playing a key role in bringing Mobile Linux innovations to market.”Kiyohito Nagata of NTT DoCoMo, chairperson of LiMo Foundation added, “Orange and ACCESS are true innovators within the mobile industry. These are companies with proven technologies and large, sophisticated customer bases that will further establish LiMo as a global Linux-based platform while reducing fragmentation in mobile. We greatly look forward to their contributions as new board members.”Launched in January 2007, LiMo Foundation is open to all vendors and service providers in the mobile communications marketplace, including device manufacturers, operators, chipset manufacturers, independent software vendors, integrators and third-party developers. LiMo members are participating collectively to building a rich ecosystem and have the ability to influence the evolution of the LiMo Platform, leaving them free to provide compelling and differentiated services to customers. LiMo’s technology will be showcased in Booth 8b135, Hall 8 at Mobile World Congress, February 11-14 in Barcelona. The Orange booth is located in Hall 1, stand 1E19. The ACCESS booth is located in the Courtyard Area CY06, Fira de Barcelona.For more information on LiMo Foundation and its guiding principles and bylaws, please visit www.limofoundation.org.

“Croker is another fun & addicting game by CrazySoft. It is based on the ‘Poker’ idea twisted into a unique and completely new kind of gaming.Game Objective: You must make groups of cards: 2 pairs (2+2). 3 of the kind (3). Full house (3+2). 4 of the kind (4). These groups are made like in Poker. Once the groups are made the cards are replaced by new ones and points/life earned.FEATURES:* Supports all latest devices.* 16bit crystal clear graphics!* Full screen graphics!* Frame by frame smooth animation* Speed control * Roller navigator support* Rich Sound effects (Only if device support it)* Vibration in game (Only if device support it)* Export Hi-Scores to internet ” Check it here:

Sony Ericsson today launched a new generation of phone: Touchscreen organisers with a broad appeal. The G700 and G900 phones are essential tools designed to organise the lives of all those with busy schedules to juggle, both at home and at work. The G700 is here to help you live your life to the full. This personal organiser in-your-pocket keeps your contacts, calendars, notes, pictures and favourite Web sites all in one place and just a fingertip away. Touch and go. The G900 has all the functions of the G700 with the added features of a unique new 5.0 megapixel Touch Auto Focus camera, touch photo album and editor. Perfect for those looking for a one-touch media experience combined with their organiser. “Sony Ericsson is delivering touchscreen and innovative organiser capabilities to a wide audience without compromising on the size or shape of the phone. Both the G700 and G900 have regular keyboards and are no larger than a regular phone.” says Martin Winkler, Director Global Marketing and Head of Multimedia Web at Sony Ericsson. “These phones are ideal for users that are only interested in making their lives simpler. It’s not about technology for the sake of it.” Sony Ericsson G700 phone One-touch full organiser functions Touch controlled Notes application – write and draw your memo’s Large 2.4″ display with unique single touch control menu 3,2 megapixel camera Compact size Calendar is KingAccess your calendar, reach family and friends and scribble and save your notes on your phone. With the G700, you can jot down a note on the screen with a stylus, just as you would with a pen on paper, and save it on your phone’s desktop to remind you – just as you’d stick a note on the fridge. You can even draw a map to the local shop or doodle personal notes to send them to your loved ones! Holding everything that is important to you wherever you go, the G700 is the most natural way to manage life. There’s no longer a need to have your home calendar separate from work – it works with you, the way you do. Intuitively simpleWith the G700 you can enjoy touchscreen text input, Web surfing, calendar and phone navigation. Want to contact someone at home? Just touch the relevant name in your phonebook and all of the various contact options will appear onscreen. It’s instantly intuitive messaging. You can even browse your photo album using the tip of your finger. The G700 also has dedicated keys for messaging, notes and a key lock on the side of the phone. All it takes is one press to unlock. Sony Ericsson G900 phone One touch media experience 5.0 megapixel camera with touch Auto focus and Multi-shot function One- touch media and organiser menu Large 2.4″ display with single touch control menu Wi-Fi™ for high speed data transfer and internet browsing Print-quality photos to keepThe G900’s 5.0 megapixel camera lets you take print-quality photos and share them with friends and family straight away. Frame your shot and decide where you want to focus the camera by simply touching the screen. Also, with Camera Multi-Shot, hold down the camera key and take as many pictures as you like. Great for taking photos of your kids as they dash around the garden! Scroll through all of the photos on your phone with touch control and even edit them there with the Touch photo album and editor. Stay mobileGot a moment to surf? Access your favourite Web pages when you’re in a Wi-Fi™ hotspot and view them on the large 2.4” display. Use the stylus or your finger to zoom-in or pan around the page. When you’ve barely got a moment to spare, get RSS feeds direct to your phone for the latest updates; news, football scores or whatever you are in to. Organize with a personal touchTouch, type or write… Everything comes naturally with the G900. Organise your schedule, touch and tap to make calls and jot down notes before you forget it. The G900 works your way to let you get more into your day. It’s the power of personal touch. The G700 will launch in Silk Bronze and the G900 will launch in Dark Red and Dark Brown. Both are UMTS 2100 and GSM/GPRS 900/1800/1900 phones that will be available in selected markets from Q2 2008.

“While the N96 takes the plaudits, Nokia’s N78 is probably going to be the bigger seller. With all the high spec features of the Nseries range (including assisted GPS; Carl Zeiss 3.2 megapixel lens with LED flash; and a 2GB ‘pre-fitted’ memory card), but in a more traditional candy bar shape, along with an integrated FM transmitter, to pass out your music and video to a nearby radio (eg in a car).What is clear is the consistent style of the latest Nseries devices has been decided on. With a Multimedia Menu Button and NaviWheel, the physical interface started on the N81 has carried on into the N78 (and the N96), which should please software developers (and give the N-Gage developers some consistency as well). The candy bar format of the N78 is likely to go down very well in a number of territories, including America.This also appears to be the ‘basic’ Nseries device which will be in the lower reaches of the price range, helping to get Nokia’s ideas of the new mobility to the internet to the mass market.Will be shipping in Q2 2008 at roughly 350 Euros before tax or network subsidy.Press Release and Specs
Integrated A-GPS
Audio playback time up to 24h
Music player with integrated FM transmitter (88.1 – 107.9 MHz)
CMOS 3.2 megapixel (2048 x 1536) autofocus camera with Carl Zeiss optics, LED flash and up to 20x digital zoom. Automatic tagging with capture location.
2.4″ QVGA (240 x 320) display with 16 million colors
Mobile broadband with WLAN and HSDPA
Multimedia menu and NaviTMwheel for accessing content
Take up to 1500* tracks with you on a pre-fitted 2GB memory card” via allaboutsymbian.com

Today at Mobile World Congress 2008, Microsoft Corp. announced that Sony Ericsson will deliver a new Windows Mobile phone, the XPERIA™ X1, which blends mobile Web communication and multimedia entertainment, to meet consumer demand for a premium mobile experience for work and play. “People should be able to have phones that deliver what they need throughout the day and stay connected with today’s broad array of on-demand information and entertainment no matter where they are,” said Pieter Knook, senior vice president, Mobile Communications Business, Microsoft. “Our shared vision with Sony Ericsson is to make the concept of ‘One Phone for Your Life’ a reality and finally give consumers the freedom of true mobility.” The sleek new Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 includes all the productivity that Windows Mobile provides, along with great features like a 3″ touch screen (800×480), an innovative arc-slider full querty keyboard and a 3.2 mp camera.See the XPERIA X1 in action at sonyericcson.com. The XPERIA X1 from Sony Ericsson lets users choose from a dynamic range of activities for work and play backed by the familiarity of Microsoft Windows and extensive availability of Windows Mobile applications and services. To be introduced in the second half of 2008, XPERIA X1 is the first phone to realize the vision of XPERIA, a new Sony Ericsson sub-brand that reflects a premium experience of energized communication. “XPERIA is our promise to think foremost about user experience and to deliver on our goal of providing a true premium experience — anytime, anywhere, anything, with anyone,” said Rikko Sakaguchi, head of Portfolio and Proposition at Sony Ericsson. “By working with Microsoft on the XPERIA X1, we have been able to couple our excellence in creating compelling consumer propositions with the productivity capabilities of Windows Mobile to deliver a seamless blend of mobile Web communication and multimedia entertainment within a distinctive design.” Sony Ericsson is the latest leading device manufacturer to design and market mobile phones based on the Windows Mobile platform. The company sold more than 100 million handsets in 2007 and excelled in sales of imaging and music-enabled devices, such as Cyber-shot and Walkman phones. In fiscal year 2007, Microsoft sold 11 million Windows Mobile licenses and expects to sell more than 20 million licenses in fiscal year 2008, making Windows Mobile a leading smartphone platform globally. With the addition of the XPERIA X1 from Sony Ericsson, four of the world’s top five makers of mobile phones will ship Windows Mobile devices in 2008. “The agreement between Microsoft and Sony Ericsson is undoubtedly a win-win for both companies,” said Lars Vestergaard, research director, European Wireless and Mobile Communications at IDC. “Marrying the power and ease of use of the Windows Mobile platform with the advanced consumer features Sony Ericsson is known for has the potential to reach the ‘sweet spot’ for mobile phones.” The XPERIA X1 features include the following: • Unique arc slider with wide-pitch, easy-to-use QWERTY keyboard, 3-inch clear wide VGA display and high-quality high-finish metal body• Windows Mobile, HSDPA/HSUPA and Wi-Fi™ support so customers can enjoy their favorite entertainment and work efficiently on the move • XPERIA™ panels to navigate Web, multimedia and other applications with the tip of a finger

LG Electronics, a worldwide technology and design leader in mobile communications and Symbian Limited, the market leader in open mobile operating systems, today announced ‘LG-KT610’ a GPS-enabled, stylish candy bar mobile phone with a unique 2.4 VGA flip screen holding a PC-like Qwerty keypad. Based on Symbian OS v9.2 and S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 1, ‘LG-KT610’s users can take full advantage of a rich suite of multimedia features and applications.The sleek new ‘LG-KT610’ is powered with HSDPA connectivity at 3.6 Mbps and GPS navigation capabilities. Combined with a QWERTY keypad and push email functionality, socialising, working and web browsing on-the-go is made easy. Symbian OS ensures the benefits of advanced power efficiency and a high-level of OS security, crucial for social and professional users.Jorgen Behrens, Executive Vice President, Marketing, Symbian, said, “The ‘LG-KT610’ combines a sleek flip-screen design and advanced computer capabilities with high performance technology from Symbian OS. We welcome the launch of the ‘LG-KT610’ and look forward to continued collaboration with LG Electronics on mobile phone development in the future.”JJ Lee, Head of New Business Development Team, Executive Vice President of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company said, “LG’s partnership with Symbian is significant as the two endeavour to meet what customers really want with smart phones. LG will tighten our focus on creating insight-based values for the customers in the rapidly growing smart phone market.”

“Paragon Software Group – the leading developer of innovative software for Desktop PCs and mobile devices, and Samsung Electronics – a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies – signed an agreement on Samsung’s Symbian OS based i450, i550 and i560 series smartphones for the Russian market to include a pre-installed version of the Oxford Russian Dictionary, the most comprehensive database by Oxford University Press, working under the powerful SlovoEd engine, and increasing accessibility for mobile users working in a multilingual environment.The SlovoEd engine, developed through extensive research as well as input from end-users, allows the mobile user to rapidly access more than 185,000 entries and references, and requires only 3.98 MB of memory space on the Samsung device. At the same time, the dictionary database contains more than 290,000 translations, including modern idioms, British, American English and regional Russian dialects, along with numerous illustrative examples. In addition, the Oxford Russian Dictionary includes all common abbreviations and acronyms, and helpful advice on difficult points of grammar and pronunciation. Unsurpassed in reliability, the user-friendly Oxford Russian Dictionary is the best database of choice for professionals, teachers, academics, parents and anyone who needs to keep abreast of the Russian language as it is spoken.”
According to Igor Duginov, product manager of Samsung Electronics, “It is a great achievement of Paragon Software Group to make the unique work effort of Oxford’s research, science, and education available to the users of mobile devices. The Oxford database developed through the SlovoEd’s quality engine, is a perfect addition to the music smartphone i450 and multifunctional i550 and i560.”The Samsung i450 smartphone, showcased in January at CES 2008 in Las Vegas, is an innovative music phone that offers a dual slider design and touch-wheel music navigation. When the i450 slides up, the mobile phone supports powerful smartphone features with S60 software on Symbian OS. Running on the S60 3rd Edition platform, the i450 provides advanced download application and multitasking features in fast speed through HSDPA connectivity. When it slides down, the phone activates as a music player with touch wheel navigation which enables the users to control the multimedia menus easily. Moreover, metallic speakers supporting ICEpower® amplifier developed by Bang & Olufsen® offer superb sound quality to music phone users.The Samsung i550 is Samsung’s first GPS phone. With a candy bar design, HSDPA 3.6 Mbps, web browsing and access to Web 2.0 services are made easy and with built-in GPS, consumers can easily navigate while on the move. Users can download limitless applications available from the S60 applications library and access their favorites using dedicated hot keys. The Samsung i560 is designed for the fashion conscious consumer. The i560 is perfect for trend-setting bloggers and young techie users who are the fastest adapters and leaders in enhancing their lifestyles with up-to-date information available through GPS and internet applications. It has a beautiful and sleek exterior design with a mirror coating on LCD with 16mm thickness.”We are glad to make the most comprehensive database of Oxford dictionary now available to even more mobile users,” said Elena Medvedeva, Chief of Sales and Business Development Department at the SHDD division of Paragon Software Group. “Today’s capacity and incredible potential functionality of Samsung’s newly released innovative series i450, i550 and i560 of smartphones is breaking the limits of traditional ways of looking at the translation and communication process conducted in business, academia or leisure.“

“Nokia Maps is approaching the release of its second major version (2.0). Currently it is in a semi-public beta, so you expect to see a few postings about this around the net in the next few days and weeks. The new version brings a number of improvements including a new pedestrian mode, enhanced driving navigation mode, satellite maps, much improved search and new real time traffic information. The driving navigation interface (Drive) has been much enhanced (see above), with proper turn indicators and transparent panels. There’s a new pedstrian mode (Walk), with no voice instructions but with “breadcrumbs” that are shown where you have been walking so you can easily see what direction to take. (Walk is included in the driving navigation license for car navigation but can also be purchased separately at a lower cost) Satellite maps are now included (a la Google Maps) for 200 cities worldwide. The satellite maps are downloaded over the air and are saved automatically. Next time you start Maps, the satellite maps will be there, no need to download them again. There’s a hybrid view that combines satellite view with the regular maps.” Find out more here:

“Thanks to a possible mistake of web-masters some info on the Finnish giant’s new N96 smartphone leaked from his German site. The product’s dedicated page was posted at the site and then removed, however tons of Internet sources managed to grab all pieces of info they only could find. Reportedly, Nokia N96 specs resemble those of the N95. However it comes with larger storage (16GB) and Flash Lite 3 support. Curiously, the new N96 is more of the Nokia N81 in terms of design, being a glossy all-black slider, plus it has grown length- and width-wise, yet dropped some millimeters off its girth, as compared with the predecessor.According to IntoMobile, Nokia’s German page had the following specs of the N96 posted : Networks – GSM/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz and UMTS/HSDPA 850/2100 MHz Symbian S60 3rd Edition FP 2 Display – 2.8” QVGA, 16M colors Wi-Fi (802.11b/g) AGPS DVB-H Class C Camera – 5-megapixel, Carl Zeiss lens, video capture at VGA 30 fps (double LED flash at video shooting) Memory – 16 GB microSD-slot 3.5-mm jack microUSB port Battery – 950 mAh Dimensions – 103x55x18 mm Weight – 125 g” via mobile-review.com

“When one removes the Xda Orbit 2 from the box the first impression is of sleekness and mirror finishes. The housing designed and specified by O2 serves to eliminate the ‘hard’ corners of the HTC Polaris and replaces them with gentle curves as seen on the original Orbit. These ensure a pleasing and comfortable position in the hand. The style of the main body is bright reflective silver which surrounds the edges of the Orbit 2 in a distinctive strip and holds within it the side mounted controls. This is set into a matte black casing which is almost velvety to the touch. This looks good in contrast to the polished silver and also serves to give a ‘tactile’ surface which means that when held grip slippage is reduced. I hate to say it but on an emotional level the Orbit 2 fairly screams to be picked up and fondled – I found myself picking it up over and over and moving it around in my grip – prior even to turning it on and charging it for review! I don’t believe in calling PDAs sexy – but the Xda Orbit 2 certainly is! Most of the front face of the Orbit 2 is taken up with a highly polished transparent touch sensitive screen which is pierced only by the second camera. The actual display screen in set centrally within this with the Xda and O2 logos printed immediately above and below this area.” Read more here: