Fring for Android Gets Updated

Fring has just announced that the owners of Android-based smartphones can now enjoy a new version of their mobile application, released with a nice range of enhancements so that users would benefit from better video calls, voice calls, or chat.

According to the company, following the downloading and installation of the new version of the mobile application, users would discover that video calls, calls and chats are now better than before, and that the overall experience the software offers has been greatly improved.

Apparently, the new release was meant to bring enhancements on various areas of the app, including notifications, handset and platform support, the audio features during calls, and more, a better activity log, and more.

The changelog for the new application version includes:

- NEW Notifications – Now you get all fring updates right to your home screen/ notification bar so you never miss a call, chat or other fring event
- FRESH Activity log – all your fring activities are listed in 1 activity log – calls, new friends, chats, video calls, history, system messages…
- IMPROVED Audio – major audio improvements on Jitter buffer so your calls are smoother
- ENHANCED Nexus S support – you lucky enough to have this bad boy? Video call us and show us it in action
- TASTY Gingerbread support (Android 2.3) – yum.

A recent post on the company's blog notes that these are only some of the highlights for the new Fring for Android update.

Those who would like to learn a few more details on the new release, including specific info on the newly enhanced support for the Nexus S by Samsung smartphone, which runs under Google's Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system, should have a look at the video embedded below.

Fring for Android is available for download from the Android Market here. The new release, version 2.4.3.2, was added to the software portal on February 3rd. Weighing in at 5MB, the application is available for download for free.

Click Here To Watch Video. (Embedded Code - No Buffering Required )

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Download Free Windows XP and Vista Releases to Test Websites Against Multiple IE Versions

Microsoft recently updated its free Windows XP and Windows Vista downloads making fresh releases available as a part of a continued effort (more than a couple of years now) to make it easier for website developers to test drive their projects against multiple versions of Internet Explorer.

Devs that create websites need to make sure that users will have the same experience when running different browsers, as well as when leveraging different flavors of IE for example.

Early adopters currently running Internet Explorer 9 are bond to have come across the emulation functionality that the browser offers, covering a number of older IE document modes, including IE8, IE7 and IE7.

Sometime however, emulations are not 100% accurate in depicting the user experiences associated with the actual browsers.

This is why Microsoft not only recommends, but also provides a variety of resources for developers to test their projects against IE versions still supported.

“One way to run multiple versions of Internet Explorer on one PC is to run the older version(s) of Internet Explorer using Windows XP Mode on a Windows PC running Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, or Ultimate edition,” revealed Ted Johnson, Lead Program Manager, Internet Explorer.

Windows XP Mode is essentially a free copy of Windows XP SP3 that the software giant made available to Windows 7 customers requiring easy and cost free virtualization solutions for application incompatibility issues.

“Interested in trying this? This linked document provides detailed instructions for setting up a Windows XP Mode virtual machine and then copying it to create two additional XP Mode virtual machines and configuring them to run IE7 and IE8,” Johnson stated.

Of course, devs can also download the “Windows Virtual PC virtual machine hard drive images (VHDs) for testing websites with different Internet Explorer versions. These images were recently updated and now expire on May 18, 2011,” he added.

Windows 7 RTM Enterprise 90-Day Evaluation is available for download here.

The Internet Explorer Application Compatibility VPC Images are available for download here.

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How to Jailbreak iOS 4.2.1 with GreenPois0n 1.0 RC5 - Untethered

As NewzCore readers should well know by now, the Chronic Dev Team has released Greenpois0n 1.0 RC5, an update to their jailbreak utility which, in its current state, can effectively provide an untethered jailbreak to iOS 4.2.1 devices. The jailbreak tool also does not require developer saved SHSH blobs of 4.2b3.

Those who enjoy the benefits of rocking a jailbroken iOS device should be aware that there are certain people in Cupertino, California that don’t condone the practice and even make a habit out of voiding warranties if they find out that folks jailbroke their unit.

Then again, a vocal group called the Electronic Frontier Foundation once said it was legal to jailbreak.

So it’s ultimately your decision, and your decision only. Softpedia assumes no responsibility should anything happen to your iOS device during the process of jailbreaking, or thereafter.

Plus, you have our disclaimer at the bottom of this guide, just to make sure we’ve made everything crystal clear for you.

Also note that Greenpois0n 1.0 RC5 will not provide a carrier unlock and will, in fact, break it.

This guide is for Mac OS X users only.

The same steps should apply for Windows and Linux users when Greenpois0n 1.0 RC5 becomes available for those platforms as well.

Without further ado, jailbreaking iOS 4.2.1 with Greenpois0n 1.0 RC5 is done as follows:


1. Backup your iPhone / iPod touch / iPad using iTunes, just in case anything goes wrong and you need to restore your firmware to a stock IPSW.

2. Download GreenPois0n 1.0 RC5 from Chronic Dev.

3. Connect iOS device to your computer.

4. Launch GreenPois0n and click on “Jailbreak”.

5. Follow the onscreen instructions and proceed to timely press the buttons on your iOS device as instructed:
- Press and hold sleep button for 2 seconds;
- Continue holding sleep, press and hold home button for 10 seconds;
- Release sleep button, continue holding home button.

6. With your iOS device now in DFU mode (or so it should be at this point), click on the “jailbreak” button. Now Greenpois0n will inject its ‘poison’ in your iOS device, jailbreaking it.

7. Allow your iDevice to reboot. At this point, you are already jailbroken.

8. Once your device is up and running again, you can install Cydia by tapping on the “Loader” icon which should be present on one of your home screens.

That’s it!


This article has a purely informational purpose and doesn't, in any way, suggest that you should hack your Apple device.

Using hacks may render your device unusable, or may reduce the quality of your experience employing the respective device.

If you choose to download and install jailbreak tools, you will do so at your own risk. Unlocking / jailbreaking your iPhone / iPod touch / iPad / Apple TV may violate your warranty or the EULA with Apple and / or your cellular-service provider.

NewzCore Will Not Be Responsible For Any Damage whatsoever.

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Now Showing Fall Out: New Vegas - The Game 2

Fallout: New Vegas was a great game, but not without its faults or quirks, so a team of modders have decided to release a massive overhaul for the post apocalyptic role-playing game, called Project Nevada.

The great thing about playing the new Fallout games on the PC is that Bethesda offers a lot of tools to the community so that players can add new items, customize existing ones or create their own content for the role-playing games.

There are already a lot of mods for Fallout: New Vegas, but Project Nevada is looking to be the most robust.

While it is still a work in progress, the project aims at incorporating a lot of existing modifications already implemented in the game by the community of players, as well as add new types of mechanics that will make living in the Mojave Wasteland that much more interesting.

Project Nevada is set to add things like bullet-time, sprinting, tackling, cybernetic implants and even helmet mods to the regular Fallout: New Vegas experience.

The combat will be enhanced by the addition of things like bullet-time, which slows down time while shooting enemies, enhanced zoom functions on weapons like sniper rifles, as well as the ability to sprint and tackle enemies, in case you want your muscles to do the talking, and not your weapons.

More subtle changes were also added, like the heads up display, which changes if you're wearing a helmet, visor or other things that impair your visibility, or the dynamic crosshair system, which changes size in order to reflect weapon ammo spread.

The team of modders also implemented a Cybernetic Implant system, which will allow players to augment their abilities through a special interface that enables them to install upgrades.

The same team was also responsible for the Fallout 3 Wanderer's Edition, so you know that Project Nevada is going to turn out extremely impressive.

Until the work is done, check out the two videos below, the first showcasing all the new features, while the second focuses on the cybernetic implant system.

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HP/Palm's webOS Tablet is Here

HP/Palm's webOS mobile operating system has been long rumored to be on its way to the market on a new series of devices, including tablet PCs, and some more info on these devices started to emerge into the wild.

The company is expected to bring to shelves at least two such devices in the near future, most probably being set to make an official announcement during a February 9th press event.

While other manufacturers chose to release either 7-inch tablet PCs, or 10-inch ones that would better compete with Apple's iPad, HP/Palm is said to planning on making steps on both roads at the same time.

Two tablet PCs from the company have just surfaced, one packing a 9-inch touchscreen display, supposedly called Topaz, while the other sporting a 7-inch screen, codenamed Opal.

When brought to the market, these devices might sport some features new to the tablet PC segment, and Engadget notes that they do not come with buttons, which means that there would be a gesture area that would change orientation along with the display.

The specifications list of these devices would also include 1.2GHz processors, front-facing cameras, micro USB ports, or a three speaker arrangement for stereo audio regardless the orientation.



Unveiled officially in February, these devices might not start shipping until later this year. They are expected to arrive at Palm HQ in June, it seems.

According to Engadget, there will be more than one flavor of the Opal, for example, including a WiFi-only flavor, one that supports AT&T's 3G network, and another one that would Verizon's LTE airwaves, all of which should be released in September this year.

An AT&T LTE version of the tablet PC is expected to be released in June next year. Opal is also said to come with an e-reading focus.

No specific info on the price tag these devices might sport emerged for the time being, nor on the rest of the specifications they would feature. Hopefully, more would be unveiled in early February, and we won't have to wait until September to see them put on shelves.

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Nokia X7 Photos And Features

Finnish mobile phone maker Nokia was rumored a while ago to be on its way to bring to the United States market a new device that would be released on the airwaves of AT&T, namely the Nokia X7, and some more info on that device emerged.

The handset was spotted into the wild before, and rumors pointed at a possible availability of the Nokia X7 on AT&T's airwaves in the United States.

While no specific info on when exactly would the handset land on shelves in the United States emerged before, new details on the matter pinned the availability of Nokia X7 at AT&T for this month.

This mobile phone is supposedly running under the Symbian^3 operating system, and was seen previously into the wild both in a series of photos, as well as in a video that emerged with it sometime in November.

New photos with the Nokia X7 are available now for your viewing pleasure, showing the mobile phone from all angles.

The handset would join the Nokia Symbian^3 lineup next to high-end devices like Nokia N8 and Nokia E7, and the outer looks it sports resemble the already official smartphones.


As for the hardware specs it should hit the market with, details are scarce, even if one can clearly see am eight-megapixel photo snapper on its back (most probably with features like HD video recording and more attached to it as well), as well as the
four speakers that were place at each of its corners.

According to Pocketnow, we might also be looking at a ClearBlack display with nHD resolution on Nokia X7, the same as with other new mobile phones from the leading handset vendor.

Although the rest of the specifications on this handset are missing at the moment, it might not be too long before they all become official. In the meantime, take a look at the new photos available with the device.

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Nokia 5250- Full Review

Since Nokia 5800 XpressMusic was launched on the market back in November 2008, Symbian S60 5th Edition was the main mobile platform the Finnish manufacturer has focused on. Recently, however, Nokia has shifted its priorities to the latest Symbian^3 and MeeGo operating system, in a desperate attempt to recover the ground lost to the Android and iOS platforms.

However, Nokia 5250 can hardly be considered a smartphone, even though its spec sheet mentions that it runs the Symbian S60 5th Edition operating system.

There's almost no feature that could point to the fact the Nokia 5250 is a smartphone, as the device has been thoroughly stripped of everything that could have increased its low price.

Still, there's a target for every phone out there and Nokia 5250 is no exception. People who get confused by too many features or simply do not use smartphone capabilities because they don't need them, might find this handset suitable.

Announced in August 2010, Nokia 5250 was launched on the market in September 2010 and can be bought for about 170 US dollars without a subscription. Potential customers can choose from five available color schemes: Dark Grey, Blue, Red, Purple or White.

Design


At first glance, Nokia 5250 strongly resembles a large chocolate bar or a small brick, especially when seen from afar. Even though Nokia's choice for cheap plastic might seem disappointing, the handset doesn't look that way at all.

Obviously, it is more prone to scratches and even the smallest drop can cause heavy damages to the plastic case. The only things I have to disagree with when it comes to the phone's design are the excessive thickness, as well as the large bezel surrounding the touch screen.

However, the phone fits perfectly in a common sized pocket. Nokia 5250 measures 105 x 50 x 14 mm and weighs 106g (battery included), which is almost exactly the same as its Nokia 5530 XpressMusic predecessor. The handset doesn't have anything that could make it stand out and features a minimalistic look.

Regardless of the color scheme chosen, the handset will always feature a black front case and only the back cover and the sides of the phone will have a different color. The left side of the phone has been left bare, with only a small gap at the middle that will help users pull out the battery cover. The right side of the phone features a dual volume key, the lock/unlock sliding key, as well as the dedicated camera button. On the top side there's a 3.5mm audio jack, a 2.5mm charging port, as well as the microUSB which is covered by a plastic stripe.

The 2.8-inch display is surrounded by a pretty large black colored bezel, which makes it look smaller than it really is. At the base of the touch screen there's a set of three physical keys: Accept calls, Menu key and Reject calls. Above the display, a little bit to the right there's the usual Media touch key, which opens a quick media menu. There's also the earpiece and a proximity sensor above the screen, but the phone lacks an ambient light sensor.


The 2-megapixel camera on the back of the phone lacks a LED flash and autofocus. Two loudspeakers have been embedded at the base of the battery cover, while a stylus can be found to the left corner of the phone.

Users will be able to insert a microSD card or the SIM card only removing the battery cover, as both slots have been placed on the right side of the phone. Fortunately, this doesn't require the removal of the battery itself.

Overall, Nokia 5250 features a standard bar look with a solid and compact build that makes it more appealing than other low-tier handsets.


Display and Camera



Nokia 5250 features a 2.8-inch TFT resistive touchscreen that supports 16 million colors and a 360 x 640 pixels resolution, which can also be controlled with the stylus included in the sales package. Even though we're talking about a resistive touchscreen here, I have nothing negative to say about it, as Nokia tried to get the best it could from this technology.


However, the bad thing is that this is a resistive touch screen after all and you'll have a hard time typing fast unless the stylus is used. Furthermore, the rather small size of the screen doesn't help either. Still, you will get a very nice and crisp image on the display with good contrast and brightness.

Unfortunately, things change radically when the screen is exposed to sunlight, which makes it almost unusable. The viewing angles could also be wider. Fortunately, you're blessed with the accelerometer function, which works smoothly.

The 2-megapixel camera lacks autofocus, LED flash or any other advanced capability. Still, I was a little surprised to find that the camera's interface includes a wide range of settings such as: White balance, ISO, Contrast, Color tone, Exposure, Sharpness and more. This could be confusing for the common user, especially since these additional settings don't increase the pictures’ quality at all.

The camera captures pictures with a maximum resolution of 1600x1200 pixels, while video clips can be recorded in VGA@30fps. Symbian touch screen smartphone owners will probably recognize the camera's interface immediately. After all, it hasn't changed much since 2008 when the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic was launched.

Menu and Software


Nokia 5250 runs the Symbian S60 5th Edition operating system, but since Nokia decided to change the name of its various versions of Symbian, let's say that the device runs Symbian^1.

The good news is that this might be the most straightforward user interface ever embedded onto a Symbian smartphone. The bad news is that Nokia didn’t remove just hardware features to keep the price of the device as low as possible. They have also stripped the phone from a ton of software features, which I'm not sure would have affected the price in any way.

Thankfully, the smartphone retains some of the Symbian^1 features that were introduced gradually through numerous updates.

The phone features a single homescreen that can be customized to display four Shortcuts. Widgets have been removed, so we won't be able to add any to the homescreen. Kinetic scrolling is also present and works just about anywhere inside the phone's menu: web browser, main menu, gallery, contacts.

“Clicking” on the clock near the signal icon, on the upper left corner of the homescreen, will give you quick access to the clock and alarms. Connectivity settings can be quickly accessed by clicking on the battery icon, while Profiles can be selected from the icon displayed right under the operator’s name.

To bring up the Main menu key, click the middle key under the screen; choose Options/Organise, to rearrange the menu as you see fit. Because of the low number of icons, the main menu has been organized on two rows, unlike more advanced Symbian smartphones which feature a 3-row main menu.

Under the Application menu, one can find a handful of apps, which are not categorized in any way: clock, notes, camera, Games, Office along with RealPlayer, Video center and Ovi Sync.

Other applications that come pre-loaded with Nokia 5250 include: calendar, calculator, converter, file manager, Amazon, Facebook, Friendster, Hi5, and MySpace. Under the Music sub-menu you'll find a few media-dedicated apps, such as: music player, Stereo FM Radio with RDS support, Podcasts, Ovi Music and Shazam.

A single game has been bundled with the smartphone, Guitar Hero 5, but more can be installed.

The device supports two input methods: stylus and finger touch support for text input and UI control, but the best, by far, is the stylus.

The interface is snappy when you're not running more than one application in the background, otherwise you'll experience sudden lags when opening other apps or browsing through the menus. I have also noticed that using a close to full memory card (regardless of its size) slows down the phone.

Communication

Nokia 5250 is a quad-band GSM (850/900/1800/1900) handset that features GPRS and EDGE class 32 as the only options for data transfer connections. Nothing else has been added, like Wi-Fi or a built-in GPS receiver.

Other connectivity tools include Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP and EDR support, and microUSB for PC synchronization (no charging).

In terms of messaging, the phone offers a complete solution, accepting all available message types. I strongly recommend using the stylus when typing, for a smoother experience. The messaging client works with the POP3, SMTP, and IMAP4 protocols, and supports more than one email account. Furthermore, it can download headers or full email, and supports attachments.

The quad-band smartphone has a good GSM signal reception. Sound during phone calls is also above average.


Processor and Memory



The bar smartphone is powered by the same ARM11 family processor running at speeds of up to 434 Mhz that has been embedded in Nokia 5530 XpressMusic model. The device works pretty smoothly, but I have noticed some lag when using other applications while the browser is open or when the memory card storage space is close to full.

The smartphone also features 76MB internal memory, with only 51MB available to users. Storage space can be expanded up to 16GB, thanks to the hot-swappable card slot.


Multimedia


The smartphone features the same standard-looking music player as Nokia 5530 and Nokia 5800 XpressMusic. There are five pre-installed equalizer modes: Bass booster, Classical, Jazz, Pop and Rock. Other settings are: Balance, Loudness and Stereo widening.

The device features Radio FM with RDS function as well, but lacks the FM transmitter for broadcasting your own music. Reception is very good, and sound quality is above average. Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP support enables users to listen to the music wirelessly.

The 3.5mm jack port is a good addition, as it enables users to change the earphones that are coming with the phone (WH-102). The included video player lacks DivX and XviD codecs, so you'll need to find yourself a third-party application to play these movie files.

Battery

According to the manufacturer, The 1,000 mAh Li-Ion (BL-4U) battery has an impressive life expectancy of 450 hours for standby mode and 7 hours and 40 minutes for talk time mode. Nokia also claims a play back autonomy of almost 24 hours.

For what it's worth, Nokia 5250's long battery autonomy is something that won't fail. To no surprise though, as the device lacks any advanced features that might drain the battery faster than it should. Overall, I would say the phone has an excellent battery, which is exactly what the manufacturer wanted.

Impressions

Nokia 5250 is definitely the less featured Symbian smartphone ever built by the Finnish manufacturer. Even though Nokia stripped the phone from all the “expensive” features specific to Symbian smartphones so it can fit the device into the low-end category, it made the 5250 almost unusable for other than calls and a little bit of web browsing, if you're not annoyed by the slow data transfer speeds offered by the EDGE connectivity.


The Good

In addition to its low price, the smartphone features good audio quality and loudspeaker performance, as well as an excellent web browser, which is only dragged down by the slow EDGE connectivity. The high battery life is also something worth mentioning among the positive things, as well as the microSD card slot.


The Bad

Dubbed as a Symbian^1 smartphone, Nokia 5250 is inferior to many feature-phones in terms of performance and capabilities. There's no document viewer, no YouTube client, no Wi-Fi connectivity, no 3G or GPS. The 2-megapixel camera is also not something that should be included in a 2010 smartphone anymore. The sales package is also very poor for a smartphone, as you don't get an USB cable or a memory card bundled.


Sales Package

Nokia 5250 handset
Nokia Battery Li-Ion 1000 mAh BL-4U
Nokia Stereo Headset WH-102
Nokia High-Efficiency Charger AC-8
User guide.

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New Free App from AT&T For iPhone.

For as long as U.S. residents will continue to use their iPhones on AT&T’s buggy network, now that Verizon has entered the scene, the operator has prepared a Connect Audio Conference Monitor app which allows users to join and monitor an AT&T Connect Audio Conference using their iPhone.

According to the U.S. provider of telephony services originally chosen by Apple to carry its iPhone in 2007, AT&T Connect Audio Conference Monitor permits hosts and participants to attend an audio conference from virtually anywhere in the world.

“AT&T Connect Audio Conference Monitor makes mobile access to conferencing easy with the Call Me feature,” the operator explains.

The application provides updates on who else is on the conference and which participant is talking, as soon as the users hits “join”, AT&T informs.

The company elaborates: “When you receive an email or calendar invitation to a meeting that contains an Audio Conference Monitor URL, just click on the ‘Click here to join Conference Monitor’ link.”

At this point, the app will launch to join the Audio Conference while the user can select if he / she is a ‘Guest, or a ‘Host’ of the conference.

“You can join by dialing in or via ‘Call Me’ where the conference bridge can dial you (if your company has this option enabled),” AT&T’s how-to continues.

“With this single click, AT&T Connect automatically prompts you into an audio conference,” the iPhone carrier concludes.

The key features of AT&T Connect Audio Conference Monitor are listed as follows:

Features
• Call Me and Dial In features that simplify audio setup
• Automatic prompts guide you into an Event
• Invite others by email
• As a meeting host/presenter, you can invite others by phone, mute/un-mute other users, rename a user, expel a user, set entry/exit tones, record the audio conference, lock the conference or end the conference
• Interactive participants list: See/hear the other participants in the conference.
• Mute or unmute

AT&T Connect Audio Conference Monitor calls for any iPhone running iOS 3.0 and higher, and an active 3G cellular network or WiFi connection.

The AT&T Connect Audio Conference Monitor Mobile application does not function in airplane mode.

Download AT&T Connect Audio Conference Monitor (Free)

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Enjoy Firefox 4 in the Final Stage with All New Amazing Features.

It's been a long road, but Firefox 4 is now very close to completion. Firefox 4 Beta 9 has been released, one of the last stages before the final build is launched. While most new betas come with plenty of improvements, many features are now coming together in Firefox 4 Beta 9.

With only one more beta and then the release candidate planned, Firefox 4 is fairly close to its final form. But after several months of betas and even more earlier development, it's easy to forget all of the new features and improvements coming in Firefox 4.

Mozilla's director of Firefox, Christopher Blizzard, has created a complete run-down of new features in Firefox 4, from a developer's perspective, and, as you can expect, it's quite a long list.

From the brand new JavaScript engine to hardware acceleration, speed was a huge focus in Firefox 4. It's the fastest Firefox release yet, by a big margin, and promises not only better JavaScript performance but also a snappier UI.

"[JaegerMonkey] is the world’s first third-generation JavaScript engine, using Baseline JIT technology similar to engines found in other browsers and kicked up a level with the Tracing engine found in Firefox 3.6," Blizzard explains.

The new JavaScript engine should make Firefox 4 competitive, though the competition hasn't exactly stood back and watched during Firefox 4's development.

Another very competitive area is hardware acceleration. Browser makers are racing to offset as much of the load to the GPU and be the first to offer a complete solution.

As it stands though, hardware acceleration is not what you might call complete in any stable browser available now.

"Firefox 4 supports full hardware acceleration on Windows 7 and Windows Vista via a combination of D2D, DX9 and DX10. This allows us to accelerate everything from Canvas drawing to video rendering," Mozilla explained.

"Windows XP users will also enjoy hardware acceleration for many operations because we’re using our new Layers infrastructure along with DX9. And, of course, OSX users have excellent OpenGL support, so we’ve got that covered as well," it added.

One interesting feature that has landed in Firefox 4 Beta 9 is support for Compartments, as Mozilla calls them, a method of separating the memory used by websites and various Firefox elements, for better performance and security.

Another major new technology in Firefox 4 is WebGL which is very close to being standardized. WebGL enables web developers to access the GPUs 3D rendering capabilities using standard technologies.

You can check out Blizzard's blog post for a comprehensive look at the technical aspects of Firefox 4, including support for HTML5, the newly introduced IndexedDB and many others.

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