Intel/Nokia have uncovered their upcoming MeeGo v1.1 handset UX developer preview for all to see to entice developers and get the buzz going about their handset OS that’s equal parts Intel Moblin and Nokia Maemo. This preview includes:

• MeeGo Handset Dialer is MeeGo’s Handset dialer application
• MeeGo Handset SMS is MeeGo’s Handset SMS application
• Fennec Browser is MeeGo’s Qt based web browser for Handsets
• MeeGo Handset Photos is MeeGo’s Handset photo viewer
• MeeGo Handset People is MeeGo’s Handset contacts management system
• Kernel Version 2.6.35
• MeeGo Touch Framework is MeeGo’s framework to assist in rapid touch based application development
• QtContactsTracker is MeeGo’s back-end contracts storage management engine
• Virtual Keyboard is MeeGo’s virtual touch based handset keyboard

Odd part, I don’t see mention of the Nokia N900 images for download as of yet. Perhaps that’s an oversight.

UPDATE: Nokia N900 image for download has been listed now.

Hit up MeeGo.com for more information.

[ Links: MeeGo v1.1 Handset Developer Preview, MeeGo Handset Screenshots ]

According to the rumors, Nokia will give Nokia N900 owners their first look at the upcoming MeeGo UI for the handsets – the UI for the tablets has already been shown in a very beta version already.

UPDATE: The MeeGo Handset UX GIT repository has been updated and filled up with… well, stuff. No announcement but one is expected later today from Nokia.

[ Links: MeeGo Handset UX, MeeGo ]

Seems like the patient – or in some cases, rather impatient – owners of the Maemo 5 (Linux) based Nokia N900 cellphone has finally gotten the update they’ve been looking forward to for quite some time, PR1.2 or 10.2010.19-1.

New games join the veritable arcade already on offer in Ovi Store. Jurassic 3D Rollercoaster, Zen-bound, Angry Birds (level pack), Sygic, Kroll, Weatherbug, and GoGadget are all available to keep you entertained. Important to note though that Ovi Store will do a full switchover this week Thursday, May 27, so these games and other for-purchase apps will show up then.

The prior leaked version was 10.2010.12-9, so that’s at least 7 weeks of testing and bug fixes. Let’s see how the rest of the week shakes out. And lets see if the apps based on Qt 4.6 also start flooding out too.

[ Links: Nokia N900, Nokia Conversations, Nokia PR1.2 Leaked ]

Apparently the long-awaited update for the Maemo based Nokia N900 has been leaked as a global PR1.2 update and has finally updated a lot of stuff after the prior PR1.1 and PR1.1.1 updates; which ushered in a few updates and bug fixes. What’s been confirmed so far is:

• Qt updated to 4.6.2
• Portrait Browser Mode
• Updated Application Manager
• Skype and Google Talk video calling
• Improved virtual keyboard
• USSD call codes now work
• Improved camera options
• Build No: 10.2010.12-9

Among other UI and software updates, unfortunately there’s not an update for the Flash version but it’s not the 10.1 Flash Player (version 9.0.260.0). PR1.2 is apparently quite the update.

As it stands though, Nokia has not officially released the PR1.2 update and this build is 4 weeks behind the latest known PR1.2 update, but as it stands this leaked version is a global release that has plenty of bugfixes and features that many Nokia N900 owners have been waiting for. I’m impressed with the Skype video calls… that’s a killer app in my mind. More over at Talk.Maemo.org (TMO).

Update: Ovi Maps 3.0 also confirmed.
Update: Flash Player has been updated from 9.0.246.0 to 9.0.260.0.

[ Related Links: Maemo "PR1.2 Is Released" Thread, Nokia N900 PR1.1 Update ]

In a move that more than likely caught the entire world – well, the people that actually care about open source on phones, pocketables, netbooks, televisions (upcoming) and so forth – by surprise.

I’m sure you’ve heard the news: Moblin and maemo are merging! We are taking the best pieces from these two open source projects and are creating the MeeGo software platform. Both teams have worked for a long time to support the needs of the mobile user experience – and MeeGo will make this even better. We want it to be fun, focused, flexible, technically challenging and ultimately, something that can change the world.

As far as how this fits into the Nokia Linux based Maemo handset platform, which so far has produced the Nokia N900 to date, has yet to be discussed. But products are to be released in the second half of 2010 based on the MeeGo open source OS, of which “MeeGo” is copyright the Linux Foundation.

[ Links: MeeGo ] [ Discussion: Talk.Maemo.Org ]

Call it a work in progress, but some illustrious members of Maemo.org have gotten Google Android (Eclair) to boot and be functional on the Maemo Linux based Nokia N900. Why is it a work in progress? The touchscreen works, as well as the keyboard on the N900; however you will not be making any phone calls via Android on the N900 quite yet. In fact, not all sounds or modules have been interfaced yet.

However, it’s pretty darn cool. Read more about it over at Maemo.org – [ thread here ]

In a surprise move, Nokia has announced that they will offer free navigation to all of their smartphones, Symbian based and the Maemo based N900 included.

“Nokia used to charge for navigation packages that included turn-by-turn directions. That all goes away now. Now you can get turn-by-turn directions covering 74 countries in 46 languages as well as detailed maps for 180 countries,” the report said.

Nokia offering free navigation on some 20 million smartphones is set to hurt key players on the global navigation market, including TomTom and Garmin. Nokia was not immediately available for comment.

This move will invariably be compared to when Google offered turn-by-turn navigation on the Motorola Droid in late 2009.

UPDATE: Apparently this move doesn’t include the Nokia N900 nor any prior Nokia Maemo device.

[ Links: Nokia Navigation Announcement - Reuters, Nokia Countdown ]

Earlier in the week, Nokia came out with their PR1.01 and people were wondering when the “by Christmas” update that Nokia promised was coming. Well, question no more. Nokia’s PR1.1 update raises the Maemo 5 build to 2.2009.51-1.

First up is support for the Swiss keymat variant with hardware and virtual keyboard layouts supporting the combination of German, Italian and English characters. We’ll also see full compatibility with certain SIM cards from network operator 3. Although only a small number of SIM cards were impacted at the time, this release means the N900 is now fully compatible with 3 SIM cards.

Mail for Exchange also sees an update which will it allow it to work with Microsoft Exchange Server 2003. This should bring the possibility of Exchange integration to a much broader group of users.

Ovi Maps also gets the update treatment, with improvements made to search performance and route calculation. Beyond these major changes come a range of smaller usability improvements which have been worked into the release and are based on the excellent user feedback the team have received (keep it coming).

Microsoft Exchange 2003 support, an updated Ovi Maps, among other fixes that people have been plain out begging for since the initial release of the Nokia N900.

The rollout is being staged across multiple territories, so if you do not see it now, be patient. Read more about it at Nokia Connections or at the Nokia Maemo 5 Wiki.

[ Links: Nokia Connections, Maemo 5 Wiki, Maemo Talk ]

Perhaps one of the worst kept secrets, the HTC built Google Phone, formerly named “Phone 88″ and now “Nexus One” – which still might be one of the project names and not its final name – has finally been sussed out and shown to the world… but not fully announced yet. So no release date but all indicators do point to a very likely February release.

Many sites are reporting more about this Android 2.1, HTC sourced phone that promises to have a speedy Snapdragon CPU mated with a 5mp camera and a 3.7″ AMOLED capacitive screen. Yep, I think I’ve found my next phone to replace my Apple iPhone.

More links for information pertaining the oft-rumored Google Phone:

Engadget – “What We Know, What We Don’t Know”
Gizmodo – “The Google Nexus One Phone, In Pictures”
UberGizmo – “Nexus One Has T-Mobile Support”
Neowin – “New Google Phone Pictures Leak“

I’ll update more as I find out more. But this is definitely a phone that might easily replace my iPhone or displace my Nokia N900 lust.

In a move that is equal parts “about time” and “how in the heck will they do it”, VMware has announced that they are working on mobile OS virtualization for the smartphones that are always growing in processing power and capabilities.

VMware has flagged smartphones as the next platform in the evolution of virtualization, but at least one major competitor, Microsoft, says that it sees no demand for the technology.

Speaking to Computerworld, Srinivas Krishnamurti, VMware’s head of mobile phone virtualisation said the company’s vision for virtualization on smartphones went beyond the basic dual-boot prototypes currently in development to one that ran both a private and work operating system and profile at the same time.

“We don’t think dual booting will be good enough – we’ll allow you to run both profiles at the same time and be able to switch between them by clicking a button,” he said. “You’ll be able to get and make calls in either profile – work or home – as they will both be live at any given point in time.”

Even though the example(s) show Microsoft WinMo and Android, if down the road it means that I can run Maemo 5/6 on the Nokia N900 and run an instance of Mobile OS X – the OS that’s on the iPhone – or Google Android or even Microsoft WinMo… I’ve found a project that would allow me to use different browsers, connectivity, or features that aren’t always on my phone of choice. Can’t wait to see what happens with this. No announcement on availability.

[ Links: Computer World Australia, VMware ]

Did you preorder one? If not, don’t feel too bad because the slightly delayed Nokia N900 is now shipping to Europe, Middle East, Russia and North America. Preorders are definitely going to be filled first, but shortly thereafter it’ll be easily enough to pick one up.

Nokia Chief Executive Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo said in a speech the company started deliveries of the phone on Tuesday.

The N900 model is Nokia’s first phone running the Linux Maemo operating system, which analysts see as a key for Nokia to regain ground in the coming years.

In the US, T-Mobile will be the carrier of choice initially. Let’s hope later announcements include expanded frequencies that will allow 3G support on AT&T or other US carriers.

[ Nokia N900 ] [ Related: N-Series Maemoproject.com Viral Ads ]

The internet was abuzz with T-Mobile’s “Project Dark” or “Project Black” with wild speculation about what it meant. Well, all of that has been made clear today by T-Mobile surrounding their Even More and Even More Plus pricing plans that include unlimited plans starting at $49 dollars and month to month pricing plans that do not require an annual contract.

The cool part of their plans is the ability to get new phones and do not have to pay for it all at once. So for some of their phone offerings, like the Nokia N900, you wouldn’t have to pay for the full asking price but pay for it monthly as well as your coverage. Other features including an aggressive pricing that makes AT&T and Verizon seem like their robbing you per month – hint: they are robbing you per month – T-Mobile has placed itself as the 4th largest carrier that seems intent on becoming one of the biggest three.

[ T-Mobile ] [ Related: Nokia N900 ]