AllBout Jolla & N9

Follow official blog for future Jolla and Sailfish OS news

2016-09-07T19:58:00.002+02:00

Follow official blog for future Jolla and Sailfish OS news: blog.jolla.com
Or Sailfish OS News Network using Telegram: https://t.me/sailfishosnewsnetwork

Jolla news from MWC '15

2015-03-02T00:28:00.000+01:00

Ahoy! Mobile World Congress in Barcelona opens doors today! Sailors from Finland welcome you at their Jolla booth in Hall 1, 1F40.

This years main attraction might be the Jolla tablet. While Jolla can't show the final product, a prototype Sailfish OS adoption will be demonstrated on its early state hardware. Find out more about it on the official Jolla Blog.

Dear AllBout Jolla visitors and followers on Facebook and Twitter. News and photos of this year's Mobile World Congress will be posted on and together with JollaUsers.com.

Make sure to keep an eye on AllBout Jolla Facebook and Twitter page - some pictures certainly will be shown there as well.

Furthermore I recommend to visit:

TOHKBD soon on Kickstarter.com

2014-10-28T16:57:00.000+01:00

Big announcement for fans who have been waiting for a physical QWERTY Jolla keyboard. Dirk van Leersum (designer of various TheOtherHalfs including first TOH keyboard) posted on Twitter that his current project will be presented on Kickstarter.com within the next days. Kickstarter.com is a fantastic crowdfunding platform created to bring projects to life which are looking for a minimum funding goal.

BREAKING NEWS! JOLLA TOHKBD WILL HIT KICKSTARTER IN A FEW DAYS! THIS IS HAPPENING! pic.twitter.com/4Ios3utWOt
— Dirk (@dirkvanleersum) October 28, 2014

[...] Read the whole article on JollaUsers.com

Jolla's 9th update for testers and a gift voucher

2014-10-25T14:58:00.001+02:00

It certainly has been a long wait for the 9th update which migrates Sailfish OS to Qt5.2 and therefore took (and still takes) a lot of internal testing at Jolla. The official update release shouldn't be far away, but Jolla went ahead and let willing users test the latest OS improvements. The pre-release also comes in handy for developers who are given a change to adjust their applications to the new Qt5.2 developer framework.

Opt-in upgrade to software version 1.1.0.38 Uitukka

Software update Uitukka is already available to everyone. But you have to sign up for it, by sending an email to update9-opt-in@jolla.com with your registered Jolla account email address. Jolla reminds though to be careful about the update: It won't be possible to go back to the last Sailfish OS version and low memory (RAM) situations can cause the UI to freeze - so only test the update if you are aware of the risks and please read the official release notes first.

Uitukka further improves the UI and its performance (incl. Alien Dalvik). A lot of work has been done in account management / settings and again we get a long list of bug fixes. It is now possible to setup general calDAV as well as cardDAV accounts, even though cardDAV sync doesn't seem to work yet in this pre-release. Jolla's native apps like Mail, People, Messages and others got improved - and everyone is able to download an update for Maps.

JollaUsers made a great video to show you some of the new features of Sailfish OS Uitukka:

Video at JollaUsers.com

Also have a look at the official release note which lists all the new features, improvement and bug fixes - the final update will be available in November.

Release Notes

€100 gift voucher for Jolla owners

Jolla sent out a gift voucher to existing Jolla owners who maybe have a family member or friend who is interested in getting a Jolla for a cheap price. Furthermore you get a free Aloe The Other Half if you use the unique discount code Jolla has sent you. The voucher can be redeemed at the official Jolla Online Shop and is valid until November 2nd, 2014. Oh, and in case you have several friends who want a Jolla: Your gift code can be used several times.

"The holiday season is just around the corner and as a valued Jolla owner, you deserve a special treat. Here's an unbelievably generous 100 € Jolla Gift Voucher for you to share with your friends!"

Jolla and Rovio release Angry Birds Stella Launcher

2014-10-17T08:59:00.000+02:00

In collaboration with Rovio Entertainment, Jolla publishes the exclusive Angry Birds Stella experience with a special themed Android launcher.

The launcher features the multitasking user experience of Jolla's Sailfish OS and adds Angry Birds themed wallpapers, ringtones and an unlimited access to Rovio's ToonsTV.

The launcher is made available for free to download at the Chinese Taobao and UC application stores. Further Android stores will be added very soon. "Angry Birds Stella Launcher by Jolla" is a further development of the Jolla Launcher announced in June, but seen as a different project. A neutral, non-Angry Birds launcher is still under development.

A right/left swipe on the multitasking-view activates ToonsTV where you can watch several Angry Birds episodes (place where you can change your ambience on Sailfish OS). From time to time the Stella bird moves over the screen to help you navigate within the launcher and there is settings icon to manage pulley-menu shortcuts and phone vibration.

The colorful launcher needs Android 4.3 or higher and runs best on a screensize of 4" to 5.5"

Peter Vesterbacka, Mighty Eagle of Rovio comments:

“Our Toons.tv has racked up more than 3 billion views and with the Angry Birds Stella Launcher all this fantastic content is just one swipe away. With Angry Birds Toons Season 2 and the Angry Birds Stella animated series just around the corner, we are delighted to offer the Angry Birds Stella Launcher to all our fans with Android devices together with Jolla, the mobile company from Finland.”

Sami Pienimäki, Co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Jolla comments:

“The Angry Birds Stella Launcher is a fantastic example of the capabilities of Jolla’s launcher as a platform for high value brands such as Rovio's Angry Birds. Our long co-operation with Rovio has been a great journey, and we are excited to announce this exclusive version of the Jolla Launcher for all Angry Birds fans around the world, free of charge.”

Visit the official Angry Birds Stella Launcher website at jolla.com/stella

Link to final press: Jolla Stella Press Release - also check JollaUsers.com for more Jolla news.

Jolla sails to Hong Kong and gives away VIP package

2014-08-05T11:46:00.003+02:00

On July 31, Jolla announced their new deal with telecom operator 3 in Hong Kong. The phone will be available from August 12. To celebrate the news Jolla gives away an unique VIP package including a special box, Jolla phone and all 4 official TOH covers.

Jolla enters HongKong with a "Jolla Experience Night" taking place on August 12. The event is organized with 3HK and gives visitors a change to win or buy the VIP package. We look forward to hear more about the already booked out event in a couple day.

Of course Jolla fans and users from Europe (incl. Norway and Switzerland) as well as Hong Kong who can't join the event aren't left out. Until August 9, 2014 you can help Jolla to promote their phone with #jollaHK on Twitter (rules and more info here).

"Participating to this promotional campaign is easy: answer the question “Why do you think Jolla is needed in Hong Kong?” and tweet it by including the hashtag #jollaHK."

Sources:

Official Three.com.hk Jolla page

VIP package competition rules

Jolla VIP package including phone and all official TheOtherHalfs

Jolla opens beautiful showroom in Kazakhstan

2014-08-03T13:02:00.001+02:00

Jolla sailors have been working hard this summer to expand their global sales. After the India announcement on July 18th, Jolla also launches the phone in Kazakhstan with Mobile Invest.

Jolla showroom in Almaty

Starting from July 25, the Jolla smartphone has been available in Kazakhstan at Mobile Invest’s Jolla showroom in Almaty.

Marc Dillon, Co-founder and COO of Jolla Ltd. comments:

“This is Jolla’s first opening and partnership in the CIS countries and we are very excited to enter the Kazakhstan market with our innovative and distinct Jolla smartphone. I’m also thrilled to be joining the Jolla launch in Almaty together with our official distributor Mobile Invest.”

Daniyar Galimzhanov, Mobile Invest comments:

Marc Dillon and Tomi Pienimäki

“The Jolla smartphone with its unique and independent Sailfish OS mobile operating system brings a breath of fresh air to the smartphone market, which has long been dominated by only a few players. We believe that Jolla has true potential to become a smartphone of choice for those looking for an alternative. We are honored to open the world’s first Jolla showroom in Almaty.”

CEO Tomi Pienimäki and Marc Dillon, Head of Software Development, headed to Kazakhstan to open the beautiful showroom in Almaty. The showroom and store can be compared to an Apple store filled up with Jolla products. Next to phones on display you find Lastu phone cases, TheOtherHalfs as well as Jolla advertisement products.

Unlike: Jolla shop in Almaty, Kazakhstan :) RT @iYerulan Аксессуары и не только в брендшопе #Jolla. pic.twitter.com/Ph0xdwfEpY
— Harri Hakulinen (@HarriHakulinen) July 25, 2014

All pictures are from Jolla Казахстан on Facebook. It seem that there is an official website as well (without content yet): Jolla Kazakhstan website

Official press release: Jolla_MobileInvest_press_release_July2014_25.07_FINAL.pdf

Jolla around the world on Twitter

2014-07-23T08:59:00.000+02:00

Picture by@zzlu02

A while ago Jolla users started to tweet photos taken with their Jolla (or with their Jolla in the picture) from all around the world. Now that it is summer them and people tend travel around a lot we get to see some nice shots from around the world.

In case you are a Twitter user as well, please help to make this photo collection even bigger.

What you can do

Take a picture from a location you are at with your Jolla camera (at home, holiday, etc)
Take a picture showing your Jolla in front of a location, place or landmark
Tweet your shot with name of location (country and/or city, place) and use the hashtag:

#JollaAroundTheWorld

Some great example (out of many)

We will certainly look at and collect some of the greatest picture after a while and look forward to your shots.

Help make Jolla famous all Around The World!

Latest #JollaAroundTheWorld Tweets

#JollaAroundTheWorld Tweets

Jolla Launcher updated to Alpha version 0.2.1

2014-07-21T12:10:00.000+02:00

Jolla releases the next version of Jolla Launcher for community alpha testers. The update will be available via Google Play Store for invited Alpha testers.

The beta testing will start in August where everyone who signed up will be able to participate

Jolla Launcher Community Alpha release (v 0.2.1) runs well on Android 4.4.4 (Nexus 4 & 5). An improvement is that the launcher now also works under ART compiler. The latest alpha release ahsn't been tested on Android L developer preview release, but inputs from potential testers are very welcome.

"On Monday 21st of July we will release update (v 0.2.1) to Jolla Launcher Community Alpha release. That is possible even in the middle of hottest (literally) summer holiday season in Finland because of our restless team "tdb" & "zuh" from Movial :)" (together.jolla.com)

Change-log version 0.2.1:

Fixed icon view in folders

Fix running under ART virtual machine
"Fix" PIN code query problems by not dismissing the android lockscreen at all. Users need to set lock screen to "none" from the security settings if they want to mimic the Jolla behaviour wrt lock screen.
Applications are sorted alphabetically (except those that have predefined position)
Folders now show four columns like the launcher grid
Strip Google prefixes from app titles
Adjust vibration strength for pulley menus
Fix volume level indication when switching ambiences
Show ongoing call screen in switcher so user can easily go back to it from launcher
Fix for double notifications
Fix a crash from reference leak, seen when rearranging apps
Events view hint in lock screen is now disabled
Debug dump information has been improved
Extra asset files extraction now works for updates (not user-visible)
Icon for launching tutorial

Known issues:

If you start tutorial from icon, there is no other way out than running it all.

To report your testing results please use together.jolla.com with the tags jolla-launcher, your used Android version and phone. Make sure to search for an existing entry before you create a new one. Also keep an eye on your Gmail inbox as you probably will be invited again for a survey about Jolla Launcher v.0.2.1.

Thanks for testing and contributing!

Source and official announcement: together.jolla.com

Hardware Adaptation Dev Kit 1.0 for Sailfish OS

2014-07-18T11:35:00.001+02:00

Sailﬁsh OS Hardware Adaptation Development Kit Documentation release 1.0.1-EA1. This documentation helps you set up a Mer-core based Linux system that will run on an Android device, on top of the existing Android Hardware Adaptation kernel and drivers.

This way it is possible to port Sailfish OS to devices running the Android based Cyanogen-Mod. The guide consists of:

Mer core: The Linux userspace core
Android Hardware Adaptation (HA/HAL), consisting of:

Device-speciﬁc Android Kernel
Binary device drivers taken from an Android ROM (e.g. CyanogenMod)
The libhybris interface built against the binary drivers
Middleware packages depending on hardware-speciﬁc plugins
A Qt/Wayland QPA plugin utilizing the Android hwcomposer
Sailﬁsh OS components

The documentation includes links to all necessary prerequisites (page 5). You can get the hole documentation here: SailfishOSHardwareAdaptationDevelopmentKit.pdf

Join #sailfishos-porters on irc.freenode.net for active discussion.

Hardware Adaptation Dev Kit 1.0 for #sailfishos : http://t.co/Fp1SdiULNw - join #sailfishos-porters on http://t.co/REpYL2UFq6 #jolla
— Carsten Munk (@stskeeps) July 18, 2014

Jolla phones coming to India

2014-07-18T09:06:00.000+02:00

After the false report about Jolla being officially sold in China, there is true news today. Jolla phones are coming to India within a month and are being distributed via Snapdeal, an online marketplace being based in New Delhi, India.

This is Jolla's first campaign outside Europe and thus a confirmation for their expansion plans.

India can be a key market for Jolla with a lot of potential as only about 21% of the nation's 900 million mobile-phone users have smartphones. Sailfish OS' possibility to run Android applications seamlessly comes in handy: Android phones enjoy a market share of about 90% in India.

Sami Pienimäki, Co-founder and CMO of Jolla comments:

“India is the rising smartphone market of the world and we look forward to welcoming many new Jolla fans across the country. Since late 2011 when we established the company Jolla, we have received a tremendous amount of interest from India to enter this great market. In particular we have found it very encouraging how much there is interest and trust for mobile heritage coming from Finland, and what kind of development opportunities there are to start to develop e.g. local applications for India. We are super excited to be partnering with the market leader Snapdeal, who has extensive reach in the booming online commerce market of India. Through this position, we are confident to reach those interested in a true alternative to the mainstream players.”

Kunal Bahl, Co-founder & CEO, Snapdeal.com comments on this exclusive partnership:

“We at Snapdeal.com constantly endeavor to offer high quality products across varied categories to our 25 million+ users at best prices. The smartphone category has been getting an extremely encouraging response on our platform.

However the market in India offers few choices in terms of mobile operating systems. Jolla with its innovative Sailfish OS introduces an entirely new user experience to consumers. Jolla offers a unique smartphone experience both in terms of hardware and software. We look forward to a long term and mutually beneficial relationship”

You can sign up on Jolla.com with your email address to be informed as soon as the phone is available in India. You also find Jolla on Facebook or Twitter and various other social media channels. Additionally there is an unofficial 'Jolla India' account which you might want to follow: JollaIndia on Twitter and JollaIndia on Facebook.

Welcome aboard India!

Official press release: Jolla_Snapdeal_press_release_July18_2014_FINAL.PDF
Additional source: The Economic Times India

Video of native Sailfish OS Spotify client

2014-07-17T12:56:00.000+02:00

Spotify employee Bob Jelica (@b0bben on Twitter) just posted a video of a Sailfish Spotify client which was developed by him and Pär Bohrarper (@rogueops) as a Hackday project. The user interface shown in the video really looks great and could be an example for other, future Sailfish OS apps.

It's not sure though if this app gets ever released - follow Bob Jelica if you want to get the latest update about the project.

But who knows: Spotify for Linux is also labeled as a project and is not officially supported as well. Yet it is a perfectly working client which keeps up with Windows and Mac OSX versions.

The official Android application works also well on Sailfish OS and don't forget about CuteSpotify - a wonderful native Spotify client available here or via Warehouse app.

Hackday project by me and @rogueops : Spotify on Sailfish https://t.co/0YJKx0fWZs #jolla /cc @zzste @MarcDillonDotFi :)
— Bob Jelica (@b0bben) July 17, 2014

Jolla phone being officially sold in Asia?

2014-07-16T14:52:00.001+02:00

[Updated article] Some thoughtful readers (who understand Chinese) disagreed with the assumption that Jolla already officially sells their phone on Taobao.com and confirmed that this is wrong news. Please read comments below. Despite that, Jolla will sell their phone in China in the near future.

It seemed that the Jolla smartphone is being sold in on Taobao.com (via @fenditsim on Twitter).

Taobao is a Chinese online shopping website similar to eBay and Amazon and provides a platform for small businesses and private sellers to open online stores. Taobao marketplace belongs to the world's top 10 most visited websites.

Apparently Jolla opened their own official online store on Taobao.com where they promote and sell the phone [it is now confirmed that Jolla isn't responsible this sales-page]. At first glance the presentation looks genuine and we find some new promotional material (pictures) we haven't seen before. Furthermore Jolla said earlier this year that they would expand their sales to Asia this summer - and don't forget that Jolla maintains an office in HongKong. Check out the page here.

Jolla presentation on taobao.com

The phone is being sold for 2'988.00 CNY (around same price as in Europe) offering a 1 year warranty. Link to sales page here.

It wouldn't be the first time Jolla uses a famous online shopping website to sell their product as they already did that on Amazon UK in May this year. But as long as Jolla doesn't confirm the TaoBao page, we must assume that this is an unofficial sale. In any case let's hope we soon can welcome some new Asian Jolla users!

If you understand Chinese and/or can provide more infos, your comment would be very welcome.

[How-to] Update Warehouse app after 1.0.8.19 upgrade

2014-07-16T09:36:00.001+02:00

Jolla's 1.0.8.19, Tahkalampi update brought some changes to RPM side-loading and packagekit authorizations.

Unfortunately this affects the OpenRepos.net Warehouse app and breaks the possibility to install apps from the 3rd party 'store'. OpenRepos maintainer Basil already provided an update which has to be installed manually.

Available apps in Warehouse

This time you can't update the app from within Warehouse!

To update Warehouse do following on your Jolla:

Make sure you have "Allow untrusted software" enabled in settings (which you probably already have)
Open browser and go to: https://openrepos.net/content/basil/warehouse-sailfishos to download harbour-warehouse-0.3-18.armv7hl.rpm (or whatever is the most recent version)
Once downloaded go to notification view (swipe up from outside display) and click the downloaded file. You get to "Transfers" view where you can install Warehouse by clicking the downloaded RPM file.
That's it!

In case you are using Sailfish OS on Nexus 4 (or other Android devices) you maybe can't install the RPM file without using terminal.

Try this to solve the problem:

Activate developer mode and set a password (use SSH access nemo@10.0.0.xx with your password if you prefer typing on a real keyboard...)
Use Sailfish browser and download Warehouse for Sailfish OS here: openrepos.net
Open Terminal and enter devel-su (confirm with the password you just set)
Now type cd /home/nemo/Downloads and press enter
Install Warehouse with following line: pkcon install-local harbour-warehouse-0.3-18.armv7hl.rpm

Changelog Version v0.3-18:

Basic polkit auth policy added
Application changelog shown
Fast single-repo refresh
Fast repository disabling

Thanks Basil for the fast update!

Changelog source: together.jolla.com

Changes to RPM side-loading and packagekit authorization: lists.sailfishos.org

Sailfish SDK updated to version Alpha-1407-Qt5

2014-07-15T15:34:00.000+02:00

With the release of Sailfish OS 1.0.8.19, Jolla also publishes new installers and package repositories for the Sailfish OS SDK version Alpha-1407-Qt5. The small update fixes some bugs, updates Silica-documentation and refreshes SDK to match the latest Sailfish OS release.

SDK Version Alpha-1407-Qt5 comes with following improvements:

SDK IDE (Qt Creator)

Fix bugs related to handling symlinked home directory or project directory. This change affects only Linux and Mac hosts.
Updated component gallery sources in the Example projects
Updated Sailfish Silica help documentation

Installer

Fix Sailfish template application source location in Mac installer. Mac users should check out the updated default template application, it has some changes that were missing in the previous installer.

SDK Build engine

Build targets refreshed to Jolla release 1.0.8.19 level.
RPM repositories point to releases.jolla.com instead of releases.sailfishos.org.

Emulator

Emulator packages refreshed to Jolla release 1.0.8.19 level.
RPM repositories point to releases.jolla.com

Website

The Silica documentation at https://sailfishos.org/sailfish-silica/ updated to current level.

Jolla suggests to send an email to the mailing list: devel@lists.sailfishos.org or write in http://together.jolla.com with tag 'sdk' if you have any questions.

The official release note can be found here. Download SDK installer here.

Sweet summer-gift: Upgrade 1.0.8.19, Tahkalampi

2014-07-14T17:46:00.000+02:00

A nice summer afternoon, a random check for a new Sailfish update and....booom...a freshly baked firmware version ready to download and install. What a surprise Jolla! Well, we all knew that Jolla would release another upgrade in July, but did we expect such a big one? Probably not. Jolla fixed a huge amount of reported (and unreported) bugs and added new features which bring the new mobile platform to the next level.

What's new in 1.0.8.19, Tahkalampi?

One of the most interesting changes are the possibility to switch between open Android apps in multitasking view. That means Android apps are opened in a separate window - as a result only the typical Android back-button is being displayed (see screenshot below). Sailfish OS now also allows you to add webpages as shortcuts in the app launcher area. To add a web link to the launcher press the 'new tab' button in browser and chose "Add to Launcher" with the Pulley Menu. Talking about the browser: The loading-bar is now transparent. Finally Jolla also improved the beginner's tutorial (which is quiet important for those who experience Sailfish OS for the first time). The tutorial is now more complex and resembles the tutorial used in 'Jolla Launcher' for Android.

Separate Android app windows in multitasking view and web link in launcher view

According to the official release note the update includes following improvements:

Overview:

Easily switch between open Android apps in the homescreen by tapping on their respective active covers i.e they are no longer grouped into one cover (experimental)
Add shortcuts to webpages in the app launcher area
Set separate synchronization schedules per mail account
Upload multiple files via Browser and be able to to filter files by file type during file selection
Define email signature and sender name per account
Save unsent messages as drafts when messages app is pushed to background
Search word auto-completion in Jolla Store
Use stroke input method for writing in Chinese
Define an end date when creating/modifying recurring calendar events
Artist search support in Media player

New beginner's tutorial and transparent navigation/load bar in browser

First time usage

New version of tutorial app for beginners
Improved "Get your content" page in the Startup wizard

Connectivity

New version of the connectivity stack

Calendar

Enhanced day view: sparser background, support for 12h clock, all-day events shown right aligned near the top right corner when active
App cover no longer displays already occurred events
'Edit' option is now available in the context menu (in addition to 'Delete')

Security

Fixes kernel vulnerabilities CVE-2014-0196, CVE-2014-2851 and CVE-2014-3122

Jolla store

Displays top categories (Apps, Games, Jolla, Marketplaces) in the landing page and access sub-categories using left flick
Displays OS update size before downloading the update
Sorts "My apps" in alphabetical order

Settings/Accounts

Enhanced layout for accounts settings
Displays account status information (disabled/not-logged in) and sync status of newly created accounts in the accounts overview page
Allows disabling/enabling accounts from the context menu on the accounts listed in the accounts overview page
Checks for missing profiles before doing a profile sync, and only syncs the required profiles

Mail

Improved HTML email viewer
Ensures email accounts are automatically enabled/disabled if Mail app is installed/uninstalled
Email signature and sync settings options removed from Mail app settings, instead can be set from the corresponding account settings

Phone

Implements reliability fixes to call duration logging
Does not force minimized calling view to foreground during an active call
A third incoming call (waiting call) is now handled properly when there are already two calls active
DTMF tones and other indicator tones played during the voice call now follows the voice call volume

Messages

Increases opacity and font size for message legibility

Android runtime

GPS is now disabled only when all Android apps exit
Application data for Android applications that are no longer installed will be cleaned up on boot
CalendarProvider support added, Citrix GoToMeeting app no longer crashes
Improves keyboard opening/closing transition
Fixes device name to "Jolla" and displays it correctly in the Spotify Devices list
Hides native keyboard when Android runtime surface loses focus
Improved implementation of time zone information retrieval

For remaining known issues and detailed bugfixes overview please visit the release note at together.jolla.com. In case your Sailfish/Android apps have no internet connection after the update, please reboot your phone. Enjoy the 8th major Sailfish OS update!

Bird or Fish? Flappy Bird games on Jolla

2014-07-07T13:53:00.000+02:00

You might hate or love that game (maybe even both): Flappy Bird on Sailfish OS (native app!). Nice surprise to see Flappy Bird popping up in Jolla Store just about an hour ago.

Next to Flappy Bird there is also Sailyfish: Same game principle but with a fish under water swimming in the colours of your Jolla Ambience.

Sailyfish comes with a starts menu and a side challenge which includes popping bubbles while guiding your fish through the gaps between tubes. Both games are available in Jolla Store.

Which game do you prefer? And what is your highscore? Happy gaming!

3rd party Swype-like keyboard for Sailfish OS

2014-07-07T13:23:00.000+02:00

Since the release of Sailfish OS there has been a huge demand for a Swype keyboard. The patented virtual keyboard was originally developed for Android and has since found its way on various devices (including the Nokia N9). Instead of typing, words are written by sliding a finger over lettres: Error-correction algorithms help guessing the right word (which works very reliable). A French developer with the nickname 'eber42' recently showed a video with a working Swype keyboard on Sailfish OS.

Swype is being called the fastest virtual keyboard and even achieved a Guinness World Record for the fastest written text message on a touchscreen mobile device. Initially Swipe only was available for a few selected devices while nowadays it is possible to purchase the keyboard on Google Play Store. Just last month Swype confirmed to develop a version for iOS8 which will support for the first time 3rd party keyboards.

Worries about patent conflicts

Developer 'eber42' plans to release his Sailfish OS keyboard as an open source project but worries about US software patent conflicts. There shouldn't be any problems with an open-source project that doesn't use code or protected names owned by Swype. Furthermore it could be an advantage that the Jolla is only sold in Europe at the moment where software can't be patented like under US law. Yet it is understandable that the developer wants to be certain before releasing his keyboard and therefore waits to publish it. The discussion about this keyboard and possible patent conflicts can be followed here (and please don't hesitate to add your knowledge): talk.maemo.org

Demo video of Swype-like keyboard

At the moment the keyboard only supports English and French but the developer plans to provide tools to easily add new languages. The current used algorithm is based on geometric properties of the curve drawn that walks through the tree of all possible words.

"The current algorithm is based on geometric properties of the curve drawn. It walks through the tree of all possible words (with scoring & heuristics applied very soon to trim the candidates tree) and try to assign a score to every possible word based on properties showing user "intention" (distance to key, speed, sharp turns ...)."

Ultimately there is a video which shows how this keyboard looks like on Sailfish OS:

Source: TMO
Via: JollaUsers

Sailor Summer Ambience for Jolla

2014-06-30T10:48:00.001+02:00

Dear Jolla users! A while ago I've already shared those 2 ambience wallpapers on Twitter, Facebook and Together.Jolla.com. On enquiry I post them again here, so they will be easier to find.

There are two download links, one for the original wallpaper and one for a high contrast wallpaper (whenever you use your Jolla in bright sunlight). Have a great summer and thank you for your interest!

Download Sailor-Ambience: here
Download Sailor-Ambiance (high-contrast): here

Jolla Launcher Alpha release (screenshots & videos)

2014-06-25T16:07:00.003+02:00

Another milestone release by Jolla: The 'Jolla Launcher' hits a limited public testing with version 0.2.0. The first few hundred registered Alpha testing candidates just received an email with instructions to install the Jolla Launcher.

The email contains a Google Play Store link and invitation which is tied to your Gmail account. The launcher is very impressive - have a look at the key features and some screenshots and 2 videos in this post.

Key features of Jolla Launcher Alpha version

Open phone via Jolla lock screen
observe time and other indicators
use pulley menu to quickly mute the device or open phone/settings /camera application
Start Android applications from Jolla application grid
Swipe back to home from any application
See Running applications in application covers (application cover shows partly screen capture of Android application)
Go back to application by pressing it's cover
Select Ambience from Ambience menu (some preselected Ambiences are provided)
With top swipe you can get access to Android events view (Android status bar is normally hidden on the launcher)
Jolla Launcher UI tutorial (first time when started, there is a tutorial to learn the basics of Jolla Launcher UI)

Jolla Launcher is based on Sailfish OS Update 7 level code. This 20MB big release targets and runs best Nexus 4 and 5 devices. Of course it is possible to run it on other devices as well - but the launcher isn't optimized yet for them. It also runs on a Nexus 7, but there are some graphical glitches with open multi-task windows and background.

More official information and instructions for bug reports here: together.jolla.com - Jolla Launcher

You might wonder why only a limited number of testers are allowed to download the launcher. The reason is that Jolla was surprised by the huge interest (and therefore the amount of potential testers) and they probably can't handle to many testers and input at the moment. In August more signed up community testers will be able to participate tough.

An amazing experience

Welcome screen and instructions

After those few minutes of testing, I can say: Wow, I'm amazed. Android really looks and feels like Sailfish OS. Many animations (Pulley-Menu, 'peek' swiping, etc) are the very same and the launcher runs fluid. The multitasking view looks nice because the launcher creates a screenshot of the upper-left part of an open application (even though that doesn't seem to work yet all the time). If you want to experience true multitasking you naturally have to get the real Sailfish OS (which I can highly recommend btw)...

Jolla's Launcher also comes with some Silica icons and folders, 2 beautiful wallpapers which change the ambience. Your selected main/standard apps like OsmAnd Maps (Open Street Maps) or Google Maps get the native Silica maps icon, same with 'Apollo' music player being decorated with the purple Jolla Media icon in my case.

Congratulations to the 'Jolla Launcher' development team for that brilliant job. Even though this is just the Alpha version, it is already very impressive. Below you have some official screenshots and great first Youtube review.

Jolla Launcher screenshots as shown on Google Play

On-screen recorded video showing features of Jolla Launcher:

Youtube review by @MFaroTusino on a Nexus 5:

Sailfish OS 1.0.7.16 testing image available for Nexus 4

2014-06-23T11:25:00.000+02:00

Carsten Munk, Chief Research Engineer at Jolla, just published information about the updated Sailfish OS image for LG's Nexus 4. The so called "early adopters" will receive an email with further instructions (you also find them in this blog post). The update brings new features and stability to the sytem - but be aware: This isn't a final product yet and doesn't present Sailfish OS the way it is working on an original Jolla device.

In case you are looking for the Android 'Jolla Launcher', visit this page: Jolla Launcher Community Alpha testing

What's new?

Under Settings/About Product manufacturer and product name are now shown as LG and Nexus 4 (previously as UNKNOWN).
No system-freezes anymore when accessing About Product or Developer mode settings
Removed "development software" watermark
Jolla Store is now available and functional. On the last version it was possible to install Jolla Store manually, but since recent store updates it wasn't possible anymore to install applications. Licensed applications like Maps, Microsoft Exchange and Android support aren't available. You might still find Android applications in the store, but naturally can't use them.
The system feels much smoother and more stable. WLAN and mobile network connection seem to be improved as well (also applies to Jolla phones updated to Sailfish OS 1.0.7.16)
Haptic feedbacks now also on virtual keyboard (if I remember right that wasn't the case with the last version)
Phone audio volume can now be changed with volume button during call
No issues anymore waking up device using standby/off/on button
It is possible to check for new OS updates - not sure though if you can actually perform an update (possibly not)

Screenshots taken on Nexus 4

What doesn't work yet?

No video playback (you can manually install codecs from OpenRepos.net to get a a rather stumbled video playback and sound)
No possibility to activate "Allow untrusted software"
Camera doesn't work yet
No Bluetooth connections possible
No MTP (data transfer via USB cable)
A few UI graphical mistakes (system and applications) due to higher screen resolution of Nexus 4
Logically, not all applications run on Nexus 4

How to install Warehouse (Openrepos.net) application

It is not possible yet to enable the installation of downloaded 3rd party software (outside Jolla store). Of course you can always enable developer mode and install application via terminal (pkcon install-local yourapplication.rpm).

Warehouse application gives you access to many 3rd party applications:

Activate developer mode and set a password (use SSH access nemo@10.0.0.xx with your password if you prefer typing on a real keyboard...)
Use Sailfish browser and download Warehouse for Sailfish OS here: openrepos.net
Open Terminal and enter cd /home/nemo/Downloads
Now type and confirm pkcon install-local harbour-warehouse-0.2-16.armv7hl.rpm to install the OpenRepos user interface.

Try it out - but be aware: It's not a final product yet

In case you have a Nexus 4 around, are familiar with Android tools like fastboot and aren't afraid of resetting your device: Go ahead and try out Sailfish OS (which looks fantastic on that high-resolution screen!). Jolla also provides a "demo" image which includes pre-installed marketing content like messages, mails, contacts, pictures and more for demonstration purposes. Be aware that this isn't a final product and doesn't include all features of Sailfish OS on a Jolla device.

Please carefully read the official instructions below (source) to avoid any mistakes. If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment here or at xda-developers.com (where Carsten Munk posts as well).

Official info/instructions

Dear early adopter of SailfishOS for Android devices. This is important - read this whole mail through and follow all steps exactly as written.

IMPORTANT: If you choose to publish this mail through blogs, news sites, forums, or others, quote it as-is and in complete form ONLY, or people's devices may be at risk.
We're happy to publish the third Early Adopter Release of SailfishOS (1.0.7.16) for Nexus 4 (mako) to you.

We are still working on the SailfishOS Hardware Adaptation Development Kit, which describes how to port SailfishOS to existing devices based on CyanogenMod 10.1. Newer versions of CM will be supported eventually. We'll publish the HADK in the very near future.
This installation image is for early adopters only, meaning we know that some things are not functional or perhaps even broken -- please see the release notes below. We are excited to get all of you properly included in the early stages of the project. Do note that this SailfishOS image is strictly for personal and non-commercial usage only.

We've prepared a 'demo' version of the image which contains the kind of preinstalled 'marketing' content and the core apps used for demonstrations - this helps you quickly get a feel for all the interactions that are avalable on a device that has been used for a while but isn't really what you want for personal use. You can however cleanly remove the demo content.
We want to build a community around SailfishOS for Android devices that is based on mutual trust and respect for what we are all doing. Hence -- we ask that whenever you do screenshots, videos, forum or blog posts (and we're happy if you do!) or the like, you emphasise that this is an under-development snapshot and not a final product release.

It is important for Jolla that the correct expectations are set for those who might be users of the final product -- and that they understand what they see is not a released product. If you do demo videos, you can take advantage of our new 'demo content' image that has pre-set contacts/imagery/messages/etc to show full functionality of SailfishOS.
WARNING: Modifying or replacing your device’s software may void your device’s warranty, lead to data loss, hearing loss, hair loss, financial loss, privacy loss, security breaches, or other damage, and therefore must be done entirely at your own risk. No one affiliated with this project is responsible for your actions but yourself. Good luck.
NOTE: You will lose your on-device data (including /sdcard), so make a proper backup and make sure to copy that backup to your PC.

NOTE: Make sure to read all the release notes below. Please DO NOT contact Jolla Care for any issues encountered with this Early Adopters build, instead use communication channels listed below.

To install this release of SailfishOS on a Nexus 4 device:

* Install adb and fastboota. Debian/Ubuntu: apt-get install android-tools-adb android-tools-fastbootb. Fedora: yum install android-toolsc. Mac OS X: Install Homebrew from http://brew.sh/, then: brew install android-platform-toolsd. Windows: See http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/Doc:_fastboot_intro for instructions

* Install Android 4.2.2 (JDQ39) to your Nexus 4a. Instructions here: https://developers.google.com/androi...s#instructions b. Download links can be found here: https://developers.google.com/androi...ges#occamjdq39

* Download CyanogenMod 10.1.3 for your Nexus 4a. Perform Factory Reset and wipe contents of the /data/ partition in case of leftovers from previous ROMsb. The file you want to download is cm-10.1.3-mako.zipc. Download links can be found here: http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/Install_CM_for_mako

* Download the SailfishOS for Android image for "mako"a. The file you want to download is http://releases.sailfishos.org/sfa-e...0.7.16-EA3.zipb. Another flavour filled with demo content: http://releases.sailfishos.org/sfa-e...mo-content.zip

* Install CyanogenMod 10.1.3 on your Nexus 4a. Follow the instructions at: http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/Install_CM_for_mako

* After flashing the "cm-10.1.3-mako.zip" file, flash the SailfishOS .zip file in the same way ("on top of it")

* Reboot bootloader, SailfishOS should boot and be visible
We recommend reading through http://jolla.com/guide/ -- some parts may not apply to Nexus 4
If you want to go back to normal CyanogenMod:a. Boot into recovery modeb. Choose "Wipe data / factory reset"c. Flash cm-10.1.3-mako.zipd. (to go back to SailfishOS, flash the SailfishOS .zip on top of it)
If you want to go back to stock Android:a. Download the stock image from https://developers.google.com/androi...s/images#occamb. Extract the package and follow the instructions for reflashing/re-locking
To SSH into your device via USB (Linux)1. Enable remote connection in Settings->System->Developer mode
2. Set your USB interface on host machine to IP 192.168.2.23. ssh nemo@192.168.2.14. Use the password from developer mode to log in5. Use the 'devel-su' command with the same password in order to gain root6. To SSH over WLAN, use IP listed in developer mode under "WLAN IP address"
Read Sailfish OS release notes: https://together.jolla.com/question/...0716-saapunki/

Release notes/Known issues in EA3:

* EXPERIMENTAL: Jolla Store is now available, you'll need to register with your Jolla Account

* NOTE: Booting Nexus 4 with SIM first, and then removing SIM (or vice versa) may cause Jolla Store to see it as two different devices and cause potential breakage. Please stick to either SIM available or not when running SailfishOS on Nexus 4.- There may be a bug with oFono RIL support that makes it not report IMEI value causing this and will be sorted out in a later update.

* DISCLAIMER: Using Jolla Store with Jolla Account might break applications on your other devices, use it at your own risk!

* Android support is not available from the Store, even if you can see Android apps listed (those will be removed eventually from store view)

* This functionality means that image comes with only minimal set of pre-installed apps. Use Store to download the ones you need.

* The backlight is dark during first launch, but can be fix by switching the currently-not-working ambient light sensor off (uncheck Settings->System->Display->Adjust automatically)

* When display is blanked, power management sets WLAN to the lowest speed state

* Can be noticed in a SSH-over-WLAN session

* Chat notifications may arrive with a slight delay

Fixes after EA2:* Watermark removed* Phone-call audio volume can now be changed with the help of volume buttons* Improved responsiveness when waking phone up with the power button* Settings->System->Developer Mode or About Product do not freeze anymore* Reverted to the original (non-Silica) Fingerterm

Fixes after EA1:* Phone-calls with audio work* Timers and alarms (with device powered on) work* HTML5 video+audio works in Browser (tested splash on http://jolla.com )* Update is based on SailfishOS version 1.0.5.16

Release notes/Known issues in EA2:* To securely power off the device, during its boot-up keep Volume Down pressed to enter bootloader mode. Using volume keys, select "Power off" option, then press the Power key* If not auto-detected from SIM, set-up mobile internet data settings via Settings->System->Mobile network->(long tap on the first toggle-item under "Mobile data" section)->(enter settings given by your operator)

Nexus4-specific known issues reported by the adopters (in EA2):* Chinese text input not working* Localhost name is shown as Jolla* Switching between the online and offline status in the status information setting takes very long and often doesn’t switch properly* Google contacts which are put together with different information, are now split up into several contacts in Sailfish* The battery display seems to be a bit buggy because it loses about 15% from one second to another* The calendar overview when filled with events seems to be a bit laggy* The email push is not working correctly, I do not receive any emails until I push the refresh button* Splitting words in the German translation: e.g. in the open apps on the home screen it says: "Kurzzeitmesse" and in the next line the missing "r"* NOTE: all other Sailfish OS issues have already been reported on TJC - http://together.jolla.com - and many of them were fixed in this 1.0.5.16 release

Release notes/Known Issues in EA1:* Developer mode is activated at all times* There has been no throughout testing of telephony related functionality (roaming, airplane mode, etc) and any use of this functionality is at your own risk* Sensors, Device lock, Reset device, Bluetooth, USB control + MTP, Bluetooth, WLAN hotspot, Camera (photography, video recording), and video playback is not supported in this release* The image SW is not currently upgradeable, nor is any typically licensed multimedia codecs (MP3, etc), HERE maps, Android application compatibility layer, or word prediction for virtual keyboard preinstalled* This image does not include any typically licensed multimedia codecs (MP3, etc), HERE maps, Android application compatibility layer, Microsoft Exchange support, or word prediction for virtual keyboard preinstalled* It is not possible to double-tap to wake up the device* Powering off device puts it into a state of deep slumber; possible to get out of by holding power button and volume down key with a bit of persistence* Fingerterm keyboard is not at its best due to the portrait-only mode* FPS drop while scrolling in homescreen due to non-batching when rendering of application icon grid* Icons/graphics appear unproportionally small in browser toolbar, time select widget, and Settings favourite icons* Multiboot/Multirom is not supported yet but we're happy if you would like to teach/help us
We will all meet in #sailfishos-porters (note, new location) on irc.freenode.net and please use us (thp, alterego, Stskeeps, lbt, sledges) to work together, report any bugs, graphical glitches or missing functionality that you find, which are not included in the release notes above. You can also find the hardware adaptation source code at http://github.com/mer-hybris .

You are also welcome to participate in threads at http://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-4/general about Nexus 4 and SailfishOS as well as for more general SailfishOS topics at http://forum.xda-developers.com/jolla-sailfish/general

Best regards, Carsten Munk (Stskeeps) on behalf of the SailfishOS for Everyone team.Chief Research Engineer @ Jolla

[JollaES] Beautiful video about Jolla at MWC 2014

2014-06-21T22:29:00.001+02:00

It has been almost 4 months since Mobile World Congress in Barcelona where Jolla had their first big public appearance. Barcelona also was a great place to learn to know many fantastic community people. The creative guys from Jolla Spain were constantly filming and taking (really great!) pictures. The result is a brilliant video which sums up some great moments at MWC 2014.

The video is in Spanish (most parts of it atleast) but you really don't need to understand all of it to enjoy that Youtube clip - and isn't it nice to listen to that language anyways?

To celebrate their MWC experience and video, JollaES gives away an official Keira Black TheOtherHalf. Follow them on Twitter, like them on Facebook and write them about your best experience at MWC, share you best picture, tell about which Jolla announcements you like most etc. Since the activity mainly aims the Spanish speaking folks (not sure if you have to tweet in Spanish or not...) you find all the information here:

JollaES - Así fue el MWC para JollaEs, ¡y viene con regalo!

Thank you JollaES for that great video!

‘Jolla Launcher’ & updated Nexus 4 Sailfish image

2014-06-20T12:32:00.002+02:00

Great news for Android phone users who want to try out the Sailfish OS experience. Next week Jolla starts a community testing for the 'Jolla Launcher' alpha version. In addition Nexus 4 users will get a new Sailfish OS imagine (possibly 1.0.7.16) by next Monday.

Jolla Launcher community Alpha testing

Sailfish Launcher on Android
(Source: Twitter)

With the Jolla Launcher (which in the future will be available in Google Play Store) Android device
owners get an opportunity to try out the Sailfish OS experience in a simple and risk-free way. The launcher which works on top of Android OS shows the possibility of a gesture-based swipe user interface. The so called 'Jolla Launcher' can be used the same way like popular Android launchers "GO Launcher Ex" and "Nova Launcher". That means you still use Android applications and don't need to re-install anything - but you get a new user interface and different icons.

The Jolla Launcher can be seen as a creative publicity for Sailfish OS - there certainly are Android users who will hear the name Jolla for the first time thanks to the launcher. Those who like the launcher might be interested in using the real Sailfish OS at some point.

If you are interested in testing the launcher, you can sign up with a valid Gmail address till June 27, 2014, preferably being a Nexus 4 or 5 owner.

The Alpha testing phase is targeted mainly for Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 devices. The Jolla Launcher Alpha can also be installed on many other devices running Android 4.3 or later.

Send an email to jolla-launcher@jolla.com from your Google account
Include the following information: your name, and which device(s) your using
Wait to receive the Google Play installation link and further instructions

For more information and original announcement: together.jolla.com

New Sailfish OS image for Nexus 4

Testers of the Nexus 4 (Mako) Sailfish OS image are still on version 1.0.5.16. The update has been postponed due to a problem discovered during testing phase (according to Jolla's Chief Research Engineer Carsten Munk via IRC).

Version 1.0.7.16 should be available by next Monday with instructions on how to replace the existing Sailfish image. Nexus 4 owners who subscribed for testing will receive an email with the instructions and download link to the image (which seems to be already available here: sailfishos-mako-release-1.0.7.16-EA3.zip - it's recommended though to wait for the official announcement/instructions!).

Source of Sailfish image: talk.maemo.org

[JollaUsers] Native camera app versus Cameraplus

2014-06-14T23:56:00.000+02:00

JollaUsers takes a closer look at the alternative SailfishOS camera application called "Cameraplus". Some of you might know this application and its neat features from Nokia N9 - glad to see it has been ported to our Jolla devices.

From JollaUsers - Jolla’s camera isn’t bad at all. Software wise it is rich enough to feed you through your daily photography and Instagram shots. It has a self timer, ISO settings, White balance, different focus modes and so on. It even has a grid mode for your ambiance so from the look of it, it’s quite rich in terms of software features.

Now, we’re not talking about the hardware at all here so let’s get to the chase and see why we’re here.

If you ever felt that Jolla’s camera viewfinder is lacking stuff to completely feed your taste of photography, there is a new application called Camera Plus made by Mohammed Sameer, senior engineer at Jolla, and it rocks even at early stage.

It may not have the most beautiful icon in the world (yet) or not the most sophisticated user interface for the viewfinder (yet) while comparing it to the actual Sailfish design language, it works perfectly fine. In fact the app just got updated recently which means there is support behind it.

The UI only works in Landscape (Both ways) and it works with swipes to view the last image or your settings!

Simply swipe it to the left or right to access settings and your photos [...]

Enjoy the full article incl. photo comparison here on JollaUsers.com

Sailfish OS SDK updated to version 1406

2014-06-13T12:06:00.002+02:00

Jolla released new installers and package repositories for the Sailfish OS SDK version Alpha-1406-Qt5. SDK content has been updated to match Jolla Release 1.0.7.16 and can be downloaded in Qt Creator (or http://www.sailfishos.org if not installed yet)

SDK Version Alpha-1406-Qt5 comes with following improvements:

SDK IDE (Qt Creator)

Syntax highlighting definitions added for spec, yaml, desktop and changes files.
In Windows, configuration directory is created under the SDK install path (e.g. C:\SailfishOS\settings\SailfishAlpha4)
Project path can have whitespace

Installer:

Fixed VirtualBox 4.3.12 support in Windows
In Windows, SDK install path can no longer have whitespace.
Installer will request Qt Creator to be closed in case it is running and if a component requires that Qt Creator is restarted.
SDK version can be checked from the file sdk-release in the install dir (e.g. ~/SailfishOS/sdk-release)

SDK Build engine:

Faster rsync deploy method (skips RPM package check step).
Deploy the correct RPM package in case package version has been changed.
i486 target finally creates i486 packages instead of i586 packages.
Handle Windows CRLF type linefeeds in RPM spec files.
Build targets refreshed to Jolla release 1.0.7.16 level.
Better translation support in libsailfishapp.
Deployed packages are installed using sdk-deploy-rpm instead of pkcon.

SDK Control Center:

Package search in target view is now case-insensitive.

Emulator:

Emulator packages refreshed to Jolla release 1.0.7.16 level.
Closing the Emulator window offers now only the power off option.

Official Release Note: sailfishos.org/wiki/ReleaseNote_SDK_1406

via jollafr.org