Hands-on with Jolla’s Sailfish OS (video)

Handson with Jolla's Sailfish OS video

We recently had the chance to spend time with David Greaves and Vesa-Matti Hartikainen of Jolla and take Sailfish OS for a spin. As you might recall, this open source mobile OS builds upon Mer (a fork of MeeGo that includes Qt) and uses the Nemo framework with a custom UI. Like any decent Linux-based OS, it supports both ARM and x86 devices. The company is also behind the Sailfish SDK which is in the process of being finalized but is still open to developer feedback (the source code is available). After seeing Jolla's various demo videos and noting some UI similarities with MeeGo (swipes) and, strangely, with BB10 (peek gestures), we were eager to experience Sailfish OS for ourselves.

If you're wondering why the mobile OS is usually shown running on Nokia's N950 developer handset, that's because Jolla employs many ex-MeeGo engineers, so the OMAP-based phone was a natural fit. We were first given a walkthrough of Sailfish OS, then allowed to play with it. Many apps are still being worked on and some are still off-limits (we got in trouble for launching the camera), but what we saw was pretty solid. Take a look at the gallery below, then hit the break for our hands-on video and first impressions.

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Jolla expects Sailfish SDK to reach developers in early Q1 2013

Jolla Sailfish OS demo

Developers looking to carry on part of the MeeGo legacy have been wondering when Jolla would publish a usable SDK for Sailfish OS. It hasn't taken long to find out: the company has updated its wiki to tell us that the programming kit arrives early into the first quarter of 2013. Although that's not immediate satisfaction, it's close enough that development will start relatively soon after we receive hardware details. After that, it's just a question of whether or not the mobile app community is willing to dive in.

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Via: Tonis Tech Blog

Source: SailfishOS.org

Jolla shows off Sailfish mobile OS in official video, pushes speed, multitasking

Jolla shows off Sailfish mobile OS, promises 'effortless multitasking,' speed galore

As promised, Jolla has shown off its newly launched Sailfish OS today, and said that UI will be all about speed and multitasking, while also cutting down on the finger dancing required to use it. The experience will start from the homescreen, where users will be able to control music playback or end a call using a "pulley" menu system without needing to open the respective apps. The Finnish startup also said that "many" Android apps would run on Sailfish handsets without modification, though a simple port would be required for best operation. Jolla foresees the software running not only smartphones from hardware players like new partner ST-Ericsson, but also tablets, smart TVs and in-car systems, for instance. To see it for yourself, check out the official video after the break.

[Image credit: MTV3 Finland]

Continue reading Jolla shows off Sailfish mobile OS in official video, pushes speed, multitasking

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Via: Taskumuro

Source: MTV3 Finland, Jolla (YouTube)

Jolla’s Sailfish OS promises multitasking, personalization and ‘effortless interaction’ (updated)

Jolla's Sailfish OS promises multitasking, personalization and 'effortless interaction' (updated)

The date we were promised an introduction to Sailfish is here, and it turns out Jolla's not just targeting smartphones with its MeeGo-based OS, but tablets, smart TVs and other devices, too. Jolla has kept its OS under wraps until now, but it wants Sailfish to be an open-source affair which "will be built through community involvement and participation." The SDK will be available soon, and we should get a look at the UI during a presentation occurring shortly. We're assured superb multitasking capabilities, as well as deep personalization and "fast and effortless interaction." Jolla has said Sailfish will be available for use with "multiple chipset technologies," and is already supported on ST-Ericsson's NovaThor platforms. It's also reported that it's partnering with Finnish carrier DNA to promote and sell Sailfish smartphones on home turf. The full reveal is coming shortly, so we'll let you know more as soon as we do.

Update: The Jolla team took to the stage with touchscreen hardware in hand (we also spotted a Raspberry Pi), keen to express how they've been working all hours to boot Sailfish on anything they can find. The company called its creation the first truly "open ecosystem," and said that development will be fully transparent from the outset. While there will be Jolla-branded phones launching, Sailfish is also being offered to handset manufacturers to use on their own hardware. The UI tour wasn't as in depth as we'd have liked, but "true multitasking" was the main focus. Active programs can be pinned to the homescreen as tiles (in a layout that looks something like BlackBerry 10), which offer some control of the app without it hogging the screen. They also showed off a feature called "Ambiance," which uses colors from a picture you select to tint the UI. We wish we had more info to share, but right now, we're all just left wanting more.

Continue reading Jolla's Sailfish OS promises multitasking, personalization and 'effortless interaction' (updated)

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Source: DNA

Jolla’s Marc Dillon takes over as CEO, Jussi Hurmola to focus on Sailfish

Jolla's Marc Dillon takes over as CEO, Jussi Hurmola to focus on Sailfish

Following big news from Jolla almost two weeks ago, it's reluctant to go quiet, instead taking to Twitter to announce that Jussi Hurmola is no longer its CEO. This isn't a story of scandal or corporate dissent, but merely a restructuring to allow Hurmola to focus on Sailfish, the MeeGo-based OS currently in development. It's no great surprise that Marc Dillon is stepping up to be the new big cheese -- he's another of the company's founders and was acting COO prior to the shuffle. Sailfish is due to be demoed for the first time in a little over a month, where we imagine Hurmola will be eager to flaunt its progress now that he's managed to palm off all that paperwork.

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Jolla's Marc Dillon takes over as CEO, Jussi Hurmola to focus on Sailfish originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Oct 2012 16:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jolla confirms first Sailfish OS demo on November 21st, device details by Christmas

Jolla logo

Jolla had already mentioned that it would show its MeeGo-derived Sailfish OS in November, but the startup now has exact dates to mark on the calendar. Come November 21st and 22nd, we'll get a peek at Jolla's take on the open platform's interface, apps and SDK at the Slush conference in Helsinki. There won't be much hardware to see, however. Jolla plans to provide the first phone details and launch window before Christmas, which doesn't give much if any time for initial partners like D.Phone to get moving. We'd expect a more formal launch in the new year.

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Jolla confirms first Sailfish OS demo on November 21st, device details by Christmas originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Oct 2012 14:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jolla resuscitates MeeGo with ‘Sailfish’ OS, plans to show off new device this November

Jolla resuscitates MeeGo with 'Sailfish' OS, plans to show off new device this November

If competition breeds innovation, then there's plenty promise in this latest mobile development from Jolla. The Finnish company, comprised of former Nokia employees, is poised to enter yet another combatant to the wireless arena with a MeeGo-based OS, codenamed "Sailfish," as early as this November. According to The Wall Street Journal, an initial round of funding has raised €200 million to push the effort forward and the small start-up is investing €10 million of its own to bolster the platform's prospects. Having been recently abandoned by Elop and co. after the arrival of the N9, this iteration of the operating system will continue to be open source and should pave the way for OEM adoption, although certain aspects of the UI will be licensed. According to CEO Jussi Hurmola, the new hardware's expected to hit next month -- just in time for a glut of other smartphone bows. Until then, we'll reserve our judgment and hope for the best.

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Jolla resuscitates MeeGo with 'Sailfish' OS, plans to show off new device this November originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Oct 2012 11:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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