We suppose this comes with the territory when you're dealing with a major new smartphone on a major new (or heavily tweaked, anyway) platform that's in its launch infancy, but there's already a second new firmware floating around for the Storm. Actually, "floating around" isn't a great term here since Boy Genius Report isn't giving up the goods -- but the site appears to have obtained 4.7.0.76, which would be exactly 0.0.0.01 higher than the leaked firmware from earlier in the day. They've posted a laundry list of improvements and changes, giving us hope that the handset is on RIM's fast track to being as solid as it needs to be; unfortunately, no one knows when it'll be released, or if it'll simply be rolled into another build down the road. Keep your chins up, Storm users.

Okay, remember that bit about waiting for a wide release? Yeah, screw that noise. Firmware 4.7.0.75 for the BlackBerry Storm has drizzled out onto the interwebs, and initial reports from intrepid updaters seem to be generally positive. We can't verify the authenticity of this sucker, but if you were counting down the minutes until RIM got around to patching up issues and killing some lag, 75 might be a good start. Good luck, friends.

[Thanks, Erik]

The good news is that one of those rumored imminent firmware updates for Verizon's Storm has just materialized -- the bad news, though, is that it's not available to the unwashed masses just yet. For now, the only way to get version 4.7.0.75 (compared to the 4.7.0.65 launch build) is to have a super on-the-ball BES admin who's pushed the update out to his / her Storm users; non-BES users are still in the dark, but we're hearing those folks (read: the overwhelming majority) should get it within a week or two. Let's hope, eh?

The concept's not really new, but it's still kinda new -- and as S60 offerings go, Symbian Guru's GPS-Action looks like just about the most full-featured app of its kind that you can get. What does it do? Users of Android's Locale will feel right at home (or right at office, or the cottage) with GPS-Action, which lets you do pretty much anything your travelin' heart desires based on your current location. You can start another app, set off an alarm, open a website (we recommend Engadget Mobile), turn Bluetooth on or off, change phone profile, and the list goes on; even better, you don't even need GPS to use it -- as long as your set runs 3rd Edition, the app should be able to approximate your whereabouts by cell tower.

[Via All About Symbian]

What says "happy holidays" better than a media pack for your loved one's phone? Japan's KDDI au has hooked up with Louis Vuitton to offer a handful of custom home screens that show off the design house's all-too-familiar trademark, which is a great way to make sure your eyes are never too far from the famous "LV" should they stray from your bag, your shoes, your coat, or your car's custom upholstery. Even better, you can get in on the action just by snapping a QR code -- if you're on KDDI, that is. If you're not, scanning that code is going to lead you straight into the depths of designer withdrawal.

[Via kanYe West]

Remember when playing Quake III at a decent resolution required a $5,000 Alienware? Man, those were the days. Now, we can't help but be thankful for a few special Nokia handsets (the N95 8GB, E90 and N82 in particular) that can all handle the game by their lonesome. In fact, the latest version of the software adds a few remarkably awesome extras. For starters, users can now take advantage of on-phone server support, meaning that your handset can actually host a Quake III multiplayer battle (and may we recommend the server name "trashaccident?"). Also of note, the devs have tossed in support for Bluetooth mice and keyboards. We know, right? Tap the read link for all the juicy installation instructions.

[Via Decoder, thanks Olli]

The G1's got its fair share of accelerometers -- one need only pop open compass mode in Street View to figure that out -- but one thing it doesn't have is screen auto-rotation. That's where the ever-vigilant developer community comes into play, and Google's all's-fair policy toward third-party apps should guarantee that this nifty little hack will be readily available to anyone who wants it. Follow the break to see the keyboardless magic in action (hint: it works pretty much how you'd expect it to).

Nothing like a couple passive-aggressive keynote speeches and some spirited debate to get the blood pumping -- and with competition in the open mobile platform space more heated than it's ever been before, it was just a matter of time before these cats met up in a back alley brawl, Anchorman-style. That brawl came at San Francisco's Open Mobile Summit last week, where tensions boiled over into a series of subtle (and not-so-subtle) jabs between Google exec Rich Miner, Symbian veep Jerry Panagrossi, and Nokia's Mary McDowell. Pimping Android's security model, Miner came out swinging with accusations that Symbian's architecture leaves it with security flaws, a claim Panagrossi vigorously denied; interestingly, Larry Berkin of Access (yes, that Access) -- of all people -- stepped in to break up the fight and say Miner had it wrong. Panagrossi went on to suggest Android might be a niche platform, and... well, you can pretty much imagine that it went downhill from there. Drama!

[Image via I Can Has Cheezburger?, thanks Jota E.]

So, get a load of this. While tinkering within the iPhone 2.2 SDK, ArsTechnica discovered a neat little tidbit that could lead to some pretty extensible applications. In essence, the MPTVOutWindow class enables your iPhone to beam out video to a connected TV rather than the built-in screen. Of course, dock-connecting iPods / iPhones have been sending out videos for ages now, but this could actually enable applications to be used on the big screen. Sadly, the current code won't allow screen interaction while the TV out function is active, but the accelerometer is still a go. Check out a short demonstration clip after the break, and feel free to let your imagination run wild after peeking the read link.

[Via AppleInsider]

Here on Thanksgiving Eve, we've got two juicy Storm tidbits sure to make your Turkey Day that much more interesting. For starters, one fellow over on HoFo has purportedly unlocked his touchscreen BlackBerry for use on T-Mobile's GSM network. Hot, right? The process involved sourcing a SIM unlock code from VZW, then updating the phone with software intended for the Bold. If you're not confused yet, you'll also need a dash of Elvish magic and a bit of luck, but you should know that you can't tap into T-Mob's 2G voice network and Verizon's 3G data network at the same time. Next up, the Boy Genius has it on authority that two firmware updates are but weeks away, both of which will target some of the many issues that early adopters have been harping on since launch day. Hit the links below for more details on everything.

Read - Storm unlocked for T-Mobile [Via SlashGear]
Read - Storm updates [Via SlashGear]

Not that anyone really needs to see what photos you take, where you take them and what videos are captured during your daily walk through the game of life, but if you feel inclined to share, Nokia's making it exceptionally easy. The viNe service, which is compatible with a slew of E and N Series handsets, taps into your built-in GPS receiver and uploads your media to the viNe website in order for others to keep track. Think real-time social networking, driven by your cellphone. Yeah, it's a touch too voyeuristic for our tastes, but you know you want to give it a go. Hit the read link to explore.

[Via Symbian-Guru]

Okay, any talk that consistency in Apple's approval process for the App Store has improved definitely has to be put on hold at this point; first we had that BdEmailer situation that duplicates functionality (albeit shoddily) of the iPhone's own email capabilities, and now we have official confirmation that Google did a no-no when it slipped its voice-powered search through the checkpoint. The problem is that enabling the automatic voice detection requires use of an undocumented API call for the proximity sensor that Apple neither guarantees nor approves use of, meaning firmware updates can break it at will. In and of itself, that's not a huge indiscretion on Google's part since they're probably committed to keeping it up-to-date, but the real issue is that this violates an explicit rule of the App Store that bans the use of undocumented calls. Apple, guys, seriously: if you want to be jerks about what gets through and what doesn't, fine -- but at least do it consistently so it doesn't look like you're favoring companies run by members of your own executive board (or in the case of BdEmailer, companies that are doing a bang-up job of making your own products look better).

[Via mocoNews]

Being that we're currently situated in the United States of America, we can't personally test out Decoder's claims that the latest and greatest version of Skyfire is ready for global domination, but we're taking it's word for it. Reportedly, most WinMo users and Symbian S60 owners can point their browsers to Skyfire's download page and suck down v0.85 without having to prove that they're in the US / Canada. Stop salivating and give it a go, hopefully everything turns out just peachy.

Although it's running a few days behind the European update, we suppose late always trumps never when it comes to refreshed firmware. As of now, Americans can suck down v110.07.127 for their E71-2 in order to take advantage of a smattering of bug fixes. Most notably, users should see Nokia Email updates as well as "a new update to Mail For Exchange and Nokia Maps, both of which are pre-installed." As always, we'd highly recommend backing everything up before doing the deed, but if you're feeling froggy, jump.

[Via Symbian-Guru]

Perfect timing, eh? We're really not too concerned about the supposed browser hijack being reported on G1s the past couple days -- there's no proof at this point that it's actually a browser issue, and even if it is, we expect Google to be Johnny-on-the-spot with a patch -- but it's still cool to see a viable alternative getting developed in the form of Opera's venerable Opera Mini in its latest 4.2 beta form. We've played around with it for a few minutes and it seems to work pretty dang well, so if you G1 owners are feeling wild and crazy enough to switch up your browsing routine, give it a go -- it's free, after all.

[Via Phone Scoop]