Fring snuggles with Last.fm

Fring, developer of the free cross-network messaging and VoIP client, has added Last.FM to its supported-services list. It'll provide access to streaming music for S60 users who can share their musical tastes with the world via various forms of IM including Twitter. Fring started out as a Skype client for Symbian S60 devices, …

[Anonymous Coward]

Haven't used Fring in a while....

...and now that it looks like there are adverts infesting it, i never will again.

[Anonymous Coward]

"Just don't get too attached to it." - Why?

And yes, the "Ad" banner has put me right off upgrading to get Last.fm support. Mobile screen real estate is precious enough as it is.

[Anonymous Coward]

Fring alternative for Last.FM

For Last.FM streaming on s60 without the adverts, try mobbler.

http://code.google.com/p/mobbler/

[shane fitzgerald]

Mobbler?

The ads don't really get in the way..... but I don't see the point in booting up fring just to listen to last.fm when mobbler does that already on S60...

[MrTivo]

It has to be.......

the best IM app on the S60 v3 platform. It's reliable enough to have on 24x7 and supports all the accounts I have and more. The S60 v2 version wasn't as polished and used to crash my 6630 when used for extended periods of time.

I tried the last.fm plug in and I was impressed. Twitter is a bit flakey, but useful. As for the ads, I could live with them providing they don't geg too annoying. I guess how intrusive they are depends in what model of phone you have to some extent.

Mine's the one with the E61i in the pocket.

[Neil Alexander]

"The client is nice"?

It's the fugliest Symbian application I've ever seen in my life.

[Mage]

Security and trust.

You do of course give away all the logon details to Fring of every service you use via Fring.

They don't make any money yet.

Anyone see a snag here?

[Edwin]

Geeeeeeeeeeeeeeez

@the first two anonymous cowards:

if you fail to understand why you shouldn't get too attached to the (free) service, but refuse to use a service that is funded by advertising (on the assumption that you won't pay for the service yourself) then you need a short sharp lesson in economics, preferably administered by cattle prod.

[Arnold Lieberman]

Practically speaking

I tried using it as a SIP client on my WinMo phone but there are a few of practical issues that they really need to attend to: 1. All comms is via the fring servers, which increases latency to the point where real-time voice comms are not useable. 2. Integration with the phone book is essential. 3. Battery life is destroyed - I get less than a day on the extended battery and finally 4. for some reason is is not possible to route sound through the handset speaker - only the speakerphone. Consequently the phone needs to be held backwards and volume turned right down in order to make a private call.