Mobilize your website or blog in minutes with Mippin

ever needed a nice mobile-friendly place to send your web traffic? There's loads of tools, gadgets and widgets out there but this one is way cool and way simple! Mippin enables you to easily mobilize pretty much any website that has an RSS feed. You can test it out using their online emulator at mippin.com - simply enter a website url. Then you get to see what the mobile version looks like and are also provided with a url of the new, mobile friendly website. Very nice! Below you see this AnyGeo weblog as it appears on the emulator as well as a screen shot of the actual mobile site as it appers on my Nokia N95... nice!

This blog as it appears using the mippin emulator

Mobile friendly blogsite as it appears on the N95
My mippin site as it really appears on the N95 8GB

Once you've finished you can save your test site with a proper mobile url and even customize the look and feel. I saved my new mobile site as http://mippin.com/anygeo
Mippin even offers up a friendly little blogger logo as well - see mine to the top right!

Flickr Bike Mapping and my Nokia Sports Tracker Bike Tour

Here's a story and a great idea that would be HUGE here in Fort Collins, CO given that huge number of biking enthusiasts that we have (case in point, Tour de Fat from New Belgium).

Apparently, there's a crew of flickr enthusiasts that are equipped with Nokia N95s (what else) and driving around, snapping photos and loading their geo-tagged imaged up to flickr... kind of a green solution to street view... awesome! See more

So that got me thinking... given that some friends at Nokia in Helsinki just hooked me up with a cool bike mounted phone holder and a sweet Nokia Sports Tracker T-shirt, I think I may have to start logging a few miles on the bike and snapping and storing some geotagged bicycle street views from the N95 for myself! Using my bike, my cool Nokia device mounting bracket, and the cool Sports Tracker service and just may start compiling bike views of my local area. The data is easily shared online, I can then even export via KML and use in Google Earth and also share my geotagged photos captured along the way via my flickr... sounds like loads of geo fun to me!


Bicycle mounting bracket designed specifically for Nokia N95 & N95 8GB

My lovely assistant on this journey!


Once finished and uploaded to my Sports Tracker account I can view a detailed summary - online or via mobile

A handy map stores my GPS coordinates, geotags my images (and videos) and stores online - export to KML is then an option as well.

The final step is to view our bike ride within Google Earth.

A mobile tip - turn your smartphone into a free hotspot

Here's another fine mobile tip for you travelers... how would you like to never again have to pay those crazy fees for WiFi that hotels like to slam you with... I'm sorry, but I'm not about to pay a hotel for WiFi if I'm already paying $200+ a night to stay there! Enter JoikuSpot. Simply pout, if you have a smartphone (Symbian OS.. sorry) like an N95, N82 etc... you can grab this free app ( a pro version also exists) and you can turn your device into a hotspot... very simple. no more sniffing for free wifi from lounges and other hotels, coffee shops etc... all you need is your device and a data plan. The app was recently recognized in the Forum nokia innovation series. For more information www.joikuspot.com. Remeber, paying for WiFi is for suckers... much like paying for free GIS data!

National Geographic Provides Metalens over Windsor, Colorado

I was interested to notice today in "the paper" that NGS has developed a Metalens app for Windsor Colorado that enables users to tour the recently damaged town in Norther Colorado. From National Geo... National Geographic Maps provides these applications as a tool to visualize the effects of this tragic event and the powerful forces of nature. It is hoped that this will help viewers to experience the community restoration in progress without having to add traffic to the community. An interesting idea, particularly if people in the local area are receptive to view such an application rather than head out and drive around the affected area and add to the congestion. In a small meet-up with the Windsor Mayor and city officials this morning I noted that the Mayor was particularly concerned (and ticked off) with the number of looky-loos in the tornado damaged area of town. Indeed he was not only upset by the congestion but with the lack of sensitivity people from outlying areas had for those who had been directly affected.

I have to admit that I was touring the outlying area myself a couple of days ago and likely adding to the traffic problem, although I made a point of staying clear of the neighborhoods that were directly affected because indeed, traffic was becoming a problem (I stayed in the industrial area). I was also thinking while in the region that I would have liked to have conducted a small photo mapping experiment myself using my Nokia N95 8GB and the Nokia Research Labs application, Sports Tracker - very suitable for such an application. Indeed such an application could be used by onlookers to have a glimpse while also staying out of the way of emergency responders. While the MetaLens does indeed show how geotagged photos can be used in such a case, I'm still a big advocate that any small town, a consultant, or ?? with a small budget can quickly and easily photomap a small area and publish results on the web (with a map interface) perhaps providing another option for the curious. See the National Geographic Windsor Metalens at http://www.metalens.org/ngmapspro/products/

View the Windsor MetaLens using Google Maps here

Nokia releases Nokia Maps 2.0 - Drive, Walk, Discover

Finally out of Beta, Nokia Maps 2 is here for symbian smartphone users. Updates include enhanced pedestrian navigation, new satellite images and support for integrated compass orientation. Nokia Maps 2.0 has improved its optional Car Navigation, enhanced its pedestrian navigation, added multimedia city guides, now offers satellite images, and is sporting a redesigned user interface. Nokia's mapping and navigation solutions give people navigation features, local content and world maps directly on their mobile device, in a way that only connected devices can. The tagline from Nokia... Drive, Walk, Discover... see http://www.maps.nokia.com

Nokia N95 8GB NAM (Red) introduced in the USA via CES

Loads of news out of CES this week, including this launch... I've had mine a couple of months but today the N95 8GB NAM was officially introduced to the US consumer... Further cementing its position as the global leader in converged devices, Nokia today introduced the Nokia N95 8GB, optimized for the Americas market. The Nokia N95 8GB builds upon the legacy of the successful Nokia N95 by adding an even larger display and built-in 8GB of internal memory while supporting high-speed HSDPA networks on the 850MHz and 1900MHz bands that are prevalent across the Americas. Additionally, Nokia introduced a stunning limited-edition bright red version of the multiple award-winning Nokia N95 for the US which includes the full suite of highly acclaimed features that consumers across the globe are craving. Only 5,000 units of this special red Nokia N95 will be available during first quarter of 2008. This new limited edition red version of the Nokia N95, along with the current black and bronze versions, has an estimated retail price of USD 599. See more at www.nseries.com/N958GB

N95 8GB features integrated GPS, sweet MP3 player, video player, 5 Megapixel camera, loads of memory, Nokia content download services, and will support the N-Gage service when rolled out.

N95 to hit USA with a special version

Well, it's not officially available in the US yet but the reported Nokia N95 8GB USA version (optimized for US 3G networks) is coming soon... I have mine (See below). Pre-orders are now being taken for a whopping $799 on some sites or you can keep an eye open at the official Nokia shops in New York and Chicago.

See HERE for orders

For more ideas on what you can do with your N95 when you get one see this Flickr stream - see also Symbianone.com and the Nokia N95user blog - Sent via my N95 mobile account - Taken at 7:26 AM on December 29, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu.

Take your Nokia GPS Tracker and N95 on the slopes for some GPS sledding fun!

I have some holiday fun with the kids today as we used Nokia Sports Tracker and my Nokia N95 to track and save our sled rides down the slopes. Before we started down the slope I simply fired up sports tracker, got a GPS signal, slipped it into Megan's pocket and away she went. Her average speed up and down the slope was 4.8 kmph (slowed somewhat by the walk back up the hill1) and her maximum speed down the slope was a whopping 26.1 kmph (about 16 mph)... loads of fun!
See http://sportstracker.nokia.com - you can find my tracks on user "gisuser" - Happy Holiday all... go have some fun!

Nokia Research - Sports Tracker gets a major update

hey Sports Tracker fans and mobile sports enthusiasts, we have news of a great gift for you in the latest upgrade to the Awesome, Sports Tracker Application now at R. 1.66. Now the mobile app is tightly integrated with the Online Beta Service. Just today I updated to version 1.66 and to my surprise the service is now compatible with the newly launched Nokia Sports Tracker Online Beta web service. FYI, sports tracker is a location-aware app from Nokia Research labs enabling users to track their routes when running, walking, riding or ??? Ideally suited for GPS enabled smartphones like the Nokia N95, the app tracks the user's location, direction, speed, and other variables. Now it enables the user to grab photos and associate them with the track, and even more, the user can now upload the saved workout to an online service... hands-down, this is my favorite location-aware mobile app of 2007 - see details here

when you think of the staggering number of people aaround the World that could potentially be using the mobile Sports Tracker, this crew could join the likes of the Open Street Map project and share their data... hmmm. See more on Open StreetMap from Montreal.

Feel free to friend me in Sports Tracker - search user gisuser

See sample trek - http://sportstracker.nokia.com/nts/workoutdetail/index.do?id=19183

read more | digg story

Vegas the dog tracked with Nokia Sports Tracker and N95

A video captured at Nokia World 2007 (by yours truly) showing an innovative app and user of Nokia Beta Labs popular Sports tracker application. Vegas the do wears a Nokia N95 GPS enabled device on his collar and him and his owner track his following using sports tracker.. clever and funny! Well done Vegas... I actually track my walks with Zoe my lab and we map our treks in Google Earth out of Sports Tracker... maybe Zoe can be the Sports Tracker user of the month in the near future!

Another ex Nokia N95 user jumps on the iPhone bandwagon

Looks like Ed Parsons has joined the growing number of ex-N95 users and hopped on the iPhone bandwagon - no real surprise really as Ed comes from the Google camp is likely pressured internally to drink the Apple cool aid! Too bad although Ed does have some good points... indeed the second iteration of the N95 is much superior to the original (too bad I still have the original N95 -- and I'm one the biggest advocates of the N95.. go figure!). Ed's reason.. usability and you can't blame him.. Nokia smartphones indeed have the ability to run much more software and the applications available for the S60 ecosystem are plentiful to say the least. Here in North America no carriers (that I know of) are boasting the N95 whereas AT&T is pushing the iPhone.. no doubt some politics as it's THE smartphone of choice for the company to promote.. add to the fact that the AT&T CEO is not big on Nokia and feels the devices are full of flaws and he's also majorly ticked off that us here in North America get the latest Nokia devices months after they come to Europe. I'll still never be able to figure out Nokia's plans for North America and once again it seems that they are letting the iPhone steal more marketshare from them just wait til next year when Android enabled devices come to market.. will there be any Nokia and Symbian OS faithful left in North America?

Mobile Tip - mobleo mobile bookmark manager

A Mobile Tip - Need help keeping tabs on all your favorite mobile sites? Check out mobleo.net and use their bookmark manager either via PC or on mobile client. Very handy! See www.mobleo.net for free registration. Image below shows mobleo in use on Nokia N95.

Mobiluck's New Location-Based Socialising Service

Share Where you are With Your Friends and Alert Each Other When You're Nearby, all on Your Mobile Phone or Computer. Mobiluck supports the Nokia N95 and many other devices. Features include:
Spot your friends in a crowd, a pub, a nearby room
Detect all Bluetooth devices around you
Send messages to strangers with no need of their phone number
Send unlimited messages for free
Send easily messages, pictures, business cards, files
Communicate discreetly during a meeting, a dinner, a conference
Discover other MobiLuckers first name, age, passions, job, picture, phone number
Create your own profile, nice, smart, and funny
Protect your phone against viruses
Make other people discover MobiLuck

http://www.mobiluck.co.uk

ExploreThe Earth With Earthcomber - Local, Mobile Search Done Right!

Nokia N95 Suggested Application... I recently added a nifty location-aware search application to my mobile device (Nokia N95) which I discovered via the Nokia Content Discoverer ... aka. content downloader application. Earthcomber enables local search and takes advantage of the built-in GPS that comes with the Nokia N95. Read on for more on this cool, must-have mobile application for anyone who's using a GPS smartphone like the N95, N82, or E90



read more | digg story

To market to market... where to get that Nokia N95

I noticed that just today Nokia announced the opening of a new flagship store in Shanghai, China - FYI, the stores are Nokia's main POC for B to C and are quite important. There's a couple in the USA (New York , Chicago) but hardly enough. Why so? Well... its funny but Nokia is going gangbusters promoting the crap our of the N95 - this device was even recently billed as the official device of the Navteq LBS Challenge... ie. Nokia and Navteq want LBS developers to build apps to run on this device on the S60 environment. So what's the problem? Well... ever tried to buy an N95 in the USA! Currently, buying an unlocked device online (ebay or other) is likely the best way to go, unless you happen to be close to a flagship store. Otherwise, if you go into AT&T or T-Mobile they will likely look at you with a strange look and say "what's an N95"?? Getting to the consumer is a huge issue for Nokia smartphones here in North America and continues to get worse. Finally, get this... just this week I was at a Nokia S60 gig and the crew was giving away an N95 in a door prize (I didn't win.. darn it!) but the kicker... the Nokia/S60 people couldn't find one in San Francisco!! OUCH - one suggested resource for locating these and other products is - GPS-enabled product search, aka. GPS shopping! see www.s60.com / www.nokia.com

social.fm now has a mobile client (S60) woohoo

you may think big deal... but today there's great news for anyone with a S60 mobile smartphone (like the Nokia N95) as social.fm has released a mobile client. I just downloaded it and am testing as I write this.. its awesome... social music networking at its best.. simply search for a song, add to my favorites and listen... anytime anywhere.. SCORE! See www.social.fm or you can catch the news over on symbianone - see http://www.symbianone.com/content/view/4943/108/

Nokia N95 8GB made its debut - global shipments start today

Feature-packed, loads of memory, GPS, Nokia maps and more... Boasting up to eight gigabytes of built-in memory, the Nokia N95 8GB has all the key features of its predecessor, including a 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, built-in A-GPS, WLAN, HSDPA and an innovative 2-way slide. The sleek black N95 8GB also boasts a luminous 2.8" (240 x 320) QVGA display, so watching videos, browsing the Internet or viewing maps is a real pleasure. With its expanded memory, the N95 8GB offers up to 20 hours of video or up to 6000 songs - also, keep in mind, this isn't just a cell phone, its a multimedia computer! For more see www.nseries.com/n958gb

Google Maps Mobile updated at 1.70.2- now running on my Nokia N95

A quick technorati search today seemed to indicate to me that Google Maps Mobile has received some kind of update - although I can't find any definite validation of this. According to some blogs, Google maps mobile has been optimized to run much better on Symbian S60 smartphones (think Nokia N95) So, curiosity got the better of me and I ran to grab it... I currently run Nokia Maps which comes "stock" on the N95. I go to http://www.google.com/mobile/gmm/index.html and then register for the latest download. I then get a txt message where I can grab the app (you gotta love all you can eat data plans ;0) I downloaded gmaps mobile (1.7) and loaded her up. The app started me off in London (why??) but then I simply requested that my location be updated.. low and behold in about 2 seconds the map centers on my current position (likely grabbed from cell fix). Then I browse around, switch to satellite image mode, and then even viewed current traffic conditions on I-25 - something that's crucial here as it can easily be a parking lot! I test the search and it works very well... simply put, the latest Google maps mobile on Symbian S60 is freaking awesome! Its fast, intelligent, and it works! I'll be testing some more this week-end so stay tuned. Screen shots and more details are now up on the flickr - see http://www.flickr.com/photos/gisuser/sets/72157602390210155/

Event of Interest - Nokia N95 Photo Gallery Exhibition

The Gallery features images shot entirely with the Nokia N95 multi-media computer by photographer and artist Henry Reichhold, as part of the Reflect series at the Royal Albert Hall.

The Connected Worlds project will create two exhibitions, one at the Royal Albert Hall and a virtual exhibition on the Nokia Island in Second Life (www.secondlife.com). The photographs feature nine cities across five continents; London, Paris, Venice, New York, San Francisco, Sydney, Cape Town, Singapore and Hong Kong.

The exhibition has 2 Free viewing days at Albert Hall, October 29 and November 3 - see more at http://www.reichholdarts.com - See also http://www.royalalberthall.com/

The Nokia Wrist Band CP-218 - keep your N95 in place!

A rather odd find but nonetheless quite cool.. Nokia has a product for sale called the wrist band. Simply put, its a sports band type of garment that is designed to keep your smartphone safe and in place while you work out! Going for a jog... simply slide on the wrist band and tuck your Nokia N95 safely inside... ok ,you could put your iPhone in there instead but that would be a bit hypocritical wouldn't it?? Thanks to Phil over at the S60 blogs for the heads-up on this one!