A cool video tour of Nokia house, Helsinki Finland - retro Nokia devices!

I just dug up this video clip that i captured in HElsinki at Nokia House... some very cool retro mobiles... check out the leopard skin communicator - awesome!

Nokia Email Service (NES) the Free Beta service, Questions Answered by the Project Team

Today I was offered an invitation to sit in on an informal Q&A with the Nokia Email Service (Beta) Management Team. Via Tangler, we bombarded the team with questions for an hour. the following are some of the items of interest I picked up on during the conversations. This feedback is valuable in helping us to get a vision of what we can expect from this service down the road - thanks Nokia for taking part in this.

Some of the interesting tidbits I picked up on during the Q&A :
At Nokia we believe, even though mobile email has been available for years, the amount of users who use mobile email has been dissapointgly low

- Nokia is shifting into being an internet company, and email is a top priority for Nokia, and at this time our focus is on the S60 platform.
- When a consumer walks into a phone store, and asks to see all the email phones, the clerk pulls out seven qwerty keyboard devices... three blackberries, two nokias, two other phones. today, chances are, the blackberry gets picked quite often... they have a nice email solution with nice phones.
but, most people come into a phone and say "show me your best camera phone"
or your best music phone
or the phone with the longest battery life
or phones for active lifestyle
or phones with GPS navigation
or phones under $100
Chances are for those categories, there's more Nokia's in those categories than any of our competitors.
Nokia will win its generous share of these phones... and once they choose the Nokia, the operator has the opportunity to sell the consumer email on their phone.

Based on feedback, it's clear people want some shorter options for polling and not as many longer ones (for instance, 2 months is an option right now).. we're looking into this.

Through our research, our design is focused on the five mail things: scanning inbox/reading/deleting/reply/composing email. We're spending our resources optimizing those core mobile email functions.

"Through our research, we have found that there are three main obstacles to the adoption of mobile email"

1. discoverability - people don't even know that their phones can get email, even though it's been on the phone for years"
2. those who discover email on the phone have a very difficult time getting it setup and functioning.
3. Unpredictability of cost - users don't have control over how many emails they receive, worry about receiving large bill at the end of the month".

Nokia's strategy is to solve these three problems and to become a leader in the mobile email space. To solve the discoverability problem, our intention is to include email on the phone (preinstalled on the phone, to answer earlier question)., and make it readily apparent on the home screen / initial startup that the phone supports email.

"Our strategy is making email easy to say "yes to" and opposed to the reason someone buys a phone."

See the full Q&A article here

Map Loader for Mac

New from the Beta Labs, Map Loader for Mac enables Apple Mac product users to easily load their Nokia mobile with Maps from the popular Nokia Maps web service. With Nokia MapLoader for Mac, you can side-load maps to your phone directly from your Mac. See more details in this posting

For more on this app see the Nokia Beta Labs Blog

Reminder - Nokia is Calling All Mobile Innovators

In a first-of-its-kind chance to let mobile application developers showcase their own innovations, Nokia is inviting entries for a global contest. This contest for innovative mobile applications consists of 3 major categories:
Eco-challenge – This challenge is for assisting Nokia in creating mobile devices, software and services that reduce mobility’s global environmental impact and help people make sustainable choices.

Emerging markets - Applications which help empower the people in developing countries. Emerging Market solutions would include applications providing health information and data access, apps offering low-cost infotainment, SMS-driven apps that inform rural agricultural workers of the best time and place to bring products to market, as well as literacy and general education solutions.

Technology showcase – “Killer applications” which reflect the truly cutting edge mobile technologies or as Nokia says “technical kung fu”! Open to all technologies, including if it runs on S60 or Series 40 – or a Nokia Internet tablet (maemo applications).

And if you win the contest Nokia will distribute the winning applications through its own channels. Plus you get a hefty cash prize and a trip to Mobile World Congress 2009 in Barcelona.

Submit your applications by December 15, 2008 and get a lifetime chance to make your innovation reach out to the wide world.

Winners will have a chance to show off their apps at the Mobile World Congress, Barcelona, participate in meet and greets, and win up to $25,000

For more details visit: http://www.callingallinnovators.com/home.asp

One more cool reason to think about the Nokia E71

The E71 has a dual personality - it's the perfect mobile companion for the business user (think push email, messaging, office functionality etc... but it's also a cool device for the non-business user - 3MP camera, video, messaging, web browsing, MP3 etc... One of the really cool features I enjoyed with the device is listening to messages and email. See the short demo clip below.



See more about the E71 here
See also this E71 image Gallery

Looking Ahead to Nokia World 2008, Barcelona

A reminder, Save the date for this year's Nokia World 2008 event, December 2-3, 2008 in beautiful Barcelona, Spain. With thought-provoking seminars, informed keynote speakers and a wide range of interactive experiences, Nokia World 08 can inspire anyone and everyone with an active interest in the business of mobility. Recall, now that Nokia has NAVTEQ as partof their holdings there is no doubt going to be added focus on the future mobile geo location technologies and services!

Always a "must-attend", Nokia World offers press attendees, developers, business partners, and mobile technology architects a chance to get a detailed look at the road ahead and the state of the industry regarding mobility. Spanning 2 days, the event features a busy couple of days where top Nokia execs, technologists, visionaries, and evangelists are available to answer your questions and show you first-hand the Now and the "What will be" regarding the company's industry solutions, services, and devices.

Nokia World will once again offer attendees a dynamic experience, a space where real stories and original thinking are shared, an environment where collaboration leads to innovation, a place where like-minded people bond, partnerships and even friendships are forged, a destination where people connect and join conversations that help define and drive the future of our industry.

The event spans over 2 days and will feature executive keynotes from Nokia executives. Nokia World is also a hands-on experience where users can take part in the Experience Lounge... after that there is always a great time at the Nokia World party, hosted by Nokia and guaranteed to be a memorable evening.

Topics of discussion this year will center around several themes including:

• join the journey
• join the community
• join the fun
• join and collaborate
• Join the living network

For event details and the full agenda see: http://www.nokia.com/nokiaworld

Register online at http://www.nw2008.com/

Recall Nokia World 2007

Nokia World 2007 took place Dec. 4-5, 2007 in Amsterdam. SymbianOne founder Glenn Letham was in attendance and provides images, videos and features from the event. See this Nokia World 07 Archive for reports from the event.

Images from Nokia World

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Images from Nokia World Beach Party

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Music Almighty HEadset design from Nokia

An interesting and fun competition from Nokia where users are invited to submit an original design for a new headset! http://www.nokiamaheadsetdesign.com... enjoy!

Nokia all you can eat music and the S60 Touch UI is here

Nokia today has rolled out some cool new functionality today in a press meet. The big news includes Comes with music, an all you can eat music download serivice - buy it and keep it! currently available only in the UK. The company has also rolled out the S60 5 form factor featuring the long anticipated touch UI and the first device sporting the touch UI - teh Express Music 5800 - see video below. Interesting that the service will also be available to Nokia N95 8GB users.

With S60 5th Edition, the user interface is extended by the introduction of touch and with full support for tactile feedback. Enhanced display resolution support and a new Widescreen mode further compliments the touch UI and enables engaging visual experiences.

Also, for the first time, the platform includes a framework for the use of advanced sensor technology. This all allows S60 device manufacturers to create innovative new device concepts for a wider range of user segments, while preserving the rich capabilities of the existing software platform. The first S60 5th Edition based device, designed for music lovers, was announced today - the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic.

The Nokia E71 smartphone, great for personal use, fantastic for the business user!

I've had a way cool Nokia E71 smartphone at my displosal for a couple of weeks. This bad-boy runs on Symbian S60 3, sports a large screen, QWERTY keypad, bluetooth, GPS, loads of memory, incredible apps, camera, video, and much more. The slideshow below shows a few images of the device which is an ideal personal and business companion... Blackberry has nothing on this one!




Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Nokia Data Gathering for field collection

Nokia rolls out another new service designed to make the lives of field data collection workers much easier - Nokia Data Gathering. With an emphasize on health care workers in developing countries, the data gathering service shows huge potential - particularly when you consider the massive level of mobile usage in these parts of the World.

Samsung Tools says no to Nokia PC Suite

As more and more cool, new devices come out (most of them now GPS enabled) I have the need to test and install numerous apps and services. Recently I was trying to install and use Samsung PC Suite when I ran into an obstacle... seems the app is forcing me to get rid of Nokia PC Suite... Frustrating since my main mobiles are Nokia and in order to test the functionality of the way cool GPS-enabled SGHi560 seems I need to make a choice or remove PC Suite do my thing with the Samsung, then grab the 100+MB Nokia PC Suite and re-install...

SlideShow from Helsinki Finland - Nokia OpenLab 08

Just realized I hadn't created a slideshow of last week's images of Finland yet so here we go...



Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Stay Informed about Mobile Gaming via the Nokia N-Gage Insider

Nokia wants to keep the gaming community informed about N-Gage via a cool, new resource called the N-Gage Industry Insider. It's cool, fun, educational, informative, and even has a Sauna! (Please don't try accessing the n-gage service from the sauna though!)

Visit the insider to access information about global events, N-Gage developer issues, news, learning aids and much more. You can access the insider via http://insider.n-gage.com

I find this particularly interesting as Ovi rolls out even more functionality, bringing together Nokia services like maps, music, gaming and build on the community aspects of the service. N-Gage, connecting people through gaming... see more in Sauna Talk with Mikka!

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.

The Internet Tablet PC a tip on Mauku, and Maemo resources

Here's a handy tip for the lucky few of you that are running around with a Nokia N810 Internet Tablet... man I gotta get me one of these... if I did it would definitely be THE travel workhorse that I need, imagine, no more lugging around the notebook. If you have a tablet and want a fine app to Tweet or Jaiku then check out Mauku - See http://mauku.henrikhedberg.com/
For more advice on apps to run on your tablet or info on topics like Android running on the tablet, the Maemo environment, Diablo, and more, see http://www.maemoapps.com/

Topographic Maps, GPS Navigation and more for Outdoor Enthusiast

A tip for Nokia GPS-enabled smartphone users... Topographic Maps, GPS Navigation and Location-Based Services for the Outdoor Enthusiast - ViewRanger is satnav specifically designed for the off-road user, whether hill-walker, mountain biker, geo-cacher, birdwatcher, or rural tourist. It offers a unique combination of 2D and 3D mapping, GPS navigation, sports-GPS analysis, content sharing, and buddy tracking. Running ViewRanger on Symbian S60 handsets with integrated GPS, such as the Nokia N95, N82, E66 and 6220, removes the need for a separate outdoors GPS device. See www.viewranger.com

Nokia’s WidSets mobile widget platform

A tip from my friends at Nokia... Nokia now offers free downloadable, standalone widgets enabled by Web Runtime Technology (WRT) for the latest S60-based devices. The new widgets are available on widgets.nokia.mobi.

Some of the features:

WRT makes it easy for anyone with Web development and design skills to create mobile applications. Developers can port desktop widgets to WRT with very little effort — using existing authoring tools.

WRT supports standard Web technologies (html, Ajax, JavaScript, etc.), which opens up a whole new range of possibilities for social networking and location based services.

The new Nokia WRT widgets use the same service back-end as Nokia’s WidSets mobile widget community to optimize content for mobile environments, so the operations end of the equation is taken care of.

See widgets.nokia.mobi and test for yourself

Tip - Nokia Push Email for all of us

A tip on a great service (Beta) that enables you to receive any email account on your mobile (some devices supported) via this great new service from Nokia.

Simply select your device, specify the email account you wish to access, verify info, then install the app on your device if supported - currently I don't see a Nokia N95 8GB???

You can grab it at http://email.nokia.com/

The new Nokia E71 - QWERTY keboard, A-GPS...

A slick new device out of Nokia today... likely available in Q3... the Nokia E71 - recall the "E" series is the business suite of devices, optimized with features and functionality that will appeal to the mobile professional. The device supports fast browsing via HSDPA, A GPS, VPN support, Bluetooth, built-in OVI services, Outlook Exchange and much more. See more details

Nokia E71 - QWERTY keboard, AGPS...

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