Quest for the N: The search for the N begins here…

May 22, 2009 at 3:16 am | In Event, Nseries, OVI, S60 | 22 Comments
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I just got back from London, after an interesting trip to the cinema with courtesy of the WOMWorld crew (Donna, Robbie and Kate). It was all very secretive, no details were given as to what it was for even on the day and during the dinner when everyone met. The whole cinema thing got some speculation by James Burland and Christian Haslam that it could be Nokia’s Movie Store/Theatre – it did seem the most apt purpose for bringing bloggers all the way out to London and booking a private theatre.

But no. It was actually something better.

It was the search for the N…

What we (Christian Haslam, Ben Smith and Richard Siddle) actually watched at the cinema was this clip below; much overlooked as it got leaked last week as just a passing advert for the Nokia N97.

Afterwards, we were given a goody bag (last bit of the video), containing:

  • “The Search for the N begins here…” shirt and stickers
  • Pop corn bag containing an insanely tasty selection of pick and mix sweets :D
  • A big N chocolate bar.
  • Most importantly though, take note of the black sheet of paper.
200905225890

Seems we may need the expertise of Robert Langdon to decipher any clues hidden in this text.

Here’s the exciting bit.

  • Seven “Ns” have been hidden across the UK.
  • Over the two weeks of this campaign, clues will unfold which will give YOU a chance to find them.
  • Next week, three other bloggers and I will receive the first clue by signed delivery. Imagine ” The Da Vinci Code” but instead, the mission is to find the N.
  • You find the N, and you keep it. :)

It’s gonna be quite exciting. Apart from the team that set up this quest, no one knows where the N are hidden or how to find them. For all you know, it’s hidden in your back garden right now. Or at your work place. Or in your Cinema. Or in your favourite restaurant.  It could be anywhere.

To narrow down your search, you have to keep an eye on the clues that will spring up over the next couple of weeks.

The first clue will arrive as a parcel, which the WOM team were pretty adamant on being received within a very precise time frame, like literally within a 2 hour window.

Some speculations – none of this is definite:

- The campaign to find the N may coincide with the actual release of the N97 to the public. So when the 7 Ns are found, as will the  N97s for the general public. First week of June for the UK? Around 5th? :)

- N may mark the spot. i.e. the location of the N may be hidden in Ovi maps.

- N may not be physically there right now, but may appear as soon as the clues do.

___

Happy Hunting! :D

An interesting trip to the Cinema?

May 20, 2009 at 8:10 pm | In Event, Nokia | 7 Comments
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cinemapopcornSo, it seems tomorrow night, I’m going to a cinema…in London. A bit far to travel for a film seeing as I’m in Wales, so why the trek? (no pun intended)

Well, I’m not actually sure myself, but on Friday Donna from WOMWorld emailed me about it. All I knew at the time is that there were gonna be about five people going, and that we would go to the Cinema on Thursday 21st May. I guessed it had something to do with the Terminator Salvation that’s being released on that day and that a new Nokia handset would debut in T4, but 21st May is for USA (for the UK I think it’s June 3?). So I have no idea what tomorrow is going to be about.

I just got the actual plans for what’s happening tomorrow, we’ll be meeting for dinner around 6 with a screening booked for 8 with discussion afterwards. Hmmm…I’ve got my speculations but nothing solid – we’ll just have to see tomorrow as it happens.

The bigger issue for me tomorrow is traversing London. I don’t go to London frequently, and when I do, it’s with friends who know the area well.

It’s not too far from Paddington. I’ve got Nokia Maps set up with the two destinations, so it shouldn’t be that big a deal if I either walked or even easier, just got a taxi. I was thinking of hazarding the mysterious mesh of multicoloured lines that is the London underground. >_< I’ll just wing it tomorrow.

Next stop, Koh Samui

January 28, 2008 at 7:29 pm | In Event, Urbanista | Leave a Comment

Posted by ShoZu

Off to the airport again in a few hours, this time to Koh Samui (via Bangkok)

So earlier today, I found my way to the Menara tower, the 4th tallest tower in the world, so it was easy enough without any bearing or knowledge of the area to find it. Just keep heading in the direction off the massive tower. I did though manage to find myself in places where it somehow just disappeared, but I eventually did find it.

Posted by ShoZu

With some confidence in getting to the Menara by foot, I thought I could do the same with getting to China town. This time though, I did use Nokia maps, which downloaded the Kuala Lumpur area over the air and allowed me to sort of find my way around (mainly used it to check I was going South East). Thankfully, even with ShoZu, Sports Tracker, Maps, Camera all on simultaneously, the N82 managed to handle them without me having to worry about too much multi tasking. Came across a film crew on the way. . . I tried to think of positive thoughts in NOT succumbing to getting a taxi driver to just bring me to China town, like “I probably would have missed that weren’t I on foot.”

SO..I kept on looking for China town, getting frustrated that the Maps app wasn’t correlating with the printed map I got from reception the longer I didn’t see the buzzing China Town scene. A girl waiting for a bus was kind enough to tell me where I was on the printed map, so I could make my way to China Town (It was on the printed one only). I showed her a picture I had taken of my last known location and Amazingly she said that was China Town. Haha, I had been there and never knew it. I just assumed it was the streets leading up to a big Chinese Town that I had seen in movies.

Followed the monorail track for most of the way back, eventually getting on it so I could get to the hotel quicker. The last station was still about 40 minutes away from the hotel and I just happened to be on the longest stretch of road where Taxis couldn’t stop.

It’s been an amazing two days here in KL. I just couldn’t get over the breathtaking architecture they have here. Not just because they’re tall like the Menara and Petronas Towers, but their shape and form is exquisitely captivating, you just can’t help but stare in amazement of their design.

As I’ve said, next on the list is Koh Samui. I’ll finish off packing my things now and get this posted.

Btw Apologies for certain random pictures being uploaded with no next. ShoZu’s being a bit annoying there.

Setting off tomorrow!

January 24, 2008 at 10:28 pm | In Accessories, Event, Nseries, Urbanista | 4 Comments

I haven’t even got half way through looking at my notes for my final exam yet, so I’m rushing this post out.

Everything’s all set, devices all charged and packed into one of the N82 boxes:

It may look a mess, but they’re all resting at their designated positions (keyboards top left, proporta charger top right, along with BH 701 etc etc.)

Received another package today, the LD-3W Wireless GPS module if I’m ever in too remote a location for the N82’s internal GPS module.

Package contents includes:

1 x in car charger

1 x BL-5C battery

1 x double sided sticky foam

1 x Nokia Bluetooth LD-3W GPS module.

Thanks for the comments and tips on previous posts, especially the warning about the upload limit on ShoZu for YouTube. I’ll try to keep the video length/file size minimum (about 30 seconds/3mb) and try to post them often. In order to do that, I’ll reduce the recording quality.

This wordpress blog may be the last to get updated as the journey progresses, so keep an eye on:
http://youtube.com/profile_videos?user=MyNokiaBlog

for the YouTube vlogs and
http://www.nseries.com/index.html?l=campaigns,n82,urbanistadiaries#l=campaigns,n82,urbanistadiaries,home
for the live tracking.

3 days to go. . . .Shozu Rocks….WOM pack received!

January 22, 2008 at 6:54 pm | In 3rd edition, Applications, Event, S60, Symbian | 9 Comments
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Taking a break from even more revision, just a little update.

Yesterday’s update made me aware of a fun little application called Shozu, after recommendations from both Vlad and Ryan (Thanks Guys!).

Man, did I feel like I’ve been out of a loop! Like, if the earth’s orbit was the loop, I was out of it!

I’ve heard friends mention the word Shozu in conversation but I never actually looked it up to see what it was.

For someone like me, who was planning on making frequent video blog updates via YouTube (for the Urbanista Diaries), Shozu seemed to be utterly perfect for the job. You all most definitely know what it does, here’s me preaching to the converted, but for the few who haven’t like myself: I’ve only just found out about it and I love it!

There’s an MMS version that I didn’t care for, and the application that can be installed onto your phone. (I’m concentrating on youtube videos for now) Once installed and signed in, when I took a video, the phone asks if you want to upload to YouTube. Click yes and a few minutes later ..it’s there.

Apart from the multiple fire alarms going off early in the morning, the searching for information/samples of Shozu in action kept me awake. There’s thousands of users using Shozu, even top most subscribed/celebrities like Ashley Tisdale and Funeral For a Friend . And rather embarrassingly, some have been there since December 06!

Shame aside, I’m really pleased to have finally come across this application a, fingers crossed, it will allow me to keep constant vlog updates during my part of the Urbanista Diaries. Applications like this make me seriously want to invest in getting unlimited data (which still as of this moment, data rates are a giant rip off in the UK).

This leaves my N800 simply now for just Blog updates (and photobucket upload. Is there one for PB? I couldn’t find it)

Here’s my first YT upload via Shozu…haha. It’s boring, and I uploaded it twice even though it said it had already been uploaded because I didn’t see a “uploading” bar that I assumed would come up)

Awesome communal bin action going on there.

Lastly, this morning I received a big package from WOM as delivered by the DHL man, who somehow managed to get into the building, into my flat and promptly standing outside my bedroom door.
wompack

In the box there were:

3 x Nokia N82 (European variety, no shutter sound – Yay!)

3 x BP-6MT batteries

2 x O2 simplicity SIM

1x Proporta charger

1 x Nokia SU-W8 Bluetooth Keyboard

1 x Pirate Earring a.k.a. Nokia BH-701 headset. Haha (Yeah, I know it’s not meant to be worn like that. Actually, it looks a little more odd worn the right way)

4 days to go!

January 21, 2008 at 3:28 pm | In Event, Nokia, Nseries, S60 | 6 Comments

Four more days to go; both for my exams and of course, continuing the Nseries Urbanista Journey after Devin.

These are the dates of my travels:

25th January:

  • Leave london 21:00 to Singapore.

26th January

  • Arrive in Singapore: 18:00

27th January

  • Leave Singapore 10:00,
  • Arrive Kuala Lumpur 11:00

29th January

  • Leave Kuala Lumpur: 08:00 via Bangkok (09:00)
  • Arrive Koh Samui: 12:00

4th February

  • Leave Koh Samui: 17:00
  • Arrive Bangkok: 18:00

8th February

  • Leave Bangkok: 11:00
  • Arrive Chenai: 13:00

10th February

  • Leave Chenai: 04:00
  • Arrive London: 09:00

I’d love to meet anyone who’ll be in the area when I’m visiting. One of my mates will actually be flying out to Thailand soon and I might get to meet him up at Koh Samui.
Everything is pretty much all set. On the advice of Devin I am packing light. Just one small Rucksack, hand carry size.

I will NOT be bringing my laptop. It’s 17″ behemoth of a Dell (1710) – a desktop replacement. Plus, it’s my main work station so I’d rather not risk loosing it.

Instead, I will be bringing the N800 upgraded to OS2008 plus a BT keyboard. With the N82 to record and the N800 to upload, I’ll hopefully be doing frequent short video blogs as my journey progresses. I’ll also be posting a selection of the full size pictures off to photobucket and then linking to them here on this blog. In addition to what you’ll see on the Nseries site, here’s the album to which my pictures will be uploaded: Photobucket link – click me. Fingers crossed that I can get some upload speeds.

Vaccinations have already been taken of a couple of weeks ago, just need to buy the last few essentials of insect repellent and plug adapters. All I got to do (and should be doing) now is revise and finish the Jan Exams!

BTW: If any one knows how to upload to youtube straight from the N82 without doing it the compressed MMS way please pop me a message on how to do that? :)

P.S. Check this Competition Link out to win the N82 for yourself. Just work out where the photo was taken.

Nseries Urbanista Widget

January 14, 2008 at 8:00 pm | In 3rd edition, Event, Nokia, Nseries, Urbanista | Leave a Comment
Tags:

Devin Balentina’s already begun his Urbanista journey, and using Sports Tracker’s quite spy-like features , you can track his travels along with the Nseries Widget, available here for your facebook/iGoogle home page/blogger blog etc. as well as viewing photos he’s been taking.

If you want to see more of the journey, you can visit the full Nseries Urbanista site which expands on the features of the widget: CLICK ME:

On the Nseries Urbanista website, there’s a 30 second campaign video introduction. I didn’t realize at the time, the quickest way was to just record my laptop screen just using the N82. I ended up using audio recording from the N82 and video recorded by hypercam (oh, my lack of common sense).

Well, with direct video footage you can also see in this video what else is available on the Nseries Urbanista site (although it would be quicker if you just visit that instead of the youtube video :) ) This is really more  of an intro for the YouTube-only viewing audience.

(Yes, I should be revising right now :P )

Urbanista Update!

January 3, 2008 at 2:17 pm | In Event, Nokia, Nseries | 2 Comments


Belated Happy New Year folks – like the weather I’ve been snowed in but with piles upon piles of work. Rest assured that blogging will still continue in 2008.

This morning I was greeted with a text to confirm the destinations of my part of the Nseries Urbanista Diaries project.

In order of appearance at this “Global Relay” Nseries have set up are:

1. Devin Balentina of thenokiaguide.com

2. Me,

3. Ms Jen of blackphoebe.com and finally

4. Ryan Gallagher of cameratoss.blogspot.com.

    Literally straight after my January exams, I will be heading for London heathrow, leaving the UK on the 25th January and jetting off to Singapore to meet Devin and receive the N82 from him. He’ll have already begun the first leg of the Nseries Urbanista Diaries on the 12th January (9 Days from now!!) across the US. I’ll be travelling through:

    • Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
    • Ko Samui /Ko Pha Ngan / Gulf of Thailand islands
    • Bangkok and then finally
    • Madras, India to pass the “baton/N82″ over to Ms Jen.

    I’ll then be returning to Britain on the 10th February, to recoup and catch up on my studies. (There may be a hitch since my departure date is literally on the day of my last January Exam…I’ll update on the situation, but now I return to my revision)

    Edit: All’s go! Apparently I was meant to fly out on the 24th – before one of my exams. Thankfully, Siobhán of WOMWorld managed to sort that all out. :~)

    Special edition podcast from Nokia World: Uncut and behind the scenes!

    December 8, 2007 at 3:53 pm | In 3rd edition, Event, Nseries, Photos, Video | 6 Comments

    You’ve listened to the podcast, now check how it came about behind the scenes.

    See the faces behind those voices/blogs and all the bits that got removed from the podcast and more.

    The video was too big for YouTube so check it out on Stage6 (You will need to install the dedicated player)

    CLICK FOR THE VIDEO: http://www.stage6.com/user/MyNokiaBlog/video/1928022/All-About-Nokia-World-Podcast-Uncut

    This was filmed in Amsterdam at our Hotel (above) on the final night using the N82 and at times DT-22 tripod (second picture).

    Instead of the Tripod being used only to stand firm on a table and steady the video, it was also used as a boom to extend the reach and angle of the video being captured.

    Back from Amsterdam: N82 slightly confused.

    December 7, 2007 at 6:42 am | In Event, Nokia, Nseries | Leave a Comment

    Yes, we’re back from Amsterdam. I’ll be filling you in tonight, after I finish my exams which I have not done as much revision for as I would like, and over the weekend of the events and the highlights at Nokia World 2007.

    As you can see from the picture above, (taken yesterday, 6th December 2007 at Cardiff Airport) the N82 was slightly confused and thought I was still in Amsterdam. Rest assured, I am back in gloomy Wales (Maps quickly resolved itself after zooming in and out)

    I do however love how quickly the N82 locks onto the satellite. I know I’ve said it multiple times, but the N82 has been performing extremely well making its GPS feature (at least the locating where you are bit) very useful and reliable. As soon as you make the first initial lock (aided by giving some network usage such as a WLAN network) subsequent locks are much faster, ranging from almost immediate 4 seconds to about 30 seconds. No more waiting in frustration, wasting battery to use GPS.

    - ok, back to revision.

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