So a link from Nokia promoting Facebooks CES event… Interesting? There have been multiple rumors and reports of a “Facebook phone” which FB have continuously shot down

FBs official response to the rumors: Facebook is not building a phone. Our approach has always been to make phones and apps more social

There have also been some third party attempts at making FB phones (HTCs ChaCha comes to mind, I don’t think I’ve ever seen one EVER!- Maybe it’s the name? or just the crappy build quality?); regardless one could say this is exactly what FB meant, Nokia builds the phone and they do some Exclusive app thigny.

Ok, I’m going to let the gears start spinning and say something crazy that has absolutely no basis so turn back now if you want something with proof leave now (please don’t I spent alot of time writing this).

The facts:

• Facebook will NOT be making a hardware phone
• Nokia have freedom to customize WP more than any other manufacturer
• WP is supposedly built around being more social (people hub and all) –> it’s one step closer to a FB friendly platform
• A Facebook centered device is that something special that would make one standout amongst other devices running on the same platform.

So using my Sherlock Holmes like skills of deduction (who’s birthday is today! Happy Birthday Holmesy!!) My crazy guess would be that FB teamed up with Nokia to produce a Facebook centered Skinned version of WP (that’s where Nokias special relationship with Microsoft would come in).

Now that I’ve written it down it doesn’t seem so crazy anymore, almost all reviews of the Lumia 710 said that it needed that X-Factor to distinguish it from the rest, and so far from the leaked specs of the 900 it also seems to lack that special something (Internal-wise not design); after all almost all WP devices have the same inards, meaning so far the only REAL differentiating factor were Manufacturer preference (not Nokias strong suite in the US) and Design (thankfully Nokia got that part handsdown). By adding something besides that design that can only be found on a Nokia phone would truly give them an edge over any other WP device, as a matter of fact it would give them an edge over any other OS (It took FB almost two years to release a Tablet version of their app for the iPad, which was considering an achievement- imagine a whole phone with constant FB support!). Of course so far they’re have only been whispers about a second device that is to possibly be released at CES: The Lumia 719, could it be a FB phone? (it would make sense considering that a FB phone would HAVE to be a midrange device and not a high-end flagship).

Ok crazy speculations are done now- Normal service is resumed, now the sensible part of my brain says that everything I wrote above is almost impossible, for two main reasons: 1)- FB is a Ginormous business with loads of employees, we would have heard something of this before 2)- What would compel FB to join up with Nokia? (what would they benefit??)

Your thoughts are as always extremely welcome, am I crazy?? let me know below (include psychiatrist number please)

Nokia Mobile Blog Thnaks to KF for the tip!

I’m not exactly sure how many of you are racing enthusiasts, even if you aren’t I suggest you try this app (Yes I’m recommending the app before even starting the review, here’s why). Personally I consider myself an above-average car fan, nothing over the top but just enough to get excited when I see a rare car (I don’t follow ANY championships AT ALL), but I was interested in the WRC because one of the legs/tracks is actually in Jerash, Jordan- seen above (that’s where I am YAY!- I was planning on checking it out with some friends but we totally forgot about it).

Well a quick re-cap anyways, the 2011 season is of course over, won by Sebastian Loeb  for the eighth time straight, I would not want to mess with this guy, I’ve tried rally driving on Gran Turismo 5 and IT IS HARD!!! so that’s a serious achievement. The 2012 season starts sometime late January, and if you’re interested in cars at all I suggest you keep this app with you till then.

The Review:

Nokias’ WRC Live app is available for all Nokia platforms from S40 to Windows Phone- (Exclusive for Nokia Lumias) & Meego too! FOR FREE.  The app itself is EXTREMELY thorough, it has everything from normal news, to championship rankings, to hall of fame, and of course it has content Exclusive to the app not even available on the official WRC.com from images to videos to live text commentary.

Now as mentioned above I’ve never followed a single racing event (Except what I hear on TopGear – Salute to Jezzah, Hamster and James for my favorite show), so I wasn’t expecting much once I installed the app (My initial intention was just a quick review to enter the contest- more on that later); but I was honestly surprised once I saw how awesome the app was.

From a developers point of view the integration of the app into the OS is really impressive (tested on S^3/N8-00), I assume it’s written in QT (not sure how to check) which would explain why it’s really smooth. For an app with as much content as this I expected slow stuttering performance with the occasional un-responsiveness, but none of that was there at all. Transition from one topic/content section to another is nice and fluid with no apparent lag.

One thing I really liked about the app was the integration of the phone’s status onto it, something as simple as informing me that my battery is low is a nice touch that proves that the app was made by someone who understands how the OS runs (of course being an official Nokia app they should).

Once you open the app after the initial loading screen (first screen-shot) you get to the screen above/ home-screen, as you can see you can select between news (the bar on-top automatically refreshes giving you the latest news. To the left under “just finished” you’ll find a re-cap of the latest race (in this case the final race of the season in Wales), and on the right you can access ALOT of information about whatever you want, be it Race results, Drivers history/hall of fame, or exclusive media.

News:

Once you select the “News” tab you’ll find a list of articles even in the off season (23rd of Dec. = today), which means you can stay on top of things even when the seasons over, best part is it’s not an RSS feed, it’s a full news app; meaning no need to open the browser for more pictures/details jsut tap on it and you’re there. You can even share the news article through Facebook or Email!

Live Text- commentary, Race Overview & Championship Standings-

Simple but effective, live updates for you on the go brings you twitter feeds with the “#WRC” hashtag as well as official updates for when you’re not in front of the TV.

The WRC Live App even has a Route Overview which shows you the track/course outline on our favorite Ovi/Nokia Maps (another sign of how well integrated this app is, reminds me of sportstracker a bit; except instead of running/hiking your zooming through mud, sand and snow)

You can even turn on Itinerary/split time records to get detailed info about how long it takes each racer to finish each leg/lap, plus the split difference between the racers!

Of course you can always check the rally results at any time to see what the standing of your favorite driver is under Championship Standings,  where you can find detailed results for every single leg of the  rally so far including what position each driver got and what their total score is.

Drivers/Teams-

Here you can find all the information about every driver participating in the rally along with a nice list of ‘Hall of Famers” each with more information about their career history than a Wikipedia page.

Anyone else notice “The Stig” ???

Media Content:

As mentioned before the app contains Exclusive Images and Videos (that’s how Nokia rolls, none of that mainstream stuff) from crashes to interviews to race round-ups, unfortunately for some reason I wasn’t able to view any of the videos as I kept on getting a server error. (Can someone check if it’s a wide-spread problem or only me?)

Thankfully though the images were working fine, and that by itself is a treat; some of the images available are truly breathtaking, capable of conveying the intensity and sheer awesomeness involved in the World Rally Championship. Which is of course the main point of this whole app; so well done on that front Nokia

Of course you can also choose to share these photos via email/Facebook as well, so you have no excuse not to spread the racing fever.

Wrap-up:

Throughout the whole experience of this app I only felt that two things were missing; (well not missing, probably just because this app spoiled me so much that I found myself craving for more). Anyways if possible two things I’d like to see are:

• The ability to save/download media content onto your own mobile device, or at least be able to set them as wallpaper. (If I can share them with others I might as well help myself first)
• A little silly but I felt that the app could use some background music, maybe at least through the first loading screen; something rally related, maybe some engines roaring or crowds cheering- Just my own personal crazy opinion.

The Nokia WRC app is truly something worth downloading, it has more content than most “premium/paid” apps and it runs as smooth as you could hope for; head on over to the Nokia store to download it.

http://store.ovi.com/content/128268

Or if you’re still not convinced watch our quick video review (not really that quick):

And heres the official preview video by Nokia:

How to Win a Lumia 800-

(I know it’s the part most of you are here for), The people over at Nokia connects are running a competition, simply all you have to do is review the Nokia WRC app and share it to enter the competition to win a Lumia 800.

- As I was saying above I was planning on doing a tiny review in the comments section about the app, just to enter the competition, but once I tried the app it felt unfair to sum it up in 50 words. Good Luck.

In case you’re interested here are some shots of 2011 season (showing Nokias partnership with the WRC, as well as some awesome looking cars)

Of course you can find a bunch more over at Nokia Connects Flickr Page or at the Official WRC Website (contains alot of the images available through the app):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nokiaconnects/sets/72157628536008907/

http://www.wrc.com/fanzone/gallery/

We’ve speculated more than enough about what’s to come early next year once Nokia plan to bombard the US shores with the magical unicorns hidden inside the mysterious Lumia 900/Champagne or the possible Lumia 719, we;ve heard about the spy-film named “Operation Rolling Thunder”. All that’s possibly left is for Nokia to ship one of these devices to our doorstep, until then carry on speculating… Now anyone willing to trade me a ticket to LasVegas? will offer one slightly used Human soul (like-new condition).
Via: WinRumors thanks to mPrince for the tip.

Hi guys, on Wednesday we were lucky enough to be one of 6 to attend a showing of the Batman: The Dark Knight Rises prologue. It was AMAZING!

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCx6mYdLN1c

As you know, we got a look at the Special Limited Edition Nokia Lumia 800 with the Batman Markings for the Dark Knight Rises. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to show or explain what happened as we had to leave the Nokia House sharply to get to the BFI IMAX. I couldn’t blog about it either on the train due to lack of bandwidth and then I the rest of the day back in Manchester was Medic Panto (and after party) followed by a busy Thursday.

Anyway, now I’ve got a little bit of time I thought I’d share some better pictures of the handset as well as a quick video unboxing. We filmed one on the day but no way was that going up online in the time we had.

To start off here’s Nokia House (I don’t want to write her name because I think I’ve got it wrong…)

Here are the other guys. Mostly from Film/Comic world, me and John Choo are the techy geeks.

Some important online folks there in the film business, Rich Johnston , Mark Wassmer, Ben Williams and Jonathan Pile. The two more techy guys were Jon Choo and I, pleasure to meet them all (as well as seeing John, James and Ric again! )

Some app cubes:

After getting a tour of Nokia Lumia 800 we went to the 2nd floor to see on the glossy tables, 6 black boxes.

Here are some pictures of it. This is just 1 of 40.

I got number 28.

Inside, we get a peek.

Bane wallpaper

Here’s the limited edition one next to my own Nokia Lumia 800.

Remember how Nokia talked about the special polycarbonate that’s the same colour through out? Well there you go.

More Batman esque. The bat logo is textured and sunken in.

The case is also sporting the bat logo.

Just for comparison, N9.

Now with N8

Now all of them because it’s nice to see them together.

I like phone piles.

Long road

I know some of you guys are after that blue one more

A circle?

Final pack.

Little nugget of information.

The first Nokia to get their polycarbonate shell etched was actually a Nokia N9. Oddly the polycarbonate slightly discoloured, the material between the N9 and 800 apparently different.

There exists one Nokia N9 with 6 different bat logos, one in gold apparently.

I guess the people at Nokia U.S. were a bit over-excited about the news they were supposed to release later on today, about what most of us had probably guessed; the Nokia 710 entering the US market (Via T-Mobile).

According to the leak the 710 is set to hit stores on Jan 11th with a very reasonable pricing of $49.99 with contract OFC, but what most of us never saw coming was the incorporation of a 4G antenna inside the 710, making it the first Nokia 4G phone to be officially availble in the US (Thanks to Matti in the comments section I also found out that the N9 as well as the 800 are also capable of the fake 4G/HSPA speeds), as well as one of the first Mango running 4G capable devices (Other: HTC Radar).

The Nokia Lumia 710 is expected to be available at T-Mobile retail stores, select dealers and retailers nationwide, and online at http://www.t-mobile.com starting Jan. 11. The Nokia Lumia 710 is expected to cost $49.99 after a $50 mail-in-rebate card, with a two-year service agreement and qualifying Classic voice and data plan. For more information, visit http://www.t-mobile.com/lumia.

The 710 should hit shelves preloaded with all of the stock Nokia apps (Nokia drive, Nokia Mix radio, the Nokia exclusive ESPN app…) as well as Netflix mobile TV and many more. However according to the press release the only color made to be available is the Black battery case, which is completely fine by me as the picture above looks absolutely SEXY!!!

Full press release available below:

T-Mobile Brings Nokia Lumia 710 to the U.S.  

Nokia and T-Mobile deliver a leading entry-level Windows Phone experience to the nearly 150 million Americans still to make the transition to smartphones. 

BELLEVUE, Wash., and SUNNYVALE, Calif. — Dec. 14, 2011 — T-Mobile USA, Inc. and Nokia today announced the upcoming availability of the Nokia Lumia 710, the first Windows Phone from Nokia in the United States. Targeted at the nearly 150 million Americans who haven’t purchased their first smartphones, the 4G-capable Nokia Lumia 710 delivers high-performance hardware, Nokia’s best social and Internet experience, and access to popular smartphone applications and services from Windows Phone Marketplace.

Running on America’s Largest 4G Network^™, the Nokia Lumia 710 benefits from the unique people-first approach of Windows Phone, bringing together all interactions with family and friends in People Hub. The Nokia Lumia 710 also provides one-click access to popular services, such as Netflix, T-Mobile TV with mobile HD¹ and a leading mobile Web experience with Internet Explorer® Mobile, Bing™ Search with voice activation and Local Scout for locally relevant search results. The smartphone also brings access to signature Nokia experiences, such as Nokia Drive for voice-guided, turn-by-turn navigation and ESPN for exclusive sports content.

“We’re excited to team with Nokia in bringing its first Windows Phone to the U.S. with the elegantly designed Nokia Lumia 710,” said Cole Brodman, chief marketing officer, T-Mobile USA. “Windows Phone offers a compelling mobile OS choice for people who want a smartphone built around them, their family and friends.  We expect it to play a more prominent role in our lineup and marketing efforts in 2012.”

Today, people are increasingly upgrading to smartphones, and many are doing so for the first time. According to the NPD Group, U.S. smartphone sales reached 59 percent in the third quarter 2011, an increase of 13 percent since third quarter 2010. With an increasing demand for smartphones, the Nokia Lumia 710 offers a compelling experience aimed at addressing the needs of the nearly 150 million people in the U.S. who have yet to upgrade to their first smartphones.

“Our research shows nearly everybody in the U.S. wants a smartphone, but many believe they can’t afford it,” Brodman said. “That’s where T-Mobile shines. Our Unlimited Value and Monthly4G plans make it more affordable than ever to step up to mobile data on our 4G network.”

”The Nokia Lumia 710 is the perfect first-time smartphone: a well-designed product that delivers the most compelling Windows Phone experience in its price range and with access to great content and thousands of applications,” said Chris Weber, president, Nokia Americas. “This is the perfect first Nokia Lumia experience and the start of our re-entry into the U.S. smartphone market.”

Available in a black or white finish, the Nokia Lumia 710 features a 3.7-inch ClearBlack WVGA scratch-resistant display for outstanding outdoor viewing and a Qualcomm 1.4 GHz Snapdragon™ processor providing speedy access to entertainment and information on-the-go. It also features a 5-megapixel camera with Nokia’s leading camera technology, enabling people to take pictures in almost any light condition and share on social networks in seconds. With the most integrated work-life solution of any mobile platform via the Windows Phone Office Hub and an interactive mobile gaming experience via Xbox LIVE®, the Nokia Lumia 710 is the complete all-round first-time smartphone experience.

Source. Thanks to Viipottaja for the tip

Checkout the video below, it’s interesting what he says about the N9 but from my interpretation of it, he want to use aspects of the N9 to make windows phone better, rather then continuing with Maemo/MeeGo. But that’s just my interpretation on what he said!

source: TheVerge on Youtube

Over at Nokia Developer, the list of specs for the two new Nokia Windows Phones, 800 and 710, have been uploaded.

Side by side, they provide an easy comparison. Take a look for yourself.

http://www.developer.nokia.com/Devices/Device_specifications/Comparison.xhtml?dev=Lumia_800,Lumia_710

Like Jay posted, the 800 is to be shipped around Europe next month, with most other markets coming end of 2011/Q1 2012.

Michael

Hi guys,

We haven’t been given the password for the internet so finding it difficult to blog live. It’s extremely annoying. One of the things I find with events is that if you’re not at an event, you can actually provide better live coverage of news as it happens if you’re not at the conference room.

Do check out the live stream though.

http://conversations.nokia.com/

Hey. If you can read this, then woah! We’re still somehow online. But I don’t want to jinx it so lets move on.

Here are some photos taken today for the pre Nokia World stuff.

I’m sure posting a gallery directly from the blog isn’t the most helpful. We’ve compressed them so they should be ok.

Diary Mode:

The pre Nokia World 2011 event was in BFI IMAX. It was about Location. I missed most of it as you know with the predicament earlier in the day so we headed pretty much 10m after to the IMAX screen.

First things first, they did a raffle. I didn’t win. But Jennifer did. She won a Nokia 700!

Then they played a 3D version of that Nokia Maps 3D “HOW ITS MADE” which looked epic and scary being 2 rows away from the front.

http://mynokiablog.com/2011/10/25/video-how-its-made-nokia-maps-3d/

Next was Transformers 3. Say what you like about the story, but the visuals were epic. I stayed through 5 minutes of it though, trying to sort stuff out on the site outside to no luck.

After that was done everyone headed back to the hotel. We’re at the Premier Inn, right opposite the Nokia World place.

Oh in the room they left us a pretty awesome welcome pack. I was really hungry, not having eaten anything all day so this was very much welcome (and now empty)

Thought it was quite touching of Nokia to leave us little sketches. That’s me playing tennis.

They also left a laser game on my bed, as well as a nifty Nokia bag, and a little black rubber duckie.

That’s some pretty epic thoughtfulness going on there WOMWorld now Nokia Connects team.

There was a casualty though. My lens on my DSLR fell from the lobby table  and banged something. I didn’t notice till I got back to the room just how bad it was.

I managed to squeeze everything back but it can no longer take photos. That was the 50mm 1.8 prime, fortunately a basic, ‘cheap’ lens. It’s actually its second drop so, its time came. I shall begin saving up for the 50mm f1.4 that Michael is parading.

I’m cautiously updating the website. It has been pretty terrible, touch and go.

Thanks for everyone who was offering help. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to answer your messages. My internet died at the IMAX.

I’m praying to God DreamHost will be ok enough for at least some of our regular readers. Deepest apologies that we were down for most of yesterday. I was rather distraught of the possibility of not being able to connect the Nokia World news with you guys. Somehow it’s back, Stefanos also optimised supercache (as the last count it stopped working).

Anyway will take a break for now, see if this post will get through to you guys. Will update with other posts shortly.

Day 1 Agenda:

09.00

Opening keynote

Stephen Elop, President and CEO, Nokia

10.30 – 17.30

Explore the Experience

10.45 – 12.00

Get to know the latest mobile products

Speakers’ Corners 1 & 2
Option 1: 10.45-11.15
Option 2: 11.30-12.00

12.45 – 16.45

Speakers’ corners

Real conversations

17.00 – 23.00

Evening fun

Time to chill, enjoy and network with completely amazing friends from all over the world