Video: Nokia N97 – the movie – 70minute hands on
June 1, 2009 at 8:15 am | In Nokia, Nseries, OVI, Video | 3 CommentsTags: 5th Edition, N97, Nokia, Nokia N97, S60, Video
This video is so insanely long, it even has a program list:
- Unboxing
- HomeScreen
- Interface, menus
- Music
- Photo / video
- Video and tv
- Applications
- Maps
- And more
One slight hitch though – it’s not in English. I only have a basic grasp of French (how I wish I talked about mobile phones instead of “drugs in society” for A-level french – and basically paid more attention) but even that isn’t needed to appreciate certain aspects like:
- Package contents
- the speed of the device – boot up speed (~ 24s) and over all speed of device
- the responsiveness of the touch screen - selection/moving/handwriting
- the annoying 1 tap/2tap persists
- browser looks smooth in some sections
- use of the Ovi store
- how oddly tacky white N97 looks – maybe it doesn’t show that well through the video but I’m definitely sticking with black N97 option.
Unfortunately, as long as the video was, you don’t actually get to see this user typing on the N97’s keyboard (as he’s holding the camera with one hand). Maybe he talked about it and I didn’t understand.
If you let the vimeo video load first, you can just drag the time line to skim through parts if you haven’t got an hour to spare to watch a video on the n97.
via blog-N97
Ovi Store Goes Live!
May 26, 2009 at 9:20 am | In OVI | 1 CommentTags: Nokia, OVI, Ovi Store
Ovi Store has officially gone live! https://store.ovi.com/
This is one of Nokia’s most important undertakings of recent years. The Ovi store is Nokia’s attempt to take back the reigns in the Smartphone world by delivering those oh so crucial applications easily to users, enhancing the usability of their Nokia devices.
It’s not just for smartphones, nor is it just applications – currently supporting around 119 Nokia devices with videos, ringtons, games and wallpapers. Choosing a particular device narrows the selection of compatible content.
A while back, I wrote about Ovi being the best feature on the N97, and that the ease at which Nokia deliver these applications (and other content) will make or break Ovi and Nokia’s future success with Smartphones. Yes, as will the actual content of the store is also a major factor, but what’s more important is getting users to:
- know that their Nokia device has access to a wealth of applications and Media through the Ovi Store
- have the easiest experience in finding, downloading and (if it’s an application) installing that content.
A few criticisms on the desktop experience – hopefully it’s just because it’s new and/or can’t handle the load of people trying it out:
- Where are the categories? Please divide content into categories – I don’t want to wade through huge masses of applications which could easily be filtered into categories. I like that they’ve got a filter for Free and Paid content – easy for stocking up on the freebies.
- It’s really slow – switching from anything the screen takes an awful long while to load my current selection. By an awful long while, I mean a slug covered in salt can probably circle the earth quicker than this site loads anything. Probably will be fixed (better be!) but not really good as a first impression. The longer I spend on it the more annoyed I get.
- Applications need more than just an icon and a block of text for description. At least for the desktop version, there should be some screenshots of the application in action, and best, a short video demonstration to show what the app is going to do. Some have screenshots – some don’t. This needs uniformity. For free content it’s not so much of an issue, but when I’m paying for an application, I’d like to see what it does beyond the text description. It will take a lot of effort to do this, but will improve the usability in the long run.
With 50 million devices ready for Ovi Store, Nokia certainly have the install base. It just needs a few more tweaks to get it just right.
____
Ah – What I’d love to more time testing out Ovi yet instead I have to focus on neuroanatomy 
.
Quest for the N: The search for the N begins here…
May 22, 2009 at 3:16 am | In Event, Nseries, OVI, S60 | 22 CommentsTags: Ben Smith, Christian Haslam, Clues, Event, Exclusive, Find the N, hunt, Journey, N97, Nokia, Nokia N97, Nseries, Quest, Release Date, Richard Siddle, Search for the N, WOMWorld
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
- A big N chocolate bar.
- Most importantly though, take note of the black sheet of paper.
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!
Videos: Nokia N97 Blogger Preview – Please no orange backlit keyboard!
May 21, 2009 at 10:04 am | In 5th Edition, Nokia, Nseries, OVI, S60 | 1 CommentTags: blogger preview, Keyboard, Lester Chan, N97, N97 Black, N97 White, Nokia, Nokia N97, Orange Backlit keys, S60, S60 5TH EDITION, S60v5, singapore, Symbian, White backlit keys
Lester Chan attended the N97 Blogger Preview in Singapore yesterday and has brought back some pictures and videos. One thing I thought worth noting again is the keyboard of the black N97,
Hopefully this orange backlit keys on the N97 will never see the light of day.
specifically the backlighting of the keys. Eldar mentioned the white N97 will have white backlit keys and the black N97 will have orange. God forbid Eldar is right and Nokia give ANY phone orange backlit keys. It’s just tacky.
As you can see from Lester’s picture below, the main keys are white and secondary functions are in blue. That’s more or less what I had hoped to see ever since Eldar’s first N97 review several months back. This may possibly be the final colour scheme as the white backlit keys on the black N97 Has also been spotted in another recent N97 review.
Now for some videos: Lester’s posted three:
1. N97 Homescreen widgets
2. N97 Applications
3. N97 Random video
Lesterchan via spaziocellulare
News: Nokia N97 to appear as early as June 2nd for North American variant.
May 18, 2009 at 1:46 pm | In 5th Edition, News, Nokia, Nseries, OVI | Leave a CommentTags: iPhone 4G, N97, Nokia, Nokia N97, Nseries, Palm Pre, S60, S60v5, Sony Ericsson Idou, Symbian, Symbian S60
The Nokia Blog reports that the NAM version of the Nokia N97 maybe coming as early as June 2nd and yes, that’s 2009! Fingers crossed that date is rock solid and also that consumers outside the states will not have to wait much longer.
The longer Nokia takes to launch the N97, the cheaper the Samsung i8910 (Omnia HD) gets and the closer both the next iPhone, Palm Pre and Sony Ericsson’s “Idou” comes as additional competition.
Does the wait have a lot to do with your choice of phone? If all four mentioned were available right now, would you still get the N97?
Via TheNokiaBlog
Video: The Phone Show, Episode 80
April 29, 2009 at 11:37 pm | In 5th Edition, Eseries, Nokia, Nseries, OVI, S60, Symbian, aPPLE | 1 CommentTags: 5th Edition, App Store, aPPLE, Apple iPHONE, N97, Nokia, Nokia N97, OVI, Phone Show, Rafe Blandford, S60, Steve Litchfield, Symbian, Video, Xenon Flash
The latest episode of the Phone Show covers:
- The E75
- Xenon Flash Photography
- Top 10 iPhone games
- Interview with Rafe about the N97
Xenon
Aah, Steve Litchfield – one of the very few people I could battle in a moan and groan about the importance of XENON in mobile phone photography. I agree whole heartedly with Steve: Nights out with the N82 (given that I’m not drunk enough) means a lot of memories frozen to be remembered forever (whether you like it or not) on TEH facebook. Xenon isn’t just for nights out, it’s for most indoor/poor lighting situations. With LED flash, your best hope is poor colours and definite blurs – not very good when your subjects are people.
iPhone games
This does spark a lot of jealousy in my Nokia orientated mind. Remember just before the N93 was released, we saw videos of what we were told we should expect from these new Nseries N-Gage platforms?
Alas we saw nothing come close to that ever for Nokia. In comparison, look at everything coming to iPhone/iPod Touch – the 3D games are very well implemented, the graphics and gameplay are both very impressive.
Rafe Blandford and the N97
The ultimate Symbian genius, Rafe talks about the strengths and shortcomings of the N97. Wisely very cautious, Rafe is hesitant to judge whether the N97 will be a success amongst the geeks/technology leaders out there given its relatively disappointing specifications, but reckons the N97 will be a commercial success, as it’s a different Nseries experience with a lot of backing from Nokia and Ovi services.
E75
I do seem to ignore the E-series, but this phone does have an excellent form factor. What with iPhone making everyone touch orientated, buttons seem like a whole new invention as QWERTY keyboard start becoming popular. I like how the E75 looks like a convincing normal candybar then has a QWERTY keyboard (not like E90/N9300i which were obviously too fat to be a normal candybar), and love the build quality and the excellent materials used.
Get flown out for free to New York/London/Helsinki to test out Ovi and get paid $100 for your thoughts
April 22, 2009 at 7:57 am | In OVI, Promotion | Leave a CommentTags: $100, Get Paid, Helsinki, London, New York, OVI, Test
…or if you don’t like travelling, you can share your thoughts over the phone.
If you are up for travelling, you’ll be going to one of the research centres in New York/London or Helsinki where you’ll use Ovi, “on the internet, a PC and on a mobile phone”. Throughout, you’ll be sharing your thoughts about Ovi, likes, dislikes, things you want to see, things they should improve etc. and on top of the free trip, you get paid $100 ( € 75 or £65) for your insights.
Should you want to sign up, click here to submit your details.
Via thenokiablog
The best feature on the N97? Memory? Keyboard? No it’s Ovi!
April 15, 2009 at 8:47 am | In 3rd edition, 5th Edition, Applications, Games, News, Nokia, Nseries, OVI, Rant, S60, Suggestions, Symbian | 5 CommentsTags: App, App Store, aPPLE, Applications, Beta, DivX, Divx Mobile, Games, iPhone, iTunes, Lonely Cat Games, Maemo, MMC Forums, Mobile 9, My Symbian, N-gage, N97, Nokia, Nokia Beta Labs, Nseries, OVI, Ovi Store, Pizero, S40, S60, Software, Symbian, Themes
Applications address the limitations of our phones; shifting new interest into tired devices either by bringing wished features or an entirely new use not considered before. Ovi will be “the door” to bring those applications to our devices. So that’s why, for me, the best feature on the N97 is OVI. Once I get used/”bored” to the keyboard/touch screen/memory and other things it does, applications will spice it up and give it life. What’s great for everyone is that Ovi isn’t exclusive to the N97.
Nokia N97 on Ovi store from Michele Ficara Manganelli
“Ovi – Open the door to your digital world.”
If Nokia were to make an exact clone of the iPhone, with identical UI, at the same price, but the only thing different were internet services, Apple would win the consumer because of their thriving ecosystem of developers that have made such a content packed app store.
[iPhone and N97, by Robert Scoble]
Apps – that’s what Nokia used to be good at, at least for those who knew where to find the apps; you get the S60 device instead of another type of phone because of the plethora of software available for it.
[Of course, there's another side which I can't and won't cover, which is the relative ease to develop an Apple app instead of a Symbian one. This perceived ease however, is part of a self feeding cycle - more users, more money, attract more developers, better apps, more users, more info about how to do make apps, more apps, more users more money, more developers...etc.]
Nokia already has a wealth of applications for S60, albeit some of them no longer functional on newer devices (shame really). However, it’s so hard to get them to the user. The apps are dispersed among several websites, some containing overlapping catalogues, some exclusives and some sites contain apps only from that particular developer.
e.g.
S60 Apps
Themes:
Games
The Ovi store needs to deliver all currently available applications to the consumer:
- free applications,
- paid applications,
- beta applications for those who want to try it out,
- and the mass of themes available for S60 (vetted of course for copyright/inappropriate images).
- Non S60 applications, i.e. S40/Maemo?
- What about Map content/liscence downloads?
Just let users be aware that you have these apps, Nokia.
These apps then need a demonstration (not just description) of what it does, and and all organized into logical, filtered categories.
The most important thing is to get the consumer knowing that it’s all available in one place. The Ovi store.
In the Ovi store, every downloadable content relevant to your handset should be available. Games/Music/Themes/Tones/Graphics and of course APPLICATIONS.
There’s more to Ovi that just apps/downloadable content. There’s data syncing of calendar/contacts, email service and content sharing of user media. But it is the ease at which these downloadable content can be accessed that will make or break Ovi, which is essential for Nokia’s future success in the smartphone arena.
Nokia N97 on Ovi store from Michele Ficara Manganelli
…. Then maybe later address the prices so they don’t vary so much/make it an easier for impulse buying.
Nokia Maps 3.0 beta now available.
December 3, 2008 at 4:38 am | In 3rd edition, Applications, Freeware, Nokia, OVI, S60, Video | Leave a CommentTags: Nokia Maps 3.0 Applications Navigation
If you guys check the Nokia Beta Labs, you’ll see that Nokia Maps 3.0beta is available for you to upgrade from Maps 2.0 and other previous versions.
I use MAPS a lot whenever I’m jogging/walking (mostly walking, haha) along some new areas I’ve never been to, either trying to get to some new place or getting back home from one. I don’t use the voice guidance-sat nav bit much as all I really need is to see where I am, relate that to what direction I’m moving towards then just plod on towards that particular destination. Plus it’s not so practical to keep looking down at the screen when your running or walking, for either the sake of it falling out of your hands or even getting mugged.
Maps 3.0 has a whole host of new features that makes the full liscenced navigational experience more appealing. For example, if you travel by foot or by bike, Nokia Maps utilises vibrations before next turns saving you from having to view the screen. In addition, there are now shortcuts through paths/parks and the likes, not making you go through an unecessarily longer route because it thinks you’re a car.
For both vehicle and pedestrian navigation, there are including new 2D/3D hybrid satellite views, including 3D landmarks, terrain maps and more clearly marked streets. When driving, you now have lane assistance, speed limit warnings, improved sign post design and new ‘Route overview’ mode during navigation, as well as real time traffic info.
MAPS AND OVI
Nokia Maps 3.0 allows browsing maps online through OVI, save your favourite places then sync them to your phone.
GETTING MAPS 3.0
To get Maps 3.0, you will need to have installed a few things first.
1. PC SUITE
Maps 3.0 beta will require the installation of NEW compatible maps and voice guidance files, so no simple .sis files available yet. I’ve got Maps 2.0 installed, and apparently,
“Nokia Maps Updater will not work if you have installed Maps 2.0 to your phone as a sis file. This will be fixed.”
I’m guessing that’s why I’m getting the “your phone is not supported” error. 
Instructions:
1. Download and install Nokia Maps Updater to your computer.
2. Connect your device to the computer (preferably with USB cable, but can be done via bluetooth), and open Nokia Maps Updater.
3. Select your language from the list.
4. If more than one device is connected to the computer, select your device from the list.
5. When Nokia Maps Updater has found updates, select to download them to your device.
6. Accept the download in your device when prompted on the device display.
Nokia to acquire Enpocket to create a global mobile advertising leader
September 17, 2007 at 4:43 pm | In Aquisitions, News, Nokia, OVI, Press Release | Leave a CommentPress Release: Click
At the first London Nokia: Go Play event, OVI was announced. With OVI, Nokia is attempting to grasp mobile internet services by taking the next step at connecting people and allowing users to get at all their digital content whenever, where ever.
“… we believe that mobile advertising will be an important element in monetizing those services for our customers and partners. Enpocket’s mature leading edge platform and people expertise are a strong fit with Nokia existing capabilities in the mobile advertising market,“
said Tero Ojanperä, Chief Technology Officer, Nokia.
“This acquisition is a game changing move to bring the reach and depth of Nokia to organize the market across the world, and make it easier for an ecosystem to develop.“
The platform can deliver mobile advertising across multiple formats including SMS, MMS, mobile Internet advertising, and video. Enpocket is powering mobile advertising for leading mobile operators and publishers across the globe and has an ad sales force that is working with large brands.
“Effective interactive advertising on the mobile device can create tremendous value for the mobile industry while bringing new Internet services to people around the world,“
said Enpocket President and Chief Executive Officer, Mike Baker.
“Enpocket and Nokia are combining to provide the leadership needed to define, build and standardize globally the business of mobile advertising so that brands can easily and efficiently engage consumers on their personal devices.“
About Enpocket
Enpocket is the global leader in mobile advertising, providing brands with end-to-end, turnkey solutions that make marketing to the personal device simple and effective. With an award-winning platform and worldwide partner network of mobile operators and publishers, Enpocket delivers high ROI mobile advertising experiences. Powered by analytics, the Enpocket Platform delivers targeted ‘intelligent mobile marketing’ with measurable results. Enpocket is headquartered in Boston with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, London, Singapore and Mumbai. To learn more, please visit www.enpocket.com.
Enpocket.com – watch the flash demo. Is it me or did I hear an iPhone?
The mobile phone may be small, but in the bigger picture it’s far from it.
No other medium is as personally engaging.
Or as capable of such wide reach, timely relevance and variety of interaction.
Learn how our global lead in rich solutions and smart, predictive targeting can benefit your brand.
Who cares about size when it works like nothing else?
My Nokia Blog- Video: Behind the new Nokia homescreen – multiple homescreens coming soon? July 14, 2009
- Video: The Nokia N86 has ‘real’/usable digital zoom! July 13, 2009
- Video Advert: Introduction to the Nokia N97 July 13, 2009
- How to: Calibrating the Nokia N97’s compass in 3 seconds. July 12, 2009
- Freeware: UK Rail – Train Timetables for your Nokia N97, 5800, Samsung i8910 and other S60 5th Edition Phone July 12, 2009
- Two thumb typing on the Nokia N97 (or lack of) July 12, 2009
- Free Game: Match’em for Nokia N97, 5800, and Samsung i8910 July 11, 2009
- Photos: Nights out with the Nokia N97 (with Nokia N82 comparison samples) July 10, 2009
- Video: The Phones Show – Episode 85 – James Burland on the iPhone 3GS (and Nokia Rant) July 9, 2009
- WordPress mobile blogging on the Nokia N97. Bad for Nokia blogging, great for diary blogging. July 8, 2009
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