Nokia Announces Nokia Booklet 3G Netbook.

After more than 25 years as a pioneer and leader in the mobile industry, Nokia will bring its rich mobility heritage and knowledge to the PC world with the new, Windows based, Nokia Booklet 3G.

Powered by the efficient Intel Atom processor, the Nokia Booklet 3G delivers impressive performance with up to 12 hours of battery life, enabling people to leave their power cable behind and still be connected and productive. Delivering the rich experience of a full-function PC inside an ultra-portable aluminum chassis, the new mini-laptop weighs 1.25 kilograms, measures slightly more than two centimeters thin, and has the features one would expect from the world's leading mobile device manufacturer.  A broad range of connectivity options - including 3G/ HSPA and Wi-Fi - gives consumers high speed access to the Internet, including Nokia's broad suite of Ovi services, and allows them to make the most of every moment and every opportunity.  

           

"A growing number of people want the computing power of a PC with the full benefits of mobility," said Kai Oistamo, Nokia's Executive Vice President for Devices. "We are in the business of connecting people and the Nokia Booklet 3G is a natural evolution for us. Nokia has a long and rich heritage in mobility and with the outstanding battery life, premium design and all day, always on connectivity, we will create something quite compelling. In doing so we will make the personal computer more social, more helpful and more personal."

The mini-laptop also comes with an HDMI port for HD video out, a front facing camera for video calling, integrated Bluetooth and an easily accessible SD card reader. Other premium features include the 10-inch glass HD ready display and integrated A-GPS which, working with the Ovi Maps gadget, can pinpoint your position in seconds and open up access for a truly personal maps experience. The Nokia Booklet 3G also brings a number of other rich Ovi experiences to life, whether its access and playback of millions of tracks through the Nokia Music Store, or using Ovi Suite to sync seamlessly from your Nokia smartphone, to your mini-laptop, to the cloud.

The Nokia Booklet 3G will widen the Nokia portfolio, satisfying a need in the operator channel, and bringing another important ingredient in the move towards becoming a mobile solutions company.

Further information, including detailed specifications, market availability and pricing, will be announced at Nokia World on September 2.

Nokia Announces two new N-series phones , The N79 and the N85

Nokia announced two new N-series phones to its already crowded lineup of N-series phones.It'll be interesting to see what the next N7x series phones are gonna be rebranded as , since the N79 is the last number in the N7x series.  

The Nokia N85
 

Operating System	Symbian 9.3 S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 2
Band	GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz, WCDMA 900/1900/2100MHz or 850/1900/2100MHz
Data	GPRS/EDGE/UMTS/HSDPA/WiFi
Size	103mm x 50mm x 16mm (4″ x 1.9″ x .6″)
Weight	128g (4.5oz)
Battery Life	Estimated 12.5 days standby time
	Estimated 4 hours talk time
Display	2.6″ 16 million color QVGA AM OLED, 240×320 pixel resolution
Camera	5 megapixel autofocus with Carl Zeiss optics and dual-LED flash
Video	VGA resolution 640×480 record at up to 30 frames per second
Bluetooth	2.0 with A2DP
Memory	70MB internal, microSD memory card slot with 8GB card included
Other	Built-in GPS receiver, TV-Out, FM transmitter, 3.5mm audio port, Accelerometer
Availability	Planned Q3 2008
Pricing	EUR450 (US$665) before taxes and subsidies

 



The Nokia N79
 

Operating System	Symbian 9.3 S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 2
Band	GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz, WCDMA 900/2100MHz
Data	GPRS/EDGE/UMTS/HSDPA/WiFi
Size	110mm x 49mm x 15mm (4.3″ x 1.9″ x .6″)
Weight	97g (3.4oz)
Battery Life	Estimated 17/15 days standby time (3G/GSM)
	Estimated 3.5/5.5 hours talk time (3G/GSM)
Display	2.4″ 16 million color QVGA TFT, 240×320 pixel resolution
Camera	5 megapixel autofocus with Carl Zeiss optics and dual-LED flash
Video	VGA resolution 640×480 record at up to 30 frames per second
Bluetooth	2.0 with A2DP
Memory	50MB internal, microSD memory card slot with 4GB card included
Other	Built-in GPS receiver, TV-Out, FM transmitter, 3.5mm audio port, Accelerometer
Availability	Planned Q3 2008
Pricing	EUR350 (US$521) before taxes and subsidies

Samsungs 8 megapixel stunner !!

Samsung INNOV8 (Samsung i8510) takes mobile handset photography and multimedia experience to new heights with its 8 megapixel camera. It offers users top of the range camera technologies, a surround-sound cinematic video experience, the best mobile internet browsing experience and mobile gaming capabilities. The Samsung INNOV8 has the latest in imaging applications such as smile shot, blink shot and face recognition allowing memorable moments to be stored in their best quality. Users can also personalize and edit their photos, videos and music with Movie Maker and Story Board applications. The handset also acts as a digital photo frame, allowing users to display their favorite images. For the gamers, the Samsung INNOV8 comes pre-embedded with two of the world’s most famous games, Asphalt and FIFA 08. Additional features include an optical mouse and 4-way navigation key for enjoying PC-like browsing experience. And HSDPA high speed Internet and WiFi connection offer convenient and seamless internet experience wherever users are.

Feature Overview

• 8 Megapixel camera
• 2.8” QVGA Display
• Optical mouse and 4-way navigation key
• A-GPS
• FM Radio with RDS
• HSDPA 7.2 Mbps (900/2100)
• EDGE / GPRS (850/900/1800/1900)
• Symbian OS V9.3, S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 2
• Memory: 16GB Flash + External Memory slot : microSDHC™ (up to 16GB)

 Finally a phone that has everything !! I cant wait ... :P

Nokia E71 : Initial Observations !

The great people at Womworld sent me a Nokia E71 to trial. This device is everything you have read about it and much much more..!! I was seriously skeptical about how much praise was being heaped on this "E-Series-Posterboy" phone, but once you get your hands on this stunner ..trust me ....you wont feel like looking at any other e series phones ... ever ! I'm sure a lot of people are going to dump their blackberrys for this baby !

This is only the review of the physical features of the E71. I will be posting a detailed software review later.



As you can see in the picture ... the E71 looks absolutely stunning , The amazing metallic finish feels good to look at and to hold too. Also as with the other newer E-series phones .The phone runs on symbian OS 9.2 and has the new "home" and "delete" keys .. and also features a "CTRL"(which i'm assuming is used to in VPN and Remote Admin functions) function on the dedicated "special characters" button.Also visible in the picture are the Dedicated calendar , phone book and messages button.Also hiding beneath somewhere is the GPS chip. this is the second E-series phone to get inbuilt GPS functionality after the E90. The GPS lock on is fast and takes under 10 seconds as compared to nearly a minute on my N95.The full qwerty keypad is amazing ! it might look minuscule here ... but the buttons are so well contoured that even a guy like me with big fingers can easily use the keypad without pressing two keys at once. Also the combination of predictive text + auto correction + qwerty keypad makes typing out even the lengthiest emails on this device a real breeze.



The side view of the E71 , in all its stunning glory.The only disappointment here was 2.5 mm headphone jack in lieu of the standard 3.5mm one , but i guess it had to be done due to space constraints. So this means you cant use your normal mp3 player headphones like you can in the N95 and certain other N series phones. There button with the dot in the center is used to mute calls.





The back casing of the E71 has a nice feel to it. All the squares you can see are actually carved into the metallic cover , which ensures that this sleek phone does not slip out of your hand under any conditions.Also provided is a 3.2 megapixel camera with auto focus & geo tagging , and a LED flash.The E71 also does away with the front camera found in most N series phones. The camera quality is fairly acceptable for an E-series phone , and cannot be compared to the likes of the N73 or the N95 for that matter. Still , I wish the camera was a little better .



These are some of the accessories that come with the E71 box. A nice red and black lanyard and Case. The case is of really good quality and has a nice red interior and looks very very classy (a nice addition to those Armani suits :P ) . Also included are a 2.5mm headset and the usb data cable (unlike Motorola and Samsung ...you cannot charge the phone with this) and a travel charger.

Comparisons with the Nokia N95 : (physical features)

The E71 is THIN !! Just comparing it with my N95 was like comparing the size of a mac book air to a Panasonic toughbook !!
And I dunno how nokia engineers managed to squeeze a full qwerty keypad in there ...but I must say ..its real impressive to see the amount of stuff they've crammed into this device !



The E71 as you can see is only slightly longer than the N95 in the closed state.




In terms of thickness ... There is no comparison at all !! The E71 is wafer thin as compared to the N95 .. which is really good for all those business suits out there ...so you don't have an awkward bulge sticking out of your trouser/suit pockets !

This concludes my review of the physical features of the E71. I will be posting a detailed software review of the device and its features later. Do let me know if you have any questions about the device and i will try to answer them in my next post. :)

Nokia Maps V2.0 Beta Released !!

The guys over at nokia beta labs are on a roll and have recently rolled out yet another juicy beta .this time of the new n improved Nokia Maps application. The New v2.0 Nokia Maps features a all new interface with the options to view maps in 3D , Google maps and hybrid maps. It also includes the "pedestrian" mode where you can have breadcrumb trails of your walk around the city streets. This is something unique which i have never seen in any other GPS mapping software. Kudos to Nokia for including this. I tried out the app and found the new interface very refreshing and less buggy than the old version.




Head over to http://betalabs.nokia.com/blog/tag/maps/ to download the application , and do let me know what you think !

Nokia Location Tagger Beta

Nokia Beta labs have churned out yet another amazing application this month ...and this time its called the "Location Tagger". Basically what this app does is that it starts off your GPS ..and gets your current or last saved co-ordinates and embeds them into the EXIF data peresnt in the JPEG pictures header.And when you upload such pictures on flickr , picasa or google earth , you will be able to see the picture in the exact position on the map you had clicked it on.



Shozu has been offering this feature in its app for a long time ..but its nice to see nokia jump into things and offer an app of their own. So if you have a Nokia N95, N95 8GB, N82, and E90 using the integrated GPS, or any S60 #rd edition device with a bluetooth GPS ..head over to :

http://www.nokia.com/betalabs/locationtagger

to download the app. Is it as good as shozu ? Post your comments.

Nokia Launches New Maploader v1.2 and Maps !!

Yesss... !! After months of delays , Nokia has finally launched the newest version of its maploader and a new maps client for the Nseries and Eseries phones.
The Good news is that the maps for countries like India are back !
Thank you Nokia !

Full downloads are now available for the Nokia E61i and E65, as well as full 1.0 upgrades for the Nokia N95 and E90..!!

Head over to nokia europe to download v1.2 of the nokia maploader and phone client.





I just installed it on my N95 ...and it doesnt seem much different from the older version ..apart from a new version number on the about screen. All in all ...I am really happy that nokia re-released the India maps again. So if any of you guys had your country maps missing ..now is a good time to check and see if nokia maps has maps for your country...and do let me know if you find any major improvements on the way !

Nokia N95 v12.0 firmware coming soon....

Symbian Guru Rcadden has got his hands on the latest version (v12) firmware for the N95.
Key features in this upgrade are not clear yet ...but one major upgrade is in the form of a new nokia maps application and a much faster GPS lock on (due to Nokia using A-GPS technology by storing your nearest cell-id's in their centralized servers for a faster lock ).




I also hope nokia has optimized the ram and improved the response time of the camera. Also a bit of optimization on battery life wouldnt hurt either.. :)

To read more about the new firmware head on to..

http://symbianguru.typepad.com

UPDATE : V12 IS OFFICIALLY OUT. CHECK YOUR NOKIA SOFTWARE UPDATER !!

Geotagging photos on the N95 using LOCR

Remember how i always used to rant that the current apps available for Geo tagging on the N95 really suck. I mean ....there's shozu of course ...but its way too unstable ...and then there's zonetag... which hasn't come out with a symbian s60 v3 version yet.

But guess what ... all your N95 enthusiasts out there ..your prayers have finally been answered !! LOCR ...is a brand new FREE app which allows you to geotag your photos taken from your camera , on your camera ..or even on your p.c . There are several different flavors . There's the P.C edition ..which you can use to geotag photos on your p.c ..and then there's the symbian o.s versions ...which support symbian os v2.0 , v2.0 FP 1 and v3.0 . So that means you can use it even with an external bluetooth gps device . Cool...!!

All you have to do is first register on the Locr website . After doing that you can download the app from the download section . Install it on your device and you are all ready to go.



The best part is this app recognizes the inbuilt N95 gps module , and even when you arnt getting a GPS signal , it allows you to use your last known co-ordinates to tag the photo. Of course , you can edit it manually too. The photos can be uploaded to the Locr website via GPRS or Wi-fi and you can view them through your phone's web browser. Another cool feature is the ability to find photos near you...by using your current GPS co-ordinates. The only downside i've found in this app is the lack of third party support..i.e ability to upload your photo's on sites other than the locr website.Also the Max resolution supported is 1024 x 768 (0.8 mega pixels) :(



In all..this IS the best Photo geotagging app I've used on the N95 so far. Doesn't hog memory , doesn't crash and of course has all those excellent features which i mentioned before. I would recommend all you N95 users out there to give it a try ..and don't forget to let me know how it works out for you . :)

8 Motions ... The all in one GPS mapping , tracking, geo-tagging & buddy monitoring App !!

Another day .. Another great Application...and that too FREE of cost !! Thomas Landspurg , who is one of the people working on the webwag widgets app i reviewed earlier sent me his pet project 8 MOTIONS to test on my Nokia N95. 8 motions is a GPS mapping , tracking and buddy monitoring app. You can use it to find out where you are Via GPS (supports both internal gps like the N95 and external bluetooth gps ) , You can use it for route mapping , directions to places , and also to track your buddies locations .

To use this awesome app ..you have to first register at http://test.8motions.com/ , after you enter your mobile number on your profile , you can have the link to the app sent to you by sms.
When i tried to download the app from my mobile through the wap link ,Although the wap page didn't recognize my mobile properly , the jar file got downloaded and worked just fine.



After installing the app on the mobile , you can either set your gps position , by allowing it to access gps data , and you can also see where you are by letting the application download maps via gprs. This app works similar to mgmaps , but has some additional features that give it an edge. One interesting feature of this app is the ability to click a snap , geotag it and upload it to your flickr account . Although to do this you have to go to http://www.flickr.com/auth-19913 and enter the code given there into the token field in the application ...and you're all set to upload your geo tagged photos to flickr. Sweeeeeet !! :)



Another interesting thing about this application is the fact that you can find out or track your buddy locations . As soon as anyone in your buddy list logs into the application and his position is updated via gps and the app , you can view his position too by clicking on the respective buddy in the buddy list. So now you can keep track of your friends 24x7. Sounds kinda like "big brother" ..doesn't it ?? :D



Another cool feature is the compass , and the GPS tracking feature. You can set the app to record your GPS movement ..for e.g your car / bike ride , and it will continuously poll the gps at the interval specified by you , and update your location coordinates to a file. You can later export this file and view it on applications like Google earth to get an outline of your route.these tracks can then be re-used to navigate to the same place again ..or even shared with your buddies. You can even download new tracks and use them.
The application even lets you toggle between 4 different map providers ..which are Google , Msn , Ask and Yahoo. So what are you waiting for ? This is one cool app which in my opinion combines the best features of mgmaps + shozu + googlemaps mobile into one nifty little application.And although there is no Wi-fi support at the moment ...it is still one of the best GPS and geotagging apps I've come across in a long time.Go ahead ..give it a try ..and do let me know what you think of it.

N95 GPS Route Mapping.

Well..for starters ..i didn't think much of the GPS system.Heck..I didn't even think that it'd work in India !! But the most amazing part is that it does work ....and works superbly !! I used it to track a bike ride from kothrud to koregaon park (in pune )...and mind you ...the N95 was in my pocket all the time ..and yet the device performed extremely well and didn't even drop the signal once.The Nokia Sports Tracker which I used to record GPS data throughout my trip is free ware and can be downloaded here.
It works with all Symbian 0S V9 devices , but if you are using a phone without an inbuilt GPS , you will need to use an external bluetooth GPS module to capture GPS data. If you want to see what the Nokia Sports Tracker + the N95 GPS receiver is capable of ...check out some of my GPS Route Maps below : (I would suggest that you set the maps to the satellite mode for the best effect. :D)

PUNE

Paud Road to Koregaon Park

Koregaon Park to Pride Parmar Galaxy

Kalyani Nagar to Pride Parmar Galaxy

Sweet Chariot to Pride Parmar Galaxy

Part of the Pune-Goa Highway

GOA

Sarzora to Chinchinim

Sarzora to Margao

Margao to Furtados at sernabatim

Dabolim Airport to Margao