In show 87 in our Insight podcast series, the AAS team discuss the Ovi SDK and Ovi Maps API, plus we talk about Ovi Maps 3.3.54, Nokia Messaging (Social/Instant), Ovi Suite 2.0, N97 software version 2.0, updates for other devices (including the 5800), plus we answer a reader question about the Nokia N97 mini.
After the morning keynotes and interviews at Nokia World 2009, I decided to take a quick look round the 'experience lounge' at Nokia World. Following on from part 1 of the video, the tour of the show floor continues in part 2. You'll see the Nokia X6, Nokia X3, Nokia N97 Mini, Nokia 5230, Bounce Evolution running on the N900 and more software and services. There's also a quick look at some of the show floor features including a Twitter screen and side theatres.
In All About Symbian Insight 86 (AAS Podcast 148), Rafe, Steve and Ewan talk about the devices unveiled at Nokia World. Symbian devices include the Nokia N97 Mini and the capactive sreen enabled Nokia X6. There are also mentions for the X3, N900 and Nokia Booklet, plus some general discussion on Nokia World. You can listen to AAS Insight 86 here or, if you wish to subscribe, here's the RSS feed.
For completeness, following on from the inclusion here of the official Nokia-produced summary of day 1 of their event last week, here (embedded below) is the summary of day 2, edited in similar 'party line' fashion, but interesting nonetheless.
There's a nice long video from SymbianWorld, recorded at Nokia World 09, looking in detail at the upcoming Nokia N97 v20 firmware update (kinetic scrolling in all lists, more memory and much more), the same as the launch firmware in the N97 mini. The video is embedded below in high quality mode, for your convenience.
You may remember that the Nokia N86 and photographer had a well publicised coming together recently, with the aim of shooting interesting characters and stories through the London night, armed only with a Nokia N86 8MP? Well, although the physical exhibition of these photos has now closed, the full set of 169 'Alive at night' photos are now online, with headlines, quotes and stories for each - interesting for these, and not just to see what the N86 can do. [updated: looks like the general public aren't being allowed access yet. Watch this space!]
While horribly biased (of course), Nokia's Conversations team has done a good job in producing a snack size 3 minute video summary of the main things launched or emphasised at Nokia World 09 Day 1, and it's embedded below. Good if you're short of time! For much more detail, see our other stories and, mostly, wait for Rafe to get back to base with his own hands-on material.
Filmed by Mark Guim and embedded below is a Nokia employee demonstrating the kinetic scrolling in all applications in the upcoming v20 firmware update for the Nokia N97. They also talk about memory improvements - as I understand it, C: disk space will be partly improved by optimisations and partly by building into the ROM items which are currently extras. We're all hoping for more free RAM, too.
Nokia has now officially announced the N97 mini at Nokia World 2009, with smaller screen and overall form factor, full-width keyboard (no d-pad) and a focus on social media ('life casting'). Significantly, they're also talking about a whole new memory map and kinetic scrolling across the whole interface, all of which is also to come to the N97 itself in October. More details, images and videos below.
Bah, who need planes, taxis and hotels? You can watch the presentations from Nokia World in the comfort of your own living room or office, thanks to Nokia's events team, with a live page to bookmark and then keep an eye on throughout tomorrow and Thursday. The first keynote kicks off at 8am BST, 9am CET, so you might want to set an alarm if you're in the UK! See also the main AAS Twitter account, which is worth following and which will be feeding you updates straight from Rafe's keyboard....
It's the final part (7) of Ewan Spence's 'real world' test of the Nokia N97 at the Edinburgh Fringe and it's embedded below. He rounds up his experiences, explaining that he had to overcome his initial lack of excitement but that, once in use, the N97 performed really well when out and about at the Festival and did everything required of it. Ewan's fearful that the N97 will get overlooked now that the N900 has been announced and admits that S60 on the device seemed 'mature' and that backwards compatibility has proven something of a limitation, but overall I think he genuinely liked the Nokia N97 - to the point where he'd buy one if he didn't already own the qwerty-equipped E75. Happy watching - and suggestions welcome on what you'd like to see Ewan tackle next!
It's part 6 of Ewan Spence's 'real world' test of the Nokia N97 at the Edinburgh Fringe and it's embedded below. In this part he looks at how he uses the N97 (as a tablet), at the positioning of the d-pad (for gaming), at the device's 'tipping point', and at the N97 as a modem, before laying into Ovi Maps for not including gradient information or cycle routes. He also wishes there was a way to import Point Of Interest information for special events (like the Fringe). Happy watching!
Somewhere there's a bundle of ex-Symbian employees quietly muttering “I told them the way forward was a two-box solution....” What to make of the announcement of the Nokia Booklet 3G (beyond the fact that they're consciously avoiding the term 'netbook', even though every single post, tweet and message about this device is going to call it the Nokia Netbook)? Read on for my thoughts on this new mobile device...
It's part 5 of Ewan Spence's 'real world' test of the Nokia N97 at the Edinburgh Fringe and it's embedded below. In this wide-ranging part, he looks at 5800-to-N97 familiarity, at one-handed use, about how parts of the S60 5th Edition interface are like the Mimbari Grey Council (a Babylon 5 reference!), about the lack of a keylock clock (out of the box), about a Facebook widget that's just sllooooowwww, plus he explains why the N97 should come with the full editing version of Quickoffice, before finishing with some E75 comparisons and the observation that the N97 is like the stunning prom date which goes badly wrong... It's all below, in Ewan's inimitable style.
It's part 4 of Ewan Spence's 'real world' test of the Nokia N97 at the Edinburgh Fringe and it's embedded below. In this (surprisingly gripping, considering the focus on PIM!) part, he looks at reactions to the N97 from the iPhone-loving community at the Fringe, he complains about Ovi Sync, rants about a UI fail in the N97's Contacts and rails again against missing category support in all the PIM application. He's a happy bunny really, honest.
