Symbian in Motion

In an announcement today by Tommi from Nokia Beta Labs, Share Online 3.0 has graduated from Beta school to a full fledged application. I want to congratulate the Nokia Beta Labs guys on creating this application. Personally it’s one of my daily applications I use regularly to upload and view my pictures on Flickr.

Share Online 3.0 allows users to keep up to date with their Flickr and Vox accounts on the go. Sharing your pictures on Flickr and having the ability to blog directly to Vox are great features which has kept this application going and eventually allowed it to be a success. With the latest release it also now supports Ovi, Nokia’s new sharing service which let’s you upload and share pictures, videos and music using your handset. The new version also integrates a new addition to your active desktop screen displaying any new activity on your Flickr, Vox and Ovi accounts respectively (see screenshot below).

Do note that Ovi is only supported in the following countries:

Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Laos, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Slovenia, South-Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Ukraine, U.S.A., Venezuela, Vietnam.

You can download the new application and find more information on the Nokia Sharing and Blogging site.

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Sounding very close to “you make”, Yamake allows you to create your own games for N-Gage! Now obviously it won’t be as advanced or detailed as the games found on N-Gage, but it is very simple and will allow you to create your own mini games to share with your friends.

Yamake allows the user to create custom puzzle and quiz games using their own personal content from their device. The user can use pictures, texts, sound clips and movies to create a custom game which then they can share with their friends on N-Gage via the N-Gage Arena.

“Yamake is a groundbreaking new game for the N-Gage platform. Players can make, play and share games that are customized using user-generated multimedia content, and we are proud to be pioneering this new way of playing,” said Dr Mark Ollila, Director of Technology and Strategy and Head of Games Publishing, Nokia. “This is exactly what the future of mobile gaming should be about - creating games that you love and want to play, then sharing them with other players.”

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Although there have been rumours of it’s existence, even a video of it on Youtube, there hasn’t been any official word on the availability or release of Worms for the N-Gage platform, until now. In a joint statement between Nokia and THQ Wireless they have finally announced that it will be available for the new N-Gage platform.

Adam Comiskey - International VP THQ Wireless commented, “Worms has always been a great success on mobile devices and the N-Gage technology has allowed us to produce the most advanced, faithful and visually impressive mobile edition of Worms to date.”

This new version will include some improvements and new features:

• Vibrant graphics allowing the player to visualize enemy terrain
• A slick new look including the much-loved, hilarious Worm animations
• Worms voice taunts which really bring the game to life
• Six level themes inspired by the best of the Worms series
• All the classic weapons, including the Super Sheep
• Four player multiplayer in the Arena
• Online matchmaking

It is expected to be released in the 1st half of 2008. I for one will be looking forward to it.

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Today was a pretty important day in the world of S60 and I would be remiss if I didn’t discuss it here on SiMo. Day one of Mobile World Congress has been a HUGE day for Nokia in my eyes. Forget about the services that Nokia announced and forget the specifics with regards to the handsets they previewed today. It was a huge step forward for Nokia simply because they announced two handsets - the 6210 Navigator and the N78 - that would each be released with varying 3G / HSDPA compatibility at the same time. This is the first time that Nokia has ever done this with a high-end HSDPA-compatible S60 handset, let alone two.

In my rant of sorts last month, I plainly stated that I would not be picking up the NAM version of the N95 8GB and I explained why. This is not the first time I’ve expressed my feelings on this matter here or elsewhere, and it may not be the last. My view is that Nokia can release devices in any manner that fits its business model, even if that means releasing a Euro-spec version and then a NAM version at a later time. The problem I’ve had with their strategy of late is that Nokia brings Euro-spec handsets to the US and hocks them knowing perfectly well of course, that a NAM version will follow shortly. This tactic hasn’t been eliminated completely; you’ll notice that only one version of the N96 was announced. As Nokia’s new flagship device, you can be certain that a US HSDPA version will surface this year. I’m certain however, that the Euro-spec version will make its way to my side of the pond long before that official announcement.

But looking at the bright side, two upcoming Nokia handsets will break the disappointing trend that we’ve been seeing from our favorite handset manufacturer in recent history. Oddly perhaps, both handsets replace current models that haven’t had great success in the US compared to other devices (like the N95). The first is the 6210 Navigator which of course replaces the 6110 Navigator.

Nokia will actually be releasing three region-specific versions of this device; HSDPA 900/2100MHz, 850/2100MHz and 850/1900MHz. I won’t get into all of the specs here because you’ve already seen about 50 posts that list them for you. My highlights: The 3.2 megapixel camera and full Nokia Maps navigation access at no additional charge. Why the 3.2 megapixel cam? I like that 3.2 seems to be the new bottom-end for S60 devices, replacing 2.0. Why Nokia Maps? I happen to really like the nav within Nokia Maps but for God’s sake, asking users to pay a monthly fee for navigation in this day and age is preposterous. GPS navigation is now a one-time fee service and it has been for quite some time. If I was in the market for a lower-end S60, this puppy would jump to the top of my list just so that I could ditch Garmin XT and Wayfinder. My lowlights: The 2.5mm audio jack and a 950 mAh battery. The 6210 Navigator will be available in Q3 2008 for $440 / €300.

The second handset is an Nseries through and through. In terms of styling, you’re either going to love it or hate it (especially the funky buttons) but the specs are solid. The N78 has some big shoes to fill; its predecessor, the N73, was and is well-loved by some very loyal owners. So much so in fact, that many still carry the device despite its lack of WiFi and anemic internal memory. I personally think that the N78 will see a good amount of success in certain regions and the US could very well be one of them. My highlights: The 1200 mAh battery and the integrated FM transmitter. Why the battery? 1200 mAh should be the bear minimum for a battery in an S60 handset. Why the FM transmitter? Although I would rarely use it due to audio quality issues, it does make it easy for users to broadcast audio to a wide range of devices quickly and easily. My lowlights: 70 MB of internal memory and the buttons. The N78 will start shipping in Q2 2008 and is priced at $510 / €350.

So once again Nokia, kudos and thanks. There is plenty of business to be had in the US and treating customers right is a good step towards upping your market share. Of course Americans as a general rule are quite superficial, so the next step is to spice up that UI a bit! But that’s a whole different fish that needs to be fried…

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Note: This post is mirrored from my BGR post. Why? Because I really like this concept from a business standpoint and thought that you guys might want to check it out!

Added value, brand awareness, and customer loyalty are just a few of the concepts behind the latest business product offering from mobile developer Psiloc. SoftVariant is a brand new solution for Symbian devices that will automatically customize a S60 3rd Edition handset simply by inserting a memory card. Psiloc’s software will install applications, install and activate themes, create contact entries and contact groups, automatically add Wi-Fi hotspots and much more. Carriers, marketing firms and handset retailers are some of groups that will take particular interest in this solution. As a distributor, imagine being able to pack a cheap memory card with each handset you ship. When your customer inserts the card in their new device for the first time, SoftVariant will automatically install a few custom themes, add a few complimentary apps and automatically bookmark your company website and blog. The customer will appreciate the themes and apps, you will appreciate the word of mouth marketing and repeat business and the world will be a better place. Of course this is only one of a thousand potential uses for SoftVariant. It’s worth mentioning that in the wrong hands, this technology has the potential to be quite a nuisance. We can only hope that companies understand the concept of “less is more” and don’t do anything overly annoying that would have an adverse affect on recipients.

Learn more about their solution on Psiloc’s dedicated SoftVariant site.

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