We’re just all about the Nokia lately, aren’t we? Nokia fans in Asia will be able to use their N-series phones as GPS systems, with Points of Interest and turn-by-turn navigation as part of the free (for 60 days upon activation) Agis Asia Maps application. But wait, there’s more! Nokia has partnered with Six Apart to integrate Vox, a personal blogging service, to enable N-series users to moblog more easily.

Image source: CNET.

Rumour has it the upcoming Nokia E65 will be a slider phone with a dedicated button to make VOIP calls. Other specs, as translated by SlashRumour, are as follows:

* GSM Quadband / WCDMA 2100 MHz
* Size: 106 x 47 x 14 mm
* Display: 352 x 416 pixel 16 million color
* Memory: 70 MB (52MB for user) internal
* microSD card slot
* IrDA, Bluetooth, 802.11b/g, GRPS, EDGE, UTMS, CSD HSCSD, POP Port(USB 2.0)
* Operating System: Symbian series 60
* Battery: BL-5F
* 2 megapixel camera with autofocus

With that slim form factor, I can see Nokia with another hit on their hands (assuming they’ve done away with that plasticky E61 feeling).

Nokia has confirmed the release of the N800 at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (news via TechDigest). It’s an Internet tablet that uses Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to access the Internet, and also features a media player (of course), QWERTY keyboard, RSS reader, and Internet calling with integrated webcam. The browser of choice is Opera 8 (Opera is really doing well with mobile web browsing), and supports Flash 7.

Nokia have announced a new short-range wireless technology they are calling “Wibree”. The connection is smaller and more energy-efficient than Bluetooth by up to 10 times. Apparently it has taken the company 5 years to develop, and it still has to go through a standardisation process but it’s set to be interoperable with Bluetooth. It offers the same distance as its rival - up to 10 metres and because of its low energy consumption, wibree could potentially be used in low-power watches, wireless mice and keyboards, and health monitors. That’s all there is for now but I’ll let you know if I hear more.

Nokia have teamed up with Google to produce an updated version of the 770 internet tablet. Using the Google Talk VoIP system, the device won’t have traditional mobile phone capabilities but be a PDA or handheld computer with Wi-Fi for fast internet access and voice data transfer. Not only will it have these pretty new functions, but the Nokia 770 will also feature a high spec video and music player making it a good multimedia choice.

continue reading "Google and Nokia team up for Talk"

Just as a wee addition to yesterday’s post - Nokia have signed the world’s first commercial DVB-H mobile TV platform supply contract. Following on from the trials in January, the system will support the broadcasting of different types of digital content such as live TV, radio, and video clips over DVB-H networks to mobile devices. While only in Finland now, with partnership of Digita network, the system will hopefully spread onwards and upwards soon, but for now that’s all I know.

To read the full press release click here.

They’ve done mobile TV, they’ve done GPS and they’ve even made a phone for self-defence, but now Nokia have launched a PDA range. The first is the E61, a smartphone with a Blackberry-like keyboard and high end iPAQ-like capabilities including a large, high resolution screen, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi support.

continue reading "Nokia do PDAs"

The smartphone market has increased yet another 66% in the first quarter of this year. Over 16.7m ’smart’ mobile devices were shipped over the last four months, 55% more than the same time in 2005, and while that includes “handhelds, wireless handhelds and smartphones“, Nokia hold a comfortable lead in the ’smart mobile device’ sector, showing that smartphones are still the devices of choice for consumers.

continue reading "“Smart Device” market increases this year"

This week in Vegas the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association (CTIA) trade show is showcasing the latest in mobile phones and software. So far Samsung have announced a phone which is set to compete with the best selling Motorola Razr line, the Samsung y509, and Nokia have displayed their newest range of affordable handsets. The talk of the strip, however, has been Wayfinder Systems. This company led the way in mobile phone based GPS systems, and have now unveiled Navigator 6 claiming that it will take navigation software “to a new level of ease, coverage and convenience”.

The application (according to the Free Lance Star) features new zoom qualities, a currency converter and a weather service on top of its world-mapping capability and massive global Points of Interest database.

For more information on Wayfinder products click here.

The Science Museum in London is currently holding a free exhibition which showcases the latest technology for the mobile phone industry…biodegradable phone components (I kid you not). The exhibition is sponsored by waste management company SITA through the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme, with additional funding from Defra.

Ranging from a biodegradable battery from Nokia designed to reduce the need for toxic flame retardants and make it easier to recycle batteries. Other biodegradable products include a phone cover, and a lasagne-based circuit board (you can’t make this stuff up…). Check out the photo:

continue reading "Gadgets to make you green"