With the Nokia N97 coming out only a few weeks ago Nokia has already rushed out a software update to address many of the problems that the first users were having.
Many users had problems with the phone crashing with the Widgets and also slow or sluggish UI transitions which seriously hindered the performance of the phone. It left us wondering if the Nokia N97 was rushed out without sufficient testing. However this update should fix a lot of the problems that were out there.
The Software Version 11.X.021 is now available through the regular Nokia Software Updater.
Here is a list of some of the other problems that have been fixed in the update:
New applications added
Ovi store client now embedded in the core system image
USB detection error fix
PC does not detect N97 or USB charging connection not detected.
Widgets
Home screen online/offline widget crash fix
Fix for “Alphabetical and Number input are mixed in facebook until end key is pressed.
Widget UI improvement - New facebook widget fixes a problem of Home Screen background visible on soft-key area.
Browser fixes to improve widgets stability.
MfE related fixes
Partial fix for Messaging/calendar entry lost.
Mail for exchange calendar entry synchronization error fix.
UI transition error fixes
UI transition (Slowness and bad effects)
Slow Touch UI response
Picture of the device lock appears half of the screen when transitioning the UI sometimes
Landscape: in some cases the soft buttons on touch (right hand) show the Home Screen in background (install maps.google.com)
Photos thumbnail performance and stability improvements
Device performance deteriorates when lots of content in the device - especially photos
Partial fix no display backlight illumination when unlocking lock-key - CAP Genius reported already
New version of AccuWeather to improve the “Connection error” situation
Device reset when browsing with high speed packet access (for Malaysia )
“Browser soft key UI doesn’t work after putting Chinese character with qwerty keyboard”
We know it’s Apple iPhone 3G S Day and all, but we’re trying to bring some balance here and give you some more diverse news from around the world.
Nokia is making some moves right now to develop an over the air charging system. The project that the Nokia Research Centre is working on would be a method of charging your phone without using any type of wall charger.
Wall chargers are a huge cause of waste and often the are very inefficient in their use of energy. Many companies are taking steps to combat these problems and in Europe many manufacturers have agree to creating standardized chargers so as to avoid a new charger with every new cellphone (maybe they could try making a phone which is relevant for more than 6 months at a time). Nokia however is taking it one step further by developing technology to completely eliminate the charger.
The technology would harvest ambient radio waves that are floating around us 24 hours a day. Radio waves from antennas, Wi-Fi connections and other types of transmitters can be harvested to store power into your phone. The technology isn’t anything new as many radio frequency identification (RFID) is used by many different industries for multiple uses.
Nokia’s current prototypes currently have the ability to harvest 5 milliwatts which doesn’t meant the estimated requirement of 20 milliwatts to keep a device running in stand-by mode. The goal is to be able to harvest 50 milliwatts for one device which apparently should be able to sustain a full charge to allow the phone to operate. What type of operations it will be capable of is yet to be known and Nokia is estimating that the project won’t resolve for another 3-5 years.
We’re all for it though. We love the idea of ditching wall chargers and getting truly wireless. What do you think? Do you care about these kind of initiatives? Or is it not broken, so we shouldn’t fix it?
It looks like the Nokia N97 has a bit of a self perception problem. No one’s been calling it a comeback, since you’ve never really been here. Despite that, the newly launched N97 has put out a pretty rocking commercial with LL Cool J’s classic blasting in the background.
The slick commercial doesn’t tell you much about the phone, but that doesn’t mean they are trying to gloss over anything. Here is just a tiny sample of the features that you will have access to on the N97:
Highly responsive and customizable homescreens
Innovative and intuitive photo and media management
QWERTY Keyboard with tiltable screen
Amazing internet and social networking features
Wi-Fi and UPnP technology
5 Megapixel camera with video
And really there is so much more, but we don’t have time for that now. Just check out this glitzy commercial from Nokia’s new flagship model.
The recent launch of Nokia’s online Ovi Store has just pushed Nokia further into the software battle. The site launched recently to mobile users all over the world. Unfortunately North American access is not currently available, but AT&T is currently developing a version of the store to integrate with their service.
If you visit the store (http://store.ovi.com) on your browser or mobile you’ll see a multitude of media and applications available to download specifically for Nokia mobiles. So far the Audio & Video section is quite sparse but the applications look like there is some promise. If you register with the site you can select your mobile and filter applications available for your own phone.
This is a continuation of the trend of software on mobile devices. As the Apple iPhone has proved to us people are less concerned about with hardware and more concerned with software. The Apple iPhone can be totally out classed in the hardware category, even Nokia’s N86 8MP camera is just one example, people flock to devices like the iPhone because they can personalize it and have it doing what they want it to do.
Nokia is making the right move by following the trend and keeping themselves viable by not ignoring the mass cries for more customizability and more software. We can’t wait until it makes it over the pond.
Nokia has just updated their Ovi Maps service with some fantastic new features. The features include a Ovi Maps Player API, a multitude of high resolution maps which are viewable in 2D and 3D, as well as the ability to embed map videos into any website.
These new features are turning Ovi into an incredibly powerful and fun to use navigation device. The 3D maps feature landmarks and streets in an easy to use interface. The ability to create and embed videos lets you share your directions and your journeys with all of your friends.
Ovi also gives you real time weather and traffic updates and lets you mark points of interest and share them with your friends. The possibilities are endless!
Ovi Maps is still in its beta version and is available to try out here!
Did you put your old Nokia junker up on Ebay recently and then get a bid at around €25,000? If you did it is most likely that the phone you were trying to get rid of your Nokia 1100.
This elderly Nokia model has been greatly sought after recently for nefarious reasons. Allegedly Romanian and Russian cybergangs are going to great lengths to obtain these phones because a reported weakness in the software which makes the phone vulnerable to hack. The hack allows the user to duplicate another number and receive all information coming into the genuine phone without anyone being the wiser.
The Dutch firm Ultrascan Advanced Global Investigations has made claims that with this technology it is possible to set up the phone to aid in making fraudulent bank transfers. As some banks in Europe now use SMS messages to assist with transfers of funds and also secret codes the phone could be very valuable in setting up bogus transactions.
Nokia has claimed that there is no weakness in the design of the phone that would allow these things to happen and testing is still inconclusive. According to the rumor mill the only version of this device that is being sought however is the line which was manufactured in Bochum, Germany.
Whatever anyone is saying and how useful the phone may be is still yet to be determined as there hasn’t been much confirmed info. However it still begs the questions of why can someone pull in a few grand for a low level Nokia when no one will touch my MuchMusic branded Motorola phone?
Tough times are hitting everyone now a days and nobody knows it better than Nokia at the moment.
The Finnish manufacturer just released the first quarter earnings report and it looked quite bleak by some standards. They reported that their Q1 profits were down a staggering 90%. Along with this sales were down 27% While this sounds quite bad, and for Nokia’s growth it definitely is, it doesn’t spell the end for this mobile giant by any means.
While profits and sales were down Nokia’s stock price still rose 8% in recent times and they still hold a dominant 37% share for the mobile market. In addition to that their smash hit the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic has been selling steadily and continues to be a popular phone. Also, with the new E75 and the upcoming internet juggernaut the N97 we expect Nokia to continue to do just fine.
So they’re still strong and seem to be adapting to the economic slowdown. We hope that they’ll remain strong for a while.
Do you think Nokia can still maintain their position in the mobile market with this current global economic climate? Are you reconsidering your portfolio?
Here’s a cool new beta app from the developers at Nokia Beta Labs. It’s a great new photo browser that was previously only available for the Nokia XpressMusic 5800, but now can be used on most Nokia N-Series touch capable devices. There are versions for phones with and without accelerometers.
The browsing system is quite beautiful and lets you scroll through photos in a 3D landscape. Selecting, viewing and zooming in on photos is especially easy. There’s a nice magnifying feature and also face detection which lets you scroll through faces in a crowded shot.
The program is currently in the beta testing stage and if you’re interested in giving it a shot you can check it out on the Nokia Beta Labs site here.
Check the video for a little show off of what the app is capable of:
Nokia’sFriend View service has just gotten an update. The new update to the app now lets it run in background mode either has Normal or Active. This means every time the app updates it will notify you of friends who may be close to you and whatever their status is.
The Nokia Friend View service is meant to allow you to publish your status to all of your friends and give people your location and what you’re doing. It’s taking microblogging to the next step. So you can put up on your mobile that you’re at a coffee shop and let your friends know that they should come by.
It’s a clear indication of Nokia’s innovative efforts to connect people in new and exciting ways. This app and others like it are going to be featuring heavily in the upcoming Nokia N97 mobile, due out later this year.
For more information about the beta version of the app click here.
Nokia is taking steps to replace your hippest friend who knows all of the latest trends with your smartphone. What the hell am I talking about? Nokia Point & Find service.
This amazing service is meant to further blur the line between interacting in real space and interacting in cyber space. How does it work? Point your camera at something, take a picture and then let your phone tell you stuff about it. At the moment the beta service is only functioning with movie posters but is hoped to be extended to a variety of other medias.
So now you can see a movie poster, ask your camera if it’s cool or not and then it will tell you! Weird, but interesting. It will also link you to trailers, reviews and even directions to the closest theater.
The service is currently in beta testing and Nokia is inviting companies to put their own spins on the product. It will definitely be interesting to see where it goes as it continues to develop.
For more information on beta testing you can click here.
Check out this demo video of the app in action on a Nokia N95:
