Hey everyone, here's a little tip if your in one of the two cities today (Sept. 29th)...

Dear Ambassador!

With Microsoft’s Xbox Live service undergoing 24 hours of routine maintenance today Monday September 29, 2008, Nokia has decided to help gamers in the New York City and Chicago areas by providing an alternative to traditional online gaming - N-Gage.

We’ll be providing FREE access codes for Star Wars The Force Unleashed to anyone who comes into the Nokia Flagship stores in Chicago and New York and mentions the game to the staff. What could be better than battling evil in a galaxy far, far away than to be doing it for free?

Wait – you don’t have a device? Well, we can help you solve that problem too. Nokia is offering a 15% discount today only on all available N-Gage compatible devices for anyone who walks into the Flagship Stores and receives an access code to Star Wars The Force Unleashed for N-Gage. These devices include the Nokia N81, Nokia N81 8GB, Nokia N82, Nokia N95* and Nokia N95 8GB.

Engage our staff in a virtual light saber battle by challenging their scores online on the N-Gage Arena.

So, your Xbox Live is down but you can’t make it to one of the Flagship stores? Let us know what you plan on doing today at the N-Gage Blog by posting a comment here.

Hope to see you on the Arena, saving the universe from the Sith!!

Cheers,
Raj

Link

You got that email if your a S60 Ambassador. This special goes for everyone.

Continue Reading...

Last week I wrote a review about Nokia's new Email Service that will eventually be a direct rival against other device email solutions like Blackberry Connect. Yesterday over at The N82 Blog I was curious as to why Nokia hasn't put out a version for the Nokia N82. They have versions for phones older than the N73...but no N82?

To my surprise, the first comment that was left on the article was from someone at Nokia that works on the Email Service team. He said,

The next beta release includes support for the N82 and many more Nokia phones (in addition to those currently supported), as well as some exciting new features. As a user of Nokia Email service, you'll get an email the moment it's released. Thanks,

-Davis Fields
Nokia Email service

The part in bold is extremely exciting news. Some of the features that I hope they bring next are html email, remote folders (Gmail Labels), Sent Folder, and better battery consumption.

What's Coming Down The Pipeline, Straight From Nokia Beta Labs

Last month Davis posted over at Nokia Beta Labs an update of the email service and what features they are working on implementing in future versions. Check it out...

Multiple Mailboxes: This beta version supports only one mailbox but future beta releases will include support for multiple mailboxes.

IMAP Folders: This beta version of Nokia Email service does not support IMAP folders but we are working on this feature for future releases.

HTML Mail: The beta version of Nokia Email service does not render HTML mail but we are working on this feature for future releases.

Mailbox Management Issues:

Sent Folder: It is a known issue that messages do not appear in the Sent folder on Nokia Email. They are being sent and will appear in your Email provider’s sent folder, and we are working to fix this bug in future releases.

Message Read / Email Deletions: This beta version of Nokia Email service does not support message read status updates or POP mail deletions on your server but we are working on this feature for future releases.

International Character Support: This beta version of Nokia Email service is only localized into English and does not support international characters. Future version of Nokia Email service will be localized and support these characters.

Awesome! I can live with that. Great to see that Nokia is actually listening to the feedback from all the users trying out this service. Hopefully the next version of Nokia Email comes sooner rather than later.

Have you been enjoying this new service, or are the negatives just too much for you to rely on?

Continue Reading...

The busy bees over at Nokia Beta Labs have released an updated version of yet another PC program to assist your Nokia smartphone. We already have PC Suite, Nseries PC Suite, Ovi Suite, and this one Nokia Photos.

Nokia photos is a great tool to keep track of everything you snap from your device or any other device, but like all the other PC programs that Nokia releases its memory hungry and will easily bog down an older computer. If you have a fast computer than you don't have much to worry about.

What is Nokia Photos Exactly?

Nokia Photos 1.5 can now import pictures and videos from any S60 device, digital camera, memory stick as well as from your hard disk. If you have an Nseries phone, you can do even more with Nokia Photos: for example, you can load your device with tons of content from your PC. Nokia Photos converts videos to the right format so that they play in your device. It can also shrink pictures to the screen resolution so that they do not take up too much space on your phone. This way you can carry thousands of pictures with you all the time. Newer devices like N78 and N96 understand tags, albums and other organization in Nokia Photos and display them in the Photos application on the phone.

I think that feature is great I wonder what video formats it supports.

What About Maps and Geotagged Photos?

You can visualize your geotagged pictures on the new map view. You can also manually position any picture or video on the map to geotag it. We use technology from Nokia Maps so you can do the same things that are familiar to you in your phone like searching for cities, addresses and places of interest as well as saving your favorite places.

Awesome, it's about time Nokia gives us a reason to geotag photos besides Google Maps, Flickr, and Sportstracker.

And Of Course, It Works With Ovi

Apart from the evident Ovi look and feel, you will find that it is much easier to setup Nokia Photos to share your media on Ovi. And, of course, Ovi can understand your geotagged pictures and videos and show them on a map if you choose so.

Want to learn more? Check out Nokia Beta Labs to download the program and make sure you leave the fellas over there your feedback.

Continue Reading...

If you haven't already heard, I'm so happy to tell all of you that today is my first day at a new job. There was a position posted at the S60 Ambassadors site a few months back, I decided to go for it and this is where I'm at today. I'm now an external contractor for Nokia and work on the S60 Marketing Team.. I will be the one of the main points of contact for everyone who signs up for the S60 Ambassadors Program.

What Is S60 Ambassadors?

If you haven't already signed up, S60 Ambassadors is a program that anyone can join. Basically you go out and show friends, family, co-workers, etc. your awesome device and the cool things it can do, then report back to the S60 Ambassador site that persons feedback and your experience. Depending on the rules of the campaign you entered, there are certain rewards for being a S60 Ambassador and contributing your reports. Click here to learn more about Ambassadors.

This is where my job comes in. I, along with a few others on my team, will be reading and moderating those reports and interacting with the Ambassadors. I can't explain to you how excited I am to start my job. There are some great campaigns coming up for S60 Ambassadors so go get signed up and become an Ambassador.

What Does Mike's New Job Mean For This Blog?

A few things. I will still have time to write articles and keep you all up to date with the ongoings of the Nokia community and the latest and greatest Symbian S60 applications & themes. My opinions and critiques that I write here are my own and won't be influenced by my new position. I won't be getting trial devices from Nokia while I'm employed by Nokia, however I have another announcement that I will make soon...

A new writer named Aaron will be introduced to Symbian-Addict readers soon. He will be handling the phone reviews, and maybe even some accessories. Hopefully he can get his hands on the Nokia N96 sometime in the near future to give you all a first hand look at the device. You might see a few reviews of phones from Aaron that have already been reviewed by me. This is great, I think, to get a second opinion on devices here at the blog. Stay tuned for more on Aaron.

I have a few articles in my head that I really have been wanting to crank out on the keyboard so look out for those soon. One are my thoughts on the new devices that Nokia announced, specifically the Nokia N85 which I'm extremely impressed with.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Continue Reading...

The fellas at Google Maps just announced they are bringing the popular street view to mobile phones. This allows you to zoom in and the actual street and buildings that you are looking for. It comes in handy especially when you've never seen the business and don't know what side of the street it's on.

Right now this feature is only available for Blackberry phones and Java enabled phones. According to Google,

"The newest Google Maps for mobile is available now for BlackBerry and many Java-enabled phones. To download it to your phone, visit google.com/gmm from your phone's web browser or on the desktop. We're working on bringing all these new features to other platforms as well, so stay tuned."

I can't wait to see this on my N82 and E71.

Check out the video demo of the new street view feature in action on a Blackberry...



Sorry Nokia, but Google Maps is blowing you out of the water. Of course this app is useless for those that don't have a data plan with their carrier, so you'd have to stick with Nokia Maps.

More from Google:

Today we're launching a new version of Google Maps for mobile with the same street-level imagery available on desktop. Wondering if the restaurant in your search results is the one you're thinking of? Just click "Street View" after your search to see the storefront. Unsure about a complicated intersection in your directions? Use Street View to see a photo, so there's no mistaking your turn. You can also launch Street View from any address where we have photography, or simply by clicking on the map and selecting "Street View". You can browse Street View overlaid on the map or in full screen, rotate your view to see more of your surroundings, and move along the street.

I'll keep you guys updated to let you know when this becomes available for S60 devices.

Continue Reading...

One of the downfalls of all Nokia S60 handsets has surprisingly been the lack of a real good email application. Sure there are a few solutions such as Emoze, Seven, Profimail, and of course the built-in email application - but none of them have been extremely reliable for me. I need an application that I don't have to wait for. One that gets my mail immediately with no BS (bullshit). This is where the new Nokia Email beta application comes in. I'm currently using it on my Nokia E71 & N82 and loving it. There are a few downfalls (that I will talk about), but so far the positives outweigh the negatives.

Right now Nokia Email is in testing mode but anyone can try it out. At first the application wasn't very stable but the latest version so far has been great. My email comes through instantly and I don't have to wait for the full email to download. If there is anything I hate the most it's waiting for emails to download. Eventually Nokia hopes that this service will be a better solution than Blackberry Connect. I've seen a few comments around the web from long time BB Connect fans saying this new Nokia service is heading in the right direction.

Pros:
• Email Arrives Instantly, in some cases faster than Blackberry Connect.
• Full messages are downloaded so you don't have to wait when you go to check them.
• Slick user interface that is very face and intuitive.
• Ability to make local folders to move emails on your phone's inbox. Gmail will simply archive these messages that you move.
• Easy to turn on/off email retrieval & sync your email.
• Search emails.
• Copy/Pase emails, links, phone numbers to clipboard.
• Select any text in an email to copy/paste to clipboard.
• Flag Messages

• Number pad shortcuts (something I've been dying for) - From the inbox, you can make use of the follow shortcuts...

• 1. Reply to sender.

• 2. Move to the first message.

• 3. Move up one screen.

• 4. Display the flag selection list.

• 5. Mark as read/unread.

• 7. Reply to all.

• 8. Move to last message.

• 9. Move down one screen.

• 0. Open a new message.

• *. Jump to the sort heading on the top bar.

• #. Mark/Unmark a message.

Cons:
• Can't view html emails, only basic text.
• Don't get "read new email" shortcut on Nseries phones.
• Can't sync folders/labels.
• Can't have multiple email accounts.
• Application doesn't follow your phone's theme.
• I don't like the handling of attachments, although it does work.
• Can't adjust text size.
• Can't star emails for Gmail.

Check out a few screenshots I took from my Nokia N82.





Good news is Nokia has informed us that some of the negatives I mentioned will be added/fixed in future versions of the Nokia Email application. Html email, sync folders/labels, multiple email accounts, and text size are all on the list of features to be added.

What email accounts are supported? I know for sure that Gmail is supported. According to Nokia's FAQ page you need an email account that supports the POP or IMAP protocol. I guess you can give your email provider a shot with this service and see if it works.

I also want to give some brief reasons why other solutions haven't really done what I need as far as an true email experience goes. Keep in mind I'm using Gmail as my email provider.

Built-in S60 Email Application: If you are willing to wait for your mail to arrive then this solution is just for you. Using the IMAP protocol you can keep your real Gmail inbox and your S60's inbox in perfect sync. However, I don't like some aspects of this application.

You have to manually download your messages. Only headers are retrieved. Over an Edge connection this can be painfully slow. Copy/Paste Is not easy. After you write a message and push send, you can't do anything until the message is completely send. More wasted time. It's a pain to turn on/off automatic retrieval. Sometimes the connection is dropped without telling you and no mail comes through.

Seven beta Email Application: The mail comes through instantly, and the full email is automatically downloaded so you don't have to wait for it to load when you go to check it. I highly recommend this solution for Eseries handsets, but for some reason it really slows down ALL aspects of the Nseries phones.

Emoze Email Application: I can't get the Gmail inbox and Emoze inbox to sync. The mail comes through fast but I need my read emails on my phone to show as read when I go to my computer. Seems as though POP is being used for Gmail instead of IMAP.


I am so happy that there is finally an email application that I really enjoy. Great thing is it's still in beta and we can leave our feedback at the popular Nokia Beta Labs. Click here to read more about it or go straight to email.nokia.com to get started signing up and downloading this application.

P.S. I'd also like to mention that this application is NOT currently supported for the Nokia N82, but I'm using the N95 version and it works just fine.

Let me know if you've tried this out what you think about it.

Continue Reading...