The Nokia Blog

Nokia N900 Trailing in the 2009 Engadget Awards

Mark Guim — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:55:35 +0000

There’s still plenty of time, but after 4 days of voting, the Nokia N900 is losing badly to the iPhone 3GS in 2 categories of the 2009 Engadget Awards. Do you think the N900 is worthy to grab the titles Smartphone of the Year or Gadget of the Year? Vote now!

Nokia also snagged a nomination for the Booklet 3G in the Netbook of the Year category. I think they should win all the 3 categories, but this fanboy and Nokia blogger may be biased. You can vote until February 20th 11:59PM EDT.

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Conversations on Nokia N900 Adds Support for Facebook Chat, AIM, MSN & More With Extra Protocol Plugins

Mark Guim — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:28:36 +0000

This is big! The latest version of Extra Protocol Plugins for Conversations and Contacts on the Nokia N900 adds support for Facebook chat, AIM, MSN, and more. The integration of instant messaging within the contacts book on the N900 is already excellent, but the addition of more services make the N900 an even more powerful messaging device.

After installation, you can go to Settings – VoIP and IM accounts to add your accounts. All your IM buddies will show up in the Contacts book, but you can view them by groups, too.

You can merge your contacts so that you have all your friends’ info stored in one place. The tight integration of instant messaging, text messaging, emails, and even VoIP is one of the many reasons I love the Nokia N900.

You can download Extra Protocols now from the Extras-testing repository in App Manager, but I have a feeling it will make it to Extras soon.

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Nokia N97 & N97 Mini’s Latest Firmware Hacked

Mark Guim — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 06:53:35 +0000

Just a few days after its release, the latest firmwares on the Nokia N97 and N97 mini (v11, v20, or v21) got hacked by the group, PNHT. Hacking enables users to install unsigned applications without worrying about certificate files.

This is a scene from the Symbian community that I’m not too familiar with. I suggest following these guides with caution because you may brick your devices.

Thanks Ying.

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Nokia’s Ovi Store Updated With New Content Sorting (Excludes Maemo)

Mark Guim — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 07:47:33 +0000

The Nokia Ovi Store team rolled out an update on Thursday to provide faster access to relevant content with new content sorting for the store. This seems to apply to S60 devices only like the Nokia N97 mini because I do not see the changes on the Nokia N900. The update is available through a prompt when opening the Ovi Store.

From the team,

Our focus with this release is simple: to provide you a faster way to sort through the Store content catalog. Starting with this new release, you will notice the sorting options as you navigate through the store. These sorting options, “Top Free”, “Best Sellers”, and “New” will make it faster and easier for you to cycle through the content catalog and see the items that are getting the most buzz or are newest to the Store.

I recently gave the Ovi Store thumbs up for having a good experience, and this surely makes shopping the store even better. In the end however, it’s the content that counts. Let’s hope developers continue to provide us more apps, games, and other stuff for our devices.

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Nokia C5 Leaked – Is Codename Mystic Part of the C series?

Mark Guim — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 21:56:15 +0000

Daily Mobile just published some photos of an unannounced device called the Nokia C5. They expect it to be revealed during Mobile World Congress in less than 2 weeks. It runs Symbian S60v3 FP2 with a 2.2in screen. These photos of the C5 also seem to legitimize the leaked photos of another phone in question codenamed ‘Mystic.’

This seems to be a mid-level phone, so I don’t expect it to be priced so high. Last month, we also discovered a Qwerty device codenamed Mystic. It runs S60v3 and seems to share a similar look with the C5.

Let’s all hope these aren’t the only devices to be announced at MWC.

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Nokia Ovi Maps Downloaded More Than 1 Million Times After Free Navigation Announcement

Mark Guim — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 20:38:52 +0000

Nokia just announced that their new Ovi Maps with free walk and drive navigation have been downloaded 1.4 million times since it was launched on January 21st, 2010. “We’re averaging a download a second, 24 hours a day,” said Anssi Vanjoki, Executive Vice President, Nokia.

The top five countries downloading the new version of Ovi Maps were: China, Italy, UK, Germany and Spain. The top five most popular Nokia devices installing the download were: Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, Nokia N97 mini, Nokia N97, Nokia 5230 and Nokia E72. Ovi Maps covers more than 180 countries with car and pedestrian navigation for 74 countries, in 46 languages, and traffic information for more than 10 countries.

If you haven’t done it yet, the new Ovi Maps with free navigation can be downloaded from nokia.com/maps. Starting March, new smartphones from Nokia will have it pre-installed.

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Thumbs Up to Nokia’s Ovi Store

Mark Guim — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 20:49:03 +0000

I had a really great Ovi Store experience today. I found out about a new app called Maps Booster from the official Ovi Daily App blog and thought of trying it out for $2.99. I made the purchase on the Nokia N97 mini and was surprised I can pay with my phone bill. The app worked great, so I thought it was worth installing on my other phones too. To my surprise yet again, the Ovi Store knew I already paid for it. I was able to re-download the app on the Nokia N97 and the 5800 free of charge.

Nokia announced early January that AT&T customers were able to purchase paid content at the Ovi Store using their phone bill, but only a few devices were initially supported. More devices were promised to be compatible. I wasn’t expecting it to come soon after the announcement, so I was surprised to see the Nokia N97, N97 mini, and the 5800 with carrier billing today. If you have AT&T, check your device if the Ovi Store now supports carrier billing.

The other surprise I encountered was the ability to re-download purchased apps on other devices. When did this happen? This makes it really handy for people like me who switch phones frequently.

Today’s experience with the Ovi Store is definitely an improvement compared to maybe a few months ago. Remember Ben Smith’s horrible shopping story with the Ovi Store and Hannah Montana?

As you can tell, I’m really liking the Ovi Store now. I notice more content being added and the Ovi Daily App blog does a great job highlighting the good ones to try out. Thumbs up, Ovi Store! I’m a happy customer.

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Deal: Nokia N97 Mini $399 at Dell After Coupon – Exp 2/3

Mark Guim — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:02:30 +0000

Use coupon code V4L$QMLFX89LFT to get the Nokia N97 Mini for $399.99 at Dell. Coupon expires 6AM CDT February 3rd, 2010 or after 1000 redemptions, whichever comes first. It’s cheaper than Nokia’s retail sites right now ($479) and even Amazon.

The Nokia N97 mini is designed for style-conscious people who are active with social networks. The device features a tilting 3.2″ touch display, QWERTY keyboard and fully customizable homescreen. Check out the Nokia N97 mini full specifications for more details.

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Nokia N97 and Nokia N97 mini Receives Firmware Updates

Mark Guim — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:43:50 +0000

Just as expected, the Nokia N97 received the firmware update 2.1 on Monday. As an added bonus, the Nokia N97 mini also received an update. I was notified via the SW update app within the two phones, but they didn’t allow me to update over the air. If you have these devices, connect them to your PC and run the updater.

I haven’t found the full changelog for either devices, but version 2.1 update for the Nokia N97 promises a range of enhancements including increased call reliability, smoother touchscreen scrolling along with updates to the browser and music player.

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Mac OS X 10.3 Installed On Nokia N900 Because It’s Possible

Mark Guim — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 02:44:19 +0000

Finnish geek Toni Nikkanen shared on video that it’s possible to put Mac OS X 10.3 on the Nokia N900, although uselessly slow. It took 2 hours to boot up! I don’t know about you, but I’m not patient enough to use an old OS not built for a mobile device. Nevertheless, the project was just for fun to claim the title of making the N900 the first smartphone ever to run a full version of OS X.

One reaction I found amusing came from the Maemo forums. bxbbomber says:

Android, Win NT 4.0, Win 3.11, Win 95, Win 98, Debian, Mer and now OSX! And watch it not be able to run maemo 6. That’ll just piss me of.

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Nokia N97 Software Update 2.1 Releasing Monday February 1st

Mark Guim — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 07:41:42 +0000

The Nokia Software Update team told users at the official Nokia discussions forum that the Nokia N97 software update 2.1 will be released Monday February 1st by 8:00 GMT. The version number will be 21.0.045 or 21.2.045 depending on the region. The 2.1 release is supposed to offer additional improvements to the 2.0 release made last year. They provided a list of what’s new.

The Nokia N97 can check automatically for the update via the SW Update app. However, the Software Update team said it will initially be available through the Nokia Software Update via PC due to “wealth of new content available in this release” and to “allow for sufficient testing.” Updates over-the-air will follow soon after.

The changelog provided wasn’t very specific, but it’s better than nothing. The software contains many fixes and improvements on the earlier releases including:

Improved call reliability
Smooth touch screen scrolling
Browser improvements
Music player improvements
Improved image and video stability

If you have the Nokia N97, I suggest checking Nokia Software Update on your PC after 8:00 GMT on Monday. That’s 3:00 AM Eastern time for me in New York City.

Thanks for the tip, Jonne!

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Deal: Nokia N900 $429 at Dell After Coupon – Exp 1/30

Mark Guim — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:30:24 +0000

Use coupon code MR2NCGS?ZTG63B to get the Nokia N900 for $429.99 at Dell. Coupon expires after 300 redemptions or 6AM EST January 30th, 2010, whichever comes first. It’s cheaper than Nokia’s retail sites right now ($569) and even Amazon.

The Nokia N900 packs a powerful ARM Cortex-A8 processor, up to 1GB of application memory and graphics accelerator. There’s also a 5 megapixel camera, built-in GPS, hardware keyboard, and more. Take a look at my Nokia N900 review for more details and my thoughts on this device.

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How to Install .deb Files on Nokia N900 Using X Terminal

Mark Guim — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:05:58 +0000

I previously shared an easy guide to install .deb files on the Nokia N900 using Red Pill mode, but that functionality has been removed on the latest firmware updates. Another method to install .deb files requires using X Terminal, but it could be overwhelming at first. I think I understand it better now, so here’s a guide to help you install those files on the Nokia N900, too.

Before you continue, use common sense and only install .deb files from trusted sources! Some developers provide these type of files for users to test their applications. In this guide, coder Chris Burris allowed me to use his upcoming FourSquare app dubbed BarrioSquare as an example. Check out the BarrioSquare group page to join the testing.

The Download

Let me first show you how I downloaded the .deb files. I simply clicked on the download link from a webpage and the browser asked where I want to save it to. I chose the default, which says, Location: Nokia N900.

Browser asks to download the .deb file

Browser asks where to save the file

The Installation

1. First, install rootsh to enable root access.

2. Open X Terminal on the Nokia N900, type sudo gainroot and press enter. This will not work if you skipped the first step.

3. I find it easier to go into the same folder where the .deb is located. The cd TheNameOfDirectoryHere command changes your location to that directory. Therefore, if you downloaded the file in the default folder, type cd MyDocs

4. Check if the .deb file is in your current folder by typing ls. This command lists the contents of your current folder. You know you’re in the right folder if you see the .deb file on the list.

5. Now that we’re in the same folder as the .deb file, we can install it using the command dpkg -i TheNameOfFileHere.deb

6. That’s it! That’s how you install .deb files on the Nokia N900. You should also note that some .deb files (like BarrioSquare) will not install without other files preinstalled. These are called dependencies. Read developers’ full instructions to see whether dependencies are needed.

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Deal: Nokia E72 $314 at Dell after Coupon – Exp 1/30

Mark Guim — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 23:02:28 +0000

Use coupon code VBMFS9FV$KCDSG to get the Nokia E72 for $314.99 at Dell. Coupon expires after 400 redemptions or 12PM EST January 30th, 2010, whichever comes first. It’s cheaper than Nokia’s retail sites right now ($359) and even Amazon.

The Nokia E72 is a messaging powerhorse that’s supposed to be the upgrade to the popular E71. It is one of the thinnest QWERTY devices. The 5 megapixel camera with LED flash isn’t bad either. Check the Nokia E72 full specifications for more details.

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Nokia N95 Variant Shown Off in Mobile Radar Research Concept Video

Mark Guim — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 21:52:39 +0000

The official Nokia Conversations blog published a video about a “Mobile Radar” research concept on Wednesday and I spot a somewhat familiar Nokia device. It looks a lot like the Nokia N95, but with a thicker front slider and certainly different designs for the display and camera. Take a look.

Here are screenshots from the video:

The Nokia N95 that was released looked like this:

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TuneWiki SMP Now Available for Nokia N900 With Awesome Internet Radio

Mark Guim — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 01:33:21 +0000

TuneWiki had a widget for the Nokia N900 since launch, but today, they’ve released a full application called TuneWiki Social Media Player (SMP) that you can download for free at the Ovi Store. It works like the widget where you can read lyrics while listening to music, but they’ve added some cool new features. I’m in love with the new internet radio and the option to watch music videos with lyrics!

TuneWiki SMP automatically grabs your music library and you can sort them by artists, albums, or song titles. Playing a song will display the album art next to the lyrics, as well as music controls for shuffle, repeat, play, etc.

Tired of your songs? Another killer feature of TuneWiki SMP is its internet radio. It includes a list of music genres loaded with A LOT of radio stations not included in the default one on the Nokia N900. It will also show the lyrics of the song playing on the radio if it’s available.

There’s a long list of internet radio stations available.

There’s an option to search Youtube for the music video of what’s currently playing. It doesn’t matter if you are playing from your Nokia N900’s music library or from the internet radio. It will display the lyrics next to the music video!

Watch music videos with lyrics

TuneWiki SMP also lets you find out what other Tunewiki users are currently playing. You can select the regions or even your GPS location to find out the type of music people are playing near you. Icons of users show up on a map (powered by Google Maps), and clicking on them gives you the music title. From there, you can search Youtube for its music video, or find other users in the world currently playing the song.

Find out what other people are listening to.

For a free application, TuneWiki SMP offers a lot to its users. It’s a no-brainer must-have app for the Nokia N900. You can download it now from the Ovi Store.

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Screenshots Preview of Joikuspot for Nokia N900

Mark Guim — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 05:14:48 +0000

Joikuspot for the Nokia N900 is going to be a must-have app when it comes out. If you’ve used Joikuspot on previous Nokia devices, then you might already know that it connects your laptop or other devices to the internet via WiFi using your mobile phone’s 3G connection. They’ve just released several screenshots for Maemo fans to preview. Check it out.

More photos are available at Joiku’s Facebook fan page.

Joikuspot is much easier to set up than tethering through bluetooth or a USB cable, but one setback is that it drains the battery faster than the other 2 solutions. However, I’ve used Joikuspot before in other Nokia phones and absolutely love it. I can’t wait for the Maemo version on the Nokia N900 to come out.

Update: Lasse Maki, CTO and Founder of Joikusoft just notified me that the launch schedule is within three weeks, just before Mobile World Congress. They are still doing additional testing & debugging.

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(UPDATED) Eldar Murtazin: Nokia X6 16GB to Come in 3 Colors for 350 EUR

Mark Guim — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 23:39:03 +0000

Could this be the device announcement expected from Nokia on the 26th? Mobile insider Eldar Murtazin just shared on Twitter about a new Nokia X6 16GB in three colors priced at 100 EUR below the original. You may recall that the original X6 came with 32GB onboard memory sold at 450 EUR.

According to Eldar, the three colors for the Nokia X6 will be black/black, white/pink, and white/blue.

The original Nokia X6 has been available in selected markets offering the ‘Nokia Comes With Music’ service. It gives music fans the power to download all the music they could ever want quickly and free from the Nokia Music Store. The 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss lens and the 3.2in capacitive touchscreen are nice additions too. You can read the Nokia X6 full specifications for more details .

We’ll have to wait and see if this rumor becomes fact.

Update: Mr. Murtazin was right yet again! Here’s the official Nokia X6 16B announcement.

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Learn Something New with WikiHow for Nokia N900

Mark Guim — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 05:00:57 +0000

There isn’t a lot of applications for the Nokia N900 at the Ovi Store, so it’s kind of a big deal when new apps show up. The latest one I noticed is called WikiHow. It lets you access over 60,000 how-to articles on several topics. For example, I just learned how to practice proper sushi etiquette. I like what WikiHow is trying to do, but I have a couple of things to complain about their app.

WikiHow displays a random article when opened. I guarantee you the first thing users will notice is that you can’t drag the article to scroll. Instead, there’s a thin scrollbar… Yuck! You can use the arrow keys on the keyboard, which might be more convenient.

The articles themselves are very interesting and I can see myself reading plenty during a roadtrip or a long wait at the doctor’s office. The Survival Kit category might come handy in the future too. Wouldn’t you want to know how to escape from a sinking car or how to survive a long fall?

WikiHow has great content, but their application needs to work on the user interface! I mentioned above that we cannot drag an article, but I find that we can drag lists. Selecting an article from the list isn’t that obvious either. You have to double-tap.

Despite my UI complaints, the content really makes up for it. I also like that I can bookmark content for quicker access next time and also like the option to send links to articles via email.

The WikiHow application is free and available at the Ovi Store. If you don’t have a Nokia N900, you can also go to WikiHow.com to access many of the user-generated content. Check it out and let us know what you think.

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Nokia 5800 Navigation Edition Unboxing Video

Mark Guim — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 20:10:30 +0000

I’ll have more impressions and write a review in the near future, but for now, feast your eyes on the Nokia 5800 Navigation Edition and my unboxing. There are a lot of things inside the box, but I managed to keep this video short and to the point. Take a look.

You can also watch this video in HD on Youtube. Subscribe to the channel to preview our latest videos before they get published on the blog.

The Nokia 5800 Navigation Edition did not include the new Ovi Maps with free worldwide navigation recently announced, so I’ll have to install it myself. The car holder looks sturdy, but I haven’t tried it on the road yet. More to come soon.

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PUSH N900 USA Kicks Off – Submit Mods/Hacks Ideas To Win Up to $10,000

Mark Guim — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:51:29 +0000

Nokia just announced a competition looking for hackers and modders in the US to submit ideas to transform the Nokia N900 into something else. The top three ideas will be chosen from the ideas submitted by a panel of judges, after which the finalist teams will be provided with a Nokia N900 and some support to actually build their mod. Cash prizes range from USD 3,000 to USD 10,000.

Here’s a video of some example hacks to get you started.

Examples from a previous competition held in October resulted in some cool mods, including a skateboard that tracks your tricks and lets you compete against friends with their own Nokia N900s, an N900-equipped kite that lets you control the camera from the ground, a spray can that brings light graffiti to the N900, a Nokia N900-outfitted belt that vibrates to navigate you in the right direction, and a Nokia N900 with arms that will draw what you photograph on an Etch-a-Sketch.

The final date for submissions is Noon ET, February 15, 2010. You can follow the progress of the project at blogs.nokia.com/pushn900/usa/

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Nokia N900 and Dell Vostro 1015 Bundled for $929

Mark Guim — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 05:01:40 +0000

Dell is bundling the Nokia N900 with their 15.6-inch Vostro 1015 laptop for $929. The specs are from their $499 ‘Economy Package’ configuration which gets you 2.1GHz Core 2 Duo T6570, Windows 7 Home Premium, 2GB DDR2 SDRAM, 160GB hard drive, dual-layer DVD burner, 2 MP webcam, integrated WiFi, GMA 4500MHD graphics and a 6-cell battery. This bundle means the Nokia N900 is worth $430.

Flip the laptop on eBay close to its listing price and you might come close to getting a really good deal for the Nokia N900. Unless of course you’re interested in keeping the Vostro. I’m not sure how long the discount will be available, but it started on the 21st.

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Nokia To Unveil New Phones on January 26th

Mark Guim — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 20:10:22 +0000

Mark Loughran, Managing Director, Nokia UK, revealed to Pocket-lint on Thursday that they will unveil a new phone on January 26th. That’s the day right before Apple shows off its latest creation. No other information was shared.

Insider Eldar Murtazin also shared on Twitter that some new devices will indeed be revealed on January 26th, but they won’t be revolutionary. However, he added they will be pretty good. I’m curious. Could it be the rumored C series? Another Maemo device? New Symbian?

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Nokia Gives Away Free Worldwide Walk & Drive Navigation For New Ovi Maps

Mark Guim — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 08:00:30 +0000

Today’s big news from Nokia is that they’re making walk and drive navigation free on their smartphones with the new version of Ovi Maps. These features used to cost extra. The new Ovi Maps is immediately available for download at nokia.com/maps for 10 Nokia handsets, including the popular Nokia N97 mini, Nokia 5800 XpressMusic and Nokia E72, with more Nokia smartphones expected to be added in the coming weeks.

Nokia devices with built-in GPS releasing after March 2010 will include the new version of Ovi Maps, pre-loaded with local country map data, with high-end walk and drive navigation and access to Lonely Planet and Michelin travel guides at no extra cost.

Screenshots

Navigation and 3D maps on Ovi Maps

Lonely Planet and Michelin guide on Ovi Maps

Nokia is aiming to make the best maps with voice guided navigation available worldwide for free. The new Ovi Maps will support turn-by-turn voice guidance for 74 countries in 46 languages, and traffic information for over 10 countries, as well as detailed maps for over 180 countries at no extra cost. I think that’s a big challenge to Android and Google who are offering free Google Maps Navigation, but only officially in the United States on phones that run Android 1.6 and higher.

“Why have a mobile phone and a separate car navigation system that works in only one country or region,” asked Anssi Vanjoki, Executive Vice President of Nokia. “Put the two together, make it free, make it global and you have something that is truly useful and can help you get round almost any city in the world whether you’re on foot or driving.”

I was also surprised to see that some regions now support text-to-speech. This means the supported Nokia devices can tell its users the name of the exit or street. Go ahead. Try it out.

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Skyfire for Symbian S60 Updated to 1.5

Mark Guim — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 18:50:09 +0000

Skyfire just released version 1.5 of their browser for Symbian S60 3rd and 5th editions. You can download it directly from your device by heading over to m.skyfire.com. I’ve briefly tested it on a Nokia N97 mini. I’m satisfied with how accurate it renders webpages, but it’s still not as fast as I want it to be.

Here’s a video from the Skyfire team showing off their updated web browser on the Nokia N97.

Support for flash video is nice. Youtube videos can play within a page. Scrolling and zooming is smooth too. My concern with Skyfire is that I notice delays in showing content whenever I scroll down. Skyfire is free, so I suggest you download and see if you like it.

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Nokia Releases New Ovi Store Video

Mark Guim — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:26:26 +0000

The official Nokia Conversations blog just shared a cool new video about the Ovi Store. Could it be somehow related to tomorrow’s press event? The Facebook, Gravity, and Qik apps get featured in an interesting animation. Take a look.

My main device right now is the Nokia N900. The Ovi store for this device is still in beta and doesn’t have a lot of apps or games available yet. I’m hoping that get’s fixed soon.

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App Review: 2G/3G Mode Selection Applet for Nokia N900

Mark Guim — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:40:37 +0000

2G/3G Mode Selection Applet works exactly as it sounds. Installing this applet adds 3 buttons to the Nokia N900’s status menu that lets the user change between 2G only, 3G only, or Dual (3G priority) connection. This is a really quick way to change modes without going through other settings. I made a video to show you how it looks.

You can also watch this video in HD on Youtube. Subscribe to the channel to preview the latest videos before they get published on the blog.

This is great for those who want to save battery by staying on 2G only connection, or prevent the phone from looking for an unsupported 3G connection. I personally keep the option on 3G only, because I don’t want my device to even bother looking for a 2G connection. This applet is developed by Faheem Pervez, the same person responsible for the awesome applet, Simple Brightness.

2G/3G Mode Selection Applet was available in Extras-Testing at the time of publishing this post, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it makes it to Maemo Extras by the time you read this. Confused? Read the guide to Maemo Extras first.

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Nokia to Announce Big News January 21st

Mark Guim — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 16:30:46 +0000

A few members of the media have received invitations to an Ovi event on Thursday 21st January where some big news will be shared. Executive VP Anssi Vanjoki will take the stage along with Nokia UK GM Mark Lughran. I am looking forward to a device announcement, but I think this will be more about the Nokia Ovi store. We’ll find out soon.

The press event on Thursday seems short, but we have to keep in mind that there’s also another Nokia event during Mobile World Congress on February 15th. Our eyes and ears are wide open.

Update: Looks like Nokia is hosting an event in San Francisco this Thursday as well, according to an invitation sent to Technologizer.

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Video: How to Enable The Hidden Portrait Mode On Nokia N900 Web Browser

Mark Guim — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 07:28:51 +0000

I noticed a bug report about portrait mode on the Nokia N900’s web browser. Wait… there’s portrait view now? It seems this hidden feature can be enabled on the web browser by pressing Ctrl-Shift-o. This works on the latest Nokia N900 firmware 2.2009.51-1 and seems to be an undocumented feature. I made a video to show you how it looks.

You can also watch this video in HD on Youtube. Subscribe to the channel to preview the latest videos before they get published on the blog.

Pressing the three buttons toggle it on and off, maintaining the setting even after rebooting the Nokia N900. The screen automatically rotates when the keyboard is closed and the device is held upright. It goes back to landscape view if keyboard is slid open. The on-screen keyboard also appears in landscape view only.

Despite some of the drawbacks I mentioned above, it’s cool that Nokia left this “hidden feature” to be found by its users. I believe this option was hidden because it is simply not finished yet.

I actually prefer to use browser in landscape view, but some websites appear better in portrait mode. For example, my favorite Nokia N900 Twitter web app, Hahlo.com, looks great in that view.

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Nokia N900 Firmware Updated to 2.2009.51-1 – Changelog Included

Mark Guim — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 06:07:00 +0000

The Nokia N900 received a minor update on Monday to prepare for the major update released just now. The Maemo team is calling the update Maemo 5 PR1.1, but the version number is 2.2009.51-1. Nokia has provided the official changelog and wow it is long!

I was planning on just copying and paste the changelog here, but you’ll be overwhelmed. Read the Maemo 5 PR1.1 changelog.

The update is available through the application manager on the Nokia N900, so go check if it’s available for you. I’ll report back my thoughts after spending some time with the new firmware.