03 August 2012

My Nokia Blog

My Nokia Blog

Jolla Mobile answers our questions!

Posted: 02 Aug 2012 06:18 PM PDT

So last month I got Ali to post about getting an interview with Jolla Mobile, and asked you, the readers, if there were things you wanted to know. Well now we have the answers, and reading through them, I am bloody excited about what may come out of the ex-Nokia staff start-up. Their answers remind me a lot of the standard Nokia replies. I guess that is good in a way, as they give you enough to keep you intrigued, but never really tell you anything. Let’s dissect some of the responses:

Will you licence anything from Nokia’s MeeGo projects? eg. Location services, low power screen, etc.
- Unfortunately we cannot comment on our license deals individually.

Does this mean they may be licensing certain things from Nokia? Or will there be other companies that they licence from.


How open will you be about accepting community input? ie. Community concepts, “ideas project” etc.
- We are working closely with the community all the time, and we look forward to community plans and ideas. We are incorporating community contributions and we are contributing back to the community ourselves.

Although it doesn’t tell us a lot, at least it means Jolla will be paying attention to actual users, and not merely doing what they think the user wants, which is what I believe has been a large downfall for Nokia.


I know there is a limit to what you can reveal about the device, but will there be multiple form-factors?
- We are now working on our first smartphone and it will be revealed later this year. For the next products in our roadmap we are contemplating different form-factors.

Do you intend to have a significant amount of OS APIs available to developers?
- Yes, we are. We don’t have any other needs than quality, continuity and certain protected areas to block access to API’s.


Being linux based, will it be a debian system? Or use RPM packages?
- We are using RPM packages.

Do you have a differentiation strategy?
- MeeGo itself is now a differentiation strategy. An independent ecosystem is a clear differentiation from iOS, Microsoft and even Android. We are creating a new user experience which will be clearly different.

I like this line a lot “Meego itself is now a differentiation strategy”. It is true, since nobody else is using MeeGo, they are clearly setting themselves apart from the competition. Whether it will be enough or not, we will need to wait and see. Remember Grid10? That was using its own OS, and company went bankrupt.


Will you aim devices at a specific niche market, or general consumer (or both)?
- We are targeting the general consumer segments, but we will also make sure that the community members and technology enthusiasts will have maximum access to what Jolla is doing.

Since Swipe UX is Nokia patented, will we see the same style of Swipe that is in Nemo?
We are making a new Jolla UX that cannot be seen anywhere at the moment. We are going to inherit elements from MeeGo software that are well received by the users.

Will there be worldwide availability? And also, sold through carriers?
We are looking at 3 different channels depending on the continent. Retailers, operators and online stores. We recently announced our first retail partner in China, and will continue announcing new partnerships as time goes by.

What architecture will the devices support?
MeeGo itself supports Intel and many ARM based architectures. We will reveal the architecture with the product later this year.

Will you aim for a low, mid, or high-end device? Or will you cover all the tiers?
We will first release one smartphone and later on we are looking at different options on our roadmap to cover different user experiences and devices.

Where do you see the company going in the next 5 years?
We want to be a significant volume player in the market and we want to make MeeGo ecosystem vibrant, valuable and extensive.

On a support note, how will you offer servicing of devices to consumers?
This varies a bit based on the commercial channels used in different locations. On the software side we want to make sure that every Jolla device, once bought, stays relevant.

Will there be a developer device program, similar to the N950s and the Tizen Devices?
The MeeGo platform needs a reference smartphone device. We are in talks with the community and developers to understand how we can best support their development.

We've been told most of the MeeGo team from Nokia are now at Jolla. I would like to know if some of in the industrial designers that created the N9 form factor are now with Jolla.
We have our own in-house industrial design, and some of these people have long careers in Nokia and have been behind many different devices.

How does Jolla mobile ensure that their hardware design is going to stand out?
Considering the current trends in the mobile marketplace, it is not that difficult to stand out when it comes to hardware design.

In regards to last two questions: Glad some great designers will be there. Am keen to see something other than the typical rectangle. I didn’t mind the design of the 6600 back in the day.


Any intention to have OpenMobile ACL?
- We have so far been talking about our Qt/Qml application ecosystem, and we will continue revealing more about our application ecosystem later this year.

Will you use your own app store, or the current “Apps for MeeGo” that is also found on Nemo?
- MeeGo, as an independent platform, gives us a good opportunity to partner with content providers, be it media, apps or something else. Naturally a serious smartphone needs a native method of accessing the application offering.

What are your thoughts on being called “Ferrari of the Smartphone world”?
- Ferrari is a nice car, and a very well known brand. As a value association, it’s an honour to be compared to Ferrari, though we intend to be more accessible to the general consumer.

 

So there you have it. Personally, I am looking forward to how they handle the issue of apps, the design they choose, and this Jolla UX they mentioned. If it can fill the void left by Nokia abandoning the N9′s future, I think the majority of N9 owners will find a viable upgrade.

What are your thoughts on the responses? Let us know below

Please do not fill up comments regarding us bringing attention/coverage to Jolla. It is a company started by ex-Nokia staff, using an OS created by a joint venture where Nokia was a partner.

P.S Sorry about the formatting, there seems to have been some issue caused by copying and pasting Jolla’s responses

Lumiappaday #261: Speak Japanese demoed on the Nokia Lumia 900

Posted: 02 Aug 2012 12:06 PM PDT

Speak Japanese is an app that speaks Japanese. There are 1000 phrases in the paid version split up in to 8 categories. The trial has 3 categories. Phrases are in a simple grid and tapping speaks that phrase into (hopefully correct) Japanese. You can say it’s pretty much a soundboard, but perhaps a useful one. You can probably try and mimic what’s being said.  I absolutely love the sound of the Japanese language.

#261) Speak Japanese 

Price:  $2.99

Link: http://www.windowsphone.com/en-US/apps/a97e5d41-6a1f-e011-854c-00237de2db9e

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsBVqLAqzT8

 

Developer Blurb:

 

Most Apps or classes try to teach you 1000s of words you will never need. This App teaches you all the phrases you will very likely need!

If you want to save time and money and just learn what you’ll actually need while traveling, this App is ideal for you!

Hear & Learn the basics, how to say Hello,Thanks,Goodbye and if you are good in the basics, learn a few more fun phrases while meeting people at parties or in a club/bar.

FEATURES:

+ Clear audio recordings of native Japanese female speaker

+ Organized in 8 categories: Basics, Business, Emergency, Relations, Fun, Travel, Events and Numbers

+ Very easy to use!

+ no internet connection required! Works offline!

 

SPEAK JAPANESE has all the phrases recorded for you. Accessible with just one button click. ANYTIME! ANYWHERE!

Rating:

Design: 7

Usability: 9

Performance: 9

Price: 8

MNB RG: Nokia Lumia Pink nail-polish soon in an American city near you

Posted: 02 Aug 2012 04:38 AM PDT

Here’s Janne’s second post today for our MNB Reader generated entries; this time on a surprising Nokia branded nail polish. Gimmick? Yes? Fun? Maybe. It’s an interesting angle to pursue.

You know how everyone always jokes about Nokia making tyres or toilet paper? Well, they don’t do either anymore, tyres were spun off years ago and toilet paper is from Nokia’s history decades ago…

But now Nokia is making nail-polish. (Well, at least out-sourcing it from Duality Cosmetics.)

It is called the Nokia Lumia Pink, an exclusive available only at Nokia’s pop-up salons in Dallas, Denver, and Los Angeles where Nicki Minaj’s stylist will be offering pink manipedis.

I assume they expect to promote and sell the pink AT&T Lumia 900 as well, or maybe they are just concerned about your looks.

Source: http://www.wpcentral.com/nokia-launches-lumia-nail-polish-and-goes-us-makeover-road-trip

Cheers again, Janne!

 

MNB RG: 808 PureView becomes an unexpected hit, Nokia scrambling to build more

Posted: 02 Aug 2012 03:13 AM PDT

I was about to write up the story on the 808 also not being made fast enough to meet demand, but 808 user and Nokia fan,

Janne is already on the case:

Nokia’s communications manager Tapani Kaskinen tells the interest has surprised Nokia, who was not building enough of the phone – the problem was the allocated capacity not meeting the realized market demand, not a component shortage. He says Nokia made estimates of the demand and delivered to countries based on that, but the demand was much higher than expected. He says Nokia is now fixing the capacity issue.

Several Finnish operators were interviewed and saying they would have sold more than they were able to acquire from Nokia, saying that it would have been a hit on the lists as well had there been better availability.

On the other hand, retailer Gigantti reports that after intial demand, the 808 PureView has seen a lot of returns from unsatisfied customers and Gigantti has removed the product from their pages. Whether this was because of size, Symbian or disappointment with the camera, that was not specified.

Original article in Finnish here:

http://www.digitoday.fi/mobiili/2012/08/01/nokia-808-pureview-menee-kuumille-kiville–kysynta-yllatti/201234658/66

Cheers Janne!

Nokia Maps updated with Journey Planner and Groupon Now! deals.

Posted: 02 Aug 2012 03:10 AM PDT

 

Pino at NokConv writes that “Groupon Now!” deals will be integrated into Nokia Maps as well as a journey planner. I’m not too fussed on groupon but journey planner is very welcome.

http://conversations.nokia.com/2012/08/01/get-groupon-now-deals-with-nokia-maps/

Groupon Now! will help find ‘great deals’ locally. It seems it won’t be too intrusive in that it will appear when you’re searching for something.  Those with deals will be marked with a G. This feature is currently limited to the USA.

Highway run!

The journey planner allows to plan trips in advance. I didn’t find the explanation of this too clear. I have the previous update that brings pinned destinations/favourites which I found super useful in just instantly tapping and going to destination after destination.

 

Cheers Prashant for the tip!

Qt to be sold?

Posted: 02 Aug 2012 03:02 AM PDT

 

Not sure if this is legit, but rumours now is that Nokia might sell Qt?

It says that SVP of Qt, Sebastian Nyström has been directed to sell off the Qt asset.

http://lists.qt-project.org/pipermail/development/2012-August/005478.html

Cheers Stefan G and Outdated OS for the tip.

Editorial: Travelling Europe with the N9 and Lumia 800

Posted: 02 Aug 2012 01:32 AM PDT

As you most likely know, I spent the last month touring a few countries throughout Europe. I took with me my trusty N9, and the Lumia 800. You’re probably asking, why take both? This is why:

  • N9 has tethering (Tango wasn’t available for 800 when I left)
  • N9 has a better camera
  • Lumia 800 has better travel apps (tour guides, transport timetables etc.)
  • Lumia 800 has Skype w/ video calling
  • N9 has better battery life (& better power saving mode)
  • N9 has hot swappable sim (makes it easier to swap between home sim, data sim and roaming sim)
  • Lumia has pocket-to-picture (useful for when you need to take a picture quickly)
  • Social integration on Lumia 800 is unmatched

So those are the things that I have straight off the top of my head.

It isn’t going to be an extremely fair assessment, since, my N9 died mid trip so I only had both for about 13 days. (Don’t worry though, I bought a new one at the end of my trip, so I’ll still be bringing you some very cool N9 tweaks and hacks.) In that time though, I used the N9 to shoot every picture, (except Panoramas), as the camera is just far superior, and with touch-to-focus, those creative shots are just even easier to capture. I used my Lumia for Panoramic photos due to Photosynth (if you haven’t tried it, I suggest you do).

I purchased a data sim whilst I was in London, and swapped it out for my regular sim several times, and this is where the N9 came in handy. Not only did the hot swappable sim feature make it effortless and with no battery drain (the drain that comes with powering off the device, then on again), but also the native tethering capabilities were fantastic. Sadly, the Lumia doesn’t like Ad-Hoc networks, so I couldn’t connect it, but it worked extremely well with my MacBook Pro and Cousin’s iPhone. N9′s battery life was also important, as I could use 3G all day, come back, and still have enough juice for the tether. Where as on one particular day, Lumia dropped to 80% (from charged) in less than an hour, with minimal use.

Nokia Maps also seemed to work better on the N9, getting a faster GPS fix, and providing faster search results. Although, Bing Local search was helpful when looking for a laundromat nearby, or a place to eat. Pocket-to-Picture was handy a few times, when there wasn’t much time to take that perfect photo. A few times I managed to snap some images super quickly, which I most likely would have missed on the N9 (although the N9 would have produced a better image, so that one remains even).

The Lumia 800 came out on top, when it came to local transport timetables, and city guides. Although it is pretty much a given since it has 100,000 apps compared to, about 10,000. The benefit of having Skype Video was amazing, as it made it easier to talk to family back home. Things like the “Me Tile” and integrated IM were handy with staying in touch with friends and my Twitter buddies.

I could clearly go on for sometime, but the long read is most likely at a boring state. So I’ll sum it up like this. Obviously I had no clear winner between the two, else I would have taken just one. If it comes to Photography, Battery Life, Tethering or Navigation, I suggest you choose the N9. If travel apps, other apps and socialising is more your style, go Lumia 800. I’m someone who needs both, so the combination was perfect for me.

Have you traveled with your phone and have a story to share? Let me know below.

Lumia 710, 800 & 900 All Coming to Lebanon Next Week!

Posted: 02 Aug 2012 01:09 AM PDT

Nokia Lebanons Twitter just announced something pretty interesting, the three big Lumias will be available in Lebanon stores starting next week, this might not sound like a big deal but this is the first time the Lumia range has become available in the Middle East since its launch; mainly due to the fact that Arabic is not supported as a system language on WP (but has been confirmed on WP8).

Asking on twitter it turns out these WP7.5 devices don’t have full Arabic support but do have support for Arabic in text messages, Calendar, Lockscreen notifications, Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter and a bunch of other apps; unfortuantely the browser and Keyboard don’t have Arabic support (browser will display Arabic but letters are not joined). Keep in mind that all these devices will be upgrade-able to WP7.8 which brings the new WP8 start screen as well as some other features (possibly).

Interesting that they didn’t wait out for the WP8 launch as it’s rumored to be less than a month away; if the Lumia range was going to launch without Arabic support they might as well have launched it 6 months ago no?
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