My Nokia Blog

Video: Nacho Pop – Nokia Lumia and Cinemagraph. Thank you for the lameness, Nokia Australia.
Video: Lumia 920 and 620 Hardware Comparison
More Details on Nokia & Microsoft’s Financial Relationship
Why Windows Phone Really Needs Instagram (It’s More than Just About Sepia Cats)
Cinemagraph, .Gif Maker App Now Available for WP7 Lumias!
Nokia Glam Me now out for WP8

Video: Nacho Pop – Nokia Lumia and Cinemagraph. Thank you for the lameness, Nokia Australia.

Posted: 07 Mar 2013 11:20 AM PST

Someone by the name of “Nacho Pop” appears in this Nokia Australia promo for Cinemagraph. He’s supposed to be a choreographer.

Does it capture the uniqueness of Cinemagraph? Erm, not really. I don’t get what happened in between seeing what they filmed, to the guy below being the main thing to watch to what was sent over the phone which turned out to be what? Some guy spinning in a loop? I guess it might not be too clear that everyone else in the background is standing still. Why? Did this advert show how the cinemagraph was made? Did it accentuate the movement of the people in the background?What on earth was Nacho Pop doing dance wise anyways? Who makes concepts for Nokia Australia? Is this Amazing Everyday Australia again?

Seriously what’s going on?

Looks like Nokia’s learnt from the OIS thing. This is a BAD illustration only demo.

What exactly was the “moment” you created? Couldn’t it have been more exciting, something that actually uses a unique point of Cinemagraph’s looping gif with editable portions function? Perhaps spinning continuously on their head or in the air if they were doing some ‘tricking’?

Seriously, look at this. The second half of it.

Nokia Australia seemed too focus on getting a dude called “Nacho Pop” in their video and lost sight of the fact they were meant to show off Cinemagraph.

This one, they make some bits that should move (like the water) static. It’s only a demo, and not even an advert but this was a much more interesting cinemagraph than the one showed in the advert.

This is from the official Nokia channels. It’s labelled cinemagraph but you barely see cinemagraph. It’s part of their arty-farty style where you have no idea what feature they’re trying to promote. I guess this is where Nokia Australia gets their inspiration from. Adverts that have NO SUBSTANCE.

Video: Lumia 920 and 620 Hardware Comparison

Posted: 07 Mar 2013 09:20 AM PST

Here’s a video I filmed a couple weeks ago (before MWC) and never got to posting; I realize the 720 and 520 are all the rage now, but I thought since I had already uploaded it I might as well share. So here’s a quick rundown comparison of the 620 and the 920 side by side; in terms of internals, externals and overall design:

More Details on Nokia & Microsoft’s Financial Relationship

Posted: 07 Mar 2013 07:08 AM PST

There’s been a lot of confusion regarding Nokia and Microsoft’s financial relationship, for the past few quarters Microsoft have been shelling out a hefty sum of money as a “thank you” to Nokia for joining the platform; while Nokia has been paying most of it back through licensing fees; of which they MUST purchase a flat rate minimum or per quarter. In other words even if they only sold a single phone they would still be paying Microsoft for the X amount licenses that they agreed on two years ago.

In a press release today Nokia clarified a bit on what sort of finances are to be expected in the future, stating:

- The remaining minimum software royalty commitment payments from Nokia to Microsoft are expected to exceed the remaining platform support payments from Microsoft to Nokia by a total of approximately EUR 0.5 billion over the remaining life of the agreement.
- However, in 2013 the amount of the platform support payments from Microsoft to Nokia is still expected to slightly exceed the total amount of the minimum software royalty commitment payments from Nokia to Microsoft.

So in short until the lifetime of this agreement ends (I’m guessing 5 years?) Nokia expect to have to pay Microsoft about 500 million euros in net licensing fees; meanwhile for this year (2013) Nokia will still come out on top in terms of financial balance with Microsoft, as the support payments are expected to “slightly exceed” the minimum software royalties.

Hopefully that cleared things up a bit; but on to more important matters doesn’t it look like Marko and the lady next to him are cracking jokes at Elop’s expense?
-I see a lot of potential in the picture above; so I’m just going to go ahead and leave the full size original HERE

Via /SOURCE

Why Windows Phone Really Needs Instagram (It’s More than Just About Sepia Cats)

Posted: 07 Mar 2013 05:32 AM PST

The whole Instagram hate/hate affair with Windows Phone has gone on too long; the way I see it a lot of WP users think Instagram isn’t worth it (possibly influenced by the fact that we just don’t have it?) and Instagram seems to think they don’t need Windows Phone (or its users). Well regardless of whether or not Instagram actually need Windows Phone or its users it’s pretty important for WP to get Instagram.

Put simply people have to stop thinking about Instagram as “just an app” because it is (whether we like it or not) a lot more than that; the only sense of Instagram being “only an app” is exactly how Twitter could also be convinced as “just an app”. I’ll be honest, I thought the concept of Instagram was pretty stupid at first, but what sucked me in was the social networking aspect of it; what’s more social then sharing the occasional picture of yourself with your friends (granted you can upload about 5 pictures of your lunch first). I never noticed it at first but there seem to be a great deal of users who don’t post any photos, but rather just follow their friends doings; liking and commenting (Oh the horror!).

So now that we’ve established that Instagram is a bit more useful than just a gateway to get your lunch pictures online, think of the potential it could have if properly made on Windows Phone. In my BB10 vs. WP social integration comparison I lamented the fact that WP had lost its edge as having “the most social of hubs” as the new BB10 did the same job but better and did it while looking nicer as well. Now imagine if Instagram became more than just an app on Windows Phone; but was integrated into the People/Me Hub! Not only would that be amazing in terms of true social integration; but it would give WP its edge back as “the social phone”; the simplest integration I can think of is just adding users Instagram galleries to be accessible through the pictures app/hub (which technically doesn’t even need Instagrams write APIs and could be done right now; as long as you can find away to link the Instagram contacts to your phone contacts), or allowing quick share to Instagram from the camera, and let’s not forget the lens capabilities! It’s as if that was made specifically for Instagram (can’t find the user who said that but I read it on one of the multiple Instagram posts we’ve had and I completely agree).

Most importantly think of what Instagram would do to the whole Windows Phone’s platform/ecosystem morale! Instagram is possibly the largest app that’s still holding out from dipping it’s toes into the shallow Windows Phone waters, but once/if it comes then many other developers would be a lot less reluctant to hold back their apps (once again think of it as a social network, would you ever develop an app for a platform that doesn’t have a Twitter or Facebook client?). And as one of our readers “viktor von d.” said in Jay’s post about the Nokia communities response to #2InstaWithLove, “WP needs this, even if we won’t use it; it gives the platform credibility and will shut up the morons from tech blogs…”

So although we have no idea whether or not Instagram really is coming to Windows Phone (some think #2InstaWithLove is a PR front to drum up excitement before the inevitable Nokia launch); one thing is clear, Windows Phone needs Instagram, the sooner the better.

Cinemagraph, .Gif Maker App Now Available for WP7 Lumias!

Posted: 07 Mar 2013 05:28 AM PST

One of the coolest lenses available for WP is the “Cinemagraph” app from Nokia that allows you to create your own “moving picture” and choose which areas to animate. Well some great news to first gen WP adopters, Cinemagraph is now available for both WP 7.5 & Wp 7.8 users in the store! So what are you waiting for download it here:

http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store/app/cinemagraph/db4808f0-2c6c-423e-bf27-c7de31dfacfa

And then share your awesome moments with us down below!

Via

Nokia Glam Me now out for WP8

Posted: 07 Mar 2013 05:04 AM PST