27 November 2012

My Nokia Blog

My Nokia Blog

Press Release: Facebook and Nokia partner to increase connections on-the-go

Posted: 26 Nov 2012 01:51 PM PST

The new Nokia Asha 205 is the first Nokia device to feature a dedicated Facebook button

Espoo, Finland – Facebook and Nokia have today announced an innovation with the introduction of a built-in Facebook button available on the new Nokia Asha 205.

Introduced today, the Nokia Asha 205 is the first Nokia phone that includes a dedicated Facebook button, designed for people who want the fastest, one-click access to popular Facebook features.

“People around the world use Facebook Mobile to connect and share with their friends,” said Javier Olivan, head of growth, engagement and mobile for Facebook. “We are focused on delivering the best Facebook experience to as many people as possible and our partnership with Nokia perfectly complements our strategy of giving people around the world a rich Facebook experience for keeping in touch with their friends.”

“Globally, young consumers have increasingly started using Facebook for socializing, keeping in touch and striking new friendships. The launch of the Nokia Asha 205 responds to this growing demand and gives them a unique option for accessing Facebook while on-the-go,” said Timo Toikkanen, executive vice president, Mobile Phones, Nokia. “We have seen that many people who use Nokia Asha devices are hyper-social and we are proud to partner with Facebook to improve the user experience of those consumers further with the introduction of the Facebook button.”

The new Nokia Asha 205 enables people to easily access the Facebook for Every Phone app and use messaging, one of its most popular features. People using the messaging features in Facebook for Every Phone can now:

  • See which of their friends are online to start chatting with them right away
  • Start messages and group chats fast
  • Reach more of the people they know, wherever they are, no matter what device they are using

People using the Nokia Asha 205 can also easily access other Facebook features, such as sharing photos and status updates with their friends, so they can stay close to the people around them with the touch of a button.

 Cheers rishabh for the tip

Video: Slam Share demoed on Nokia Asha 205 (Asha 205/206 hands on)

Posted: 26 Nov 2012 11:45 AM PST

 

The newly announced Nokia Asha 205 has a neat feature called Slam, a way to share files over bluetooth without requiring to pair up.

We’ve been following the Asha range since it launched a little more than a year ago, but we were also interested to see Nokia Slam in action, a new Bluetooth quick-sharing feature with Android compatibility

- Engadget

There’s also a hands on of the Nokia 206

Source: Engadget

Cheers Marcelo for the tip!

Nokia 206 officially launched – reinventing the feature phone

Posted: 26 Nov 2012 11:44 AM PST

Here’s the new slim Nokia 206 feature phone from Nokia. The Nokia 206 will be available from Q4 2012. Without operator subsidies or local taxes, it will cost around $62 USD.

Nokia 206 (single SIM)*

  • System: GSM 850/1900,
  • User Interface: Series 40
  • Dimensions: 116 x 49.4 x 12.4mm
  • Weight: 91.0g (including battery)
  • Display: 2.4-inch, 65k colour 320×240 QVGA TFT display
  • Camera: 1.3-megapixels, video capture
  • Memory: Up to 10MB free user memory; up to 32GB micro-SD card
  • Connectivity: GPRS/EDGE, 2.0 mm Charger Connector, Bluetooth v2.1 with EDR, 3.5 mm AV connector
  • Battery life: 47 days standby / 20 hours talktime

*The  Dual-SIM variant of this phone has almost identical specs, but with a slightly lower standby time (25 days vs. 47 days standby).

http://conversations.nokia.com/2012/11/26/the-nokia-206-reinventing-the-feature-phone/

 

Finnish Carrier DNA: “Demand for Lumia 920 Highest For Any Nokia in 10 Years”

Posted: 26 Nov 2012 10:32 AM PST

Finnish Carrier DNA has gone on record stating that the demand for the Lumia 920 is the highest its had for any Nokia phone in the past 10 years.

"All of what comes in, I sell immediately," DNA Trading Ltd Managing Director Sami

The director also mentioned that the supply of Lumia 920s hasn’t been in short, considering that the stock has been similar to the iPhone 5s stock, claiming that the shortage is due to demand and not poor supply.

Via

Video: Work on the Go With Lumia 920

Posted: 26 Nov 2012 10:16 AM PST

Here’s a cool video showing Office and notes on the go with the Lumia 920, another example of the improved advertisements in my opinion. The video is cool (love the background music) and the Lumia stands out a mile away in that Pikachu yellow.

 

Cyber Monday Deal: Nokia 700 Unlocked for $124 on Amazon (White & Grey)

Posted: 26 Nov 2012 09:48 AM PST

 

Here’s a sweet deal for the Symbian faithfuls out there, Amazon have the Nokia 700 in both white and black listed as an upcoming deal for Cyber Monday at $124. According to the list price that’s a 65% discount, so not bad; with possible extended discounts when the cyber Monday links go live.

The white 700 starts in 40 Minutes while the Grey starts in another 2 hours and 40 minutes.

White Nokia 700: Nokia 700 Unlocked GSM Phone with Touchscreen, 5 MP Camera, Symbian Belle OS, and NFC–U.S. Warranty (White)

Grey Nokia 700: Nokia 700 Unlocked GSM Phone with Touchscreen, 5 MP Camera, Symbian Belle OS, and NFC–U.S. Warranty (Grey)

 Amazon have some pretty good deals on non-cell phone related products as well as accessories as well, so check the rest out here: Amazon Cyber Monday Deals.
If you spot any other Nokia related Cyber Monday deals let us know down below!

Lumia 920 OIS Video Re-Made, This Time Using a Real Lumia 920

Posted: 26 Nov 2012 09:33 AM PST

Remember the scandal surrounding the OIS stabilization video when the 920 was first announced? (yes this one- sadly our blind belief in Nokia blew that call for us); but for good reason, one user decided to remake the video on his own, and honestly this only leaves more confused about why they used a DSLR. The quality is AMAZiNG (in my opinion even better than the original video), and the shakes are clearly reduced to close to non-existent.

Regardless of why Nokia didn’t use a 920 in the original video, the facts speak mountains for themselves. the Lumia 920 is a beast!

Thanks for the tip Nabkawe5

Most social ever: Nokia Asha 205 officially announced.

Posted: 26 Nov 2012 02:07 AM PST

 

As expected from the earlier posts (2), here’s the official launch of the Nokia Asha 205. Check out that facebook button.

http://conversations.nokia.com/2012/11/26/most-social-ever-nokia-asha-205/

As mentioned earlier, it features something called “Slam” sharing.

The Nokia Asha 205 sees the debut of a brand new sharing technology from Nokia called 'Slam'. What is it? Let's say you take a picture, choose 'Send' and then 'Slam' from the list. This quickly detects the nearest Bluetooth-enabled device and offers that device the file.

The other person can accept and download the picture instantly, without any need to pair the two devices, as you have to with regular Bluetooth sharing. The owner of the other device doesn't even need to have a Nokia phone or Slam installed. You can also share using all the normal options like social networks and email.

 Video promo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzBpwd0bnJk
Specs:

Nokia Asha 205 (single SIM)*

  • System: GSM 850/900/1800/1900,
  • Facebook Button
  • Nokia Slam, to share content faster and easier
  • User Interface: Series 40 Asha
  • Dimensions: 113 x 61 x 13mm
  • Weight: 94.0g (including battery)
  • Display: 2.4-inch 65k colour QVGA landscape QWERTY TFT display
  • Camera: VGA
  • Memory: Up to 10MB free user memory; up to 32GB micro-SD card
  • Connectivity: GPRS/EDGE, 2.0 mm Charger Connector, Bluetooth v2.1 with EDR, 3.5 mm AV connector
  • Battery life: impressive 37 days standby / 11 hours talk-time

*The Dual-SIM variant of the Nokia Asha 205 has the same specs, but with a lower standby time – 25 days vs. 37 days.

 

Nokia Lumia 920 Imaging Q&A with Juha Alakarhu and Eero Salmelin

Posted: 26 Nov 2012 01:17 AM PST

We’ll be updating this Q&A during and towards the end. Both Michael and I are at the Q&A.

  • Hi! My name is Juha Alakarhu. Im responsible for imaging technologies in Nokia Lumia engineering.
  • Hi my name is Eero Salmelin, responsible for imaging R&D, looking forward for active discussion!

Our reader’s questions were compiled here and we’re going to be shooting these questions out to the panel.

Thank you for sending in your questions and thank you to Nokia Connect’s Tom and Nokia’s Juha and Eero for answering our questions..

Michael:

Will there be a fix/software update for the fuzziness/diffuse photos taken with the Lumia 920 in daylight? A few early adopters have noted it is not great

Eero Salmelin:

The Lumia 920 was really focused on dramatical improvement in low light performance, where people take about half of the images. Naturally also bright light performance is important also.

smashpOp:

Another question: From the sample video recording from the 920, we noticed that the camera frequently adjusts the focus every 5 seconds which is kinda disturbing. Are you guys aware of this and if yes, will there be a fix?

Juha Alakarhu:

We are continuously improving the camera performance, and will of course continue to deliver updates and fine-tune it.

Eero Salmelin:

We are continously listening to the feedback related to the camera and driving for improvements.

Juha Alakarhu:

And you can turn off the continous focus from the video settings if you don’t have close focus object.

Lester Chan:
Also about the battery draining issues when NFC is turned on, will that be fixed asap?
Juha Alakarhu:

Sorry, NFC is not my area. We will get the answer to you later.

 

MNB: The nokia lumia 920, it's said to have three microphones but records in mono. Would it ever be possible to record in stereo? (Where are the three microphones located?)

 

Eero Salmelin:
@JayMontano. The audio is actually special in a way that we are using high amplitude audio capture technology which is able to capture also very high sound pressure levels without distortion.

CJ

My question – I love the OIS stabilization on the 920, because I make a lot of videos. Will we see Nokia making more phones with that, or will this be a one off like the 808′s camera?

Juha Alakarhu: Jeff, Of course we cannot comment our future products, but there is much more to come.

 

MFaroTusino:

What’s the longest exposure time the Lumia 920 can handle? And can it be adjusted? (Note: I haven’t had much experience with the 920)

Juha Alakarhu:

The longest exposure time in auto mode is 1/3s and in night mode 1s. Optical image stabilizatoin lets us much longer exposure times without tripod.

smashpOp:

From the review by TheVerge, they claimed that we can hear the spring when we shake the phone. Is it meant to be that loud? Should it even make sounds when you shake the 920?

Tom @ Nokia Connects:

@SmashpOp – I am shaking a 920 to my ear right now and can’t here a thing!

Eero Salmelin:

@smashoOp, That’s not my area actually, but we’ll get back to you with a comment. my 920 does not make a sound that I would be able to hear..

Clinton Jeff:

Will we see Nokia customizing the Camera UI on the Lumia phones to a level like the 808?

JayMontano:

Ditto to CJ: Are you going to implement a custom UI for the camera so it's more friendly to use?
How close in terms of versatility in camera options to 808 pureview can we get in windows phone pureview? Deeper control options welcome.

Juha Alakarhu:

@JayMontano, thanks for the feedback regarding the UI!

JayMontano:

Cheers Juha! There’s certain buttons that should be easily accessible without having to go into settings. e.g. Macro/AWB – though for some reason my nokia lumia 920 takes macro shots in auto too (is that automatic now?)

Juha Alakarhu:

@JayMontano, yes you dont need to go to macro mode to get macro shots. Its automatic. If you select macro mode, it will fine tune autofocus parameters for faster macro focusing.

JayMontano:

Thanks Juha, great job! I wasn’t sure for definite but good to know macro is auto :)

MFaroTusino:

Has the floating module any problem with vibrations? I mean, if you go jogging or mountain biking with the 920 in your pocket, can the continuous shaking break or spoil something?

Eero Salmelin:

@MFaroTusino. the OIS system is designed according the Nokia quality standards and is actually very durable system. I have dropped my device many times without problems :-)

smashpOp:
Whats the highest ISO achievable in auto mode under low light?
Juha Alakarhu:

@smashpOp, The max iso is 800.

 

Vinu:

what’s the limitations of the OIS on the 920? How much of ‘shake’ does it compensate for? Sorry don’t have the 920 here yet to check. :)

Vinu:

and what’s the slowest shutter speed the 920 can go down to?

Juha Alakarhu:

@Vinu, Its really good!! I have been able to take hand-shake free images with 1/3s exposure time without any external support.

Eero Salmelin:

@Vinu, in normal mode the camera uses max 1/3 second and in night mode up to 1 secod exposure times

Juha Alakarhu:

@Vinu, my colleagues have more steady hands and they can use up to 1s without support:)

MFaroTusino:

Since the Floating lens helps capture more light by keeping the lens open, which provides better stills, is there a way to get similar results in VIDEO mode, or at least a way to compensate without getting a larger lens?

Eero Salmelin:

@MFaroTusino: in video mode the ois is stabilizing the hand shake and helping to produce video with less blur. The exposure time in video when shooting in 30fps can not be longer than 1/30 per frame tough. Naturally the F2.0 optics and sensitive 1.4um BSI sensor and algorithms play key role there.

MFaroTusino: Thanks Eero:)

@Juha – It saw more than my own eye could see ;)

Juha Alakarhu: @MFaroTusino, sounds good :)

Juha Alakarhu:

By the way, for those who have tested Lumia 920, how do you like our image processing in low light?

Juha Alakarhu:

We were working really hard to keep the image as natural as possible also in low light – so that it does not look “noise filtered”.

MFaroTusino:

I noticed that on my N9, Juha. Great low light shots, yet there was significant noise

JayMontano:

Low light sans flash is awesome. Really surprising to see with my own eyes close to nothing and then have a picture on the 920. Great for stills in low light. Also in various other occasions, the 920 is taking superb shots. Moving shots with flash might need some improvement.

Juha Alakarhu:

@JayMontano. Thanks for the comments. We try to keep the flash images also as natural as possible so that both foreground and background are nicely exposed. We are using a bit longer exposure times to do this. Also we have some new technology to keep the flash colors as natural as possible.

JayMontano:

Thanks Juha. I meant to say pictures without flash looked great. Last week my first 920 had a defective (non working) flash so all the pictures I took had no flash. They looked so good though. Indoors, outdoors (as long as it’s not pitch black). I was in a dark room and the document samples I coped look better than my tutors who asked us to use his SGSIII with flash. I’m just pleased I can whip out the 920, snap a picture and know it’s taken it well.

Eero Salmelin:

@JayMontano: did you get your device fixed ok?

Eero Salmelin:

@JayMontano: you definatelly need to test the flash also. We spent a lot of effort to get the colors right, get nice exposure balance and to get shorter than normal flash pulse to reduce motion artefacts but still get high power output

JayMontano:

@Eero – yup. Exchanged for a new 920 yellow on Saturday. Very, very happy! Restored everything as if it was the same phone :) I’ll be doing more tests, see how it performs on a night out this friday.

Eero Salmelin:

have you noticed the very wide angle video (and stills)? 26 degree eqvivalent without cropping in 16:9 mode!

smashpOp:

Been checking out some low light photos by the 920 by many reviewers and they were not as sharp as expected… is this because of user handshake? Is the fuzziness normal when photo is viewed in 100% actual size?

MFaroTusino:

Extending @Smashp0p’s qu. Some users have mentioned that the image looks great when captured on screen, but in viewing it isn’t as sharp. Is that aware by the team?

Juha Alakarhu:

@smashpOp The feedback regarding the low light performance has been really amazing, but of course we keep on improving:)

Eero Salmelin:

@MFaroTusino: to get best understaning of the image quality it’s best to check the details on PC and also compare to other devices.

Juha Alakarhu:
Do you have any questions or comments regarding OIS in video?

Jay

@Juha, sure. Would touch focus be possible with video? What about zooming?

MFaroTusino:

@Juha – Only comment is that it works! Despite the PR blunder when it was announced, it defintely works as advertised. Only shake was slightly noticeable, but significantly less than a non-OIS enabled device
Cinemagraph was astounding! Saw a sample of a beach,w ith the waves and flags moving. Truly remarkable

Juha Alakarhu:

Have you tried Smartshoot or Cinemagraph?

 

JayMontano:

@Juha, Cinemagraph is fun. But it would be nice to view moving .gif file in the photo browser and not have to open cinemagraph app. Also I think there could be some slight tweaks/improvements in cinemagraph usability.

Eero Salmelin:

@JayMontano: what would you like to be improved in the usability?

Clinton Jeff: For Cinemagraph, it would be nice to have a place to share them. Maybe a Nokia version of Instagram lol
smashpOp: Agree with CJ
Chris Kuzma: Same here, agree with CJ
Juha Alakarhu: @MFaroTusino, @JayMontano. The traditional photograph was always a static print. Cinemagraph is a nice example of future imaging when everything is viewed on electronic display.

Eero Salmelin:

Thanks for your feedback on Cinemagraph. We naturally continue to improve our products :-)

JayMontano:

Cinemagraph 1) viewable in gallery 2) more straight forward tuning after you’ve captured it (buttons on the side could be more intuitive…rub to increase/decrease/timeline)

Chris Kuzma:

This might be a bit of a stretch, but I was wondering about the OIS system itself… I noticed it somewhat distorts the scene by the time it reaches the imaging sensor (this is obvious when simply panning around without taking a picture; the edges distort). Does the camera have processing software to fix these distortions?

Juha Alakarhu:

@Chris, as we are moving the whole lens stack, its pretty much ideal system. But as the time is running out, maybe we need to take this one offline?

Juha Alakarhu:

Thanks a lot everybody!! Great talking to you!
10:02
Eero Salmelin:

Thanks everyone for active discussion!





New Nokia Asha 205 and 206 phones announced with “slam” sharing. Facebook button for 205.

Posted: 26 Nov 2012 12:56 AM PST

Michael just posted about the 205 and 206, the same 206 Ali showed us on the weekend. Apparently they’ve been officially launched?

There’s also something called slam sharing

“ Nokia has also introduced a new file-sharing service called 'Slam' that transfers data between Bluetooth-enabled phones without the need to pair the two devices.”

Details

http://myandroidchief.com/nokia-announces-asha-205-asha-206-phones-with-slam-file-sharing/ - cheers momchil for the link!

Nokia Asha 205 specifications

  • Dimensions: 113 x 61 x 13 mm
  • Weight: 94 grams
  • Display: 2.4-inch 65K color QVGA landscape
  • Memory: Up to 10MB free user memory, microSD card slot (up to 32GB)
  • Camera: VGA
  • Connectivity: GPRS/EDGE, 2.0mm charger connector, Bluetooth v2.1 with EDR, 3.5mm AV connector
  • Battery: BL-5C, 1020 mAh

Nokia Asha 206 specifications

  • Dimensions: 116 x 49.4 x 12.4 mm
  • Weight: 91 grams
  • Display: 2.4-inch 65K color QVGA landscape
  • Memory: Up to 10MB free user memory, microSD card slot (up to 32GB)
  • Camera: 1.3-megapixels
  • Connectivity: GPRS/EDGE, 2.0mm charger connector, Bluetooth v2.1 with EDR, 3.5mm AV connector

Nok Conv hasn’t posted anything yet, but it is a little early.
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