My Nokia Blog

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• Now That Nokia Have Saved Windows Phone, Can They Do the Same for Windows RT?
• Windows Phone Youtube App Blocked Again, Microsoft Claim Google Are Just Making Life Difficult
• Pinch to zoom video for Nokia Lumia 920 in Amber/ProCam
• Lumiappdates: Adobe Reader, HealthVault, feedback to Nokia, extras+info
• Video: Beautifully inspiring promo: Lumia Pro Camera: A History of Photography from 1020 keynote
• NokConv: Green light for Lumia Amber – Software Update Live – Nokia Pro Cam officially available – Promo videos
• Nokia Lumia 1020 wins camera battle against Moto X, iPhone 5 and SGS IV “hands down the best phone for taking photos”
• LaptopMag: Nokia Lumia 1020 vs Samsung Galaxy S4 ZOOM – Nokia Lumia 1020 WINS! The best camera phone in the land
• NYTimes on Nokia Lumia 1020: Photos as good as $300 pocket cameras, often they’re better!
• LumiaTip: How to Activate Nokia Car Mode without Nokia Wireless Car Charger Holder

Now That Nokia Have Saved Windows Phone, Can They Do the Same for Windows RT? Posted: 15 Aug 2013 03:51 PM PDT A couple years ago the general consensus was that Nokia (or at least Elop) had gone bonkers, partnering up with an almost non-existent OS with a market share so miniscule that it had many of us scratching our heads. I won’t call the WP strategy a “complete” success as it took longer than I would have liked to for it to pick up speed, but in the long run Nokia is no longer in “critical mode”. More importantly however would be the fact that Windows Phone is becoming globally recognized, it’s officially the 3rd ecosystem (still a long way to go to match Android, but in some markets it’s outselling iOS). The obvious factor that contributed to Windows Phone’s success would have to be Nokia, anyone who says otherwise is a liar, plain and simple. Nokia’s own reward for sticking with Windows Phone would be their commanding 80% share of the admittedly small WP marketshare. I think Microsoft’s Hail Mary should they have failed to get Nokia on board with Windows Phone would have been releasing their own homegrown Windows Phone (a Surface phone if you will), and I don’t see that working out too great for them. Thankfully for them they were never put in that position, unfortunately the same can’t be said for their tablet OS; Windows RT (side note, since Microsoft never bothered making the “RT” actually stand for anything, I always end up associating it as “Windows Retweet”), last year Microsoft revealed their own tablet, the Surface in two flavors; RT and full Windows. Their reasoning for releasing the tablet was to give other OEM’s a “model tablet” to base their future devices on. Unfortunately it didn’t seem to work out for them, as earlier this week Asus officially announced that they will no longer be making any Windows RT devices, instead focusing on the full blown Windows experience. Meaning short of Microsoft’s own Surface tablets only Dell remain on board the RT ship, putting Windows RT in a very similar (if not worse) situation that WP was in before Nokia joined. The real question that remains is will Nokia bother pumping out an RT tablet (probably later this year) or will they go ahead and make a full Windows tablet? And if they make a RT tablet will it succeed? The issue with RT in my opinion is the fact that it has no idea where it’s going, what’s its end game? Will phablets or tablets eventually run both RT and WP? Or will they be stuck with either or? When will we finally see true app cross-compatibility between the true OSes? There are a lot of questions, but the real big one is “How far as Microsoft willing to take this?”. Microsoft are in no means “strapped for cash” and  they’d probably have no problem waiting for RT to catch on, provided there’s a glimmer of hope for it at the end of the tunnel, with Windows 8.1 around the corner carrying some major fixes (I’m not sure if those are only for the full Windows version or for RT as well?)it might have a chance. Of course to have a chance at success OEM’s must first give it a chance and that’s where Nokia *Might* come in. Provided Nokia go with a Nokia RT tablet it definitely won’t be an overnight success, in fact it’ll probably follow along the lines of their first WP release (Lumia 800 & 710) where it took an almost unbearably long time for them to catch on, but now that people are starting to accept WP their “stick-to-itvness” has paid off. So does Nokia need a tablet to sell millions on their first try? Or will they settle for a learning process and a slower ramp up? For example the Lumia 800 was very much a trial/soft opening, think of the meager number of Lumia 900′s sold in the US after millions of dollars of backing and advertising, now imagine if the Lumia 800 was launched instead? An annoying pentile screen, a mediocre camera, and no front facing camera.. yeah I don’t see that working out very well. Let’s face it Nokia don’t get hardware right on their first try, there’s always room for improvement; 800–>900, 610–>620, 920–> 925; but recently they seem to have started getting things right with the 1020 and 925 getting glowing reviews all around (hardware wise at least). There’s nothing to suggest that Nokia’s first tablet would be a perfect hardware specimen either, and even then that’s not a guarantee of success (the Surface has a stunning design, awesome build quality and some sweet add-ons yet it struggles). Surely Nokia’s name alone or a tablet with a great camera can’t change all that over night can it? What a Nokia tablet needs most of all to be a success would be acceptance for the OS it runs, and it can’t get that until it becomes a partial success (a regular old Catch 22). I think it’s pretty obvious that no OEM will be an overnight success with Windows RT, but the real question is which one (if any) will take the plunge and carry it on their back to the top of the mountain? Sure Microsoft can entice Nokia to do their dirty work for them, maybe giving them a similar deal to the WP one; with cheaper licenses, payments, and special permissions. Of course the question is are Nokia (or more importantly their board members/shareholders) willing to wait on another mediocre product to gain mainstream success? *Disclaimer: A while back I posted about why Nokia SHOULD NOT release a tablet, especially a RT one Another major issue facing the success of a Nokia RT tablet (and the RT OS in general) is the price-tag, before the recent price-cut the Surface RT 32Gb version was priced at $600; that’s $100 more than the iPad for an unproved OS. The reason of course are the expensive licensing fees for Windows and Office apps, something that Microsoft have to find a way to lower. True you can pick up a 32Gb Surface RT for close to $300 now but that’s after a major price-cut and over a year on the market; and let’s face it, there’s no way in hell Nokia would release a tablet at that price point (is there?). Of course the issue would stand in the way of the success of a full Windows 8 Nokia tablet, it would simply be way too pricey compared to the iPad and the even cheaper Android tablets out there, no if Nokia are going to release a tablet they probably won’t bother with full Windows (unless they released two version of their tablet). So if Nokia have no way of pulling off a hit tablet on their first go should they bother at all? Or should they do what they did with WP and nurture Windows RT till it’s able to fly on it’s own? What do you guys think?

Windows Phone Youtube App Blocked Again, Microsoft Claim Google Are Just Making Life Difficult Posted: 15 Aug 2013 01:50 PM PDT Yesterday for a few short hours everything seemed to be coming together for Windows Phone, as the updated Youtube app was finally released. Unfortunately the joy and excitement was short lived as Microsoft pulled back the app and the service was shut down (an error now appears saying “something went wrong, we’re not sure what). It seem Microsoft was once again forced to take down the app due to some “manufactured excuses” by Google. The latest reason being that the app isn’t built in HTML5 as per Google’s request. There was one sticking point in the collaboration. Google asked us to transition our app to a new coding language – HTML5. This was an odd request since neither YouTube's iPhone app nor its Android app are built on HTML5. Nevertheless, we dedicated significant engineering resources to examine the possibility. At the end of the day, experts from both companies recognized that building a YouTube app based on HTML5 would be technically difficult and time consuming, which is why we assume YouTube has not yet made the conversion for its iPhone and Android apps. For this reason, we made a decision this week to publish our non-HTML5 app while committing to work with Google long-term on an app based on HTML5. We believe this approach delivers our customers a short term experience on par with the other platforms while putting us in the same position as Android and iOS in enabling an eventual transition to new technology. Google, however, has decided to block our mutual customers from accessing our new app. It appears that Google are just trying to make things difficult for Windows Phone and its users, a real shame as the app was temporarily awesome. Hopefully Microsoft calling out Google’s game and showing the world will have some end result as they claim: It seems to us that Google's reasons for blocking our app are manufactured so that we can't give our users the same experience Android and iPhone users are getting. The roadblocks Google has set up are impossible to overcome, and they know it. In the end Microsoft have called out Google, stating their willing and waiting to play ball and are waiting on Google to play nicely, hopefully the wait won’t be much longer? For now it’s back to MetroTube I guess We think it's clear that Google just doesn’t want Windows Phone users to have the same experience as Android and Apple users, and that their objections are nothing other than excuses. Nonetheless, we are committed to giving our users the experience they deserve, and are happy to work with Google to solve any legitimate concerns they may have. In the meantime, we once again request that Google stop blocking our YouTube app. Read more about Microsoft’s response here: http://blogs.technet.com/b/microsoft_on_the_issues/archive/2013/08/15/the-limits-of-google-s-openness.aspx

Pinch to zoom video for Nokia Lumia 920 in Amber/ProCam Posted: 15 Aug 2013 11:04 AM PDT As well as Stereo recording, the Amber Update and Pro Cam allows for zooming in video for the 92x. This is via pinch and zoom; not sure if it works by finger slide up/down as with photos. Yes, this is a feature because it couldn’t be done before on WP (Hurray to Microsoft and their genius team members!). The zoom seems oddly smooth even though it snaked around, it didn’t judder (like in some movies where they kinda zoom in like that). HrabiaMol shares the video below with us. Cheers! hrabiamol

Lumiappdates: Adobe Reader, HealthVault, feedback to Nokia, extras+info Posted: 15 Aug 2013 10:50 AM PDT Latest set of daily updates pushed to my Nokia Lumia 920 (note this is just based on apps I’ve got installed. There may be other updates that I don’t show because I don’t have those apps) Health Vault feedback to Nokia Adobe Reader v10.2.0.0 (15.08.13) Has the scroll bar with thumbnails always been there? It’s very smooth and opens up my huge PDF documents very easily. extras + info

Video: Beautifully inspiring promo: Lumia Pro Camera: A History of Photography from 1020 keynote Posted: 15 Aug 2013 10:27 AM PDT Although it was included in the last post, this particular video deserves it’s own piece (as does the ProCam promos but there we go). It was first seen in the Nokia Lumia 1020 launch keynote, as well as that awesome video showing the internals of the 1020′s camera. Who is this narrator? We’ve loved this guy from day one. Narration is very important in the video. Hearing clearly consolidates what you see, as opposed to random namby pamby, wishy washy cut scenes. It tells a much better story. Ooh inspiring!

NokConv: Green light for Lumia Amber – Software Update Live – Nokia Pro Cam officially available – Promo videos Posted: 15 Aug 2013 10:23 AM PDT Nokia Amber is Live says NokConv. Some of you have had the update already but it should now be rolling out to many more peeps. http://conversations.nokia.com/2013/08/15/green-light-for-lumia-amber/ What do we get? Improved Image Processing Nokia Smart Camera Nokia Pro Camera Nokia Glance Screen Flip to Silence Double tap to unlock Storage Check and faster map updates http://conversations.nokia.com/2013/08/15/pro-camera-now-available-for-the-nokia-lumia-920-925-and-928/ Shutter speed (1/16000 to 4 seconds) EV value ISO (100 to 4,000) White balance Manual focus Cheers Muerte for the tip!

Nokia Lumia 1020 wins camera battle against Moto X, iPhone 5 and SGS IV “hands down the best phone for taking photos” Posted: 15 Aug 2013 09:59 AM PDT Here’s another comparison between the Nokia Lumia 1020 with Nokia’s PureView, Moto X with ‘Clear Pixel’ which seems to be not very clear at all, iPhone and SGSIV. http://www.techhive.com/article/2046585/take-your-best-shot-four-hot-camera-phones-compared.html#tk.fb_th The winner of course is the Nokia Lumia 1020, which is so good it makes the Moto X’s camera flaws even more prominent according to techhive. According to TechHive, Moto still doesn’t know how to make a top tier smartphone camera. The Lumia 1020 is hands down the best phone for taking photos and it's unlikely to be dethroned by anything other than another Lumia anytime soon. This reviewer prefers the ‘warmer’ colours in the 1020 “Lumia 1020 once again trumps over the competition in our macro test. You can see every detail in the flower petals and even pick out some tiny insects that made the plant their home.”   Cheers “That guy” for the tip!

LaptopMag: Nokia Lumia 1020 vs Samsung Galaxy S4 ZOOM – Nokia Lumia 1020 WINS! The best camera phone in the land Posted: 15 Aug 2013 08:00 AM PDT There’s yet another win for the Nokia Lumia 1020 against the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom. Despite potentially what others have considered a better screen (larger, more pixels, better outdoor visibility, it loses to the S4 zoom on ‘saturation’ and ‘vibrancy’. It wins on all counts where it’s important, camera performance and design (in terms of looking better and being slimmer and easier to hold). http://blog.laptopmag.com/nokia-lumia-1020-vs-galaxy-s4-zoom Something we just mentioned from the NYTimes 1020 article  is that despite how awesome Nokia ProCam is, I think it needs to integrate Nokia SmartCam and other features. In the same way Nokia SmartCam brought together the use of several lenses in one app, making it easier to use, Nokia Pro Cam needs to find a way of getting the goodies from Nokia Smart Cam (and other things such as panorama perhaps and HDR) into a seamless experience. Lenses, whilst intriguing feel disconnected.  Whilst other camera UIs have similar modes to use additional features, the switching is less jarring than going out of different lenses. There needs to be a new way that makes switching lenses swift and not as cumbersome as switching actual physical lenses. - Me   Cheers Will for the tip!

NYTimes on Nokia Lumia 1020: Photos as good as $300 pocket cameras, often they’re better! Posted: 15 Aug 2013 07:41 AM PDT Who is next to rain worship for the Nokia Lumia 1020? Why it’s New York Times. At first it seems they don’t quite get the 41mp is for oversampling and for all that detail but you see later on they understand just how good Nokia’s camera is in the 1020. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/15/technology/personaltech/lumia-1020-a-great-camera-grafted-to-an-oddball-phone.html NYTimes on Nokia Lumia 1020: You've never seen, or even contemplated, photos this good from a phone. They really are spectacular. Most of the time, the photos are just as good as what you'd get from a $300 pocket camera (you know, the kind that doesn't also make phone calls). Often, they're better. The low-light shots seem like they came from some kind of "Mission: Impossible" spy gear. And if the subject is close to the lens, the background melts into a delicious blurriness, just as in professional portraits. The 1020 also has a superb image stabilizer that comes in handy for videos. This phone's videos really are something: stable, bright, 1080p high definition with crisp stereo sound. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/15/technology/personaltech/lumia-1020-a-great-camera-grafted-to-an-oddball-phone.html Some 808 users might feel a bit annoyed at all this undue praise but don’t worry, NYTimes recognises the 808′s brilliance too. So yes, this is probably the best camera you've ever encountered on a phone. (Unless, of course, you're familiar with the Nokia PureView 808,, a predecessor with a similarly great camera but on a now mostly defunct operating system called Symbian http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/15/technology/personaltech/lumia-1020-a-great-camera-grafted-to-an-oddball-phone.html I agree with their sentiment that as great as the Nokia Pro Cam is, it’s not ideal having to ‘step out’ and use ‘other lenses’ such as Nokia Smart Cam. Whilst other camera UIs have similar modes to use additional features, the switching is less jarring than going out of different lenses. There needs to be a new way that makes switching lenses swift and not as cumbersome as switching actual physical lenses. They praise WP8 but are unsure about the relative lack of apps. “Microsoft's phone operating system is gorgeous, logical, fluid and satisfying…Nokia's contributions include a terrific mapping and GPS app and something called Glance, which lets you check the time and battery charge by tapping the screen of the sleeping phone…..Unfortunately, probably because Microsoft was so late to the app-phone party, Windows Phones are still considered oddballs. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/15/technology/personaltech/lumia-1020-a-great-camera-grafted-to-an-oddball-phone.html On this note There's no official Instagram app and no Vine app, either. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/15/technology/personaltech/lumia-1020-a-great-camera-grafted-to-an-oddball-phone.html Well Instance works well. And 6stagram in Beta is officially supported by Instagram. There’s a great Vine app called 6sec. Conclusion? What is clear, though, is that the Nokia Lumia 1020 is a remarkable experiment. Its size and silhouette may make it a little too weird for most people Windows Phone's still struggling app catalog may turn off another swath of buyers. But if you want good photographs from a phone — man, has this one got your number. When you use the 1020, people don't say, "That's a great picture! You know, for a cellphone." They say: "That's a great picture. From a cellphone!?" http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/15/technology/personaltech/lumia-1020-a-great-camera-grafted-to-an-oddball-phone.html Thanks Visa for the tip!

LumiaTip: How to Activate Nokia Car Mode without Nokia Wireless Car Charger Holder Posted: 15 Aug 2013 07:19 AM PDT   Do you remember the Nokia Wireless Car Charger, which when in use with your Lumia can activate a special ‘Car Mode’? http://mynokiablog.com/2013/06/15/accessories-nokia-cr-200-wireless-car-chargerholdermount/ What if, like the charging stand, you wanted to activate that special mode without that accessory? At least for carmode you can use this. There’s also a NFC tag option to activate the app via NFC. http://www.windowsphone.com/pt-pt/store/app/car-mode/320e61db-0cb7-48a7-889f-525ff197eb57?signin=true Bruno who shared this tip said: this app it allows users to use the car mode without the nokia wireless charger.. for people like me that has an lumia 620 that doesn’t have wireless charging it alows me to use the car mode without have to buy an expensive car holder just to use the car mode.. and the alows you to creat a nfc tag to launch the app, so we can create a nfc car, put in a cheap car holder and lanch the app automatically.. or launch the app manually..

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