New E72 and 5530 XpressMusic announced at Nokia Connection

Nokia announced 2 new S60 devices at the Nokia Connection show in Singapore yesterday. The 5530 XpressMusic follows in the success of the 5800 XpressMusic and will sport the same touch-enabled S60 5th Edition OS.

The new E72 takes the already hugely successful E71 and makes it even better with a new rubberized carbon body, a 5MP camera, updated S60 3.2 OS and instant messaging from Nokia right out of the box. Oh and the headphone jack is now 3.5mm (1/8") as opposed to the silly 2.5mm that E71 users had to live with.


Both phones are expected to start shipping in Q3/09.

Updated Ovi Maps 3 Beta Released

All GPS-enabled S60 phones ship with Nokia Maps 2 today but Nokia is busy readying the new version of Maps, now renamed as Ovi Maps 3.0.

The latest Beta for S60 3rd Edition and 5th Edition devices (i.e. N97 and 5800 XpressMusic) was released today and you can get the latest software here to update your phone!

http://betalabs.nokia.com/betas/view/nokia-maps-30-with-ovi-maps

According to the Beta Labs website, this update includes the following improvements:

• Enhanced car navigation, Drive, through lane assistance, speed limit warners, improved sign post design and new ‘Route overview’ mode during navigation,
• Enhanced pedestrian navigation, Walk, through shortcuts (virtual connections) in urban areas, straight line guidance for off-road terrain and beeps and vibrations before next turn,
• Significantly improved map data quality and content,
• 3D landmarks for over 200 cities – can be displayed in 3D and 2D map modes,
• New Terrain map mode,
• Hi-res aerial images for Satellite and Hybrid map modes,
• Nokia Maps Updater for PC, to update your Maps application and existing map data,
• Synchronisation of Favourites and Collections with Ovi Maps^Beta for web and vice versa (use in online mode, enable Internet connection).

Remember it's still in Beta so try at your own risk! I'm gonna update mine right now!

Also don't forget to try out Ovi Maps on the Web. It's a great alternative experience to the rather dull Google Maps stalwart!

Touch applications for Malaysia

Living in Malaysia and got yourself a brand new 5800 XpressMusic or N97? Now it's time to fill it up with local applications specially designed for your phone:

- The Star Reader - Get the latest news from the largest English daily in Malaysia
http://store.ovi.com/content/6A173A7C16A4220CE040050A85320A88

- Groovy KL - A city guide of Kuala Lumpur for folks who don't have the time to flip through thick travel guides
http://store.ovi.com/content/6A173A7C1D0A220CE040050A85320A88

- Sin Chew News - Want the latest news in Chinese? This app is the mobile version of the popular Sin Chew Daily Newspaper
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?ymqgwrm5d2g

If you find more interesting apps, do drop me a comment so I can keep this post updated!

IM on your new N97 (and other Nokia Smartphones) with Nimbuzz

While searching the web for an IM app that would work with my N97, I came across this nifty free client from Nimbuzz that allows you to connect to multiple communities at one go!

It supports: Skype, Windows Live Messenger (MSN), Yahoo Messenger, ICQ, AIM, studiVZ, GoogleTalk, Facebook, MySpace, Jabber and many more.

From your Nokia Smartphone, head over to http://get.nimbuzz.com or download it to your PC here: http://www.nimbuzz.com/en/mobile/pc/download.

N97 sales start in Singapore filled with preloaded local applications

The iconic Nokia N97 goes on sale this week in Singapore with a bumper crop of preloaded global and local widgets - applications that connect to the Internet. These local widgets include:

- The Straits Times - breaking news from the largest local English daily newspaper
- Singapore Exchange - updated stock prices and company news
- Golden Village iGV - check current movie listings and show times
- Singhealth Calorie Burner - health tips and calculates how many calories you burn after sports or exercise
- Buses@SG - simple bus guide
- Taxi Dialer - simple application to quickly dial a taxi
- Wine & Dine - find out where and what to eat around you
- Flight Info - updated schedules for flights departing from and arriving into Singapore Changi Airport

In addition, Singtel subscribers get bonus widgets:

- Channel News Asia - live headlines and news from Channel New Asia
- Ideas Live - quickly access Singtel services such as Locator, inSing, PHONEsafe and more

And M1 subscribers get:

- Mobile Iris - Fantastic application that locates your nearest bus stop via GPS and give you exact arrival times of every bus!

Launch prices are: (accurate as of 12 Jun 09 12pm)

- Singtel - N97 - S$598 (with 2-year contract)

- M1 - N97 - S$638 (with 2-year contract)
Comes with free 3-month Live Navigation
Microsite: http://www.m1.com.sg/n97/index.html

- StarHub - N97 - S$498 (with 2-year contract)
- StarHub - N97 Comes With Music Edition - S$738 (with 2-year contract)

- WhyMobile - N97 - S$1220 (no contract)
http://www.whymobile.com/productinfo.php?id=NOK-N97

- SGMobile - N97 - S$988 (no contract)
http://www.sgmobile.com.sg/details/view/157

Prices indicated of course do not include on-site offers, other registration fees, freebies, etc.

Use your Nokia phone as a Bluetooth modem

One of the best things I love about Nokias is Bluetooth "tethering" to turn your phone into a modem to access the Internet. On Windows, it's real easy with PC Suite. But on the Mac, you'll need to jump through a few hoops to get it done.

The full guide for Mac users is here:

http://europe.nokia.com/get-support-and-software/download-software/isync/connect-to-your-mac/pairing-your-devices-with-your-mac