Have you ever run out the door and realized you forgot to charge your phone? If you have a car, no problem. But what if you’re planning to hop on your bike? Nokia wants to have you covered.
Nokiahas debuted the Nokia Bicycle Charger Kit, transferring power from the work of your pedals directly to your mobile device. You’ll be charging more than just your personal energy soon enough.
For €15 ($18), the kit will get you the Nokia Bicycle Charger DC-14, Nokia Phone Holder for Bicycle CR-124, and a Bottle Dynamo. In un-fancy terms, that’s a charging station, a handlebar mount and an electric generator.
Basically, the generator starts charging the device when the bike rider hits a speed of at least 6km per hour and continues to charge up to 50km per hour - the equivalent of a normal charger.
With a 2mm charger jack ready, “any” Nokia device should be supported, including the upcoming Nokia N8. Although it’s only available in developing markets to start, the Nokia Bicycle Charger Kit should be wheeling its way around the world before the end of the year.
Given it’s relatively low price tag and being a useful accessory if you have a supported Nokia device, this gadget could do really well. Maybe it will even help cut down on a user’s electric bill slightly as well. Would you pick one up?
Nokia has been having a Nokia hard time keeping up with snazzy new smartphones powered by the iPhone OS and Google (NSDQ: GOOG)’s Android mobile operating system, but the Finns are looking to rejuvenate their handsets with the launch of Symbian^3 later this year. But, rather than launch Symbian 3 on the Nokia (NYSE: NOK) N8, as has been expected, the updated Symbian platform will apparently launch on a smartphone from an “Asian vendor.” The more user- and developer-friendly Symbian^3 OS is due to be launched in the third quarter, after a delay that pushed back it’s initial first quarter launch window.
Word of the first smartphone to run the new Symbian OS comes straight from the source. Symbian Foundation executive director Lee Williams said in an interview that the simpler and more eye-catching Symbian 3 UI was headed to market and added that the platform is almost code complete. The first device to make use of the platform, it seems, could come from Asian smartphone powerhouses like Samsung, HTC or even LG, although Williams was tight-lipped about exactly which vendor would take first dibs on the new version of Nokia’s go-to OS.
Nokia recently bought the rights to the entire Symbian code base, with the sole intention of making the mobile operating system free for all to us and improve. The Symbian Foundation is responsible for making sure that the platform stays neat and tidy. So, it’s interesting that the first Symbian^3 phone will not come from Nokia, but rather from an Asian smartphone maker. Speculation has Nokia testing out the waters in the smartphone market with a device that isn’t directly tied to the them. If all goes well, Nokia will likely follow up the inaugural Symbian 3 device with their own N8, regardless of how much of an embarrassment it might be to Nokia.
C6 is the newly added member to mobile phones running Symbian OS 9.4 + S60 5th Edition platform.
The Nokia C6 is a smartphone and portable entertainment device by Nokia. It was announced on April 13, 2010. It is similar to the Nokia Nuron or 5230 with a sliding QWERTY keypad. It can also be compared to the N97 mini, but the sliding in this phone is straight, unlike the angled one in the N97 mini, and hence allows a 4 row QWERTY keypad, bringing a slightly enhanced typing experience to the table. The phone has a 5 mega pixel camera, along with a secondary camera for video calls.
All application and games for similar handsets like N97, N97 mini, 5800, 5230, etc will be compatible with this handset.
Design
Dimensions
Size: 113.4 x 53 x 16.8 mm
Weight (with battery): 150 g
Volume: 80 cc
Additional size and shape information
Sliding touch-screen display
Display and user interface
Screen size: 3.2"
Resolution: 640 x 360 (nHD)
Up to 16.7 million colours
Resistive touch screen
Brightness control
Orientation sensor
Proximity sensor
Ambient light detector
Keys and input methods
Full backlit slide-out keyboard with navigation key
Cover keys (Home key, Send/End keys)
Touch screen
Dedicated camera and volume keys
Side-mounted Lock key
Colours
Available colours:
Black
White
Personalisation
Customisable home screen
Widgets
Themes
Icons
Shortcuts
Menu
Customisable profiles
Video ringtones
Ring tones: mp3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA
Themes
wallpapers
screensavers
ringtones
pre-installed themes
changeable colour themes
Hardware
Power Management
BL-4J 1200 mAh Li-Ion battery
Talk time (maximum):
GSM 420 mins
WCDMA 300 mins
Standby time (maximum):
GSM 400 h
WCDMA 400 h
Video playback time (Mpeg4/nHD): 246 mins
Video call time (maximum): 144 mins
Music playback time: 30 h
Operation times may vary depending on radio access technology used, operator network configuration and usage.
Memory
MicroSD memory card slot, hot swappable, up to 16 GB
Internal memory: 200 MB
Operating frequency
Quad band EGSM 850/900/1800/1900
WCDMA 850/900/1900/2100
Automatic switching between GSM bands
Flight mode
Data network
CSD
HSCSD, maximum speed 43.2 kbps
GPRS class A, multislot class 32
WCDMA, maximum speed up to 3.8 Mbps with simultaneous voice & packet data
HSDPA, maximum speed up to 3.6 Mbps with simultaneous voice & packet data
WLAN
TCP/IP support
Dual Transfer Mode (DTM), simultaneous voice & packet data connection, class A, multislot class 11
Capability to serve as data modem
Support for MS Outlook synchronisation of contacts, calendar and notes
Integrated GPS / A-GPS
Requires data service. Data Services may not be available in all networks. Data transmission speeds may be as high as 3.6 Mbps, but may vary based upon network capabilities and other conditions. The establishment and continuation of a data connection depends on network availability, provider support and signal strength.
Connectivity
Bluetooth version 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate
Support for local and remote SyncML synchronisation
Viewing of email attachments - .doc, .xls, .ppt, .pdf
Calendar, Contacts, To-do, Notes, E-mail
Nokia Messaging
Social networking (Facebook, Hi5, MySpace)
Ovi Maps
Ovi Suite, Ovi Store, Ovi Share, Ovi Contacts
PC Applications: Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, Lotus Organizer, Lotus Notes
* Some services may be available only via downloading or upgrading.
Personal Information Management (PIM)
Detailed contact information
Calendar
To-do list
Notes
Recorder
Calculator
Clock
Converter
Communications
Email and messaging
Easy-to-use email client
Supported for SMTP, IMAP4, POP3, MMS, SMS. Unified MMS/SMS editor.
Email web widget
Nokia Messaging for email
Mail for Exchange*
* Some sevices may be available only by downloading or upgrading. Only devices that offer compatible multimedia message or e-mail features can receive and display multimedia messages. Content appearance may vary. Some images and ring tones can not be forwarded.
Call management
Contacts: advanced contacts database with support for multiple phone and e-mail details per entry and thumbnail pictures
Top Contacts widget
Speed dialling, voice dialling (speaker independent) and voice commands
Visual history, HTML and JavaScript suppprt, Flash LIte 3.1 and Flash video support
Nokia Mobile Search
RSS reader
Ovi Store for application downloads
Support for streaming video
Ovi Share with connectivity to popular sharing services
Nokia XPressPrint: direct printing via USB connection (PictBridge), Bluetooth connectivity (BPP) or via aonline printing
Video calls
Navigation
GPS and navigation
Ovi Maps with free lifetime navigation licence
Integrated GPS, A-GPS receivers
Accelerometer for correct orientation of display
Nokia Maps loader application via PC
Photography
Camera
5 megapixel camera (2584 x 1938 pixels)
Still image formats: JPEG, EXIF
Autofocus and integrated LED flash
Zoom up to 4x (digital)
Secondary camera for video calls (QVGA)
Image capture
Automatic location tagging (Geotagging) of images and videos
Cover Flow change photos with finger motions
Images automatically taken in the correct orientation
Store photos on Ovi Share
Economic sharing to optimise battery and memory use
Other
200 MB internal memory, expandable to up to 16 GB with microSD card
High-Speed USB 2.0 connectivity
Video
Video cameras
Main camera
5 megapixel
Take high-quality 16:9 videos
Video capture in MPEG-4 up to VGA at 30 fps
Video clip length: up to 90 minutes
Video file format: .mp4 (default), .3gp (for MMS)
Settings for scene, video light, white balance, colour tone
Secondary camera
QCIF for video calls
Video codecs & formats
MPEG-4 Video resolution up to nHD 640 x 360 pixels or VGA at 30fps
Video file format: .mp4 (default), .3gp (for MMS)
Zoom up to 4 x
Video sharing and playback
Enhanced video centre: central hub for video experiences
Access to last-played video and easy resume
My videos: collection of stored videos
Access to Internet Videos, compatible with RSS feeds, and video podcasts, with direct wireless updates and downloads
Video directory to discover new Internet Videos
Support for download, streaming, and progressive download
Support for Flash video
Music & audio
Music features
Nokia Music Player
Music Recommender
Ovi Music
Nokia Music Manager (PC application)*
Music codecs: .MP3, WMA, AAC, AAC+, eAAC, eAAC+
Music meta-data ID3 tags, album art
Bit rate up tp 320 kbps
DRM support WM DRM, OMA DRM 2.0/1.0
Stereo FM radio (87.5-108 MHz/76-90 MHz), RDS
* Requires a compatible computer
Radio
Stereo FM radio (87.5-108 MHz/76-90 MHz), RDS
Gaming
Gaming
Use the touch UI to play games
Download games from Ovi Store
Environmental features
Energy efficiency
Power Save mode, ambient light sensor, unplug charger reminder, Compact Travel Charger AC-15
Eco content and services
Available at Ovi, maps for route optimization and pedestrian navigation
Materials
Free of PVC, free of nickel on the product surface, free of brominated & chlorinated compounds and free of antimony trioxide as defined in Nokia Substance List
Recycling
All materials of the device can be recovered as materials and energy
Local Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.0 +EDR Bluetooth Stereo Audio Micro USB MTP (Multimedia Transfer Protocol) Nokia AV 3.5mm Nokia microUSB Cable CA-101 USB 2.0 High-Speed USB Mass Storage Bluetooth Profiles: A2DP, AVRCP, BIP, DUN, FTP, GAP, GAVDP, GOEP, HFP, HID, HSP, OPP, PBAP, SAP, SDP, SPP Other: WLAN support 802.11b/g WEP WPA WPA2 (AES/TKIP)
Nokia and Yahoo just announced a unique partnership that will create cross-platform opportunities for both companies. Starting this summer, Yahoo will become the global provider of Nokia’s Ovi e-mail and messaging service, available on all Nokia devices. In turn, Nokia will power Yahoo’s popular maps service both online and on all of the phone supplier’s mobile devices. This deal is smart — Yahoo will be better equipped to compete in the navigation market, and Nokia can focus on capturing enterprise and business-oriented professionals in the United States.
This isn’t Nokia’s first attempt to bolster its image in the U.S. In 2009, the phone provider struck separate deals with Microsoft and Intel to provide each company’s products on Nokia devices. Through these deals, Nokia is able to offer devices with a variety of software, allowing customers — specifically those with enterprise and business needs — greater options and accessibility.
The Yahoo deal is another way Nokia is attempting to bring their brand to the forefront by offering specialized options for customers. Nokia’s deal with Microsoft was to put Office products on certain Nokia models, fully bringing products like Word and Excel to mobile devices. Seeing as nearly 48 percent of smartphone owners use their device for business purposes, targeting those users with enterprise features is a good strategy for Nokia to potentially capture a large audience in a short amount of time. This strategy will put them in competition with RIM — currently the most popular smartphone OS in the U.S.
The new partnership, designed to build off of each company’s strengths in tech and mobile, is also an attempt to give Yahoo a boost in mobile and online navigation. In both areas, Yahoo Maps is trumped by competitors Google Maps and MapQuest. At a press conference announcing the deal on Monday, Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz admitted Yahoo has fallen a bit behind in its maps technology. “We haven’t been focused a lot on our maps platform,” she said. “This alliance changes that.”
The maps transition will be easy for both parties, as Yahoo currently uses maps from Navteq, which was bought by Nokia in 2007. The acquisition of Navteq gave Nokia a strong presence in navigation, as Navteq is one of the largest providers of digital geographic mapping information. With Nokia’s help and access to greater mapping technology, Yahoo Maps could become a viable competitor to Google, bringing greater recognition back to Yahoo overall.
On Nokia’s end, the Finland-based company has a great opportunity to expand its brand in the United States. Though it is the world’s largest phone maker, the Nokia brand is weak in the U.S., with brands like RIM’s BlackBerry, Apple, and Android dominating the smartphone market. Even in 2008, Nokia only held a 3.1 percent share of the US smartphone customers, a number that has since decreased. At Monday’s press conference, Nokia CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo said, “Location, maps and navigation will get more mind-share, will get more attention in the U.S. and many more users in the North American market.”
Nokia’s strategic partnerships with Microsoft, Intel, and now Yahoo should be a signal to other mobile brands that it shows no signs of slowing down. These brands are all recognizeable names, especially in the U.S., which helps Nokia’s goal of securing a large market share here. Yahoo still faces tough competition in Google, whose Maps app provides a number of innovative features – most recently its Earth View integration – that Yahoo just doesn’t have. However, with Nokia behind the Maps technology, Yahoo can focus its efforts on building content and strengthening its other services, allowing Nokia to focus on building software-targeted devices to win more customers and secure its place in the US smartphone market.
Sony Ericsson has announced that their QWERTY keypad equipped Symbian handset, Vivaz Pro is now started to ship in select markets worldwide. Sony Ericsson at their product blog said, that there might be a slight difference in shipping, depending on the market.
The Vivaz Pro has a 5MP camera with HD(720P) recording at 24fps with continuous auto-focus and LED flash. It also has ARM Cortex A8 CPU overclocked to 720Mhz and PowerVR SGX graphics. Sony Ericsson has also confirmed that Vivaz Pro will support up to 32GB of external memory (microSD). The Vivaz Pro will also sport a powerful Li-Po 1200mAh battery. Vivaz Pro will sport the Symbian S60 v5 OS which will find few takers.
Sony Ericsson Vivaz Pro is the first handset from Sony Ericsson with full QWERTY keypad. The Vivaz Pro will have the Human Curvature design as in Xperia X10 and Vivaz. Sony Ericsson Vivaz pro will be available in black and white colors.
Yahoo and Nokia on Monday announced an alliance that will result in Yahoo powering Nokia's mail and chat programs and Nokia providing Yahoo with its maps and navigation services.
Nokia and Yahoo will also work on a federated ID that will let users sign into Yahoo and Nokia services with the same login name.
Specifically, Nokia will integrate its Ovi Maps services across Yahoo and become the exclusive, global provider for Yahoo maps and navigation. They will be designated as "powered by Ovi," Nokia's Internet service brand.
At the same time, Yahoo will become the global provider for Nokia's Ovi Mail and Ovi Chat services, which will be branded "Ovi Mail/Ovi Chat powered by Yahoo."
Select services will launch in the second half of 2010, with a global roll-out expected in 2011, Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, chief executive of Nokia, Carol Bartz, CEO of Yahoo, said during a press conference with reporters.
"Yahoo has a strong record of implementing these [chat and mail] services on mobile devices," Kallasvuo said.
"Many of you know that we haven't focused a lot on our maps platform. This alliance changes that," Bartz said. "By using Nokia's maps … it'll be a much richer experience for our users."
The deal is also a means for both companies to grow their presence in the developing world, Bartz said, where more and more people are accessing the Web for the first time on a mobile device.
"Nokia has, by far, the strongest track record of any mobile device maker in these markets," Bartz said. "When partners like Nokia join with us in the developing markets, we see significant growth. We're also seeing huge increases in these countries year-over-year that demonstrate their appetite for mobile usage and their appetite for internet services."
Kallasvuo agreed. "There is a generation of people growing up who are connected solely through their mobile devices," he said.
While Nokia’s overall specifications for the N8 generally met with approval – if not, in the case the 12-megapixel camera, outright lust – the smartphone’s 680MHz processor led to some criticism that the phone might not keep up with its Android and Windows Phone rivals. Over at Finestfones they’ve apparently had enough hands-on time with an N8 prototype to run some benchmarking tests, and the reassuring news is that, in comparison with previous Symbian handsets, it’s quite the little speed demon.
They used an app called Speedy Go! which benchmarks Symbian devices, and which allows the N8 to be tested both with its graphics accelerator turned on and turned off. Off, the prototype N8 posted a score 54-percent higher than the Samsung Omnia HD and 180-percent greater than the Nokia N97. Meanwhile the N8 maxed out the FPC Bench 3D graphics testing, ranking 60fps – the highest the app can count – in every category.
According to Finestfones, the improvement in results is because, while some current-generation Symbian devices also have graphics accelerators, the Symbian S60v5 OS isn’t actually coded to take advantage of them fully. Symbian^3, which will make its commercial debut on the N8, has no such shortcomings. For more on the N8, check out our hands-on from last week.
