Just as Nokia does some perplexing housecleaning by shuttering Flagship stores (more on that later perhaps), Apple engages in a bit of store flushing of its own.

Turns out a Chinese software publisher was gaming the iTunes App Store with a little insider trading of sorts.  “Give me 5 stars for my app, I give you promotional codes”.

The payoff of course was a meteoric rise in rankings for what turned out to be crudely-constructed code fluffed up by equally low-grade user reviews.

The cool part of the story for me is how they were tripped up.  Metrics that didn’t make sense tipped off writers who reported the suspicious behavior to Apple’s Phil Schiller.  The end result: 1000 apps (around 1% of the store’s total) purged and the developer locked out of iPhone paradise.

This couldn’t come at a more fortuitous time for Maemo developers, some of whom have expressed concern over this very scenario– which gets even more complicated in that Linux ecosystem’s slowly-growing mix of open source and commercial software.  What’s to stop some unscrupulous thug, one asked, from taking community-developed freeware, repackaging it for the Ovi Store and pulling similar stunts as the troublemakers here?

I think the answer again lies in metrics, combined with some robust information management and sincere policing on Ovi’s part.  The fact that Apple responded as quickly and strongly as they did sets the tone for others in this space.  Surely Nokia is paying attention.

Just in case, I’ll email and tweet this story to the appropriate Maemo people. 

I just got back from the Maemo Developer event held in Santa Clara, California December 3 and 4.  The tenor was more about developer outreach than training but that was not a bad thing at all– sessions like these are needed to cultivate interest, especially amongst commercial contributors.

The trip was made all the more… well, exciting for me because everything was last minute.  I did not know for sure I would be attending until a week or so before, then received three day notice I would be presenting on behalf of the community.  Halfway there on the plane it became clear to me (thanks to GoGo wifi and Ovi mail) after a couple of exchanges with Maemo folks that the event’s main audience would come from the business side of the software world, which meant more changes to my presentation.  By the time I got done there was so much text on the slides I tripped myself up trying to read it!

Ah, the benefit of time to practice…

If it sounds like I am complaining then banish the thought.  The important part is that a simple community guy like myself was asked to present our slice of the Maemo pie to an audience that might otherwise have limited their incursion to Forum Nokia.

Not that Forum Nokia is in the way– indeed, their representatives made me aware that they are willing to support us in any way they are able, and that they understand the issues we face (such as “who manages what document and where”) as a homegrown open source community.  And the Forum itself is very rich with a long tradition of great support from Nokia.  Of course we will continue to be faced with discussions around Forum Nokia vs maemo.org for entry points, resource management, etc… but such debates need not be contentious as long as we find common goals.

Along those lines, one concern has been over commercial developers acting solely as resource consumers: drawing down open source, developing custom code advances in-house and then failing to push relevant ones upstream.  This can be mitigated by first ensuring that commercial developers understand how to play in this hybrid space, and by also making it clear that they run the risk of breaking their own code when the open source community makes strong changes at the SDK headwaters.  There will of course be those times when some downstream-developed code is deemed proprietary and we will just have to sort that out as it comes.

As to the event itself, here are some specific takeaways (also posted in my usual thread at talk.maemo.org):

• Nokia understands the concerns expressed by individual contributors who want to find success in Ovi Store. No fine details to reveal at this time but be encouraged by the fact that they are listening! New member code177 expressed gratitude at the chance to get his needs in front of people willing to listen. He is also appreciated for volunteering to be the lightning rod here.
• Nokia is receptive to the “gotchas” that have been hot topics in talk.maemo.org. Particularly, support for feedback, donationware and app testing functionality on the device. After some really stimulating discussion I corralled the ideas into what I think is an actionable plan to accomodate these wants and needs. More on that soon in Brainstorm and on my blog (so subscribe to the latter!).
• I was particularly relieved and excited to hear Forum Nokia’s support for local events in the US. Details need to be hashed out but I feel now that the push for this is no longer stalled. As with most things, it was simply a matter of navigating the Nokia matrix and connecting with the right facilitator! So I will begin a little recon work and report back when some plans are formed.

There are chicken-and-egg scenarios at play here; getting funding for local community outreach can be problematic if there’s no known area interest, but generating the interest is difficult without funded events.  I will be preparing surveys to be deployed at related gatherings (Linux user groups, Python developer groups, et al) to gauge potential interest and then provide this data to the appropriate Maemo people for consideration.  The good news is that I know who they are now, they appear genuinely receptive, and the platform momentum is favoring us.

So let’s get it in gear and go!

Barely 15 day s after i had written about Nokia’s dual OS strategy, It turns out that Maemo is not so big news from Nokia.

Nokia has gone through a rough patch over the last 18 months or so. It has lost heavily in the smartphone space to Apple, RIM and Google; and its overall numbers tumbled down in 2009. Ovi store was a lukewarm fare. However, it seemed to be making a comeback of sorts with interesting applications such as Nokia Money and Lifetools in the Mid end and Maemo devices in the smartphone segment. N900 got a great response as Nokia moved away from the Symbian platform for the first time after failure with its N97.N900 boasts some impressive specs for a smartphone-type device, and includes a touch screen, QWERTY keyboard, media playback and more. While the N900 is a bit of a niche play and doesn’t have the largest addressable market, it’s an important step for Nokia to take in regaining some much-needed momentum in the world market for smartphones. The N900 was thought to be not only the Nokia flagship, but also a learning platform for Nokia and its Maemo line up.

In this regard, Nokia’s decision to launch only one Maemo based device in 2010 is bewildering. Nokia is committed to the Symbian platform as its “smartphone platform of choice”. Symbian S60 — is outdated and clunky. Maemo looked to be a solid step in the right direction, at least from a usability standpoint.The one Maemo-device announcement was thus a let down, dashing hopes of a slew of high-end, Linux-based phones from the mobile manufacturer.The Symbian Foundation has been working hard to reboot Symbian as a platform, but so far developments has been slow, and no devices have been announced with support for the latest Symbian versions.

Either Nokia plans to take over the world with just a handset update per year like Apple does or it believes Symbian still has some life left and will continue churning out S60 and the upcoming Symbian Foundation OS based phones by the dozen. The only manufacturer for whom this “one device a year strategy” has worked very well is Apple. 2010 would be a busy smartphone year with the supposed Apple 3.1 being readied for release and Android getting mainstream. Putting a large bet on Symbian S60 can significantly risk the Nokia portfolio. There is an opinion that even one Maemo phone would be enough – if it’s an iPhone killer. To flip it around, if Nokia’s 2010 Maemo and Symbian devices return average results, they would get dangerously sidelined in the smartphone space. That would also mean being left out of the consideration space of the developer community.

Software and user experience has become the key differentiator in today’s market. We know that Nokia can design attractive and functional hardware, but it is sadly lacking in the software department. Maemo would give Nokia a good chance at fighting off its rivals if given the right support. Planning only one Maemo device for 2010 — a year in which we are sure to see a new iPhone and dozens more Android models — is a mistake

That’s a bad idea, Nokia.

Un nuevo teléfono no Symbian podría ser el golpe definitivo para el sistema operativo de la finlandesa.

El N900 podría no ser el único teléfono Linux del portfolio de Nokia: la compañía está trabajando en un nuevo terminal inteligente equipado con el sistema operativo libre.

La fecha de lanzamiento de este terminal sería el año próximo, es decir, 2010, según apunta una fuente a la agencia Reuters. Un alto portavoz de la compañía reconocía este fin de semana que la firma tenía que reorientar su estrategia y ajustar su potencial de mercado para no quedarse atrás. Un nuevo terminal Linux podría ser esa llave hacia un futuro más sólido.

La compañía ya ha liderado crecimientos de mercado en el último estudio del mercado smatphone elaborado por IDC. Además, y como apuntaba un analista de esta misma consultora, la finlandesa parece haber empezado a entender el mercado smartphone y por tanto a ver la veta del crecimiento.

Maemo, el sistema operativo para móviles basado en Linux, es ya el SO de la serie N, un nuevo teléfono Linux podría apuntalar el compromiso con el código abierto de la compañía y acabar de rematar a Symbian.

Aunque tampoco hay que olvidar la posición oficial de Nokia, que no se pronuncia sobre planes de futuros lanzamientos, política de la casa, pero que deja claro, portavoz mediante para Reuters, que están “firmemente comprometidos con Symbian como nuestra plataforma elegida para smartphone”.

Tero Ojanperä, Nokia’s EVP of Services

For nearly two years, I have been critical of Nokia (s NOK) for a diverse set of reasons including its denial of competition from Apple’s (s aapl) iPhone, its hardware, and a botched launch of its Ovi app store. So last week when Tero Ojanperä, Nokia’s EVP of Services, decided to stop by to give me an update on the company’s Ovi service (and the app store), he knew it wasn’t going to be an easy meeting. It wasn’t, but it was a candid conversation during which Ojanperä made a compelling case for Nokia. “We have had our hiccups, and we have learned a lot,” he said and proceeded to share some numbers about 5-month-old Ovi.

• Ovi Mail has more than 3 million subscribers, and carriers like the push email because it boosts data usage. Nokia has signed over 20 partners for a carrier version of Ovi Mail.
• Downloads of apps on the Ovi Store are growing 70 percent per month, and every registered Ovi user has downloaded eight apps on average.
• In terms of downloads, Ovi is the No. 2 app store, Ojanperä claimed.
• The number of users downloading apps is going up 50 percent every month.

The company wants to localize the Ovi Store for 20 countries by the end of the first quarter of 2010. “Since we operate in so many countries, we have to create a local offering, and that is something we need to execute on,” Ojanperä said. Localization can mean instant success. In India, for example, Nokia’s music download service is becoming popular mostly because many people don’t have PCs and are using their phones to download music, he said. Similar trends are being observed in Brazil and Mexico, he added.

Nokia is going to be making a big push in mapping, Ojanperä said. “We want maps to be part of everyday life, and as a result, we are working on building a richer experience on top of the map,” he said. “I think it is going to become obvious that companies with mapping assets are at an advantage.” Nokia bought gate5 and Navteq as part of its efforts to get a toehold in mapping and location-based services.

QT, the new development environment, is not only going to help bolster Nokia’s mapping efforts, but it would make development for the company’s platforms easier, Ojanperä said.

Nokia believes the success of its Ovi Store and services is going to come from its traditional strongholds: Europe, Latin America and Asia. “We are competing for the mindshare, and in the U.S. it is critical and we need to be here and strengthen our presence,” Ojanperä said, while candidly admitted that currently “Ovi’s big opportunity is overseas — outside of the U.S.”

“We have 10 million touch devices in the market right now,” said Ojanperä, explaining why it makes sense for app developers to build for the Ovi Store. “You can make money.” These 10 million touch-based devices could also be the bedrock for making game applications for Nokia’s platform, he said.

Nokia N900 phone powered by the new Maemo OS.

Nokia has just enabled a brand-new games API plug-in that is pretty simple to use and allows game developers to integrate deeply with a device and its operating systems. For instance, it allows 3-D games to tap into device hardware so that the games can run faster. “We want development of games faster and easier on the Nokia platform,” Ojanperä said. This includes Symbian S60 and Maemo OS, which currently powers the recently released N900 device. (Related: “With N900, Nokia Still Not Close to the iPhone”)

Despite all the rumors, Nokia isn’t going to move away from Symbian OS, Ojanperä said. The company will drive Symbian into all its feature phones, and for high-end devices, it will focus its energies on Maemo, the Linux-based OS. “Ultimately every phone is going to be the smartphone,” he said.

This article also appeared on BusinessWeek.com.

O aplicativo Ovi Contacts para celulares Nokia com sistema operacional Symbian S60 5th e 3rd FP2 foi atualizado e agora conta com algumas novidades, tais como a melhora da transferência de arquivos e compressão, o recurso de transferência de arquivos, e uma nova compressão dos dados utilizados pelo aplicativo, que ajudará a economizar a bateria e o tempo, além do tráfego dos dados, que agora estão cerca de 60% menores do que na versão anterior.

Agora nos Contatos existem três botões de acesso rápido para ver o perfil de um amigo, iniciar um bate-papo e adicionar amigos, o que facilitou bastante a utilização do aplicativo! Vale a pena experimentar esta nova versão do Ovi Contacts!!

Para fazer o downloa visite o Nokia Beta Labs ou clique no link http://contacts.ovi.com/dist/app direto do seu celular Nokia!

Fonte: rodrigostoledo.com

Der Handy-Riese Nokia räumt angesichts erodierender Marktanteile Fehler ein. „Wir haben uns in der Vergangenheit zu sehr auf die technischen Grundlagen konzentriert, statt das Design unserer Handys zu optimieren“, sagte Anssi Vanjoki, Chefstratege und Nummer zwei des Konzerns, dem Handelsblatt.

Wahnsinn, diese Erkenntnis, rund zwei Jahre nach dem iPhone-Marktstart und der allgemeinen Schockstarre, die danach bei den Handyherstellern eintrat. Es ist ja phantastisch, dass ein Handyhersteller jetzt begreift, wie wichtig der Faktor Einfachheit bei technischen Geräten ist. Siehe auch meine Abhandlung: Technostress absatzwirtschaft

Im Geschäft mit den mobilen Mini-PCs sehen die Finnen bislang alt aus. Und die Ursachenanalyse von Gartner-Marktforscherin Carolina Milanesi für die Schwächen von Nokia ist schon erschütternd:

„Technisch waren die Nokia-Geräte viel besser als das iPhone“, sagt Carolina Milanesi vom Marktforscher Gartner nach dem Bericht der Handelsblatt-Redakteurin Sandra Louven: „Aber die Nutzung war zu kompliziert.“ Die Bedienungsfreundlichkeit werde in den kommenden Jahren über Erfolg und Misserfolg entscheiden, erklärt Vanjoki. Dennoch erwartet er, dass Apples Bedeutung in dem Markt gering bleibt. „Die Entwicklung bei Handys wird ähnlich verlaufen wie bei PCs“, prognostiziert der Chefstratege. Auch mit dem Mac habe Apple anfangs viel Aufsehen erregt, aber sie sind trotzdem ein Nischenanbieter geblieben. Das wird bei Handys genauso sein. „Experten geben Vanjoki dabei durchaus recht. Allerdings mache Apple mit seinem Fokus auf Multimedia-Handys mehr Gewinn als Nokia, das viele Billiggeräte in Schwellenländern verkauft”, schreibt das Handelsblatt.

Das sehe ich ganz anders. Am iPhone-Bedienungskomfort beißen sich die Konkurrenten die Zähne aus und schmeißen zur Zeit doch eher Kopien des Apple-Kultgeräte auf den Markt. So einem ähnlichen Urteil kommt wohl auch Roman Friedrich von der Unternehmensberatung Booz & Company. Das iPhone sei vor zwei Jahren auf den Markt gekommen, aber es ist immer noch das Vorzeigeprodukt. „In der Branche heißt es, es sei erschreckend, wie langsam Nokia auf das Apple-Handy reagiere. Die Finnen seien nach den vielen Jahren ihres Erfolgs zu satt und nicht flexibel genug, um sich auf einen veränderten Markt einzustellen”, so das Handelsblatt. Siehe auch: Warum sich Gestern-Unternehmer vor Steve Jobs fürchten sollten.

Und wer war denn der Türöffner für das mobile Web? Das liegt doch fast ausschließlich an der Flut der nützlichen Miniprogramme, die mittlerweile im App-Store von Apple angeboten werden. Wer sich für den iPod und das iPhone entschieden hat, wird wohl kaum bereit sein, auf die komfortablen Angebote von iTunes zu verzichten. Siehe auch meinen NeueNachricht-Artikel: Der App-Store-Krieg im Mobilfunk: Anbieter kämpfen um den Markt für bezahlte Downloads. „Hier zeichnet sich zwischen Apple, Google, Microsoft, Nokia, Vodafone, RIM und weiteren Firmen ein regelrechter App-Store-Krieg ab. Aber das ist einleuchtend. Ohne Applikationen kann man die vielfältigen Webdienste auf dem Handy nicht komfortabel einsetzen. Die App-Stores werden zur Tankstelle, um sich kleine nützliche Helfer für Flugbuchungen, Navigation, Restaurantfinder oder Newsticker herunterzuladen”, so Bernhard Steimel von der Düsseldorfer Unternehmensberatung Mind Business.

Bereits 42 Prozent der Markenunternehmen ist mit einer mobile Applikation (App) im Apple Store. Das Spektrum geht von Produkt-Informationen (41 Prozent), Unterhaltung (33 Prozent) bis zu nützlichen Helfern für das tägliche Leben. So bietet HP eine App an, mit der man den Drucker ansteuern kann, Porsche ermöglicht es, seinen Wagen virtuell in die Einfahrt zu stellen. Dr. Oetker stellt ein Rezeptbuch ins Store, während eBay und Amazon komfortabel steigern und bestellen von unterwegs anbieten. Bemerkenswert: nur jedes vierte der insgesamt 144 untersuchten Unternehmen verfügt über eine mobile Website.

Der Hype bei Markenunternehmen um das iPhone lässt sich nach der Mind Business Studie Mobile App War 2009-11-24 nicht nur damit erklären, dass Apple als erstes Unternehmen eine nutzerfreundliche Plattform aufgebaut hat. Sie setzen auch auf die Zielgruppe, die sich durch Markentreue auszeichnet. Sie sichert Marketing Investments ab, die nicht durch Hardwarewechsel gefährdet werden. Sie befördert die Interaktion und Nutzungsstabilität, die sich positiv auf das Mobile Marketing auswirkt. Der Neuromarketingexperte Martin Lindstorm stellte kürzlich fest, dass das Gehirn eines Apple-Fans beim Betrachten eines iPod ähnlich reagiert, wie das eines religiösen Menschen beim Anblick eines Jesusbildes.

Weniger als 12 Monate nach Eröffnung des Apple App Stores lassen sich bereits Veränderungen im täglichen Leben der Menschen feststellen. Laut Untersuchungen des Chicagoer Beratungsunternehmen Gravitytank unter iPhone Nutzern in den USA verändern diese Geräte, wie wir mit anderen Menschen interagieren, mit Marken in Kontakt treten, was wir kaufen und auf welche Weise wir es tun. Die Befragten laden im Schnitt 21 Apps im Monat herunter, jede vierte ist eine Bezahl-App und jede dritte App wird täglich genutzt. 50 Prozent sehen die Apps als wichtiges Werkzeug, um sich besser zu organisieren und Dinge schneller zu erledigen. Die neue Generation der App Nutzer ist statusbewusst, stammt aus höheren Bildungsschichten und zählt zu den Meinungsführern.

Allein für die USA wird erwartet, dass die Downloads von Apps von zur Zeit 975 Millionen auf 6,7 Milliarden in den nächsten drei Jahren steigen. Der Apps-Umsatz werde von einer Milliarde auf vier Milliarden Dollar steigen. iTunes als integrierte Abrechnungsplattform bildet das Fundament für diesen Erfolg. Apple hat das geschafft, wovon andere träumen: ein dynamisches Ecosystem mit hohem Unterhaltungswert. Bislang sehe ich nicht, wie die Konkurrenten das aufholen können. Was denkt Ihr????

Как заявил Билл Перри (Bill Perry), менеджер по Services Marketing в Forum Nokia, воспользоваться Ovi Store могут обладатели 100 различных моделей Nokia (порядка 60 базируются на Symbian S60).

По статистике, на Ovi Store заходят пользователи из 180 стран. В настоящее время их число составляет 61 млн человек. Каждый из них в среднем загружает 8 единиц контента (получается, почти 500 тыс. загрузок). Над ним (музыка, картинки, программы, игры) для Ovi Store трудятся разработчики из 65 стран. Наиболее часто контент загружают на тачфоны Nokia 5800 XpressMusic и Nokia N97.

Сервис доступен в локализованном варианте в восьми странах – Великобритании, Испании, Франции, Германии, Сингапура, Австралии, Италии и России. К концу 2010 года число стран будет доведено до 20. Самыми активными пользователями являются владельцы аппаратов Nokia из Египта, Индии, Индонезии, Германии, Италии, Испании, Саудовской Аравии, Великобритании, Таиланда и России.

Источник: mobiltelefon.ru

Készek lettek az ovis képek, amit még októberben fotóztak az oviban.  A képek, illetve a képek hiánya önmagáért beszéljen. (BB ill. a testvérfotót nem tudták összehozni – óvónöi/fotós asszisztálások után sem) (Sajnos!)

Rozika csodaszép

Inkiväärit 2009

]]> http://fonefrenzy.com/2009/11/24/twtg19-talking-with-tnkgrl/ Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:29:48 +0000 fonefrenzy http://fonefrenzy.com/2009/11/24/twtg19-talking-with-tnkgrl/

I join tnkgrl and Matt from USMobileIndustry to discuss the Palm Pixi, tnkgrl unbrands her SE c905 from AT&T, Matthew revisits the Ovi Store on the N97, and lots more!

I have been ranting and raving about how application stores are the next big thing over and over. One thing that I haven’t really talked about (and frankly, not thought of deep enough) is the feasibility of implementing such a application model in India. I mean the handset model that really took off was a Nokia basic model (no Symbian, just a text-based menu) which also had a torch built in. Low-ARPU prepaid consumers constitute 95% of the subscriber base. That’s how it is here. So if you really try to build a model around synching your PC to a phone, it’s a FAIL! If you try building a model where you require a browser to download content, that’s a second FAIL (Again, I’m not talking about the pockets of cities and metros where people still flash their hacked iPhones around – this is about the remaining 98% of the people).
The only thing you could have on the handset is a single text based menu (like how we have for “Contacts”, “Messages”. All you CAN use is SMS like this service. That is pretty much built-in to any service provider’s connection. So with this kind of handicap, what service can you really provide? That is basically where design is going to play its most important role now.

Scenario1: I kinda get some kinda inspiration from the client-server model. I guess, at least in India, there is a market for developing a telecom platform (similar to the iPhone operating system) on the mobile cloud, which accepts text requests from subscribers, performs all the complicated processing, and returns the result in another SMS. Other slightly advanced,handsets which allow display of graphics could deliver slightly more complicated results such as wallpapers. This is the kind of model that is used for CRBT products where there is no configuration in the subscriber’s handset but on the vendor’s database. Hence, the called party can actually hear 16-tone songs even though ths called party just has a Nokia 1100. One advantage of this kind of architecture is it keeps the server independent of the model of handset (which is one chronic problem among open-source operating systems like the Android) wherein the same application developer has to develop different versions of his product for not just different OS but different versions of the same OS). Develop a base application for a handset that only lists services available (all text-based)

Scenario2: The major problem is with authentication since you can’t have SMS without clear text. The only option I see is using a secure IVR (the one that ICICIBank uses for authenticating PIN numbers) either for only authenticating or even choosing and starting the service. No wait! That will increase the costs for a start-up dramatically (but not for a platform service provider). It will also get complicated as more and more applications come on board. The IVR tree would end up acting like a retail store where the higher payers get shelf space at eye level while others get it at floor-level. So yeah, the design of “the store” on a text interface is going to be pretty interesting.

Scenario3: Maybe, the same can be done using the current distribution model of telecom operators where services can be browsed through “brochures” in retail outlets and “activated” through physical vouchers or e-recharged.

Scenario4: Maybe the service delivery platform can capture IMEI numbers. I know telecom service providers use IMEI numbers to identify the type of handsets being used by the subscriber. Now, that the Government has made it mandatory, this maybe a good launch pad.

Scenario5: Even better, if Android does overcome it’s version issues, would the incremental costs for a handset be adequate to substitute low-end phones with a slightly more expensive medium-level smartphone?

Scenario6: From Nikhil Pahwa:

Feature rich, lower priced handsets are key to an evolving telecom consumer base: as the prices go down and features improve, more and more people will buy handsets and discover new features. More cameras mean more content is created, the mobile Internet access allows many the access to new functionality. What we need now, is more India-specific better apps on the handsets, to enable access to more services. The device manufacturers are key for the app economy – lest you forget.

This provides so many opportunities and so many challenges, mostly design related! Man, may the best design win!

PS – I’m still reading up on how Africa has flourished on a mobile economy. That would be an interesting way forward.
PS2- Some interesting stats from Nokia’s Ovi Store. India is one of the top-10 countries for purchasing apps from the Nokia store. And, as expected, the slightly higher-end phones such as the 5800 XpressMusic and the N97 are the handsets leading the game. However, one statistic missed was the percentage of handsets Nokia sold in these countries from which purchases were actually made

Novo firmware a caminho?

Que tal a home do 5800 igual à do N97?

LEMBREM-SE PODEM SER FAKES!

Компания Nokia развивает партнерство с разработчиками для создания новых сервисов и приложений для Карт Ovi. Примеры тому были продемонстрированы на пресс-конференции Nokia, которая состоялась вчера в рамках VI международной конференции Mobile VAS Conference. К настоящему моменту Nokia достигла ряда соглашений с партнерами в ходе проекта «Ovi for Developers», в рамках которого компания пригласила разработчиков присоединиться к программе бета-тестирования набора Ovi SDK.

На пресс-конференции компания Nokia представила первые результаты сотрудничества с партнерами в области разработки новых приложений и сервисов для Карт Ovi, созданных на базе бета-версии набора программных средств Ovi SDK. К настоящему моменту Nokia достигла ряда соглашений с партнерами в ходе проекта «Ovi для разработчиков».

На данный момент начата работа над такими приложениями для Карт Ovi, как Livejournal (предоставляет возможность осуществлять мобильный блоггинг), Rusavtobus (позволяет пользователям планировать свой маршрут с учетом движения городского транспорта), DorogaTV (дает пользователю возможность просматривать интенсивность дорожного движения в режиме «реального времени»), а также GISmeteo. Данное приложение позволяет отслеживать изменения погоды на территории всей России. Кроме того, ведется работа над приложениями Kinopoisk (позволяет просматривать трейлеры последних киноновинок и получать информацию о расписании сеансов кинотеатров, а также ТВ-программу), Gdeetotdom (предоставляет доступ к базе предложений, где представлена информация об объектах недвижимости), а также TopSkidka (мобильный путеводитель по лучшим скидкам Москвы).

«Развитие интернет-сервисов и предоставление пользователям законченных решений является важным стратегическим направлением Nokia. Мы намерены тесно сотрудничать с веб-издателями и разработчиками, предоставляя  им широкие возможности для реализации собственных проектов и, следовательно, дополнительные возможности для пользователей. В дальнейшем число API-интерфейсов, обеспечивающих доступ к сервисам Ovi, будет только расти», –  отметил в своем выступлении вице-президент Nokia Sales Eurasia Виктор Сайс.

Напомним, что в рамках программы «Ovi для разработчиков» (Ovi for Developers) Nokia приглашает разработчиков присоединиться к программе бета-тестирования на сайте сообщества разработчиков Forum Nokia, предоставляя им доступ к бета-версии Ovi SDK и API-интерфейсам Ovi.

Бета-версия Ovi SDK и API-интерфейсы Ovi представляют собой ознакомительный набор, который разработчики могут получить после регистрации на сайте Forum Nokia. Данный набор включает в себя бета-версию Ovi SDK – интегрированный с функциям Ovi комплект средств разработки с web-интерфейсом, предоставляющий необходимые инструменты для создания интернет-приложений, а также приложений для платформ Symbian и Maemo. Ovi SDK также включает в себя API-интерфейсы Ovi и библиотеки полностью нового пользовательского интерфейса Ovi, которые упрощают создание привлекательных приложений. В бета-версии Ovi SDK используются стандартные веб-технологии – HTML, CSS и JavaScript.

Что касается API-интерфейсов Ovi, то к настоящему моменту Nokia представила два API-интерфейса. Первый из них это Ovi Maps Player. Данный API-интерфейс использует технологии Navteq и поддерживает карты более чем 180 стран, а также функции поиска на базе местоположения и получения подробной информации по конкретным адресам. Впервые API-интерфейс Ovi Maps Player был анонсирован Nokia ранее в этом году. Второй API-интерфейс –  Ovi Navigation Player.  Он позволяет разработчикам внедрять сервисы пешеходной и автомобильной навигации от Nokia в свои приложения, с поддержкой таких функций, как пешеходная навигация, навигация для автомобиля с пошаговыми указаниями и планирование маршрута.

Партнеры компании, участвующие в бета-тестировании в рамках проекта «Ovi для разработчиков», высказывают свое мнение о сотрудничестве с Nokia: «Интерфейс прикладного программирования Ovi Maps Player представляет собой интересное решение для быстрого и легкого создания мобильных приложений для Карт Ovi. В перспективе платформа позволит нам создавать удобные и полезные мобильные web-приложения для широкого круга пользователей», – отмечает руководитель мобильного направления LiveJournal.ru Алексей Шевнин.

«Мы с удовольствием включились в работу над проектом и очень рады тому, что все задуманное удалось воплотить за вполне небольшой срок и при этом в  хорошем качестве. На мой взгляд, во многом подобный результат был достигнут вследствие высокого качества SDK Nokia и усилий команды Nokia, которая всячески помогала нам сделать наше приложение лучше», – комментирует генеральный директор Gdeetotdom.ru Рубен Акопов.

По данным Nokia, в первой половине 2010 года набор программных средств Ovi SDK появится в открытом доступе. Приложения, созданные с помощью Ovi SDK и API-интерфейсов Ovi, появится в магазине «Магазин Ovi» позднее, и их смогут приобрести пользователи.

Что касается других инициатив Nokia, касающихся поддержки российских разработчиков, то компания активно занимается этим вопросом в рамках своей программы Forum Nokia. Кроме того, не так давно Nokia и Adobe Systems Incorporated объявили о том, что фонд Open Screen Project, о создании которого компании сообщили еще в феврале 2009 года на GSMA Mobile World Congress в Барселоне, будет оказывать поддержку и российским разработчикам приложений и сервисов. Ключевые направления проектов – развлечения, социальные сети, инструменты повседневной работы, игры, новости и информация. За разработчиками сохраняются все права на их приложения, в то время как Nokia и Adobe получают право оценивать, тестировать и заниматься продвижением контента.

Если говорить о других производителях мобильных телефонов, то они также активно занимаются развитием собственных мобильных платформ. К примеру, компания Samsung Electronics объявила о запуске в декабре новой мобильной платформы Samsung Bada. Она позволяет разработчикам создавать новые мобильные приложения. Помимо прочего, с помощью Samsung Bada пользовательский интерфейс может использоваться в приложениях сторонних разработчиков. По данным Samsung Electronics, официальное представление новой платформы состоится в декабре 2009 года в Лондоне. На этом мероприятии будет также впервые представлен инструментарий для разработчиков (SDK).

Что касается навигационных сервисов, то такие продукты весьма популярны на рынке. Это подтверждается в том числе и интересом к таким продуктам компаний, работающих в смежных сегментах рынка. К примеру, недавно группа компаний «СИДИКОМ», один из крупнейших игроков российского рынка авторского права, официально объявил о старте нового проекта «Прогород» – разработка законченного программного навигационного сервиса для устройств спутниковой навигации ГЛОНАСС-GPS.

Источник: spbit.su

L’idea della fuga intesa in senso metaforico come allontanamento dal luogo comune mi sembra un ottimo tema da sviluppare e ringrazio Umberto per avermi coinvolto in questa iniziativa promossa da Nokia per il lancio di un advergame relativo al nuovo servizio Ovi Maps.

I luoghi comuni sui kebbabari si sprecano, almeno in Italia e per quello che la mia esperienza diretta mi permette di raccontare.

Si ricordano 5 lontani anni fa quando in una città ben nota del sud, la piazza, come ogni sabato sera, era gremita di gente. Le fatiche scolastiche, universitarie e lavorative della settimana, sembravano essere per tutti un lontano ricordo. L’allegria scorreva a fiumi, come del resto l’alcol. Persino  nei suoi più stretti e remoti affluenti , i vicoli. Ad un certo punto, e ad una ben più che tarda ora, un inaspettato rumore di vetri  rotti irrompe nel caos generale. Il silenzio. Poi le urla. E la rissa comincia. Ovviamente trovarmi in una bolgia infernale del genere, con altre due mie amiche (e se i conti tornano, sommandoci dovremmo essere tre ragazze) in una rissa di piazza non è proprio ideale. Ci dirigiamo verso quei famosi vicoli, e troviamo rifugio presso un “kebbaro”. Kebbabaro in italiano spesso (e purtroppo) è sinonimo di luogo poco sicuro e pieno di brutti ceffi, spesso sudicio e puzzolente. In realtà così non si è rivelato.

Il kebbabaro di turno ci ha dato “asilo“ con ospitalità degna delle migliori famiglie meridionali, offrendoci anche da bere e da mangiare. In realtà è un piccolo aneddoto, raccontato forse con troppe parole. Ma è la mia personale e piccolissima fuga dal luogo comune del kebbabaro, troppo spesso indicata come fucina carica tensioni sociali, sulla rotta della caduta dei pregiudizi.

O Fórum Mobile Castle publicou sua nova lista de aplicativos para os celulares Nokia.

Seguem abaixo suas sugestões:

1. Download AGENT3.rar
2. Download ALMUATHEN_FULL_VERSION.zip
3. Download ALON.SOFTWARE.MP3.DICTAPHONE.V2.90.S60V3.S60V5.SYM BIANOS9.X.*******-ILLUSION.rar
4. Download ALON.SOFTWARE.MP3.DICTAPHONE.V2.90.S60V3.S60V5.SYM BIANOS9X.SIGNED.INCL.KEYGEN-HSPDA.zip
5. Download AVSMS_V2_1_0_S60_5TH_NOKIA.rar
6. Download BELYSIO_2.00.03_5800.JAR.zip
7. Download BELYSIO_5800.JAR.zip
8. Download BOLT_0.83.rar
9. Download BOLT_0.86.zip
10. Download BTFILEMANAGER1.3.rar
11. Download BTSWITCH_V1.00_FREEWARE_UNSIGNED.SIS.zip
12. Download BUDDYCLOUD_9_4.rar
13. Download BUDDYCLOUD_9_4.zip
14. Download CELLITYCOMMUNICATOR.rar
15. Download CODICEFISCALE.rar
16. Download CRICKET_TOUCH.rar
17. Download DESKCOUNT1_2_3.rar
18. Download DESKCOUNTDOWN_5TH.zip
19. Download DIALER.rar
20. Download DRJUKKAY-TASKSV0.55S60V5OS9.4.rar
21. Download EASYDEFENDERV2.0.2TRANSLATEDBYCUPINTHEMUD-REPACKED.zip
22. Download EPOCWARE.HANDY.SHELL.V1.04.S60V5.SYMBIANOS9.4.REGG ED-ILLUSION.rar
23. Download EPOCWAREHANDYRSSV1.00S60V5SYMBIANOS9.XREGGED-TAKASHIRO.zip
24. Download EPOCWAREHANDYSHOPPERV1.00S60V5SYMBIANOS9.XREGGED-TAKASHIRO.zip
25. Download FLASHGAMESV0.2.zip
26. Download FLUIDLAUNCHER_ARMV5_UDEB_50.rar
27. Download FLURRY.rar
28. Download FLYINGBIRD.SOFTWARE.FLYINGMONEY.V1.12.4.S60V3.S60V 5.SYMBIANOS9.X.*******-DIL.rar
29. Download FONEFOOD.rar
30. Download FREE-ISMS_V1.00_FREEWARE_BY_JUNNIKOKUKI@OPDA_5TH.rar
31. Download FREELUNAR_V1.01_FREEWARE_BY_JUNNIKOKUKI.zip
32. Download FREEUNRAR_V1.01_FREEWARE_BY_JUNNIKOKUKI_SELFSIGNED _NO_WITH_RECOG.rar
33. Download FREEUNRAR_V1.01_FREEWARE_BY_JUNNIKOKUKI_SELFSIGNED _NO_WITH_RECOG_001.rar
34. Download FRING_3_37_18_EARLYACCESS2.rar
35. Download FRING_5800_EARLY_ACCESS.zip
36. Download FX-602P-MOBILE-1.2.5.JAR.zip
37. Download GIFTAILOR1.12.rar
38. Download GOOGLETRANSLATOR0.1.rar
39. Download GUARDIANFREEED.zip
40. Download GYPSII_1.9.1.rar
41. Download HACKPROOFPASSWORDMANAGER5THED.zip
42. Download HANDYZIP.V1.04.S60V5.FULL.WORKING.REPACKED.BY-SISPDA.rar
43. Download INSY.rar
44. Download IPLAYER_JACKS60V5.rar
45. Download ISO-8859-1__VERYSOFT.NICEALARM.V1.60.S60V5.SYMBIANOS9.4.*** ****.zip
46. Download JOIKUSOFT.JOIKUSPOT.PREMIUM.V2.40.708.S60V3.S60V5. SYMBIANOS9X.UNSIGNED.*******-ILLUSION.rar
47. Download JOIKUSOFT.JOIKUSPOT.PREMIUM.V2.40.710.S60V3.S60V5. SYMBIANOS9.X.UNSIGNED.*******-ILLUSION.rar
48. Download KASPERSKY.MOBILE.SECUIRTY.V8.0.38.BETA.S60V3.S60V5 .SYMBIANOS9.X.UNSIGNED.*******.READ.NFO-ILLUSI.rar
49. Download KASPERSKY.MOBILE.SECUIRTY.V8.0.48.S60V3.S60V5.SYMB IANOS9.X.UNSIGNED.*******.READ.NFO-ILLUSION.rar
50. Download KYLOM+PROJEKT+V1.22+S60V3+N+S60V5+SYMBIANOS9.INCL. KEYGEN-HSPDA+AND+BINPDA.zip
51. Download LIGHTNOTEPAD186.rar
52. Download LIGHTSABRE5TH_V0_1S.zip
53. Download LOCIFY.zip
54. Download MDICTIONARY_S60_5TH_V6.5.rar
55. Download MDICTIONARY_S60_5TH_V6.6.zip
56. Download MDICTIONARY_S60_5TH_V6.7.rar
57. Download MERRIAM-WEBSTER’S_MEDICAL_DICTIONARY_FOR_S60_5.zip
58. Download MESSMO.zip
59. Download MOBBLER_S60_0_3_5.zip
60. Download MOBIFUN.SOFT.REMIND.ME.V3.52.S60V3.S60V5.SYMBIANOS 9.X.UNSIGNED.*******-ILLUSION.rar
61. Download MOBIFUN.SOFT.REMINDME.V3.51.S60V5.SYMBIANOS9.X.UNS IGNED.*******-KAYGU.rar
62. Download MOBILEPAINT_S60_5_0_V_1_1_AVKON.SELFS.rar
63. Download MOBILEPAINT_S60_5_0_V_1_1_CUSTOM.SELFS.rar
64. Download MOBISOPHY.INTERACTIVE.VOICE.CALL.MASTER.V2.50.0820 .S60V3.S60V5.UNSIGNED.*******-SYMBIAN.zip
65. Download MOJOS.MOBILE.PHOTOINBOX.V1.10.S60V3.SYMBIANOS9.1.U NSIGNED.*******-BINPDA.rar
66. Download MOJOS.STUDIOS.GREENPHONE.V1.0.S60V3.S60V5.SYMBIANO S9.X.UNSIGNED.*******.READ.NFO-ILLUSION.rar
67. Download MOJOS.STUDIOS.GREENPHONE.V1.01.S60V3.S60V5.SYMBIAN OS9.X.UNSIGNED.*******.READ.NFO-ILLUSION.rar
68. Download MOJOS.STUDIOS.PHOTOINBOX.V1.0.S60V3.S60V5.SYMBIANO S9.X.UNSIGNED.*******-ILLUSION.rar
69. Download MOJOS.STUDIOS.PHOTOINBOX.V1.10.S60V3.S60V5.SYMBIAN OS9.X.UNSIGNED.*******-ILLUSION.rar
70. Download MUMCODE.MUMSMS.PLUS.V5.05.S60V3.S60V5.SYMBIANOS9.X .*******.READ.NFO-ILLUSION.rar
71. Download MYRINGTONE2_S60V5_V3_01_00_SIGNED.rar
72. Download NALERTMESENSORFW.rar
73. Download NOKIA_ENERGY_PROFILER_V1_2_EN.zip
74. Download NOTESONTHEPHONE5THED.zip
75. Download OPERA-MINI-4.2.13918-ADVANCED-EN-IN.JAR.zip
76. Download PAINTPAD_V1_0_0.rar
77. Download PALRINGOV0.99S60V3.zip
78. Download PHONEPHREAK.SOFTWARE.SMARTLIGHT.V1.6.S60V3.S60V5.SYMBIANOS9.X.*******-ILLUSION.rar
79. Download PHONEPHREAKSMARTLIGHTAUTOMATICBACKLIGHTV1.60.S60V3 ,S60V5.SYMBIANOS9.X.RETAIL-GKATARIA.zip
80. Download PHONEPHREAKTIMESCREENSCREENSAVERV1.0.S60V5.SYMBIAN OS.9.4.RETAIL-GKATARIA.zip
81. Download PHONEPHREAKTIMESCREENSCREENSAVERV1.1.S60V5.SYMBIAN OS.9.4.RETAIL-GKATARIA.rar
82. Download PHONETINFO_2.1.0_OSO_S60V3_S60V5.zip
83. Download PHONETORCH_SIGNED.zip
84. Download PHONETORCH_UNSIGNED.zip
85. Download PHOTOFLOW.V1.01.SIGNED.rar
86. Download PHOTO_FLOW.rar
87. Download PLUGINS.rar
88. Download PLUSMO_4.0.15.rar
89. Download POCKETQURAN-J2ME.zip
90. Download PROEXSAVARIANT_QO_4.2.368_S6050.rar
91. Download PUTTY_S60V3_1.5.0.zip
92. Download QIK_S60_0_09_19.rar
93. Download QT_LIBS_ARMV5_UDEB_50.rar
94. Download QUICKMARK-S603RDFP2-V3.8R4330.rar
95. Download RED.FIVE.LABS.NET60.V2.10.S60V3.S60V5.SYMBIANOS9.X .UNSIGNED.*******-ILLUSION.rar
96. Download RESCO.NEWS.V1.25.S60V3.S60V5.SYMBIANOS9.X.*******-ILLUSION.rar
97. Download REUTERSWIDGET.rar
98. Download SBSH.MOBILE.SOFTWARE.REMINDERS.V1.10.S60V3.SYMBIAN OS9.1.UNSIGNED.*******-BINPDA.rar
99. Download SHAKESMS-5800-N96-N85-E66-BETA-UNSIGNED.zip
100. Download SLICK_S60_3RD.zip
101. Download SMART.VALLEY.HAPPYWAKEUP.V1.20.S60V3.S60V5.SYMBIAN OS9.X.UNSIGNED.*******-ILLUSION.rar
102. Download SMARTPHONEWARE.BEST.BIRTHDAY.V1.0.S60V5.SYMBIANOS9 .4.INCL.KEYGEN-HSPDA.rar
103. Download SMARTPHONEWARE.BEST.BLACKLIST.V1.0.S60V5.SYMBIANOS 9.4.INCL.KEYGEN-HSPDA.rar
104. Download SMARTPHONEWARE.BEST.CALLCHEATER.V1.0.S60V5.SYMBIAN OS9.4.INCL.KEYGEN-HSPDA.rar
105. Download SMARTPHONEWARE.BEST.CALLCHEATER.V1.0.S60V5.SYMBIAN OS9.4.UNSIGNED.*******-ILLUSION.rar
106. Download SMARTPHONEWARE.BEST.CRYPTO.V1.0.S60V5.SYMBIANOS9.4 .INCL.KEYGEN-HSPDA.rar
107. Download SMARTPHONEWARE.BEST.PROFILES.V1.01.S60V5.SYMBIANOS 9.4.INCL.KEYGEN-HSPDA.rar
108. Download SMARTPHONEWARE.BEST.PROFILES.V1.01.S60V5.SYMBIANOS 9.4.UNSIGNED.*******-BSSIRUPPP.rar
109. Download SMARTPHONEWAREBESTBIRTHDAYV1.0S60V5SYMBIANOS9.4SIG NED*******-FOOLMAN.zip
110. Download SMARTPHONEWAREBESTPROFILESV1.01S60V5SYMBIANOS9.4UN SIGNED*******-COLDLEON.rar
111. Download SMSPREVIEW_V1.00.01.rar
112. Download SPB.SOFTWARE.WALLET.V2.0.S60V3.SYMBIANOS9.1.UNSIGN ED.*******-OPDA.rar
113. Download STEW.WGZ.zip
114. Download STYLETAP.V0.9.016.INCL.DESKTOP.S60V3.S60V5.UIQ3.SY MBIANOS9.X.UNSIGNED.*******-ILLUSION.rar
115. Download STYLETAP.V0.9.018.INCL.DESKTOP.S60V3.S60V5.UIQ3.SY MBIANOS9.X.UNSIGNED.*******-ILLUSION.rar
116. Download STYLETAP.V0.9.018.S60V3.S60V5.UIQ3.SYMBIANOS9.X.UN SIGNED.*******-DIL.rar
117. Download SYMBIAN.GURU.AFTERCALL.V1.00.S60V5.SYMBIANOS9.4.UN SIGNED.*******-BINPDA.zip
118. Download SYMBIAN.GURU.AUTOTHEMES.V1.30.S60V5.SYMBIANOS9.4.U NSIGNED.*******-BINPDA.zip
119. Download SYMBIAN60.MOBI-TVWIDGET.WGZ.rar
120. Download SYMBIANGEARAPPSTOREV1.0S60V5OS9.4FREEWARE.rar
121. Download SYNBLE.SISX.zip
122. Download TALKONAUT-5.0-FOR-5800.rar
123. Download TALKONAUT-S60V5.rar
124. Download TCBR-2.2.20-2.3.4.zip
125. Download TEKTRONIC.ADVANCED.PHONE.LOCK.V1.03.15.S60V3.S60V5 .SYMBIANOS9.X.UNSIGNED.REPACK.*******-DIL.rar
126. Download TEKTRONIC.DIGITAL.CLOCK.V1.03.278.S60V3.S60V5.SYMB IANOS9.X.UNSIGNED.*******-DIL.rar
127. Download TEKTRONIC.HIDDEN.CONTACTS.V1.02.28.S60V3.S60V5.SYM BIANOS9.X.UNSIGNED.*******-ILLUSION.rar
128. Download TEKTRONIC.HIDDEN.CONTACTS.V1.02.28.S60V3.S60V5.SYM BIANOS9.X.UNSIGNED.*******-PARSPDA.zip
129. Download TEKTRONIC.LIGHT.ON.V1.04.74.S60V3.S60V5.SYMBIANOS9 .X.UNSIGNED.*******-DIL.rar
130. Download THEPENCIL9_1_7.zip
131. Download TOTALPATROL.UNSIGNED.2.1.23.S60V3X.zip
132. Download TOTALPATROL.UNSIGNED.2.1.24.S60V3X.zip
133. Download TOTALPATROL.UNSIGNED.2.1.25.S60V3X.zip
134. Download TUNINFM_S60_30_V1_20.zip
135. Download UCWEB6.3-63-300-69-09022414.rar
136. Download UCWEB6_EN_JACKS60V5.zip
137. Download UNOSPRO.rar
138. Download USTREAM_BROADCASTER.rar
139. Download VIKING.INFORMATICS.WIFIRADAR.V1.0.S60V3.V5.SYMBIAN OS9.X.UNSIGNED.*******-PERSIANPDA.rar
140. Download VIRTUALKEYBOARD5THV0.9.1BETA.zip
141. Download WATCHMELIGHTTOUCH.zip
142. Download WEBGATE.ADVANCED.CALL.MANAGER.V2.72.230.S60V3.V5.S YMBIANOS9.X.UNSIGNED.*******-DIL.rar
143. Download WEBGATE.ADVANCED.DEVICE.LOCKS.PRO.V2.02.69.S60V3.V 5.SYMBIANOS9.X.UNSIGNED.*******-DIL.rar
144. Download WEBGATE.ADVANCED.DEVICE.LOCKS.V1.09.126.S60V3.V5.S YMBIANOS9.X.UNSIGNED.REPACKED.*******-DIL.rar
145. Download WEBGATE.EASY.BUSY.V1.01.50.S60V3.S60V5.SYMBIANOS9. X.UNSIGNED.*******-ILLUSION.rar
146. Download WEBGATE.EASY.BUSY.V1.01.51.S60V3.S60V5.SYMBIANOS9. X.UNSIGNED.*******-ILLUSION.rar
147. Download WEBGATE.EASY.REJECT.V1.05.152.S60V3.S60V5.SYMBIANO S9.X.UNSIGNED.*******-ILLUSION.rar
148. Download WINDOWSLIVEMOBILE.rar
149. Download WORLDMATE_V7.0014.rar
150. Download YOUSEFQAUD4IPMART-FORUM.rar
151. Download Y_BROWSER_089_0_3RDED.zip
152. Download Y_BROWSER_089_2_3RDED.rar
153. Download Z7-9S60-MAIN-318946-DEF_SEVEN-PREVIEW-NOKIA-SYMBIANSIGNED.rar
154. Download ZXREADER.rar
155. Download MUMCODE.SOFTWARE.MUMSMS.PLUS.V5.05.S60V5.SYMBIANOS 9.4.UNSIGNED.*******-BINPDA.rar
156. Download SCRATCHPADV5.00.zip
157. Download HANDWAVEBETA2.rar
158. Download TOUCHCALC60V1.0BETA.zip
159. Download PHONEPHREAKSOFTWARELIGHTSIGNALPLUS.V1.20.S60V5.SYM BIANOS.9.4.RETAIL-GKATARIA.zip

Fonte: Mobile Castle Forum

Nokia promete una transición gradual en la evolución de sus futuros terminales a la hora de adoptar el nuevo sistema operativo. Pero lo que ha dejado bien claro el equipo de marketing de Maemo esta pasada madrugada, coincidiendo con la puesta de largo del N900, es que los planes del fabricante pasan por incorporar este sistema operativo en todos los rangos de sus terminales, incluso en los de la gama alta (véase Serie N). Según lo avanzado, Nokia seguirá centrándose en el desarrollo e implementación inicial dentro de los dispositivos orientados a un público masivo, para acabar implantándolo en sus terminales más profesionales tope de gama, allá por el año 2012.

Sin duda, la encarnación llevada a cabo en el modelo N900 ha tenido muy buena aceptación entre ingenieros y desarrolladores de Nokia, que no se cansan de destacar las enormes posibilidades que abre este sistema operativo de código abierto basado en Linux.

La comunidad actual y el portal de aplicaciones de Maemo, previsiblemente será integrado junto con la actual tienda de aplicaciones Nokia Ovi. Previsiblemente, entrará en funcionamiento a partir del próximo mes, y los propietarios del terminal N900 dispondrán de acceso a nuevas aplicaciones mediante la correspondiente actualización de software del terminal.

Sin duda, estos pasos dados van a provocar un gran revuelo, especialmente viendo como hasta ahora Nokia había tratado de retener ambos sistemas operativos para sus dispositivos móviles. También es verdad que aunque Symbian continúa liderando el mercado de dispositivos móviles, noticia que destacábamos hoy mismo, en el último año ha perdido una cuota de mercado importante, descendiendo del 49,7 por ciento al 44,6 por ciento actual. Otras plataformas como Android o iPhone OS siguen atrayendo en mayor medida al usuario final, asombrados por las posibilidades gráficas que despliegan, así como por la calidad de las aplicaciones que se desarrollan para ellos diariamente.

Así pues, ¿podemos vaticinar que el final del reinado de la plataforma Symbian se acerca? No deja de ser anecdótico que estemos empleando estos términos tratándose del sistema operativo que impera a nivel mundial. Así de paradójico es el mercado, que en poco tiempo es capaz de dar una vuelta de hoja espectacular, y Nokia no está dispuesta a perder el tren, cueste lo que cueste y le pese a quien le pese.

  This is the third in a series of postings on the emerging business models of the Mobile Web.

Content was never really the hook the Telcos or the media moguls thought is was going to be.

The bulk of the new media sales from the Telcos’ “Walled Gardens” provided the customers with Music, Ringtones, Wall Papers and Games that enhanced or personalised the handset. 

For the customer mobile media was just another fashion accessory. Bling for their phone.

This, along with the emergence of the mobile web, has systematically destroyed the value of the “Walled Garden” portal as a competitive advantage for any telco trying to enter into the mobile media space.

Disney was but one of many new entrants into the mobile communications market who found out very quickly that premium media content no longer adds value. Particularly when you are trying to secure new market share.

This is does not mean the “Walled Garden” is dead. Far from it.

Today it is the handset manufacturers who are using the “Walled Garden” to secure more market share.

Both Nokia and Apple have demonstrated to the market the benefits of coupling the device with the portal to keep customers “sticky”. Apple’s App Store and Nokia’s Ovi have taken the Mobile Media Portal in a new and more profitable direction for all the players in the value chain.

At the moment both Apple, Nokia and the other mobile handset manufacturers appear to be sitting on a potential Gold Mines. See the following for further discussion:

• What’s on the Radar for Google and Nokia?
• What’s on Apple’s Radar?
• How Apple dined out on 100,000 free lunches

The big question is will owning the killer mobile gadget allow them to maintain ownership of the “walled garden”? 

Put another way, will owning the shopping basket really allow them to maintain ownership of the mobile market place? or, Will the emergence of the Mobile Web ultimately do for mobile applications what it has already done for mobile content ? Set them “free”?

The key points that need to be made are these.

• Games and music are still the most popular forms of mobile Bling!
• The App store is growing at a rate 3 times quicker than the original iTunes music store.

Further proof, if any was needed, that media content is just not sticky enough to be profitable in an interactive world.

However, after all this excitement, SMS is still the killer mobile app and still offers the only mainstream way to reach all your consumers across the mobile phone network.

For the Telcos there must be a feeling of Deja Vu in all this. Once again they have left the door open for I.T to dominate the next wave of the MobCon.

While they had control of the original  ”Walled Garden” they had the opportunity to profit from owning both the gateway and the network of the Mobile Web.

Now, having once again relinquished control of the network gateway to the I.T. Sector and limiting themselves to just managing the network on behalf of the other players, they must be content with making their profits from maintaining the “Dumb Pipes”.

Today the telcos will tell you their business model has evolved from Publishing to people on the move into Interacting with people on the move.

The reality is it is still about walking into a crowded room and saying:

If you think that’s cool then take a look at this!

The mobile phone was always more fashion statement than media platformThe original mobile handset business model focused on industrial design and hardware smarts to deliver the competitive edge in a fashion conscious market.

Today, thanks primarily to the iPhone, the model has evolved to the point where software is just as important as hardware in the fashion stakes.

Next post in this series >>

<< Previous post in this series

Warning: This may be a post that's heard across blogs too many times before but I just feel that it needs to be said again

No matter how many times I think about it and no matter how many times I read about it, the apps economy still blows my mind. The Apple Telecom Group (The iPhone + iTunes + App store) is a gift that just keeps on giving.
The statistics are mind boggling by themselves: 7 million handsets in Q3 of 2009 giving it a 17.1% share of the net adds in the quarter.

More importantly, Apple has used its experience in the personal computer industry + selling songs through the iTunes store in a very unique way:

• First it created an extremely cool product – the iPhone (the equivalent of a Mac). People flocked to it and called it the Jesus Phone.
• Then they used its brilliant user interface, sexy looks and the lure of a REAL operating system to attract developers to build for the iPhone, albeit only after a lot of protests (the equivalent of getting Adobe and Microsoft to develop content for the Mac)
• Set up the iTunes store such that they get a piece of the pie for every app sold (unheard of the PC industry but definitely heard of the in the iPod-iTunes world)
• Let developers spread the word about the applications oh which is available for the iPhone
• And finally, using this very same plethora of apps to attract customers to its iPhone thus completing the vicious (or positive enforcement) cycle

It’s kinda like how Gillette sells the razors relatively cheap in order to sell many units of the more expensive blades. Except that in the Apple world, both are expensive

When you read articles like these on the Web, it gives you an idea of the phenomenal advantage that Apple has juiced out from its App Store. These are the statistics from Brad Kellett for the App store. A 165% growth rate between June 11, 2008 and May 25, 2009. See graph below:

Daily new apps released in 11 months

Break up of downloads for each price point

It’s easy to see why Dwyan Tweney says he’s not shifting to Droid despite all its amazing features. Beyond the hardware keyboard and the weight (really, are they even reasons?), the main reasons is losing out on two apps he usually uses. TWO APPS ! And there are 57,000 apps out there.
Now, Apple has obviously lost out on India and Africa (where the main telecom action lies) with a relatively lukewarm reception in China (highest population). Nokia dominates India. Now is the only time that Nokia has to lick its wounds and really really build up its Ovi store. Too bad they shut down their N-Gage store. They could really exploit its potential with 3G looming in the (distant?) horizon. Now is the time to really build applications that these developing nations can use to their advantage.  And people in these countries don’t want a iFart app. They just want extreme (and man, I mean extreme) value for money. Nokia has already invested $70 million in Obopay. Products and investments like these need to be really pushed to customers.

Secondly, there are some significant dischordant noises made by the developer community about Apple’s seemingly random procedures for approving or rejecting apps. There is only one company that stands to gain from all this. If Google is able to launch its Android OS on a much larger range of handsets (including displacing Nokia’s old and tired Symbian OS) and build a much more developer-friendly store, it can stop Apple dead in its tracks. I still feel, however, that Google ads may not really work in a mobile environment. Will justify this statement in another post. However, it all depends on how Google can migrate the simplicity of its Internet products onto its Android platform and tie-up with Nokia.

Image by RafeB

I’ve been using a Nokia n97 mini about a week now so here’s a short review on that. Not going too deep into the device specs, one can always read them at Nokia’s site or from other tech blogs.

What I like

It feels quality. Flipping the top works like it supposed to and I like the keyboard, although the buttons may be even too sturdy. I also like how easily it works overall. Was pretty light to start using it, but I’m a bit of a tech freak so can’t say how my grandmother would do with it.

Clicking the touch screen usually also works fine and there’s not that many nuisances [but, see the "What I don't like"].

What I don’t like

Of course it’s understandable if you have many apps on the same time, your battery isn’t going to last too long. But it’s still boring if you have to charge it daily, as you have to with n97 – maybe there’s something one could do with tweaking some hidden energy saver menu, but haven’t dived that deep to that so can’t say. I usually put the device to the wall when I’m going to sleep so it doesn’t really matter that much, but one day I forgot to do it and in the middle of the day the device just died.

Also I don’t like how some of the touch screen things sometimes work, like for example scrolling. There are times it feels that I really have to hit the screen in order the device to realize I want to activate scrolling. On some apps it works really good [like in Gravity, see below], but in the device’s own menu it sometimes gives a little cough.

And also I happen to have a thumb size of a potato and when I’m trying to hit the scroll bar I sometimes hit something else I shouldn’t have, like someone’s status update in the native Facebook application.

About OVI and Syncing

If you want to sync OVI with the device you get good instructions from OVI during syncing. Well, not exactly, but almost.

When you are doing the syncing with the service it gives you instructions that take you half way there; with the instructions you can get the OVI work and signed in to the service, but there were some problems with syncing the contacts with the device.

This wasn’t because of the help being vague, but being totally wrong in some point. The right options are in a different place in n97 mini’s menu and you have to do a lot more in order to get them working.

Fortunately [in a way] there has been other people suffering with this, so I found help here: http://www.n97fanatics.com/sync-with-ovi-on-the-n97/ Thanks Timi!

Two apps I’m using on n97 mini

Here’s a few words about two apps I’m currently using on n97 mini. I haven’t used them too long so I’ll write longer reviews later.

Snaptu

App to use your different web services like Facebook, Twitter [multiple accounts], Google Calendar/Gmail, RSS etc. with the mobile.

It’s OK, but in my opinion some oddities with the UI and again my potato thumb doesn’t like those rather small hotspots and too sensitive touch! Also, what’s with the pixelated n97 desktop icon?

I’m currently using this to read my RSS blogs and news, and for these this works OK.

Gravity

I’m not taking sides, but for using Twitter with my mobile, I like this one’s UI better than the previous one’s.

The touch screen scrolling feels firm, there not that many accidental clicks and it looks rather stylish too. Using it to Twitter, Twitter search and you can also have groups based on search terms.

Facebook

EDIT: Oh, I almost forgot the Facebook app! It’s pre-installed and gives you updates regularly to the desktop. The UI is rather simple, but one thing I was missing was that it should give you some indication if people have replied to updates or other threads you have written. Now there seems to be none and it’s boring to try to hunt them manually.

Still, I feel this is a better way for occasional updates and visits to FB, than the one for example in n95.

Conclusion

Used n97 mini a week and a half now and there hasn’t been that many situations where I wanted to throw this to the wall. Guess that summarizes it well? Like we all know; a device and user experience is good when you don’t have too much to cry about, right?

Las grandes operadoras móviles se preparan para la campaña de Navidad con ofertas en exclusiva de teléfonos avanzados que favorezcan el consumo de sus servicios y les permitan arrancar clientes a la competencia. Mientras Movistar ya ha apostado el Palm Pré y el Motorola Dext, Vodafone opta por el BlackBerry Storm 2 y el Nokia N97 mini. Éste último se podrá comprar a partir de la semana próxima a partir de 49 €, para clientes de otras operadoras que asuman un compromiso de consumo mensual de 20 € de voz durante 18 meses, y 15 € de datos durante 6 meses.

La tarifa de datos en cuestión incluye 300 MB de tráfico a velocidad HSDPA (a 3,6 Mbps, que es el límite del N97 mini) y a 384 kbps una vez superado dicho límite. La operadora también incluye descargas ilimitadas de canciones del servicio Vodafone Music, que se pueden escuchar en el móvil y en un PC.
Según la compañía, no está restringido el uso de ninguna aplicación (VoIP) y se puede usar el teléfono como módem para el ordenador, pero el límite de tráfico no lo hace aconsejable.

Además de la que destacamos, existen otras opciones de compra del N97 mini, según el compromiso de consumo que asuma el cliente. Por ejemplo, si el compromiso mensual es de 60 € de voz (más los 15 € de datos) el teléfono costará 0 €. El terminal, que también estará incluido en el programa de puntos de la operadora, se puede comprar en modalidad libre por 499 € en la tienda de Nokia.

Vodafone también ha indicado que de cara a la campaña navideña tiene previsto ofrecer paquetes de varios modelos de móvil provistos de salida de vídeo –entre ellos el N97 mini– junto a un picoproyector SHOWWX de Microvision, cuyo precio por separado rondará los 300 €.

Durante las próximas semanas se podrán descargar los programas cliente de los servicios Vodafone 360 para el N97 mini. Por su parte, Nokia incluye con el N97 mini una licencia perpetua de navegación a pie con su servicio Nokia Maps.

El N97 mini es una nueva versión compacta del smartphone estrella de Nokia, el N97. En breve les ofreceremos nuestras primeras impresiones sobre él.

Want to know how life would be with mobile phones in 2015 then you need to check this video. The video paints a picture of life in 2015 based on Nokia’s research and development. This video was recently shown in this week Finland conference “Nokia’s The Way We Live Next”. It gives an inside idea of Nokia future and what Nokia is trying to do with its Ovi services. Also we get an idea how our all data be accessible all the time and easily merged.

Click on here to watch the video