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Nokia 5800 XpressMusic Gets Peckish, Orders Fonefood Widget

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (565)

It isn’t even out here yet, but the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic is already getting widget support from some of the biggest retailers on the net!

One of the first is from travel and activity retailer lastminute.com, offering their fonefood widget to search for and subsequently book restaurants on the go, with over 6,000 restaurants in 12 countries covered.

Complete with full descriptions, map directions and info on discounts and promotions, eateries can be booked for free using the service (as opposed to kicking you out of the widget to dial them yourself), and instant SMS confirmations are received to give peace of mind that it worked!

As they mention on Symbian Freak, this widget is extremely useful for people outside of their native land to book places to eat without any knowledge of local language or geography.

lastminute.com Head of Innovation, Marko Balabanovic said: “We are very excited to be launching fonefood as we see mobile becoming increasingly popular with people as a way to organise and make the most of their leisure time. This is just the start of many mobile capabilities that we are developing within the lastminute.com labs team this year.”

Interesting that they chose to develop for Symbian phones as opposed to the popular (to the point of being crowded?) iPhone App market…

Download the fonefood widget here!

Nokia Advert Shows Their REAL Touchscreen Phone?

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (565)

Yes, we know the Nokia N97 is coming, but trust Nokia to drown us with a wealth of information about their future plans just as everyone is getting geared up for an Xperia for Xmas or Samsung from Santa.

Last week’s Capital Markets Day presentation in Brooklyn got tongues wagging, not least because of an advert which Nokia put up about a new gesture-based user interface they were developing, without explanation or elaboration on what this gorgeous device was, or whether it would ever even be in production.

It looks to be a cross between the widget-based interface for the 5800 XpressMusic and the changeable interfaces of the Xperia X1, all with gesture-based input as opposed to the simplistic poke-and-drag most have made do with.

The question is, what kind of inputs are left now that Apple have practically patented the human finger for the iPhone and Macbook interfaces?

Exciting!

Source: Trusted Reviews

Nokia N97 : Nokia’s Big Announcement!

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (565)

Well, the countdown counted down, revealing the touchscreen Nokia with slidey keyboard that we all dreamt of, but never thought they’d actually do!

The Nokia N97 is the first N-Series handset with a touch based interface, and also has a hinged horizontal slide out keyboard that angles the screen more like the HTC TyTN II or the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 than the HTC Touch Pro.

The N97 has been touted as a web and entertainment focused device, with a customisable online widget-based Home screen (not a million miles away from iPhone jailbreakers favourite, Intelliscreen) and support for the Nokia’s Ovi syncing/entertainment service.

The Nokia N97 features:

- a 3.5 inch (360 x 640 resolution) touchscreen with haptic feedback

- a 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics and a dual-LED flash

- 32GB of internal flash memory, expandable up to 48GB with a 16GB microSD card

- GPS with A-GPS and compass sensors, and a new touch-driven Nokia Maps 2.0.

-802.11b/g Wi-Fi, HSDPA, Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP support for wireless headphones.

Would you like to know more? Then you’ve come to the right place! Click on!

Read the rest of this entry »

Nokia 5800 XpressMusic Released In Europe

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (565)

Well, the wait is over (if you are a Spaniard).

The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, the touchscreen Nokia touted as the Tube for many moons is now shipping to retail stores throughout Europe, ahead of a December 1st release date.

The phone is set to be the flagship “Comes With Music” handset for audiophiles, and also comes with a 3.2″ TFT display, a 3 megapixel Carl Zeiss autofocus camera, built-in GPS and 8GB of memory via an SD card included.

The device is set to be unleashed amid the Nokia World convention, which occurs over the 2nd and 3rd of December in Barcelona, offering all manner of Finnish phone-related insight and innovation.

Perhaps Nokia were wise to allow some breathing space for the UK launch of the 5800, let it stand out for 2009 instead of being trampled in the Christmas rush…

The only sticking point is the distinctly high-end price for their supposedly mid-range handset, €429 (£358) on their online Nokia store. Let’s hope the networks can subsidise that a little for our yuletide-bruised pockets in the new year…

Samsung i7110 Announced, Is It A Nokia N96 Slayer?

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (565)

“Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.”

Shakespeare put it best, when you’re number one, there is always some whippersnapper at your heels, eager to snatch the glory away from you.

The Nokia N96 has barely gotten comfy in the multimedia smartphone throne when Samsung comes out with a lithe new handset ready to claim dominance!

The i7110 is a sleek little handset (literally, it looks the spitting image of the U800 Sleek!), boasting a 5 megapixel camera with dual LED flash, a massive 2.6″ QVGA screen, and wi-fi connectivity. It also runs those videos you downloaded legitimately purchased from the internet without any trouble, as it runs DivX and XviD format material with ease.

It even has GPS and 3G support, making the i7110 an embarrassment of riches on the specs front! The real question is, will the user experience be a nice enough one to drag the Nokia N96 from clutches of Symbian lovers everywhere?

Probably not, but you have to hand it to Samsung, they are not putting a foot wrong at the moment. With a line up of handsets to suit all pockets this Xmas, it will be interesting to see whether Nokia’s Comes With Music and a promise of the 5800 touchphone in 2009 can stave off the Samsung onslaught of the high end i8510, the higher end M8800 Pixon, and the touchy feely Omnia.

That’s not to mention the barrage of phones on the way from LG, BlackBerry, even T-Mobile’s own puppy.

The crown is certainly slipping…

Nokia Profits Take A Hit, Still Banking On The Future

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (565)

The world’s number one mobile maker Nokia posted their third quarter results today, and they had taken quite a dip as expected.

Their profits fell by a third, which is a lot in any business but when it means making £850 million less, it’s kind of a big deal.

They resorted to the current phone manufacturer excuse du jour of a ‘decline in Western European demand,’ which they were luckily able to offset with the inexplicable devotion of the emerging market to Nokia handsets.

Nokia’s CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo echoes this sentiment: “With our scale, brand, improving product portfolio and low-cost structure, we believe Nokia is well positioned for the current times.”

Seems that some are just happy with FM radio and the ability to make and receive telephone calls. Fancy that!

Let’s hope the delayed release of the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic makes for a better 2009. If top dogs Nokia are having a hard time, what about the also-rans? Dark times may lie ahead…

Source: The Guardian

Nokia 5800 XpressMusic Gets Starring Role In New Britney Vid!

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (565)

Nokia have always been known as the best in the business when it comes to flaunting their new wares in music videos. Our Omio Product Placement Blowout showed you some of their best and most blatant, but the Finnish manufacturer scored a MAJOR coup in managing to crowbar the 5800 XpressMusic into Britney’s comeback porno promo for “Womanizer”.

We know what you’re thinking, “How many comebacks can one woman have?” And yes, she looks hot again. We know you were also thinking that.

Nevertheless the touchscreen music phone features prominently in the hands of her womanizing faux love interest in between scenes of Britney’s clothes flying off, Britney wearing nowt at all, Britney photocopying her rear, and Britney driving a Maybach with her feet. True story.

See it all here, but we must warn you that the audio that emanates from the following footage may cause lasting mental anguish…

Yeah. That product placement definitely paid for some expensive CG and wigs in that one. But that’s how the both music and mobile industry works, also proving that the 5800 is a huge deal for Nokia. Note that the Princess of Pop did not handle the device herself, stopping short of completely marketing the phone directly into children’s eyeballs. She certainly had wares of her own to display (zing!).

It’s a shame that the phone isn’t out in ‘08, but Nokia will be sure to keep it firmly placed in our collective conscious until then!

Source: The Register

Experience The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic Early!

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (565)

Rumours say it might be an Orange exclusive, it definitely has been delayed to 2009, but you can still get a quick fiddle with the first big design shakeup from the Finnish manufacturer with this cool new Nokia 5800 microsite!

A touchscreen device might not translate that well to the confines of a monitor, but it does a good job of demonstrating just what makes it stand out from the crowd of finger-dependant phones at the moment. The one-handed texting option seems particularly cavalier, and the user interface is a breath of fresh air from the iPhone’s swipe happy surface!

Even the Comes With Music functionality gets a little demonstration, with a selection of tracks from R&B sensation Estelle. Given the frosty reception the networks are giving the price hike of Comes With Music (they already had their own plans about digital distribution, didn’t they?), it seems the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic might have an uphill struggle to get into stores, but it looks set to fly straight off them and into music lovers’ pockets as soon as it does.

Sony Ericsson Xperia X1: Confirmed On Orange And O2 At Carphone Warehouse

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (565)

Sony Ericsson’s biggest new handset in many years, the Xperia X1, will be in Carphone Warehouse in the next couple of weeks, available on the O2 and Orange networks.

The device will hopefully be on £45 per month tariffs for free! The slightly more pricey option is to buy the handset on prepay for £600.

Kinda know why they weren’t so eager to shout the cost of from the rooftops, 600 quid is some serious money! Considering the bells and whilstles in the Xperia, it sounds about right.

The big question, is it wise to release such an opulent phone at a time when most manufacturers are focusing on cheap and cheerful solutions like the LG KP500 and Nokia 5800?

Source: Mobile Today

Nokia 5800 XpressMedia To Miss Xmas?

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (565)

In our excitement over the new touchscreen Nokia 5800, we neglected to realise that the release date was not one of November as was initially rumoured, but rather a 2009 launch in the US and UK.

According to a Reuters report, the emerging markets will be the first to benefit from the phone’s arrival, with India, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Russia and Spain to all see the Comes With Music equipped phone by the end of the year. What is usually considered the larger markets of the UK, America and most of Europe will have to go without…

Thinking about it, this is a very shrewd move. Apple did the exact opposite, launching in the established Western territories first, then turning their attention to countries like India and Russia, where the lack of appealing network subsidies meant a far later release. Heck, Russia hasn’t even got an iTunes store yet, Apple has plenty to straighten out before forging links in foreign markets.

Nokia has years of experience in precisely these areas, selling tens of millions of phones in emerging sector over the years. By releasing the 5800 quickly, and at a far cheaper price point than the iPhone, they stand to make far more of an impact in these areas.

“The phone is competitively priced and Nokia’s competitive advantage is in emerging markets. When putting two and two together it’s logical they start the roll-out from emerging markets,” said analyst Neil Mawston from Strategy Analytics.

However, to lose out on a festive period which will see the powerhouses of the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1, the Samsung Pixon, the LG KC910 Renoir and T-Mobile’s Android-powered G1 poised to force their way into people’s stockings, Nokia’s 5800 may not get a look in come 2009.

Who’s to say they won’t have an even more snazzy touch phone waiting in the wings by then?