Author Archive: James Richardson

Free Navigation Coming to Nokia Handsets

Nokia has today announced plans to release a new version of Ovi Maps for its smartphones that includes high-end walk and drive navigation at no extra cost,available for download at www.nokia.com/maps. This move has the potential to nearly double the size of the current mobile navigation market.The new version of Ovi Maps includes high-end car and pedestrian navigation features, such as turn-by-turn voice guidance for 74 countries, in 46languages, and traffic information for more than 10 countries, as well as detailed maps for more than 180 countries.

Nokia

"Why have multiple devices that work that work in only one country or region? Put it all together,make it free, make it global and you almost double the potential size of the mobile navigation market ," explained Anssi Vanjoki, Executive Vice President,Nokia. "Nokia is the only company with a mobile navigation service for both drivers and pedestrians that works across the world. Unlike the legacy car navigation manufacturers, we don’t make you buy maps for different countries or regions even if you’re only visiting for a few days. We offer both navigation and maps free of charge, with all the high-end functionality and features that people now expect."

"The large-scale availability of free-of-charge mobile phone navigation offerings using high-quality map data will be a game changer for the navigation industry," said Thilo Koslowski, Vice President Automotive and Vehicle ICT at Gartner. "Such offerings will accelerate mass market adoption for navigation solutions and shift innovation focus to location-based services that go beyond traditional routing benefits."

For Nokia, removing the costs associated with navigation for drivers and pedestrians allows the company to quickly activate a massive user base to which it can offer new location features, content and services. This is part of Nokia’s strategy to lead the market in mobile maps, navigation and location-based services. The move is also in line with Nokia’s vision that the next wave of growth will be centered on the location-aware, social internet — as the ‘where’ people are doing things becomes as important as the ‘what’ they are doing. 

According to research firm Canalys, the number of people worldwide using GPS navigation on their mobile phones was approximately 27 million at the end of 2009. With this announcement Nokia potentially grows the size of this installed user base to about 50 million by enabling smartphone owners, with compatible devices and devices that will be made compatible shortly to activate free drive and walk navigation through a simple download of the new Ovi Maps. Nokia will further grow this base as it quickly adds more smartphones to the compatible devices list.Canalys also estimated in 2009 that the installed base of smartphones with integrated GPS was 163 million units worldwide, of which Nokia accounted for more than half (51%) having shipped cumulatively  83 million GPSdevices. 

"This is a game changing move. By leveraging our NAVTEQ acquisition, and our context sensitive service offering, we can now put a complete navigation system in the palm of your hand, wherever in the world you are, whenever you need it – and at no extra cost," continued Anssi Vanjoki. "By adding cameras at no extra cost to our phones we quickly became the biggest camera manufacturer in the world. The aim of the new Ovi Maps is to enable us to do the same for navigation."

Ovi Maps is immediately available for download for 10 Nokia handsets, including the popular Nokia N97mini, Nokia 5800 XpressMusic and Nokia E72, with more Nokia smartphones expected to be added in the coming weeks. In the meantime, current owners of Nokia smartphones that are compatible with the new Ovi Maps can download it free of charge from www.nokia.com/maps.

From March 2010, new Nokia GPS-enabled smartphones will include the new version of Ovi Maps,pre-loaded with local country map data, with high-end walk and drive navigation and access to Lonely Planet and Michelin travel guides at no extra cost. 

Ovi Maps covers more than 180 countries with car and pedestrian navigation for 74 countries in 46languages and 6000 3D landmarks for 200 cities around the world. Lonely Planet and Michelin guides have information on more than 1,000 destinations globally.

With Nokia selling more phones than any other manufacturer this is a great move forward for them and im sure this will also increase their SmartPhone market share.

Posted by: James

Skyfire for Symbian

Skyfire have today released version 1.5 for Symbian devices.

Skyfire

Mountain View, CA – January 20, 2009 – Skyfire, makers of Webby award-winning, PC-like web-browser for mobile devices, today launched the next generation of its Skyfire browser, version 1.5, for Symbian S60 3^rd and 5^th edition smartphones. The newest version follows the release of Skyfire 1.5 for Windows Mobile and is now available for download at get.skyfire.com. Enhancements in the new version include full support for high-resolution screens, a fresh user interface (UI) that is more finger friendly, crisper text, smoother zooming, and a full-screen mode that maximizes screen real estate.

What’s new with Skyfire 1.5 for Symbian S60 3 edition?

· Smooth Scrolling: Scroll operations are more fluid.

· Updated UI for 3rd edition devices.

· Performance tweaks: Many small enhancements for a more robust and faster browsing experience.

What’s new with Skyfire 1.5 for Symbian S60 5th edition (Beta)?

· Finger friendly UI: A new, intuitive, and finger friendly UI for high resolution touchscreen devices provides an easier browsing experience.

· Smooth Scrolling: Kinetic scrolling has been enabled to Skyfire. Pan or flick the screen to move in any direction smoothly on touchscreen.

· Full screen mode: For touchscreen, browse in full screen mode with no UI elements on the screen for maximum page visibility.

· Auto-Rotate: Browse in portrait or landscape mode with a simple change of the device orientation.

“There was a great response when Skyfire 1.5 launched in December 2009 for Windows Mobile. Video, text, and images all look crisp and stunning in high-resolution,” explains Jeff Glueck, CEO of Skyfire. “We’re glad to bring all the unique new features of Skyfire 1.5 to our dedicated Symbian user-base.”

Additionally, Skyfire features a customizable homepage integrating RSS feeds, Facebook and Twitter feeds, and Gmail, into one convenient stream. The Skyfire start page has been updated with high-resolution text and images.

To see Skyfire in action, watch this video.

I dont own a Symbian handset so cannot test it out. Comments on the forum please from anyone that can.

Posted by: James

Full 3G coverage now available with Vodafone’s Sure Signal

Vodafone UK is helping to improve in-home mobile phone coverage for Brits by launching  the Vodafone Sure Signal (£50) – a unique plug-in box, which gives a great 3G signal in the home.

Vodafone

Vodafone UK customers can now have the Vodafone Sure Signal, the small plug-in box that significantly improves  mobile phone signal in their homes and small offices for just £50.

Quick and easy to install, plugging straight into any home or office broadband line with a download speed of at least 1 MB per second, Vodafone Sure Signal brings customers better and more reliable 3G coverage indoors and works with all 3G handsets. Customers no longer need to worry about missed calls on their mobiles due to inconsistent indoor coverage and will be able to take advantage of the full range of Vodafone services via their handset anywhere in the home or office.

“No other network in the UK can ensure a great mobile phone signal in the home, because the Sure Signal is unique to Vodafone,” says Guy Laurence, Vodafone UK CEO. “Customers tell us it is life changing.  If they live or work in a basement for example, the only way they may be able to get consistent mobile coverage could be with a Vodafone Sure Signal.”

Recent research by Vodafone UK highlights the importance of indoor mobile phone coverage. One in five Brits say that they have missed an important event or occasion because of a lack of signal.  1 in 50 would even consider moving house for better indoor coverage.

Up to 32 people can be registered to use a Vodafone Sure Signal and four people can use it at any one time. Customers can now add or change their Sure Signal users in real-time with Vodafone’s new online service.

Vodafone Sure Signal is available at www.vodafone.co.uk/suresignal for individual customers, www.vodafone.co.uk/businesssuresignal for small business customers and by visiting your local Vodafone store.

Posted by: James