Nokia this morning introduced a series of ‘basic smartphones’ (Asha) and higher-end Windows Phone-powered smartphones (Lumia) at the Nokia World 2011 event in London.
The company has put up a whole bunch of videos featuring the phones on its YouTube channel, and also a few weird ads.
Below, you can find a few videos that highlight the Lumia phone(s), which I personally think actually look quite compelling, the longest video ad and the obligatory designer’s story.
Enjoy (after the jump) → Read More
One of the minor but noteworthy things Nokia announced today at its Nokia World event in London is the release of an updated version of its augmented reality browser Live View, previously available in early beta. You can download the app here.
Note that the app is still in beta, but the updated version brings many goodies if you’re into the whole augmented reality thing (and if you use a compatible Nokia phone). → Read More
http://www.viddler.com/player/3c2d32b6/ Ever lose your hotel keycard? Ever have it get de-magnetized? Both of these are simple to resolve – just go to the front desk – but wouldn’t it be better if you didn’t need to worry so much about the darn things? Nokia is working with VingCard to allow you to use your cellphone to open your hotel door. As described in the video above, the goal is to allow frequent guests to bypass the front desk for check-in altogether. The guest can register online and get an SMS sent to their phone from which they install a small application. Then they simply go to their hotel room and use their phone to unlock the door! No more lost cards! When the guest checks out, the RFID-enabled lock resets to a new code, making sure that the previous occupant can no longer gain access. The key part of this technology is the near field communication (NFC) chip, which isn’t largely deployed in cell phones yet. These locks aren’t likely to become commonplace for awhile, but I think it’ll be an extremely popular addition to hotels. → Read More
http://www.viddler.com/player/ef68075d/ Nokia is working hard to merge mobile phones with mobile computing, making it easier to access and use of the full suite of Internet resources from a variety of devices. Annssi Vanjoki, Nokia Executive Vice President of Markets, said at the Nokia World 2008 keynote “I want to surf the entire Internet, not just some pieces of the Internet.” That’s a great idea, but the reality is that many parts of the Internet simply don’t work well on the small screens and limited input mechanisms prevalent on most mobile devices. → Read More
