Planet S60

maramine blog: Google Instant is Money. Literally.

2010-09-08T17:21:00+00:00

Google just announced Google Instant. It a nutshell, it “streams” search results as you type and attempts to predict your searches before you finish typing. Everyone loves it.

But there’s a huge group that should hate Google Instant: advertisers. [UPDATE: this only applies to advertisers that use CPM.]

Go see for yourself…

Start typing your query and watch as the magic happens. Google Instant “streams” results as you type, narrowing down your search with each new keystroke.

But the real genius is that each time Google Instant takes a stab at predicting your search, it serves a new set of ads.

So now, a single search might yield two, four or even more sets of ads — each appearing for a mere instant before a new search prediction brings new ads to your screen.

What does this mean?

If Google predicts your search three times before getting it right on the fourth, it means three sets of ads popped up and then disappeared without even the slightest chance of being seen.

But advertisers still paid for those ads. And Google still made money on those ads.

The Nokia Blog: Nokia N8 Sample Video From Helsinki HookUp 2010

2010-09-08T17:04:25+00:00

Nokia was at Helsinki HookUp 2010 Proskate & Skate Finnish Championship and recorded the event with the Nokia N8. The final video had some professional editing done, but it looks like most, if not all, shots were handheld. The quality looks pretty good. Check it out. Video is embedded below. Click here if it’s not [...]

The Nokia Blog: Official Interactive Unboxing of the Nokia N8 (It’s hot, sizzling hot)

2010-09-08T14:45:02+00:00

Nokia just uploaded their own interactive unboxing of the Nokia N8 on Youtube. You get to select which unboxer to follow, but I’d have to say Suzy’s unboxing is the most interesting. What other tech unboxing videos do you know include a girl saying, “the bendable, the strong… actually just the kind of guy I’m [...]

My-Symbian.com S60 3rd & 5th Edition: [New] Insy TV S60: video messaging and mobile television

2010-09-07T16:52:28+00:00

Insy TV from Intellsys is the first implementation of the nonlinear signaled television concept. This first version has materialized mainly as a video messaging application. If you ever wondered if it is possible to send live video messages from one mobile phone to another for free, then you have already understood what Insy TV is all about. And that is not all that Insy can do. Broadcasting worldwide is the other nice feature included in the first release. It is fun and entertaining to watch what other members of the community have decided to share. And you can always post live or pre-uploaded video clips. Professional television productions are part of Insy TV: your preferred channels, sport shows and essential economic and social news, all are available in the TVBox.

My-Symbian.com S60 3rd & 5th Edition: [New] SecretSMS - SMS encrypter for S60

2010-09-07T16:28:12+00:00

Do you ever send sensitive data via SMS such as credit card numbers? Make it safe. SecretSMS encrypts regular text into cipher-text that can not be read without proper password. The recipient does not need to install any software on his phones, any kind of mobile can decrypt the message if the password is known.

adonismobile: HTC Desire - Testing The Waters

2010-09-07T15:20:00+00:00

If there is one thing I will miss not having a Nokia for my main handset is the dedicated camera button. Especially with the two step autofocus feedback. Taking pictures without it just feels really unnatural. Lets be honest HTC is not renowned for their imaging capabilities, they can take OK pictures, but the experience doesn't really compare with how a Nokia does. Saying that, I did take a few snaps to test out how they would come out.

One thing I do prefer is the widescreen mode on the Desire, taking pictures in a 5:3 ratio does look better in my eyes. The colours it captured also aren't really as saturated as I would have hoped, the camera flash is way too powerful and the experience after taking a picture, not so great. But that isn't why I chose to get a Desire in the first place.

Images were adjusted and tweaked in Photoshop CS4, they can be found at my DeviantArt account, along with my previous ones taken with various Nokia handsets.

Click through for the full sizes

Honestly, these really don't do justice to how poor the images were, this is just another example of how good Photoshop is. Thoughts on that can be found here. Content may be king, but Nokia across the board is still king of the camera phone.

Nokia S60 News and Reviews: Nokia E7 To Be Revealed At Nokia World 2010

2010-09-07T10:50:47+00:00

Sounds like the Nokia E7 will finally be getting an official unveiling at this year's annual Nokia World shindig, held this year in foggy London. Reuters reports that the manufacturer will be introducing expectant phone fans to the Nokia N8...

Nokia S60 News and Reviews: Swype Beta Arrives For Nokia Symbian^1 Phones

2010-09-03T11:05:21+00:00

Not content with helping a humble Manchester lass break the world record for fastest texter ever and appearing on the new Samsung Galaxy Tab, typing app Swype is winging its way over from Android to Symbian handsets. Now available in...

Nokia S60 News and Reviews: Samsung Shelves Further Symbian Handsets, 'Not Seeing Visible Demand'

2010-09-02T16:07:49+00:00

Korean manufacturer Samsung has confirmed that they are not currently looking at Symbian to power future phones, rather choosing to focus on Android and proprietary platform bada to get smartphone-savvy consumers interested. Head of Marketing YH Lee confirmed at IFA...

Blog feed for Beta Labs: Swype – Text input for screens

2010-09-01T11:59:54+00:00

Swype provides a faster and easier way to input text on any screen. With one continuous finger or stylus motion across the screen keyboard, the patented technology enables users to input words faster and easier than other data input methods—at over 40 words per minute. The application is designed to work across a variety of devices such as phones, tablets, game consoles, kiosks, televisions, virtual screens and more.

adonismobile: When Factory Reset Isn't Factory Reset

2010-09-01T11:01:00+00:00

I've recently decided to sell my Nokia N95 and 5800 mainly due to the arrival of the HTC Desire. Whilst having a backup X6 available too, there is no value holding onto these two handsets any more.

I decided to put them up on Envirofone's website, I didn't want the hassle of trying to sell them to a someone else, the hassle of selling to people isn't worth it. I wanted to make sure that all my data was wiped off both devices before sending them off. I navigated to the "Factory Settings" option buried in the menus to reset the handsets to factory settings, i.e. how one would expect to find the handset if it was just out of the factory. This is true for my HTC Desire (I've reset it many times already) it's a simple process. 30 seconds and all my personal data are gone, the phone and settings are restored to factory. My experience with the Palm Pre was also similar. But with Nokia it seems to be a different story.

The Factory Reset on the Nokia handsets doesn't seem to mean quite that, very misleading, but harmless? Perhaps not. Consider this. Mobile phones these days tend to carry a lot of private data, it's a central base for the user to have a lot of personal data stored on them; contacts, e-mails, passwords, bookmarks, forms and usernames, meeting entries too. There is a lot of information. I'm glad the new Nokia's have UDP (user data prevention) this is great when doing firmware updates, but reinstalling the firmware again using PC Suite should trigger a wipe all scenario, or at least give the option to.

Now if any average user trying the same thing probably would not have realised that their information was still on the phone, because after doing the factory reset the setup guide is initiated, so it seems like all was erased. But unfortunately that isn't the case. I had a few people on Twitter telling me to enter some codes to reset the mobile to proper factory settings. That's fine, for me. But what about your average Joe who just had has identity stolen because he thought all was fine and dandy? An exaggeration? Perhaps, realisation most definitely. Nokia needs to start addressing this issue.

Blog feed for Beta Labs: Addressing your comments on Nokia Messaging for Social Networks Beta

2010-08-31T17:11:20+00:00

We knew that announcing the closure of Nokia Messaging for Social Networks Beta would not be easy news to break…and your comments from the past week made it clear.

This is the unfortunate nature of the work we do in Beta Labs. Sometimes the products we create do not make it to commercial release. It’s the nature of the test environment.

Blog feed for Beta Labs: Better images with HDR Capture and Low-Light Assistant (experimental research prototypes for Nokia N900)

2010-08-30T09:31:56+00:00

Written by Kari Pulli, Nokia Fellow and the head of the Visual Computing and Ubiquitous Imaging research team at NRC Palo Alto.

Blog feed for Beta Labs: Wrapping up the beta trial for new Nokia.com site – thanks for your feedback!

2010-08-27T09:27:28+00:00

The time has come that we conclude our trial period here at Beta Labs for the new Nokia.com BETA site. We want to thank those of you that spent time actively talking with us & testing the site. We received some great comments and observations and have used all feedback in our on-going developments.

Nokia S60 News and Reviews: Nokia C7 Reviewed: Symbian ^3 Handset Gets Early Airing

2010-08-26T15:54:13+00:00

Whilst we eagerly anticipate the debut of Symbian^3 in the flagship form of the Nokia N8, ever intrepid reviewer Eldar Murtazin has managed to get his hands on another handset powered by the new interface - this time it's the...

Nokia S60 News and Reviews: Nokia 5250: Symbian^1 Handset Aims At Music Fans On A Budget

2010-08-24T10:55:16+00:00

Today Nokia launches another effort in their bid to reclaim the lucrative mid-range sector with the 5250, an affordable touchscreen handset with music on its mind. The Nokia 5250 fits the standard form factor from the Finnish manufacturer, looking much...

Mobile Opportunity: And now for something completely different

2010-08-24T10:45:19+00:00

Blog feed for Beta Labs: Nokia Messaging for Social Networks Beta trial closed

2010-08-20T06:39:45+00:00

We’re now closing the Nokia Messaging for Social Networks Beta. In practice this means that the feedback forums at Nokia Beta Labs won’t be actively monitored and Nokia Messaging for Social Networks will be taken out of the list of active beta trials.

Nokia S60 News and Reviews: SugarSync Brings Cloud Storage Sweetness To S60 Devices

2010-08-18T15:31:20+00:00

Good news for Symbian smartphone owners looking to take their data on the move, as cloud storage solution SugarSync is now available for S60-powered devices. This free application offers an easy way to sync, backup and share files anywhere as...

Blog feed for Beta Labs: Poll: What's your favorite bot from Nokia Bots?

2010-08-17T14:12:06+00:00

Ever since we launched Nokia Bots in March it's been interesting to follow the feedback that's been coming in regarding these smart widgets. Much of the early feedback was about the overall concept and suggestions for new bots (lik

Nokia S60 News and Reviews: Nokia X3 Touch and Type: S40 Device Combines Full Keypad And Touch Display

2010-08-17T10:33:36+00:00

Nokia seems set to try and please everyone with their latest handset reveal: the X3 Touch and Type. Incorporating both touch and a full suite of physical buttons for the first time in a Nokia device, the Touch and Type...

Blog feed for Beta Labs: Green Explorer beta trial concluded; feedback will go towards next release

2010-08-17T09:47:59+00:00

Written by Leena Oiva, Nokia Green Explorer

The time has come to conclude the Nokia Beta Labs trial of Nokia Green Explorer. We want to thank those that spent time testing the service and provided comments! All feedback is extremely valuable and we have been using it when concepting the next release, which we plan to make available during the autumn.

Carnival of the Mobilists: Carnival of the Mobilists #235

2010-08-17T00:38:44+00:00

The COM #235 is up at Tam Hanna’s newest site, belonging to Tamoggemon Limited. The line-up includes: A look at human-centric design and why it is a business imperative (via Little Springs Design) An in-depth interview (via mobiThinking) with the WC3 about mobile apps, mobile Web and the boundaries between them Must-read stats and observations that provide insights [...]

Carnival of the Mobilists: Carnival of the Mobilists #234

2010-08-17T00:16:04+00:00

The COM #234 is up over at The Fonecast.com, where Mark Bridge is master of ceremonies. From battery-life indicators (and the proper design for portable devices), to the implications of the recent ban on Blackberry devices in certain countries, to a sober look at app store growth predictions, it’s a balanced mix of must-read posts. READ [...]