The Nokia Blog » n97

Nokia Notifications Beta Out for Trial and Feedback

Mark Guim — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 16:51:19 +0000

Nokia Beta Labs just released Nokia Notifications for the Nokia N97 and N97 Mini. It gathers missed calls, voicemails, messages, and missed calendar alarms then presents them in one list at your homescreen. Nokia is asking its users for feedback before publishing it at the Ovi Store.

Homescreen widget

Popup when clicking the widget

The popup initially shows the whole list of missed events. There’s a dropdown where you can filter it by calls, voicemails, messages, or calendar alarms.

The app is made available via Nokia Beta Labs for a short trial to catch any remaining bugs before official release. I like it so far and haven’t stumbled upon bugs yet.

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EuroTrip: Grabbing Parisian Monuments with the Nokia N97

Mark Guim — Mon, 17 May 2010 22:30:45 +0000

Tomorrow’s my last day in Paris, but I’ve managed to “grab” some monuments to remember when I leave. The Nokia N97 is my main cameraphone to capture photos of places we’ve visited in France. It was cloudy the first few days, washing out many of my photos, but skies later cleared up. Take a look.

Eiffel Tower

Arc de Triomphe

Place de la Concorde

Notre Dame Cathedral

Louvre Pyramid

Sacre Coeur Basilica

It might seem we were been busy visiting monuments, but that was not the case. I probably spent more time trying not to lose my wife shopping at Champs-Elysees and Galeries Lafayette.

Next stop is Switzerland!

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EuroTrip: Nokia N97 Takes Great Photos and Gets Low

Mark Guim — Mon, 10 May 2010 23:20:48 +0000

Despite some of my complaints about the Nokia N97, I really like its 5 megapixel camera. I also notice it takes better photos than its smaller sibling, the N97 mini. Here are some photos I’ve taken earlier today.

I can hold the Stonehenge.

Part of the Avesbury Stone Circle

Lacock, where some scenes from Wolfman and Harry Potter were filmed

I really like the photos! Even though I also carry a DSLR, I enjoy being able to upload right away and get feedback from friends.

I also want to add that I just became fascinated with low-angle photos like in the last example. It means bringing the camera closer to the ground when taking pictures. Share some of your low-angle photos and include a link or two in the comments below.

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EuroTrip: Nokia N97 Great for Navigating, Photo Sharing & Tweeting But…

Mark Guim — Sun, 09 May 2010 22:30:46 +0000

I’ve been using the Nokia N97 as my only Nokia device during my stay here in Europe, but now I’m regretting not bringing another phone like the E72 or the N900. The Nokia N97 navigates, shares, and tweets really well with Ovi Maps, Pixelpipe, and Gravity, but everything else is causing headaches.

Checking out the Bath Tourism Centre

Ovi Maps has been really helpful, guiding us wherever needed to go. Pixelpipe has been perfect uploading my photos to all my social sites: Flickr, Facebook, Twitter. Gravity has been excellent connecting me with Twitter friends when asking for recommendations.

The problem is that the Nokia N97 crashed randomly in the past few days and forced me to pull the battery out several times. This happened either when I was browsing the web, opening the menu application, or viewing the photo gallery. It doesn’t happen all the time, though. For example, everything is working fine right now. I’m not sure of the exact cause, but I’m not liking it. Any other Nokia N97 users experiencing this problem with tips or suggestions?

That’s all for now. Need to wake up early tomorrow to see the Stonehenge!

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EuroTrip: Nokia N97 Battery Life for a Tourist

Mark Guim — Fri, 07 May 2010 01:16:33 +0000

The Nokia N97 is working hard during our 3-week Eurotrip. We’re currently in London and I’ll tell you how I’ve been using it so far as a tourist. The Nokia N97’s 1500mAh battery held up pretty well.

They drive on the left side, so make sure you’re looking the right way!

One of the big reasons I chose the Nokia N97 as my main device for the trip was because I had an extra battery that I took from the E72. They use the same type of battery. After the previous night’s usage, the Nokia N97 only used up one bar of battery. I didn’t bother recharging it before hitting the bed. Bad idea!

This morning, the Nokia N97 had one bar left. How did that happen?! Turned out I forgot to exit out of Ovi Maps. It was still in the walk navigation menu. I didn’t have time to recharge so I just replaced it with my extra battery.

I left the hotel with a full battery around 11am and completely killed it by 7pm. This was my approximate usage:

No phone calls or SMS
Joikuspot for about 20 minutes when my wife needed to go online with her iPhone.
Ovi Maps for about 20 minutes for navigation.
Web browser for about 20 minutes mostly on Facebook.
Took 7 photos (I also carry a DSLR)
Used Pixelpipe to upload 2 photos to Facebook, Flickr, and Twitter.
Left Gravity running and regularly checked Twitter
Left Nokia Messaging running for emails

The Nokia N97’s battery life doesn’t seem bad, right? I’m making sure both the batteries are charged tonight so I can have more usage tomorrow. We’re planning to meet the WOMWorld/Nokia crew tomorrow (Friday, 7th May) night for drinks. Tweet us up if you’re in town! @thenokiablog, @womworldnokia

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EuroTrip: Navigating London with Ovi Maps on the Nokia N97

Mark Guim — Thu, 06 May 2010 02:21:38 +0000

I arrived in London late evening on Wednesday as one of the cities we’ll be visiting in Europe for the next three weeks. I brought the Nokia N97 as my main device because I needed a phone with the new Ovi Maps, QWERTY keyboard, and nice camera. The trip just got started, but I already have some good and bad things to share.

Before leaving New York, I wanted to add the important places like hotels, train stations, sights, etc. into the Nokia N97 so I that I didn’t have to search for them in Europe. A great thing about Ovi Maps is that it lets users sync their favorite places between desktop and mobile devices. What’s not so great, is that Ovi Maps is not very accurate. For example it misplaced one of our hotels about two streets away from where it was supposed to be. I’m glad I double checked with Google Maps. To add the favorites from my laptop to the Nokia N97, I log into Ovi Maps on the phone, then click synchronize in the favorites menu.

After arriving in London Heathrow Airport, we followed the instructions from our hotel’s website and used the Underground (we call it the subway in New York). I used the free Ovi Maps walk navigation to find our way towards the hotel after getting off the train station. It worked perfectly. The Nokia N97’s 3.5 inch screen displayed easy to follow arrows and red dots as breadcrumbs as we walked. Since it was my first time using this feature on the Nokia N97, I waited about a minute to install the voice guide and load the map. I could’ve skipped these steps if I preloaded the map and guide with Maps Loader before we left.

It was half past 10 when we checked in at our hotel. We were hungry from the long flight and wanted to find a place to eat. I thought this was a perfect time to test the free Lonely Planet feature on Ovi Maps. Unfortunately, the phone kept freezing when I clicked on the option. I suspect it has something to do with the Nokia N97 not having enough RAM memory to perform the task. I was also running Gravity, the web browser, and Nokia Messaging at the same time.

That’s all for now. I’ll be sharing more of my experiences throughout our trip.

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Deal: Nokia N97 $379 at Dell After Coupon – Exp 3/26

Mark Guim — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 17:10:05 +0000

Use coupon code 4TCCKBS8N291VK to get the Nokia N97 for $379.99 at Dell. Coupon expires 11PM CT March 26th, 2010 or after 400 redemptions, whichever comes first. It’s cheaper than Nokia’s retail sites right now ($509) and even Amazon.

The Nokia N97 features a 3.5in. touchscreen, unique sliding keyboard, 5 megapixel camera, and more. For more details, check out my Nokia N97 review.

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Nokia N97 Mini Gold Edition Expected in 2nd Quarter

Mark Guim — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:28:35 +0000

The Nokia N97 mini covered with 18-carat gold casing is going to be available in Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia around April this year. Inside is the same N97 Mini we’re already familiar with. It looks great, but the price according to the Nokia Poland press release is 2499 PLN which is equivalent to about 625 Euros.

The Gold edition is very similar to the regular Nokia N97 mini featuring 3.2 inch touchscreen display with 360 x 640 pixels, full QWERTY keyboard, 8GB of internal memory, 5MP camera, among others. I’m sure there are some people who would pay for this device, but I think most of the Nokia enthusiasts are looking to spend their money on the next Symbian^3 or MeeGo device.

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Review: ProClip Car Mounts for Nokia N97 & N97 Mini Allow Typing With Keyboard

Mark Guim — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 20:05:38 +0000

If you know anyone else who makes better car mounts, let us know, because ProClip is definitely up there. The latest device holders they sent for me to review are for the Nokia N97 and N97 mini. Not only are the fit and build quality top-notch, but they also allow you to slide the devices open to use the keyboard if needed.

If you haven’t heard about ProClip yet, there are two parts to their solutions. The mounts are made specific to your vehicle and the holders are made specific to your devices. This ensures a perfect fit.

ProClip provides different types of holders depending on your need. For example, the holder for the Nokia N97 they sent already includes a car charger while the one for the N97 mini doesn’t. The ones with the charger cost more. What makes these holders stand out for me is that they secure the devices and also let me use the hardware keyboards. Nokia’s mounts do not allow you to open the sliders at all.

Since Nokia just gave away turn-by-turn voice navigation for free on their phones, you’re probably going to be using car navigation more frequently. You’ll need a mount thats dependable and won’t fall off your windshield after time or hitting bumps on the streets. ProClip provides a great product, but it comes with a hefty price, too. For example, the mount for my car and the holder for the Nokia N97 mini, plus shipping add up to at least $70.

More Photos

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Nokia N97 & N97 Mini’s Latest Firmware Hacked

Mark Guim — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 06:53:35 +0000

Just a few days after its release, the latest firmwares on the Nokia N97 and N97 mini (v11, v20, or v21) got hacked by the group, PNHT. Hacking enables users to install unsigned applications without worrying about certificate files.

This is a scene from the Symbian community that I’m not too familiar with. I suggest following these guides with caution because you may brick your devices.

Thanks Ying.

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Thumbs Up to Nokia’s Ovi Store

Mark Guim — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 20:49:03 +0000

I had a really great Ovi Store experience today. I found out about a new app called Maps Booster from the official Ovi Daily App blog and thought of trying it out for $2.99. I made the purchase on the Nokia N97 mini and was surprised I can pay with my phone bill. The app worked great, so I thought it was worth installing on my other phones too. To my surprise yet again, the Ovi Store knew I already paid for it. I was able to re-download the app on the Nokia N97 and the 5800 free of charge.

Nokia announced early January that AT&T customers were able to purchase paid content at the Ovi Store using their phone bill, but only a few devices were initially supported. More devices were promised to be compatible. I wasn’t expecting it to come soon after the announcement, so I was surprised to see the Nokia N97, N97 mini, and the 5800 with carrier billing today. If you have AT&T, check your device if the Ovi Store now supports carrier billing.

The other surprise I encountered was the ability to re-download purchased apps on other devices. When did this happen? This makes it really handy for people like me who switch phones frequently.

Today’s experience with the Ovi Store is definitely an improvement compared to maybe a few months ago. Remember Ben Smith’s horrible shopping story with the Ovi Store and Hannah Montana?

As you can tell, I’m really liking the Ovi Store now. I notice more content being added and the Ovi Daily App blog does a great job highlighting the good ones to try out. Thumbs up, Ovi Store! I’m a happy customer.

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Nokia N97 and Nokia N97 mini Receives Firmware Updates

Mark Guim — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:43:50 +0000

Just as expected, the Nokia N97 received the firmware update 2.1 on Monday. As an added bonus, the Nokia N97 mini also received an update. I was notified via the SW update app within the two phones, but they didn’t allow me to update over the air. If you have these devices, connect them to your PC and run the updater.

I haven’t found the full changelog for either devices, but version 2.1 update for the Nokia N97 promises a range of enhancements including increased call reliability, smoother touchscreen scrolling along with updates to the browser and music player.

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Nokia N97 Software Update 2.1 Releasing Monday February 1st

Mark Guim — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 07:41:42 +0000

The Nokia Software Update team told users at the official Nokia discussions forum that the Nokia N97 software update 2.1 will be released Monday February 1st by 8:00 GMT. The version number will be 21.0.045 or 21.2.045 depending on the region. The 2.1 release is supposed to offer additional improvements to the 2.0 release made last year. They provided a list of what’s new.

The Nokia N97 can check automatically for the update via the SW Update app. However, the Software Update team said it will initially be available through the Nokia Software Update via PC due to “wealth of new content available in this release” and to “allow for sufficient testing.” Updates over-the-air will follow soon after.

The changelog provided wasn’t very specific, but it’s better than nothing. The software contains many fixes and improvements on the earlier releases including:

Improved call reliability
Smooth touch screen scrolling
Browser improvements
Music player improvements
Improved image and video stability

If you have the Nokia N97, I suggest checking Nokia Software Update on your PC after 8:00 GMT on Monday. That’s 3:00 AM Eastern time for me in New York City.

Thanks for the tip, Jonne!

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Skyfire for Symbian S60 Updated to 1.5

Mark Guim — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 18:50:09 +0000

Skyfire just released version 1.5 of their browser for Symbian S60 3rd and 5th editions. You can download it directly from your device by heading over to m.skyfire.com. I’ve briefly tested it on a Nokia N97 mini. I’m satisfied with how accurate it renders webpages, but it’s still not as fast as I want it to be.

Here’s a video from the Skyfire team showing off their updated web browser on the Nokia N97.

Support for flash video is nice. Youtube videos can play within a page. Scrolling and zooming is smooth too. My concern with Skyfire is that I notice delays in showing content whenever I scroll down. Skyfire is free, so I suggest you download and see if you like it.

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Last Chance To Get $50 Holiday Rebate When Purchasing Nokia N900, N97, 5800 Nav, 5530

Mark Guim — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 05:20:13 +0000

This is a reminder that it’s your last chance to get Nokia’s Holiday rebate offer of $50 when you purchase or plan to buy a Nokia N97, N900, 5800 Nav, or 5530. You have until the end of this year to get the device and January 8th to mail the form.

The purchase must be made before December 31st to be eligible. I’ve embedded the rebate form below so you can read the whole terms and condition.

$50 Holiday Rebate

The eligible devices are listed below. Click on the phone to see the prices and availability.

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Nokia N97 Firmware Update 2.1 Coming Soon – What Would You Like To See?

Mark Guim — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 04:39:00 +0000

Eldar Murtazin shared on Twitter last Friday that firmware update v2.1 is coming out soon for the Nokia N97. He has been quoted by Engadget as an “ultimate insider when it come to all things mobile,” so I’d probably listen to what he has to say. Whether you believe him or not, I’d like to ask what would you like to see on the update?

The last update, v2.0, was released on October featuring usability enhancements such as kinetic scrolling and long-press for symbols. It also freed up internal memory and provided stability improvements. There’s no changelog available for this supposed Nokia N97 v2.1 firmware yet, but let us know in the comments what you want to see.

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Opera Mobile 10 Updated to Beta 2 – Adds Native Keyboard Input

Mark Guim — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 17:47:10 +0000

Opera Mobile 10 was updated to Beta 2 on Monday. Opera is aiming to improve the user experience as they get closer to the final version. The key update for the second beta is native keyboard integration. I also notice some improvement in performance.

Multiple tabs and bookmarks speeddial on Opera Mobile

According to Opera, “Users are now able to use their default keyboards to input characters, allowing users to write in their native languages when searching on Google or writing an e-mail, for example.” Previously, it displayed their own on-screen Qwerty.

The first beta of Opera Mobile 10 was released in November. I complained about ‘Out of Memory’ messages when scrolling through large pages or opening multiple windows when using the Nokia N97. I don’t see the message.. as frequently. We have to factor in that the Nokia N97 only has 128MB RAM instead of 256MB on the Nokia N900 though.

Opera Mobile 10 is free to download. Simply visit m.opera.com/mobile using your phone’s default Web browser.

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GPS Lock Taking Too Long? Try Google Location Server supl.google.com

Mark Guim — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:06:59 +0000

If you’re waiting too long for a GPS lock, try the location server supl.google.com instead. When I was using the Nokia N900 in Amsterdam, I was able to geotag photos in seconds. I became very suspicious when I came back in the US and it took much longer. I shrugged it off until a tip from the Maemo community suggested to replace Nokia’s location server with Google. I’m happy to report that I now get a GPS lock in seconds!

I’m not sure why this is the case, but others in the US have confirmed changing the location server from supl.nokia.com to supl.google.com makes the GPS faster to find their location. I also got better results after replacing the server on the Nokia N97 mini as well.

Assisted GPS (A-GPS) uses the device’s data connection to talk to these location servers to help triangulate positioning data even where GPS signal is poor, like when the device is surrounded by buildings or is indoors. You can change the server under your device settings. On the Nokia N900, it is found on Settings – Location.

Is it possible that Nokia’s location server is broken in the US or am I being delusional? Try Google’s and let me know if you see improvements.

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Shazam Launches Updated Application for Ovi Store: Fails To Share on Twitter

Mark Guim — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 23:48:47 +0000

A new version of Shazam is now on the Ovi store. For those who are not familar with the app, it identifies songs. Want to know the title of that song playing at the club? Just Shazam it! In addition to some interface changes, the updated version now supposedly lets users to share tags or the recognized music info on Twitter.

I was excited to hear about the Twitter-sharing feature, but it doesn’t work for me. I’ve tested it on the Nokia N97 and Nokia N97 mini with no luck. I keep getting “Sharing track data with Twitter failed.”

Another great feature of Shazam searches music videos of the identified song on Youtube. It works pretty well.

Users will be given a 30 day free trial of the fully featured application from the first time they use it on their Nokia device. After 30 days, users can continue for free on a limited feature and tagging basis or choose to upgrade to the fully-featured, unlimited usage version for a one-off fee of $4.99.

Fails to Share tags on Twitter

Download the free application at the Ovi Store within your phone or access store.ovi.com. Let me know if you can get the sharing feature to work.

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Win Nokia N97, Flight, Accomodation, Money For Two at Ovi Store NYC Contest

Mark Guim — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 05:46:14 +0000

The Ovi Store is running a competition where you answer 5 questions about New York City against a stopwatch. The winner wins flights for two to NYC, 3 nights accommodation, $1,500 spending money, and two brand new Nokia N97 devices. I suggest you open wikipedia as another window before you start.

Here’s my results, but I’m definitely trying again.

Winners will be notified by January 15th. I’d say good luck, but I want that prize for myself!

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App Review: Opera Mobile 10 beta on Nokia N97

Mark Guim — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:22:10 +0000

Opera Mobile 10 beta just came out for Symbian S60 3rd and 5th edition devices. I installed it on the Nokia N97 right away and shot it on video to show you how it looks. It’s a nice alternate browser, but prepare for occasional headaches because it’s still in beta.

You can also watch this video in HD on Youtube. Subscribe to the channel to preview the latest videos before they get published on the blog.

It is very similar to Opera Mini 5 which I demoed previously. This version is optimized for Symbian meaning faster rendering, zooming, panning and almost everything else you do with a browser. Page downloading is now 50% faster than the previous version.

It’s still Beta
Sounds too good, right? I encountered some problems while using Opera Mobile. Clicking on links sometimes do not get recognized and I often get ‘Out of Memory’ messages when I have multiple tabs open or scrolling down a page.

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Easy Mobile Blogging with Posterous and Nokia Messaging

Mark Guim — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 03:44:59 +0000

Lately, I’ve been using Posterous to post photos and non-Nokia related articles on my personal site. I’m really liking how it works with the Nokia N97 and the Nokia Messaging app. Combined together, they make a great mobile blogging tool.

In short, Posterous lets you write blog posts by simply writing an email to post@posterous.com. You can set it up to autopost your entries to your other existing online presence like Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, and even another blog.

Multiple Photos

My favorite feature is how Posterous handles multiple photos. Just attach several photos in the email, and they will automatically create an embedded photo gallery within the post. When it comes to Twitter, it’s great to automatically share photos you’ve taken, but will your followers like it if you tweeted 10 related photos in a row? Probably not. Posterous auto-tweets one time with a link showing the gallery of the multiple photos. I think this is the best way to share multiple photos on Twitter! Here’s a sample tweet for this post.

Auto photo gallery by Posterous

Autoposting

Another great feature of Posterous is autoposting to other services like Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, or other blogs. Posterous takes it to another level by enabling you to autopost to only some of those services with each post. You can select which of those services to post by simply changing the email address.

Integration with Nokia Messaging

Since Posterous works via email, I like how it integrates with the Nokia Messaging app. On the gallery, you can select the photos to upload, then click on the Nokia Messaging option. If you don’t want photos on the post, just write an email without any attachments.

Finishing Thoughts

I suggest trying out Posterous if you haven’t yet. You won’t regret it. It definitely makes our Nokia phones even more powerful. This is perfect for mobile blogging as well as instant sharing of photos. I love it on the Nokia N97 because of the Qwerty keypad for quick typing. I can’t wait to try it out on the Nokia N900.

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5 Settings I Change on New Nokia Phones Before Installing Apps

Mark Guim — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:13:54 +0000

Before I install any apps on a new Nokia phone, I have a routine of changing certain settings. Here is a list of 5 settings I change. Let me know yours.

Change clock type to digital. I have a hard time reading the default analog clock display by Nokia. (Clock setting)

Turn off key tones. I don’t want to hear a beep every time I press a button. (Profile setting)

Turn off Warning Tones. Turning the warning tones off usually eliminates the camera shutter sound. However, I think some phones sold in certain regions do not allow users to turn it off. If that’s the case, I select the least noticeable tone. (Profile setting)

Auto Time Update. During the setup wizard, I don’t manually enter the correct date and time. Turning on auto time update makes sure you have the right time. (Clock setting)

Hide Security Warnings. I haven’t noticed any negative effects of this setting yet, but it prevents those annoying pop up messages before accessing certain sites like Gmail. I’m an impatient person. (Browser setting)

What’s Your Routine?

Before installing any apps, are there any settings you have to change first?

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How To Download and Change Wallpapers Directly From Your Phone

Mark Guim — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 22:34:52 +0000

I’ve tipped readers to get their wallpapers at Interfacelift, but here’s a video showing how I do it directly from the Nokia N97. The same should apply to other Symbian S60 phones, but you need to learn which wallpaper size works best. For comparison, I’ve also squeezed in how it looks on the iPhone

You can watch this video in HD on Youtube. Subscribe to the channel to preview the latest videos before they get published on the blog.

A difference with the iPhone is that you can long-press on an image to save. That method saves the user a few presses compared to the Nokia N97.

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Nokia N97 Mobile Computing Giveaway Winner

Mark Guim — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:59:29 +0000

Thanks everyone for over 200 submissions in the Nokia N97 Giveaway. It was a hard decision, but we now have our winner! Congratulations to ChrisStobbs from Youtube who posted a very funny and informative video response. I still can’t stop laughing at his Nokia N97 cardboard costume with slider. Check it out.

Here’s Chris’ response to what Mobile Computing means to him:

I will be contacting Chris through Youtube for his address info. WOMWorld Nokia will be sending him the Nokia N97 prize.

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Nokia N97 Giveaway: What does Mobile Computing Mean to You?

Mark Guim — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 18:23:10 +0000

The Nokia Blog is turning 3 on September 30th and I’ll be giving away a brand new Nokia N97 that day. Tell me what mobile computing means to you and I’ll pick my favorite response. You have until September 29th 11:59 PM Eastern time to submit it. I will accept tweets, comments, blog posts, and preferably videos. Just make sure I can find it!

You can also watch this video in HD on Youtube or Subscribe to my Youtube channel to watch my videos before they get published on the blog.

This contest was kicked off by Tomoharu Yazawa, the global product manager for the Nokia N97. You can watch his thoughts on mobile computing on Ovi Share.

I’ll announce the winner on our third year of blogging which is September 30th. The prize is a brand new Nokia N97 provided by WOMWorld Nokia. What are you waiting for?!?

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Video: Opera Mini 5 on Nokia 5530 & Nokia N97

Mark Guim — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:37:20 +0000

Opera Mini 5 Beta is out now and I installed it right away to give you a video demo. I use the Nokia 5530 and the Nokia N97 to show the browser’s new features like tabbed browsing, thumbnail bookmarks, and other usability improvements. Go watch it!

You can also watch this video in HD on Youtube.

Opera Mini 5 can be downloaded by going to mini.opera.com/next from your mobile phone. It is compatible with most Nokia phones.

I think it is a great alternative to the default browser because it loads larger pages faster. However, it does not support flash, and there are still bugs to fix. For example, when I slide open the Nokia N97, the on-screen keyboard still shows up. It is still in beta, so I wouldn’t criticize it too much.

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Nokia N97 Firmware 2.0 Video Overview

Mark Guim — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 07:21:28 +0000

I asked a Nokia spokesperson at Nokia World to show me the new firmware 2.0 on the Nokia N97. It will feature usability enhancement, additional widgets, updated Facebook app, increased free internal memory, as well as stability improvements. The firmware is going to be available in Software Update this October.

You can also watch this video in HD on Youtube.

I think kinetic scrolling is a nice addition. It will be available anywhere a list applies like the music player, photos, and the applications menu. I did not get a chance to look at the updated Facebook app yet, but I’ll try to get a demo soon.

The increase in available internal space will make many users happy who prefer to install apps there.

It looks like Nokia listened to its users with this update and I can’t wait to install it on my Nokia N97.

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Liveblogging Nokia World Day 1

Mark Guim — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 06:58:14 +0000

Here we go! I am liveblogging the first day at Nokia World. I have a busy schedule ahead with lots of stuff to cover. The live webcast is available at the Nokia Events site, but I have my Nokia N97 to provide some side commentary, live photos and/or videos.

1:00 AM: Up early. Making sure to get breakfast because it’s going to be a really long day!
3:11 AM: twitpic.com – On bus to nokia world with journalists & bloggers #nw09
3:11 AM:
3:41 AM: twitpic.com – Just entered nokia world #n97 #nw09
3:41 AM:
3:53 AM: Getting ready for the keynote #nw09 twitvid.com
4:00 AM: liveblogging Nokia World with pics and vids at thenokiablog.com #nw09
4:07 AM: …and the wifi is down.
4:15 AM: twitpic.com – Watching a cool animated video on screen #n97 #nw09
4:15 AM:
4:17 AM: twitpic.com – Opk is on stage #n97 #nw09
4:17 AM:
4:22 AM: twitpic.com – I’m so close to the stage! Woot! #n97 #nw09
4:22 AM:
4:24 AM: twitpic.com – Talking about Comes with music #nw09
4:24 AM:
4:28 AM: twitpic.com – The nokia n900 is going to be the best browser device #nw09
4:28 AM:
4:30 AM: twitpic.com – Look at these busy guys sitting next to me #n97 #nw09
4:30 AM:
4:34 AM: remember that the live webcast is available at events.nokia.com
4:44 AM: twitpic.com – Anssi vanjoki on stage #nw09
4:44 AM:
4:46 AM: twitpic.com – The crowd at nokia world paying atttention. #nw09
4:46 AM:
4:47 AM: sweet… we’ll be playing with nokia n97 firmware 2.0 here at nokia world
4:51 AM: twitpic.com – Nokia n97 mini! #nw09
4:51 AM:
4:57 AM: how much will the nokia n97 mini cost? 450 euros
5:03 AM: it’s not over yet! watch the official nokia livecast at bit.ly #nw09
5:08 AM: twitpic.com – Nokia x6 comes with music phone #nw09
5:08 AM:
5:09 AM: twitpic.com – Nokia x6 and x3 prices #nw09
5:09 AM:
5:11 AM: twitpic.com – Nokia booklet 3g for 575 euros #nw09
5:11 AM:
5:13 AM: twitpic.com – Im sure the people in suits are sweating bullets because it’s getting hot here #n97
5:13 AM:
5:15 AM: Nokia Booklet 3G Hands-On and First Impressions thenokiablog.com
5:32 AM: twitpic.com – Hanging out at the social media lounge prepping for interviews #nw09
5:32 AM:
5:49 AM: twitpic.com – Q&a on nokia n97 mini and n900 with nokia spokesperson #nw09
5:49 AM:
7:05 AM: twitpic.com – Found space on the floor to blog #n97 #nw09
7:05 AM:
7:25 AM: Nokia N900 Hands-On Photos thenokiablog.com #nw09
8:03 AM: twitpic.com – Director of ovi store says re-downloads coming in 1 n half months #n97
8:03 AM:
9:36 AM: twitpic.com – Nokia booklet 3g official packaging #n97 #nw09
9:36 AM:
10:58 AM: twitpic.com – Discussion with ari jaaksi, vp maemo platform #n97 #nw09
10:58 AM:
11:44 AM: The Nokia Blog’s Nokia N900 Hands-On Video thenokiablog.com #nw09
1:28 PM: Passed 1,000 youtube subscribers today. Thanks everyone! youtube.com

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Nokia N97 vs iPhone 3GS Night Photos

Mark Guim — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 06:30:40 +0000

I’ve showed you an iPhone 3GS vs Nokia N97 photo comparison during daylight, so now it’s time for some evening shots. My wife and I were at South Street Seaport in New York City and I snuck some photos while she wasn’t looking. I didn’t want her to think I was playing with gadgets on our date.

The Nokia N97 takes 5MP photos while the iPhone 3GS takes 3MP photos. They were all resized to less than 500 pixels wide. Click to enlarge the photos for better comparison. I’ve also included some of the exif data for the photo geeks,

Brooklyn Bridge

Nokia N97, Exposure 1/15, F/2.8, ISO 800

iPhone 3GS, Exposure 1/10, F/2.8, ISO 1016

Palm Tree

Nokia N97, Exposure 1/15, F/2.8, ISO 800

iPhone 3GS, Exposure 1/15, F/2.8, ISO 506

Red Lights

Nokia N97, Exposure 1/15, F/2.8, ISO 800

iPhone 3GS, Exposure 1/10, F/2.8, ISO 766

Image Quality

I think the Nokia N97 is the winner over the iPhone 3GS when it comes to night photos. (1) Brooklyn Bridge photo by the iPhone is too grainy. The Nokia N97 did a better job with the white balance as well. (2) Palm Tree photo by the Nokia N97 looks sharper, but I like the color better on the iPhone 3GS. (3) Red Lights photo by the Nokia N97 better exposed the neon sign, therefore making it more readable than the iPhone photo. I also like the white balance better on the Nokia N97.

I’m not a photo expert, but I like taking pictures. What differences did you notice?