UPDATE: Here are some behind the scenes footage from Nokia Conversations

OMG! It’s finally time for Nokia World 2009! A couple of months ago, Nokia Connect ‘09 was held around the world showcasing the latest from the Ovi store, the E72, XpressMusic 5530 and many more — which were mainly updates from the Asia Pacific area (where I was sent). I’m looking forward to see Nokia’s plans for the global roadmap, as well as their philosophy to world domination through their new netbook line.

If you want to follow blog updates from Nokia Conversations, you can just update this page.

You can follow the unfolding of Nokia World 2009 with the Twitter hashtag #nw09.

Post from: Cellphone9

Last year’s Nokia Connect with the unveiling of the E71 and E66

This will be my third year in a row attending Nokia Connect and its no secret that this year, the launch of the N97 is perhaps the main kicker for the event. I’m also expecting to see more details on the Ovi Store.

[photos from author]

Post from: Cellphone9

Hey fellow tech bloggers! Like last year, this blogger is being sent to Nokia Connection 2009 happening this June in Singapore. If there are other tech bloggers / journalists from Malaysia, Australia, Indonesia and Vietnam, it would be nice to get together during the socials. Two years ago, Nokia unveiled their shift towards software and services through the Ovi platform. This year, we’re excited to see what they have to feature.

[Image invite c/o Nikka Abes, Nokia PH]

Post from: Cellphone9

Timeline follows. Latest entry is at the top.

## Lunch time!

## For pornography and other “questionable items” images can be flagged. Nokia does not monitor or moderate content. The community works to flag images and reports them to Nokia, who, in turn removes them in half an hour to 12 hours.

## Uploading of photos demo. You can comment via website or via your mobile phone. Ovi page very similar to Flickr if I may reiterate. It even shows EXIF data of photos. if location tracking it turned on in the phone, GPS, Assisted GPS or cell ID kicks in and determines geotagging data. Nokia does not own copyright to these images. Photographs belong to the one who took it.

## Demo of Share on Ovi mobile site. Basically the same thing, but smaller.

## Ovi allows you to use widgets, similar to Flickr and post your slideshow on your blog.

## (checks Ovi site. Hmm looks like I’ve signed up for this before). Anyway, the Ovi page allows you to create channels ofr privacy purposes. Channels allow you to filter who sees your items. You can also share audio recordings such as lectures and other sounds and basically you’ve just created a podcast. You can share over 100 different media formats. You can even share Microsoft Office documents. Yeah, yeah, they’re going the Google way like Google Docs! Full resolution downloads of photos can be made. You can subscribe via RSS to uploads of your friends / channels.

## Vast majority of media is not uploaded apparently. From media sharing, media hosting and social networking. Share on Ovi is basically a way to upload photos and videos immediately wirelessly. Service is free. The app can be downloaded from the Nokia site. Free bandwidth and storage for uploading photos. Website is http://share.ovi.com.

## In room survey of people who take vacations and take photos with them. Obviously a way to introduce Ovi.

Post from: Cellphone9

Timeline:

## Discussion of Ovi. Ovi Share included for all Ovi services including N-Gage, music, photos. Q&A follows. Differences between the E66 and E71 is really just about the keypad options but the features are essentially the same.

## Security: Encryption of the Eseries devices in internal memory and with the memory card. “Lock and wipe” feature for SMS. An SMS can be sent via you or your IT manager to wipe out the phone in case it gets lost with the send of a single SMS.

## Preview of the new browsing experience. Embedded VPN client for the Intranet with automatic VPN setup over WLAN. Flash support in browser (YAY!).

## The new Home Screen. The old home screen added a lot of functionality and customization. The new one improves on this: Personallized application shortcuts, configurable email accounts, plugin customization, home screen notifiers. Inteligent contact search allows you to type in names directly from the keypad from the home screen without having to go to the address book. Effortless mode switching. A “free time mode” and the phone turns into a “free time phone” which doesn’t show anything to do with business (!!!). Provides access to other services to “free time” apps like the music player, N-Gage, new wallpaper.

## Enhanced calendar: you can basically see more in one screen. Column arragement of tasks and meetings within the month view.

## Personal email setup works the same way Mac Mail works — just type the username and password and you’re set. For business email, preloaded with access to Microsoft Exchange: push email, push contacts, push calendar, corporate directory, device management. Supports also Nokia Intellisync: completely revamped – uses less data, saves battery, better UI.

## Nokia Eseries – Everything the Professional Needs. I think this is a preview of the widgets application for the Eseries. 1.5 billion email inboxes in the world. Only 4% are “mobilized emails”

## Sandra Bullock photographed with the E71. Paparrazi go around to photograph the phone, not her (speaker’s joke)

## Demo unit of E71 is placed beside me. Wow. This baby’s really thin. Emphasis on good battery life. Price is 350 Euros. Only 10mm thin. “world’s thinnest QWERTY device”

## Nokia E71 Preview. Available July 2008. Made of stainless steel. Available in grey and white. Concentrating on size of the product – unit is ultra thin. Emphasis on keyboard usability with “pillow type shape.”

## Nokia E66 Preview. Accelerometer to turn unit from general to silent mode.

## Just walked in. grabbed a donut. Really good. Keynote has already started with Nokia reps presenting the two new phones we previewed last night. Eek, I’m a *little* late (Blame it on the roti that didn’t agree with my stomach).

Post from: Cellphone9

Singapore has been the preferred venue for regional communications conferences such as CommunicAsia. This year is no different with CommunicAsia 2008 currently ongoing. But that’s just one side of the coin. I was lucky enough to have been invited to Nokia’s very own Nokia Connection 2008 and tonight capped Day 1 of the ceremonies. Here’s the rundown:

Two new enterprise phones were announced, Nokia E66 and the Nokia E71 both sporting Intellisync, email functions, HSDPA and WiFi.The main difference is that the E71 comes with a full QWERTY keypad and is ultra-thin while the E66 is a lower end version of he E71 sporting similar features but doesn’t come with a full QWERTY pad.

Nokia N-Gage games are slowly taking shape with three new game previews developed in house by Nokia

Demos of the Nokia 5220 and 5320 together with performances from the Nokia Independent Artists Club (Nokia IAC). In my next few posts I will be going into more depth with the new announcements, most especially with the new N-Gage platform impressions which completely blew my mind.

Last year we bore witness to Nokia Go Play which was the Finn’s announcement of their new strategy towards the Internet and social media. Basically, Nokia’s efforts with Ovi, the N-gage most especially, is slowly being realized, without them losing focus on their core competence, which is the manufacturing of mobile phones.

Stay tuned for more!

Post from: Cellphone9

## Developers are turning the iPhone into a gaming device — with video

## uMobile relies on word of mouth sign ups for their ad-driven telco service

## So what happens at the S60 Summit?

## Nokia Connect 2008 and CommunicAsia 2008 are happening next week!

Post from: Cellphone9

You can leave a comment if you’re going and maybe we can grab a few drinks during the conference.

Post from: Cellphone9