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Thanks to recent leaks and even previews, today’s announcement of the N900 comes as no surprise. I’ve always been a fan of the Internet Tablets, for the simple fact that it offers a better surfing experience than what was possible on S60.  It also felt closer to netbooks or notebooks than a smartphone, due to its generous amounts of processing power, lots of RAM and large screen. I especially liked the fact that you had tons of RAM to start with and more could be added by using virtual memory from your memory card or built-in memory. Only problem is that it wasn’t a phone and the lack of 3G hampered it’s ability to truly be mobile. The N900 solves all of this, albeit with a much smaller screen.

The specs are VERY impressive and include a 3.5-inch 800×480 pixel (resistive) touchscreen, sliding QWERTY, 32GB of on-board storage expandable to 48GB via microSD, GPS/A-GPS, FM transmitter, TV-out, Bluetooth 2.1, Wi-Fi, 1320mAh battery, 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics and dual-LED flash.

But what really makes this interesting are the details:

1.It has a whopping 256MB of physical RAM. Just like the N800 and N810 it can use some of the flash disk as virtual memory. As much as 768MB of virtual memory, basically eliminating the RAM problem that has plagued S60 devices for some time now.

2. ARM Cortex A8 superscalar microprocessor core running at 600 MHz, ample processing power, same as the iPhone 3GS and Palm Pre.

4.3D graphics accelerator with OpenGL ES 2.0 support. The iPhone was seen by many as THE gaming device not only because of the large library of games but also because of the great graphics power. The N95 and N93 had great graphics, but went mostly untapped. Devices like N96 and N97 were criticized for the lack of hardware 3D,  the N900 brings not only a powerfull processor but also graphics processing power to match. This should also help with smooth video playback. Hope that all of this is not left untapped.

5.First Nokia with 800 × 480 resolution, although at 25 fps and not 30.

6. First Maemo device with built-in FM transmitter and TV-out

7.It has UPnP/DNLA, something even the mighty N97 lacks, but we expect will be added soon.

8.Finally, Xvid video playback!

9. The concept of a Panorama Desktop is cool: instead of a home screen with widgets, you can have multiple desktops (home screens) with widgets or whatever you want. This will truly be one of the reasons to have so much RAM.

10. For now only available in Black. Where’s the White or Silver?

11.No WCDMA 850 support.

12. With Flash 9.4 support, the N900 should have one of the most feature rich browsers, easily beating the iPhone 3GS.

Judging by the specs and my previous experience with Nokia’s Internet Tablet, this is THE device to get. All that Nokia needs to do now is get plenty of apps for this thing and use that graphics power to the max. If they manage to do those two things, we can easily have a winner here. I also have to wonder if the N800 and N810 will be getting this update as its been an Internet Tablet tradition to release the latest OS for previous devices. The negative part to the announcement of the N900 is actually the N97. With the N900 N97 being released just a few months before the N900, Nokia should have just skipped it and go straight to the N900.

What do you think of the N900?

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Noticed how the Nokia Booklet 3G in today’s video looked a bit…virtual? Reuters photographers caught the real thing and  snapped a few photos of Nokia’s latest netbook posing with a White E71. Like I’ve said before, not the best looking netbook on the market, but it doesn’t look bad.

Do you like the design of the Booklet 3G?

Via:LiliPuting

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If you’ve looked at today’s Booklet 3G video, you’ll notice an open application that clearly looks like an OVI Application, but doesn’t appear to be OVI Suite 1.1 or 2.

What do you think of the idea of having an OVI Chat desktop client that supports AIM, Windows Live, Yahoo and Google?

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A small 4kB update has popped up for the Nokia N97 in in the SW Update application. The update doesn’t mention any fixes or updates and simply says to “Install before Phone Software 01.”

We still have no word what this could be, but some are reporting this could be a fix/update for the FOTA settings on the N97.

Did you get this update or any idea what it fixes or updates?

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The rumors were true: Nokia was creating a netbook and today they officially unveiled their first entry into one of the fastest growing segments in the industry. The netbook market is highly completive with almost everyone jumping into the game, but unlike standard notebooks, virtually all netbooks have about the same specs, due to limitations set by Microsoft and Intel. The typical netbook specs list looks like this:

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Contacts

1.OVI Contacts Sync: There’s always the option to backup your contacts to your SIM, but what if your phone gets stolen? With this option you’ll always have an online backup that can be edited from any PC connected to the net. Another plus is that it’s great if you have multiple device, allowing you to sync all your contacts among your devices. I also like the fact that you can upload pictures to the OVI Contacts service and the image will be neatly added to that contact. You can always do this the other way around.

Setup is easy, but you’ll need to create a Nokia account. Once in your account, just go to Contacts and “Add a device.” Follow the instructions to get the SMS and save the sync settings.

On your phone go to Settings>Connectivity>Data Transfer>Sync. Once there go into Options and choose “Change Active Profile” and choose OVI.com. Press Options again and choose Synchronise. Your device should now be synced with OVI contacts! Only downside I could find to this method is that it doesn’t provide auto-sync. The process of syncing has to be done manually, but it works as advertised.

2.Google Sync: A service similar to OVI Contacts, but with one big difference: In just a few minutes changes will automatically show on your computer. The same can be said about changes made on the web.

For this service to work you will need to install Mail for Exchange. But once that’s done it’s simply a matter of heading to m.google.com/sync from your desktop and follow the instructions. If you already have Mail for Exchange installed you can skip to Set up Google Sync.

Files

3.Files on OVI: Backup for many meant emailing files to yourself, there are more useful ways of doing backup and access file stored online or your computer. Previously a paid service, Files on OVI is now completely free. Be sure to login into your account on your PC and and install the Files Connector. Now for the mobile client, point your mobile browser to https://files.ovi.com/wrt/fl/downloadw (Thanks to Steve at AllAboutsymbian) and you’re good to go.

4. Windows Live SkyDrive: Similar to Files, but without the remote access to files on your PC, basically 25GB of online storage accessible from the mobile browser. A major plus over Files is that it offers more than twice the amount of storage. On your mobile browser head on to http://skydrive.live.com/. Off course also accessible from the PC.

5.Windows Live Mesh: Live Mesh is like the previous two services combined, but on steroids. With online storage, remote file access from multiple computers at a time, a virtual desktop and even history showing what files were added and from what device, this service is clearly better the best. Only thing lacking is a native Symbian application.

Applications

6.Backup Memory Card/Mass Memory: Nokia devices sometimes come with apps preinstalled with no way of getting them back, good examples of this are Panoman for the N82 and Guitar Rock Band for the N97.As We’ve indicated earlier backup the content  of your Mass Memory or Memory card should be one of the first things you do when you get a new phone.

7:Backup using PC Suite/OVI Suite: Probably one of the earlier ways of backing up your Nokia smartphones but an important one nonetheless. If all else fails, a great way to backup everything from phone memory, mass memory, memory card, contacts, calendar, notes, messages, bookmarks and settings and to store them on a good old fasion CD-R/W and DVD-R/W +R/RW.

What’s your method of choice when it comes to backup? What methods do you use that’s not on the list?

This was a guest post by Ritchie a remote backup expert

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If  the 5800 isn’t broken, don’t fix it, right? If you’re Nokia, you change it just a bit and add a lot to the package, enough to sell a lot more. You could say Nokia just re-released the 5800 in the shape of 5800 Navigation Edition.

By small changes we mean a Chrome bezel and pre-loaded lifetime of voice-guided Drive and Walk navigation licenses for your region, while the rest remains basically unchanged. They did add a lot to the overall package however, included are a car charger and Nokia car kit. All of this for about $30-35 dollars more than the current 5800 XpressMusic, which is a pretty good deal if you ask me.

By not completely changing the 5800, it clearly shows that they believe that it’s doing just fine as it is (not a far-fetched idea considering the millions of units sold) and that the true changes will come later on in the form of firmware upgrades that bring will bring it up to par with other the other 5th edition devices such as the N97 and 5530.

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Quickoffice comes as a free extra, with document viewing on Nseries devices and document editing on the Eseries. Adobe Reader LE 2.5 on the other hand strangely is isn’t free, despite being pre-installed on most Nokia smartphones. Here’s a chance to get it 50% off at just $7!

Adobe reader LE is compatible with both S60 3rd and 5th edition  device. This deal can be found right here.

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As a music fan, my mobile device HAS to be very good at this all-important-task, because of the simple fact that I only own one portable music device at a time. The N91 is still considered the benhmark among all of Nokia’s handsets. How does the N97 compare?

Its all about audio quality:There are many ways to judge a music device, but one can argue that it all starts and ends with music quality. This is especially true with high-end headphones, earphones and IEM in the $450+ category. Recent tests I’ve done also shows that it makes a big difference when connected to large external speakers. The difference is even noticeable when budget (under $100) earphones are used. When it comes to audio quality the N91 and N91 8GB are still considered the golden standard, by which current devices are judged by. Using my trusty Shure SE530PTH In-Ear-Monitors (IEM), I put the N97 to the test. After extensive listening I can conclude that the N97 is the closest device yet to the N91 in terms of audio quality using the 3.5mm headphone jack. How close? If the N91 was considered a 10, the N97 would be a 9 or 9.5. It’s  that close! I was even surprised to find that the N97 had that extra volume headroom that I loved so much about the N91. In some case I had to lower the volume when playing at 100% as it was way too loud. This was perfect for music recorded at lower volumes or when I just wanted to lay back and blast my music at full force. The guys over at GSMArena also seem to agree with us:

“The audio quality of Nokia N97 is just great, save for the disturbingly high intermodulation distortion levels. The handset fared excellently in all other parts of our test achieving some pretty impressive scores. The frequency response has been greatly improved over what the N96 could deliver. It now closes on perfection, deviating by no more than 0.27dB throughout the audible range. The noise level, dynamic range and stereo crosstalk readings are also very good, comparable to the best in class. Here go the results so you can compare it to some of the other handsets we have tested.”

I was simply impressed.

How about the speakers? Considering the physical limitation of these mobile devices we can’t expect miracles from the built-in speakers, but we can stay that the stereo speakers on the N97 sound better than most mobile devices out there. Ironically the lower priced 5800 XpressMusic is louder and reaches lower in the audio spectrum. Its fair to stay that if you want share your tunes or annoy others in the train, the N97 does a perfectly good job. Quality-wise, the 5800 XpressMusic sounds better though when the speakers are concerned.

Wait, no Media keys? At first it seemed like a big minus: the N97 had the audio quality but no music keys,a typical characteristic of music devices. Having the ability to quickly control your music is handy. There’s no denying that hardware media keys are probably the best way to go, but Nokia did what is in my opinion the next best thing: Widgets. Widgets are the N97’s media keys that when activated can be placed on one of 5 user selectable areas. If you can recall, the N91 had media keys in front of the actual keypad, the N97’s implementation is basically the same, but of course implemented in the UI. It even goes one step further in the sense that you get the option to place the keys on different parts of the screen: in the middle, at the bottom or all the way up. When you don’t want them, they’re gone, a clear advantage over the N91, especially when customization is concerned. One area where hardware keys have the advantage though is when multi-tasking. I could be surfing the web and controlling my music using the media keys, without ever having to open the Music Player. Something that clearly can’t be done on the N97, unless Nokia adds a floating media bar that can be placed on top of other applications. Maybe an idea for the next firmware Nokia?

Lots and lots of storage and speedy too:With 32GB and 16GB micrSDHC cards I had a total amount of 48GBof storage that could be expanded with time as 32GB microSDHC cards become available. Yes, that’s 48. GB! The N91 on the other hand is stuck at 4 and 8GB. The N97 not only has more storage, but with a data transfer speed of 7-8MB/s it’s almost twice as fast as the N91.

Form factor: The N91 may have the advantage of having hardware keys, but the N97’s form factor with its QWERTY is able to find the the right Track or Artist faster. The ability to change from a QWERTY device that sits flat on a table one second, to something that looks like the 5800 XM closely rese,bling a dedicated MP3-player that sits more comfortable in the hand.

Large screen: With such a large screen, the N97 has the ability to show the biggest album art and music button I have ever seen. But where are the visualizations? The N91 has them, even the E75 (!) has them, so why are they not implemented on the N97?

Conclusion: Although mostly marketed as a social-media device, the N97 performs incredibly well as music device that is the closest thing to the N91 in audio quality. Although it lacks hardware media keys, it mostly makes up for this with the Music Player that can be put on different areas of the screen. For heavy multi-tasking hardware keys are still the  best solution. The N97 not only bests the N91 in storage, but also with a faster transfer speed to fill it up. The Slide-out QWERTY although at first not that obvious, seem well-suited for a music device and the large screen makes a dream come true for music fan: giant album art!

Strangely missing are visualizations, something that even the business oriented Eseries devices have. The N91 can now finally rest in piece.

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Nokia N97 firmware version 12.2.024 is now available via Nokia Software update and Nokia Ovi Suite 2.0. Today’s firmware can be considered remarkable due to the fact that I can’t remember one single firmware being so widely available from day one! Usually EURO models are the first to get the update, followed by the APAC models, while NAM devices sometimes get it months after the initial release. From what I’ve seen the firmware seems to be readily available among APAC, EURO and NAM devices at the same time.

For me this also marks an important transition from Nokia Software Updater to the all-in-one solution that is OVI Suite 2.0. Lately I was committed on only using OVI Suite 2.0, with the exception being Nokia Software Updater for my firmware upgrades. OVI Suite is Nokia’s all-in-one solution that is set to replace many of their current software products like PC Suite, Software Updater and Map Loader. Despite being a BETA release, firmware upgrade via OVI Suite went smooth and fast. Could this mark the end for Nokia Software Updater (NSU)?

As for the N97, it seems noticeably faster, whereas before I constantly had to deal with slowdowns. Transition effects also seem to work much smoother, but no signs yet of new features. No word yet on the exact changes and fixes, but usually those pop-up in a few days.

Worth noting is that  today’s update isn’t considered a a major firmware judging by the slight jump in firmware v11 to v12, despite the rather large 130+ Mb file size. We do have confirmation that Nokia is planning a firmware update that includes lots of features and functions, planned to be roll out in the second half of 2009.

What has been your experience with the N97 firmware v12.2.024? Did you try OVI Suite 2.0 to update this firmware?

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