When taking pictures using previous Nseries devices, the camera would either tell you whether it could properly focus (Green focus bracket) or not (Red focus bracket). With the latest firmware v20.115 for the N86 8MP there’s a new focus point indication feature, that shows you where exactly the camera is focusing on.

If it detects faces it will focus on these faces, if not, you will see a single focus bracket showing where the camera is focusing on.

The video below was deliberately taken without any faces, showing the focus point indication bracket. Notice how it’s colored green, when it’s properly able to focus. Also notice how the bracket’s position changes depending on the “scene” as the position of the camera changes.

A new feature added in firmware v20.115 to the N86 8MP’s camera is Face Detection. This software feature scans for facial features and focuses on those area to make sure they are in focus once the image is taken. You can see that it’s working by the focus brackets that are dynamically adjusted in relation to location of the faces on screen. This is the same feature found in many digital cameras.

The feature is enabled by default and can be turned off in the camera settings. As you can see below the feature works really well. In fact, it works so well that the N86 8MP can detect faces, even when I pointed it to a picture being displayed on my laptop!

Nokia has just release the long awaited firmware v20.115 for the N86 8MP. As expected, Nokia’s imaging flagship receives tons of camera related improvements and features, most notably Face detection, a first in a Nokia camera phone.

According to Allaboutsymbian this update bring the following updates:

Camera improvements:

• Improved still image quality
• Improved video quality
• Face detection added
• Red-eye removal added (Nokia note: "this is image processing which removes the red-eye. You need to be in red-eye reduction flash mode for it to be operational. Other flash modes it is disabled as there is a small shot to shot impact due to the extra image processing.")
• New focus point indication – this shows where in the scene the camera is focussing
• Improved Close-up focus. (Nokia note: "As a result you will find in most situations you can focus much closer than before. The new focus point indication will also help in confirming which part of your subject is used for critical focus checking")

Significant bug fixes to:

• Web
• Music store client
• RealPlayer
• Ovi Maps
• Here and Now
• N-Gage client
• Nokia Messaging

Other improvements:

• Automatic VoIP re-registration.
• Ovi Chat shortcut on the homescreen
• new Ovi services splash screen
• Ovi Store client

The update is quite  large at 7557 kb (for a firmware-over-the-air update) and is accessible from the home screen by pressing *#0000# or by going to the Software Update application. We’ll be taking a look at the new camera features very soon.

The Nokia Extra Power DC-11 is basically an external rechargeable 1500 mAh Li-Ion battery. The concept behind it isn’t new: charge your device using a portable, external power source when on the move and when empty you charge it just like any other Nokia phone. The Extra Power DC-11 is one of two external power units offered by Nokia. The other model is the Nokia Extra Power DC-8 which uses either standard or rechargeable AA batteries. While the latter unit is more compact it does require rechargeable AA batteries or the not-so-eco-friendly standard AA batteries. Here at The Nokia Guide, we prefer technology that helps every bit when it comes to our environment and the use of AA batteries, even the rechargeable ones are something we wouldn’t recommend or even consider using. For this simple fact we prefer the DC-11 over the DC-8.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Nokia N86 8MP has now appeared on the official DLNA list of compatible devices, joining other DLNA-certified devices like the N82 and N95 8GB. This means that the N86 8MP is certified as a “Mobile Digital Media Server” and allow it share your media to other DLNA-certified products like printers or the PS3.

Speaking of DNLA certification, why hasn’t the N97 been certified yet? It even has the capable hardware and software, which makes it even stranger. Perhaps this is something we’ll see in the new firmware coming in October.

The video below gives you an idea of how DLNA works.

As we draw closer to the N900’s release in October, some accessories are starting to surface. Take for example Nokia’s recommended case for the N900, the CP-321. The N900’s case  looks awfully similar to the N97’s CP-323 case and the N86 8MP’s CP-322 case. Other than  the obvious dimension differences, the CP-321 also differs in the material used. Unlike the N86 8MP and N97’s case, this case is made of leather instead of cloth.

Just like the N97 and N86 8MP there are 2 color options: Black & White. As you may or may not know, both the N97 and N86 8MP are available in White or darker color, matching the Nokia original cases. This seems to suggest that either a Silver (Grey) or White N900 might be in the works.

Is the N900’s CP-321 case up for the task?

Summary: Touted as their “smallest Bluetooth headset to date”, they really weren’t kidding when they called the BH-804 Nokia’s smallest. As I found out, it could also be Nokia’s most complete Bluetooth headset to date. It doesn’t hurt neither that the BH-804 scores high on the style-factor, with high-quality materials and presentation that would make the BH-804 feel right at home next to Nokia’s luxury 8800 line of mobile phones. With just two buttons, it’s simplicity at its best. Through the use of a single piece of Aluminium, build quality is extremely good, the best we’ve seen so far. While audio performance could have been excellent, ultimately we could only rate it as “above average” due to the fact that the supplied ear tips don’t get the best audio quality possible out of the BH-804. Wireless performance for such a compact unit was good, while battery can be considered pretty good, considering the compact dimensions of the unit. What we ended up liking less was the charger adapter, which lacks a locking mechanism, although you can always skip it and use the desktop charger. Overall rating 9.2 out of 10.

Read the rest of this entry »

When the specs of the Booklet 3G were revealed, the addition of a accelerometer seemed surprising, especially for a netbook. For mobile handsets and smartphones it’s mostly reserved for the top tier handsets, used for everything from screen orientation to device control in applications and games. I guess maybe because it was a device coming from Nokia, I immediately imagined a netbook where the screen could somehow re-orient itself or even applications or games that could use the accelerometer. But after all the excitement had settled down, it became clear to me how the accelerometer would be used: Hard drive protection.

A feature now common among high-end and mid-tier laptops, the accelerometer is used to “sense” a sudden fall. In this case the hard drive is “parked” to prevent or minimize damage. This is probably the first time I see this in a netbook, but judging by the segment the Booklet 3G is targeting with its price, it’s no surprise that Nokia included this high-end feature. It wouldn’t be a bad idea though if they could find more creative or useful uses for the accelerometer.

What do you think, are their creative or useful uses for an accelerometer in a netbook?

Here at The Nokia Guide we mostly cover Nokia’s S60 smartphones and Maemo based tablet devices, almost forgetting about S40. Admittedly, S40 devices don’t have tons of storage, multi-megapixel cameras or other show stopping features, making them less exciting to cover, despite being a big chunk in Nokia’s overall sales worldwide. Regardless of upcoming releases like the Booklet 3G and N900, I’m really excited about one particular S40 device: the Nokia 3720 Classic. I haven’t been excited about a S40 phone since the Nokia 6230 days, which should give you an idea how long that’s been.

The 3720 Classic is special for the fact that it’s built to IP-54 standards, making it quite the rugged phone, but unlike other models on the market made to withstand dirt or water, it doesn’t look like one which is one reason why I like this phone. Many times I’m left without access to email, calls and SMS because I tend to leave my devices at home when heading out to the beach, hiking or offroading, as I don’t want to end up with a damaged $600 device. For this reason the 3720 is just perfect, giving me all the basics, yet I was amazed that  it supports high capacity microSDHC cards, basic browsing capabilities, IMAP, POP and SMTP email support, 2 megapixel camera and even OVI maps with external GPS support. Only thing missing is a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The 3720 Classic could  in my opinion be one of Nokia’s best contender as a second device to your more expensive Smartphone. It could even be one of those “emergency” phones that you keep for years, even when continually upgrading your main Smartphone.

Personally I can’t wait to get my hands on the 3720 Classic and try it out  when we go offroading during the rainy season. Try that with your N97!

If you still aren’t sure about that IP-54 thing, just check out the video below. Are you getting the Nokia 3720 Classic?

Unless you have a Nokia Eseries model, your device only comes with Office document viewing, instead of the full editing suite. At $39, Quickoffice Premier 6 is one of the most expensive S60 apps, but with this deal it should come down to a more manageable $19. They previously had this deal, but only for 24 hours. If you missed it, it can now be found here.