But what is the most popular colour?

With this question in mind, we decided to hit the streets of London and quiz some willing citizens on their favourite Lumia colours. For the test, we sampled the Nokia Lumia 900 in cyan and the Lumia 610 in pink and white.

Starting at Old Street roundabout, we interviewed journalist Jamie out getting his lunch. When presented with the white Lumia 610 he was thrilled: ‘The silver trim is great; really catches my eye. A really classic look.’ 

We ask if he thinks it’s sexy. “Definitely sexy! I think all these colours are bold, vibrant and risky, but the white 610 still excites me the most.” 

That’s one vote for the white Nokia Lumia 610. I wonder if this is a sign of things to come.

Further along Old Street, we meet designer Corrie and intern Natalie. Corrie openly admits she prefers bigger phones. 

“For my purposes, a bigger screen equals greater visual capabilities whilst travelling. The 900 is my kind of phone, and I love the blue! It looks good with my shoes.”

Natalie however prefers pink, “I’m a girly girl and pink is by far the most attractive.”

Votes all around then. We decided to change tact and chat to some people in suits, hoping for a different reaction. Strolling along Fleet Street, we asked a young barrister’s clerk called Luke which of the three colours he preferred.

“Blimey! What a range, I like the blue as my last two phones have been blue, but my favourite has to be the silver. Oh sorry it’s white! Even better. It’s quite a striking look. I’d definitely go with white.”

Accountant Remi chooses pink: “Ohhh now that’s a colour I like. I’m a sucker for pink, and that’s a cracking design. White is too funky for me; pink suits my personality.” Her friend Maleah disagrees, “you’re wrong! White is the best, that silver trim really catches my eye. Pink just wouldn’t suit me.”

White clearly is the punter’s favourite. Venturing back towards Farringdon, we stumble across American intern Jamie, who is delighted by the whole range. 

“It’s great to see such a vibrant selection of colours. I’ve rarely seen seen so many colour options for a phone! If I had to choose, the blue or white would be my choice. Perhaps I could have blue with white trim?”

So there you have it, the white Nokia Lumia 610 is the punters’ choice, regardless of age or gender. People remarked that the silver trim blended well with white. It’s perhaps not surprising that pink had some staunch female fans. Cyan, on the other hand, was a firm favourite with the creative types. 

As mentioned before, it’s all down to personal choice. Design journalist Jenny Winterburn, says it goes like this: “For me the colour of my phone reflects my personality. White is too loud and pink is too girly. Blue is a happy medium, and suits my easy-going nature.” 

What’s your favourite Lumia colour?

Tell us in the comments below.

photographs by Ian Dewsbury

My dad tells me that you used to have to go to a bookies to study the form and place a bet. But of course nowadays, you can join in anywhere in the world via your phone.

A Horse Racing, is a great app which keeps you up-to-date with the latest news from current races and events. Finian’s Rainbow was well reviewed by this app, with references to his youthful vibrance and exceeding power.

This got me thinking about the particulars, as a newbie to the sport. A horse racing Bing search produced Sportinglife, as the top resource for tips, recent events and a host of useful information for starters like me to get introduced gently into the sport. And it looks great on my Nokia Lumia 800. There’s also a great Racingpost.com Web app for mobiles that works really smoothly on the same phone.

Racing-index is a staggeringly useful resource of information, most notably for its coverage of UK and global race courses, I never knew there were 60 major race courses in the UK alone, and that the Happy Valley Sha-tin course in Hong Kong can take as much money in one day as Royal Ascot does in a week. From here, you can keep tabs on other huge races in the calendar, including the Kentucky Derby in America and the Melbourne Cup in Australia, to name just two. 

For a closer look at the sport, Britishhorseracing, is a goldmine of all things horsey, including historical background, training advice for jockeys, interesting facts about what makes a race horse. Made a very interesting read. 

There’s the app for Lumia too,  an encyclopedic knowledge base of all things pedigree British racing. 

After all this swotting up on a sport that just trotted into my life, to make things interesting a tipple was certainly in order. 

The Paddypower app from the Nokia Store, helped me place my bet on the 15:20 for ‘Finians Rainbow’, 5/1 favourite of the day. Wish me luck!

For me 808 has a deep-seated meaning in popular music culture, featuring in a wide array of tunes around the world. These powerful three digits promise a distinctive quality in music, suggesting edgy and downright dirty beats.

Here’s a selective round-up of the better-known affiliations, an odyssey into 808 sounds. All music is available for download from the Nokia Music Store.

808s and Heartbreak – Kanye West

As Kanye’s fourth studio album to date, 808s and Heartbreak, the 808 reference throughout the album refers to the glory days of the Roland 808-TR drum machine, an instrument that was core to the expansion of Hip-Hop in the early 1980s. 

After a tough year in 2008, Kanye reflects on the anguish of his mother dying and split with his fiancee to produce a minimal electro-pop record, rich in regret, pain and sadness.

Basenectar – The 808 track

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Bassnectar, a dubstep producer based in Santa Cruz California, creates a bass driven stormer taken from his Wildstyle EP, released in 2010. The 808 reference remains a mystery with this one, but you cannot argue he is the kind of big-style bass!

Your Love is my Drug – Ke$ha

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

“Do I make your heart beat like an 808 drum, is my love your drug?” 

Ke$ha sings with such malice in her voice, she could almost be surfing the tide of resentment flowing through her lyrics. I reckon she sets a lot of guys’ hearts beating like an 808 drum. And she’d look great snapped on the 41 megapixel 808 PureView camera too. Just saying!

Anyway Ke$ha certainly does justice to the 808 by ripping it up with this electro-pop floor raiser that peaked at No 4 in the USA Billboard Hot 100.

Boom Boom Pow – Black Eyed Peas

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

”We got that beat that 808 the boom boom in your town”

Expressive lyrics from the pop tour de force who have  the world in their beat-driven claws. Boom Boom Pow was such a success, it rip-roared to the top spot in over seven countries, highlighting the power of that 808 drum.

This line represents my first ever memories of music, trawling through my dad’s vinyl collection and stumbling across his master-cut original Hip-Hop and Dancehall tracks, all of which gave me that 808 feeling. 

808 State – Pacific State

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

808 State, its in the name. Hailing from Manchester, UK, these boys take their handle directly from the drum machine that cut their original root beats. 

Pacific State set the trend for acid house vibes in the late 1980s, with its looping drum fills and sharp cutting electro. 

Since I praised the endless resource for the weird and wonderful, and how great it looks on my Nokia Lumia 800 yesterday, I’ve had some emails highlighting some other great Tumblr blogs.

So I’ve added them to this post. We’ve even heard from Tumblr executive vice president  Andrew McLaughlin in New York, who says: “Thanks for the great (and kind) post about Tumblr!  (And for the reference to All That’s Interesting – that’s a new one for me).  I actually have a Lumia, so it’s love all round over here.”

Thanks guys for these recommended hot American Tumblr blogs.

Waxinandmilkin  

Focused on the epicentre of American sports, culture and film musings, Waxinandmilkin updates daily, with each post providing refreshing significance to the USA of today.

World Shaker

“Michael” works in e-learning, teaches social media and this is his blog. Michael expresses his opinions on life through a series of descriptive paragraphs and pictorial anecdotes. Need a boost? Read World Shaker. 

Tumblr, has been around since 2007 and currently hosts more than 47.1 million blogs, featuring a total of more than 18 billion posts – enough to keep even the most overactive web surfer quiet for a few minutes. 

A host of sites such as Pinterest, Typepad, Stumbleupon, Soup.io and Posterous, offer alternatives but none have captured the real essence of Tumblr.

Typepad, in my opinion, is a great blogging mechanism, but only goes halfway to replicating the fun Tumblr brings to your screen. Stumbleupon simulates the beauty of Tumblr’s media sharing, but offers only one category at a time, limiting the amount of creativity that you have with a page.

Pinterest has come closest to the Tumblr mechanism of matching your interests to stuff that suits you, but through a completely different interactive experience.

Ultimately, Tumblr is still the daddy of online blogging. To persuade the non-believers, I’ve highlighted my favourite five Tumblr sites that will inspire you on the path towards blog heaven.

Although Tumblr works well on your browser, I recommend you download the Tumblebee app from the Windows Phone marketplace for your Nokia Lumia phone. The full version is only 79 pence or a dollar in the US. Tumblebee helps you create and manage your very own Tumblr page, quickly and easily.

Searching and bookmarking for your favourite Tumblr pages is also effortless, just search by tag names and you’re away!  

If you read this post yesterday, you’ll have already seen these, if not, enjoy.

Pleated Jeans 

If you’re new to humour on the web, here is good place to start. A random collection of odd bits in circulation around email inboxes, Pleated Jeans, focuses on instantly digestible humour, without needing to read big blocks of text to understand what is going on, like newspaper comic strips of yore.

It’s highly recommended for daily use, particularly during those boring midweek lunchtimes, as it updates almost hourly. You’ll often see gags here before they go viral on Facebook. Below is a taster of what to expect everyday.

Animals With Stuffed Animals 

Taking the sweet and fluffy from all around the web and chucking it a big indispensable resource of cuteness, the title explains it all. If you are familiar with the blogosphere, you know it’s impossible to avoid an animal wearing some kind of hat, costume, or a teddy in this case.

A definite must for lazy Sunday afternoons with a cup of tea.

(Source: exc3ption)

Fotojournalismus  

Inspired by National Geographic and Time magazine photo journalism, this tasteful and unique blog focuses on the beautiful snappings of some of the best snappers, out there in the thick of it, capturing the world one moment at a time. 

Events of the 20th and 21st centuries are all covered, enhancing its appeal to every generation. 

(Source: Uriel Sinai / Getty Images]

The Burning House 

What would you save from your burning house? My list would include running trainers, decks, golf clubs, CD collection… The list is endless but you have to make sacrifices in life, and this blog highlights what is important to you and others. 

Everyday people send their pictures in with a pile of what they would save, and describe themselves. Think about what you would save and send your picture in, you’d be surprised how hard it can be.

(Source: theburninghouse.com)

All that’s interesting 

Encapsulating all that is random about the world, ‘All that’s interesting’ focuses purely on the interesting things in life that you never really hear about. Updated almost daily, this incredibly popular Tumblr blog provides a platform for news that often never reaches the mainstream.

Check back regularly for stunning imagery, anecdotes and quality news. Below is a sample of what to expect.

And the endless resource for the weird and wonderful, with witty writing and fantastic photography, looks great on my Nokia Lumia 800.

Tumblr, has been around since 2007 and currently hosts more than 47.1 million blogs, featuring a total of more than 18 billion posts – enough to keep even the most overactive web surfer quiet for a few minutes. 

A host of sites such as Pinterest, Typepad and Stumbleupon, offer alternatives but none have captured the real essence of Tumblr.

Typepad, in my opinion, is a great blogging mechanism, but only goes halfway to replicating the fun Tumblr brings to your screen. Stumbleupon simulates the beauty of Tumblr’s media sharing, but offers only one category at a time, limiting the amount of creativity that you have with a page.

Pinterest has come closest to the Tumblr mechanism of matching your interests to stuff that suits you, but through a completely different interactive experience.

Ultimately, Tumblr is still the daddy of online blogging.

The problem most people have though is finding a Tumblr page that suits all their interests. So where do you start? 

To persuade the non-believers, I have highlighted my favourite five Tumblr pages that will inspire you on the path towards blog heaven.

First, although Tumblr works on your browser, I recommend you download the Tumblebee app from the Windows Phone marketplace for your Nokia Lumia phone. The full version is only 79 pence or a dollar. Tumblebee helps you create and manage your very own Tumblr page, quickly and easily.

Searching and bookmarking for your favourite Tumblr pages is also effortless, just search by tag names and you’re away!  

Pleated Jeans 

If you’re new to humour on the web, here is good place to start. A random collection of odd bits in circulation around email inboxes, Pleated Jeans, focuses on instantly digestible humour, without needing to read big blocks of text to understand what is going on, like newspaper comic strips of yore.

It’s highly recommended for daily use, particularly during those boring midweek lunchtimes, as it updates almost hourly. You’ll often see gags here before they go viral on Facebook. Below is a taster of what to expect everyday.

Animals With Stuffed Animals 

Taking the sweet and fluffy from all around the web and chucking it a big indispensable resource of cuteness, the title explains it all. If you are familiar with the blogosphere, you know it’s impossible to avoid an animal wearing some kind of hat, costume, or a teddy in this case.

A definite must for lazy Sunday afternoons with a cup of tea.

(Source: exc3ption)

Fotojournalismus  

Inspired by National Geographic and Time magazine photo journalism, this tasteful and unique blog focuses on the beautiful snappings of some of the best snappers, out there in the thick of it, capturing the world one moment at a time. 

Events of the 20th and 21st centuries are all covered, enhancing its appeal to every generation. 

(Source: Uriel Sinai / Getty Images]

The Burning House 

What would you save from your burning house? My list would include running trainers, decks, golf clubs, CD collection… The list is endless but you have to make sacrifices in life, and this blog highlights what is important to you and others. 

Everyday people send their pictures in with a pile of what they would save, and describe themselves. Think about what you would save and send your picture in, you’d be surprised how hard it can be.

(Source: theburninghouse.com)

All that’s interesting 

Encapsulating all that is random about the world, ‘All that’s interesting’ focuses purely on the interesting things in life that you never really hear about. Updated almost daily, this incredibly popular Tumblr blog provides a platform for news that often never reaches the mainstream.

Check back regularly for stunning imagery, anecdotes and quality news. Below is a sample of what to expect.

All can be downloaded from the Nokia Music Store.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Ooh La La – Sheyra Ghoshal

Sheyra’s version of  The Dirty Picture hit is still going strong all over India and at the Nokia Music Store. Surely a great addition to your mobile collection.

Vidya Balan shines in the movie role as, er, a sexy Bollywood actress. So, she doesn’t have to act too hard, then. Anyway, enjoy the soundtrack and try and get to see the full-length movie which was a huge hit on the sub-continent.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Kelly Clarkson – Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill you)

Standing strong against the crowd comes a monster sound from former American Idol winner, Kelly Clarkson. Sitting high in the USA Billboard Hot 100, Stronger effortlessly drifts across genres in a sound spectrum between between Katy Perry and Linkin Park. So it drops well at about 11pm at my club night in Islington, North London. Girls love a good singalong to it.

The video features people of all shapes and sizes dancing across the US, simultaneously cutting shapes. This feel-good shortie is all about freedom of expression, whoever you are.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Haloo Helsinki! – Jos Mun Pokka Pettaa

The Punk gods gave birth to Haloo Helsinki, who land in the Finnish top 20 with their new single Jos Mun Pokka Pettaa or If I can’t hold my face. The words cry out about relationships in tatters. And Haloo Helsinki, playing loud and singing proud, are not a million miles from the Sex Pistols. They mix in nicely with any moody 1970′s melancholic hits.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

One Direction – One Thing

No. 1 in the Philippines music chart is One Direction with One Thing. The boy band sound thrives there while other genres just cannot cut the mustard.

Riding a London bus through the streets of Westminster in the video, the boys drive the girls crazy along the way. The lads really know how to pull a crowd.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Studio Killers – Ode To The Bouncer

In the top 3 of the Dutch chart, they live up to their name by producing this killer track. And with the cracking animated video, the Studio Killers have taken comedy video to a new level. 

Electro beats combine with a thumping dance rhythm, and dropping this between Ministry of Sound classics, it goes down an absolute storm in any club. It’s easily mixed with the any baseline stormer.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

The release of the Lumia around the world rarely happens without dazzling lights, cascading music, base-thumping DJs and gorgeous women. What more could you want? Gorgeous men as well? Oh, OK, that too.

All the events were a match for any decent outdoor show, but which one rivaled London launch on Millbank Tower, featuring Deadmau5. Did Indian flash mobs catch your eye, did the Polish melted building of light (above) change your mind? 

Below are three of the other biggest launch parties from around the world. 

Denmark

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

India

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Singapore

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Which is your favourite?

Let us know in the comments below.

Finally, for your viewing pleasure, here is the original London Lumia Live event.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

You can view the Momentum map here. Check back for added news on releases and bonus material from your country and around the world.

LONDON, United Kingdom – Wandering amongst the party-goers of Soho, in central London on Saturday night, I had one task. Find out how dates are using their mobile phones. Whilst dodging between the throngs of casual drinkers – gay, straight and everything in between – my mind sauntered back to some rules of mobile phone courting, when I was a student. 

 - Leave it minimum 3 days before calling them 

 - Ensure you text back at least 3 hours after you get a message, to seem cool

 - Never say I like / love by text… that’s just creepy

If you’re a guy, like me, you might have picked up those finer points of love in the boozer. Ladies take things more seriously, I hear – with entire books devoted to ‘the rules’ of text and email romance. 

So how soon is too soon to send a text declaring your affections? The answer, if you’re a girl, is that it’s never too soon to hear from the one you’re hankering after.   

Out in Soho I meet David and Susan, a couple from Hamburg, Germany, who told  me their story of mobile lust: “David was very keen when texting me from the start, he texted me saying ”you’re the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen” after about two weeks. He would always text back within the hour and call me straight back. I liked that, it showed he liked me.”

David made the first move, but the ‘textating’ rules say that you shouldn’t hold back just because you’re female. Times have changed! 

Replying to a love text within an hour seems like a good compromise – although that hour could tick by awfully slowly. Waiting hours to reply might seem cool, but it could also just be off putting. What isn’t good is texting every five minutes. See this example below:   

Kirk and Duncan are a loveable duo from Dalston, North East London. 

“Kirk did most of the texting, as I work as a bar manager, my phone sits by a cash register most of the night. Playing hard to get wasn’t intended, he just had to wait.” 

Duncan tells me that once he sent Kirk 15 texts one night, in a drunken fit of passion, saying how they should live together. “Out of choice”, he describes, “I would have said it to his face, but he wasn’t answering his phone, so I just went for it”. 

Oh dear. Drunk texting is an absolute no-no. Who wants those misspelled words, and  slurred slops of loved-up mush? And fifteen texts a night seem to be heading towards desperation. We all know where the next step leads – you’re texting saying “Hello, did you get my last text…? Only I texted you ten times and you haven’t replied and I wondered if you’d dropped your phone, or the signal got re-routed via Iceland…?” Just don’t go there. 

Let’s imagine that you’ve had your first date and you think you like each other. Where do you take texting next? 

“In my opinion, the sooner you text back the better, as in this day and age, people are never far away from their phones”, says Helen a single 30-something from Sheffield, South Yorkshire. “If  someone I’m seeing doesn’t text back within a day, I get bored and move on.”

Emma, a charity worker, agrees: “My partner texted me straight away after our first date and said what a nice date it had been, and how she wanted to meet up again soon. Then I got another text the next day asking about my visit to the gym. I really liked that. Now we’re living together and I couldn’t have hoped for anyone nicer. “ 

It’s not just when you text – but how you text. Good grammar and tone of voice are just as important as how soon. If you send smiley faces and LOL – then your love-to-be might think that you’re the kind of person…who sends smiley faces and LOLs. Enough said.

Never be tempted to send naughty pictures of yourself, and suggestive messages unless you’re really sure that’s the road you want to go down. 

Wit and humour are always good, but only if you’re confident that you are actually witty. Sarcasm is a killer and should be avoided at all costs. Try to use phrases that open conversations, instead of closing them – and don’t send long personal stories. Suggest another date so that you can bore her death in person instead. 

The good thing about text love is that if it isn’t working, you can just not text back. 

Back on the streets of Soho, Phil from west London, sums up his views concisely: “If a woman texted me she loved me after we went out a couple of times, that girl would get bounced straight away!”

Wise words Phil. And remember ladies, if he doesn’t text you after a week, he’s not that into you – let it go. 

Emma says the most romantic text she ever got was the one that just said ‘X’.

But don’t be tempted to just send a text today – as Trevor explains.

All albums and songs are available from the Nokia Music Store.

 Best Latin Pop, Rock or Urban Album – Mana: Drama Y Luz

Labelled simply as Mana, these Mexican lads have really taken the scene by by the scruff of the neck. Featuring strongly at the MTV Video Music awards with five to their name, their sound can only be described as a mix of pop rock, calypso and ska, but with a raw ingrained Latin spirit.

Infused with Mexican beats, do not be surprised to see Mana walk the star-studded carpet with this masterpiece. Seriously give it a listen, you won’t be disappointed.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Best Dance Recording – Duck Sauce: Barbra Streisand

Characterised as the definitive tune of mid 2011, this top brass club number cut right to the core of dance: FUN. The whole world was humming this tune.

Duck Sauce are innovative mix artists, with the like of Armand Van Helden and A-trak, both already have an experienced background on the club circuits and are internationally heralded as some of the best remixers of the new millennium. Lets hope these boys walk away with what they deserve.

Artiss YouTube Embed: No video/playlist ID has been supplied

Best Pop Instrumental Album – David Koz – Hello Tomorrow

Featuring in the list of nominees is up and coming David Koz, with his album Hello Tomorrow. David really has stormed the Jazz castle with his funky spectacular. Regularly featuring at no.1 in the US and global Jazz charts, he has brought his sound to the masses without compromising his style and grace.

Everyone likes a bit of Jazz to chill out to, I know I do, and Hello Tomorrow makes me feel alive every time it pops into my head. It’s music for the car, cafe or even the kitchen as you make dinner. David Koz has cracked it with this 2010 winner and I would love to see him reap some desserts.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

THE ALPS – Down my first black run of the week, I struggle to maintain control as the Alps are against me, the weather challenges my better judgement, it is literally a ‘white-out’. Luckily my Lumia 800 is here to save the day with my North Face app (available on Marketplace), updating me with live weather reports, suggesting the best attire for the slopes. 

Although it is blisteringly cold outside, I charge out of my apartment with my fleece and salopettes, ready to take on the driving snow. Lumia stopwatch at the ready, I time myself down the ‘Olympique Dames’, the 2nd hardest slope at Chamrousse. Luckily I do not fall and a personal best is saved, time for a celebratory beer! 

Aside from the fog, the snow is perfect, making for adventurous twists and turns. All this extra snow made me want to get some pics, so to get above the fog, up I went to the top of the highest peak in the resort to test my new camera. The test was to capture the scene without getting the glare of the sun. Hopefully you will agree I achieved just that. As you can see, the fog sat over the valley below like the sea of Galilee!

Take a look at my ski apps review. We would love to hear your best and worst ski stories, please comment below.