INDIA – In recent months we’ve reported on the rapid evolution of mobile technology in India, ranging from the interesting solutions being introduced tailored to local farmers to the wider positive global impact of Nokia India being a hub for innovation.
INTERNATIONAL – Over the past couple of weeks we’ve gone to town on Nokia Chat, bringing you stacks of inside info and opinions on this smart location-based instant messaging app. See, it’s one of those pieces of software that sparks a bunch of questions on the wider picture of context aware services and the direction of mobile apps as a whole, as well as engage us with a cutting-edge communication experience.
Get the full lowdown on all you need to know about Nokia Chat right here…
INTERNATIONAL – With location-based services (LBS) stealing so many online column inches recently, one aspect that I think has dodged discussion is the hardware – most of the limelight has been shone on the warranted significance of Nokia’s recent acquisitions of NAVTEQ, Trolltech and Plazes, alongside the tangible releases of pioneering new LBS apps such as Nokia Chat .
INTERNATIONAL – Last Friday we posted a story on the release of a beta version of Nokia Chat, an instant messaging micro app with GPS location-based features. Since then, I’ve been playing around with it with the team, setting it up, but have barely scratched the surface. In that first piece I simply asked “What do you think to GPS-enabled instant messaging. Good or bad?”, and one response from a reader, Sven Koerber, raised the interesting point of ‘trust’ and when you’re using a service like this – a little mentioned, yet extremely important word, that is definitely worth us all considering with regards to a location-based communication apps.
INTERNATIONAL – At the tail-end of last week Nokia’s acquisition of pioneering digital map maker NAVTEQ was finally rubber-stamped. Sure, mammoth deals such as this are strategic and smart on a number of levels, but what’s most interesting about Nokia’s purchase of NAVTEQ from my perspective as a user is the huge emphasis on innovation this promises with relation to the rapid evolution of location-based services.
INTERNATIONAL – Instant messaging has reared its head in many guises on mobile, from standard IM, to text message versions (SMS Chat for S60 3rd edition and Conversation), and multi-service solutions such as IM+. But today Nokia Beta Labs, released the first beta version Nokia Chat, the first IM app to use GPS to pinpoint the location of you and your friends.
EDINBURGH, Scotland – Some like them roasted, others like them au gratin. Me, I like them mashed. Which is why Rob Dunfey’s little mobile web server-GPS-Google Maps mashup stood out. Using a copy of Mobile Web Server, a Nokia N95 and ‘a handful of HTML, Javascript and PHP goodness’ he created a simple dynamic tracking web service and mapping website.
ESTONIA – Like a lot of countries, rubbish is a bit of a problem in Estonia. Not only is fly-tipping a big issue, but typically only 10 per cent of rubbish is recycled. Recently a new civic initiative dubbed “Let’s Do It! 2008″
was kicked off by Estonian tech millionaires Ahti Heinla and Rainer Nolvak. Nokia contributed 200 GPS-enabled devices to help the project.
ESPOO, Finland – I’ve not been able to do a link round up in the past few days. Did you notice? Do you like these round-ups?
In any case, I managed to get online today for a quick fix of info from around the neighborhood. I’m in a punchy mood, so certain things stood out. What I have for you today is a Retro Phone, a Car Phone, an Open Phone, and a Journo Phone. Intrigued? Then read on.
ESPOO, Finland – The EU has given the green light to the Nokia Navteq
deal which means within the week the mapping company will become part of Nokia. Following the approval for the takeover of Navteq competitor TeleAtlas the commission concluded that “The merged firm’s ability to deny competitors access to map databases is limited by the presence of the other competitor, Tele Atlas”
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