Spotify On Your Nokia N8 : How To.

Spotify On Your Nokia N8 http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Spotify has reached all corners of the world and delivering entertainment to multitude of people of all ages from it's collection of millions of tracks.
It is available on most smartphones and mobile devices like tablets.
So Nokia too has set about finding how it works and telling us how to get Spotify working on a Nokia N8.
As with every service comes through an app, to use Spotify, you need to download and install Spotify for N8 from OVI Appstore Once that is done, the next step is to sign up to use Spotify service. You will be able to select from three different account types:

Spotify Premium (£9.99 per month);
Spotify Unlimited (£4.99 per month);
and Spotify Open (Free).

But there is a catch when it comes to the mobil service, the free version does not work on smartphones, it only works on works on desktops and laptops. So to get Spotify working on your Nokia N8, you need to purchase the premium service.
After that it is a matter of searching and finding tracks or songs that you want to listen, yes I like the Gorillaz, Plastic beach.

Nokia blog has some more information on the navigation and using the Spotify.

Android Leads iOS, RIM and Nokia In Mobile OS Sales! : Gartner

Android Leads iOS, RIM and Nokia http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/

If you wonder why Apple is suing everyone and anyone with Android alliance, this might be one of the reasons. Gartner published that the Google’s mobile OS, Android now accounts for 43.4% of all smartphone sales, up from 17.2% Q2 2010. Apple reached 18.2% of the smartphone share, up from 14.1% at the same time last year.

Together Android and iOS accounts for 62% of the Smartphone market share, which was only a 31% a year earlier.

Nokia's Symbian OS share is now at 22.1%, taking a big slide, down from 40.9% a year earlier. RIM did not fare well either, RIM's share of smartphone market droped to 12% in Q2, from 19% one year ago.

Microsoft was below the radar with 1.6% of the smartphone market share.

Gartner also told us that the worldwide sales of mobile devices grew 16.5% from this time last year, to reach 428.7 million units. Smartphones sales were up 74% year-over-year and accounted for 25% of the overall sales in Q2 2011, up from 17% in Q2 2010

Gartner News

Nokia N9 Countdown Wets Your Appetite.

Nokia N9 Countdown Wets Your Appetite. http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Nokia N9 makes you want it for some reason. More you look at it, more the curiosity. But now you have 49 days to grow that need as Nokia Sweden has brought up a countdown page that does more than count down. In fact Nokia N9 looks like Nokia NG, Nokia New Generation.
This gorilla glass cad Nokia N9, once Google translations interpreted as "Came with a side of gorilla and a dessert" is powered by MeeGo OS and OMAP3630 processor. Everyone who had the chance to experience the phone loved it and I am sure there will be millions more....
Check it out yourself at Nokia site. (Unless you are in no hurry, select the low res version of the demo, too many people are satisfying their craves.)
NOKIA

Apple Forgets Nokia Defeat, Goes Against Samsung, Even Harder!

Apple To Samsung, You Are A Copycat http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Apple forgetting about Nokia defeat, seem to be going strongly against Samsung. Apple has withdrawn 2 of the original patents and added three, bringing total of eight patents tot the count. The amendments assert more intellectual property violations and patents. According to FOSS Patents, the amended complaint also stresses the uniqueness of all of this:

Before Apple’s introduction of the first iPhone product, no other company was offering a phone with these features. Prior mobile phones were often bulkier and contained physical keypads. Some had a rocker-style navigation button and sets of buttons for numbers and calling features. Others had a front panel with a partial or full QWERTY keyboard and a screen. None had the clean lines of the iPhone, which immediately caused it to stand apart from the competition

Some times these patent lawsuits are laughable but certainly serious. Perhaps it is time to grab that Samsung tablet, if it it happens as Apple wishes, they might get in injunction against Samsung and like most do will have to follow iPad hype
Read a comprehensive coverage of the new developments of Apple vs Samsung at FOSS Patents.

Apple Settles WIth Nokia On Patent Dispute, Apple Pays!

Apple vs Nokia http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Apple has settled the patent dispute with Nokia and have agreed to pay Nokia one time payment and on going royalties. This settles all the cases, the wide ranging patent dispute cases both in the United States and Europe. The patent dispute between Nokia and Apple started in 2009 and Apple even went on to say that "Nokia copied iPhone!"
Following is the press release by Nokia;

Published June 14, 2011

Apple payments to Nokia settle all litigation and have positive financial impact

Nokia Corporation
Stock exchange release
June 14, 2011 at 08:05 (CET +1)

Espoo, Finland - Nokia announced that it has signed a patent license agreement with Apple. The agreement will result in settlement of all patent litigation between the companies, including the withdrawal by Nokia and Apple of their respective complaints to the US International Trade Commission.

The financial structure of the agreement consists of a one-time payment payable by Apple and on-going royalties to be paid by Apple to Nokia for the term of the agreement.  The specific terms of the contract are confidential.

"We are very pleased to have Apple join the growing number of Nokia licensees," said Stephen Elop, president and chief executive officer of Nokia. "This settlement demonstrates Nokia's industry leading patent portfolio and enables us to focus on further licensing opportunities in the mobile communications market."

During the last two decades, Nokia has invested approximately EUR 43 billion in research and development and built one of the wireless industry's strongest and broadest IPR portfolios, with over 10,000 patent families.  Nokia is a world leader in the development of handheld device and mobile communications technologies, which is also demonstrated by Nokia's strong patent position.

This agreement is expected to have a positive financial impact on Nokia's recently revised outlook for the second quarter 2011 of around break-even non-IFRS operating margin for Devices & Services.

About Nokia
Nokia is committed to connecting people to what matters to them by combining advanced mobile technology with personalized services. More than 1.3 billion people connect to one another with a Nokia, from our most affordable voice-optimized mobile phones to advanced Internet-connected smartphones sold in virtually every market in the world. Through Ovi (www.ovi.com), people also enjoy access to maps and navigation on mobile, a rapidly expanding applications store, a growing catalog of digital music, free email and more. Nokia's NAVTEQ is a leader in comprehensive digital mapping and navigation services, and Nokia Siemens Networks is one of the leading providers of telecommunications infrastructure hardware, software and professional services globally.

Nokia via FOSS Patents

meego go!, we go!! Yes You Go Nokia To Layoff Thousands.

Nokia Layoffs. http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Even what teenagers know seem to evade Nokia honcho with pants on fire. You ask any one what phone they are considering?  It will be Apple or Google (iPhone or Android) but you rarely hear Nokia and I have never heard anyone wanting a Windows phone. So Nokia, when you add negaive numbers to negative the result is always negative. But if you add negative numbers to positive, your chance of coming up positive is a posibility, depending on the gap.
So had you gone Android way, meegoo too. But that is history and from what we hear from Reuters a lot more will be history, starting with thousands of Nokia jobs in Finland and elsewhere as a part of strategic overhaul which it unveiled on Friday. But Finnish can be happy because Nokia will continue to make Finland it's home, for now.

"There will be substantial reductions in employment in various locations around the world, and that too will affect Finland," Elop said, adding it was too early to estimate how many jobs might be cut.

"It seems it means thousands of jobs in Finland," said Chairman Antti Rinne from white collar union Ammattiliitto Pro.
"This is the biggest structural reform which has ever impacted new technology in Finland," Economy Minister Mauri Pekkarinen said in a statement.

Nokia and Nokia Siemens Networks employed some 132,000 people at the end of last year, of those 19,800 in Finland. More than 6,000 people work for Nokia's research and development in four Finnish cities, like one above who protested in Tampere, Finland on Friday.

Google's Android Topples Nokia From The Top Smartphone OS Position

Google's Android Topples Nokia From The Top Mobile OS Position http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Not content on having passed iPhone, in numbers, Google's Android has now surpassed the world leader, Nokia, pushing it off the perch. Nokia's smartphone initiatives like Nokia N8 failed to make it's mark in the US market.
Google Android based phones numbered 32.9 million in the Q4, 2010 and Nokia had 31 million shipped. Apple might be feeling it too, I hope Steve Jobs come back soon to keep up up his alleged words,

"We did not enter the search business. They (Google) entered the phone business, make no mistake; Google wants to kill the iPhone. We won't let them." 

because quarterly sales of Android passed up the iPhone in May of last year and according to a comScore report, total subscribers of Google Android in the U.S. have passed the iPhone. more so, on the third quarter of 2010, Apple passed RIM to place fourth in the global phone market but according to IDC data released last week, Apple slipped to fifth in the fourth quarter. What's more the Apple co founder, Steve Wozniak admitted that Android will dominate the mobile world.

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Google's Android dethroned Nokia's Symbian as the most popular smartphone platform in the last quarter of 2010, ending a reign that began with the birth of the industry 10 years ago.
Research firm Canalys said on Monday phone makers sold a total of 32.9 million Android-equipped phones in the last quarter, compared with Symbian's total sales of 31 million. The landmark piles pressure on Nokia as it struggles to reassert itself at the top end of the mobile handsets market.
Following Apple's 2007 entrance into smartphones, Google rolled out its open-source Android operating system, which has become the standard for smaller phone makers.
Hit models from Samsung Electronics, HTC and LG Electronics helped Android in the quarter, while Symbian suffered from troubles of its owner and main user, Nokia.
"We have seen some strong products from a number of vendors," said Canalys analyst Tim Shepherd.

 Yahoo Via Appleinsider

Mobile Banking Coming To Indian Handsets, Thanks To Nokia, Bharti Airtel, Vodaphone And Banks.

Image courtesy of watblog

Mobile Banking, India, Nokia, Bharti Airtell, Vodaphone  http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
With mobile phones reaching over 650 million people in India, banks and mobile service providers are hard at work hoping to provide financial services on the mobile device. The country is still growing in financial and banking like the rest of the economy and banks reach much much less that what mobile service providers do.
Indian mobile banking was taken much further, recently by Bharti Airtel and Vodafone when both announced different ventures related to mobile banking.. Bharti Airtel Announced a partnership with the State Bank of India while Vodafone agreed to become a Business Correspondent for ICICI Bank.

Airtel and SBI will invest about Rs one billion to set up the joint venture which will engage Airtel's retailers as Customer Service Points (CSP) all over India in a phased manner.Once deployed existing and new Airtel mobile customers will be able to visit these CSPs and open new SBI bank accounts and utilize banking products and services available at these CSPs. In Addition,existing SBI customers will be able to reach their accounts via these CSPs.
The ICICI Bank and Vodafone Essar Ltd venture will offer a range of financial products similar to the above, such as savings accounts, pre-paid instruments and credit products through a mobile phone platform.Vodafone is hoping to replicate its success in Kenya and other countries where it has 20 million customers for financial services.

Nokia was among the first to start mobile payment services with a pilot projects in Pune, Chandigarh and Nasik in partnership with Yes Bank. Those pilots are now ready to go commercial.

“Mobile payments will be the next step for delivering financial services to hundreds of millions of “underbanked” people or those who are under-served currently, both urban and rural customers, especially in emerging economies. Our vision is to make mobile money part of our phones just like we have made camera an integral part of the handset, ... Technology is not an issue but getting the ecosystem in place is the important part. We have partnered with utility companies, telecom firms, gas companies to enable mobile payment,” says Gerhard Romen, Director, Mobile Financial Services, Nokia

But the new comers are not planing to hand over the crown yet,

“Since more than 90 per cent of the mobile subscriber base is pre-paid, consumers are used to paying upfront at a mobile retail shop. The comfort factor is very important, especially when we are dealing with money,” says Samaresh Parida, Director (Strategy), Vodafone Essar. Vodafone.

“India thus provides an ideal case for leveraging low-cost mobile services to provide financial inclusion to the un-banked population in the country. SBI is interested in inclusion and Airtel is a microcosm of India and increasingly rural, so both will leverage the expertise of the parent organisations to provide low-cost, secure, easy-to-use banking services,” says Sriram Jagannathan, CEO, mCommerce, Bharti Airtel. 

Perhaps, there is a lesson to learn for our service providers and banks are looking to provide mobile payments, with merchants like Starbucks taking their own initiatives to provide a way to pay for cup of coffee with mobile phones.

Hindubusinessline Via IP Carrier (Image from watblog)

Vopium Gets A Capital Investment And A Bigger Partner, Raghuvinder Kataria.

Vopium Gets A Capital Investment http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
When we wrote about Vopium, a Mobile VoIP company, we knew it has promise. So has some big names in the telecommunications industry.
While we are jumping up and down about the new iPhone's Antennae, Vopium is Jumping up for another reason. They have secured a $16.5 investment from  an Indian investor, Raghuvinder Kataria.  Mr. Kataria has with his own investment company invested $16.5 million in the Danish company and has become the majority shareholder of Vopium.
Mr. Kataria is known for his Telecomm investments. Bharti Tele-Ventures is one such company, he invested in and now Bharati Airtel is one of the lagest mobile companies in the world.
Opium is also benefiting fro iPhones popularity and during the last couple of months they have reached 4,000 downloads a day of their iPhone App. Vopium currently have 250,000 users across 49 countries,
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Kataria said;

”Vopium has developed its own new market. The ground-breaking technology will reach millions of users all over the world in the next few years. Our expectations are reflected by the significant amount of money that we have invested in the company and we expect 10 million Vopium users in a few years. We believe that the market demands an alternative mobile solution to Skype and the fast market penetration of smartphones opens up new and more intelligent ways of communication. Vopium’s solution is unique because it offers the best conversation quality and is easy to use,”

“Vopium is growing every day. Every month we get 30 percent more customers. And this number will grow even more once our international expansion starts rolling. Our biggest markets today are Scandinavia, the UK and Australia, but our product is installed on mobile phones in 49 countries. The capital increase should primarily secure the ongoing growth globally,” added Vopium’s CEO Tanveer Sharif. 

Vopium is by growing 30% a month according to the company. With the new investment, they will be able to boost this growth even further across the different supported platforms incl. Android, Nokia, Blackberry, Windows Mobile and PC/web.

If you are into Football (Soccer as some may call it), you can call South Africa for 0.03 during the games. Check it out here.
Press Release

Nokia N9 MeeGo Leaked In A Video

http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
 Nokias first handset to run MeeGo Os, Nokia N9 MeeGo Slider has been leaked  via a product demo, follow the links to see the video.

YouKu via endgadget

YPhone Coming Soon Via "Project Nike"? , Yahoo And Nokia To Announce On Monday!

Y!Phone, Yahoo And Nokia  http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
According to some invites the press and media has received from Yahoo to attend a briefing on coming Monday, indicates that we might be seeing yPhone (Y!Phone) soon. Either Yahoo is playing me too catch up game or Nokia is worried about Android inslought, Google Just announced Android 2.2 or FroYo with very attractive features.
"An exciting announcement about providing global consumers with rich online and mobile experiences, and bringing forward a new era in keeping consumers connected."
May be Project Nike will spur Nokia to start making some serious smartphones.
ATD via engadget

Nokia E72 On Shelves, Now!

Nokia E72 snapvoip.blogspot.com

Nokia announced today that it is releasing it's much awaited hand set Nokia E72. (But all attempts to locate on online stores have prooved be otherwise). Either way the device comes with full QWERTY keyboard, and adds desktop-like email and chat experiences. The latest version of Ovi Maps with A-GPS navigation and compass, an optical navi key and 5 megapixel camera are all packed into the sleek, beautifully-designed handset.
Why the focus on emails and chat, according to research, we all tend to rely on emails for important task than a phone call (May be because of clear and ready trails of evidence) and that we spend a good deal of time emailing each other so Nokia is going where we are going.
On the occasion Nokia vice president Ukko Lappalainen said,

"The research shows that people are spending an average of five full days per year - equivalent to a full work week - responding to emails. Half of us (46 percent) choose email over voice or text to send and receive important information. The Nokia E72 was designed exactly with this kind of person in mind - it allows the owner to be more responsive and communicate how they want, whenever they want and wherever they are."

Nokia E71 users swear by the usefullness of the device so I guess there will be a large bunch that will jump to get the E72. But I think I will go the Nokia N900 Way.
Nokia

Nokia N900 "Mobile Computer" Hands On

Nokia N900 Hands On snapvoip.blogspot.com

I have always been a fan of Nokia NXXX series of tablets or mobile computers as the firm like to call them. I have owned N800 and own Nokia N810 with WiMAX for some of the tasks that Androids and iPhones are incapable of accommodating. I have been waiting for N900, to evaluate, not necessarily buy the device. There were some good news about the capabilities of the device and the N810 is providing me with all I need at the moment, remote measurement of certain scientific activities.
But I was gald to see that engadget has done a very good hands on of the device. Looking at the specs, the name "mobile computer" fits well with the device. Anything with a 600 MHz ARM Cortex A8 processor, 1 GB memory for applications and 32 GB of storage is on-board storage, expandable to 48 GB with a MicroSD card.. The 3.5-inch display which has a resolution of 800 x 480, is supported by 3D graphics accelerator with OpenGL support. The device also has 5-megapixel camera with flash and autofocus for photos and video.
I really might replace my N810. Link to the hands on article at engadget after the jump

engadget

Nokia N900 Video Demo, Sweet Maemo!

Update: Technical Info Added
Nokia N900
I have been a fan of Nokia mobile devices like N800, N810 and I was awaiting the Nokia booklet 3G when I heard about the Nokia N900.
The N900 has a powerful ARM Cortex-A8 processor, with up to 1GB of application memory and OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics acceleration. This powerful platform runs the new Linux-based Maemo 5 software, and with the N900 you can multi-task as you would on a PC (the Maemo platform was first designed for computers)
The screen is a high-res WVGA touchscreen and it comes with a full physical slide-out QWERTY keyboard. N900 comes with 32GB of storage, expandable up to 48GB with a microSD card. A5-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics should allow user to take decent photos. It also includes A-GPS, an FM transmitter, and up to 9 hours of talk time.
It takes you on the net with speedy HSPA and Wi-Fi connectivity, and mozilla based browsing is complemented with somethinng iPhone can't do, Adobe flash capability. We have a corporate application that uses flash to draw graphs and I know what I will take on the road to demo the app, a N900.
From the looks I think I am going to love it. Hope I can get it sooner. But before bringing out the details, here is the video;

Enjoy!
Via Kiyonari

Tags: Nokia, Nokia Netbook, nokia N800, Nokia N810, Nokia N900

ITC Rules In Favor Of Nokia In InterDigital's 3G (UMTS) Patent Case

InterDigital's 3G (UMTS) Patents
We are not big fans of patents but it is the law and we respect it. But we hope patent offices around the world, be more cautious when they issue patents. VoIP Patents are so many, even the current good boy Nokia has a bunch of VoIP patents and in 2006 we had 2049 VoIP Patents. Number will be much higher now and your guess is good as mine.
After a lengthy investigation, United States International Trade Commission (US ITC) judge issued an Initial Determination in favour of Nokia in the action brought by InterDigital against Nokia.
Now will Samsung get their money back from Interdigital?

Nokia's Press Release

New York, NY, USA - Nokia announced today that a United States International Trade Commission (ITC) judge issued an Initial Determination in favour of Nokia in the action brought by InterDigital against Nokia. The case, filed by InterDigital, alleged that Nokia infringed four patents that InterDigital asserts to be essential for the UMTS (3G) mobile standard. The judge found that there is no infringement of the four alleged patents and therefore, Nokia is not in violation of section 337 of the Tariff Act.

The judge's Initial Determination, issued on August 14, 2009, is consistent with a previous judgment in the United Kingdom that found several InterDigital patents not to be essential to the UMTS mobile standard.

"As a leading innovator Nokia respects valid and used IPR and expects others to do the same", said Ilkka Rahnasto, vice president, Nokia Legal and Intellectual Property. "We are willing to compensate other contributors with what is fair and reasonable for such IPR, however in the case of unrealistic and unwarranted demands, we are prepared to ensure through litigation that our rights are protected. We believe this initial determination by the ITC combined with earlier UK court decisions provide a strong indication that the asserted value of InterDigital's 3G patent portfolio may have been over-estimated."

The judge's Initial Determination will now be forwarded to the full Commission for review. The Commission is scheduled to make its Final Determination by around December 14, 2009. Ahead of the Final Determination, Nokia will continue to present its case to the ITC.
Nokia

Tags: Interdigital, Nokia, 3G (UMTS) Patents, US ITC, Nokia vs InterDigital

Rugged Nokia 3270 Gets Chip Shot And It Does Not Drink Your Beer!

Rugged Nokia 3270
It is a long time since we wrote about Nokia, once a favorite of the mobile space (I love Nokia 800 series, even now) disappeared from many telephony and mobilie blogs after the introduction of iPhone and the Google Phone, now known as Android line.
But Nokia comes out with models that appeals to a vast range of people who uses Nokia, like Europeans and certain Asians, Where Nokia still has some clout. The Nokia 3270 Classic, is a classic that is water-proof, drop-proof, kick-proof and most importantly, clumsy proof. Instead of descriptions see the two videos below, link to NOkia, after the jump;



Nokia Press release

Tags: Nokia, nokia 800, nokia 3270 classic, water-proof Nokia, drop-proof Nokia, kick-proof Nokia

Ofono.org Joint Effort By INTEL AND Nokia, For Open Source Mobile Telephony

Open Source Mobile Telephony From Ofono
Ofono published the announcement below, on their site leading me to think, that this is a space to watch. The support and the aims of the project points high and this will really be a success for the open source telephony supporters.

Intel and Nokia are pleased to jointly announce the oFono project, an open source project for developing an open source telephony solution.

oFono.org is a place to bring developers together around designing an infrastructure for building mobile telephony (GSM/UMTS) applications.

Review the oFono architecture diagram for more information.

Review the source code for an even closer look.

"oFono is licensed under GPLv2, and it includes a high-level D-Bus API for use by telephony applications of any license. oFono also includes a low-level plug-in API for integrating with Open Source as well as third party telephony stacks, cellular modems and storage back-ends. The plug-in API functionality is modeled on public standards, in particular 3GPP TS 27.007 “AT command set for User Equipment (UE).”

Nokia and Intel will jointly maintain the oFono project. We'd like to invite all developers to join the ofono.org effort and community.

Marcel Holtmann, Intel Open Source Technology Center
Aki Niemi, Nokia Devices, Maemo Software"

Tags: ofono.org.ofono, Intel, Nokia, GSM/UMTS, Open Source Mobile Telephony, D-Bus API, 3GPP TS 27.007

Nokia Netbooks To Come From Foxconn?

Nokia Netbook
I had my first productive mobile computing with Nokia N800 and N810 (Which I still use for data collection for a research project) and I loved it. I had the chance to play with the mobile linux and other OS and and actually test a long range WiFi connections.
I have no idea of what to come but from past experience, it will be good, a netbook from Nokia!
The Street

Tags: Nokia, N800, N810, Nokia Netbook

YouTube Mobile App For Nokia S60 And Windows Mobile

http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
YouTube has released a new mobile YouTube application, which is optimized for Windows Mobile and Symbian Series 60 devices ( Supported Nokia S60 devices).
The App is supposed to be faster -- up to 90% faster starting up, searching, and video loading -- and provides better video quality that's automatically optimized to your WiFi or 3G network.
You can download the app by pointing your mobile device at m.youtube.com
Following is a Demo of the app;

Tags: mobile youtube, Nokia, Nokia S60, windows Mobile

Nokia Developer Summit 2009 In Monaco (April 28-29)

http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
If you were looking for a early summer trip to sunny Monaco, this is your chance. Nokia is hosting the Nokia Developer Summit 2009 the two day event at Grimaldi forun Monaco.
The event is filled with information for developers and if you want to enhance your development skills – and grow your business with Nokia – then you should be planning on attending the summit.
More information on the summit and the registration information could be found at Developer Summit Website..
See you in Monaco!

Tags: Nokia, VoIP Development, Nokia Developer Summit 2009