Acer to unveil 8 to 10 phones next year, show more love to Android

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Acer's far from being a major player in the smartphone space, but to call it irrelevant would be grossly inaccurate. Up until now, however, the outfit has relied largely on Microsoft's mobile OS to power its phones, though even it seems shocked by the warm reception the Android-powered Liquid has received. According to the company's own Aymar de Lencquesaing, Acer recognizes that "there is definitely momentum behind Android," and he continued by stating that "the pace is faster than most would have anticipated one year ago." He went on to proclaim that the company was apt to pump out 8 to 10 phones in 2010, with next year's lineup being "much more balanced" in terms of the amount of Windows Mobile vs. Android handsets. Look out, world -- Google just might take over another huge portion of your life while you're fixated on the next great Black Friday deal.

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Google Maps for Windows Mobile and Symbian has just been updated to version 3.3

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The new version brings the ability to sync the places you star on Google Maps for desktop with the ones you star on your phone, and vice-versa.

For example, let’s say you’re in London and star a hotel on your desktop PC. When you go out with your WM or Symbian smartphone, Google Maps will show that hotel on top of your list of Starred Items, as well as on the map.

Google said that syncing starred items will soon be added to Google Maps for other mobile platforms (Android, iPhone etc).

To download Google Maps 3.3 for Windows Mobile or Symbian, visit m.google.com/maps on your mobile browser.

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Nokia E52 Firmware Update v22.009.202.01

The Nokia E52 can received what could well be the longest serial number to a firmware update yet, as Version v22.009.202.01 has hit. This update looks like being something of a routine update, fixing a bunch of minor bugs but bringing nothing new to the table. It’s believed a similar update is also on offer for the Nokia E55, which shares the same DNA as the Nokia E52 but comes with full QWERTY keyboard. Find out more about the Nokia E52 Firmware Update v22.009.202.01 after the jump…
The Nokia E52 is here to replace the Nokia E51 with a longer battery life, improved feature set and even easier to use keypad. What’s more, the Nokia E52 Firmware Update v22.009.202.01 has landed and is available for devices here in the UK. The guys over at All About Symbian have posted that the Nokia E52 firmware update v22.009.202.01 has landed but at this time is only available thorough the NSU (Nokia Software Updater) and isn’t an OTA (Over the Air) update, which would suggest that it’s a rather large update.
Check out our Nokia E52 review
It’s believed that a similar update is also available for the Nokia E55. If you’ve received this update and can enlighten us with a few more facts about what the v22.009.202.01 has to offer, that would be great!

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Nokia N900 Battery put to the test

After the news yesterday that the Nokia N900 is already finding its way into the hands of those who placed a pre-order for the Maemo 5 device, we’re starting to see some clever stories cropping up all over the place. The most innovative of which is a video that looks at the battery life of the Nokia N900. Find out how the Nokia N900 battery has been put to the test…
The guys over at Nokia Conversations – the official Nokia blog – have set themselves a pretty stiff challenge – to post 30 videos each of 30 seconds long, show casing the best attributes of the Nokai N900. If you’re wondering why 30 videos, well 30 x 30 seconds comes in at 900 seconds, all very ‘theme’ based.
Check out our Nokia N900 review
We’ve been keeping an eye on how the videos are getting on and one in particular caught our eye – this nifty stop animation video the guys made to showcase the battery life of the Nokia N900. OK, so it’s not inside a test facility but the video is a neat little way of getting the message about the Nokia N900 out there.
What’s more, the video not only stars the Nokia N900 but the movie was also shot on one, so you can check out the video quality at the same time!
Have you been putting the Nokia N900 battery to the test? Found any neat ways to push it to the limit yet? Let us know in the Comments below.

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Nokia N900: Resistive or Capacitive Screen?

The Nokia N900 is weaving its way around the world as we speak and anyone who has placed a pre-order is probably holding it lightly and gleefully laughing to themselves. However, the arrival of the Nokia N900 has thrown up something of a debate – which screen would be better for the Nokia N900:  Resistive or Capacitive?
Ben has done a couple of cracking Nokia N900 reviews this week that really get under the hood and skin of the new Maemo 5 device. The 3.5-inch touchscreen is a good size and with its beefed up resolution, it really makes neat work of web browsing and your messaging. However, we’ve had a couple of comments about the screen and how the use of a ‘Resistive Display’ is a potential flaw in the device.
Two NokNok readers, Paul and Toucan Murphy feel that switching to a Capacitive Display would be a problem with the Nokia N900 and the decision made by Nokia to stay with the tried-and-trusted Resistive Display was the best one.
As Paul put it ‘There ARE positives to using a resistive screen over capacitive, such as higher accuracy, the ability to use multiple objects to control it (such as gloves, a stylus, etc), and the ability to use a nail to control it. Honestly, when I use a capacitive screen I feel like I have little kid gloves on, having to use the biggest part of my finger to control anything, the accuracy is horrible.’
Now, we’re no tech-heads here but that kind of got us thinking, which would be the best way forward for the Nokia N900? That’s why we’re turning to you guys – what do you think? Has Nokia made the right decision with their choice of Resistive Display or do you side with Ben and think that Capacitive is the way forward?
We’d genuinely like to know what you think, as it is a question that is likely to come up a great deal in the coming months.

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Nokia N87 12MP: 12-Megapixel camera leaked!

The Nokia N86 8MP may be the flagship sharp shooter of the Nokia N Series but it looks like Nokia is already lining up its successor, in the form of the Nokia N97 that comes packed with a 12-Megapixel camera on-board. The Nokia N97 has been leaked via a short video, join us after the jump to see what’s on offer…
The Nokia N97 has popped up in the form of a short video presentation with what looks like very much a wishlist of what everyone wants from Nokia’s first 12-Megapixel snapper smartphone. Alongside the 12-Megapixel CCD, it’s claimed the Nokia N87 will come with dual-LED and Xenon Flash. The move to Xenon could well be a change in tack for Nokia as the company recently posted on the benefits of not having it on the Nokia N86 8MP camera.
Check out our Nokia N86 8MP camera review
What’s more, with the Nokia N87 we’re likely to get a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen with 800 x 480-pixel display, up to 16GB of internal memory and Symbian S60 5th Edition OS with a new interface will be running things.
OK, so a drawing with a Nokia logo attached may not be the most convincing argument that the Nokia N87 is on the way but it certainly makes for an interesting talking point. So, is it worth getting exciting about the potential arrival of the Nokia N87, or is getting embroiled in the pixel war not the way Nokia should be going? Let us know what you think in the Comments below.

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N-Gage: Tiger Woods PGA Tour Released!

Tiger Woods is famous – even if you don’t know the end of a Birdie from an Eagle, you’ll have heard the name Tiger Woods. What’s more, Tiger Woods has found his way onto the most exclusive putting green in the world. That’s right, EA Sports: Tiger Woods PGA Tour has come to N-Gage and you can get a hold of it now, all you need is to be a member of the N-Gage club. Find out how to swing with the best of them after the jump…
In EA Sports: Tiger Woods PGA Tour you get to play as Tiger Woods and challenge other leading Pro Golfers in some of the most realistic and authentic championship courses ever to appear on a mobile phone.
As the N-Gage site ask: ‘Do you have what it takes to become a golfing legend?’ Well, now you can find out, as EA Sports: Tiger Woods PGA Tour is available to download and play right now. You’ll find that it’s around 7MB for this download, which isn’t too bad at all compared to some recent heavyweight games.
You can get a hold of EA Sports: Tiger Woods PGA Tour for £8 for a full license, or try it out for the day for £1.50 right now. You can get ahold of it either from the Showroom on your N-Gage Nokia handset Showroom or from the N-Gage website.

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Nokia 5230 set for January 2010 launch?

Remember the Nokia 5230 that was announced back in August but then quickly dropped off the radar as we all started getting excited about the Nokia N97 mini and Nokia X6? Well, it looks like the Nokia 5230 is back and set for a January 2010 launch. Check out this touchscreen phone and what it has to offer the entry-level smartphone market…
The Nokia 5230 is a Symbian S60 5th Edition smartphone that will ship with a 3.2-inch resistive display and is cast very much as a device between the Nokia 5800 and the Nokia 5530 XpressMusic. The screen will have a 640 x 360-pixel resolution and come with the same Contacts Bar and media bar as we’ve seen on the Nokia 5530 XpressMusic. This means you’ll be able to load four of your favourite apps straight from the homescreen, including the likes of Facebook and YouTube.
Being an entry-level smartphone, we can expect a 2-Megapixel camera and Bluetooth but you’ll also find a super-fast HSDPA connection for getting access to email and the internet. Then there is a claimed 33 hours of playback from the media player, making this very much a device for music lovers .
The guys over at Dailymobile have managed to get their hands on a couple of Nokia 5230 handset and snapped a few decent pics of the phone in action. We’ve posted a couple of images below but it’s worth checking out their post for the rest.
As you can see from the images, the Nokia 5230 looks very much an entry-level handset aimed at the youth market. This can be seen in the choice of bright colours but also the quality of the plastic used. Along with posting images, the guys also claim that the Nokia 5230 won’t be hitting the shops until January 2010. However, this is still speculation at this point. Still, with an estimated price of around 149 Euros, SIM free, we should see it hit the UK PAYG market for less than £100 (inc. VAT).

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Nokia Reducing Handsets in 2010

 
Nokia has stated that it will be reducing the number of devices is will launch and offer to the market in 2010. Rather than launching a wide and diverse range of handsets, Nokia will concentrate on reducing the ‘unnecessary differentiation’ that seems to have crept into the range. Find out more about Nokia reducing handsets in 2010 after the jump…
In his speech at Capital Market Day, Antti Vasara, head of Nokia smartphone R&D, stated that Nokia will be reducing the number of handsets it will launch next year. The move is designed to reduce potential confusion in the market and help clearly define each range. We can already see this differentiation in action with the Nokia X6 – the first device in the X Series. Nokia brought in the X Series to help simplify its XpressMusic offering.
In a separate statement, Nokia CFO Timo Ihamuotila, stated that Nokia is forecasting a 10 per cent growth in mobile phone shipments for 2010. Of which, it is also expected that Nokia will continue to hold a 38 per cent share of the market.
So, with Nokia working on streamlining the offerings it will bring to market will the Nokia 5730 XpressMusic be the last of the funky messenger phones and will the likes of the Nokia E52 and Nokia E55 morph into a single device? What would you like to see emerge as the new devices on offer?

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Top Ten Free Nokia N900 Apps

While we’re accustomed to seeing thousands of apps for other Nokia handset, the Nokia N900 is the first Nokia device to take full advantage of the Maemo 5 operating system. This means you won’t find as many cool apps out there but we’ve brought together what we feel are the Top Ten Free Nokia Apps.
The Nokia N900 is a 3.5-inch touchscreen device that uses the Maemo 5 operating system. Now, it comes pre-loaded with everything you’re likely to need to personalisation is the name of the game and getting a host of apps for free is even better. Here we look at what we think at the top ten free Nokia apps at the moment.
Skype
DOWNLOAD: Skype
Skype is an active part of the Nokia N900 experience and allows you to send and receive Skype-to-Skype calls for free, either Wi-Fi or over the built-in 3G connection. You can also call any landline or mobile around the globe at a great rate by simply clicking on the ‘Call with Skype’ field.
Facebook for Nokia
DOWNLOAD: Facebook for Nokia
Do we need to tell you what Facebook is? Thought not, so all you need to know is Facebook for Nokia would with the built-in Share via Service function on the Nokia N900. This allows you to connect with directly with Facebook friends using either the Camera, Photo or Media Player apps.
OMweather
DOWNLOAD: OMweather
OMweather works with the GPS receiver built-in to the Nokia N900 to give you automatic updates from the weather station closest to you. This handy widget can show you the current weather without you having to resort to looking out of the window. More appealing is the long range forecasts, which offers up to 10 days of predications – match that Michael Fish!
Qik
DOWNLOAD: Qik
The Nokia N900 is fantastic from recording video and with Qik you can easily share clips with friends and colleagues as it happens. Just like YouTube, you can make your clips private or public but as you’re uploading the content as it happens, Qik truly lives up to its name.
eCoach
DOWNLOAD: eCoach
Working in tandem with the Nokia N900 built-in GPS you can keep tabs on your exercise and work out routines. It works by tracking the distance and speed travelled in real time, making it the perfect app for anyone with a regular workout regime they want to maintain and improve on. What’s more, eCoach supports Open Street Map, Google Earth, and Virtual Earth, enabling you to view your routes on the map and share them with friends at a later point.
Fring
DOWNLOAD: Fring
Fring is hot property right now, and for good reason as the latest version brings with it a host of video uplinks. It also happens to be one of the best Instant Messaging and VoIP package around, letting you use services such as Skype and MSN Messenger over your Nokia N900 3G or Wi-Fi connection.
Bounce Evolution
DOWNLOAD: Bounce Evolution
When it comes to games the Nokia N900 is no slouch and the latest version of the classic Bounce game proves it. Not only does it showcase the screen quality of the Nokia N900 but also the super-sensitive tilt motion of the handset. You’ll need a steady nerve to control and guide a ball down the race-track. After all, it’s all about beating the clock as well as the opposition.
OSM2Go
DOWNLOAD: OSM2Go
OSM2Go is essentially an editor for OpenStreetMap that has been specifically designed for devices like the Nokia N900, or even mini-laptops like the Nokia Booklet 3G. It comes with a host of tagging tools, background satellite/WMS layers, and GPS integration.
Pixelpipe Media Gateway for Nokia Share
DOWNLOAD: Pixelpipe Media Gateway for Nokia Share
Pixelpipe is a bloggers best friend, allowing you to upload text, photos, video and audio through a single media gateway to well over 100 social networks. The sheer breadth of coverage it offers makes it an indispensable app in the fight for an online voice.
Hermes
DOWNLOAD: Hermes
Got a Twitter account and also using Facebook still finding gaps in your social networking information pool? Hermes is a great app for filling in the gaps in your social networking address book – perfect for those who put quantity over quality of friendships.
Like our Top Ten Free Nokia N900 Apps or found a few you prefer more? Let us know what you’ve installed and started using on your handset…

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Nokia lays out plans for 2010, Symbian still prominent

Although the industry is more excited about Nokia's new Maemo platform, the Finnish gaming giant has been quite aggressive in stamping out rumours that Symbian is going the way of N-Gage.

Speaking at its annual Capital Markets Day, Nokia has been revealing its plans for 2010 and laying the foundations for a new business framework.

"In 2010, we will drive user experience improvements, and the progress we make will take the Symbian user interface to a new level," explains Nokia CEO, Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo. "As an operating system, Symbian has reach and flexibility like no other platform, and we have measures in place to push smartphones down to new price points globally, while growing margins."

The official press release goes on to highlight the areas Nokia is moving to refine, with some interesting, though subtly vague, focuses on user experience and new hardware.

It plans to 're-engineer' the Symbian user interface alongside delivery of more touchscreen and QWERTY-equipped smartphones. A Maemo 6-powered laptop is also on the cards, and third party developers are promised better tools to create applications and content for the Ovi Store.

Nokia expects mobile device volumes to be up approximately 10 per cent over 2009 next year, though its own device volume share is pegged as being flat in 2010. Looking farther ahead, it rounds out predictions by re-pledging its target of 300 million active users by the end of 2011.

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