Nokia Mobile Reviews and Games

N82 Updated to 11.0.117 Version Firmware Nokia
For the next Nokia N82 firmware, I would like Nokia to add the GPS location in the Exif data of the photos taken. The Nokia N82 firmware was updated today to version 11.0.117. This way, I do not need to rely on third-party applications like Shozu to geotag my pictures. Related PostHow To: Embed Map with Geotagged Photos for Your BlogReview: Joby Gorillapod with Nokia DT-22 AdapterVlog: Using the Nokia N82 on New Year’s EvePhotodriving and Geotagging with the Nokia N82How To: Easy and Best Video Quality Conversion Using VisualHub on Mac The changelog shows nothing significant, but I was surprised that even when I backed up all my installed applications and contacts, no data was lost after the update. The Nokia N82 was updated on my Mac using VMware Fusion running Windows XP. Updated Nokia N82 on Mac Leopard. I was hoping for more features in this update. Previously, I had to reinstall everything.

Embed Geotagged Blog for To: Map with How Photos Your
Nokia N95 8GB Photo Comparison”>Bar Fight! A sample post with embedded map is the Laguna Beach California Sunset Geotagged with the Nokia N95 NAM post. As an aside, you can also view your Flickr photos on a map by adding ‘/map’ to the end of the Flickr page url. So you have a bunch of photos geotagged with GPS-capable cameraphones like the Nokia N95 or the Nokia N82 and want to show it off on your blog. At the bottom of the page, look for the geoFeed link. Nokia N95-3 vs. You won’t be able to embed that map for your blogs, but pretty neat nonetheless. Related PostHow To: Easy and Best Video Quality Conversion Using VisualHub on Mac

adgames: Mini from games Opera 1.6m downloads Mobile free
If there is no access to the network, the game is/might not be playable at all. Although the number of Flash Lite enabled devices is on the rise, lot of phones don’t have Flash Lite. If you have any thoughts on the subject, feel free to post comments. Currently it is not an issue, but might prove to be one in the future. Airtime: the catch with free games is that they show ads. How that legislation reacts to free mobile games — is anybody’s guess. One of the most interesting avenues for mobile games — and especially Flash Lite games — is the adgaming; today mainly meaning games that are distributed for free, and the revenue comes from showing the ads before and after the actual gameplay (just like in the internet). It may well be, that the old models of pay per download or subscribe to a monthly service will not be as lucrative for Flash Lite content as the viral advertising model: PRO’s As End users are easily able to distribute Flash Lite files to each other; for example via bluetooth - just send the file from your mobile device to another [that has Flash Lite player] and there it is immediately; no installation, just find the game from your inbox, click, and play. Piracy is not an issue; as developer/publisher want the game to be accessed by as many people as possible, as the revenue comes solely from viewing the adds = more games played, more revenue Direct to consumer distribution is easier (as consumers, end-users, distribute the games to their friends) CON’s Legislation: legislation concerning mobile marketing differs vastly from country to country, and there are no clear rules. In order to show ads and count the number of ads showed, the mobile device needs to connect to the network — which creates some data transfer costs. When using term Advergaming, that usually refers to paid content, for example game comissioned by a client, to be used as a marketing tool for certain campaign or product. And the trend seems to be quite strong: according to this press release by Opera / Greystripe, during 60 days of launching a free downloadable mobile game service, over 1.6 million games and applications were downloaded. (on November 23rd, 2007, Opera announced that the Opera Mini browser has been installed in more than 26 million devices - what is the churn rate [meaning how many of the old devices are still in use] is not known by us — Opera Mini officially launched worldwide on January 24, 2006). And how it works: “The Opera Mini homepage now includes a GameJump bookmark, allowing users to access Greystripe’s freemobile game portal with one easy click.” Now, when you think about the possibilities with Flash Lite games and other content, you should immediately realize that viral distribution (one of the reasons is the lack of built in DRM, Digital Rights Management), and installation, of Flash Lite files is far more easier than with J2ME — which generates an opportunity.

and Mexico Geotagged Nokia Recap: Vallarta NAM with the N95 Puerto Tracked
If you are reading this from an RSS reader, you might not be able to see the map. I also embedded a map in this post to show the route from the beach back to the ship using Sports Tracker. Make sure to zoom in to see how accurate the GPS on the Nokia N95 NAM fared. View Larger Map Below are some of the geotagged photos. Click on the dots to view the photos taken at those locations. This whole process meant that the Nokia N95 NAM was running Sports Tracker to draw the route while Shozu was busy in the background geotagging the photos taken with the camera. All the photos were geotagged thanks to Shozu. My girlfriend spent half of the day shopping for jewelry, so we did not really see much of the city. The map below shows our route from walking around the city then the taxi ride back to the ship. You can view the complete Puerto Vallarta set at my Flickr account. If you zoom in, you can see how accurate the GPS performed. I used the Nokia N95 NAM to take pictures at Puerto Vallarta, one of the ports visited during the cruise last week. Thumbs up to Nokia, but battery did not do too well. I received the empty battery warning by the time I got back to the ship. Related PostNokia N95 NAM With Sports Tracker, Flickr, Google To Embed Maps With Photos Laguna Beach California Sunset Geotagged with the Nokia N95 NAMBrief: Sports Tracking Cabo MexicoHow To: Embed Map with Geotagged Photos for Your BlogNokia N95 Variation Guide for Newbies

Brief: Cabo Mexico Sports Tracking
Check out the ‘workout’ at Cabo. Related PostRecap: Puerto Vallarta Mexico Geotagged and Tracked with the Nokia N95 NAMNokia N95 NAM With Sports Tracker, Flickr, Google To Embed Maps With Photos Laguna Beach California Sunset Geotagged with the Nokia N95 NAMNokia N95 Variation Guide for NewbiesTesting Nokia Sports Tracker With The Nokia N95-3 During Vacation Surprisingly the pictures taken were also collected by the Nokia Sports Tracker. I don’t have much time to blog more about it but I’m really amazed with this app. I used the Nokia N95 NAM with Sports Tracker to track GPS location while on a small boat tour in Cabo San Lucas.

Games Casual on Thoughts
As Casual Games are the hottest topic/genre on mobile games, it’s worthwhile to every Flash Lite game developer to ponder a bit who is buing casual games online (as that market has been growing a lot for the past couple of years), and what reasons people have for playing the games. Here are some thoughts on the subject: According to a report by CGA (Casual Games Association), on the web, casual game demographics are: buyers are mostly female (74 percent) and over 35 years (72 percent) BUT only slightly more than half of the players of casual games are female (51 percent) and they’re also a little younger (just 62 percent are over 35) 80 percent of those with children/grandchildren play casual games with them THINGS TO UNDERSTAND: If you want to access a mass market, instead of dominating a small niche, think beyond the hardcore game audience, no matter what your personal preferences are. Reasons for playing include: educational use of leisure time mental exercise confidence building stress relief entertainment pain relief THINGS TO UNDERSTAND: Entertainment is not the only, or even the most important reason, for playing a casual game. Sources: Gamasutra: Opinion: Reflexive’s Carroll On Understanding The Casual Gamer

of on Games Would Gamers Favorite Play 45% Casual Online Mobile
The market for online casual game subscriptions is set to grof from $ 2 billion in 2005 to $ 6.8 billion by 2011 (according to DFC Intelligence). According to this press release by I-Play (and their parent company Oberon media), they made a survey to online gamers about how willing they would play their favourite online games on mobile. The age groups where almost equally divided.” This makes online casual gamers twice as likely to play and buy mobile games then other mobile phone owners.66% of the online casual gamers plays games on a daily basis while 22% said they play about three times a week. Here are the results, something that all Flash Lite game developers should too pay attention to: 38% of casual online games customers play games on their mobile phones and 45% of respondents would play their favorite online games, if they were available, on mobile devices “The 38% of online casual gamers can be split up in 22% that plays mobile games on a regular basis and 16% that plays sometimes. The total of 38% is above the industry average when looking at other North-American gamers (according to M:Metrics). Mobile games revenue will grow from $ 3.4 billion to over $ 11 billion by 2011 (according to Informa Telecoms). Oberon and I-Play held the survey along 1,000 online casual game players that visited partner game sites served by Oberon during september.

Global Forecast: Flash-Enabled 2007 Handset in Growth 91%
Via Bill: according to a study by StrategyAnalytics, the Flash-Enabled Handset Forecast: 91% Global Growth in 2007 as Flash Lite Gains Momentum outside Japan. “Adobe’s Flash Lite technology has taken off rapidly in the last 18 months. Cumulatively, over 301 million FL devices, of which over 90% are cellphones, have been shipped since 2003. This report gives a global forecast of the market for Flash Lite-enabled phones with detailed analysis of 23 countries, and splits by Flash Lite version, air interface and network operator.” The base continues to strengthen in Japan, but in 2008 we will see shipments of Flash Lite-enabled cellphones in the rest of the Asia Pacific region and Western Europe exceed shipments in Japan for the first time since the launch of Flash Lite. A further 1.4 billion FL-enabled phones are expected to be shipped globally over the next three years alone, at which point over 46% of phones shipped are likely to support Flash Lite.