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The craze for taking self-portraits on your camera phone, the so-called selfie, is being taken to another level with Nokia’s Glam Me camera app.

This is Nokia’s first ever front-facing camera application that uses highly accurate face detection to transform your self-shot photos with arty effects or beauty enhancement features.

Glam Me is being launched in tandem with the Nokia Lumia 720, which just happens to have a fantastic front-facing camera so the results are certain to look stunning, whether you’re creating a formal profile image or something fun to share with your friends.

Smile for yourself

Taking a ‘selfie’ is a true phenomenon with young people in Asian countries, especially in China.

Fittingly, Glam Me was developed by Nokia in Beijing using new technology, such as accurate face detection and auto face enhancements.

However, it is an artistic app that is sure to appeal to young, social and design-conscious people all over the world.

With just one click of the button, you can take flattering self-portraits or use the intuitive user interface to quickly and easily apply different high quality effects to turn those portraits into a work of art.

The different artistic effects include sketch, water colour, mint, oil paint, poster, retro and magazine cover.

Furthermore, we’ve all had days when we’ve looked less than our normal, and wonderful, best. Perhaps it might be a lack of sleep, too much sun or because you’ve just got back from three days camping at a music festival!

Whatever the reason, Glam Me can come to your aid with its slick range of beauty enhancing effects, such as teeth whitening and skin smoothing.

The Glam Me experience

Glam Me adds to Nokia’s exciting range of digital camera lenses such as Smart Shoot, Cinemagraph and Panorama.

It can be launched as its own standalone application or selected through the viewfinder, although remember that Glam Me currently only supports the front-facing camera.

There is a useful ‘before’ and ‘after’ comparison function so you can see the difference between the raw photo and the new enhanced version.

Once you’re happy with the final result, it’s then similarly straightforward to share your Glam Me selfie by sending it via email, SMS or through social networks like Facebook or Weibo in China.

Glam Me is a true social app in another sense also: it can detect and enhance two faces in the frame so a friend can join you in the action.

Glam Me makes self-portraits more fun and more social than ever before. It can make you look more beautiful, it can put you on magazine covers and you can let your imagination run wild with the different effects. That’s what I call an app!

Glam Me is available from the Nokia Collection for all Nokia Lumia smartphones running on Windows Phone 8

When the editors at Conversations asked me to write about the start screen on my Nokia Lumia 822, I must confess, I panicked a little. I thought ‘Oh no, they’ll think all I do is work!’ So, naturally, I made some edits, and fine-tuned my personal start screen so it shows that I am not an all-work kind of guy. (There’s a little bit of fun tucked in there.)

Which apps have you prioritized?

With that said, I do keep track of two different email accounts from my home screen (personal and one for the agency that keeps me really busy) – yes, I check email from the moment I wake up until I finally put the phone down at the end of the evening. I also have Twitter nearby, since as the social editor for DVLUP.com I manage the day-to-day interactions for the @DVLUP account.

There is a small tile for the Camper app, which is tied directly to the Basecamp projects that I am working on – that app is really worth having if you use Basecamp at all, and it is a free download.

The calendar is the only large tile on my start screen – I need to keep track of both meetings with clients, as well as the personal (family) calendar – and this one view shows me all upcoming appointments.

What apps do you use to pass the time?

I check Facebook more often than I probably should – the recent update that came out for the Windows Phone version of the app does seem to speed things up a bit, which is great.

I am also a huge fan of Pandora for music streaming, and have it pinned right in the middle of my start screen. I like that the live tile shows the name of the artist, and the song that is playing.

And, even though I know I prioritize the work-side of my day on my start screen, I do find time for mobile games, too. I am /trying/ to figure out a new puzzle game called “Fling Theory” which happens to be exclusive to Windows Phone right now, and comes from a developer who is a member of DVLUP – I am hoping to have an interview with him for Conversations later this month. The game is very clever, with great graphics and it happens to be free. My daughter took one look at the game and assured me it is a play on the ideas of “string theory” or super colliders or some such – apparently, her science classes are paying off.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

What is the last app you paid for?

I just paid for my favorite word game called “Ruzzle”. It was available on other mobile platforms, and just came out for Windows Phone a week or so ago (it is priced at $2.99). It is kind of like Boggle, where you have a grid of 16 random letters, placed 4X4, and – unlike the game Wordament where you play against a lot of people who happen to all be online at once – you play against one other person at a time. My user name in the game is “Contentqb” – feel free to challenge me!

Which app is your guilty pleasure?

OK, I will admit it … I am addicted to Foursquare. There I said it. It feels good to get that out there. I love the points, the badges, and the occasional free stuff I get when I check in at local family-friendly restaurants. I don’t check in to every place I go, but I do like to make sure I get credit for check-ins to new locations I am visiting, and the places where I think I could be mayor someday … Wait a second, my son is now ahead of me in points this week. I need to go now before he steals the mayorship of my own home!

As another seven days go whizzing by, we’ve been busy hunting out all the best Nokia Lumia inspired videos. Our fantastic five choices this week all feature the world’s most innovative smartphone, the Nokia Lumia 920. Perhaps unsurprisingly they focus on many of those unique features we love best, wireless charging, Optical Image Stabilization, imaging and cinemagraph. To see for yourself, head down south and click play.

Lumia boys in the hood

Recently Nokia, launched a cool competition asking Nokia employees to use their Nokia smartphones to make a Switch Pitch video. The response was incredible, with over three thousand people from four continents showcasing their creative and sales mastery. Alas their could only be one winner and that honour went to Ben G’s and his awesome Nokia Lumia 920 rap.

DIY wireless charging

Like pretty much ever one who uses it, we’re massive fans of wireless charging. If we had the chance we’d have a wireless charger everywhere we lay our phone. Well, now thanks to some handy work from one our favorite YouTube channels lobbamobba, it looks like that dream is coming closer to reality.

Pop goes the cinemagraph

Nacho Pop is an Australian DJ and dancer who’s been showcasing the cinemagraphic magic of the Nokia Lumia 920 on Australian TV. While we might not have his moves we certainly know how to make his magic.

Tip top tips

When it comes to imaging there are few smartphones more adept than the Nokia Lumia 920. But how do you get the best out this mobile photography masterpiece? One way is to check out The Nokia Blog’s Mark Guim’s handy tips video.

Start your OIS engines

Last, but by no means least, Eugen Diskin from Russian blog, wp7forum.ru  puts the Nokia Lumia 920’s Optical Image Stabilization to the test by pitting it against a Samsung Galaxy S4. Both smartphones are strapped onto a remote-controlled car, which is then towed, due to some unfortunate luck with the batteries. Despite or maybe because of this, the car combo makes for an interesting view and video

That’s this weeks round up of the Lumiatastic videos. We hope they entertained and educated you as much as us. If you’ve discovered any others that you think should be shared with the wider world, be sure to let us know down below.

How many tunes do you have on your phone? A hundred, a thousand, five thousand? If you’ve got a Nokia Lumia, with Nokia Music, you’ll have access to over 20 million. And what about your computer or laptop? Probably thousands more. Unless you burn those onto a CD, the likelihood is you rarely if ever listen to them on your stereo. But, if you get your hands on Nokia Wireless Music Receiver, that can all change.

We want wireless

When Nokia conducted a study a couple of years back last year, nearly 80% of people said they were interested in playing music from their handset on their home stereo. When you think about how much music we have digitally, it’s easy to see why. Imagine then, if you could plug in a small device into your stereo and suddenly turn that stereo into an amazing 21st century digital music machine.

Plug and play

The Nokia Wireless Music Receiver promises just that. It’s incredibly easy to set up. You need no software. All you do is plug it into your AC mains and the back of your stereo. Then, if you have a Nokia Lumia with NFC, you simply tap it to the receiver, and like magic, music will start playing. Otherwise, you long press its single button to pair it with your Bluetooth device.

Sounds as good as a CD

One reason that wireless receivers haven’t got the attention they deserve is people’s perception that devices are not up to the mark with regards to the signal, sound quality and range. To test the Nokia Wireless Music Receiver, Nokia commissioned DELTA SenseLab to check out its music quality. Surprisingly to some, the results showed that it’s just as good as wired CD sound.

Bigger range, better signal

Bluetooth has been evolving for over a decade. However, there’s no doubt that in the past its range used to be an issue. Thankfully, the Nokia Wireless Music Receiver has one of the most highly sensitive Bluetooth antennas ever. This means that you can have your phone or laptop up to 20 metres away from your stereo and still enjoy your tunes.

If you love your stereo, but find yourself using it less and less, the Nokia Wireless Music Receiver will put the spark back in your love affair. What’s more, it will free the music you on your hard drive and unleash your Nokia Lumia’s massive catalogue of tunes. But don’t take our word for it. Get connected and let us know what you think.

Wow, we’ve finally done it!  Our readers, over the last two weeks, have narrowed 32 apps down to a final pair. 

We’ve come from four categories including social, gaming, news and entertainment and utility and productivity to come to a final pair of apps that will be crowned the winner of the Conversations by Nokia March Apps Madness 2013 competition.

Without further ado, let’s unveil the two apps that are up for vote.  Competing for the grand finale are Twitter vs. All About Windows Phone!

In this round, myself and Jason Black present our case for each contender. 

All About Windows Phone, by Jason Harris

There are quite a few Windows Phone blogs out in the wild and they’re all good. Why is All About Windows Phone my favorite? Because as an old school Nokia fan, I enjoy reading news written by folks who have been around the block with Nokia devices going a ways back.

All About Windows Phone is headed by Rafe Blandford and supported by Steve Litchfield and Ewan Spence, three of the most authoritative voices when it comes to Nokia and now Windows Phone.  These pundits provide news, perspective and viewpoints that can’t be found anywhere else. Last, AAWP may not be the first publication to break Windows Phone stories, but I can guarantee that the site will bring a perspective or insight you won’t find anywhere else.

The AAWP app was constructed to bring the best of AAWP directly to your Nokia Lumia. The app enables you to read articles, listen to the AAWP podcast, search the entire site and more. Want to leave a comment? Yes you can do that in the app directly, without having to go to a web view.

Where some media applications just bring headlines and limited functionality, the AAWP app gives me full access to my favorite Windows Phone site.

The AAWP app is free to download in the Windows Phone store. I’d highly recommend you check it out today. 

Twitter, by Jason Black 

While the app for AAWP is undoubtedly indispensable for the true Windows Phone fan, the app that I use all day long – from the moment I wake up to the time when I finally charge my phone in before going to bed – is Twitter. I need it, both to do my job and to keep up with the world around me. 

And, the app for Windows Phone suits my needs perfectly. It is graceful and understated, yet it is fast and responsive, too. There are big, easy-to-understand icons across the top of the screen for the Home view, the interactions and mentions (@), the Trending topics (#) along with suggestions for who to follow, and my own profile details (which includes easy access to any direct messages sent my way). The bottom of the screen has persistent elements to go back home, write a new tweet or search.

Looking at the details of specific tweets that are on my timeline reveals quick options for replies; retweets; favoriting tweets; and options to mail, text or link to that tweet.

It is this simplicity that gives it the power I need to be a go-to tool that I use over and over again throughout the day. Whether you are a Twitter newbie, or a long-time Twitter fiend (we all know a few of those), this app is designed with the user in mind. 

The app is free to download from the Windows Phone Store; and unlike the browser-based interface for Twitter, when you use the Windows Phone app you are not subjected to the “Promoted” posts that are starting to clog the top of my main Home view in the web version (in other words, this app is one of the few remaining ad-free zones you will find).

So, as you decide which app deserves your vote in the final round of this year’s March App Madness competition, think about how you will Tweet your decision to the rest of the world, and then your choice will be clear. 

Take Our Poll

Wrapping up

There you have it. We’re down to the final two apps up for vote.  So use the form below to vote for your favorite amongst these two top applications.  

Voting will run over the weekend only and the winner will be crowned on Monday, April 8th.  

Thank you to all who have participated thus far and we look forward to crowning the winner on Monday! 

Poniżej znajdziecie szczegóły oferty, która wchodzi do sprzedaży już dziś. Jeśli coś nie jest jasne – pytajcie, będziemy odpowiadać Poniżej wszystkie niezbędne dokumenty Regulamin Oferty Promocyjnej FORMUŁA MIX (24)_05 04 2013 Regulamin Oferty Promocyjnej FORMUŁA MIX z Internetem (24)_05.04.2013 Regulamin Oferty Promocyjnej FORMUŁA MIX z Internetem tylko SIM (12)_05 04 2013 Cennik Oferty [...]

Mam specjalną propozycję dla najtańszego celebryty w Polsce. Może zamiast doładowywać się za 100 zł miesięcznie wypróbować nowy starterek z RBM? Od jutra można zamawiać nowy darmowy starter Red Bull MOBILE na kartę free z darmowym YouTube na stronie www.redbullmobile.pl/freeyoutube. Starter jest o tyle wyjątkowy, że zawiera w sobie  nietypowy gadżet widoczny poniżej na zdjęciu. [...]

Poniżej znajdziecie szczegóły oferty, która wchodzi do sprzedaży już dziś. Jeśli coś nie jest jasne – pytajcie, będziemy odpowiadać Poniżej wszystkie niezbędne dokumenty Regulamin Oferty Promocyjnej FORMUŁA MIX (24)_05 04 2013 Regulamin Oferty Promocyjnej FORMUŁA MIX z Internetem (24)_05.04.2013 Regulamin Oferty Promocyjnej FORMUŁA MIX z Internetem tylko SIM (12)_05 04 2013 Cennik Oferty [...]

Mam specjalną propozycję dla najtańszego celebryty w Polsce. Może zamiast doładowywać się za 100 zł miesięcznie wypróbować nowy starterek z RBM? Od jutra można zamawiać nowy darmowy starter Red Bull MOBILE na kartę free z darmowym YouTube na stronie www.redbullmobile.pl/freeyoutube. Starter jest o tyle wyjątkowy, że zawiera w sobie  nietypowy gadżet widoczny poniżej na zdjęciu. [...]

Quick heads up everyone. This week our Developer World colleagues have looked in-depth at one of our power management technologies, Battery STAMINA Mode – see how it works and tips for developers in optimizing apps to be more power-efficient.

We know there’s a balance (and sometimes compromise) between the high-end functionality you get in a smartphone and having the battery juice to experience it all. It can be frustrating after enjoying mobile entertainment (video and games especially), then not being able to maintain enough power to text, call, blog or tweet.  

It’s a common concern and something we regularly discuss in both consumer and more developer focused forums / social channels.

We recognized a few things: a) people don’t use their phone all day long and in many cases it can spend up to 90% of the day on standby in your bag or pocket, and b) many apps and processes continue to run in the background, using up your battery life.

To tackle this, we developed Extended Standby and Battery STAMINA Modes across 2012 and 2013 Xperia devices, to extend standby time by up to four times or more. The premise is simple; saving power consumption when you don’t need it, lets you get the most out of your battery life when you do need it.

It’s well worth checking out the Developer World content for all the info.