lis
21
Arriving in a foreign city where you don’t know anyone and don’t know your way around can be a daunting prospect. Thankfully, that’s where your mobile phone can come to your aid.
A few weeks ago, I looked at Nokia’s own location tools on the Nokia Asha 311, but there are plenty of third party apps that could also prove useful when you are travelling.
Having just returned from my own holiday, I can speak with some experience that installing the right travel apps on your phone can make a real difference.
Here are some free apps in the Nokia Store for your Asha device that can help you make the most of your trips abroad.
While I am not above slumming it with the locals on public transport, there is no doubt that riding in a taxi is a great time saver and much, much more convenient.
TaxiPal is a comprehensive taxi directory and booking application that covers 31 countries and nearly 3000 cities.
It is particularly reassuring because knowing which local taxi companies that are safe to use is often half the battle.
Unless you are very handy at maths, then one of the major bugbears of travelling is constantly working out what the local currency means in your ‘real’ money.
Am I alone in thinking that foreign banknotes always looks like monopoly money? It’s a dangerous mindset to get into. What you need is a Currency Converter app to help you stay on top of your holiday spending.
This app is extremely simple to use and lets you convert over 20 major currencies.
Native English speakers are notoriously bad at learning other languages and, unfortunately, I am no different.
Not being able to speak the local language is always a handicap, despite English being so widely spoken – trying to order food is always an adventure when there are no pictures on the menu.
Personally, I have always found that making the effort to at least say simple things, such as hello and thank you, goes a long way. That’s where this Translator app comes in handy. In a quick test, I found that its English to Filipino (Tagalog) translation was spot on. Salamat.
After converting currencies, the other numerical headache that blights the modern traveller is the time difference.
Trying to stay abreast of important events (OK, football kick off times) in one time zone while living in another time zone proved beyond my jetlagged brain.
Thankfully apps, such as World Clocks, saves your brain the unnecessary hassle of working out the time on the other side of the world.
Key to a happy holiday experience is a stress-free journey to your destination and then staying in a good hotel.
This all-in-one app helps you to search for flight information and hotels in all corners of the world.
Once you arrive and get settled in your room, what you do with your holiday is entirely up to you. For guides to multiple destinations, search the City Guides and Maps category of the Nokia Store.
Alternatively, of course, you can also use Nokia Nearby to discover places of interest wherever you are.
Are there are any other travel apps that you can recommend for the Nokia Asha phones? Let us know in the comments below.
Tags: None
lis
21
Memes are a pretty new phenomenon, right? Well, yes and no. Surprisingly, it was the famed British evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins who first came up with the term in his 1976 book The Selfish Gene. He coined it to explain the amazing way ideas and cultural phenomena spread.
He probably didn’t expect memes to take off quite so spectacularly, but thanks to the Internet, ideas are now shared lightning fast. Maybe it’s not surprising, then, that the Nokia Lumia 920 has now started to spawn its very own memes. Only time will tell if the the Lumia 920 ever reaches the legendary meme heights of the Indestructible Nokia, but we’re sure Chuck Norris would approve, nonetheless.
Number one.
Number two.
Number three.
Number four.
Number five.
Number six.
Number seven.
We love them all, but which number do you think best captures the magical qualities of the world’s most innovative (and hard as nails) smartphone? Let us know in the comments below. Or, if you think you can do better, share a link to your own Lumia 920 meme.
Tags: None
lis
21
Before the holiday season hits, it’s probably a good idea to either start getting in shape in advance, or to formulate a plan for shedding those extra pounds once it’s all over. There are loads of apps to help you with this, and I’ve found some of the best for you:
MyFitnessPal
Cost: Free in the Marketplace
Availability: Everywhere
In a nutshell: Watch what you eat
Ali took a look at this app back in February as part of the Lumiappaday series, and gave it a pretty decent score in his summary. Essentially a calorie tracker that assists you towards a target weight, MyFitnessPal comes ‘highly recommended’:
Marathon
Cost: $1.99 in the Marketplace, or there’s a free version
Availability: Everywhere
In a nutshell: Track your movements
I picked this up from a comment thread on the WP Central round up of jogging apps, so thought I’d check out what people were saying about it:
isingbass says that the
‘voice feedback and overall flexibility’
put it above other apps, and islehopper reckons there is
‘no better choice’
when it comes to accuracy and for the use of a double sided Live Tile.
Have you tried Marathon yet? What do you think?
6 Week Training
Cost: Free in the Marketplace
Availability: Everywhere
In a nutshell: Short term fitness
It’s never terribly easy to see how you are progressing with a fitness program (you ay feel better, but how are you actually doing?) As Jeppe wrote earlier this year ’6 Week Training overcomes this by gauging how adept you are on day one and testing your progress through ‘exhaustion tests’ that inform next week’s schedule.
The idea is to reach a goal, say 200 sit-ups, in six weeks. It works with you in real time, giving you a 90 second break in between sets, or combining activities for ‘super sets’, if you’re a total badass. There are five activities for you to conquer – push ups, dips, pull-ups, sit-ups and squats.’
What do you use to keep track of your fitness? Are you a user of Endomondo or Sports Tracker? Think the three above can compete? Let us know in the comments, or drop us a tweet.
Tags: None
lis
21
Finding a new job is never easy, whether you are a young graduate starting your career, long-term unemployed or just seeking new a challenge.
It used to be that you had to scour the newspapers, join an employment agency or rely on good old word of mouth to get wind of any new openings. The Internet, of course, changed all that.
However, it still makes sense to maximise every advantage that you’ve got and this is where your Nokia Lumia smartphone could make a difference.
There are many apps in the Windows Phone Marketplace that are aimed at jobseekers – these range from finding jobs to helping you prepare for an interview.
Here’s my pick of the apps for your Nokia Lumia that could help you find a job. It’s no guarantee of success but what have you got to lose?
This is a US-centric job-searching app, so it’s particularly helpful if you are either a US resident or looking to relocate. You can search by keywords or location and add filters such as the latest adverts only.
Your searches can also be saved and specific jobs can be pinned to your start screen
Even if you’re not willing to relocate to the USA, this app has plenty to recommend itself. It uses official Department of Labor statistics to give you a wealth of information such as the top paid salaries and the most employed occupations.
You can type in any category of employment, such as plumber, and it will return the annual percentile salaries or hourly percentile wages. Endlessly fascinating.
Jobsite is like a British version of Job Compass. It claims to have a database of nearly 40,000 jobs and this app lets you search through all of them.
If you have previously registered through jobsite.co.uk and uploaded your CV, then you can even login and apply for jobs through this app.
One unique feature of the jobsite app is the interview tips, which are a series of videos presented by leading business figures. Again, it makes this app worth checking out even if you are not particularly looking for work in the UK.
There are several apps in the Windows Phone Marketplace to help boost your interviewing skills but this is the one with the highest ratings.
As many of us get anxious for interviews it is perhaps a good idea to use an app like this that provides you with a checklist of things you need to do and a reminder of your key talking points.
This app includes some common questions that are asked at interviews and sound advice on how you can frame your answers.
While it’s not exactly a job-searching app, LinkedIn has become the social network for professionals seeking to make connections, share news and discover opportunities.
The thinking behind LinkedIn could very well be summarised as ‘it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.’
We took a closer look at the LinkedIn app a few months ago.
Although they were clearly lacking inspiration on the day they named it, this is the official Windows Phone app of indeed.com, which claims to be the number one jobs website in the world.
Certainly, their statistics make for impressive reading: 80m unique visitors every month making more than 1.5bn searches for jobs. They cover more than 50 countries and 26 languages.
This is a no thrills app and is lacking in any advanced or unique features but if they can harness those impressive statistics then there must be a good chance that you can find the right job for you.
This app is an aggregator of six different job search engines, so its major strength is that it will work in over 60 countries.
There are several options to pin favourite jobs and shortcuts to your start screen, and another useful feature is that each new search shows the number of new jobs that have been added since you last checked.
AlphaQuery – Jobs is another app that is very similar to getHired, so you may want to give both of them a try.
There are plenty more job apps in the Marketplace that cater to specific countries, and even specific companies. Let us know of any that you’ve been using, especially if they’ve got some cool features and, most of all, good luck!
Tags: None
lis
21
Good news. From today, our colleagues on Nokia’s accessories team will also be contributing to the Conversations by Nokia blog.
Just as we were joined earlier this year by the team from HERE (aka. the old Nokia Maps blog), and then by the Nokia Connects folk, the Gear Gang will bring a new mix of articles and authors to the site.
For readers, once again, the benefits are more – and more varied – content for you to read right here on Conversations, and one less site to visit for all the Nokia news. It’s a win-win.
We should see the benefit site-wide, too, as our accessorised colleagues join in the discussion and are able to offer their insight in other posts that touch upon the world of those added extras that make your Nokia phone complete.
If you want to get straight to news about Nokia accessories, or see the existing stories on this theme, then point your browser towards conversations.nokia.com/tag/accessories.
Tags: None
lis
21
The Nokia Lumia 810 on T-Mobile USA launched just a few days ago and the well-equipped phone has been receiving fantastic reviews from press and consumers alike.
The phone comes to T-Mobile’s super fast 4G network and features an impressive feature-set. But, was that enough to win reviewers over? Let’s take a look and see what tech pundits had to say.
Matt Miller from ZDNet, who always provides a great perspective on Nokia hardware, likes the Lumia 810’s rock solid design and host of exclusive apps and services that give it an edge over the competition:
The Nokia Lumia 810 is a solid competitor and if you look in my image gallery you can see that the camera captures still images even better than the 8X in some cases. When you look at ALL of the added Nokia software and services (Drive, Music, City Lens), combined with the removable battery and MicroSD expansion capability you may find the Lumia 810 is actually a better choice for you.
Meanwhile, over at Engadget, Zachary Lutz keys in on the amazing display of the Lumia 810, discussing how it’s easy to read in sunlight and how convenient the super sensitive screen is:
Unique to Nokia, the screen features a polarized filter that makes it easier to view content in direct sunlight, and in this regard, it really is a step above the competition. As another differentiator, it’s also possible to manipulate the screen with your fingernails or even while wearing gloves. Yes, bare fingers are still ideal, but the utility here is hard to ignore. Overall, the display offers plenty of real estate for content, vibrant colors, deep blacks and superb viewing angles.
PCMag took the Lumia 810 for a spin as well and noted the camera options on the phone – with the 8MP Carl Zeiss shooter front and center:
The 8-megapixel camera features Carl Zeiss optics and a dual LED flash. Photos look sharp and detailed indoors and out, with crisp focus, minimal noise in lower light, and vibrant color. Recorded 1920-by-1080-pixel and 1280-by-720-pixel videos played smoothly at 29 frames per second in both settings.
Do you want a snappy phone? Phone Arena tells us that Lumia 810 is a breeze to work with:
The Nokia Lumia 810 is tucking away inside of its body a very capable dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus processor with 1GB of RAM, which is the same chipset powering the Lumia 920. As expected, the smartphone delivers one snappy performance with all operations, but as we all know too well in this business, that’s the norm with almost all Windows Phones to date.
How is the battery life then? According to PocketNow, the Lumia 810 will go the distance.
The Lumia 810 delivered above-average endurance over the course of our test period. During one particularly busy day, we unplugged the device at 1:30pm and proceeded to run it hard: an hour’s worth of Netflix and some navigation around town, lots of texts and emails from two accounts flying in and out, social media syncing between two Twitter accounts – one via app and one via People hub – as well as Facebook’s constant syncing – again, courtesy of both app and hub- and almost continuous uptime throughout the day.
There was also constant syncing of Evernote and OneNote, and the usual stretch of time spent outside of network coverage on the train. Even under such abuse, the device didn’t die until 2:30am, thirteen hours later.
Michel Fisher from PocketNow sums up the Nokia 810 this way: “it’s a unique piece of hardware that delivers a serviceable experience overall,” while Chris Burns of SlashGear simply states that “in the end, Nokia has created another real winner for the Windows Phone 8 universe.”
Tags: None
lis
21
When it comes to using mobile phones, there are lots of things we do just naturally, as second nature. Plugging a cable into your phone to charge is one such activity, and it’s something we’d all like to not do anymore. That’s why Nokia has introduced wireless charging with the Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820.
Wireless charging isn’t a new technology, but this is the first time that Nokia has used it in their portfolio.
The way that wireless charging works is that you just place your phone onto a charging pad, and it charges. That’s it. We’ve explained exactly how that works in a previous post, so check that out.
You may think that that’s no big deal, but it is, explains Markku Oksman, Head of Gear design:
“We want to improve people’s lives. By adding wireless charging to our devices, we’ve enabled people to manage the power in the device more naturally and effectively, and in a way that suits them. What can be easier than placing the phone down and watching it ‘magically’ charge by itself?”
Many of us already use wireless charging technology, although we might not be aware of it. If you use an electric toothbrush that charges when it’s placed back on its stand, it probably uses contactless inductive charging to receive the energy.
It’s such a simple technology that once you’ve started using it, you’ll find the most natural thing in the world.
When building wireless charging technology into devices, there are a number of things to consider.
For one, you must be mindful that the more you put inside a device the more of an impact that will have on the size, weight, and look of the phone.
Fortunately, the wireless charging copper coil in the Nokia Lumia 920 is about 0.6mm thick, but it’s got to be placed correctly so that it receives the energy from the charging pad in the most efficient way.
Nokia Lumia 920 and Lumia 820
Our first Windows Phone 8 smartphones.
Be a part of it.
“In the early stages it’s a case of laying everything out and looking at what you’ve got to play with. Then deciding what needs to go where.” explains Markku, and leading onto the construction materials.
“The new premium plastics that we’re using allow us to incorporate wireless charging with little complications. If we were to use metal casings, the wireless charging wouldn’t work as well.”
Of course, you can’t have a wireless charging phone without a wireless charger. That’s why Nokia has created a whole range of charging pads, each designed to meet the different needs of different people.
The Nokia Wireless Charging Plate adheres tightly to Nokia’s premium plastic, unibody design. It matches the Nokia Lumia 920 perfectly. This one might look more at home in the home study, where you might want to keep your phone topped up while you check emails throughout the day.
If you like something a little quirkier and want to treat your phone to luxury, lay it down on the Nokia Wireless Charging Pillow by Fatboy™. Picture this on the bedside table, waiting for the phone to rest in comfort – as you do.
For those of you that like to use their phone while its charging, the Nokia Wireless Charging Stand is what you’ll need. Its upright position means that you can charge your phone at an almost vertical angle, making it easy to see the screen. You can also pre-set this stand to open apps on your phone when your phone comes in contact with it. We feel this would be ideal for the office; taking prime place next to your computer screen where you can keep an eye on things while you work.
Then there’s the JBL PowerUp Wireless Charging Speaker, a speaker that also chargers your phone at the same time. This is a really good example of using wireless charging when you’ll need it most.
If you’ve ever spent hours listening to music on your mobile phone, you’ll know that it can impact on your phone’s battery levels. It makes sense to be able to connect your phone to a speaker – wirelessly – and have that speaker charge up your phone simultaneously. You’ll never have to stop listening to charge up your phone, just enjoy your favourite tracks throughout the day and well into the night.
We wanted to know what’s next for wireless charging at Nokia, and Markku gave us a glimpse of what he feels is the next step:
“We plan to incorporate wireless charging into all of our devices, where possible. At the moment, we’re in listening mode. We’re listening to what people like about this technology, and taking on feedback on what people might want in the future. We’ll then decide how best to move on with wireless charging to create a seamless charging experience.”
While we believe that wireless charging is a great new way to stay topped-up with power, some naysayers have been quick to call this technology a bit of a gimmick, touting that: “It’s not fully wireless until I can have the power beamed to my phone, where ever I am in the house – like Wi-Fi.”
In theory, that’s a great idea, however, Markku confirms it’s just impossible on a phone:
“When it comes to transferring energy through the air, it’s quite a precise science. Even at the close distance between charging pad and phone, there are some energy losses. To try this on a bigger scale, across several meters, has so many safety concerns. It’s just too dangerous, I don’t even know how many megawatts you’d need to be able to do that. Too many, that’s for sure.”
He’s right, of course. It’d be much like sending a lighting bolt across the room, just to charge up your phone. Or, even if you could turn the dial down to a slight fizzle, the energy/magnetic field created would cause lots of additional problems around the home.
At the moment, Markku foresees a not too distant future where wireless charging may be possible up to 10cm away, making the action of neatly placing the phone on the charging pad no more. Instead, it’s a real possibility that wireless chargers can be built into furniture, say a couch, a table, or a wall, and have the phone charge if you’re in close proximity to these items.
Tags: None
lis
21
Memes are a pretty new phenomenon, right? Well, yes and no. Surprisingly, it was the famed British evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins who first came up with the term in his 1976 book The Selfish Gene. He coined it to explain the amazing way ideas and cultural phenomena spread.
He probably didn’t expect memes to take off quite so spectacularly, but thanks to the Internet, ideas are now shared lightning fast. Maybe it’s not surprising, then, that the Nokia Lumia 920 has now started to spawn its very own memes. Only time will tell if the the Lumia 920 ever reaches the legendary meme heights of the Indestructible Nokia, but we’re sure Chuck Norris would approve, nonetheless.
Number one.
Number two.
Number three.
Number four.
Number five.
Number six.
Number seven.
We love them all, but which number do you think best captures the magical qualities of the world’s most innovative (and hard as nails) smartphone? Let us know in the comments below. Or, if you think you can do better, share a link to your own Lumia 920 meme.
Tags: None
lis
21
Arriving in a foreign city where you don’t know anyone and don’t know your way around can be a daunting prospect. Thankfully, that’s where your mobile phone can come to your aid.
A few weeks ago, I looked at Nokia’s own location tools on the Nokia Asha 311, but there are plenty of third party apps that could also prove useful when you are travelling.
Having just returned from my own holiday, I can speak with some experience that installing the right travel apps on your phone can make a real difference.
Here are some free apps in the Nokia Store for your Asha device that can help you make the most of your trips abroad.
While I am not above slumming it with the locals on public transport, there is no doubt that riding in a taxi is a great time saver and much, much more convenient.
TaxiPal is a comprehensive taxi directory and booking application that covers 31 countries and nearly 3000 cities.
It is particularly reassuring because knowing which local taxi companies that are safe to use is often half the battle.
Unless you are very handy at maths, then one of the major bugbears of travelling is constantly working out what the local currency means in your ‘real’ money.
Am I alone in thinking that foreign banknotes always looks like monopoly money? It’s a dangerous mindset to get into. What you need is a Currency Converter app to help you stay on top of your holiday spending.
This app is extremely simple to use and lets you convert over 20 major currencies.
Native English speakers are notoriously bad at learning other languages and, unfortunately, I am no different.
Not being able to speak the local language is always a handicap, despite English being so widely spoken – trying to order food is always an adventure when there are no pictures on the menu.
Personally, I have always found that making the effort to at least say simple things, such as hello and thank you, goes a long way. That’s where this Translator app comes in handy. In a quick test, I found that its English to Filipino (Tagalog) translation was spot on. Salamat.
After converting currencies, the other numerical headache that blights the modern traveller is the time difference.
Trying to stay abreast of important events (OK, football kick off times) in one time zone while living in another time zone proved beyond my jetlagged brain.
Thankfully apps, such as World Clocks, saves your brain the unnecessary hassle of working out the time on the other side of the world.
Key to a happy holiday experience is a stress-free journey to your destination and then staying in a good hotel.
This all-in-one app helps you to search for flight information and hotels in all corners of the world.
Once you arrive and get settled in your room, what you do with your holiday is entirely up to you. For guides to multiple destinations, search the City Guides and Maps category of the Nokia Store.
Alternatively, of course, you can also use Nokia Nearby to discover places of interest wherever you are.
Are there are any other travel apps that you can recommend for the Nokia Asha phones? Let us know in the comments below.
Tags: None
lis
21
Finding a new job is never easy, whether you are a young graduate starting your career, long-term unemployed or just seeking new a challenge.
It used to be that you had to scour the newspapers, join an employment agency or rely on good old word of mouth to get wind of any new openings. The Internet, of course, changed all that.
However, it still makes sense to maximise every advantage that you’ve got and this is where your Nokia Lumia smartphone could make a difference.
There are many apps in the Windows Phone Marketplace that are aimed at jobseekers – these range from finding jobs to helping you prepare for an interview.
Here’s my pick of the apps for your Nokia Lumia that could help you find a job. It’s no guarantee of success but what have you got to lose?
This is a US-centric job-searching app, so it’s particularly helpful if you are either a US resident or looking to relocate. You can search by keywords or location and add filters such as the latest adverts only.
Your searches can also be saved and specific jobs can be pinned to your start screen
Even if you’re not willing to relocate to the USA, this app has plenty to recommend itself. It uses official Department of Labor statistics to give you a wealth of information such as the top paid salaries and the most employed occupations.
You can type in any category of employment, such as plumber, and it will return the annual percentile salaries or hourly percentile wages. Endlessly fascinating.
Jobsite is like a British version of Job Compass. It claims to have a database of nearly 40,000 jobs and this app lets you search through all of them.
If you have previously registered through jobsite.co.uk and uploaded your CV, then you can even login and apply for jobs through this app.
One unique feature of the jobsite app is the interview tips, which are a series of videos presented by leading business figures. Again, it makes this app worth checking out even if you are not particularly looking for work in the UK.
There are several apps in the Windows Phone Marketplace to help boost your interviewing skills but this is the one with the highest ratings.
As many of us get anxious for interviews it is perhaps a good idea to use an app like this that provides you with a checklist of things you need to do and a reminder of your key talking points.
This app includes some common questions that are asked at interviews and sound advice on how you can frame your answers.
While it’s not exactly a job-searching app, LinkedIn has become the social network for professionals seeking to make connections, share news and discover opportunities.
The thinking behind LinkedIn could very well be summarised as ‘it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.’
We took a closer look at the LinkedIn app a few months ago.
Although they were clearly lacking inspiration on the day they named it, this is the official Windows Phone app of indeed.com, which claims to be the number one jobs website in the world.
Certainly, their statistics make for impressive reading: 80m unique visitors every month making more than 1.5bn searches for jobs. They cover more than 50 countries and 26 languages.
This is a no thrills app and is lacking in any advanced or unique features but if they can harness those impressive statistics then there must be a good chance that you can find the right job for you.
This app is an aggregator of six different job search engines, so its major strength is that it will work in over 60 countries.
There are several options to pin favourite jobs and shortcuts to your start screen, and another useful feature is that each new search shows the number of new jobs that have been added since you last checked.
AlphaQuery – Jobs is another app that is very similar to getHired, so you may want to give both of them a try.
There are plenty more job apps in the Marketplace that cater to specific countries, and even specific companies. Let us know of any that you’ve been using, especially if they’ve got some cool features and, most of all, good luck!
Tags: None
