lis
20
Switch on the radio and it’s easy to get all down in the mouth about the bland-derivative tunes churned out, these days, by some musicians. But the fact is, if you know where to look, there’s more musical ingenuity out there than ever before. And we’re not just talking sounds – we mean gigs, promotion, the works! Here’s a few riffs to pique your interest from ten of the more gob-smackingly imaginative musicians around.
1. The Decemberists
This is a video for the intertextual hipster generation: Michael Schur, the co-creator of TV comedy Parks and Recreation, has teamed with The Decemberists on their Calamity Song video to recreate the apocalyptic tennis match from David Foster Wallace’s enormous and (dare we say it?) unfilmable novel, Infinite Jest. Ambition, we bow to thee.
2. Jamiroquai
In 2007, in an admirable attempt to match the gig-venue to the album-title, Jamiroquai played a set on board a Boeing 757 to promote their greatest hits compilation, High Times – geddit? They held onto the Highest Altitude Gig Ever accolade until James Blunt pipped their Gig In The Sky with his own effort in 2010 – but, no quibbles, Jay Kay had the idea first.
3. Nunatak
Definitely not a household name, but also definitely awesome: this team of five musically-inclined research scientists based in Antarctica played a gig on the ice as part of the July 2007 Live Earth concerts to highlight climate change, just so organisers could claim that every continent had taken part. Their show couldn’t be streamed live because of plunging temperatures and high winds, but play they did…
4. The Vaccines
Hip to modern tech and trends, indie band The Vaccines crowd-sourced the images for their Wetsuit video from photos taken by their fans. Inclusive, nostalgic, and oh-so-pretty, this is music-making at its most responsive.
5. Modified Toy Orchestra
Don’t think it’s all about guitars and big drums. Birmingham, England, is home to the Modified Toy Orchestra, a six-piece ensemble of experimental musicians who record and tour music made from circuit-bending repurposed kids’ toys. It’s recycling, it’s art, and it’s brilliant! Two albums and many festival appearances later, there’s no stopping those toys.
6. Martin Creed
Not a band, but a Turner Prize-winning artist and musician, Creed was commissioned to provide a work for the London 212 Festival, a cultural programme that accompanied the 2012 London Olympic Games. Creed’s contribution was Work No. 1197: All the bells in a country rung as quickly and as loudly as possible for three minutes. Music? Art? Opinion was divided. But the British public joined in with a vengeance. Innovative? Certainly!
7. Pussy Riot
All girl, all punk, all balaclava’d and all nick-named: this hard-core feminist group of twelve stage guerrilla gigs on the streets of Russia and then upload the videos to YouTube. They hit the headlines in 2012 when several members were arrested and imprisoned for hooliganism, sparking international protest and outrage. Stylistically innovative and politically courageous, Pussy Riot are definitely inventive. Here they are performing in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in February 2012.
8. Insane Clown Posse
Not forgetting the accessories: this hip-hip, or horrorcore, duo from Michigan are known for the elaborate staging of their gigs. Sure, they dress as clowns – scary clowns – but they also bring along monsters, a ringmaster and trampolines, and they’ve dressed their stage as a cemetery and a game show. They claim their concerts are not so much gigs as circuses. U2 have nothing on this.
9. Steve Reich
Just about the most famous minimalist composer going, Reich has trodden some pretty unusual musical ground. His 1988 composition, Different Trains, a three-movement piece for string quartet and tape, as performed by the Kronos Quartet in 1990, won a Grammy. Inspired by Reich’s Jewish heritage, it uses train sounds and recorded interviews with various people, including three Holocaust survivors, as they talk about WWII. Chilling.
10. Jon Rose
Australian Jon Rose takes conceptual music to a gritty extreme: he plays the fence. Thinking metaphorically, he sees his music as breaking down the boundaries that separate people. In 1995, he played a barbed wire fence with a bow to a bemused crowd at the New Music Festival in Vitasaari, Finland, and now he’s travelling Australia, playing fences and documenting the history of the local people involved with the fences.
When it comes to pure awe inspiring inventiveness, we think these guys and girls are pretty hard to top. Still, we’re always happy to be proven wrong, so why not let us know your choices for top musical imagineers, too.
Image credit: Serbastiaan ter Burg
Tags: None
lis
20
Anybody who’s used a computer over the past 20 years will almost certainly have created a Word document, a PowerPoint presentation or an Excel spreadsheet. These have been the tools that have enabled the easy spread of information across millions of workplaces around the world. In Windows Phone 8 – and on the Nokia Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 – these tools will help you stay productive when you’re away from your desk.
The latest mobile versions of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint can be found in the new redesigned Office Hub, and it’s from here that you can begin to create new documents, or edit them when needed.
If you’re creating a new document, select one of the built-in templates, or start from scratch using a blank template. When it comes to saving documents, don’t bother looking for the save icon; every document you create is automatically saved and uploaded to your free SkyDrive account, with 7GB of storage. (Or to a SharePoint or Office 365 account, if you have such things).
When (or if) the time comes that you want to view your documents on a PC or a tablet, the documents you create on your phone will look exactly the same as they do on your phone. And, the same can be said about creating documents on your PC. If you’ve saved them online, you’ll always have access to your important documents, even when you’re not at your PC.
When it comes to looking for documents, you’ll appreciate that sifting through the hundreds of documents you’ve got saved can be a bit of a nightmare; that’s why it’s now easier to find the right file.
The inclusion of a recent panel in the Office Hub provides you with list of documents you’ve recently viewed or worked on from your phone.
For those of you already using Office 2013 on your PC, your recent document list will stay in sync across Windows Phone 8, PC or tablet running Windows 8, tablet running Windows RT, and Office Web apps running within a browser. If you were to edit a document on your PC, close it, and then open the same document on your phone, the document will open to the same page as where you left off.
Word Mobile
Word is a versatile tool, used for all sorts of occasions. You can create a new document, add formatting, such as italics, bold, or font colour, and add coloured highlights or comments to specific sections, if needed.
The Outline view allows you to jump to any part of the document with ease; very useful if you’re looking at a lengthy document. Once you’ve pressed the Outline button, you’ll see a list of sections you can jump to. Tap a section once to see a preview, and press it again to navigate straight to it.
PowerPoint Mobile
This is usually the tool of choice when you need to present your findings, stats or figures to a person or a group of people in a meeting.
With PowerPoint Mobile you can view and edit (not create, currently) PowerPoint presentations on your phone. The editable sections are the speaker notes and the text on each of the slides.
Again, the Outline view allows you to move between pages, or slides, with ease. As does swiping the screen left or right, or by using the new thumbnail view.
In this Windows Phone 8 version, you can now view slide decks in either portrait or landscape mode.
Excel Mobile
When it comes to creating a spreadsheet of numbers, Excel is your go-to tool. You can create, view and edit Excel spreadsheets on your phone.
The mobile version has the same sorting functions, filter options and cell formatting as you’d expect to see on the PC version.
If you like to transform your list of numbers into a pie chart, bar graph or an xy (scatter) graph, then you can. As well as freezing panes, hiding rows or columns, and wrapping text.
The Outline view is useful again if you’ve got multiple workbooks, charts or tables in the one Excel spreadsheet.
For those of you in need of a more serious business collaboration tool, you can set up Office 365 on your phone. We won’t go into that here as we’ve covered it before. However, once you’ve set that up, you’ll be directed to the Windows Phone Store to download the Lync 2010 Mobile app. Lync 2010 is a corporate communication tool, much like an instant messenger service, with conference call features.
Read on in part two of this article, to find out all about OneNote Mobile in Windows Phone 8
Tags: None
lis
20
Back in September I interviewed Sam from the Midnight Bonfires, who with his band and crew, had decided to create an official music video, all with an 808 PureView. We supplied the phone for them and the rest is history. The final cut has just been published, so sit back and enjoy the music!
Watch this video on YouTube.
And so, here is the second half of the interview that took place a few months ago…
How did you guys find the 808 PureView?
We all found the 808 PureView to be a brilliant device to use and the pictures and video it took were stunning. Most of the band aren’t too technical but we could all tell the quality of the device was huge. The sound recording was also incredibly impressive whilst we tested it out in a few loud practices.
What’s your favourite thing about it?
I think we’d all agree that our favourite thing about the device is its size. Yes it might be a comparatively large smartphone, but with a 41Megapixel camera it should be a lot bigger. The fact that something so small can take pictures that well is unbelievable and it’s much easier to carry around than a huge professional video camera.
Did you face any challenges making a video on the 808 PureView, if so, how did you overcome them?
There were not many problems we really encountered with the device itself. There were certain times within the day when we had to do multiple takes but that was down to the atmosphere we wanted to create. The tripod and the tripod attachment made it easier to film some of the indoor shots and outdoors we wanted to create a very ‘first person’ feel which the phone helped with. We struggled with battery power very momentarily whilst in a field (the camera being on almost all day), however we used the Nokia portable charger to help us out there!
What did you learn from the whole experience?
I think we learned that making any music video, large or small, is always a huge task. We owe a lot to our friends for helping us out, volunteering to be in the video, helping with the filming, face paint etc. I also think we learned that sometimes, not having a completely thought out plan can be a good thing. We got some great shots that were not originally planned and they worked really well. (Not always of course!)
Have or would you recommend 808 PureView phone to other people, perhaps to a band as an investment?
We’d definitely recommend that 808 PureView to other people even just as a camera alone never mind the added features it has whilst being a very capable smartphone. I think we’d all also give it a brilliant thumbs up in terms of working with any kind of music because of the amount of noise it can handle. For recording simple demos it’s brilliant and with the built in fm-transmitter you can listen to it in the car afterwards straight away!
Overall we love the device and it’s something that can be used for many different things.
Well, that wraps-up our interview! What else do you think would be awesome to film with a Nokia? If you know anyone that could potentially do something cool or do you have an idea go yourself? Drop us a note in the comments section or sign up to our
Trial a Nokia programme.
Tags: None
lis
18
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To be frank, Sony Mobile is not a giant in the smart phone market where the rulers are Apple and Samsung. It\’s a truth that Sony makes quality hardware but still their phones lose the game to Samsung and other smart phone manufacturers. Even if it\’s hard time for the company, Dennis van Schie, CVP Sales & Marketing at Sony Mobile Communications has not lost the confidence and he hopes Sony will emerge on top in the near future.
He says, “We will create in the near future a flagship model that can compete with Apple’s iPhone and Samsung’s Galaxy S III,”. This flagship model is expected to be announced in early 2013 at CES in Las Vegas in January or in the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona in February 2013. Also Sony will prioritize in stronger content integration by providing cross-device support for Sony music and video content.
Speaking to Financial Times Deutschland, Van Schie said that Sony has not given up developing on Windows even if the priority is for Android. “We have a good relationship with Microsoft and we are watching the development of Windows Phone closely. If it succeeds, we will not be caught off guard.”, he said.
Source: Xperiablog
Tags: None
lis
17
Smartphone users are some of the most hardcore music lovers on the planet. In fact, 42% claim to have a collection of between 2000 and 5000 songs. It’s no surprise then that Nokia Music has proven to be such a huge hit. But, there’s still plenty things people don’t know about this kick-ass, totally free, mobile music service. To see for yourself, check out our list of fascinating facts and features.
1. It’s the easiest mobile music service ever
To start using Nokia Music, all you have to do is take your Nokia Lumia out of the box and turn it on, and tap the Nokia Music tile. That’s it. There’s no subscription to pay, there’s no cable, no login and no sign up. This makes it, quite possibly, the easiest mobile music service ever created.
2. There are 20 million songs to choose from
You can create your own personal playlist by selecting the Nokia Music ‘CREATE’ function that taps into a library of 20 million of songs. That’s the equivalent of listening to 5479 new songs, every day, for ten years! With one touch, it generates a playlist based on, and inspired by, the artists you love.
3. You can access 150 exclusive playlists
If you want to discover something entirely new, you can stream music from a suite of over 150 exclusive playlists. These span a wide spectrum of musical genres from underground Detroit house tracks to New York Philharmonic favorites. There really is something for everyone.
4. Real people create the mixes
Unlike some music services, a dedicated team of music aficionados creates the mixes you get on Nokia Music. These guys and girls love the genres they’re curating and get a real buzz out of making amazing mixes.
5. You can make a mix based on your collection
If you’re anything like us, you’ve got a ton of music on your PC. Happily, Nokia Music has a really cool feature, which allows you to scan this and use the information to make playlists based on your unique tastes.
6. You love Nokia Music specialist mixes best
According to our stats, more specialist a Mix is, the less likely people are to skip tracks. People listening to the current chart selections skip very frequently, but if you’re dedicated enough to a particular genre or period to find your way to the ‘70s Soul, Funk and RnB’ Mix, for example, then the likelihood is that you’ll listen to the whole thing.
7. You can use it to enjoy your existing music library
In addition to streaming music from Mix Radio, the Nokia Music app also allows you to access any music from your existing music library. It’s easy to copy your music library to your Nokia Lumia using Zune for PC or Windows Phone 7 Connector for Mac.
8. You can listen to playlists by your favourite superstars
Nokia Music gives you the chance to hear playlist by your favourite artists. So if you want to know what rocks the world of superstars like Lana Del Rey, Green Day, Lady Gaga and Rihanna, you know what to do.
9. It finds cool gigs for you
If you’ve ever visited a new place and wanted to check out a gig, you’ll know how hard it can be. Nokia Music takes away the pain, by using Gig Finder to locate your position and pinpoint live gigs, shows and concerts taking place nearby.
10. It’s totally advert free and available offline
Not only is Nokia Music incredibly simple to use, it’s also totally free of adverts. What’s more, your playlist can be enjoyed even when you’re offline, meaning you’re favourite tunes will never be interrupted by commercials or lack of Wifi.
It easy to see why Nokia Music is rockin’ so many people’s worlds but what it is about the service that you love best. Let us know in the comments below.
Image credits: Albert K Law +Davybot + Looking Glass
Tags: None
lis
17
When you’re straying away from home either for a long holiday or just a day trip, these are some of the top apps you might consider to look into prior or during your journey.
Nokia Maps (HERE)
Cost: Free
Availability: Everywhere
In a nutshell: The best mobile mapping solution
Let’s not go into too much detail here…if you own a Lumia I’m sure you are aware of how well the maps perform, and you may have even bought the phone specifically because of that fact. It’s safe to say that there isn’t much use for the other solutions available in the marketplace!
Lastminute.com
Cost: Free
Availability: Everywhere
In a nutshell: Search for and book hotels across the globe
This app is a great example of what can be done within Metro, it’s swift, stylish and intuitive. When you don’t know what’s around you (which is most probably the case when you are traveling) you can search 80,000 hotels and book a room from the app too.
thetrainline.com
Cost: Free
Availability: UK
In a nutshell: Look up train times and purchase railway tickets in the UK
If you ever find yourself in the UK and are planning a trip by train, thetrainline is the one stop shop for all of your railway needs.
SkyMap
Cost: £1.29 (there’s also a free version)
Availability: Everywhere
In a nutshell: It’s astronomically good (sorry)!
This app substitutes all utility and replaces it with fun. Point your camera into the night’s sky and the screen will display constellations, planets or deep space objects in quite some detail. This one is great for when you’re out in the wilderness!
Translator
Cost: Free
Availability: Everywhere
In a nutshell: Translate languages with your Lumia
A must have when you’re visiting a foreign country. Translator lets you use your camera to translate text, voice recognition for speech and text input via keyboard for text. One really nice thing is that you can download phrase books so you can translate things without a network connection. #Win
That’s all for this week, join us next Friday for more Windows Marketplace app reviews (you can head here to see last week’s offering). We also recommend TripAdvisor, Skyscanner and TrainTimesLive in the travel + navigation apps category.
Have you tried any of the above? Why not write your own personal reviews below this post or let us know about them on Twitter @Nokia_Connects.
Tags: None
lis
17
Although it seemed perfectly fine at the time, watching VHS tapes is far inferior to the DVDs that many of us enjoy today. Likewise, the Blu-Ray format is an improvement again on the DVD viewing experience.
This subtle, and yet very real, progress in home entertainment provides a neat analogy to the technological advances made by Nokia’s engineers for the PureMotion HD+ screen on the Nokia Lumia 920.
PureMotion HD+ is the fastest screen on a smartphone. In fact, it is over twice as fast as the displays on competitor smartphones currently on the market.
It’s a result of an evolutionary process that, with each new development, has enhanced the user experience one step further. With the PureMotion HD+ display you get crisper graphics and less blurring while e.g. scrolling, navigating and playing games.
If you’re interested in the technical details of what makes the screen on Lumia 920 so fast, read on!
The challenge
“There are a few things that really affect the blurriness of the display,” says Jussi Ropo, Nokia’s Senior Technology Manager.
“First of all, all rendering should happen at a stable 60fps as only then you get rid of the jaggedness in the moving content. You can say it’s a prerequisite for all the further improvements.”
Another important aspect related to displays is LCD and how fast the liquid crystal can change its state, meaning how fast it can change from one colour to another.
“First, when you measure 60fps it means 16.7ms – you have a new image coming every 16.7ms on the display. It is intuitive to think that when your LCD response or transition time is longer than this one frame period then you will actually get quite a lot of blur. This is because your liquid crystal is still trying to get the previous value at the same time as it has to start turning again for the next frame,” says Jussi.
Transition speeds
Therefore, the trick, and the solution on the Lumia 920, is to actually have a faster response time than 16.7ms.
“On average it takes about 9ms for all of the transitions so regardless of e.g. what shade of blue you are turning into what shade of yellow, it is always below 9ms. This is the biggest step forward in the screen speed of the Lumia 920.”
This phenomenal transition speed was achieved by boosting the voltage to each LCD pixel – overdriving the panel. By comparison, other competitor phones will have a like-for-like transition speed of around 23ms.
Nokia Lumia 920 and Lumia 820
Our first Windows Phone 8 smartphones.
Be a part of it.
“We have the capability of actually showing all the frames as intended rather than creating blur because the LCD could not respond fast enough,” says Jussi.
More technical details of how this was done can be found in the PureMotion HD+ White Paper.
Ultimate blur-free?
As well as the transition speeds, there are other factors that can cause blurriness on your screen. The ultimate display, says Jussi, for blur free motion is the old Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) televisions but obviously given their size (and power consumption) they are not practical at all for mobile phones.
Modern LCD and plasma TVs also use upscaling via frame interpolation (inserting extra frames) to dramatically increase the fps rate. Again though, compared to mobile phones, TVs are immensely power-hungry, so these techniques are not directly applicable to mobile phone displays.
Of course, progress never rests. Nokia is still looking to improve their displays to reduce blur even further. It is a complex problem that requires a detailed understanding of how the human eye works and balancing other factors such as power consumption.
For now though, Nokia has already produced a world-leading display on the Lumia 920. Whether you are scrolling, navigating, playing games or watching video it offers a real feast for your eyes.
Read also about the screen brightness and sunlight readability and the super sensitive touch capability of the screen on the Lumia 920.
image credits: MSVG, Patrick Hoesly, Nathan E photography
Tags: None
lis
17
Smartphone users are some of the most hardcore music lovers on the planet. In fact, 42% claim to have a collection of between 2000 and 5000 songs. It’s no surprise then that Nokia Music has proven to be such a huge hit. But, there’s still plenty things people don’t know about this kick-ass, totally free, mobile music service. To see for yourself, check out our list of fascinating facts and features.
1. It’s the easiest mobile music service ever
To start using Nokia Music, all you have to do is take your Nokia Lumia out of the box and turn it on, and tap the Nokia Music tile. That’s it. There’s no subscription to pay, there’s no cable, no login and no sign up. This makes it, quite possibly, the easiest mobile music service ever created.
2. There are 20 million songs to choose from
You can create your own personal playlist by selecting the Nokia Music ‘CREATE’ function that taps into a library of 20 million of songs. That’s the equivalent of listening to 5479 new songs, every day, for ten years! With one touch, it generates a playlist based on, and inspired by, the artists you love.
3. You can access 150 exclusive playlists
If you want to discover something entirely new, you can stream music from a suite of over 150 exclusive playlists. These span a wide spectrum of musical genres from underground Detroit house tracks to New York Philharmonic favorites. There really is something for everyone.
4. Real people create the mixes
Unlike some music services, a dedicated team of music aficionados creates the mixes you get on Nokia Music. These guys and girls love the genres they’re curating and get a real buzz out of making amazing mixes.
5. You can make a mix based on your collection
If you’re anything like us, you’ve got a ton of music on your PC. Happily, Nokia Music has a really cool feature, which allows you to scan this and use the information to make playlists based on your unique tastes.
6. You love Nokia Music specialist mixes best
According to our stats, more specialist a Mix is, the less likely people are to skip tracks. People listening to the current chart selections skip very frequently, but if you’re dedicated enough to a particular genre or period to find your way to the ‘70s Soul, Funk and RnB’ Mix, for example, then the likelihood is that you’ll listen to the whole thing.
7. You can use it to enjoy your existing music library
In addition to streaming music from Mix Radio, the Nokia Music app also allows you to access any music from your existing music library. It’s easy to copy your music library to your Nokia Lumia using Zune for PC or Windows Phone 7 Connector for Mac.
8. You can listen to playlists by your favourite superstars
Nokia Music gives you the chance to hear playlist by your favourite artists. So if you want to know what rocks the world of superstars like Lana Del Rey, Green Day, Lady Gaga and Rihanna, you know what to do.
9. It finds cool gigs for you
If you’ve ever visited a new place and wanted to check out a gig, you’ll know how hard it can be. Nokia Music takes away the pain, by using Gig Finder to locate your position and pinpoint live gigs, shows and concerts taking place nearby.
10. It’s totally advert free and available offline
Not only is Nokia Music incredibly simple to use, it’s also totally free of adverts. What’s more, your playlist can be enjoyed even when you’re offline, meaning you’re favourite tunes will never be interrupted by commercials or lack of Wifi.
It easy to see why Nokia Music is rockin’ so many people’s worlds but what it is about the service that you love best. Let us know in the comments below.
Image credits: Albert K Law +Davybot + Looking Glass
Tags: None
lis
17
Although it seemed perfectly fine at the time, watching VHS tapes is far inferior to the DVDs that many of us enjoy today. Likewise, the Blu-Ray format is an improvement again on the DVD viewing experience.
This subtle, and yet very real, progress in home entertainment provides a neat analogy to the technological advances made by Nokia’s engineers for the PureMotion HD+ screen on the Nokia Lumia 920.
PureMotion HD+ is the fastest screen on a smartphone. In fact, it is over twice as fast as the displays on competitor smartphones currently on the market.
It’s a result of an evolutionary process that, with each new development, has enhanced the user experience one step further. With the PureMotion HD+ display you get crisper graphics and less blurring while e.g. scrolling, navigating and playing games.
If you’re interested in the technical details of what makes the screen on Lumia 920 so fast, read on!
The challenge
“There are a few things that really affect the blurriness of the display,” says Jussi Ropo, Nokia’s Senior Technology Manager.
“First of all, all rendering should happen at a stable 60fps as only then you get rid of the jaggedness in the moving content. You can say it’s a prerequisite for all the further improvements.”
Another important aspect related to displays is LCD and how fast the liquid crystal can change its state, meaning how fast it can change from one colour to another.
“First, when you measure 60fps it means 16.7ms – you have a new image coming every 16.7ms on the display. It is intuitive to think that when your LCD response or transition time is longer than this one frame period then you will actually get quite a lot of blur. This is because your liquid crystal is still trying to get the previous value at the same time as it has to start turning again for the next frame,” says Jussi.
Transition speeds
Therefore, the trick, and the solution on the Lumia 920, is to actually have a faster response time than 16.7ms.
“On average it takes about 9ms for all of the transitions so regardless of e.g. what shade of blue you are turning into what shade of yellow, it is always below 9ms. This is the biggest step forward in the screen speed of the Lumia 920.”
This phenomenal transition speed was achieved by boosting the voltage to each LCD pixel – overdriving the panel. By comparison, other competitor phones will have a like-for-like transition speed of around 23ms.
Nokia Lumia 920 and Lumia 820
Our first Windows Phone 8 smartphones.
Be a part of it.
“We have the capability of actually showing all the frames as intended rather than creating blur because the LCD could not respond fast enough,” says Jussi.
More technical details of how this was done can be found in the PureMotion HD+ White Paper.
Ultimate blur-free?
As well as the transition speeds, there are other factors that can cause blurriness on your screen. The ultimate display, says Jussi, for blur free motion is the old Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) televisions but obviously given their size (and power consumption) they are not practical at all for mobile phones.
Modern LCD and plasma TVs also use upscaling via frame interpolation (inserting extra frames) to dramatically increase the fps rate. Again though, compared to mobile phones, TVs are immensely power-hungry, so these techniques are not directly applicable to mobile phone displays.
Of course, progress never rests. Nokia is still looking to improve their displays to reduce blur even further. It is a complex problem that requires a detailed understanding of how the human eye works and balancing other factors such as power consumption.
For now though, Nokia has already produced a world-leading display on the Lumia 920. Whether you are scrolling, navigating, playing games or watching video it offers a real feast for your eyes.
Read also about the screen brightness and sunlight readability and the super sensitive touch capability of the screen on the Lumia 920.
image credits: MSVG, Patrick Hoesly, Nathan E photography
Tags: None
lis
17
When you’re straying away from home either for a long holiday or just a day trip, these are some of the top apps you might consider to look into prior or during your journey.
Nokia Maps (HERE)
Cost: Free
Availability: Everywhere
In a nutshell: The best mobile mapping solution
Let’s not go into too much detail here…if you own a Lumia I’m sure you are aware of how well the maps perform, and you may have even bought the phone specifically because of that fact. It’s safe to say that there isn’t much use for the other solutions available in the marketplace!
Lastminute.com
Cost: Free
Availability: Everywhere
In a nutshell: Search for and book hotels across the globe
This app is a great example of what can be done within Metro, it’s swift, stylish and intuitive. When you don’t know what’s around you (which is most probably the case when you are traveling) you can search 80,000 hotels and book a room from the app too.
thetrainline.com
Cost: Free
Availability: UK
In a nutshell: Look up train times and purchase railway tickets in the UK
If you ever find yourself in the UK and are planning a trip by train, thetrainline is the one stop shop for all of your railway needs.
SkyMap
Cost: £1.29 (there’s also a free version)
Availability: Everywhere
In a nutshell: It’s astronomically good (sorry)!
This app substitutes all utility and replaces it with fun. Point your camera into the night’s sky and the screen will display constellations, planets or deep space objects in quite some detail. This one is great for when you’re out in the wilderness!
Translator
Cost: Free
Availability: Everywhere
In a nutshell: Translate languages with your Lumia
A must have when you’re visiting a foreign country. Translator lets you use your camera to translate text, voice recognition for speech and text input via keyboard for text. One really nice thing is that you can download phrase books so you can translate things without a network connection. #Win
That’s all for this week, join us next Friday for more Windows Marketplace app reviews (you can head here to see last week’s offering). We also recommend TripAdvisor, Skyscanner and TrainTimesLive in the travel + navigation apps category.
Have you tried any of the above? Why not write your own personal reviews below this post or let us know about them on Twitter @Nokia_Connects.
Tags: None
