I don’t know why but I’m in a “Tell it as it should be” mood, so I’m going to voice my opinion once again.  And as usual it’s directed at Nokia, don’t take it personally Nokia, I really like you and want you to succeed and blow away the competition.  Now that that’s out of the way here it is.

The Nokia Ovi Store doesn’t always have the most current version of apps so when I download them I’m starting off not being up to date.  For example I downloaded Fring from the Ovi Store after a firmware update of my E71 and started to run the app.  I realized the app wasn’t up to date so I went to m.fring.com and got the newest version.  I also downloaded emoze from the Ovi Store and as soon as I got it set up it automatically checks for new versions and low and behold there was a new one.

Now I’m a bit of what you would call an extremist when it comes to cell phones but I do expect the part of the company that directly interfaces with the consumer on a day in day out basis (the Ovi App Store) should have the absolute newest builds within 24 hours after they are published on the companies own site.  It should be part of the agreement of putting your app in the app store that it is updated as the software is updated and in a timely fashion.  Otherwise just make the app store a link farm and send me to m.fring.com and m.emoze.com to download the app knowing it will be the freshest from the developers.

To be clear, I’m not laying the blame on the companies but on the Ovi Store itself.  This needs to be part of the deal to be allowed to have your app in the Ovi Store.  But the companies producing these apps could do a better job as well.

Ok, I’m done giving my constructive criticism for today.  Hope everyone has a nice weekend.

I’ve been using Pikchur on an off for many months until recently when I became a full time user.  As soon as they started supporting Ovi Share I was converted.  Pikchur is like a few other picture dispensing sites except for the fact that they do a really good job in geo-tagging my pics and one other major aspect that made me a convert.  They have great customer support.  I wasn’t going to include this but I decided to finally just before publishing.  It may sound funny but Pikchur just keeps me coming back.  I’m inexplicably attracted to it.  It just has the “it” factor in my eyes.

I’m not a complicated guy by any means.  They have a superior product in my opinion and their customer interaction/support is second to none, why would I look anywhere else.

They have a Pro account I will have to look into but their free version is definitely enough to get almost anyone started.  Upload locations include Ovi, Twitter, Facebook, Identi.ca, Jaiku, Tumblr, FriendFeed, Plurk, Posterous, Koornk, TotSpot, BrightKite, and Flickr.  Don’t hesitate to give them a try, you can set up an account at www.Pikchur.com.  Enjoy!

Mobile phone and brand app stores have reinvigorated the internet and it looks like a small version of what it was before the bubble burst.  I was just reading Ewan Macleod come back story (great guy by the way) and I’m thinking about his Mobile Industry Developers TV and I’m thinking, it’s back to the little guy again.  People are building widgets in coffee shops and I recently watched an interview the BBC did with a developer building his app on a MacBook Pro in his kitchen.  That’s it, we are back in business and apps are what’s going to save the mobile industry until it can catch up to where I feel it should be.  I just realized it.  Apps are it.  People like Jan Ole Suhr @JanOle who created Gravity the single best Twitter app for S60 has the number 1 spot on the Ovi store right now.  Jan Ole developed the app all by himself.

Janole is a great example of how apps are going to revolutionize the net, yet again.  We are going to have a big swing back to guys grouped together in a coffee shop whispering and typing like mad on their computers.  It will be like 1997 all over again but instead of being all about apps for your computer that sits on a table it will be for your mobile phone that is almost able to everything an average desktop can.  We are seeing a revolution started when Apple opened the iPhone app store.  There are many many people that I never figured to be mobile phone app developers cranking out their inspirations.  Out of work developers/programmers are finding inspiration and evening and weekend developers are doing it to.  We are going to see a controlled “Wild West”.  Controlled by the app stores but hopefully open to all kinds of apps.

I’m hoping it gets really wild and that the app stores support their developers who make the stores stores.  Give them a good revenue model and give them the freedom they need.

On your marks get set GO!  It’s a gold rush mixed with the wild west and we are all going to witness it, don’t miss it.  Good luck developers and make us some useful apps.

I’m not here to criticize my friends or Nokia or my friends at Nokia.  Nor do I want to pressure them.  But I haven’t seen all that many people on Ovi Chat.  I know what you’re going to say, I don’t need another IM ID.  Well I know lots of people who signed up for Ovi Chat so they have an ID.  The question is why didn’t they add it to Adium or any other IM app.  It would be quite easy to.

Is Nokia planning on doing much with Ovi Chat?  I get the feeling the answer is yes. I think we will see a great deal done with presence over the next few months and years.  I think the N97 will play a large roll in this too.

Back to my point, where are all the people?  Why aren’t more Nokia folks on Ovi chat as well?  I only know of a few that I’m connected to.  Maybe there are many more but I have used the search tool and not found many.  Shouldn’t Nokia folks be using it? Is Nokia using it internally for instant communications?  I get the feeling the answer is NO and I’m wondering why.

By the way, what’s up with the name, Ovi Contacts?  Shouldn’t it be Ovi IM or something like that?

Anyways, the Ovi Contacts (IM) integration on the new E75 I’ve been reviewing is fantastic, I hope we see an update for many of the handsets and I hope it is included/implemented on many of the new handsets.

I’ve been using a smart phone for a while now and I don’t think they are all that smart anymore.They are not keeping up with where I think they should be.  I need my phone to get smarter.  Maybe in my case that means I want my phone manufacturer to get smarter or maybe it’s my service provider that needs to get smarter.  Now that I think of it, it could be a 3rd party company that could solve this issue.

I have been switching  between handsets a great deal in the last month.  I recently had to format one of my phones and needed everything on it.  When I say “everything” I’m referring to data not settings.  To be specific I really wanted to be able to easily have my contacts, calendar, bookmarks, and landmarks loaded onto my phone.  Now don’t tell me that there’s a switch application on Nokia smart phones (S60), I know it’s there.  I don’t want to have to use it.  I want there to be an app that does it for me so if I only have one phone with me and I have to format my handset I can easily get my essential info.  There are already great services like Switch that Nokia builds into their handsets that does this but I want something that is stand alone I can use if I only have one phone, not doing a swap or upgrade.  Now there’s Ovi a Nokia program which I find to be ok for some but not for me (I feel it’s only consumer grade) and it only handles calendar and contacts.  There’s Emoze (a client) that serves up your email on your handset and additionally syncs your calendar and contact, which is very similar to Blackberry and Mail for Exchange.  Problem is none of these fine apps will load my bookmarks and landmarks.  In recent years mobile web surfing has become quite popular and a necessity in some peoples lives (mine included).  Landmarks are saved geographical locations that the built in GPS and mapping applications on my phones use to give me directions.  I along with many people are reliant on these 2 forgotten aspects of mobile use.

I have been known to leave my office not having a print out or written address of where I have to go.  I just get in my email or on the web and pull up the address of where I’m going.  I then put it in my phone and just use built in or downloaded map applications to give me directions.

If you swap phones, or lose one and replace it, how am I supposed to get my bookmarks and landmarks on my new phone?  I’m stuck using the very useful and handy switch application but I shouldn’t have to.  I believe the mobile manufacturer, mobile service provider, or maybe some third party app will have to step in.  In my case between my service provider AT&T or Nokia I prefer Nokia.  They already have a service to sync your calendar and contacts called Ovi Sync so how much harder can it be to use the standards they already use in their handsets and create a way to push the bookmarks and landmarks down to my handset.

Ovi Sync seems like the perfect opportunity/outlet to do something like this.  It already has the ability to log into my handset and  can pull and push info up and down to my phone.  I hope we see something like this soon, Ovi has been upgraded and maybe Nokia just has to flip a switch.  We’ll just have to wait and see but until then I just don’t think my Smart Phone is smart enough.

So I decided to sync my calendar/contacts with Ovi yesterday like I do every so often.  I know it has some bugs but none of them had worked their way into my handset or any other copy of my contacts, until yesterday.  I value my phone book more then anything else on the phone.  I can lose my address book and be fine but I hate when there are problems in my address book.  I was just chatting with Ken Rutkowski about how important contacts are this afternoon.

Being on a Mac with the new OS named Leopard I was able to just enter Time Machine and grab an old copy of my address book but it seems like Ovi has done a real number on my contacts.

I’m done using Ovi for the time being.  I would love for the Ovi people to contact me about the bugs I’ve found but I’m still fuming and doubt I will play with Ovi Sync again until it’s updated.

Nokia, you know I’m a fan boy, but I have a question for you.  Where is Sync with Ovi?  I have been waiting for months and months now and I’m getting inpatient.  I now have an N78 that I can’t sync with my MacBook because no plug in exists yet, or that I have seen.  So now I’m waiting for Sync with Ovi and I’m wondering when we might see it.  Nokia/Ovi, if your listening I need this now because otherwise how am I supposed to sync my N78.

A little late to the table with the actual announcements but you can find the press releases below for my next phone the Nokia E71 and the other phone released yesterday (also very exciting) the E66.

PRESS RELEASE

Email made easy: Nokia unveils two new Nokia Eseries devices optimized for personal and professional email
June 16, 2008

Slim, stylish Nokia E71 and Nokia E66 multimedia computers offer easy access to range of email solutions, including Microsoft Exchange

London, UK – Nokia introduced today the Nokia E71 and Nokia E66 – the latest email-optimized devices from the Nokia Eseries product range. The sleek Nokia E71 with full QWERTY keyboard and the stylish, slide-to-open Nokia E66 easily mobilize a broad range of personal or professional messaging needs, including Microsoft Exchange, the world’s most widely adopted corporate email solution. Both devices are expected to begin shipping in key markets in July. The Nokia E71 and the Nokia E66 are expected to retail at EUR 350, before applicable taxes and subsidies.

“The Nokia E71 and Nokia E66 were designed for people who lead a mobile lifestyle and want quick and easy access to their personal and work email. With both of these devices, we have responded to consumer feedback by making calendar and contacts available at the touch of a button,” said Søren Petersen, Senior Vice President, Devices, Nokia. “Equally important, people want well-crafted devices that are as beautiful to use as they are to behold. Stainless steel was chosen as the core material for these devices, giving them additional strength and a touch of class. Furthermore, the Nokia E71 and Nokia E66 offer all the latest multimedia features that people desire.”

Easy, one-touch access to email
The Nokia E71 and Nokia E66 come fully equipped for easy-to-install and easy-to-use professional and personal email. People who use Microsoft Exchange at work can access their email using the Mail for Exchange mobile email client, which comes pre-loaded with the Nokia E71 and Nokia E66. With these Nokia Eseries devices, people can get reliable real-time access to their email, calendar, contacts and tasks, as well as download attachments like Word, Excel, Powerpoint or PDF files directly to their devices.

The Nokia E71 and Nokia E66 support email accounts from more than a thousand internet service providers (ISPs) around the world, as well as Gmail, Yahoo! mail and Hotmail. Additionally, the Nokia E71 and Nokia E66 support the Nokia Intellisync Wireless Email solution as well as third party email solutions like System Seven and Visto Mobile. Both devices come with the new switch mode that allows people easily to switch between personal and work home screens.

“With mobile email penetration and access to wireless applications growing at a rapid rate, Nokia is well positioned with its extensive lineup of market leading handsets to address the needs of consumers, high-end users and mobile professionals alike,” said Andrew Brown, Director, Wireless Enterprise Strategies Global Wireless Practice, Strategy Analytics.

Sophisticated tool, premium design inside and out
With a stainless steel case, etched graphics and available in two colors – grey steel or white steel – the Nokia E71 bears the hallmarks of Nokia quality and craftsmanship. The cool metallic finish is complemented by the bright colour display, which showcases the Nokia E71 device’s brilliantly simple user interface. Designed for both one-handed and two-handed use, the Nokia E71 pays special attention to ergonomics, as evidenced by its narrow shape and specially designed keypad.

The Nokia E66 offers a premium look and feel with its stainless steel accents and smooth sliding design. Sharing the same key features as the Nokia E71, including an enhanced calendar, contacts and customizable home screen modes, the Nokia E66 offers unique additions, like an orientation sensor that automatically optimizes itself for full screen viewing or silences the ringer when the device is turned over. Available in grey steel or white steel version, the Nokia E66 leaves a lasting impression as a sophisticated business tool in a distinct design.

Always Entertaining
In addition to email and personal information management, the Nokia E71 and Nokia E66 support the latest Ovi services including maps, music and media sharing that power users expect from their device. This includes fast and seamless browsing with HSDPA, wireless LAN and 3G connectivity, Assisted GPS (A-GPS) and Nokia Maps for navigation, a music player with support for up to 8 GB expandable memory and a 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera.

Built for Businesses of all sizes
In addition to serving entrepreneurs and smaller businesses, the Nokia E71 and Nokia E66 also come fully equipped with a robust suite of enterprise grade features, including a built-in encryption functionality for both the device memory and for the memory card. Both Nokia E71 and Nokia E66 also include integrated mobile VPN support that gives mobile professionals access to their company intranet, and device lock and wipe to protect corporate information. Incorporating underlying technologies that allow IT departments to effectively manage security settings, corporate applications, data and advanced voice features, the Nokia E71 and Nokia E66 expand the range of Nokia Eseries devices that support enterprise-specific deployment.

Accessorize with Style
Also announced today were a number of Nokia accessories that support the Nokia E71 and Nokia E66. The Nokia Car Kit CK-100 and Nokia Display Car Kit CK-600 offer convenient handling, simplified installation and software updatability. The Nokia Car Kit CK-100 features Nokia Talk voice guidance and a remote control, while the Nokia Display Car Kit CK-600 features a removable color display and a remote control with illuminated keys for active call management. For increased mobility, Nokia also announced the sleek Nokia Bluetooth Headset BH-212, as well as the Nokia Mobile Holder CR-106 and Nokia Mobile Holder CR-105 designed to complement the Nokia E71 and Nokia E66 respectively.

Mr Wong Soon Nam, Vice President, Consumer Marketing, SingTel, said: “Our customers will enjoy a superior, cost-effective wireless email solution with SingTel’s Broadband on Mobile and the new Nokia Eseries devices. These will give them a competitive edge and the ability to effortlessly retrieve important information on the move, making their office truly mobile.”

“The Nokia E71 and Nokia E66 carry the promise of the Nokia brand, which revolves around quality, reliability and usability,” said Mr Golinelli, Executive Vice President, Sales, Consumer Domestic Mobile Services, Telecom Italia. “Our wide range of customers is interested in functionality but also in design and the Nokia E71 is the right and new concept for a new way of working.”

“With the growth of corporate mobility adoption, the users’ demands for new solutions and devices get stronger. The new Nokia Eseries devices, Nokia E71 and Nokia E66, attend to our consumers’ different profiles and needs, due to their design and features, which fit both users’ daily work and leisure moments in this connected society,” said Paulo Cesar Teixeira, VP, Operations, Vivo.

I was lucky enough to spend some time with the E71 a few months back and I am ready to use it full time. The integrated VOIP SIP stack, WiFi, Quad Band GSM, and US 3G are some of the stand out features for me. I look forward to getting my hands on the E71 North American Edition as soon as possible.

Good work Nokia!

I want to thank Comunicano and Nokia for including me in all kinds of great briefings and meals last week at CTIA in Las Vegas. My friend Andy Abramson the owner of the most prominent mobile PR firm was most gracious and hospitable by brining me along to participate. Andy had a great team along with him in the way of Michelle and Danielle from Comunicano and Ray (James Caans long lost twin) from Nokia was a fantastic liaison.

I am very excited to see what is coming down the pipeline from Nokia. A few of the most exciting to me are the N810 WiMax edition (I really like the plain old N810 I got to try out) and Ovi including a huge event promoted on Ovi called Pangea Day.

Thanks again Andy, Ray, and Nokia.