Nokia N95 blog

Tommi posted this already last week, but still think it valuable to share:

ESSENTIAL ADD-ONS for S60:

1. Nokia add-on stuff
   - Smart2go a.k.a. Nokia Maps
   - Nokia Podcasting
   - Nokia Mobile Search (get the latest version)
   - WidSets
   - Barcode Reader (not that useful yet, but loads of potential)
   - Download! Client a.k.a. Nokia Catalogs
2. 3rd party consumer apps
   - Y-Browser
   - Handy Weather
   - AutoLock
   - DivX player
   - ShoZu
   - Calcium
3. Internet stuff
   - Google Reader (using desktop version and mobile version simultaneously)
   - Google Maps and GMail mobile
   - Yahoo! Go
   - Gizmo project
   - Fring
   - FON
4. Enterprise software
   - Nokia Intellisync Mobile Suite 8.0, especially Nokia Intellisync Wireless Email
5. Open source apps
   - Internet Radio
   - OggPlay
6. Applications for industry insiders
   - Screenshot 2
   - Best Taskman

Other good shortlists:
AAS: S60 3rd Edition Essentials [updated]
OSNews: Top Ten Freeware Applications for Symbian S60 3rdEdition
3-Lib: S60 3rd Edition freeware

Impressive list with some essential and some not so essential add-ons, it all depends what kind of user you are of course!

The guys over at S60.com re-did their S60 software overview page. It now sports some nice interactive part where you can check out the new S60 and see small demos of its main features:

• Personalize [creating and changing themes, moving icons around]
• Send [email with attachments, send video via MMS]
• Organize [events from the web, synchronize with a PC]
• Browse [browsing improved, keep up with RSS feeds]

I still think that they could emphasize a little on some of the additional applications that are there for download: Instead of mentioning just the possibility, a small demo would make way more impression.

Through various press-releases one could read the announcement of Barablu for free calls from Nokia wi-fi enabled phones:

- Free Calls for Users of Nokia E and N Series Wi-Fi Mobile Phones Through barablu
- Millions can Take Advantage as Wi-Fi Enabled Phones Become More Popular

Nokia Wi-Fi enabled phones users can benefit from free phone calls between mobiles thanks to facilitator barablu.
Nokia currently has nine Wi-Fi enabled models in the marketplace and their increasing popularity will see 100 different Wi-Fi phones launched through manufacturers by the end of 2007.
Barablu which has developed the technology for Wi-Fi users to make free calls between mobile phones as well as providing free texts and free voice mail.

Nokia phones able to take advantage of the barablu service are Nokia E60, E61, E62, E70, N80, N91, N92, N93, N95.

Barablu started in 2005 with a very good idea and has developed itself in a worthy competitor of Skype:

After lots of hard work to get us off the ground, barablu became the first company to provide free calls between Wi-Fi enabled mobile phones, and launched this at 3GSM Barcelona in February 2006.

And we’re still working hard. At 3GSM Asia in October 2006, we demonstrated the first, free, cross-platform mobile calls between the Wi-Fi enabled Windows Mobile and the Nokia Symbian S60.

Of course, whilst we’d love everything to be free we’ve got to charge for some calls, such as to normal land lines and non-barablu mobiles.

However, our barablu Out services offer calls at very attractive, low rates. Our big thing for 2007 will be a brand new version of barablu that can switch seamlessly between GSM and Wi-Fi, connecting you in the most cost-effective way without dropping your call, or losing quality.

This effectively means that you will not have to be in a Wi-Fi zone to use barablu on your mobile. How clever is that?

If you want to experience the possibilities yourself, go and check out their website at www.barablu.com.

Entering the market of TomTom and Navicon, Nokia has announced to make their Mapping software free for download.

As announced earlier while discussing this for the Nokia N95, the mapping and routing is available in over 150 countries with turn by turn navigation (at street level) available in 30 countries.

From the press-release:

Nokia today announced that it is making its smart2go mapping and navigation platform, available for free download (www.smart2go.com), enabling millions of people to use the most comprehensive map coverage offered on a mobile device. The platform allows for mapping and routing in over 150 countries and has support for full turn-by-turn satellite navigation in over 30 countries. The application allows people to view where they are on a map, search for points-of-interests (POI) around them and create routes to get them there free of charge. Nokia plans to start offering the smart2go application for free, on Saturday, February 10th, for selected Nokia S60 and Windows Mobile 5.0 devices initially and has plans to roll out support for most of the major mobile OS platforms including Nokia S60, Series 40, PocketPC, Linux and other Windows Mobile devices.

Nokia plans to pre-install the smart2go mapping and navigation application on all future Nokia Nseries multimedia computers under the name “Nokia Maps”. Current owners of Nokia devices may also download Nokia Maps to their supported devices. And now, by paring your non-GPS enabled mobile device with a Nokia Wireless GPS Module LD-3W or other compatible GPS module, Nokia Maps can provide the same fantastic navigation experience for a broad range of Nokia devices.

The platform contains over 15 million POIs that help people explore the most interesting sights, restaurants or accommodations around them. Customers can select their favorite locations and send them to friends by multimedia message, Bluetooth wireless technology, infrared or e-mail. They can also send map excerpts and routes or save map screen shots to the gallery on the device. Recognized brand names like McDonald’s will have the option to place branded icons across the world’s digital maps downloaded onto millions of mobile devices.

Ow! Nokia is making a big move here and this for sure will strengthen their already strong leading position.
Where SonyEricsson is still fiddling with music, Nokia sees the possibilities of Mapping and Navigation in combination with a large scale of related services and even social-networking possibilities!

Bravo!

[found through All about Symbian]