This article goes in line with my previous writing that Nokia should dump its name from the Ovi branding. The idea is to offer an array of useful services to the consumers, both on the web and on their mobiles. That said, here are seven companies which services could be of use for Nokia (NYSE: NOK) handset users:

1. Evernote – the single most popular web-based note taking tool today. It’s not only a web-based service as there is also a desktop component, as well as mobile apps for Windows Mobile and the iPhone/iPod Touch. By acquiring Evernote, the Finnish giant could include a powerful note taking tool in its Ovi suite of services, as well as develop and offer Series 40 and S60 mobile clients.
2. Viigo – popular RSS/news reader. Let’s face it, RSS readers are getting common even among the “not that tech savvy” population and Nokia could certainly benefit from offering such an app/service. By acquiring Viigo, Nokia gets an instant access to other platforms as well. Additionally, they could create their own web-based RSS reader that would work in sync with the mobile client.
3. Mobispine – like Viigo, it’s an RSS/news reader. It’s Java ME-based, and it already works on many Nokia devices, feature phones included.
4. iScrybe – I’m not sure about this one, though, but at one point it was very promising online organizer. Then they seemed to stop developing it. Nokia could add some cash to the company and make them finish their product — and remove that “beta” sign along the way. Afterwards a mobile client which sings along the web-based version is a must.
5. Remember The Milk – one of the most popular web-based task management applications, which also works on various mobile platforms. Unfortunately, Nokia phones are not on the list of supported devices, but that could easily change if they [Nokia] buy the company. Along with iScrybe (or some other online calendar) and Evernote, this could enhance Ovi’s appeal to business users. Alternatively, individuals could also benefit from using these services.
6. Netvibes – personalized homepage service, similar to iGoogle. If Nokia wants to tackle the larger audience and really establish itself as an Internet company, offering a personalized homepage to its users is a neat idea. In that sense, acquiring the Paris-based company could certainly be beneficial for the Finnish giant. When you think about it, if acquired by Nokia, Netvibes could evolve/change to some kind of myOvi service.
7. Pageflakes – another personalized homepage service, although not as near as popular. Still if Nokia could put its brand and cash behind, it could drive adoption quickly.

That’s about all I wanted to say. Is there any other company that could be of use to Nokia? What do you say?

Now this is going way to far. What you see on the image above is a blatant violations of a number of Nokia (NYSE: NOK)’s copyrights. The so called NCKLA E71-2 costs way less than the original Nokia E71 (mere $119 at Solomobi), but the quality seems spotty, to say the least. In a nutshell – you should avoid buying it, at any cost!

Just in case you’re curious, here the specs of the NCKLA phone:

• 2.1-inch QVGA touchscreen
• Two SIM card slots – now that I’m thinking, I would love to have this on the original Nokia E71 and some other phone, too
• VGA (0.3 megapixel) camera
• Bluetooth
• “Stereo loud speaker” – whatever that means
• microSD memory card slot

Specs wise it doesn’t sound that bad, but it is, trust me!

[Via: Engadget Mobile]

Malaysians can now use their Nokia (NYSE: NOK) 6212 to make near-field Visa payments – just wave your phone in front of a sensor and bam, instant buy in over 1,800 shops. Local carrier Maxis and financial group Maybank have both partnered up with Visa to make this happen, and is hopefully the first in many deals to come. This if the first we’ve seen of NFC technology with Visa, but there’s still very little hardware that supports the magic-wand payment method. Visa has been gunning aggressively for mobile as of late, chewing through SMS notification legalities, and tapping into the Android Market, and with any luck, they’ll push their NFC initiative to other countries soon.

[Visa via Mobile Burn]

As the mobile phone market gets more competitive, margins are shrinking and smart handset makers are focusing on value added services. I always thought of Nokia (NYSE: NOK) as a smart company and their entrance to the world of Internet services was fascinating move, when you think about it. Within just a few years today’s high-end smartphones will become a commodity, and software and services will be the “thing” that will make all the difference, as well as something Chinese companies can’t copy that easy. That said, and again to praise Nokia – Ovi seems like a right way to go!

However, what I think Nokia should do is dump their name from the Ovi website/branding. The idea is to partner with other handset makers and extend Ovi’s reach to other, non-Nokia made handsets. When you think about it, the Finnish giant’s main competitor in the future will be Google (NSDQ: GOOG), which is platform agnostic and their mobile products and services are available for virtually all platforms — we may also include Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) and Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) to the mix, but they are way smaller players. I think Nokia should go the same route and in order to do so, dumping its logo from the “Ovi equation” is the right way to go. I don’t think it’s impossible to imagine Ovi becoming Nokia’s primary source of revenue within 5-10 years. In that sense, it deserves a special place, the one that will go beyond Nokia’s brand.

Any thoughts?

Engadget’s Chris Ziegler had a short time with a device that looks pretty much like the Nokia (NYSE: NOK) N97, except that it’s much smaller and lacks the full QWERTY keyboard. However, the unnamed handset did “borrow” quite a few design lines from Nokia’s new flagship device, but failed to use the Symbian S60 platform. Rather, the OS that powers this phone is buggy, unreliable and non-functioning on a way-to-small touchscreen — and the question remains would it work on a bigger screen, as well.

Now you may ask what’s the point of this article. As always, we’re here to warn you not to buy fake devices. The quality is spotty, to say the least, and in this case – the end result is completely unusable handset, which you’ll throw away the minute you start using it. Check out Engadget’s website to see this happening on video — for a minute Chris tried and tried to use it, but failed miserably. It’s not his fault, it’s junk we’re talking about here…

Here’s a slick bit of design for a multi-part Nokia (NYSE: NOK) E97 device, dubbed the Envelop for its ability to remove the screen from the main body. To what end? Well, one part of the image shows someone passing off the screen to someone else to transfer 4/8 GB of files through a small contact at the bottom-right. When plugged into a stand, the screen could also act as a photo album, or hey, maybe even a video viewer. The holster even has a spot for a second screen! The keys reconfigure based on orientation, which is something we’re already starting to see in the real world. Removeable parts aren’t that foreign of an idea either – just look at the LG Versa. Neat idea overall, but the big question is: how long before we start seeing phones like this? A year? Three? Five?

[via Coroflot]

Rumours are bubbling up that Nokia (NYSE: NOK) is cashing in on their 2007 partnership with haptic feedback company Immersion, and will be making three new handsets using their so-called VibeTonz. VibeTonz is already built in behind the scenes on many handsets, including the LG Prada and Samsung Armani, and enables cool features like caller-specific vibration, touchscreen confirmations, gaming applications, and music synchronization. Nokia’s slim touchscreen handsets could be landing as early as this fall, so keep your eyes peeled.

[via TheStreet]

Nokia (NYSE: NOK) has released a new firmware upgrade for its N78 smartphone. The update fixes a number of bugs and glitches found in the previous firmware v20.149. The detailed change log is not available at the moment, but as always we advise you to keep your devices up to date (and to backup your data prior to doing so).

To grab the latest firmware, you can either use Nokia Software Updater desktop software or do everything from the phone itself. In the latter case, go to “Tools” > “Utilities” > “Device Manager.” Once there, select “Options,” “Check for updates,” and then follow the instructions provided on the screen. If you opt to update your N78 over the air, make sure you’re using a WiFi connection to save some bandwidth costs — that’s in case if you’re not on an unlimited data plan. The file is smaller than 1 MB, so it shouldn’t take long to download it. Good luck!

[Via: Symbian-Freak]

Nokia (NYSE: NOK) is bringing its first 3G mobile device to South Korea and it’s the Nokia 6210s. Apparently, the Finnish giant thinks the timing is right to enter the Korean market, which is unsurprisingly dominated by the local players, Samsung and LG. As a result of the company’s decision, we may see a slew of Nokia devices hitting the country, though we’re only speculating at this stage.

KTF is the Finnish giant’s partner of choice, and they will sell the device for KRW 396,000, which is about $293.

As for the phone itself, the Nokia 6210s seems like the 6210 Navigator model without a built-in GPS receiver. So we’re talking about a Symbian S60-based smartphone with such features as 3.2 megapixel camera, media player, FM radio, and a microSD memory card slot. The device will have a “Made in Korea” stamp as it will be manufactured in Nokia’s Masan factory, opened in 1984, which has produced nearly 400 million devices so far.

[Image above is actually the Nokia 6210 Navigator]

SingTel and Nokia (NYSE: NOK) announced that they will deliver Nokia Messaging on the Nokia E63 with special data plans for SingTel’s Singapore-based mobile subscribers. As a result, SingTel is the first operator in Asia to launch this offering.

As a special introductory offer, SingTel subscribers who purchase a Nokia E63 device with a MobileM@il Plus data plan for two years at SGD 5.35/month will have the Nokia Messaging built-in push email service included without additional charge. (Normal subscription price is SGD 17.86).

MobileM@il Plus also comes with a bundle of 10MB data and PhoneSafe – a mobile phone security solution that lets customers lock phone, backup and delete important data such as emails from phones remotely.

But that’s not all. Singtel plans to expand the Nokia Messaging offer to other phones as well, including the recently-started-shipping Nokia E75, which seems designed for such a deal…