Discover The World Around You With New Mobile App Roamz

Just in time to be one of the first app installs on my freshly arrived iPhone 4S, there comes a new location-based mobile app calledRoamz (iTunes link), which will have its official debut on Monday at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco. As hinted at by the name, the app wants to help you discover the world around you as you “roam” around town.

To do so, Roamz digs into social signals from services like Facebook, Foursquare, Twitter and Instagram in order to find out what people in your area are buzzing about right now. It then presents those results to you in a stream which you can filter by interest.

After installing the app, you can optionally choose to connect Roamz Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare, so it can provide better, more personalized recommendations. It looks at your own social signals, like your check-ins, your friends’ check-ins, and your shared likes and interests, including those you indicate within the app itself using the included thumbs up and thumbs down buttons provided on the listings.

Then, on the main screen, there is a series of toggles that let you filter what sort of information you’ll see, broken down into “interests” like Shopping, Events & Entertainment, Restaurants, Children, Pets and much more. By switching these toggles off or on, you can better filter the results of the activity trending near your location.

The result, ideally, is that you don’t have to be constantly checking your social networks to find out what’s going on, what’s popular or where your friends are checking into right now. ”There’s so much social data being shared,” explains Roamz CEO and Founder Jonathan Barouch, “but if you’re not following the right people at the right time, you may be missing out.”

Barouch admits that the venue categorization is not complete for all areas yet – only major metro regions. That’s why, for example, the results for somewhere like San Francisco or New York appear to be much better filtered than those I’m seeing for my own city (sunny Tampa, Florida). For smaller areas like this, only about 50% of the venues have been categorized. But, like they say, you’ve got to launch sometime.

In the future, Roamz plans to deliver its recommendations through iOS5′s new push notifications and may even integrate with Siri (e.g. “Siri, does Roamz recommend any museums around here?”) Further down the road, brands may be able to tap into these push notifications to send out highly personalized messages to users, which I like to imagine would go something like this: “Welcome back to Starbucks, Sarah. Enjoy this coupon for $0.25 off that latte you’re about to order.” But then again, maybe I’ve just been hanging out with Siri too much today.

Still, serendipitous discovery of the world around you? That’s the app I was waiting for. Roamz is in the very early stages of development, so it can’t fully deliver on that promise just yet. But it’s certainly one to watch.

Australian-based Roamz raised $3.5 million in Series A financing in January 2010 from media company Salmat. Barouch himself was previously the founder of Fastflowers.com.au, one of Australia’s largest floral chains

Nokia 603 Smartphone

Nokia 603 Smartphone
This new Nokia smartphone exemplifies Nokia's belief that affordability should not compromise the quality of the experience. The Nokia 603 smartphone offers a seamless, compact design that makes the most of the durable 3.5 inch ClearBlack, scratch-resistant color display, optimized for use in sunlight. Featuring the latest Symbian Belle software, the Nokia 603 smartphone also benefits from up to six customizable home screens and dynamic live widgets for improved personalization and prioritization of your favourite content. Download the Nokia 603 technical specifications.


Nokia 603 mobile games
Exceeding expectations for its low price-tag, the Nokia 603 smartphone comes preloaded with Google Maps, the latest social networking, mobile games, apps, and the ability to capture, edit and share pictures, all with great graphics performance thanks to the fast graphics processor in the Nokia smartphone. The Nokia 603 phone also makes NFC innovation accessible to more people with the ability to share content, pair with Nokia 603 accessories like the Nokia LunaBluetooth Headset, and unlock new experiences, such as unseen game levels on Angry Birds.


Nokia 603 camera
• 5 megapixel camera
• Fullscreen 16:9 viewfinder
• Easy-to-use on-screen touch controls
• Face recognition software
• Face tracking / Full focus
• Focal length: 4.3 mm
• F number/aperture: F2.8
• Zoom up to 2x (digital)
• Automatic red eye removal
• Automatic motion blur reduction
• Still images file format: JPEG/EXIF
• Automatic Geotagging of images and videos
• Pictures automatically taken in the correct orientation
• View photos by tag cloud, month, album, slide show
• Pinch zoom in Photos image viewer
• Nokia photo editor


Nokia Smartphone with NFC
"The Nokia 603 Symbian Belle Smartphone continues the renewal of the Nokia smartphone line-up with products that are uniquely matched to the needs of people around the world," said Tuula Rytila, Senior Vice President, Nokia. "Whatever the price-point, our aim is to ensure all Nokia Smartphones are crafted for use, have Nokia's trusted quality, are better connected, and contain unexpected surprises like the ability to tap to pair and share with NFC."


Nokia 603 review
As soon as we receive a Nokia 603 test sample, we will publish a photo gallery with high resolution pictures, followed by an extensive Nokia 603 review.


Nokia 603 price
The Nokia 603 Symbian Belle smartphone carries a retail price around € 200,- Euro before taxes and subsidies. 

The Nokia N9 vs HTC 3D

Assessing a mobile phone without a lengthy hands-on appraisal is a pretty tall order. The world cottoned on pretty swiftly to the tactile delight of the original iPhone and its descendants, and now that the smartphone OS wars has settled into an us-and-them groove of Android versus iOS, it's safe to say that most people have an inkling of what to expect from their phone even before they've opened the box.

So mobile manufacturers need gimmicks and innovations to keep consumers keen and encourage them to switch from one eco-system to another. The latest flagship phones from two key smartphone contenders offer different approaches. Nokia has had a troubled year and the imminent collaboration with Microsoft marks a new chapter in the company's long history. But before it brings out a Windows 7 phone it's offering a last-chance at an alternative.

See more of the Nokia 9 and the HTC EVO 3D

The new N9 runs MeeGo, a Linux-based OS that promises to do everything its rivals can and more, with collaboration from Intel to ensure hardware and software are perfectly matched. The polycarbonate-bodied phone is certainly slick enough, featuring Nokia's trademark high quality hardware design (their camera quality is usually second to none.) Dolby surround sound, 8 megapixel camera, a 3.9 inch screen and inbuilt in-car navigation functions all add up to a competitive package.

However, speed, slickness and functionality won't necessarily overcome the massive headstart both iOS and Android have in the market, with hundreds of thousands of Apps and swelling user bases (Google are currently claiming over half a million new Android devices are being activated every single day). Nokia are bigging up the N9's ease of use - no buttons, just a single swipe to go to the home page - and MeeGo is also open source - arguably even more so than Android. That should help grass roots support spring up around the world even though the Microsoft hook-up isn't great news for future updates and evolutions. For tinkerers who want to think different, it could be a smart choice.

HTC continues its relentless deluge of new product with the EVO 3D, formerly a US-only product that is now making its way to Europe. Although the 3D is equipped with a 3D capable (i.e. twin lens) camera, the 4.3 inch screen uses clever dual-layer trickery to mimic a 3D-style effect without the need for additional glasses (thankfully). Will this prove more than a gimmick? Possibly not, but the good news is that the EVO 3D has plenty of power and memory to offer a seamless Android 2.3 experience even if you don't go all out on the bells and whistles. With the iPhone 5 just round the corner, plus a new version of Android imminent, the only sure prediction is for ongoing rapid change.

The Highest Rated Asia IPhone And Android

IPhone and Android apps

Asian consumers are becoming some of the most prolific in the world of Downloader application.

While the West has seen the decline of downloaded applications over the past six years, until May 2011 download the tool, the volume of Asian countries has grown significantly.

In countries such as China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam, the most popular applications are often very localized.

On average, 34 percent of the most popular applications for the iPhone in Asia is only popular in the region. The United States and Europe, only 20 percent of the applications is specifically aimed at North America and Europe, analysts said mobile Dysthymic recent report to the Asian market for the application.

To get a better idea of ??the applications consumers are downloading Asian Distimo advanced in the “most popular programs in Asia that are not popular in America,” both in the Apple App Store for iPhone and Android Market.

Applications category games were the most popular iPhone App Store. First applications for Google Android Market are more evenly distributed between the categories and see some games.

Highest ranked free applications in the Apple App Store for IPhone, Asia, May 2011:
1. Kung Fu Food-Panda by Topzilla – Games-Action, Games-Arcade
2. Me So Ramen by Moxy Games – Games-Action, Games-Arcade
3. Simply Find It! by Simply Game – Games-Puzzle, Games-Trivia
4. A Mental Mouse by AceViral.com – Games-Action, Games-Racing
5. Antrim Escape I by Game Hive – Games-Puzzle, Games-Role Playing

Highest ranked free applications in the Google Android Market, Asia, May 2011:
1. Gallery 3D by Rayman50 – Media & Video, Widgets
2. WebMD for Android by WebMD, LLC – Health & Fitness
3. Glory Corail by KORAIL – Travel & Local
4. History Eraser by DUMAPIC – Lifestyle
5. Documents To Go 3.0 Main App by DataViz, Inc. – Business

Highest ranked paid applications in the Apple App Store for IPhone, Asia, May 2011:
1. Birzzle by Enfeel Inc.- Games-Arcade, Games-Puzzle ($0.99 – $1.42)
2. FIFA 11 by EA SPORTSTM (World) by Electronic Arts Nederland B.V. – Games-Simulation, Games-Sports ($0.99 – $4.99)
3. Photo Shake! by MotionOne.co.Ltd – Photography ($1.99 – $2.84)
4. MONOPOLY Here & Now: The World Edition (International) by Electronic Arts Nederland B.V. – Games-Board, Games-Family ($0.99)
5. Photo + Folder (Secret+ Organize+ Transfer) by EnSight Media – Photography ($0.99 – $1.42)

Highest ranked paid applications in the Google Android Market, Asia, May 2011:
1. Sports Tracker Pro by sportstracklive.com – Sports ($9.80)
2. Solo by Coding Caveman – Entertainment ($4.07)
3. On The Ministry by PaKe Soft – Productivity, Widgets ($1.44 – $2.51)
4. Ultra Chron Stopwatch & Timer by The Spinning Head – Tools ($0.99 – $1.99)
5. Speed View Pro by Code Sector – Transportation ($0.99 – $1.99)

Nokia E6 Launched In India For Rs.18,679

Nokia recently launched its much-awaited business phone – the Nokia E6 at an event in New Delhi, India. This is the company’s first business smartphone with a touchscreen display as well as a QWERTY keyboard. The Nokia E6 runs on the latest Symbian Anna Operating System and it comes with a 2.4 inch touchscreen display, 8 megapixel camera with HD (720p) video recording, 8 GB internal memory and more.

The latest version of Symbian, also called as “Symbian Anna”, comes with a new improved web browser, new icons, a new version of Ovi Maps and a new portrait QWERTY keyboard. This handset was already up for pre-order in India from mid-June, but the company officially launched it today in India. Check out the complete specs, after the break.

Nokia E6 features a 2.4 inch TFT LCD Capacitive touchscreen display with 640 x 360 pixels resolution, Symbian (Anna) Operating System, 680 MHz processor, full QWERTY keyboard, 8 megapixel camera with dual LED flash, HD (720p) video recording, 256 MB RAM, 1024 MB ROM, 8 GB internal memory, 32 GB expandable memory, MicroSD card slot, Micro USB 2.0, Wi-Fi b/g/n, 3G Connectivity, 3.5 mm audio jack, Stereo FM Radio with RDS, Bluetooth 3.0, A-GPS, up to 680 hrs stand-by time, up to 7 hrs 30 min talk-time and a 1500 mAh battery.

Nokia E6 also comes with a strong set of new features aimed at business users, which includes true enterprise grade security with hardware accelerated encryption and a new e-mail features such as full meeting request support. The Nokia E6 is available in 3 different colors – Black, White and Silver. This handset comes with a price tag of Rs.18,679 (approx. $415), but you can get this handset for around Rs.17,500 in India.

Nokia releases gaming phone X7, but pricey at its spec level

Nokia has finally released the X7 smart phone -- its latest device aimed at the large-screen multimedia market -- in India, pricing it at just under Rs 23,000.

The device, however, is likely to get substantially cheaper in the coming weeks and months as its specifications are not up to those of other phones in the market in the same price band.

It is one of the two first models to hit India (and the World) with the next (and final?) version of Nokia's Symbian operating system -- the Anna. Symbian is to be retired from service early next year as it is replaced by Microsoft Windows -- raising concerns among would-be buyers about availability of apps in the future.

The X7 is placed somewhere between the N8, its existing high-end, big-screen phone and the N9, expected to be launched only after 3 to 4 months, and is being touted as a 'gaming' phone.

In terms of specifications, the X7 clearly fails to excite, though it does have an amoled 4 inch screen (in common with the N8, E7 and N9) and a decent graphics processor, the Broadcom BCM2727. The display resolution is slighly below average, at around 0.23 megapixels.

However, the X7 is no Samsung Galaxy. It has just 256 MB of RAM -- one fourth that of the recently announced Samsung Galaxy S2 (Rs 31,000). Even the N9, which is expected to hit the shelves next quarter, has 1 GB of RAM.

The X7 fails to excite on other specs too -- with a 680 MegaHertz single core chip compared to a 1.2 GHz dual core chip on found on other new phones.

All in all, a good phone for those who don't want to stray out of the Nokia brand, but for those who are willing to give other brands a try -- a phone that's neither too cheap to let us overlook its specs nor too great to prompt us to overlook its price.

The phone, however, does offer an unlimited range of "premium" games from Nokia's Ovi store and may be of interest to mobile gamers.

The Nokia X7 also has an 8 Megapixel camera (against 12 Mp on N8) and shoots 720 pixel video at 25 frames per second. All in all, a good buy if the price were to fall by around Rs 7,000.

Nokia C5-00 5MP

Expected Q3 2011 
28th June 2011

The original Nokia C5 was one of the best phones around for customers who didn't want a touchscreen device or BlackBerry-style messenger, but instead wanted a more traditional mobile phone without sacrificing too many features.

Time moves on, and Nokia have given the C5 a bit of a boost with the awkwardly named Nokia C5-00 5MP. The only significant difference between this C5 and the old one is that the new version now has a 5 megapixel camera, which seems to be the minimum you need these days.

This is a Symbian smartphone, running the old S60 3rd Edition version of the software rather than the latest Symbian "Anna". Most people probably won't care that the software is actually pretty sophisticated and will probably never add any applications to it, which is why Nokia are phasing out S60 in this market segment and are replacing it with Series 40 feature phonesinstead.

There's a 2.2" 240 x 320 pixel display, a well-laid out keypad, 3.5G support and VGA resolution video capture at 15 fps. The Nokia C5-00 5MP supports Bluetooth, microSD memory (with a 2GB card in the box), it has a media player, FM radio, 3.5mm audio socket and an inbuilt stereo speaker.

Included software on the C5-00 5MP includes Ovi Maps with free navigation, which turns the phone into a simple but handy navigation device if you get unexpectedly lost. There is also support for integrating with Facebook and most common webmail and instant messaging applications.

It's an attractive device to look at, and the C5-00 5MP is quoted as weighing 95 grams. Talktime is almost 5 hours and 28 days standby time on 3G.

Although the market for this type of device is dwindling, there are still a lot of people out there who might be replacing phones two years or more old who might be in the market for this. Nokia gave no guidance on price, but expect it to be a straight swap for the existing C5 which currently retails at about €140 SIM-free.