The Nokia Ovi Store has been recognized with a Meffy Award for Technology Innovation. The Meffys are given out by the Mobile Entertainment Forum (MEF), a global trade association for the mobile media industry, to recognize products, services, apps and projects that are leading the mobile entertainment industry into the future. 

The Ovi Store is Nokia’s one-stop shop for digital media, where mobile users from more than 170 countries download and use applications, games, videos, podcasts, productivity tools, Web and location-based services and much more. The honor underlines Nokia’s work to bring unique content and services to customer devices, including kSnap & translate, which allows users to photograph printed text in 11 languages and view translations in real-time.  A variety of other innovative offerings can be found at http://store.ovi.com, including content from the Associated Press, EA, Facebook, Fox Mobile, and MySpace.  

The Meffys, held in association with Nokia for the third year running, were held at a sold-out event in London June 23 and recognized organizations from eight countries. 

Said Marco Argenti, Nokia Vice President, head of Media and Games: “We are honored to receive this recognition from the Mobile Entertainment Forum. Nokia’s goal is to bring media and entertainment to the masses, using our global presence and brand to understand and reach the uniqueness of local markets, and advanced technology such as our relevance engine to surface the right content on Ovi Store, in several languages and across more than 75 devices targeted to multiple customer segments.” 

Rimma Perelmuter, MEF Executive Director, said: “Congratulations to Ovi by Nokia for personalizing the app store experience and making its rich catalogue accessible to the millions of Nokia customers around the world.” 

Perelmuter noted the importance of recognizing innovation in times of uncertainty. “…MEF is proud to celebrate a 32 billion USD industry whose relevance and focus continues to inspire innovation and growth.  The 2009 Meffys nominees are a testament to the industry’s robustness and the central role that mobile is playing in engaging and entertaining consumers around the world.”

The latest version of Ovi Maps application for your device is enhanced through additional features and services, opening up a new world of possibilities with better maps than ever before: high resolution satellite and terrain maps – both in 2D and 3D views – 3D landmarks for over 200 cities, rotation, tilting, night view, and fly-overs and fly-throughs. Ovi Maps on the device offers also enriched POI information by Lonely Planet, Michelin and Wcities, as well as a weather service that provides 24 hour and 5-day forecasts. Walk from one place to another using WALK, our pedestrian navigation with routing optimized for those on foot, providing better orientation in a city or outdoors. Or use DRIVE, our fully fledged car navigation with enhanced safety and real-time traffic information such as safety cameras and speed limits, lane assistance and localized road information like signposts, providing the largest service coverage in the world.

With Ovi Maps on the web, www.maps.ovi.com, you can also search for addresses and POIs, find places and save them into Favorites, and organize them into Collections. Check the weather situation and preplan routes for walking or driving – and then save them. Your places, collections and routes can also be synchronized over-the-air between Ovi Maps on your compatible mobile device and Ovi Maps on the web.

The latest version of the Ovi Maps for your device is available for download at www.nokia.com/maps.The Ovi Maps Beta on the web is accessible at www.maps.ovi.com.

Ovi Maps press photos are available at www.nokia.com/press.

The Nokia Music Store is now available in Poland. On Music.nokia.pl music fans can buy their favourite tracks and albums from the Nokia Music Store, choosing from over 4.5 million tracks (about 400 000 CDs) by Polish and international artists representing all music genres. The music is provided by major and independent labels, and includes a special exclusive offer to buy Moby’s latest album, or download David Guetta’s “When love takes over” music single, before they are widely available.

Nokia Music Store is an online, easy-to-navigate music store that lets you browse and buy music, using recommendations and searching your favourite artists, tracks, or albums directly. Use the Internet connectivity in your phone, log on to Music.nokia.pl (or click to the Nokia Music Store’s icon in your mobile) and enjoy access to the entire NMS music collection. The Nokia Music PC software helps you organise and transfer music between your PC and a compatible device, but also discover, play and download music directly from Nokia Music Store. The Nokia Music for PC is available at Nokia Music Store, on http://europe.nokia.com/get-support-and-software/download-software/nokia-music-old/download and on CDs provided with Nokia mobile devices.

Music at Nokia Music Store can be bought with credit cards and pre-paid vouchers. A single track costs PLN 3.49 and an entire album costs PLN 34.9. Store users can listen to a 30-second clip before buying any track.

Designed using Nokia’s Qt cross-platform application and UI framework, Nokia Ovi Suite 2.0 brings together only the essential features from Nokia’s past and present desktop applications. The result: a refreshingly elegant, slim and fast piece of software that is a pleasure to use.

In due time, when Nokia Ovi Suite is ready to cater to the essential needs of all Nokia desktop software users, the application will replace the all popular Nokia PC Suite. Until then Nokia PC Suite continues to exist alongside its next-generation cousin.

Nokia Ovi Suite 2.0 currently supports over 100 different Nokia S60 and S40 devices, with more being added all the time.

You can download the beta version of Nokia Ovi Suite 2.0 here: http://betalabs.nokia.com/betas/view/nokia-ovi-suite-20

The ultimate goal of “Growth for Bochum” is to accelerate the structural change of the Bochum region’s economy. The program is capitalized with approximately EUR 53 million and will support around 30 projects, with an emphasis on the health care sector, youth development and education.  

Notable projects supported by the program include a center of excellence for patient-oriented drug distribution, a forum for engineering projects, an initiative designed to help secondary school students succeed in landing apprenticeships, and a ‘summer school’ for third graders. The ‘summer school’ will help the children to improve their knowledge of the German language and develop their social skills, which can better equip them to take on the challenges of the job market they will face in later life as well as empower them to lead more independent lives. 

Other projects supported by “Growth for Bochum” cover IT technology, energy, environmental technology and engineering, and infrastructure – as well as entrepreneurship in the broader technology sector. In these areas, the program is supporting: 
·         business start-ups – in particular spin-offs by scientists working in academia – and the development and growth of new companies in the Bochum region that can create sustainable jobs.
·         companies planning to invest in the Bochum region which offer new long-term job opportunities for employees affected by the closure of Nokia’s production facility in Bochum. 

For example, one project receiving backing intends to establish a site where start-ups operating in the area of geothermal energy and energy-efficient building design can locate their businesses. 

The “Growth for Bochum” program was initiated by Nokia, NRW and the City of Bochum on the basis of a Memorandum of Understanding following Nokia´s decision to close its Bochum production site. Since then, much has already been achieved and decisive milestones have been reached. For instance, an international campaign to attract suitable investors that can create long-term job opportunities in Bochum and the surrounding region has been developed. Moreover, a buyer for Nokia’s facilities in Bochum has already been found in Thelen group, the real estate company. Thelen group is establishing a business park on the site that will also create new job opportunities.  

Today’s signing of the contract further strengthens the cooperation between the three partners.  

“More than a year ago we underlined our wish as a responsible business to cooperate with the federal state government and the City of Bochum in finding ways to support the region,” said Kristian Pullola, Vice President Treasury at Nokia and head of the “Growth for Bochum” team at Nokia. “The signing of the contract is a solid basis for sustainable growth and sustainable jobs as the city and surrounding area undergo structural change. This program is all the more important given the challenging economic conditions affecting the Bochum region today. We are delighted that the program will promote youth development and education.”  

Christa Thoben, Minister for Economic Affairs of the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia, said: “By signing this contract, Nokia, the federal state government and the City of Bochum are committing to work together to support sustainable employment in Bochum. We are delighted that the ‘Growth for Bochum’ program will support the IT-area, as well as engineering activities, education projects and the health care market. For us the health care market is an essential cornerstone of the structural change. A number of projects of the ‘Growth for Bochum’ program are a perfect addition to the planning of the health care campus.”   

Michael Bueltmann, a member of the management board of Nokia Deutschland, said he is pleased with the variety of projects sponsored by the “Growth for Bochum” program: “Obviously the program is receiving plenty of recognition. We could identify projects in a lot of future industries, which we considered worthwhile supporting; we appreciate in particular that support will be given to projects in youth development and education like the so called ‘summer school’ for third-graders to improve their language and social skills, and the secondary schools initiative to help students improve their chances when applying for apprenticeships.”   

The City of Bochum also welcomes the conclusion of the contract which ensures that the three partners create a long-term reliable contractual basis for the “Growth for Bochum” program. “The signing of the contract demonstrates that Nokia and the North Rhine-Westphalian Federal State Government are determined to help create the conditions necessary for Bochum to move ahead with the economic development. The first investments facilitated by the program, such as the project forum for engineering, help the city and the region in this regard,” said Dr. Ottilie Scholz, the Mayor of Bochum. 

Nokia’s best mobile imaging device, the Nokia N86 8MP, which earlier this year won the prestigious TIPA Award for the Best Mobile Imaging Device in 2009, is now shipping globally.

The device features variable aperture, which results in vibrant photos even in challenging bright and low-light conditions. The fast mechanical shutter and Automatic Motion Blur Reduction ensure shorter latencies and less motion blur. Processing times between pictures have been more than halved in comparison with many other camera phones. 

Uploading pictures and videos on social networking sites like Ovi Share and Flickr is fast and simple with high-speed connectivity of the Nokia N86 8MP. 8GB of internal memory provides enough space for up to 4000 photos and the memory can be increased even further with an exchangeable 16GB microSD card. To check out the technical specifications, please see the data sheet

Other new features to Ovi Mail include a larger compose space for emails; auto-check for new messages; auto-expansion of the CC and BCC fields when multiple recipients are being entered; and new instructions on Nokia devices which provide step-by-step guidance on setting up and using Ovi Mail.

Designed especially for consumers in emerging markets who may face difficulty getting access to a PC, Ovi Mail (yourname@ovi.com) can be set up and used directly on a Nokia device – thus giving them a digital identity. Today, more than 40 Nokia (Series 40) devices support Ovi Mail, and in more than 170 countries around the world. In just over five months since Ovi Mail went public on 22 December 2008, more than 350,000 Ovi Mail accounts have been created**, with more than 85 percent of the accounts being created directly on the Nokia device. 

To set up your own Ovi Mail account in just a few easy steps, go to the email setup wizard on your Nokia (Series 40) phone, or visit http://mail.ovi.com.  

* Languages supported are Italian, Vietnamese, Latin America Spanish, (UK) English, Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Melayu, Bengali, French, German, Hindi, Tagalog, Portugese (Brazil), Portugese (Portugal), Spanish 

** As at end May 2009 

Consumers who are looking for an action-packed mobile with a greener experience only have to look as far as the new Nokia 6730 classic. Ovi Maps navigation solutions as well as Internet and email access are all included in the Nokia 6730 classic. For the music lover, it also features a stereo FM radio and music player as well as easy-to-use access to the Nokia Music Store. The Nokia 6730 classic is based on S60 software that lets users download and use additional applications in addition to the ones already found on the device. The Nokia 6730 classic will begin shipping in Q3 2009 with an estimated retail price of EUR 195 excluding taxes and subsidies.

With the Nokia 6730 classic people will no longer need to boot up a PC to get a full desktop email experience. The enhanced email UI includes folder and HTML email support, expandable views and sorting capability by date, sender and size, as well as the most commonly used email functions just a single click away. 

With Ovi Maps application for Nokia devices, a complimentary global lifetime pedestrian navigation license plus a 10 day trial drive navigation license are included on the device. Other features include 3D satellite and terrain maps, 3D landmarks in over 200 cities, enriched POI information by Lonely Planet, Michelin and Wcities, real-time traffic information and weather updates.

For a greener way to go mobile the new Nokia 6730 classic brings 100% recyclable packaging, the industry-leading power-saving features and accessories. The slim, sleek Nokia 6730 classic hits all the right notes with environmentally conscious consumers.

Nokia today announces the launch of a mobile indoor positioning trial at

In addition to indoor maps, discount vouchers, and information services, the mobile indoor positioning tool will allow shoppers to track their position inside Kamppi Shopping Center and pinpoint their location on indoor maps. Shoppers can also share their location with friends via an SMS link.  

To try the new mobile indoor positioning tool, users with a web enabled S60 device can download it at http://kamppi.nokia.mobi and by selecting ‘positioning’. The trial application can also be downloaded from Nokia Beta Labs. 

“The results from the trial so far have been extremely positive; since March the indoor maps, vouchers and information service attracted over 30,000 hits and had more than 6,500 unique users. With the launch of mobile indoor positioning we are not only conducting a unique large scale experiment but aim to demonstrate the capability and potential uses for indoor positioning services, as well as bringing consumers a different and exciting experience. Kamppi Shopping Center provides us with an excellent place to test this,” said Christian Prehofer, senior manager and research project leader, Nokia Research Center.

“As Kamppi Shopping Center provides a variety of services from transport links to leisure activities, restaurants and shopping, we have a vast number of visitors everyday. Building on the popular indoor maps, vouchers and information services trial with indoor positioning means we can bring even more unique and new experiences to our customers,” said Tuomas Sahi, Managing Director of EFM Suomi Oy. 

Nokia today launched a headset ideal for listening to music and making calls with virtually any compatible phone or music device, with or without a wire. The Nokia Bluetooth Stereo Headset BH-905 with active noise cancellation combines two in one – both music and calls – and provides crystal clear sound by eliminating background noise with novel active noise cancellation technology from Wolfson Microelectronics, a leader in high performance audio technology. This multi-microphone feed-forward active noise cancellation technology allows for pure sound without ambient noise and is now introduced for the first time in the Nokia Bluetooth Stereo Headset BH-905.

“The overall music experience with this new headset is second to none thanks to the revolutionary noise cancellation technology. The headset is set apart also through the ability to make phone calls, as switching between music and calls has been made easy with integrated call control”, said Jarno Piironen, Director, Entertainment Business Area, Nokia Original Accessories. “People living in urban areas are surrounded by noise practically everywhere and silence has almost become a luxury. We believe this headset fulfills the highest standards for providing high quality music enjoyment and phone calls and also give the luxury of silence when needing an environment to relax.”

Technically the noise cancellation is solved with a total of 10 microphones: 8 microphones for cancelling noise and 2 microphones for capturing speech in loud surroundings offering advanced noise cancellation for clear sounding phone calls.

The design is simplified to its extreme, ensuring that its functionality is not compromised. Details made of stainless steel ensure a quality and precious look through time and soft ear pads provide comfort. The headset features a dedicated multifunction key for call management, as well as music and volume controls, and a switch for activating the active noise cancellation.

It is compatible with a wide variety of devices. Wirelessly with any device supporting wireless Bluetooth technology, and with wired connection with all Nokia devices with 3.5 mm Nokia AV and 2.5 mm Nokia AV, music players, PCs and other devices with standard 3.5mm jack, home stereos with standard 6.3 mm jack as well as airplane players.

The headset will be available globally starting August, 2009. The estimated retail price before taxes and subsidies is around EUR 285.

For further information and photos, please visit www.nokia.com/press/bh-905, and check out the blog post at Nokia Conversations.