nokia

Smartphones with unusual features (roundup)

These days, almost every smartphone contains the same bag of tricks, with little to differentiate handsets, apart from the hardware and maybe some software extras.

Sure, one might have a better camera, more external or internal storage, and other specs that help us tell one phone from another. But on the whole, you can access e-mail, text messages, and social networks from them all, share photos and videos, surf the Internet, and install any number of apps.

This kind of uniformity is actually good news, since it means that even midrange smartphones can be just as capable as high-end products, even if they have a smaller screen or shorter battery life, for instance. Of course, there are some smartphones that stand out from the crowd for a certain physical or software feature. In no particular order, here's the current crop of unique handsets that have me looking twice.… Read more

Windows Phone 7.8 rumored to launch this week

Microsoft will be launching its Windows Phone 7.8 upgrade on Wednesday, if rumors reported by Tonis Tech Blog today are correct.

The blog cited unnamed sources "near the subject." Meanwhile, WPCentral found some Finnish promotional materials that revealed there will be another update after the 7.8 update.

The materials also appear to shed some light on new features. The operating system will have a new start screen and more color themes to chose from, according to the translation posted to WPCentral.

CNET has contacted Microsoft for a comment and will update when we hear back, but … Read more

Nokia unwraps $62 Asha cell phones -- but not in the U.S.

Nokia has announced two new phones designed for budget-conscious and socially-networked users, although they won't be available in the United States.

Unveiled today, the Asha 205 and 206 feature phones each sell for $62. They also offer quick access to Facebook and the ability to share photos and files with users of any other mobile phone.

Both phones are slated to reach consumers by year's end. But they'll only be up for grabs in certain markets, and users in the U.S. are out of luck. Asha phones are not compatible with Microsoft's Windows Phone OS, … Read more

Nokia's soon-to-be-ex camera chief heading to car company

How does one switch from developing smartphone cameras to working on cars? Maybe it's that they both have to do with going mobile?

Damian Dinning, head of imaging and photography for Nokia for almost a decade, told mobile-photography blog PureView Club (which is, of course, focused on Nokia's PureView technology) that he's leaving the phone maker and heading to Jaguar Land Rover. Dinning said staying on at Nokia would've required a move to Finland, which wouldn't have jibed with his family situation.

PureView, you may recall, is the technology involved with Nokia's 808 PureView phone, … Read more

E-mail bill raises privacy concerns

Tuesday's CNET Update is checking privacy settings:

There's an update to today's top story. Hours after CNET reported on a bill rewrite that would give warrantless access to American's e-mail, the senator behind the legislation has abandoned his controversial proposal.

Episode 21: Unboxing Google's Nexus 4 phone and Nexus 10 tablet

We're back, and just in time for the holiday shopping season! Welcome to the pre-Black Friday episode of Always On: the unboxing extravaganza.

This episode alone features Google's two new pure-Android Nexus devices -- the LG Nexus 4 and the Nexus 10 tablet. I so wanted to love the Nexus 4, since I'm definitely in the market for a pure-Android device, but I'm skeptical (as is our CNET reviewer, Lynn La) about the lack of 4G LTE in the unlocked model. Then again, I don't have to sit around worrying about it since the phone … Read more

Nokia's Here Maps finds its way to Apple's App Store

Nokia is going all in on mapping services for iOS.

The company yesterday launched Here Maps, a free application that provides a host of features for travelers. The mapping application is powered by Navteq data, the same information used in the majority of in-car navigation systems. Users are able to view maps and get real-time traffic data on a particular area. Here Maps also includes a satellite view and the ability to save map areas for later.

To add a social flavor, Here Maps lets users create and save maps that can be accessed by others. Users can also share … Read more

CNET's Tech Turkeys of 2012

It was a year of fakers: fake degrees, fake demonstrations, even fake interviews. It seems the tech industry this past year has been awash in people who couldn't tell the truth -- or maybe wished the truth were something different.

We had executives racing for the exits of what was a year ago one of the hottest companies on the Internet. We had a head scratcher of a mistake from Apple that even the company's CEO seemed to think was a conundrum. And we have a system that's supposed to protect entrepreneurs that -- and not to … Read more

Nokia, Navteq show us how a map is made

If you've ever wondered where the map data that powers your smartphone or portable navigation device comes from, then you're in luck. Nokia stopped by recently with the new Lumia 822 Windows Phone 8 handset, its new Nokia Maps 3.0 app, and the awesome, street-scanning Navteq True car.

Sitting atop the True car is a pretty impressive bit of data acquisition equipment.

At the top of the tower is an array of cameras that capture a 360-degree street view as the True car rolls down the road. This scanned data is used in the street view that … Read more

Nokia navigates new map strategy with launch of 'Here'

SAN FRANCISCO -- Nokia has put its mapping unit front and center with the introduction of its Here cloud-based location brand and platform, which was unveiled during a media event here this morning.

"Maps and location experiences should inspire us to sense our world," said Nokia president and CEO Stephen Elop, adding that the Helsinki-based corporation is now working on "creating more personal maps that change how we navigate our lives."Elop said that the "quality and quantity" of data available will enable Nokia to "transform mapping in ways we haven't even … Read more