Nokia has been giving us some exciting 3D innovations of late, and the latest app to give us an interesting new take on the third dimension is Nokia 3D World Gaze, which has just surfaced on Nokia Beta Labs. Read on for all the details.

Nokia gives Ovi Maps the 3D treatment

Available now to download for Nokia devices that have a built-in compass and GPS receiver, Nokia 3D World Gaze lets you find out more about the world around you simply by pointing your phone in any direction.

Thanks to the built-in compass, your phone will know the direction you're pointing it in, and the app will show you a 3D globe overlay on screen showing various cities and countries that lie in the direction your phone is pointed, with the option of bringing up more info by selecting the locations in question.

The information comes from a variety of different services, including Panoramio, Wikinews, Wikipedia and Geonames, but the magic that ties it all together is the interactive 3D planet interface of the Nokia 3D World Gaze app itself.

The app delivers not only information on locations, but geotagged images too. So if you're in Birmingham, for instance, and you point your phone north, you'll be able to get not only detailed information on Scotland, but also pictures of what to expect should you be on your way there.

If you're at a loss, you can even simply point your phone downwards and see what's literally on the other side of the globe.

Nokia 3D World Gaze is still in beta phase, so user feedback is important at this stage to help in making the finished app as impressive as possible. It's available for the Nokia N8, Nokia C6-01, Nokia E7, Nokia C7, Nokia E6 and Nokia X7, so head over to Nokia Beta Labs and give it a try – and don't forget to leave your feedback!