Maps.nokia.com gets a new look, and all-new interactive Heat Maps

At its core, Nokia Maps – whether on the web or your Nokia mobile phone – is about two basic things: maps and directions, and in both cases it’s a highly capable and comprehensive service.

But going beyond that, Nokia Maps is also about providing added value. So, while it’ll happily provide you with directions right to the front door of your hotel when visiting a new city, it’ll also now give you an instant snapshot of what’s around you, from restaurants to entertainment options, plus key attractions you might want to visit.

We’re talking about Heat Maps, the major new addition to Nokia Maps online. It’s a unique way of getting a broad feel for a new area, and seeing where the highest concentration of the likes of restaurants or tourist attractions can be found.

Using the standard Maps interface, you can launch Heat Maps by hovering over the Map View tab on the top right of the map, and clicking on one of the icons below. These let you view maps by Shopping, Eat and Drink, Night Life and Local Sights.

You can get a sense of which cities are covered by Heat Maps by selecting one of the icons and then zooming out to anything wider than City view: those cities around the globe currently covered by the service will be indicated by an icon, which can be clicked on for the option to zoom in directly.

Once you’re at City-level zoom, you’ll be able to view the Heat Maps themselves. It really is ideal for giving you an instant snapshot of the lay of the land, and for broadly planning which parts of a new city are worth visiting.

You can zoom right in and still see things in Heat Map view until you get to Street-level zoom, at which point things change again and you can see the specific locations that make up the Heat Maps as individual entities.

Click on one – a restaurant you like the look of, say – and a small pop-up will give you key info, plus a photo if one is available, and give you the option to get directions, share via Facebook or Twitter, or get more details.

If you select this last option, a full page will open up with all the key info on the restaurant, including all contact info, reviews from other visitors, the option to post photos or a review of your own, and suggestions of alternatives in the area. A simple click of Back to Map returns you to browsing the map.

Our sole criticism is that you can’t get the Heat Map view on the aerial photography map view, which would have added an extra level of versatility, but with a fresh new look and so much else on offer – including another trio of locations covered by the stunning Nokia Maps 3D service (Cape Town, Sydney and Melbourne), we can’t be anything other than highly impressed by the revamped maps.nokia.com.

The Nokia C3-01 Touch and Type Firmware V6.00 update is something of a shift of focus for this entry-level device as it helps refine the touchscreen capabilities. Prior to the update unlocking the screen consisted on pressing the Lock key on the side and then pressing the software Unlock on the screen. It’s still a two click process, so as not to accidentally fire up your Nokia C3-01 when it’s in your pocket, for example.

Check out our Nokia C3-01 Touch and Type review Roundup

However, now you can press either the Lock button of the red Call button on the right-hand side and the touchscreen will pop into life. You still need to unlock it but you’ll find a small swipe bar running across the bottom of the screen that you run your finger across and you’re up and running.

If you accidentally hit the Lock button it won’t automatically lock the screen as the swipe bar gives you a chance to keep it unlocked, which is a nice touch.

The changelog for the Nokia C3-01 Touch and Type Firmware V6 mentioned that swipe would also work with games and Collections and we have to admit this had us stumped for a little while. However, a little playing with the C3-01 and we sussed it.

Swipe from left to right on the Nokia C3-01 Touch and Type touchscreen and you’ll find that your Ovi Games folder will appear. Swipe from right to left and your Collection, which holds such apps as Opera Mini, Converter, World Clock and Web Search can be found.

The 75MB download and install can take some time so it’s best if you set aside about 20 minutes for the update. If you use Ovi Suite then you’ll get the chance to backup your Nokia C3-01 Touch and Type prior to the update, which is something we always recommend.

The Nokia C3-01 Touch and Type Firmware V6 update is well worth getting hold of. The Swipe functions are a subtle change but add to the usability of the device and while you won’t find too many other visible changes with the Nokia C3-01 Touch and Type Firmware V6 but we’ve found the phone to be stable and reliable.

Spotted anything with your Nokia C3-01 Touch and Type Firmware V6.00 that we’ve not covered? Let us know in the Comments below.

Check out the Nokia C3-01 Touch and Type Firmware V6 photo gallery:

Nokia Ovi Suite is the central resource for all things Nokia software related. It allows you to do everything from backup your smartphone to PC, to installing and updating your apps and services. It’s also a great way to find out new music and apps from the Ovi store.

Check out our Nokia Software Updater for Mac OS X Review

Nokia Ovi Suite 3.1.0.47 Beta is the latest version and while there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot different happening on the surface, we’ve been assured there is plenty to get excited about behind the scenes, as it were.

You need to log into Beta Labs to get ahold of the download and you’ll find the 89MB file updates quickly. You don’t need to uninstall you current Ovi Suite app as it simply overwrites it. For the most part the change are all about streamlining the experience. So, you’ll find that updating your Nokia smartphone software and mobile apps is a great deal easier, and you can even do both at the same time.

Downloading apps and games from the Ovi Store is also a lot easier as you no longer need to open a web browser on your desktop, as a link is now sent directly to your smartphone. We tested this out with our Nokia N8, nabbing a new copy of AudioBoo and found that it worked smoothly.

Playing high-definition videos, something that is increasingly more common and popular thanks to the Nokia N8 and Nokia E7 has been streamlined and can not be handled quite easily in Nokia Ovi Suite 3.1.0.47 Beta.

According to Beta Labs, a create deal of effort has gone into syncing Ovi Suite with Microsoft Outlook. However, we’ve not tested this part out, but if you have then please let us know if this works.

The changes in Nokia Ovi Suite 3.1.0.47 Beta aren’t radical but they do make the whole experience a little smoother and easier to handle. We’ve found no real problems with it so the app may be appearing in full Ovi Store mode sooner rather than later.

If you want to take part in the Nokia Ovi Suite 3.1.0.47 Beta testing phase then you need to login using your Ovi account details and grab yourself the download. Find out more at Beta Labs.

Check out our Nokia Ovi Suite 3.1.0.47 Beta image gallery:

MeeGo OS for netbooks has been released as a free download so we thought we’d best take a look at what the minds at Nokia and Intel have to offer.

MeeGo V1 brings together the next generation of the Maemo OS as developed by Nokia with the Moblin OS for netbooks as worked on by Intel. You can download the operating system from MeeGo.org and getting up and running is fairly straightforward.

We’ve looked at the MeeGo V1 version and installed it onto a Windows-powered netbook. Once you’ve downloaded MeeGo V1 you need to unpack the image file onto a USB key. You’ll need around 800MB of space for this and be prepared to format the key so make sure there is nothing valuable on there. The easiest way to unpack the image  is with Win32DiskImager.exe.

Once you’ve unpacked the downloaded image you’ll find the installation is quick and easy but you’ll need to leave 30 minutes free from start to finish, We found it installed with no trouble and once you’ve rebooted the system – remembering to remove the USB memory key otherwise it will try and install again – MeeGo V1 is ready to explore.

The first thing you notice about MeeGo V1 is how clean and open it looks. The icons are large and the interface feels fresh. You’ll find the interface is very much tab driven. The homescreen gives you instant access to any apps you currently have open, as well as quick links to web and IM services. Scrolling across the tabs along the top of the screen you’ll find that MeeGo V1 has a heavy emphasis on messaging and staying in touch. For example, there is an Internet tab as well as a People tab, for accessing your IM and email services.

MeeGo V1 feels pretty much well rounded in terms of apps and utilities. The Chrome web browser is installed by default, for example, which we found loaded quickly and smoothly. Then there are a host of apps for staying in touch, as well as productivity tools and even a Media Player.

Aside from open apps appear on the homescreen, you can switch between open apps in exactly the same way you would with Windows, by pressing Alt + Tab and flicking through them.

There are a few niggles with this release. For instance, whenever you close an app you’ll find you’re dropped by at the Homescreen and not in the tab you launched the app from. Then there is the trick of tabs sliding up and disappearing before an app will launch, which seems to slow the process down. Still, these are minor niggles that may well be ironed out in the next version of MeeGo.

It early days for the MeeGo operating system right now but it seems the developers have put together a compelling and rather interesting OS. Already the main features are there and it’s quick enough that even a netbook powered by the older Intel Atom N270 with just 1GB of memory can load and run it a lot quicker than we were expecting.

Check out our MeeGo V1 For Netbooks review photo gallery:

MeeGo is an Open Source operating system, and is a combination of Maemo and Moblin. In Maemo, Nokia had one of the most versatile operating systems we’ve seen so far on a smartphone, and it has proved to be one of the Nokia N900’s best features.

MeeGo should offer more of the same then, with the ability for developers to create applications and hacks to do pretty much anything they want. In Maemo, this has included the abilities to run 3D games, full-on computer operating systems, and even rival smartphone operating systems.

One of the biggest benefits of MeeGo is that it’s not just aimed at mobile phones, with netbooks and other connected devices also supported. This could prove ideal for products such as a next-generation Nokia Booklet 3G.

We’re also excited about the coming together of the Maemo and Moblin communities, with more potential for developers to come together and create applications and projects for future Nokia handsets.

With Intel also onboard, there’s more support than ever before for a smartphone operating system. Overall, we think that MeeGo can be one of the best OSs on the market. We’d like to know what you think, however, so leave us a comment and let us know.

Music on Nokia Ovi Player is split into two parts – My Music is all about consuming what you already have, while the Store is all about getting hold of the latest tunes. That may sound a little obvious but this central premise is what makes Nokia Ovi Player a great way to build a body of music quickly.

For the most part, the Store side of things hasn’t changed. The interface still looks very much the same, with the main singles and Editor’s Choice options at the top of the page and the different genres down the left-hand side of the page.

The big change is that the music player now sits in the top right-hand corner and there is no track listing of what is queued getting in the way of your store choice. However, move your move button to the player and a drop down menu with your playlist will appear. Move the mouse away and it rolls up again.

If you’ve got Comes With Music like we have then you’ll find the signing in process is still the same. The main difference comes when you start to download music as you’ll find a download progress bar appears in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen.

What’s more, the tracks being downloaded no longer sit below the Playlist but a new dialogue box appears at the foot of the page giving you greater detail on what is being downloaded and how long there is left to carry the process out.

As with the My Music side of Nokia Ovi Player, the Store isn’t about to change the way you buy and consume music, it just makes it a great deal easier and quicker and for that, we have to commend the new app.

Check out our Nokia Ovi Player review image gallery:

Nokia Ovi Player

Nokia Music for PC works reasonably well but it was buggy and slow at best. Thankfully, Nokia Ovi Player is an immediate improvement both in terms of usability and speed. Looking at the music player side first, you’ll find the interface is still nice and free from clutter with icons for your PC, your phone and optical drives highlighted on the left-hand side.

Your music sits in a large window in the middle of the screen and can be viewed in Artist, Album, Genre or even Most Recent, which is a neat touch as if you’re addicted to a couple of albums at any one time you’ll have them always sat there.

The music player as been moved into the top-right corner and has the same appearance whether you’re in full screen mode or switch it down to a simple player, which means it always has the same look. You can click the albums artwork and it will start to play. Double click and you’ll get more information, such as a detailed track listing, album artwork and other information.

What we like most about Nokia Ovi Player is that searching for your music is a lot easier, as the screen pop up a lot quicker. Also, now when you add new music it treats the files far more logically, allowing you to play them in track order, not in ‘as just added order’ as the old player insisted on doing – effectively playing the album from end to start! What’s more, you can always create Playlists from your music and adding a new playlist is easy – simply tap the + sign in the right hand corner.

Nokia Ovi Player is a solid move forward for playing music on your laptop. It’s still not perfect, Nokia Ovi Player doesn’t load as quickly as say Windows Media Player, but we like the changes that have been find and if you found Nokia Music for PC frustrating in the past, we’re recommend you try out this new version.

Next: Comes With Music on Nokia Ovi Player

Check out our Nokia Ovi Player Review image gallery:

Nokia Ovi Suite 2.0

Nokia Ovi Suite 2.0 is an 88MB download and is officially now available to download. We got hold of it over the weekend and have spent the last couple of days getting used to it.

Once you’ve download the application you’ll need to reboot your PC and then connect your Nokia smartphone. This is so Nokia Ovi Suite 2.0 can install the new Support tools. We found this took a little while but one this had been installed on our Nokia N86 8MP, Nokia Ovi Suite 2.0 started to synchronise the device with our laptop.

What Nokia Ovi Suite 2.0 effectively does is to allow Nokia to consolidate all its many PC applications. So, we find that Nokia PC Suite, Nokia Ovi Suite 1.0/1.1, Nokia N Series PC Suite, Nokia Music, Nokia Software Updater, Nokia Map Loader and Nokia PC Suite Enterprise Edition all being brought into one package.

This can perhaps be seen best when you check for updates, as you’ll now find that not only does Nokia Ovi Suite 2.0 look for updates to the client software but it will also look for device updates too. While there wasn’t an update for our Nokia N86 8MP, there was already a 4MB download for a USB update, so it’s worth making the updater your first port of all.

The Home interface of the new Nokia Ovi Suite has changed with four main areas showing your Contacts, Messages, Photos and Music. Hover your mouse button over any one and it will start to rotate through your files. If you want to drill down into specfic sections then you can do so from the View tab. This allows you to view each section individually, as well as Nokia Maps.

The options and tools have been lined up along the top of the page and are easy to miss at first, as the icons are quite small. However, this is where you’ll find the updates and other tools.

It’s not been plain sailing, as we’ve found the service has dropped out from time to time but it’s early days for Nokia Ovi Suite 2.0 and there are bound to be plenty more updates and new features for us to check out. However, at the moment we’re more than happy with the changes that have been made, making this is an essential update for anyone looking to make the most of their Nokia smartphone.

DOWNLOAD: Nokia Ovi Suite 2.0

Check our our Nokia Ovi Suite 2.0 review image gallery:

Nokia Photo Browser has native support S60 5th Edition phones like the Nokia 5800 and the Nokia N97 and uses a slick interface to make navigating your images a lot easier to manage.

At this stage Nokia Photo Browser is very limited and doesn’t really compete with the other photo tools already in circulation for the 5800. However, it does show a couple of new technologies in operation that we’re guessing will play a major role in any future releases.

The new technologies include ‘Face Browsing’, whihc makes browsing through folders for a specific person a lot easier, while ‘MagGlass’ allows you to zoom in on image details. Judging from the video tat has been releeased with the app they work exceedingly well, even at this early stage of development.

The Beta Lab boys say that a version for the S60 3rd edition is in the pipeline and will be with us shortly.

Works well on the S60 5th edition devices including Nokia 5800 XpressMusic and N97.  The support for the S60 3rd edition is coming soon.

Check out the Nokia Photo Browser video:

DOWNLOAD Nokia Photo Browser

Ovi Share is yet another free online photo and video sharing service from Nokia. Some S60 handsets come with Share pre-installed, otherwise it’s an easy download from Ovi.

Ovi Share lets you synch and share pictures and videos with Ovi, Flickr and Vox. For each service, you can input and save account settings, although annoyingly this doesn’t stop you being prompted for user names and passwords if you link through to the actual websites.

Viewing online snaps is easy and you can send links to friends, but you can’t actually download photos from Ovi to use as wallpaper, for instance. The process of uploading images is also slightly convoluted, so you might prefer to enable the automatic process that checks your gallery and uploads new pictures at fixed intervals. You can’t set the web portal to do the same from your PC, although a drag-and-drop Java plug-in was fast and efficient.

Share is clever enough and we particularly liked the home screen box that alerts you to new shares and comments – but it’s not a patch on the super-smooth Nokia Image Exchange beta app we’ve already reviewed, which makes browsing and synching images unbelievably straightforward. Unless you’ve already got a Flickr or Vox account, stick with Nokia’s home-brewed app, it’s a much more versatile offering at present.

Details

Size: Web service/Share is 1.3MB

Price: Free

Download Ovi Share