Ovi Maps v3.07 is now available at Beta Labs, so all Symbian^3 phone users can get and test it.

Many changed were made to the application; let’s try to find out more about them. First of all, Ovi Maps was modularized into four components — Maps, Drive, Check-in and Guides, and the access these modules has been made much easier.

The search option was also improved and a new tab was added to make it easier to access your favorite locations.

The Place pages and Guides were redesigned and the weather info was integrated into the Guides section (displayed on the top of it now). When you open the Guides section, you see all the available guides and services, including the weather forecast, depending on your location, which is automatically determined. You can also tap there to get more info about the weather forecast.

Additionally, it is now much easier to switch between different views – just one click is needed.

Mark Guim made a video demonstrating the new Ovi Maps v3.07 on his Nokia E7. Here it is:

Don’t forget to share your opinion about the new Ovi Maps v3.07 with us. Oh, and don’t forget to leave your feedback at Beta Labs, too, so that the developers can continue improving the application!

Source 1, source 2

Do you still have an old version of the Ovi Maps on your Nokia device? It’s dire time for an update, as Nokia has already unleashed an Ovi Maps Update, namely version 3.06. The update brings forth a number of enhancements and mainly it lets to download Maps directly (via WiFi) to your handset without the use of a PC!

Stay tuned for the complete list of new update features:

• Download street maps directly to your device! A new feature called “Update” on the main menu which allows you download Street Maps directly (via WiFi) to your phone without a PC!
• My Position and Search are now integrated (now called Map). When accessed, it will show your last map view
• Back button in Favorites
• Long tap functionality to delete & rename collections & routes
• Pop up for first time use – to inform user to download new map data (when upgrading 3.04 > 3.06 for the first time)
• Improved behaviors of transit lines settings in map toolbox (no more grey out)
• Compass calibration hint
• Refreshed place details information view

Test the update as the Beta Labs team is waiting for your comments!

Well if you want to know all the nuts and bolts of you Nokia N8 body then you have come to the right place!

Today we are going to see how to assign and customize different profiles on your Nokia N8 device. Read after the cut to know more.

Once you get hands on the Nokia N8 it will keep your company wherever you go and sometimes you will need to turn the ring off when on meetings, for example.
Setting up profiles on your Nokia N8 is  just a piece of cake! Let’s start.

Once you tap the power button on the top it will bring you to the Nokia N8′s profile menu.

Instead of withholding it just tap it once, and a host of different profiles will pop up for you to choose. This lets you change the profile instantly, so it is a good solution if you’re heading into a meeting.

The Nokia N8 also lets you edit and customize every feature of the profile: call and message tones, to call vibration, to email alerts, to touchscreen vibration.

You can edit a profile using the Time/Date widget on your Nokia N8′s homescreen, where the active profile will be shown under the date. Another way is to choose “Edit active profile”.

If you are messed up with all this then simply enter the menu and click Settings. Head on to Profiles and there you go, this way you also can time the profile. Timing the profile is very handy feature that changes the profile according to your instructions in the course of a certain  hour/minute.

This much about how to set up profiles!

Nokia N8 is the first smart phone with the Symbian ^ 3 operating system. It was introduced in April 2010. After six months of waiting it was finally launched in the US, now it is at NZ. Nokia’s N8 will be available via Vodafone on November 19. The outright price of the phone will be $999. Apart from Vodafone the Telecom will also supply Nokia N8.

Meanwhile we can take a look at some US reviews on Nokia N8.
US PC World thought Symbian 3 was “no rival ” for Apple’s iOS or Google’s Android. Regarding the N8′s 680MHz processor it was said to be a bit weak as compared to 1GHz smartphones.

However the users were happy with the N8′s muldimedia capabilities, free Ovi maps, and of course we cannot forget to mention its high end 12 megapixel camera.

Wait for Nokia N8 in November!

All Nokia freaks can rejoice as today the Finnish company has officially announced about the shipping of it’s Symbian^3 based smartphone Nokia C6-01.

To recall that the Smartphone was announced at Nokia World this September.

According to the Finnish company the Nokia C6-01 is the most compact and affordable solution from a new line of Symbian smartphones. The fabulous  handset is furnished with a capacitive 3.2-inch touch screen AMOLED-display, it measures 103,8 x52, 5×13, 9 mm and weights 131 gr.

The Nokia C6-01 is distinguished by a very good functionality,  among the features worth mentioning are the support of wireless 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity, a 8 megapixel camera with dual LED flash (the ability to shoot HD-video), built-in memory, a 340 MB memory card slot for microSD (up to 32 GB ) and a GPS receiver with the included Ovi Maps for a good navigation purposes.

The handset is perfectly designed for comfortable browsing and involving in social networking on sites like Facebook.

The Nokia C6-01 will be available at a relatively low cost of 260 euro without taxes and discounts.

Wait to see the smartphone to hit the store shelves soon!

The second device presented by Nokia yesterday is the smartphone Nokia C6  ones more based on Symbian.

The novelty is a stylish side-slider, equipped with a large 3.2-inch touch display with a resolution of 640×360 pixels, which is very convenient  for internet usage and other opportunities. The smartphone runs Symbian 9.4 operating system, the size of its body is 113x53x17 mm, and it weighs 150 grams.

The developers equipped Nokia C6 smartphone with a 5 megapixel camera with Autofocus and Flash, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, a 3.5 mm jack for headphones, a free pedestrian and car navigation of Nokia Ovi Maps, and many other features.

Nokia C6 will cost around 220 euros without taxes and subsidies, it is noted that the device will be on sale in the second quarter of 2010.

According to the online media, Nokia is preparing a re-branding of its online music store Nokia Music Store. Although the Finnish company has made no official statements, obviously, the world’s largest manufacturer of mobile phones is going to change the Nokia Music Store into Ovi Music.

But the most interesting fact is that, according to The Symbian Blog, the new Ovi Music will offer its customers music without DRM protection. This means that you can listen to all the songs downloaded by a user with this service on any device that supports the specified format (for example, cell phones from other manufacturers, MP3 players, computers, etc.)

Such intentions are generally consistent with the recent plans of Nokia, according to which the Finnish company is going to attract consumers through improved and even free services, for example, Nokia Ovi Maps. It is unclear, though, that will happen with other music services of Nokia – Comes with Music, for creation and promotion of which the company have invested much effort and money. The exact date of launch of the new Ovi Music is not reported yet. Perhaps this will happen in the next few months, or after the release of first smartphones running Symbian ^ 3.

Nokia Ovi Maps will run on smartphones working on Android and Windows Mobile in the nearest future. It became known from an interview with Greig Williams, the General Director of Nokia Alps and South East Europe, who said that it would be the next step of the company.
Now it is difficult to say when the owners of Android and WinMo-smartphones will be able to use the Nokia Ovi Maps service, but now we have the words of the official representative of Nokia that this is possible.

Of course, it should be noted that such actions by Nokia seem strange, because the free use of Ovi Maps encourages customers to buy smartphones of its production. It is interesting to see how the Finns will realize this idea.
Let us remind you that the new version of Ovi Maps was introduced last month. The main advantage of the service is its total free use.

A lot has passed since the release of the Nokia OVI Maps free GPS navigation, and there are more than 3 million registrations and uploads. Many feared that the abolition of the payment for the use of navigational charts would lead to the deterioration in their quality, because the NavTeq manufacturing company would lose revenues because their cards would be increasingly used, but yield less profit. However, Nokia constantly reiterates that the cards are free only for the consumer, and Nokia and NavTeq have “an internal accounting system” that Nokia pays NavTeq for their maps.

With regard to updating the maps, Nokia announced that the OVI Maps will detect any movement of all users (anonymously), and transmit data on the NavTeq route, which will use them for corrections and maps additions. TomTom is already using a similar program, in the form of IQ Routes data collection. Of course, the user is entitled to disable this option.