Geekery

Nokia tells over a million people where to go

Posted on 03. Feb, 2010 by Jake.

For quite a while now, the rise of the GPS device has provided a solution for the eternally lost motorist. But what about those particularly loskop types who can’t even find their way when on foot? Nokia, with the launch of Ovi Maps, a downloadable phone app boasting free walk and drive navigation, came to the rescue in January.  Now, thanks to the good people of Moral Fibre, I now know that there have already been over a million downloads of Nokia’s latest initiative.  Which means over a million people are going to be too busy watching their phones to keep their eyes on where they’re going, whether by car or on foot. Motorists and pedestrians alike are advised to be on the alert.

Just to put into perspective exactly how much of these babies have been downloaded since the launch in Jan, Nokia’s Executive Vice President, Anssi Vanjoki tells us that “we’re averaging a download a second, 24 hours a day,” That’s a lot, he said, stating the obvious.

Good news for those too silly to work out how to download something is that next month all new Nokia GPS-enabled smartphones will include the new version of Ovi Maps, pre-loaded with local country map data, with high-end walk and drive navigation and access to Lonely Planet and Michelin travel guides at no extra cost.

Ovi Maps is pretty comprehensive, covering more than 180 countries with car and pedestrian navigation for 74 countries, in 46 languages, and traffic information for more than 10 countries. There are more than 6000 3D landmarks for 200 cities around the world.  Lonely Planet and Michelin guides have information on more than 1,000 destinations globally.

All of this means that I, a Nokia user, may never get lost again. Unless I lose my phone, in which case I will have to sit on the pavement drooling on myself until someone with Ovi Maps (or, although less likely, a sense of direction) tells me where to go.

Check out the full press release here.

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Ten iPhone Apps that will improve your life

Posted on 20. Jul, 2009 by Jake.

Whadaya mean you don’t have an iPhone? Chances are you were ridiculously bored the last time you went out, because the rest of your gang were busy comparing apps, weren’t they?

Everybody has been on about the iPhone for ages now. And yeah, so, they’re pretty and stuff, sure. Rumour has it the iPhone 3GS has ironed out some of the issues the regular version has had some people complaining about, but the truth is they still get the job done, and make for pretty cool techtoys too.

The apps for the iPhone out there range from practical, useful and innovative help-o-rama’s, to the mondo bizzarro, yeah-yeah-whatever type things. These apps, however, are worth the effort.

The new wave of GPS
I was half way across Jo’burg the other day before I realized my BlackBerry was upside down and had to turn around. Hand held GPS devices aren’t foolproof (clearly), but they’re convenient. But TomTom for iPhone is simple to use and does away with the need for a stand alone GPS. Never ask for directions again. Not that you ever did…. (guys…nod with me here!)
G-Park
Brilliant! Ingenious! And made for cities in which we live in malls!

Just follow these simple instructions (washing your hair is more complicated…promise!)

1. Park your car and hit the Park Me! button.

2. Get lost.

3. Hit the Where Did I Park? button. This’ll bring up Google maps and create turn-by-turn directions that will take you right back to your car.

All together now: “Ooooh!”

Calculator +
TouchCalc frees up pocket space, giving you the power of a scientific calculator without the bulk. Perfect for engineers, bankers and maths students who want to stay stylish and discreet. Better still, it’s free. Never be called a nerd again!

The world’s knowledge in your hands
If all this does is help you win Pub Quizzes more quickly, it’s worth it. Wikipanion integrates your iPhone with Wikipedia, for faster more convenient browsing. Get search results as you type, switch between languages, and set your browsing conditions.

Tell me more…
If you require a more precise delivery of facts and stats, turn to Wolfram Alpha’s knowledge engine. What was the cloud cover like on 3 February 1996 in a remote region? How many calories in 16 peanut M&Ms? Win friends and influence people with your stunning knowledge of random facts! Add Wolfram Alpha to your iPhone.

Starmap
This won’t give you directions to Angelina Jolie’s house (…or houses!), it’ll actually give you ‘the sky in the palm of your hand’. This app gives you detailed sky maps wherever you are. Discover the sky at night while camping, hiking, or just sitting in your garden. Perfect for seduction or uber-nerdy activity. The pro edition offers more detailed info for astronomers or dilettantes with telescopes.

Treasure my Text
Organize your SMS messages like email, with this inbox for texts. Back up, save and archive text message and retrieve them when needed. You can also add short descriptions to the message. Invaluable.

Bloomberg
In these troubled economic times, you have to pay especially close attention to your investments. Keep track of market data with the clear, reliable Bloomberg monitor. This freeware app lets you track individual stocks or market trends.

Find my iPhone
I had this idea years ago, but some smarter guy beat me to it. Hate it when that happens! When you lose your phone, Find my iPhone allows you to remotely ping your iPhone, enabling you can make it beep even in silent mode. If the phone proves irretrievable, you can prevent your sensitive information getting into the wrong hands by remotely wiping the phone’s data. Now, if that same smart guy can invent this for finding my car keys…

Finally …
The most valuable, practical and useful application ever devised. You’ll wonder how civilization survived before the invention of PhoneSaber. This baby makes your iPhone hum like a light Saber as you swing it around. You can even change the colour of your blade. Luke Skywalker now, I am!

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