Nokia FB contest: win Lumia 820 + wireless shell + Fatboy charging pillow

"We've challenged students from renowned art and design institutes to take part in the Nokia Lumia 820 Design challenge and to re-imagine the wireless charging shell of the Nokia Lumia 820. Our jury of experts has picked a shortlist from all the amazing designs": click here by February 13 to vote one of the nice entries and you could win a Nokia Lumia 820 Windows Phone 8 smartphone + a Lumia 820 wireless charging shell with the winning design printed on it + a Fatboy wireless charging pillow. 3 of each are up for grabs; good luck!

Sony & Nokia contests: Xperia S, Smart Wireless Headset pro and Lumia 820 up for grabs

Two giveaways! First one is from Sony, on Facebook: click here and choose "MP3"; you could win an Xperia S Android smartphone and a Smart Wireless Headset pro. You have until December 24.

Nokia: this requires some time and creativity! Try to win one of the three Lumia 820 Windows Phone 8 smartphones up for grabs by submitting a photo of a Nokia product made by you "from discarded gift wrapping [...], newspaper, magazine, flyer, pamphlet, or whatever you can lay your hands on in your recycling box. As long as this is the second use of the paper, it’s allowed (no craft paper, plain white paper or the likes)." Click here  to peruse all the details, enter by January 7. Good luck!

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy lands on iOS devices

2 days ago Square Enix opened a new teaser site for Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: its source code made many believe that a mobile version of the Nintendo 3DS game was coming soon for Android, Windows Phone and iOS. While the website hasn't been updated yet, Examiner.com found out that Theatrhythm Final Fantasy made its appearance today on New Zealand iTunes for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch and will most likely be available in other countries as well in next hours or days.

UPDATE: Theatrhythm Final Fantasy is now available everywhere on the App Store and its website has been updated.

"THEATRHYTHM FINAL FANTASY, the first music game in the FINAL FANTASY series, has been augmented with more songs and new playable characters to make it easier to dive into and play than ever before! Now it makes its debut as an iOS app that allows for communication with users from around the world in an unlimited adventure!": TFF for iOS comes with "Quest Medleys", "Composer Scores" mode, Twitter shares and more; details here.

I'm wondering if previous assumptions were true and we'll actually get Theatrhythm on Android and Windows Phone too. Fingers crossed!

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy coming soon to Android, Windows Phone, iOS?

A new teaser site for Theatrhythm Final Fantasy is now online, with a "Coming soon" notice and... nothing more. Actually, some "details" are in the source code (see bottom of this post or click the following link): a NeoGAF member's findings suggest us that, maybe, a Theatrhythm mobile version for Android, Windows Phone and iPhone/iPad/iPod is what Square Enix will unveil! Note: in case you missed it, Final Fantasy IV is heading to Android and iOS too.

Final Fantasy Wiki copy&paste: "Theatrhythm Final Fantasy is a video game for the Nintendo 3DS. It is a "theater rhythm action" game in which players use the stylus to tap and hold notes while fighting enemies. The game features popular Final Fantasy songs and characters." To learn more, you can visit TFF Nintendo 3DS version official website.

Here are the code lines I was talking about:

if (navigator.userAgent.indexOf('iPhone') != -1) { location.href="sp/index.html"; }
else if (navigator.userAgent.indexOf('iPod')!=-1){ location.href="sp/index.html"; }
else if  (navigator.userAgent.indexOf('Android') != -1) { location.href="sp/index.html"; }
else if (navigator.userAgent.indexOf('Windows CE')!=-1){ location.href="sp/index.html"; }

While that simply orders your browser to redirect you to the mobile version of the site in case you're not using a computer, it may also mean that, when the game will be released, you'll land on a specific home page based on your mobile device's operating system, maybe with a link to your applications store (Play Store, Windows Marketplace or App Store).

Nokia unveils Lumia 620, the cheapest Windows Phone 8

If you want to get your hands on a Windows Phone 8 smartphone without spending too much, then Nokia Lumia 620 may be your lucky choice: it will only cost little more than 250 $ and will be available from Q1 2013.

What will you get for that price? Some nice stuff, actually:  3.8" ClearBlack TFT display, NFC, microSD support, dual core 1 GHz Snapdragon CPU, 512 MB RAM, 5 Mp camera with LED flash, frontal VGA camera and, since it's a Nokia WP, you'll also have access to exclusive apps like Nokia Maps, Nokia Drive, Nokia City Lens, Nokia Music and more. Nokia Lumia 620 uses exchangeable shells, which come in 7 different colors: white, black, yellow, cyan, lime green, magenta, orange. They're made with a "dual-shot" technique: two layers of polycarbonate, one of which is transparent or translucent, produce secondary color blends and depth effects. Learn more about Nokia Lumia 620 here. Also, here's a hands-on from SlashGear: click.

Nokia FB contest: win a Lumia 920

"Upload you best Angry Birds fan art pictures or just download the Angry Birds Roost app for you Nokia Lumia phone on the Windows Phone Store and create your own Angry Birds pics with the Angry Cam ;-) The winners will be the funniest! Go and have fun!". Do you want a Nokia Lumia 920? If you're at least 15, then try to win one by entering this new Nokia contest on Facebook: click here, you have time till December 17. Good luck!

Nokia Lumia 920 is a Windows Phone 8 smartphone with 8.7 mp PureView camera, PureMotionHD+ super sensitive 4.5" display, built-in wireless charging and more: click here for all the details.

Nokia Lumia 920, Lumia "830" or Sony Xperia P?

Ok, so... I want to buy a new phone soon. The three contestants are Nokia Lumia 920, rumored Nokia Lumia "830" and Sony Xperia P. Well, I lied: actually I'd totally buy a Lumia 920 (THE smartphone right now, imho), but I want to spend way less money, so the real options are only two.

Nokia Lumia 920 (click), powered by Windows Phone 8, boasts a 8.7 mp Carl Zeiss PureView camera with OIS (image stabilization for stills and videos -works great!) and BSI for optimal low light photography. The display is 4.5" and comes PureMotion HD+ technology and super sensitive touch: it can be used even with common gloves on or with other objects. Lumia 920 has wireless charging capability built-in, dual core fast CPU, 100% offline Nokia Maps & Nokia Drive and more.

Option A: Nokia Lumia 830. Actually, its name hasn't been confirmed yet and its specs are still unknown. Lumia 830 made its appearance in some pics and is rumored to be a mid-level WP8 smartphone -Lumia 710's successor? Who knows. I'd actually like a Windows Phone 8, so I'm waiting for some official infos to surface first, one of them being its price tag.

Option B: Sony Xperia P (click). For me it's one of the most beautiful smartphones right now, especially the silver model. Nice camera, ok CPU and RAM, very good 4" display and more. It's getting Jelly Bean in the next months, too. I like Android and I'm already enjoying it on my Asus Transformer tablet. Unless the Lumia 830 will have a very low price and interesting features, I'm probably going for Xperia P. Silver one!

Nokia FB competition: Lumia 900

Bag? Check. Shoes? Check. Food?! Take a picture of your lunch, share it on this page by August 31 and you could win one of the five Nokia Lumia 900 smartphones up for grabs. Good luck!

Nokia Lumia 710, recensione

This is an old post in Italian, but you can find an English translation / recap at the end of it. All the posts written from August 2012 onwards are in English only.

Nokia Lumia 710, review

La mia prima piccola recensione \o/ Ho avuto modo di provare, per 7 giorni (no, poi non mi ha fatto visita Samara) un Windows Phone 7.5 di Nokia: il Lumia 710, smartphone di fascia media. Prezzo? 220~280 €.

Read more »

Nokia FB Giveaway: Lumia 900

This is an old post in Italian, but you can find an English translation / recap at the end of it. All the posts written from August 2012 onwards are in English only.

Ancora un altro contest per vincere un Windows Phone Nokia Lumia 900: dopo la foto al contenuto della nostra borsa, stavolta ci viene chiesto di immortalare... le nostre scarpe! Se avete almeno 16 anni, potete partecipare condividendo il vostro scatto su questa pagina, entro il 23 luglio. In bocca al lupo!

ENGLISH:: Did you enter Nokia's previous contest by sharing a photo of the contents of your bag? Well, now there's a new one: the prize is still a Nokia Lumia 900 Windows Phone, but this time you have to take a picture of... your shoes! If you're 16, enter here by July 23. Good luck!

Esplora Gotham City in 3D e vinci Nokia Lumia 900 e altro

This is an old post in Italian, but you can find an English translation / recap at the end of it. All the posts written from August 2012 onwards are in English only.

Explore Gotham City in 3D and win Nokia Lumia 900 and more

Il debutto al cinema di The Dark Knight Rises (Il Cavaliere Oscuro - Il Ritorno) è sempre più vicino; Nokia Maps ci offre la possibilità di esplorare Gotham City, la famosa città (fittizia) di Batman!

C'è dell'altro: cliccando sui Batshields nascosti nelle varie mini-aree (per ora ne trovate solo quattro, gli altri saranno disponibili man mano nei prossimi giorni) e rispondendo correttamente ai vari quesiti, potreste vincere uno dei Nokia Lumia 900 (The Dark Knight Rises limited edition) + poster del film in palio, maglietta e casco dei Gotham City Rogues, maschera di Batman in edizione limitata.

Cliccate qui, trovate i simboli nascosti nelle varie zone e inserite le seguenti risposte: "Take" (Arkham Asylum), "1888" (Wayne Tower), "6498227" (City Hall), "80242" (Gotham City Stadium). Buona fortuna! :)

UPDATE: Gotham City Stock Exchange disponibile, codice "Wayn"
UPDATE: Blackgate Prison disponibile, codice "Escape"
UPDATE: Major Crimes Unit disponibile, codice "Donuts"
UPDATE: Wayne Manor disponibile, codice "EDFG"

ENGLISH:: Thanks to Nokia Maps, you can now explore Gotham City in 3D (Batman's city): click here! Find the hidden Batshields in the four Gotham areas (more to come in the next days) and give the correct answers to try to win Nokia Lumia 900 (Batman limited edition), official movie poster, Gotham City Rogues football jersey + helmet, limited edition The Dark Night Rises cowl. So far, the right answers are: "Take" (Arkham Asylum), "1888" (Wayne Tower), "6498227" (City Hall), "80242" (Gotham City Stadium). Good luck!
UPDATES: Gotham City Stock Exchange answer is "Wayn"; Blackgate Prison answer is "Escape"; Major Crimes Unit answer is "Donuts"; Wayne Manor answer is "EDFG"

Windows Phone 8, ecco le novità

This is an old post in Italian, but you can find an English translation / recap at the end of it. All the posts written from August 2012 onwards are in English only.

Windows Phone 8 unveiled

Dopo i due tablet Surface presentati soltanto ieri, Microsoft ha appena illustrato, durante l'evento Windows Phone Summit, le novità relative alla prossima release del suo sistema operativo per dispositivi mobili: Windows Phone 8! CPU multi-core, gaming avanzato, supporto NFC e altro ancora: veniamo al dunque...

• WP8 condividerà molto con il sistema operativo per PC Windows 8: kernel, drivers grafici basati su Direct3D, networking, ecc
• Native Code: grazie al supporto DirectX e agli stessi driver grafici su Windows 8 e Windows Phone 8, sarà semplice e veloce per gli sviluppatori rendere disponibili giochi e applicazioni per PC (ma anche per iOS e Android) anche su WP8
• Supporto multi-core: all'inizio il focus sarà su CPU dual-core, efficienza e autonomia della batteria, ma Windows Phone 8 è in grado di funzionare anche con un numero di core di gran lunga maggiore... fino a 64!
• Supporto microSD per foto, video, musica e apps
• Nuove risoluzioni display: 16:9 720p (1280x720) e 15:9 WXGA (1280x768). I developers non saranno costretti a ottimizzare le applicazioni per risoluzioni diverse (non ce ne sarà bisogno, idem per le app più vecchie), ma se vorranno potranno
• Start screen: nuovi colori e due nuove dimensioni (grande e piccola) selezionabili per ognuna delle "mattonelle" live tiles, oltre all'attuale standard. Non sarà più presente la parte destra con il tasto freccia
• Browser Internet Explorer 10: più veloce e con funzionalità anti-phishing
• Supporto nativo NFC per pagamenti (Wallet), trasferimento files e contatti, connessioni P2P, scambio informazioni e altro
• Acquisti in-app, ovvero la possibilità di comprare upgrade e altri elementi a pagamento direttamente da una determinata applicazione, ad esempio oggetti e coins per un gioco
• Tecnologia Nokia su tutti i WP per mappe e navigazione: dati NAVTEQ, modalità offline, ecc
• Multitasking migliorato: Skype e altre applicazioni VoIP perfettamente integrate nell'OS ed eseguibili in background; stessa cosa per le applicazioni di navigazione GPS
• Disponibile già a partire da oggi anche per WP7.5: piattaforma Audible per il riconoscimento vocale, utilizzabile anche dagli sviluppatori per l'integrazione con le app (possibilità, quindi, di "conversare" con esse: ad esempio per mettere in pausa un gioco)
• Company Hub: ogni azienda potrà impostare un hub per i propri dipendenti con applicazioni consigliate scaricabili senza l'accesso al Marketplace, annunci, news e altro
• Aggiornamenti software OTA (supporto per ogni smartphone di almeno 18 mesi)

Gli smartphones attuali non saranno pultroppo aggiornabili a Windows Phone 8. Sarà comunque disponibile per questi l'upgrade WP 7.8 con la nuova Start screen personalizzabile.

Novità esclusive per gli attuali e futuri Nokia Lumia:

• Applicazione DLNA "PlayTo" per condividere foto, video e file audio senza fili
• Nokia Counters per tener traccia dei costi e dell'utilizzo di dati, chiamate ed SMS, con possibilità di impostare dei limiti
• Camera Extras per la fotocamera: modalità panorama, burst, autoscatto e Smart Groups, che consente di scattare più foto e raggrupare in una sola le parti migliori di ognuna (ad esempio l'espressione migliore di una persona)
• Update 3.0 per Nokia Music
• Nuove funzionalità per Nokia Maps e Nokia Drive: upload di foto, recensioni e altro

ENGLISH:: Windows Phone 8 news! Same Windows 8 (PC) kernel, multi-core CPUs, advanced gaming, easy port of Windows 8 apps and games to WP8, microSD storage, new 720p and 1280x768 display resolutions, new Start screen with resizable live tiles, fast Internet Explorer 10 browser with anti-phishing feature, NFC (files and contacts transfer, payments, P2P connections, etc), in-app purchasing, Nokia maps technology with offline mode and more on every Windows Phone, better multitasking and ability to run in the background for VoIP (including Skype) and GPS apps, Audible speech platform -available from today- which also allows "conversation" with apps (eg: to pause a game), Company Hub (apps, alerts and news from a company for its employees), OTA software upgrades (support for at least 18 months).
Current WP smartphones will only be upgradable to Windows Phone 7.8, which includes the new customizable Start screen. Also, current and future Nokia Lumia devices will soon get some exclusive apps: DLNA "PlayTo" app to share pics, videos and music wirelessly, Nokia Counters to keep track of data, calls and messages usage and costs, Camera Extras bringing new camera features, updates for Nokia Music, Nokia Maps and Nokia Drive.

Nokia FB Giveaway: Lumia 900 Batman Limited Edition

This is an old post in Italian, but you can find an English translation / recap at the end of it. All the posts written from August 2012 onwards are in English only.

Altro giveaway da Nokia su Facebook, stavolta del Windows Phone Lumia 900 in edizione limitata, in occasione del sempre più vicino debutto nelle sale americane del film The Dark Night Rises (Il Cavaliere Oscuro - Il Ritorno) il 20 luglio, in uscita invece in Italia il 29 agosto. Clicca qui per partecipare al contest; scegli "Thomas Wayne" come risposta.

Nokia ha anche rilasciato, in esclusiva, un trailer del film.

ENGLISH:: Windows Phone Nokia Lumia 900 (The Dark Night Rises Limited Edition) worldwide giveaway on Facebook: click here and answer "Thomas Wayne". Nokia also released an exclusive trailer for the new Batman movie.

Final Fantasy I approda sui Windows Phones

This is an old post in Italian, but you can find an English translation / recap at the end of it. All the posts written from August 2012 onwards are in English only.

Final Fantasy I lands on Windows Phones

Con un leggero ritardo, vi segnalo l'arrivo del primo capitolo della serie Final Fantasy anche sugli smartphones Windows Phone. Un po' costosetta, purtroppo questa versione non include la lingua italiana. Alcuni dei voti negativi nel Marketplace del nostro Paese sono, infatti, relativi proprio a questa piccola mancanza. Se preferite, potete innanzitutto scaricare la demo gratuita, il tutto a questo indirizzo. Io ci giocai anni fa su PSone; se voi invece ancora non ne avete avuto modo, questa potrebbe decisamente essere una buona occasione!

ENGLISH:: The first Final Fantasy game is now available on Windows Phones too. You can try it for free or buy it here.

Nokia FB Giveaway: Lumia 900 [UPDATE termine: 6 luglio]

This is an old post in Italian, but you can find an English translation / recap at the end of it. All the posts written from August 2012 onwards are in English only.

Nokia FB Giveaway: Lumia 900 [Deadline UPDATE: July 6]

Come tutti i contest che vi segnalo, anche questo richiede pochissimo tempo; ora, però, entra in ballo anche un po' di creatività! Tirate fuori cellulari, rossetti, granate, scamorze e quant'altro avete nella vostra pesante borsa e condividetene una foto qui su Facebook, entro il 27 giugno 6 luglio, per provare a vincere un Nokia Lumia 900 bianco con OS Windows Phone. La partecipazione è aperta a tutto il mondo.

UPDATE: Termine di partecipazione posticipato al 6 luglio

Alcune caratteristiche:

• Display AMOLED ClearBlack 4,3" capacitivo, risoluzione 800x480
• Fotocamera Carl Zeiss 8 MP con autofocus e doppio flash led
• Registrazione video a 720p
• Fotocamera secondaria anteriore HD
• Wi-Fi b/g/n
• A-GPS
• Nokia Maps, Nokia Drive e altre applicazioni Nokia preinstallate / disponibili oltre alle standard del Marketplace
• CPU Single core 1,4 GHz e RAM 512 MB
• Memoria utente 16 GB non espandibile e cloud SkyDrive

ENGLISH:: New worldwide giveaway by Nokia on their Facebook page! This time you'll need to share a photo of the contents of your bag here, by June 27 July 6. You could win one of the five white Nokia Lumia 900 (Windows Phone OS).

Nokia Meltemi OS cancellato

This is an old post in Italian, but you can find an English translation / recap at the end of it. All the posts written from August 2012 onwards are in English only.

Nokia Meltemi OS cancelled

Meltemi non soffierà più in casa Nokia. Il sistema operativo, basato su Linux e dal nome di un vento, sarebbe dovuto approdare sui prossimi feature phones / smartphones low cost di Nokia, probabilmente per sostituire la Serie 40. La casa finlandese si concentrerà, per quanto riguarda i dispositivi di fascia bassa e media, sempre di più sulla nuova piattaforma Asha Touch (click) e su nuovi Windows Phones più economici del Lumia 610, in foto, venduto al momento a un prezzo di 199 euro.

ENGLISH:: Nokia Meltemi, a (no longer) work in progress Linux based OS for feature phones and/or low cost smartphones, has been cancelled. Nokia will focus on the new Asha Touch platform (click) and cheaper Windows Phones.

Giveaway UKMR: vinci un Nokia Lumia 800 e altro

This is an old post in Italian, but you can find an English translation / recap at the end of it. All the posts written from August 2012 onwards are in English only.

UKMR Giveaway: win a Nokia Lumia 800 and more

Volevo segnalarvi che il sito inglese UK MobileReview ha indetto un giveaway aperto a tutto il mondo! I premi:

1° posto: Nokia Lumia 800 unlocked
2° posto: Auricolari Nokia Monster Purity
3° posto: buono apps di 25£ da spendere su un app store a scelta

Per partecipare basta semplicemente seguire UKMR su Twitter e/o Facebook, condividere sulla piattaforma scelta un messaggio e lasciare un commento nel post del giveaway sul sito UK MobileReview entro il 12 giugno.

Per tutti i dettagli, cosa condividere e cosa scrivere esattamente nel commento, vi rimando alla pagina UKMR dedicata.

Nokia Lumia 800 è uno smartphone con sistema operativo Windows Phone 7.5, il cui parco applicazioni è in costante crescita: al momento si contano circa 100000 apps sul Marketplace. Disponibile nei colori magenta, cyan, black e white (non è chiaro di che colorazione sarà il premio). Alcune caratteristiche:

• Display AMOLED ClearBlack 3,7" capacitivo con vetro curvo, risoluzione 800x480
• Fotocamera Carl Zeiss 8 MP con autofocus e doppio flash led
• Registrazione video a 720p
• Wi-Fi b/g/n
• A-GPS
• Nokia Maps, Nokia Drive e altre applicazioni Nokia preinstallate / disponibili oltre alle standard del Marketplace
• CPU Single core 1,4 GHz e RAM 512 MB
• Memoria utente 16 GB non espandibile

Personalmente non sono un grande fan di WP a causa di alcune restrizioni e caratteristiche assenti rispetto a Symbian e Android, va tuttavia detto come sia forse uno degli OS più veloci, con meno frammentazione e meno "affamati" di risorse hardware. Inoltre la user interface Metro a "piastrelle" non mi dispiace affatto.

ENGLISH:: UK MobileReview is giving away a Nokia Lumia 800 (Windows Phone 7.5 OS), a Nokia Monster Purity headset and a £25 app store voucher. You can enter the competition on this page.