Total chat site for users of phone services

Nokia has today announced that since the 21 January 2010 launch of the new version of Ovi Maps with free walk and drive navigation, there have been over 1.4 million downloads. The one million mark was reached just one week after the launch.

“We’re averaging a download a second, 24 hours a day,” said Anssi Vanjoki, Executive Vice President, Nokia. “When we announced free walk & drive navigation we knew it would be a game-changer. The number of people now using their Nokia for navigation, and as a result looking for more location-aware software, is growing faster than even we predicted.”

The success of the new version Ovi Maps is a key part of Nokia’s strategy to lead the market in mobile maps, navigation and location-based services. By leveraging its investment in NAVTEQ, Nokia has been able to remove the costs associated with navigation for drivers and pedestrians and is quickly activating a massive user base to which it can offer new location features, content and services.

“This is great news for our 3rd party application developers. Within a matter of days there is an installed base of more than 1 million active users all potentially hungry for new and innovative location-aware apps,” continued Anssi Vanjoki. “For the operators too there is a growing opportunity to sell more data-plans and a complete navigation package to existing and new customers.”

As of 31 January 2010 the top five countries downloading the new version of Ovi Maps were: China, Italy, UK, Germany and Spain. The top five most popular Nokia devices installing the download were: Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, Nokia N97 mini, Nokia N97, Nokia 5230 and Nokia E72.

“There is a huge appetite for GPS navigation on mobile phones. We estimate there were already 25.9 million people actively using GPS navigation on their mobile phones at the end of 2009,” said Chris Jones, VP & Principal Analyst at research firm Canalys.

From 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 covers 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.

Apple has been urged to provide more specific guidelines on suitable content for iPhone applications after it pulled one that had apparently been downloaded by nearly a million people.

Many apps are available for the iPhone

The app, called Wobble iBoobs, allows users to watch breasts bounce – but it has been withdrawn from the Apple store following “numerous complaints” from customers.

It is thought to have been on the market for several months and is said to have made more than £150,000 in sales.

According to the developer ChilliFresh, Apple sent it an email which said the app had originally been deemed suitable for distribution.

But Apple had now changed its guidelines, adding: “We have decided to remove any overtly sexual content from the App Store, which includes your application.”

However, ChilliFresh suggested Apple needs to be more specific, adding: “How can it be overtly sexual, people use their own pics.”

In a statement on its website, it also said: “They have changed their standards, but they don’t actually say what those standards are now, nor what those standards were before! No guidelines provided at all!”

Full article Business Sky News