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GLOBAL – During Design by Community we’ll be running a regular series of vox pop videos, asking Nokia designers for their thoughts on what makes a great concept device and what their dream device would be. But before shining the spotlight on the designers, we nudged to the front of the queue to leave our thoughts. You’ll have to excuse poor Phil, he’d been awake for 24-hours having just flown back from the SXSW show in Austin, Texas, when we cornered him to get his opinion. Join us after the jump to watch our video vox pops.

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GLOBAL - Today OviDailyApp is launching a campaign to find the world’s worst cook. Can’t boil an egg? Burn pasta? This one’s for you.  All is not lost though as OviDailyapp wants to help those in need of some culinary advice. In need of some help? Read on after the jump to find out more.

In a bid to get everyone cooking OviDailyApp is looking for people to tweet their kitchen nightmares. Have you ended up with a soup for a souffle? Have your dinner parties turned into disasters? Let them know.

At the end of the week OviDailyApp will select five winners (should that be losers?) to trial a never-seen-before culinary app from the Ovi Store. The app promises to transform even the most hopeless cases into budding master chefs. If that’s not enough to get the rolling pin moving the winners will also be on the receiving end of a few harsh words and some handy tips from a food expert.

If you’ve got some terrible tales tweet @ovidailyapp and #dailyappskills with you food faux pas. Bon appetite.

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GLOBAL - Last week the Guardian hosted an online discussion between Nokia’s environmental team and its readers, and this got us thinking. What should be the most important topic for Nokia and the environment? During the discussion questions ranged from green mobiles to sustainable products and ethical buying. Do you think Nokia should be focussing efforts on recycling, reducing packaging or energy consumption? Or something else entirely? For a dash of inspiration take a look at what Nokia’s already doing over on our environment page. Let us know what you think by getting your vote counted in our poll. Is there anything else you think Nokia should be pursuing in the sustainability stakes? Add it in to the other option, or scribble your opinions in the comments section below.

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GLOBAL – As part of our Design by Community challenge, we figured it’d be a good idea to canvas opinion on what different people want or expect from a concept device. First up, we’ve got Mikey Bee from NokNok.tv with his thoughts on display and user interface. We’re still in the early stages (we’ve barely got going) of this rather mammoth project, but already there’s been some excellent input from readers and bloggers alike. Read on to find out what tickles Mikey’s fancy.
The Looks and the Lifestyle – written by Mikey Bee, NokNok.tv
When you get posed a question like ‘What do you expect from a smartphone display?’ it’d be easy to get wrapped up in the science. After all, it’s part of my job to worry about details such as should it be capacitive or resistive, should it be touchscreen or not? However, while the science plays its part, I started to think how regular folk think about devices and for most people the science doesn’t matter, it’s all about the experience.

Let’s call it the ‘the Looks and the Lifestyle factor’, as the ideal screen needs to deliver on both fronts, not only in terms of size but also functionality. When it comes to looks, size plays a major part, as it needs to push and pull an ever increasing amount of data. The screen needs to be responsive and quick enough to handle switching between apps and Multi-tasking at a flash, as this is no doubt the future for all devices. No matter what size we settle for the interface needs to be instantly intuitive, so people feel comfortable with it.

So far I’ve only touched on touchscreens, as the future, as far as I see it, will be a touchy-feelie one. However I think my ideal device will have space for a non-touchscreen display too. One that comes with as true a colour gamut as possible, deliver Full HD resolution and generally be my portable movie and video chat screen.

The more I think about it, if I were to sit down with the Nokia design team right now, I’d be asking for a dual-screen device, the main display touch-sensitive and lightning fast, with the second my window on a high-def media player. After all, how cool would it be to be discussing you’re favourite movie via video chat on one screen while browsing the web or simply watching a movie on the other?

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AUSTIN, Texas - You have five senses: sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. While your mobile doesn’t have the last two (yet), it can have a few more: location (gps), proximity (to your ear), acceleration (speed), orientation (direction), and some even have temperature.

In what was one of the most interesting SXSW panels thus far, the experts at “What if your phone had 5 senses” discussed where our mobiles are heading. Below are a few of their ideas. But first, a trivia question: What was the first consumer augmented reality device? Answer after the break…

According to the panel: The Sony Walkman. You could walk around in reality listening to your favorite music. Though according to Nokia’s Jan Chipchase, the first augmented reality device was that transparent red paper that would show answers when overlayed on a test or board game. (remember that stuff? I do.) But on to the predictions…

- Navigating GPS on your mobile while driving can be unsafe. Using voice control would be much safer. But do you want everyone in the car able to accidentally give it voice commands? What if it used its’ proximity sensor to know when it was next to your ear? What if it was able to learn synonyms of words so you could say, “Take me to my homeboy’s pad, baby!” instead of “Navigate to John Smith’s house, baby!”

- Imagine your device was connected to you while you sleep and knew whether you were almost awake, dreaming, or deep sleep. What if instead of setting your alarm for “7:00″, you set it for “almost awake” so you don’t get awoken during that cool flying dream. (my second favorite dream)

If augmented reality is the future, wouldn’t mobile technology in glasses make sense? One of the SXSW panelists said, “Eyewear is the next mobile form factor”. Instead of keeping your head down to look at a device, it will always be up. Instead of a small screen, you’ll have the highest resolution possible. Instead of a photograph of your environment, you’ll see an overlay of metadata. And no more worries about the sun glare on your screen.

How about designer augmented-reality-glasses co-produced by trendy sunglass brands like D&G and Gucci? And how about a virtual pet dog that can only be seen through these glasses? Woof!

Or what if your mobile kept track of what you’re doing. What if it reminded you to stop visiting the liquor store. Or maybe it could recognize changes in your voice and could recommend a trip to the doctor’s office. I’d personally find this very useful.

Whatever happens or doesn’t happen, one thing is for sure: The future just keeps getting more awesome.

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GLOBAL – Kicking off our Design by Community project, we’re taking a look at display and user interface. We’ve outlined five options for you to choose from, each designed to play a significant part in how the device shapes up. Screen size is probably the biggest driver in a device’s size, particularly when you venture into full-screen touch devices. But that’s not the only consideration, we must also think about aspect ratio, and how we interact with the device – what kind of keyboard it should have and, particularly if it’s a touch device, how many buttons it needs. We spoke to one of Nokia’s senior industrial designers, Mikko Aarras, who gave us some insight into what needs to be considered around a device’s display and UI.

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Beyond the screen, there are a number of elements which need to be considered on the front of a device. Typically, at the top of you’ll find the front camera, ear piece and some other behind the scenes tech. Somewhere around the edge of the screen, most commonly at the bottom, space is needed for the display driver – the piece of tech wizardry which brings the display to life, turning it into a world of interaction. Much of this stuff we, as users, don’t actually get to see but they’re important factors to consider when it comes to planning a device.

Fancy a five-inch screen? Keep in mind that space will need to be kept up top for the ear piece and front camera and the bottom of the device will need to play home to the display driver. That five-inch screen is suddenly looking less appealing. Beyond that, we can take a look at whether the display should be capacitive or resistive (if it’s a touchscreen device). Given that one is glass and one is plastic, this choice plays a huge part in the manufacturing of the device and in particular how the device is put together. That’s not to mention the difference in thickness, with glass typically coming in at twice the thickness of plastic, if strength and quality are to be assured.

Around the display itself sits a empty area of about 3mm. Although borderless displays are starting to appear on large TVs this year, they’re still some way off mobile devices and until then, we have to contend with the additional empty area on a display. And there’s mounting. Nobody wants a device that’s going to fall apart after a week, so getting the mounting of the display right is crucial. Right now that typically involves a bezel to keep everything in place. As well as adding to the strength of the device, the bezel also makes assembly a more straightforward process.

The screen is rendered useless unless you have some way to interact with it. What kind of keypad for our concept then? Full QWERTY would be ideal but on a big-screen device will typically involve a slide or tilt and slide approach, such as the one used on the Nokia 97 devices. Perhaps a T9 keypad is sufficient? Or no keypad at all, instead forgoing physical keys for a touchscreen alternative. What would you choose? Beyond the keyboard there’s the question of what other physical keys are required. Let’s assume that we have volume/zoom keys taken care of, beyond the on/off button, do we need anything else?

Given that we don’t need to be constrained by current manufacturing methods (we are, after all working on a concept here) then we should think beyond current constraints and wait for technology to catch up. Whilst many of the challenges facing device creation today are driven by the technology that’s actually used in the device, just as many are driven by the need to be able to manufacture the device in a cost-effective and quality assured manner.

Talk to any of the designers at Nokia and their encyclopedic knowledge of how devices are put together makes you wonder whether you’re actually speaking to an engineer rather than a designer. Their ability to marry creative genius with genuine engineering insight is vital when you consider the challenge of creating a device that not only delivers on the needs and requirements of users, but looks good and is capable of being produced within myriad confining elements. You might think that creating the ultimate device is a simple process. We’ve distilled it into the simplest of elements, using basic choices and we’re still not even scratching the surface of what Nokia’s finest creative minds deal with day in day out. Hat’s off.

Have you submitted your Display and User Interface specs yet? Head over to Design by Community to get involved.

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Want to help design a Nokia smartphone concept?
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GLOBAL – There was a time when reality was enough. A time when you’d wander to work befuddled by the many landmarks and intriguing statues punctuating your journey – am I the only one who doesn’t know what they all mean? You’d stumble through the doors of a restaurant without recommendation, and saunter into shops minus that elusive money-off coupon. It was a different time, it was every day life, a routine system of expectations, triumphs and disappointments based on judgement and luck. Well, I reckon those days are soon gone.

Thanks to the tech world’s latest buzz-phrase, Augmented Reality, it won’t be long until a shower of enlightenment descends. The fog lifted, you’ll never have reason to be confused when wandering past a strange town monument, feel lost without instant access to the nearest taxi rank phone number, or coupon-less as you trot into your favourite shops. You’ll have the ability to quickly tap into locally relevant information on everything and anything, as long as you’ve got your Nokia on you. Simply aim your phone’s camera at a landmark/shop/eatery and information about the place, whether it be reviews, directions or opening hours, will appear floating over the real world image. So do you think it will catch on… and if it does, how great are the possibilities?

Augmented Reality, in its current guise, is yet to make me feel like the bionic woman… although my superpowers are beginning to blossom and show promise. There are some exciting developments with Nokia Point & Find and apps such as Wikitude World Browser, providing an introductory taster to the limitless power I could soon be tapping into via my Nokia. A while back Nokia’s Head of Design Adam Greenfield highlighted, “AR is currently just an interface. It’s only useful or compelling as the information populating it. Without meaningful, timely information, all AR can do is give you another window into the biggest most empty room of all.” But the great thing is that room is already quickly beginning to flood with valuable info (fueled by communities as well as companies), and I’m eager to take the plunge, head-first.

Handsets are now at the forefront of AR and are seen as the perfect tool for showcasing its mighty potential. The Nokia Research Centre in Hollywood has been exploring and developing the concept since 2008 (watch this original video which highlights how other portable products could use Augmented Reality). Today, Nokia’s smartphones feature all the necessary components to make it work, with onboard GPS, sharp cameras, fast over-the-air internet access, and a means of presenting relevant information clearly via large screens. It is phone technology that is pioneering AR technology – they are the vessels for this initial phase of exploration, and are already leading us towards research that will make our relationship with data more ergonomic and instinctive, satisfying our insatiable appetite for information with minimal fuss.

Augmented Reality promises to make the process of finding relevant information easier and faster. So, considering the phenomenon that is Twitter, we love to know what’s going on immediately when it comes to social information. Does Augmented Reality have a role to play here? I think it does. Park all notions of an Orwellian future, this isn’t about Big Brother watching, it’s about sharing the world with your friends in a new and exciting way. If a new technology strives to give us speedy and ever-more relevant information, we must embrace it. It’s up to us not to abuse it. In the case of Augmented Reality, it’s a new window onto the world, which has huge potential to make our lives easier.

But still, you might wonder, will we ever be able to switch off? With news hitting headlines of stress in the work place due to access to 24-hour email what will happen when we have constant access to information via Augmented Reality services? Each time we walk past a person we’ll be bombarded with their lunch plans, Linkedin information, Facebook status and favourite playlist. When we walk down the street information about the latest restaurant review, film showings, and resting places will flood our eyes. Will it all be too much? I don’t think it has to be, but what do you think? Consider this, the other side of the argument – AR will actually allow us to relieve some of the stresses of actual reality. Have a Nokia phone in your pocket and you won’t get lost, eat a bad meal, or experience a world with huge info chasms dotted across the landscape. Sure, you won’t need to fill them all in, but you can choose the potholes you want to pour valuable information into. For example, there are already apps that allow you to point your phone at your tube stop to find out line information and service updates for your intended journey. This side of AR adds friendly buffers to a world of sharp edges. It takes away risks and can prevent time-wasting.

As Swiss playwright Max Frisch stated, technology is, “the knack of arranging the world that we don’t have to experience it”. Augmented Reality could give us more time to enjoy the finer things, rather than spending our time locating the finer things, only to take a wrong turn at the last corner.

If normal old reality ever really was enough for us, video game sales wouldn’t net more profit than Hollywood and 3D television wouldn’t be stealing every headline. We need something more, don’t we? We’re compelled to drain every last bit of information from what’s in front of us so as to make our lives that little more enriched. And most importantly, we want this to all happen in the swiftest and easiest manner possible.

Arguably, all we have to really worry about is becoming too dependent on Augmented Reality. As Karl Marx stated: “The production of too many useful things results in too many useless people”. But then again, he never had a camera phone.

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AUSTIN, Texas – SXSW is one of the most influential events in North American (and probably, the world), so naturally Nokia is in attendance. As it’s not your typical conference, we’re doing things a bit differently.

Day 1 of SXSW on Friday kicked off with a Nokia party just across the street from the Convention Center. Nokia social media guru, Molly Schonthal, rented the outdoor area of Moonshine, a trendy little Austin restaurant. With around 100 in attendance, the intimiate setting gave me the opportunity to meet a very dynamic bunch of people, all of whom are various creative backgrounds, and not the typical mobile geeks (like myself) I’m accustomed to. And after six months of frigid Finnish winter, there’s nothing better than an ice tea on a warm sunny Austin afternoon. (either a lemon tea, or Long Island)

From 5-7pm Saturday and Sunday nights on the roof of the upscale bar, Fogo de Chao, Nokia hosts a VIP lounge. Music, drinks, discussions and even a Nokia trivia contest hosted by Molly. She asked the first trivia question, “What was Nokia’s first wearable product?” and I whisper-yelled, “rubber boots!!” to the girl next to me …but she didn’t believe me.

Guests during our events have been most excited about the new Nokia Booklet 3G, and it doesn’t surprise me. Compared to other netbooks, the Booklet 3G is sexxy. It’s sleek, solid, and the Finnish minimalist design makes me proud to have it in my lap. This is my first trip abroad with the Booklet; I haven’t had to use “my regular laptop” once. The battery lasts all day, I can get online from virtually anywhere thanks to 3G. In fact, I’m writing this post from an Irish Bar on Austin Sixth Street. If the Booklet 3G could rid the sounds of the terrible country singer in the corner. Oh wait…it can…headphones!

Here’s a funny Booklet story: A few weeks ago at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, I asked Conversations readers to tweet in questions, then asked those questions to a Nokia VP while filming the session. In the video you can see “my regular laptop”, a MacBook Pro (I need it for video editing!), and received some, uhh, interesting comments in YouTube for my use of a Mac. So I showed the comments to the Booklet’s Communications Manager and within minutes, had a shiny new Booklet. Score!!

Now off to the VIP Lounge…

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