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Spotify Sonos update preview
Announcing our new Nokia N8 Hardcore Guide
Nokia N8: Advanced guide to photo editing on the N8
Nokia N8: Top 10 tricks to editing a video HD masterpiece on N8
Nokia N8: How to optimise movies on N8 for HD TV playback
Nokia N8: Price your ears above all others with Dolby Digital Plus
Nokia N8: How to Facebook faster and smarter in 10 minutes
Nokia N8: Ultimate guide to hardcore mobile gaming
Nokia N8: 10 tips to becoming a Twitter guru
Nokia N8: How to create Hollywood-grade HD home movies

Posted: 16 Sep 2010 12:00 AM PDT

A Spotify Sonos update rolls out later this month, letting Premium users with the multi-room audio set up stream any song they like from the Swedish start up’s huge online library. Has it been worth the wait, and does it justify the high price of a Sonos system now that Apple’s AirPlay promises to do much the same for much less, with many more devices? We got early access to the update and have been testing it out all week: find out what we made of it here in our Spotify Sonos update full preview.

If you’ve used Napster with Sonos before, you’ll know just how incredible it is to be able to stream whatever music you like to your hi-fi, rather than a tinny laptop, at the drop of a hat. And in many ways, the Spotify Sonos integration is much the same. So, incredible.

On the Sonos CR200 remote (We weren’t able to test the forthcoming iPhone and iPad app updates), it treats the music collection as though it were your own: it appears in your queue like normal, and the only difference is a small Spotify logo in the corner of the album cover art. All you have to do is enter your login details once, and it’ll appear as an option on the main menu screen, just like Napster.

You can search by artist, album, or track through the Spotify Sonos menu, which is a little bit restrictive (why no unified search?), and the autofill is a bit slow. But once you line up tracks in your queue, any gripes melt away. Even over our ropey broadband, it’s instant, and we had no problems playing three different albums in three different Sonos zones – multiroom Spotify from the same account has been all but impossible via any means until now (ever tried to log in on more than one computer?), but it’s wonderfully convenient.

Sure, Spotify Sonos tracks may not match your lossless FLAC library for high fidelity (Premium tracks stream at 256kbps), but they sound fantastic considering you’re essentially only renting them, and if you’ve only ever listened to Spotify on a laptop before, it’s almost reassuring to find that the bass is in fact there on everything you’ve been listening to.

Check out our Sonos ZonePlayer S5 review now

The desktop Sonos controller also now lets you search through Spotify’s catalogue: we can’t say it looks pretty, but it does it extremely quickly, more so than the actual Spotify client on the same PC, we in fact found. Unfortunately, neither the app or the dedicated remote appeared to offer the promised Spotify playlist support, but that should be coming.

If you’re a Sonos owner not currently paying the tenner a month for Spotify Premium, is it worth the extra cost compared to the £5 per month Napster charges for access to its own well stocked catalogue?

If you’ve got an iPhone, iPod touch, Android or supported Symbian phone, emphatically yes. Spotify’s desktop client is vastly preferable to Napster, and its mobile offerings are sensational. To be able to play whatever you want on the go, and then whatever you like in various different rooms at the same time at home, without dedicating a whole hard drive and thousands of pounds to the goal, is a dream come true. We can honestly see ourselves never buying music again – at least until we forget to renew when our credit card expires.

For Europeans at least (Spotify is still to launch in the US), the Spotify Sonos update is very nearly the ultimate in convenience. It’s certainly a reason to at least still consider Sonos in light of cheaper multi-room systems and platforms coming through now. If you can live without owning CDs, you owe it to yourself to try it and see.

Out September | £varies | Sonos

Announcing our new Nokia N8 Hardcore Guide

Posted: 15 Sep 2010 10:31 PM PDT

The Nokia N8 has touched down at Electricpig towers, and we’re proud to unveil our new Hardcore Guide to all its talents. Stick with us, and before long you’ll have all your questions answered, and be on the way to becoming a bonafide N8 ninja.

Each week we’ll highlight one of the special skills tucked away inside the Nokia N8. From its awesome 12 megapixel camera, to the smart social abilities which come included.

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The Nokia N8 is the first Symbian 3 phone from Nokia, running apps at blistering speed, with an all-new set of touchscreen controls, as well as some top-notch specs underneath. As it’s the first of its kind, we know you’ll have questions about the Nokia N8, so each week we’ll be holding a live Q&A session, covering the topics, giving video demonstration and stopping to answer any queries you’ve got.

You can dive into the Nokia N8 right now. We’re kicking things off with a look at its photographic superpowers, so check out our Nokia N8: Hardcore photography guide and turn your mind to the shutter-snapping possibilities it offers.

Get ahead of the game by checking our our other guides too, all accessible from the overall Nokia N8: Ultimate hardcore guide.

Nokia N8: Advanced guide to photo editing on the N8

Posted: 15 Sep 2010 10:30 PM PDT

The Nokia N8 isn't just fantastic at taking photos, its able to edit them with aplomb too. While some smartphones lack even the most basic built-in editing tools, the Nokia N8 is ready to whip your images into shape with smart editing tools and one-touch fixes.

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Crop, rotate and resize
The fastest, and simplest way to improve your photos is by cropping them. The Nokia N8 has a brilliantly straight forward cropping tool, letting you remove unwanted areas of a photo, adding punchiness and purpose to a picture. To enter the Nokia N8 photo editor, just take a photo and tap the pen icon in the top right of the screen, or head to the main menu, tap Photos and choose the picture you want to edit, followed by "Options" and "Edit".

Once in the Nokia N8 photo editor, you'll see a bunch of options pop up. Choose "Crop" and use the four "grab handles" at each corner of the cropping control to choose which bit of the image to keep. Use it to exclude anything that detracts from your photo's purpose or subject. When you're happy with your crop, hit OK and the Nokia N8 will trim the excess.

Need to rotate or flip a photo too? That's easily done by tapping the "Rotate" tool from the photo editor. Four options along the bottom of the N8's screen give you photo editing tools for spinning a picture through 90 degrees clockwise or counter-clockwise, as well as horizontal or vertical flipping.

Rotate and flip your photo until you're happy with it. The Nokia N8 will save your handiwork when you hit "Options" followed by "Save."

Lastly, you might want to resize a photo to use less space. This is ideal if you're e-mailing a copy, beaming it using Bluetooth or saving it to a memory card that's nearly full. To resize a photo, tap into the Tools menu while inside the Nokia N8 photo editing screen, then choose "Resize". Use the on-screen slider to change the image size. You'll see its resolution in pixels change as it gets smaller or larger. Save a fresh copy of your photo in its smaller size by hitting "Options" and "Save." Don't worry about your original, as the Nokia N8 keeps it safe in full resolution.

Auto-tune your photos
Photo looking a little washed out? Or maybe it's too bright for your liking? There's no need to fiddle with awkward colour adjustment, as the Nokia N8 photo editor can auto-tune your photos. Just tap into the photo editor as described above, and choose "Tuning" from the Tools menu.

You'll see options to manually adjust Brightness and Contrast, Highlights and Shadows and colour balance, as well as more advanced controls for saturation, sharpness and de-noise features further to the right. Each of those can be used to adjust the appearance of your photo. Dive in and you'll see they can radically adjust your pictures. If you take them for a spin, use the "Horizontal Comparison" tool beforehand, letting you preview each change.

If you're feeling lazy, opt for the easiest photo tweaking by tapping "Auto" at the far left of the Tuning toolbox. The Nokia N8 will then automatically balance all the settings above to make a best guess at improving your photo. You can use the Horizontal Comparison tool with it, to see exactly what difference it's making to your original picture.

Red-eye removal
Snapped a buddy with the Nokia N8 camera, only to have them marred with bright red peepers? Don't fret, the Nokia N8 photo editor can fix their scarlet stare in an instant.

Tap into the image and edit it, choose "Red Eye" from the Tools menu and hit the icon with an A next to it. This will automatically correct red eye in the majority of photos, but if it doesn't work its magic immediately choose the manual option next to it, move the selection handles to make the box surround the offending red eyeball, and hit OK. In a jiffy, the problem should be fixed.

One-touch effects
Want to add a bit more sheen to your photos? How about a one-touch effect? Dive into the Tools menu of the Nokia N8 photo editor and tap "Effect". You'll see a gallery of options, starting with a colour overlay. Scroll downwards to see more colours, or tap the arrows at the top of the screen to see different effects, such as pencil drawing, .

Once you've spotted an effect you like, just tap it and the Nokia N8 will apply it to your photo. Tap "Options" and "Save" to keep a copy with the effect applied, or use the left and right arrows to cycle through other effects until you find one that looks the business.

Don't like the way the effect turned out? Maybe it needs a little tweaking. Use the "Select Area" tool at the bottom of the screen to apply the effect to just a part of the screen, or scroll through the effects and look for options to control some of their intensity or colour balance, letting you customise the end result.

Morphing
Got a picture of a friend's face? The Nokia N8 can morph them with hilarious effect. This type of editing is beyond the capabilities of most phones' built in photo editors, but the Nokia N8 handles it with ease. Just load up a photo of their face in the photo editor, choose the Tools menu and tap "Fun".

You'll see there are four distorted face icons at the bottom of the screen. Tap one of them, and you'll see your friend's face warp before your eyes. There's even a selection box, so you can control the range of the distortion, and an intensity slider to let you inflict massive manipulation, or just a slight slimming or plumping effect.

Hit "OK" followed by "Options" and "Save" to commit your photographic fun to the Nokia N8's memory.

Frames and fun stuff
As if all those Nokia N8 photo editing tricks weren't enough, there's also the option of adding fun frames to photos, as well as stamping clip art and other images on top. Explore the Tools menu in the Nokia N8 photo editing screen, and you'll find Frames are easy to apply. There's also an option called Stamp, which lets you tap the screen to add cut-out style shapes.

More advanced additions are found under Clipart in the Tools menu, with dozens of smilies, icons and logos to choose from. They can even be scaled up, to make them larger and more obvious.

Just tap the one you like, and have fun dotting the Nokia N8's screen with them. When you're finished, just hit "Options" and "Save" to preserve your creation!

Nokia N8: Top 10 tricks to editing a video HD masterpiece on N8

Posted: 15 Sep 2010 10:30 PM PDT

The Nokia N8 is a fantastic mobile movie maker, and once you've mastered our tips for creating Hollywood-grade HD home movies, you'll want to refine the process. For that, you'll need Nokia N8 tricks aplenty. Lucky then, that we've got 10 of the best right here!

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10. See your work on the big screen
Look at the top of the Nokia N8 and you'll see there's a HDMI socket. Use the included HDMI adapter to connect the Nokia N8 to a large screen TV, and you'll see increased quality when viewing videos and photos. If you're shooting HD movies on the N8, they really deserve to be shown off on the big screen.

9. Edit photos into videos too
Video editing needn't be limited to your live action clips. If you've got a Nokia N8 full of photos, the video editor can turn them into a swanky slideshow, ready for you to upload to websites, e-mail to friends or simply play on the big screen TV at home.

Just fire up the Video Editor from the Nokia N8 applications menu, then tap the icon labeled "Make a stylish slideshow". Scroll left and right through the different styles of slideshow on offer, and tap the "select media" icon in the lower left to feed the N8 your photos.

Tap as many photos as you like, marking them with a tick icon, then choose the large tick in the lower left of the screen to use them.

The Nokia N8 slideshow generator will churn through your photos, so if you've chosen a lot, sit back and wait for a few seconds.

To add music, tap the musical note and choose a track from the Nokia N8 music library. Finally, tap the large tick in the lower left to see the finished article. Hit "Save" in the lower left to keep it saved on your Nokia N8 for posterity.

8. Insert stills into movies
If you're editing a movie on the Nokia N8, don't forget you can insert still shots too, they can be used with the N8 video editor effects to add punchiness and pacing to your creations. Just insert them in the same way as a movie clip, using the "select media" icon, then tap them and hit the stopwatch icon to change their duration. Add a transition each side, to give your photos a bit of movement, and you'll have a great effect to use in conjunction with moving images.

7. Edit your own sounds too
The Nokia N8 video editor doesn't just chop up moving images, it's also a capable sound editor. Load a music or audio file using the music icon, after you've selected a video to go along with it, then hit the "Cut" icon, letting you choose in and out points for your accompanying audio

6. Search for sounds to match your videos
Got a Nokia N8 full of audio, but can't find the file you want? No problem, tap the music icon in the N8 video editor and then prod the magnifying glass to search the whole of the Nokia N8 for the music you've misplaced.

5. See audio without hearing it
If you've added music to a movie in the N8 video editor, you'll see a pattern of musical notation above your video clips. It's there to indicate there's a background track, and helps you identify which project still needs a final audio polish.

4. Edit as you shoot
We touched on this in our guide to Hollywood-grade HD home movies, but it's worth recapping as a top tip: The N8 video recorder lets you pause between shots, without ending the clip. It has the effect of inserting jump-cuts between shots, while reducing the amount of clips you need to import at the editing stage.

Plan your shoot well, and you'll be able to group shots as they're recorded, saving you time when it comes to chopping them up.

3. One touch editing
You don't have to go through the lengthy process of loading the Nokia N8 video editor and importing your clips manually each time you want to edit them. Say you're browsing the photo library, and spot a video you shot which could do with a quick trim. Just press it, hold it and tap "edit" and the Nokia N8 will automatically import it into the video editor. Hey presto, you're ready to work your editing magic!

2. Multi-function handles
If you're editing text into your videos, keep an eye out for a multi-function toggle when controlling its size and shape. Add text to your video timeline, and you'll see a rotation icon above the words "Enter text here". Tap it, so it's selected and coloured blue, then use the "handles" around the text to rotate it. If you'd rather use those handles for resizing, just tap the rotation toggle again, and resize at will!

1. Multitask while editing movies
The Nokia N8 is a multitasking powerhouse, but it's so slick you'd hardly notice the clever stuff going on underneath, and how it can supercharge your video editing. Say you've chopped together a visual masterpiece, but can't find the right soundtrack to accompany it.

Don't quit the N8 video editing app, just hold down the N8 menu button to call up the multitasking control and scroll to the browser. If the browser isn't open, tap the menu button and load it – don't worry, the N8 video editor app will stay open in the background.

Now you're free to scour the web for free audio files to accompany your video. Also, remember to check out Nokia Music, where you can buy music to suit your movie. Once it's saved to the N8's memory, hold down the menu button, skip back to the video editing app, and add it from the music library before hitting save.

Nokia N8: How to optimise movies on N8 for HD TV playback

Posted: 15 Sep 2010 10:30 PM PDT

The Nokia N8 has a HDMI output to put movies and pictures on the big screen in your living room. It's the easiest way to show off your movies, whether shot yourself, copied from a PC or bought form the web, since it carries Full HD pictures, and even surround sound. Read on, and make the most of your Nokia N8's HD abilities.

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Successful hook-ups
The Nokia N8 has a mini HDMI socket on its top edge. Flip up the plastic flap and you'll see it, just waiting to slap high definition pictures all over the nearest TV.

Look inside the Nokia N8 box and you'll find an adapter cable to connect that mini HDMI socket to its full-size counterpart on your TV. If you have a surround sound set-up at home, try plugging the Nokia N8 into your surround sound receiver instead, since the Nokia N8 can output audio in Dolby Digital Plus surround sound.

All about the codecs
Video codecs are responsible for every aspect of a video file's appearance, quality and ultimately dictate how well your Nokia N8 will perform when hooked up to a TV. For that reason, if you're playing files from your PC or Mac you'll need to make sure you encode them with the correct codec, so they display correctly.

The Nokia N8 supports playback of files encoded with the H.264 codec, which is best suited to high definition video. If you're transferring a video from a computer to the N8, make sure it's saved using this codec. Doing so is easy, thanks to free software such as Handbrake. Download it, open the file you want to transfer to the Nokia N8, and choose an MP4 file, with H.264 as the video codec.

The size (or resolution) of your clip can be anything you like, and will often depend on the source file, but generally speaking, the bigger the resolution the better it'll look, and since the Nokia N8 will happily handle files up to Full HD, you needn't worry about them not playing on the big screen. Likewise, you'll want a minimum framerate of 24 fps to keep things looking smooth.

Treat your ears to surround sound
Load up the Nokia N8 with a video file packed with surround sound, and hook it up to a surround sound system at home, and your ears are in for an absolute treat. The Nokia N8 has Dolby Digital Plus surround sound technology inside, ready to funnel sound to five speakers, plus a subwoofer.

For files to get the surround sound treatment, they need to be encoded as MPEG4 Dolby Digital Plus Surround Sound files. They're tricky to make at home, so you'll most likely get them from video download stores, or as a file included on "Digital Copy" equipped DVDs or Blu-rays.

The first 10,000 Nokia N8 handsets sold will come with Terminator Salvation in HD on a USB stick, ready to be loaded onto the N8 and played back in top quality on your TV. There's surround sound included too, and it's the perfect demonstration that your new N8 is as much a media centre as a phone!

Shoot for HD, not for TV
If you're creating your own movies with the N8, ready for playback on a HD TV there are a few things to bear in mind, above and beyond our shooting and editing tips. The first relates to clip quality.

If you've had a rummage through the N8 video recorder settings, you'll see there's the option to choose what quality it records in. Lower qualities will save a bit of storage space, but Nokia's names for the different settings could be a little confusing.

Dive into the N8 camera, switch to video mode and tap "Options" in the lower left corner of the screen. Tap "Settings" and you'll see all the aspects of the N8 video camera that can be tweaked. Top of the list is "Video Quality".

Dive into it, and you'll see there's a vertical scroll bar to choose how high the N8 video quality for your own clips is. Nokia calls the middle-ground of this list "TV High Quality" but don't be mislead, if you film at that quality and hook up to a HD TV, your footage won't look its best.

Instead, make sure you choose High Definition, to make sure you're recording in the very best quality for playback on a TV. When set to this mode, the Nokia N8 shoots video in 720p HD, which is slightly below the quality you'll get from a Blu-ray, but still guaranteed to look eye-popping on the big screen.

Nokia N8: Price your ears above all others with Dolby Digital Plus

Posted: 15 Sep 2010 10:30 PM PDT

The Nokia N8 looks great, but also sounds fantastic, with Dolby Digital Plus inside to fine-tune audio output, whether it's from music, movies or games. Read on, and head how the Nokia N8 price your ears above all others.

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Surround sound (where available)
The Nokia N8 can pipe home theatre-class surround sound to your TV when connected using its HDMI socket. It's a feature that elevates the N8 from humble smartphone to portable entertainment centre.

What's more, squeezing surround sound from your TV is dead simple. So simple, it just takes one cable. Hook it up to your TV or surround sound system using the HDMI socket in the top of the phone and the included adapter. Just like hooking up a Blu-ray or DVD player, the N8 will send HD pictures and video down the cable, giving you a true home theatre experience, without any of the hassle of swapping discs.

We're talking HD output and full 5.1 surround sound, backed by Dolby processing so it sounds amazing, and as tasty as that is, it's just the appetiser.

Supercharged stereo
The Dolby technology inside the Nokia N8 doesn't just spit out luscious surround sound audio for home theatre systems. Say you're watching a surround sound movie on the move, using standard headphones. No problem, you won't miss any of the audio tracks, since Dolby Digital Plus is smart enough not to simply select the front left and right tracks, instead you'll get something more special.

Dolby Digital Plus analyses the audio tracks and creates a down-mix to combine them all. It does this in real-time, using the power of the Nokia N8, to make sure the sound you hear is rich and realistic. You'll be able to pick out dialogue without effort but still hear sound effects and music.

Musical maestro
When the Nokia N8 is playing music through headphones, Dolby Mobile technology is hard at work inside. It smooths out the volume of tracks so there're no jarring leaps in loudness, and even enhances stereo separation, to give you the feeling of being sat in the middle of a concert hall, rather than on the bus.

Of course, the Nokia N8 has a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, so you can use your own cans, and Dolby Mobile technology works to make sure every audio signal leaving the phone sounds a good as it possible can.

And surround sound abilities extend to the N8's music playback too. Audio purists will be glad to know the N8 can play music files encoded with Dolby Digital Plus, meaning they're packed with surround sound data, not just the standard stereo channels.

A movie library in your pocket
You'd be forgiven for thinking that, because they're full-blown surround sound movies in HD, the films stored on a Nokia N8 would swamp the phone's memory. Not so. Dolby Digital Plus is a more efficient storage method for surround sound audio than Dolby Digital 5.1, and means more data can be crammed into the Nokia N8's internal storage.

How many movies can the N8 carry? Around 30, with full surround sound and 720p HD visuals. It's like carrying a movie library with you everywhere, with the added advantage of being able to pitch up at a friend's house and put on a show using their TV!

Neat card trick
The Nokia N8 is even smart when it's switched off. Say you've got a file encoded with Dolby Digital Plus saved to a memory card slipped into the N8. Even if you don't want to watch it through the N8 itself, you can use the Nokia smartphone as a USB drive, even if it's switched off.

Just hook the Nokia N8 up to a PC or Mac, or even a set top box or games console, and its memory card will become available, ready to offload all that surround sound-encoded goodness.

Future proof sound
The Dolby Digital Plus technology inside the Nokia N8 currently outputs audio in 5.1 surround sound. That's enough to make the most of most home cinema set-ups, with two speakers for the front left and front right, two rear left and right speakers, a centre speaker and a subwoofer. But that's just the start.

The Dolby Digital Plus system supports more channels, all movie makers need to do is add the extra audio to movie files, so when you load them up onto the N8 and connect it to a home theatre with enough speakers, everything works just fine.

With all that technology inside, the Nokia N8 is in some ways better future-proofed than a home cinema system packing Blu-ray. It's got tons of storage space, is ready to slap HD images all over your TV, outputs in the best possible surround sound, and is upgradable in the future without any effort on your part too! All you need to enjoy it is your very own Nokia N8.

Nokia N8: How to Facebook faster and smarter in 10 minutes

Posted: 15 Sep 2010 10:30 PM PDT

The Nokia N8 has Facebook down to a tee, with a built in Social app and a smart homescreen widget, but there're still ways you can Facebook faster and smarter with the new Nokia smartphone. Read on, and we'll make you a Facebook officionado with the N8 in 10 minutes.

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Minute 1: Set up Social
The first step to Facebooking at speed is to set up the Nokia N8 Social app. You'll find it tucked away inside the Applications menu. Fire it up, tap the Facebook logo and type in your login details. This is Nokia's own ultra-smart Facebook app, and makes keeping in touch with friends quick and simple. It should take less than a minute to set up, giving you time to have a quick scroll around before step two…

Minute 2: Add Social to your homescreen
Once you've logged in to Facebook through the N8 Social app, flick back to the N8 homescreen screen and find a free space, tap and hold it and you'll see gaps for widgets highlighted. Find a free one, marked by a plus sign, and tap it. Scroll down the list of available widgets, and choose Social.

Soon you'll see updated appearing from friends' social networks on your homescreen, without having to check manually. Just glance at your phone, and see what your buddies are up to!

Minute 3: Tap updates directly
Once you've got the Nokia N8 Social widget on your homescreen, you'll start seeing updates from friends appearing automatically, but there's no need to dive into the Social App to see them in full, just tap the widget when it's containing a message from friends and you'll zip right to the full text within the Social app.

Minute 4: Search out Friends for direct messaging
Want to drop your friend a message on Facebook, but can't be bothered scrolling through reams of contacts? Just tap into Friend Search in the N8 Social App, type their name (or any part of their name for that matter) and hit search. Once you see their name pop up, just press it and select the option to send them a message. It's that simple!

Minute 5: Add Facebook friends as contacts
After you've tapped a friend in search results to send them a message, why not add their Facebook profile to their contact in your address book?

Do so, and you'll get their Facebook profile picture in your address book, as well as one-touch access to the contact details they've published on Facebook, including e-mail addresses and numbers you might not already have.

Minute 6: Multitask while messaging
So you're typing a message on Facebook and need to double check something. Some smartphones might force you to quit Facebook while you dive into your e-mail, calendar or simply browse the web, but not the Nokia N8. Hold down the menu button on the front of the N8, and you'll see all your open apps and menus as thumbnails, tap one, and you'll zip straight to it.

Can't see what you want? Then tap the menu button again and you'll head back to the main menu. When you want to return to Facebook, just hold down the menu button again, and switch back to the multitasking social app you left open, mid-message.

Minute 7: Manage your Facebook Groups while mobile
Some Facebook phones let your browse your friends' updates, and write your own, but stop short of offering every Facebook feature, such as Groups. Not the Nokia N8. Fire up the N8 Social app, dive into Facebook and tap the second icon from the right to see your own groups. Tap one, and you'll see the option to send a message to every member, right from your phone.

Minute 8: Combine your calendars
Tap the centre icon at the top of the N8 Social app's Facebook page, and you'll see upcoming events created by your friends on Facebook. They'll include parties, birthdays and special events.

That's great in itself, but what if you forget to check Facebook and miss an event? Never fear, just tap an event and you'll see an option to add it to the N8 calendar too, as well as one-touch options to send messages to the organiser through Facebook or Text, as well as a one-touch button to give them a call, assuming they've added their phone number to Facebook.

Minute 9: Zip back home
Want to zip back to the Social App main menu no matter where you are? It's easy, just tap the social icon, which looks like three people grouped together, and you'll find yourself back at the main Social screen.

Minute 10: Message more places at once
By now, you've mastered Facebook. What's next? Twitter, of course! And the Nokia N8 Social app makes doing that dead easy. Just set up a twitter account and log in using the Social App. Next, tap into All Activity from the Social app main menu and hit "Update status".

Whatever you write here will be sent to Facebook friends and Twitter followers alike, saving you time and keeping everyone informed of your updates!

Nokia N8: Ultimate guide to hardcore mobile gaming

Posted: 15 Sep 2010 10:30 PM PDT

The Nokia N8 games experience is a stonker. Nokia's combined a screaming processor, powerful graphics and a great screen with tons of storage and an accelerometer for motion control. The N8 is the best Nokia games phone ever made.

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Ovi Store inside
The Ovi Store has tons of games for the Nokia N8, with titles to suit all tastes, from racing sims to strategy titles and tests of mental dexterity. It's a gamer's paradise, with top-drawer titles such as Doodle Jump and Angry Birds ripe for the picking.

To stuff your N8 with games, just fire up the main menu of the Nokia N8 and tap the Ovi Store icon. At the top of the store there's a button to see categories, under which you'll find games. From here, there's a smorgasboard of time-killing, mind-bending and finger-twitching N8 games to choose from.

Look out for 3D graphics
The N8 packs OpenGL 2.0 for ultra-slick 3D graphics from the likes of 3D racing title Asphalt 5 to stick-ball simulator, Real Golf 2011. If you see a mention of OpenGL in the Ovi Store, you'll know there's top notch graphics in store, since the Nokia N8 can power through complex games and give you a bonafide console experience on your mobile phone.

Super-responsive touch control
The Nokia N8 screen is a capacitive touchscreen, which responds to even the lightest touch from a fingertip. Brush through menus, or flick opponents and you'll see that N8 games are incredibly responsive. Take Angry Birds for a spin, and you'll see that adjusting the angle of your attack is easy, even if you're making fine alterations to your birds' trajectories.

Try a racing game like Road To Hell 3D and you'll be glad of the accurate touchscreen, which makes cornering and sharp braking a cinch. No double-taps to make sure you've pressed the right control, just put your finger to the N8 screen and game with confidence.

Accelerometer control
The Nokia N8 doesn't just sense taps and prods to its screen, but also movement. There's an accelerometer inside, which means you can control some games by tilting the phone or shaking it.

Look for motion, or accelerometer-control in games descriptions within the App Store, and you'll know the game will respond to your movements as well as your touch. Labyrinth Lite is a great starting point for motion gamers, it's free, responsive and like all good games, insanely addictive.

Big screen gaming
The Nokia N8 has a HDMI output, and all the necessary adapters included in the box, so in just a few seconds you can hook up the Nokia to your HD TV, and enjoy N8 games on the big screen.

Once you've plugged in a HDMI cable, the Nokia N8 mirrors its display to the big screen, so everything on the phone appears on the TV. It's simple, fuss free and guaranteed to wow your mates. In between gaming sessions you can use the feature to play HD movies from the N8 too.

Wireless audio
The Nokia N8 supports two types of wireless audio, letting you play games without a tangle of headphone cables. Either use a pair of Bluetooth headphones, which connect without wires and, if they also include a microphone, can double up as a headset to let you make calls hands-free, or use the Nokia N8 FM transmitter, which is built-in.

Simply head into the "settings" screen and tap "Connectivity" followed by "FM Transmitter". Choose a frequency to broadcast on, and switch the transmitter on. Now you can tune in a home stereo to your Nokia N8 and enjoy in-game music and sound effects at room-filling volumes while you play.

Multitasking gamers
The Nokia N8 multitasks, letting it run several apps at once. That's great for serious apps and communication, and also a boon for gamers. If a call comes in while you're playing a Nokia N8 game, it'll simply pause and switch applications while you take the call. When you return to your game it'll be exactly where you left off.

Multitasking is still missing from some mobile platforms, but the N8 handles a whole host of apps at once with ease, smartly shifting between them and remembering where you left off each time.

Exclusive Games
The Ovi Store has lots of new games to explore, as well as some familiar titles. But there are a few treats in store too, in the shape of exclusive games only available to Nokia ovners. Bounce Boing Battle is one, created by Nokia to show off multiplayer gaming abilities of its phones.

Fire it up and play against a friend with their own touchscreen Nokia phone. You'll bounce a ball between your phones, drawing lines on your own screen to deflect the gameplay to your rival's screen.

It's fast paced, furious, and fun. It also shows off the smart technology inside your new Nokia N8.

Flash games too!
As if the Nokia N8 gaming features above weren't enough, Nokia's web browser also runs Flash just fine, meaning there's an internet full of Flash games to enjoy on the move. With the N8 in your pocket, you'll have a ton of entertaining diversions within reach, as well as the very latest mobile gaming technology.

Nokia N8: 10 tips to becoming a Twitter guru

Posted: 15 Sep 2010 10:30 PM PDT

The Nokia N8 twitter client is built into the Social app, tucked away in the Applications menu. Use it, and you can become a Tweeting guru, dispensing advice to followers by the thousand, all using the power of the N8. Read on, and we'll show you how it's done.

Register your interest in the Nokia N8

1. Choose a memorable name
It might sound obvious, but if you pack your Twitter ID with awkward characters, weird number combinations or unfamiliar words then you'll be hard to remember, and therefore hard to message.

Try keeping things simple and simply using your own name as a Twitter handle. If that's not possible, a play on words or a humourous take on your own name usually goes down well. Last name Jones? Jonesatron might be available. Or Jonesomatic. Have a think, and choose something that'll trip off your Twitter followers' digital tongues.

2. Keep your updates original
Whether you're dispensing advice, wheeling out jokes or sharing links to interesting websites, make sure everything you push out to Twitter is original. It'll help you stand out from the crowd, and give your followers all the more reason to recommend you to others.

3. Avoid repetition
It's a common sense rule, but one your followers will appreciate: avoid repeating yourself, even if you often tweet about the same subject matter. The more original your tweets, the more indespensible you will become to those following you.

4. Tweet often
If your followers are also following lots of people, make sure you tweet regularly. This will give you a better chance of being noticed, and therefore a better chance of being re-tweeted, and of gathering followers. It'll also mean you get the most out of Twitter. Worried you'll run out of things to say? Don't be. Remember, you don't just have to broadcast your opinion, you can ask questions and respond to others too.

5. Tweet photos too
Don't limit your tweets to just text. Tap the camera icon next to the update box at the top of the Twitter page within the Nokia N8 social app, and you'll be prompted to upload a previously taken photo, or snap something fresh for your audience.

You'll see the image uploads, and a short web link, or URL, is added to your Tweet. When your followers tap that URL they'll see your photo.

6. Reply and respond
If someone messages you, either by including your name in a tweet of their own or by sending you a direct message, make sure you reply directly to let your followers know you're dedicated and appreciate their responses.

You'll see whenever someone mentions you in public by tapping on the @ button at the top of the Twitter screen of the N8 Social app. Direct messages are private from the Twitterverse, and can be seen by tapping the envelope icon at the top of the screen.

If you're sent too many messages to realistically reply to each one, make sure you thank everyone who responded in an overall tweet. It's just good manners.

7. Use hashtags
A hashtag is a way to mark your tweet as being about a specific subject. They're usually tied to events, or online trends. For example, the Nokia N8 launch will be heralded by tweets chirruping around the globe, containing #n8. The benefit of a hashtag is you can follow a conversation easily, just by tapping the search icon at the top right of the N8 Social app's Twitter screen, and typing the hashtag into the search box.

8. Indulge in Follow Friday
There's a tradition amongst Twitterers that every Friday you recommend a few of the people you follow for others to check out. Simply do this by tweeting "Follow Friday" followed by their names. Veteran Twitter addicts use the hashtag #FF to save a few precious characters and squeeze in extra long usernames.

9. Other daily Twitter memes
A meme is a trend that takes hold of the Twitterverse for a while, before disipating. Most are short lived, but a few (like Follow Friday) recur once a week. Want to get involved and show you're a real Twitter guru? Try these for size, and naturally, include the correct hashtag each time:

#MusicMonday – Tell people what you're listening too. You might discover something new in return.

#TwitterTuesday – the same as Follow Friday, but for Tuesdays, obviously.

#WisdomWed – Created by @BenParr, this meme encourages you to tweet advice to your followers, and learn something yourself in the process

#Rtthursday – Meant to encourage Tweeters to re-tweet their favourite tweets, it'll put you in the good books of whoever's updated you parrot too.

#Caturday – Saturday is the day Twitter gets taken over by cat lovers and owners. Expect cute photo overload.

On Sunday, Twitter rests. Well, not really, but maybe that's the day to make up your own meme? You can track its progress with the search tool within the N8 Social app.

10. Play nice
If there's a golden Twitter rule to follow, it's to be nice and polite. Nobody likes a pottymouth, or a trouble maker, so play nice and you'll fit in well in Twitterville.

Other common sense rules apply too, including giving credit where it's due when you share a link, idea or even a joke. Tweeters have a mutual respect for each other, and fostering that will mean you stay no the right side of the Twitterati.

Nokia N8: How to create Hollywood-grade HD home movies

Posted: 15 Sep 2010 10:30 PM PDT

The Nokia N8 camera isn't just great at taking still photos, it'll shoot eye-tingling video in HD too. Follow our Nokia N8 video guide, and you'll find yourself shooting Hollywood-grade home movies that send your friends' jaws to the floor.

Register your interest in the Nokia N8

Plan your shoot
The best videos might look like they were spontaneous and shot in just a few minutes, but by putting in a bit of planning you can guarantee a professional result and a home movie that'll put Spielberg to shame.

Grab a pen and paper and sketch your shots in a storyboard fashion. Envisage the story you're trying to tell, and plot a start, middle and end. You can do this even if the event you're filming with the Nokia N8 is itself un-planned. For example, a kids' birthday party is a highly unpredictable scenaro, but you'll still be able to plan a shot of the partygoers arriving, birthday candles being blown out, party games and a closing shot of a lounge strewn with wrapping paper.

Story board those ideas, and use the N8 camera's viewfinder to test the framing of any potentially awkward shots before you start shooting. This will remove any problems that could arise when you pick up the Nokia N8 for the all-important filming, and give you a solid base for creating your home movie masterpiece.

Shoot in sequence
The Nokia N8 camcorder is unusual, in that it lets you pause recording without creating separate clips. This is a feature usually only found on full-blown video cameras, and helps enormously when filming an event in chronological order.

By pausing in between shots, you can create a rough edit as you go. The places where you pause will create jump cuts between scenes when you play the clip back later. If you want to edit it further, those breaks could act as markers, making the process faster too.

For example, if you've planned your storyboard well, some sequences can be shot and edited together at the same time. Pausing the Nokia N8 video recorder between those shots rather than stopping it completely will mean you create the finished movie, even as you shoot.

Shoot with variety in mind
Whatever you video with the Nokia N8, make sure you vary the shots you use. Don't, for instance, film all the people in your video from the front. Use a variety of shots, and edit them together later to keep a high level of interest from your viewers.

For example, if you're filming a birthday cake with candles try filming it from above, and the side, as well as head on as its candles are snuffed.

In some circumstances, you should even film the same event several times from different angles. This will let you cut between them to give the illusion your video has been filmed with multiple cameras. Make sure this is planned carefully at the storyboarding stage though, since asking a child to blow candles out several times on their birthday might not go down too well with parents.

Important importing
The Nokia N8 video editor gives you a comprehensive cutting room in your pocket, ready to slice up clips and piece them together with aplomb. Tap into "Video Editor" within the Nokia N8 applications menu and you'll be presented with two options.

The first offers to "easily create a video from your photos and video clips" while the second lets you "make a stylish slideshow from your photos". Once you've shot a few clips, choose the first option.

You'll see the video timeline appear, completely empty at first. Fill it by tapping the illuminated "Select media" icon in the lower left of the Nokia N8 screen. You can choose several clips at once, letting you import all your footage by tapping separate clips to mark them with a tick, before hitting the large tick icon in the lower left corner of the screen.

Edit with ease
Once your clips are imported into the N8 video editor, you can re-order them by pressing and holding them, and dragging them around. Once they're in the right order it's time to begin editing.

The first step is to remove any unwanted parts of your clips. Select the clip you want to edit by dragging the timeline so it's under the 'playhead' – the small triangle at the top of the timeline. Now tap the "Edit" button, which looks like a film strip with a pair of scissors. You'll see the clip in the centre of the screen, and markers showing where it begins and ends. Drag these to move them and select only the part of the clip you want to keep.

Tap the tick icon in the lower left of the screen when you've trimmed the clip and the Nokia N8 will discard the extra material, leaving only the clip you want left behind. Repeat this process with any clips that need trimming.

Add transitions
Once your clips are in the right order, and of the right length, you'll want to add transitions. These include wipes, blends and other animations to move between two clips smoothly. To insert a transition, tap the plus symbol between two clips and browse the transitions on offer.

To test a transition, tap it, then press the play button. You'll see a rough approximation of its effect, but not in full quality. Tap the tick in the bottom left corner of the screen to confirm the transition, and the Nokia N8 will be all set to render your video.

To see the finished article in full quality, hit the disk icon in the bottom left of the main N8 video editing screen. This will make the Nokia N8 save your creation, and once it has done so, begin playing it back in full quality, full screen.

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Thursday, 16 September 2010

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