CTIA show

At its CTIA booth Nokia showed a new camera phone application that will allow users to get information about an object. Point & Find is a downloadable app that uses real-time image processing and recognition technologies to access information related to books, movies, DVDs and similar media content.

Point & Find with the Nokia N95

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET)

Though Nokia officially unveiled Point & Find back in San Francisco at the Web 2.0 conference, I got see a demonstration in Las Vegas. The Nokia rep pointed an N95 at a poster for the movie Ice Age 3. You don't actually have to take a photo--all you need to do is point the camera at the poster. Within seconds we were able to watch a trailer and get information about the flick. As Ice Age 3 won't be in theaters until this summer we weren't able to get read reviews or get local show times, but Point & Find promises such capability for current films.

Beyond media content, Point & Find also can read bar codes, and it will support GPS data and text-entry search. Though Point & Find is primarily a consumer application, companies will be able to use the technology to market specific products.

Once downloaded, Point & Find and the related content sit directly on the phone so there's no need to connect back to a server to access content for most objects. Nokia says it will offer frequent updates to keep the database current, though we imagine that not everything in the world will be captured.

During our demo, Point & Find appeared to be intuitive and responsive. Since it's not an NFC technology there's no need to capture a specific bar code-like image on the movie poster. As long as you can frame most of the poster, you should be good to go.

For now Point & Find is available on the Nokia N95 and Nokia N95 8GB phones, though Nokia says more supported handsets are on the way. On the upside, the initial download and updates are free to consumers.

The 1661 is for making calls.

(Credit: Nokia)

Nokia may have a big booth at CTIA, but so far the company's news has been light. Besides the E71x for AT&T, Nokia's only other new cell phone in Las Vegas is the 1661 for T-Mobile's prepaid service. The low-end handset sports a simple candy bar design with basic features. The handset is dual-band (GSM 850/1900), which means it will only work in North America.

Inside you'll find an FM radio, messaging, a 250-contact phone book, a speakerphone, a calendar, and an alarm clock. Yet, there is one unique touch. On the 1661's top end is a large and bright flashlight. The 1661 will be available later in April. We don't know pricing yet, but we're sure it will be cheap.

Getting a jump-start on CTIA 2009, AT&T Wireless announced on Sunday night the upcoming availability of two messaging-centric smartphones: the Nokia E71x and Samsung Propel Pro.

The two devices are expected to be in stores and online in the coming weeks, joining the carrier's four other new releases, the Samsung Impression, the Samsung Magnet, the LG Neon, and the LG Xenon.

The Nokia E71x has long been rumored for AT&T and is largely like the unlocked Nokia E71, which we reviewed in July.

The AT&T version comes in a sleek black and is currently the thinnest QWERTY smartphone on the market. The GPS-enabled device is compatible with AT&T Navigator for turn-by-turn directions, and it features Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, HSDPA support, and a 3.2-megapixel camera. The E71x comes with a very attractive price tag of $99.99, with a two-year contract and after discounts and rebates.

Meanwhile, the Samsung Propel Pro beefs up the offerings of the Samsung Propel with the addition of Windows Mobile 6.1. The slider phone comes in a cool silver-and-chrome color and also features a full QWERTY keyboard. It also has integrated Wi-Fi connectivity and a 3-megapixel camera.

The Propel Pro will be available on April 1 for $149.99 with the standard contracts and rebates.

While the Nokia 6500 Classic represents everything we've come to expect from a Nokia phone, the Nokia 7205 Intrigue for Verizon Wireless is everything that surprises us. The flip phone's design is so thin and shiny that the uninitiated might confuse it with a Samsung device. It's certainly eye-catching, but the trendy design entails a few usability compromises. Inside, the story is more straightforward: you'll find a midrange feature set that includes a 2-megapixel camera, EV-DO support, and GPS navigation. Yet, at the end of the day, the average audio quality left us less than intrigued. Check out our Nokia 7205 Intrigue review for the full story or see our Nokia 7205 photo gallery.

Nokia 7205 Intrgue photos

SAN FRANCISCO--Nokia took aim at smartphone rival Research in Motion Tuesday with plans to expand the number of devices that will automatically be capable of accessing Microsoft corporate e-mail.

Nokia N81

On the eve of the CTIA I.T. & Entertainment tradeshow here, Nokia announced it will embed Microsoft Exchange Activesync on all Nokia phones that use the S60 Symbian operating system. As a result, 43 different models of Nokia phones will have easy access to Microsoft corporate email. Nokia will also add the Microsoft Exchange support to all new N-Series and E-Series phones that hit the market in the future.

Until this announcement Nokia offered Microsoft email support as a download for only a handful of devices. But the feature wasn't well publicized, and it was somewhat difficult to download.

Now Microsoft's ActivSync software will be automatically available for 80 million of Nokia's already shipped devices, and it will be available as a standard feature on all new Nokia N-Series and E-Series phones. Having the software embedded on the phone or as an automatic software update makes setting up corporate email access on a Nokia phone so easy that most people can do it themselves without the help of their IT department, said Bill Plummer, vice president of sales and go-to-market for Nokia Americas.

The enhancement is a big deal, especially in the U.S., where Nokia has not made significant traction in the smartphone market. Instead, Research in Motion has dominated the smartphone category in the U.S. with its BlackBerry devices.

The integrated Microsoft email support will now make Nokia a more appealing choice for corporate users. But winning over corporate customers may still be difficult. Nokia rivals such as Palm and Motorola , already have ActiveSync available on their smartphones, and BlackBerry continues to beat these companies. Apple has also introduced Microsoft ActiveSync for its iPhone users.

What's more, most of Nokia's phones that will offer the embedded e-mail software are not sold through carriers in the U.S., which means they aren't subsidized. And with price tags in the range of $450 to $950, Nokia smartphones could be out of reach of some U.S. consumers, especially when all four of the major U.S. carriers offer subsidized BlackBerry's for around $100.

Not too shabby a door prize.

(Credit: Nokia)

As far as giveaways go, CTIA 2008 in Las Vegas was unremarkable. There were copious logo pens, bite-size candy bars, and the usual business card raffles that offer you a chance to win this headphone set or that laptop bag in exchange for license to spam you with product updates. I picked up a cheesy no-slip cell phone gel pad for the car dashboard from LogMeIn and a petite cup of chocolate gelato from Yahoo. CNET smartphone reviewer Bonnie Cha snagged a cute little two-inch mouse, perfect for traveling. Oh, and I also got a Nokia N95. I just didn't know it yet.

Um, about those fish bowl raffles...somehow my business card fell in (I swear, I didn't put it there), and somehow it was pulled back out. Right place, right time. Assuming there was no mix-up at the PR office, and no interception in the mail room, I would soon be the proud owner of one of the best pieces of swag a mobile apps reviewer could expect to get from a wireless conference where neither Apple nor Google effectively existed.

With a five-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, an open, app-friendly operating system, and an awesome media player, it's a pretty sweet prize, especially when it comes with a price tag in the $500 range. I mean, what could possibly be better than a Nokia N95? Oh, yeah. Being able to keep it. According to CNET's judicious policy, I'm rightly compelled to decline the win, and let some other lucky attendee have their chance. That's OK. I'd rather hold out for the Nokia N96 anyhow.

Plotting routes is one of Wayfinder Active's many uses.

(Credit: Wayfinder)

The full product launch of Wayfinder Active is arriving in North America just in time for seasonal outdoor pursuits. This free edition of the premium GPS phone navigation system, Wayfinder Navigator, includes goodies that are just right for outdoor enthusiasts taking their phones on a stroll, jog, hike, or geocaching expedition. There are tools for monitoring your speed, distance, and caloric burn, for mapping routes and points of interest, for pulling up a dynamic compass, and for sharing routes or stats. For solo wanderers, there's also a panic button for calling out your location to an emergency buddy.

Appropriately, Wayfinder Active is hooked to an online social community, where members can share photos, thoughts, and routes, the latter of which are auto-uploaded online using the standard GPX format. Users can also download routes to their phones from the community, and purchase topographic maps by state, province, or country.

Watching the demo was enough to make me want to run out and buy a GPS-enabled phone, or at least go on a leafy, hilly hike. Wayfinder Active is available for most GPS-enabled Java phones, with BlackBerry coming next. Get it online or point the cell phone browser to http://active.getwf.com.

Read up on all the latest cell phone and software news from CTIA Wireless 2008.

Now that's splurging.

(Credit: Kent German/CNET Networks)

You know you're in an expensive shopping mall when even at the cell phone store you can't afford anything. While walking through the posh Wynn Hotel at CTIA, I stopped by the Vertu store to gawk with the other tourists. Of course, Vertu is Nokia's ultraluxury handset line with design accents such as gold plating, leather skins, and real diamonds. They can run in the five-digit range, but in all seriousness, if you have to ask how much they cost, you probably can't afford them. The store's formidable staff discouraged extended browsing, but I recommend a stop at a Vertu store for any serious cell phone nut. Personally, I'd never spend several months salary on a cell phone, but it just goes to show that whatever you're into, there's a market.

Day two of CTIA 2008 is over, and it was quite a breather compared with day one. Our feet actually did not hurt at the end of the day! Here are some highlights from day two of the show.

Nokia kicks off the day by announcing two new basic CDMA/AWS handsets: the Nokia 1606 and the 3606, both of which are probably set for the entry-level to midtier market. Next, Senior Editor Kent German talks up the Samsung Alias, which we knew about before, but was officially trotted out at CTIA.

Sanyo also put out a few new devices, namely the Pro-200 and Pro-700, both are push-to-talk phones using Sprint's QChat service. It also introduced the Katana LX, which promises to be a shinier successor to the Katana II, plus it has a translucent OLED display. UTStarcom snuck in with a new basic handset as well--the CDM7126 is a AWS capable phone that will be available to both Cricket and MetroPCS in different designs.

On the smartphone front, rumors swirled around a phone that's not even at the show. Senior Editor Bonnie Cha waxed about the potential BlackBerry 9000 as well as a GPS-equipped BlackBerry Pearl 8110. And, as far as movie tie-ins go, the only product of that nature is the Iron Man branded LG Shine, which is clad with, we kid you not, a solid 18 karat gold battery cover. It won't be available for retail, and will only be available to a select few who are lucky enough to win it via movie-related contests. Which is fine, because we probably won't be able to afford it anyway.

In other news, Yahoo unveiled an upgrade to its OneSearch product, which CNET Download.com editor Jessica Dolcourt had the pleasure of trying out. Also, Vodafone CEO tells us something we already know--that the mobile Internet is for real and that consumers want it--not just some dumbed down version of the Web.

After the big Samsung Instinct announcement yesterday, Kent German wondered if the Instinct can truly take on the iPhone's dominance, and we invite you to chime in to provide your thoughts.

Rounding out the second day are SMS 2.0 (the capability to text in color), cell phones you can't have, and a pair of cute Samsung speakers. Stay tuned tomorrow as we try to wrap things up and let you know what we thought was the cream of the crop.