Nokia

Nokia is the global cell-phone leader, with sales of 329 million units in 2009. Yet when it comes to feature-packed smartphones in some markets, including the U.S., analysts say Nokia is under threat from rivals Apple, Research In Motion, and Google.

Nokia Corp. may be the world's top cell phone maker, but it's no longer a trendsetter, as a host of inventive and alluring technologies from North America is shifting the center of gravity in the cellular universe away from Europe.

Despite efforts to boost its position in the U.S., Nokia is struggling to compete with Cupertino, California-based Apple Inc. -- maker of the iPhone -- and Canadian smartphone maker Research in Motion, which makes the BlackBerry.

Intel and Nokia are combining their Moblin and Maemo operating systems to create a unified Linux-based platform that will run on a wide range of mobile computing devices, including advanced cellular handsets, netbooks, tablet computers, TV sets, and in-vehicle infotainment systems. Called MeeGo, the new open-source platform is expected to launch on next-generation devices from Nokia and perhaps other vendors in the second half of this year.

The stock prices of TomTom and Garmin fell Thursday in the wake of Nokia's rollout of a free mobile app that delivers turn-by-turn navigation voice guidance in 74 countries. Nokia's Ovi Maps currently can be downloaded onto 10 Nokia smartphones, including the Nokia E72, N97 mini, 5800 XpressMusic, and 6730 classic.

Nokia unveiled a free version of its Ovi Maps navigation software Thursday that provides turn-by-turn navigation on the company's smartphones. Analysts expect the move will have a major impact on the mobile-communications and personal-navigation industries, and could potentially be more disruptive than Google's navigation offering.

Nokia ofrece navegación gratis por GPS a conductores y peatones para los clientes de sus teléfonos inteligentes. El servicio alcanza a 74 países y 46 idiomas. Con esta oferta va muchos más allá que sus rivales Google o Apple. El cliente podrá descargar los mapas en Ovimaps, así como guías de distintas ciudades como las de Lonely Planet. Los mapas estarán almacenados en el terminal, y por lo tanto su empleo será gratuito para el propietario del teléfono.

Nokia ofrece navegación gratis por GPS a conductores y peatones para los clientes de sus teléfonos inteligentes. El servicio alcanza a 74 países y 46 idiomas. Con esta oferta va muchos más allá que sus rivales Google o Apple. El cliente podrá descargar los mapas en Ovimaps, así como guías de distintas ciudades. Los mapas estarán almacenados en el terminal, y por lo tanto su empleo será gratuito para el propietario del teléfono.

Whatever might be said of its methods and accuracy, there is little question that the Greenpeace "Guide to Greener Electronics" has become an important fixture on the consumer electronics scene.

In August 2006, Greenpeace took its first stab at ranking the green bona fides of 14 makers of consumer electronics. In a nutshell, the appraisals hinged on the elimination of certain hazardous chemicals and a willingness to take responsibility for products across their life cycles, through take-back programs, recycling and other efforts.

From sinner to saviour: After years of heat from Greenpeace about its environmental record, Apple has become the example par excellence in the eyes of the ecology group after it studied the issue.

At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas on Thursday, Greenpeace heaped praise not only on Apple but also cell-phone makers Nokia and Sony Ericsson for their products and information technology guidelines.

At the bottom of the list in the Greenpeace study were Samsung, Dell, Lenovo and LG Eletronics.

Options traders are betting Nokia Oyj will gain 14 percent by Feb. 19 as the world's biggest maker of handsets returns to profit and investors bet the company is about to introduce technology.

Speculation that Nokia will rise pushed the number of bullish options on the stock to almost double the level of bearish ones, the highest ratio in about a year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.