The 14th February is, if you do not know it, Valentine’s Day and it is just around the corner. But our Finnish neighbours treat Valentine’s Day a little bit different. It is about friendship. Valentine’s Day in Finland is referred to as “Ystavanpaiva”, which means ‘Friend’s Day’.

This year, let us celebrate Ystavanpaiva together by remembering our friends, family member or a fellow Nokia community member that you really appreciate. Here is my story below:

I am regularly in touch with my immediately family, mainly my brother and my sister. My sister and I have an unspoken bond that every 4-6 weeks we need and must see one another. My sister is the baby of the family and I am the eldest but we each take responsibility for the other. My brother and I keep in touch regularly, but I see him less frequently – with his nine children, there is little time for idle chit-chat with one’s sister. The rest of my family I see less frequently, generally around my break time from university so it appears to be every quarter.

However, a one day hospital operation last year, went very wrong with my waking up connecting to all sorts of contraptions and involving an extended stay in hospital on what should have been a three hour appointment. When I came home, my family rallied around. I cannot think of anyone who was not there for me. I was visited everyday, dinner was cooked, I was truly taken care of. Make no mistake, when you find yourself in the position I was in, it made all the difference. My mother is overseas but the family more than made up for her absence. I was left wanting for nothing. Therefore, I cannot choose one special person as my Finnish Valentine, my choice is a group of people and they are called my family. Ystavanpaiva! Happy Friend’s Day.

Who would you choose as your Finnish Valentine for Ystavanpaiva? Between now and the 14th write a post on your blog or via the methods below, about one of the best, most inspirational or caring friends in your life.

You can share your stories with Nokia connects via Twitter with #NokiaValentine or by leaving a comment below or via email.

We look forward to your stories.

Sony Ericsson has had a busy year launching over 200 game titles including the popular Need for Speed,Battlefield Bad Company and FIFA 12. In celebration of all the thing you love about Xperia PLAY, comes the new Games blog. The blog will keep you up to date with new games, features, information and more. So start your Christmas early by heading over to the new blog to capture the Xperia PLAY.

New title games out this week include:

Grand Theft Auto

• You may have seen already that Rockstar’s legendary Grand Theft Auto 3 is out now. It is also optimised for Xperia™ PLAY
• Android Market: http://bit.ly/sfOcim

Tank Riders  

Sony Ericsson has announced a very special Christmas gift to Xperia owners. In cooperation with Box every new Xperia owner will receive 50GB of free file sharing storage. The promotion is available to new Xperia owners as well as present customers.

Log into your Box account via the Android app to get your free storage. Android app.

The full press release is below:

Box® give the gift of online storage this festive season
50GB free online storage for digital content such as photos, music and video for all Xperia™ users with Box® for Android. Log into Box® for Android just once to access for lifetime of account

Year-long promotion runs from today until end of 2012

15 December 2011, London, United Kingdom – Sony Ericsson today announced details of a new promotion that will give every Xperia™ owner 50GB of free file sharing and storage in partnership with Box®.  By simply logging into their Box® account through the Box® for Android™ application in the Android™ Marketplace, Xperia™ owners globally will be able to enjoy free cloud storage and file sharing for life.

The Box® promotion begins on 15 December 2011 through until December 31, 2012, and is available to all consumers worldwide who own any Xperia™ smartphone including and released after Xperia™ X10.

“With people taking more pictures, listening to more music and watching more video on their Xperia smartphone than ever before, especially over the holidays, we wanted to make sure that they had the ability to upload their content to the cloud and share  it across multiple devices.  Xperia™ and Box® will provide consumers with access to a massive amount of content on the go putting their smartphone at the very heart of their connected lifestyle,” commented Steve Walker, Chief Marketing Officer, Sony Ericsson.

“As more people bring their personal devices in to work to take full advantage of mobile computing, it is essential that they never have to worry about storage limitations,” said Aaron Levie, co-founder and CEO of Box®. “By partnering with Sony Ericsson we are bringing the full power of Box®’s cloud content management and sharing to those users.

With file sharing and storage from Box®, Xperia™ users are able to access their content from anywhere across multiple devices and applications with extreme ease. Today, Box® helps more than eight million individuals and 100,000 businesses view, upload and share and manage all their content in the cloud and from mobile devices. Now Xperia™ smartphone owners will be able to manage an immense amount of content in the cloud with 50GB of free storage, the equivalent of approximately 50,000 docs, photos and presentations.

TrueCaller has received an update to version 2.70. TrueCaller helps you deal with those unwelcome calls as well as notifying you of the person calling.

TruCaller contains a database with over 1.000.000 reported spam numbers with 390.000 numbers in Indian and a further 260.000 numbers in the United States. In addition to the spam filter TrueCaller provides a telephone phonebook that works worldwide (covering over half a billion numbers and growing). Social networks are at the forefront of our application and you can keep yourself up-to-date with birthdays, profile pictures and much more. The new version is faster, smoother and more lightweight. The application now supports Anna as well as Belle with beautiful buttons to compliment its feature. With the call integration into your call history TrueCaller is one of those must have applications.

The change log is as follows:

- After call screen dialog, gives you the information about the unknown caller after the call in a beautiful way
- Call Filter, easier to use and improved
- SMS Popup, now popping up when phone is locked
- Native Call history integrated
- Faster and light weighted
- A lot of stability improvements
- Battery usage decreased a lot
- Better hand over between 3G and Wifi
- Improved design for touch and non-touch devices
- Russian language added

TrueCaller, a global phonebook, in the palm of your hand! Download for free at from truecaller.com your cellphone today!

Angry Birds the renowned popular game brings a new delight to the game. The story remains centred on the Bad Piggies that have stolen the Angry Birds eggs but the game has been transported into the delights of a cookbook.

Rovio, a global leader in mobile communications in cooperation with Nokia, hosted an Angry Bird’s evening to mark the launch of the new cookbook. During the evening we were offered such delicious recipes from the hands of celebrity chef, Aldo Zilli.

All the recipes on offer are from those in the Angry Birds cookbook and of course, the main ingredient is an egg or two or three. The recipes range across several meals including, breakfast, lunch, and a main meal, and in addition desserts and drinks. While the Bad Piggies cook-up a meal – there are other great features in the book with a short picture story gloriously illustrated on each page as well as fun and games for both adult and children. There are sketches for the children to be artistic and a few spare pages to make those essential notes.

In addition to the cookbook, Rovio announced the release of the Angry Birds Doodle books available in ‘Big Red’ or ‘Big Green’. The books allow your child to doodle and use their imagination to be creative and artistic.

The event was well organised with everyone made comfortable with a play area for the children and activity desks and Doodle books. It did not take long for some of the older children to get stuck in.

So, this Christmas the Angry Birds cookbook brings in a novel and new idea to share with your loved ones.  The cookbook is initially on sale at Waterstone’s and Amazon with other book providers to follow. Thank you to Rovio and Nokia Connects.

The Proporta 3400 TurboCharger is available to fill the gap in those emergencies. You are away from home longer than you thought – that business meeting went on to become an evening meal with drinks – you are out with friends or relatives, the night is long – your train or flight is delayed or you have lots of work to do.

Suddenly, you hear the dreaded sound. The beep-beep warning of your battery as it anxiously calls out for help. In these situations, the Proporta 3400 is your best friend. In addition, if you are similar to me, you just like to know you have the security of a back-up charger should you need it. It is particularly useful for travel and overseas and for those of us who like to have our devices semi-full and not teeter near the edge of battery anxiety.

The Proporta TurboCharger arrives with several different interchangeable phone connectors to charge your phone battery. The Proporta 3400 capacity is sufficient to charge most devices twice – in particular the Apple iPhone. The Proporta TurboCharger will accept any USB/micro USB powered gadgets (including Apple iPhone, Apple iPod, BlackBerry, Nokia Symbian smartphones and most digital cameras, GPS units and mobile phones).

The efficiency of the Proporta 3400 means you can clearly see the status of the TurboCharger via the LED display. In addition, the TurboCharger incorporates a fail-safe that switches it off when it does not detect a device. This is extremely handy, for example if it is switched on accidently by pressure or something knocking against it in your bag – it will switch itself off within a few seconds. Thereby, saving your battery charge for the important times when you will need it.

The Proporta 3400 is small and lightweight and is hardly noticeable in transport. Follow the link below to read more about the Proporta USB 3400 TurboCharger.

[Proporta USB TurboCharger]

In the Classic case sits my iPad 2, but it is just as suited for the original iPad and many other similar sized tablets.

The Classic shouts at the executive business consumer and the sophisticated professional. It calls to the hearts and minds of those who look for classic design, intricate detail, quality material and hand-made features in accessories. The Classic incorporates all these things.

The Classic is constructed of high quality soft leather material, which is available in two exclusive versions: black with a soft delicate glossy leather, and an extraordinary pin-striped brown structure. Both designs will fit any wardrobe.

The Classic is hand-made and has elegant embossing on both sides. The detailing keeps to the tradition of class with delicate seaming around the labels and closure and very intricate seaming around the outer and inner case. The iPad slips smoothly into the case and is held in place by a strong magnetic flap. The inside of the Classic is a soft leather lining. The iPad is easily removed from the case as there is a small groove, which enables quick removal. The inner material is of such a design that it will gently cushion your iPad while it provides protection from the harsh weather and those accidental bumps and bruises.

The Classic Case can be purchased by following the link below.

[bugatti Classic]

Bugatti cases and accessories are designed with you in mind whether you like it fancy or classy.

One of my favourites is the bugatti Slim Case for the iPad. I have the iPad 2 but thecase is in the design of a pouch so its size fits many different tablets including that of the original iPad and the iPad 2. The material used in its construction is SoftTouchNeoprene. The name is very apt because it is very soft and smooth to the touch. The case is smooth all the way around with the stitching concealed inside the case. This makes the case design small and compact, and provides a snugness to protect your tablet from accidental bumps and bruises. I chose the black case and the simple pattern combined with the Bugatti name on the case made a statement of intricate beauty and design. There is a small bugatti logo on the side of the case, which gives it the finishing touch. The inside of the case is reflective of the outside but with a soft lining, which combines to clean your iPad unconsciously while it is being transported. The bugatti Slim Case is available in several colours and can be purchased by following the link below. At a recommended price of €19.95 it is of brilliant value and more than worth the price it asks for with the efficiency of use, the design and the bugatti design label.

[bugatti Slim Case]

Ted Baker is known for its range of designer clothing and following in its solid tradition of quality, seamanship and materials Ted Baker London has produced the Ted Baker iPhone case. The case is made of the finest quality faux leather with intricate seaming around the edges of the case.

The Ted Baker name followings the design colours which matches the lining of the interior. The fashionable interior design is suited to men or women with two signature linings available – Bulldog or Spaceman. Additionally is a featured easy release mechanism allowing quick remove of your iPhone. The Ted Baker case is suitable for either the iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S and provides a snug fit to protect your phone from bumps and bruises in everyday use. The case measures 122 x 78 x 8mm. The case is available from Proporta.com by following the link below.

[Ted Baker Apple iPhone Case]

Android gamers are you ready for an exclusive? 

EA SPORTS FIFA 12 launches today on Sony Ericsson’s flagship gaming device the Xperia PLAY. Fifa 12 arrives as an early unexpected Christmas present and is free. You can download the game via the handset’s game widget.

FIFA 12 brings you experiences unlike any before. Fan’s will enjoy improved gameplay, updated teams from the world’s top leagues, authentic commentaries and an all new replay system and stadium design.

FIFA 12 will also be available exclusively on the wider range of Xperia devices including the acclaimed Xperia arc, Xperia arc S, Xperia ray, Xperio neo and Xperia pro smartphones.

 “Our vision is to create the most authentic FIFA experience that fosters one of the largest football communities on the planet,” said Glenn Roland, VP, EA Interactive, New Platforms and OEM. “By introducing FIFA to Xperia devices we’re able to give fans yet another compelling opportunity to play no matter where they are, anytime, anywhere.” 

“This year, we’ve partnered with EA to bring some of its best titles to Xperia™ PLAY for an unmatched mobile gaming experience,” said Tim Harrison, Head of Content & Strategy at Sony Ericsson. “FIFA is a huge franchise that appeals to football fans around the world and a real highlight in a successful autumn and Holiday season of bringing great content to Xperia™ PLAY.”

Also announced today is Kasabian Footbal Gaming Live. A first for Sony Ericisson and its team mate, rock band Kasabian is the creation of a virtual game of football using the Xperia PLAY smartphones. The gameplay involves controlling real life players on a pitch. Inquisitive to know more? Check out the video below.