If you've been desperately searching for a way to motion-control your brand new N97, look no further -- Zeemote's got your back. The company's JS1 controller has just added drivers for every S60 3rd and 5th Edition device on the market -- N97 and 5800 XpressMusic included -- plus a whole host of S60-based LGs and Samsungs like the INNOV8 and the KT770. Of course, that doesn't solve the whole issue of N-Gage incompatibility with many of these, but the JS1 can also be used for nifty parlor tricks like web browsing; combine that with the 5800's included desk stand and you've got the couch potato's ultimate mobile setup. [Warning: PDF link]

Typically, you expect Flash Lite updates (or updates to pretty much any module that comes bundled with the phone, for that matter) to be delivered via firmware bump -- a long, slow, frustrating process that can take weeks or months across all regions and product codes for a given Nokia model -- but refreshingly, a new version of Flash Lite is now available to 5800 XpressMusic owners by a very different method. The rarely-used App Update mechanism in newer versions of S60 is being used to push out Flash Lite 3.1, which is said to "improve web browsing, " add Flash 9 support, MP3 streaming, and add a host of other goodies -- and perhaps most importantly, YouTube's now more usable. Let's hope the N97 has this out of the gate, eh?

What a difference a year and a half makes, eh? It was August of 2007 when Orange first got all weird on Nokia over the then-wild concept of a manufacturer-owned and operated music store -- bear in mind the iPhone hadn't launched very widely at that time -- and look how far we've come. The two companies have just announced that the venerable Nokia 5800 XpressMusic will be available starting May 29 loaded up with Comes With Music, Nokia's all-you-can-eat service that brings endless downloadable tracks through its Music Store. In Orange's case, Comes With Music will be available on any of five special plans starting at £25 a month (about $38), meaning that you'll be able to nab music for the duration of your two-year contract. As long as DRM's in the mix, you're basically locked into your contract for as long as you want the definitive Bryan Adams collection that you've downloaded -- so we're hoping Nokia nixes that nightmare sooner rather than later. And hey, congrats, Orange customers -- you're the first Brits to officially be offered this through a carrier, and you'll be getting it in an "exclusive" black / silver color combo.

Good one, Cincinnati Bell -- you totally got us. Oh, wait. This isn't a joke? For the second time in as many months, the aforesaid carrier has somehow managed to land a white-hot Nokia handset before any other operator in America. This go 'round, the company is becoming the first in the US to offer a subsidized version of Nokia's polarizing XpressMusic 5800, bringing it to customers in the Ohio region for $149.99. Those looking to do without any strings can procure one for $349.99 (which is still $50 less than what Nokia's asking), but it's the bragging rights here that make it all worthwhile. So, how long before a real carrier follows suit?

Update: And here's the press release.

[Thanks, Adam]

After some rather disheartening (albeit unconfirmed) estimates last week that Nokia's Comes with Music service had snagged only 23,000 subscribers in the United Kingdom, Rob Taylor, vice president of Nokia Music says that the company is pretty "happy" with what its learned there so far. He admitted that the UK launch (the service's first) devices -- the 5310 Xpress Music and the 8GB N95 -- were "slightly out of date" at the time pointing out that the service was doing much better in subsequent markets, which all boast the 5800 as their hero device. Taylor said he also recognized that Nokia needed more retail partners to help move units, and that the company is not "giving up" on the UK as a market for CwM, adding that they'll be bringing the 5800 there in the future. No word on when that might happen yet -- but we're going to keep out eyes peeled for you.

Through the magic of modern technology, a phone that begins life as a fancy paperweight stands at least a fighting chance of improving to the point of being very usable, if not downright good -- it all depends on the manufacturer's desire and willingness to see things through, and generally speaking, Nokia has been better than most about getting firmware right over time. It looks like the hotly-anticipated v21 update for the 5800 is starting to light up on various product codes around the world, with Hong Kong (and possibly Pakistan) the first to ring it in with a warm welcome. Major improvements are said to be found in the camera and in the device's overall performance -- so, early updaters, how's it treating you?

It's certainly not unheard of for Nokia to take existing models in its lineup, tweak 'em with slightly improved hardware and software, and re-release them -- see the N85 / N86, N93 / N93i, N95 / N96, and so on -- so we can totally buy that the company's hard at work at updating its 5800 for a future revision. DigiTimes (which admittedly doesn't have a pristine record for nailing these sorts of rumors) cites "sources" with Taiwanese component suppliers as saying that Nokia wants to replace the 5800's resistive touchscreen with a capacitive one -- the S60-based Samsung i8910 does that, by the by -- in an effort to better compete with its rivals. That would certainly make the device more usable and responsive, but in all likelihood, this isn't a simple matter of swapping out a component (how would you use that totally awesome plectrum, after all?) so we'd expect this to be more of an indication that Espoo's looking to move to capacitive going forward, particularly as it transitions over to the Symbian Foundation's builds.

Saying that the 5800's now available in gray might actually be a bit misleading, seeing how all variants of the phone are primarily black -- rather, the colored strip around the phone's beltline is now available in a strapping shade of gray. That marks a change from the red and blue that the phone initially launched in, though you won't find the gray version in just any country; just a handful of lucky markets in Asia and Europe (plus the US, go figure) have launched it so far, so keep your ear to the ground if you're looking to scoop it up locally. It'd look nice if they redid the entire phone in, say, red or white from top to bottom instead of repainting that strip alone, wouldn't it?

[Via Cell Addict Blog]

NOKLA strikes again! The Hong Kong-based doppelganger has concocted its own version of the 5800 XpressMusic, and it looks like they've spared no expense in copying the Finnish phonemaker's handiwork, from the apparent use of Symbian S60 5th Edition to the wavy line-infused screen film. Vietnamese retailer L. A. digital's selling it for 1,900,000 VND, or about $107 US. Peep the video after the break to see this grade-A KIRF unboxed and toyed with.

[Via Daily Mobile]

We're not sure why giant phones are suddenly all the rage, but it seems to be a trend -- Nokia just put up this four-foot 5800 XpressMusic in Antwerp. Unlike the giant Samsung Messager that recently invaded Chicago, it's not actually a working phone, but the custom Flash interface designed by Create Multimedia is meant to mimic the OS as closely as possible -- so we're guessing it's just as frustrating as the real thing. Passerby can play with the Maps app, browse photos, and listen to music through some nifty through-the-glass speakers -- hit the read link for the video.

[Via Nokia Conversations]

Two firmware updates in a month? If you're the 5800 XpressMusic, the answer's yes. Nokia has just pushed out the second update for said smartphone, and this one's packing some serious heat. For starters, the new software promises faster data downloads from the internet, an improved email experience and a better search experience with in-device search. If that's not enough, Nokia's also opening up new camcorder features (second camera support for still image capture in addition to video calls, burst mode that allows people to take multiple pictures one after another without needing to repress the picture taking button) and adding a mobile dictionary with support for 38 languages. Finally, the 'Application Update' gives owners the ability to check (or set to check automatically) for available updates for applications and update them directly in the device. Needless to say, we'd highly recommend you hit this up on the double, and let us know how it goes, yeah?

It's not the company's first touchscreen device, but the 5800 XpressMusic is the first touchscreen device that Nokia has designed to appeal to the masses, and as such, there are certain expectations. By even the most forgiving of standards, Nokia is now officially late to this game -- all of the remaining top-five manufacturers have been offering mass-market touchscreen phones for some time now -- so there's plenty of ground to be made up. What's more, the 5800 marks the retail introduction of S60 5th Edition, the latest incarnation of the world's most ubiquitous smartphone platform; future iterations of this very code will lay the groundwork for the Symbian Foundation's next-gen offensive, so the stakes have never been higher. You might say the weight of the world -- or Finland, at the very least -- is on the 5800's shoulders, but is this unassuming little slate up to the task? Let's have a look.

We'd initially been told that the first round of bunk Nokia 5800s for the North American market would have to be exchanged despite the fact that the 3G reception fix was a simple "configuration change," but now... not so much. Firmware 20.2.014 has just gone live through Nokia's Software Update application, bringing the same rich, buttery 3G quality to buyers of those first few devices. Other than that, changes are unknown and presumed to be minor, so if you're still struggling with getting your 5800 to appreciate the finer things in life -- like HSDPA, for example -- give this one a shot.

[Via Symbian Freak]

Update: We've been contacted by Nokia and told that the "configuration change" cannot, in fact, be fixed via firmware update. Sorry, early adopters, looks like you're in for a date with customer care after all.

We received a call this afternoon from our good friends at the Nokia flagship store in Chicago to let us know that the updated North American version of the 5800 XpressMusic is now in stock and ready to go. This means that existing owners should be good to exchange their units, and of course, new buyers can go ahead and dive in. Not all at once now -- we don't want riots at the entrance, now, do we?