Nokia looks into its mobile crystal ball

Nokia has revealed its view of our mobile future at an event at the Nokia Research Centre in Oulu, Finland.

Among the technologies that Nokia thinks will impact the future of connected mobility are more and improved mobile payments and e-banking using near field communications (NFC). We've previously looked at Orange's experiments with NFC.

Sustainable mobile energy sources

Nokia also says that greater emphasis will be placed on the use of more sustainable energy sources for mobiles and related technologies.

The emergence of smart connectivity and beefed up wireless broadband is high up on Nokia's agenda as well. Nokia said that web technologies will continue to drive innovation in the mobile industry forward.

The event, called The Way We Live Next, illustrated how Nokia is working with consumers, companies and research organisations to try out and fast-track new applications and services.

Nokia Mosh

Nokia also demonstrated some new concept technologies, including Nokia Mosh, a one-to-many distribution platform where you'll be able to download applications and content for your mobile phone.

Another new technology is Nokia Point & Find, which will help you discover more about your surroundings using the camera on your mobile phone. The handset will display relevant information about what you are looking at, whether it's a building, area, or another point of interest, fetching real-time information from Nokia's servers.

If you're away on holiday, the Shoot to Translate feature might also come in handy. It's a piece of software that translates written characters into another language. The original text is captured with the camera on your Nokia multimedia phone and the translation of the text happens in real time.

Virtual worlds

Nokia revealed how the line between virtual worlds and the real world is blurring, unveiling the first ever photographic exhibition taking place simultaneously in Second Life and the real world.

"The world of mobile communications is changing at an ever increasing pace," said Tero Ojanperä, Nokia's chief technology officer, in his keynote speech.

"At Nokia, we work with experts in the academic, scientific and developer communities, and increasingly importantly, directly in interaction with our customers. Innovation can come from anywhere, and we need to have the tools and flexibility to respond to that challenge."

Don't hold your breath for some of this stuff coming anytime soon. Nokia said its concept technologies are at least a few years away from being launched.