STUTTGART, Germany - Creating applications for Nokia devices has just got a whole lot easier. This morning on the second day of Nokia World 09 the Ovi SDK Beta was unveiled, along with a new navigation API. What’s more the new SDK will enable developers to deploy applications across multiple devices, quickly and easily. The new navigation API offers developers the opportunity to bring navigation directly into applications.

The new web-based toolbox offers developers an SDK which will not only enable them to develop for Symbian and Maemo but also for the web. It also brings in a new, distinct, user interface made up of a series of libraries, alongside integrated Ovi features. The Ovi SDK Beta utilizes standard web-based technologies including HTML, CSS and Javascript.

Forming part of the SDK is the Ovi Navigation Player API. This sits alongside the previously launched Ovi Maps Player API which developers have already being using to create innovative new applications. Adding navigation to the mix offers a wealth of new app opportunities (apportunities anyone?) including the ability to guide app users to specific destinations.

The SDK Beta is available now by invitation, go to Forum Nokia to register your interest.

The world's largest handset maker, Nokia unveiled on Thursday its first phone running on Linux software, aiming at improving its offering at the top end of the market.

"As Nokia announces the software platform that will drive its future services aspirations it created a dedicated solutions unit -- the challenge will be to ensure that all these elements work in harmony in the face of fierce competition from Apple and Google,"

said Ben Wood, head of research at CCS Insight.

The new N900 model, with cellular connection, touch screen and slide-out keyboard, will retail for around 500 euros ($712), excluding subsidies and taxes.

Nokia said Linux would work well in parallel with Symbian in its high-end product range.

"Open source Symbian is going to be our main platform, and we are expanding and growing it the best we can, both in terms of functionality as well as distribution ... populating more and more of our product line with Symbian,"

[via reuters]

Finnish mobile phone maker Nokia has been recently rumored to be on its way to come to the market with a new device that would run under Google's Android operating system, yet it seems that the company does not plan to make such a move. The only mobile operating system that is and will be on the company's chart is its Symbian platform.

Following a report from The Guardian, which cited industry insiders and stated that the world's largest handset maker planned on joining the general trend on the market and moving towards the Android platform, Nokia issued a statement earlier today and denied any connections between it and Google's mobile operating system.

“There is no truth to this story whatsoever,” the statement from the company reads. “It is a well known fact that Symbian is our platform of choice for smartphones.” According to The Guardian, said Nokia Android device was expected to surface as soon as September this year, being aimed at strengthening the company's position on the market, considering the fact that it has lost a lot of market share to its rivals lately.

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