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If you have Nokia GPRS compatible phone then navigating the world may come cheaper. As Nokia is giving its Ovi maps for free. It has maps for more than 70 countries. It has the following details among others:

* Free Drive navigation

* Free Walk navigation

* Free maps and map updates

* Free Events guides

* Free Lonely Planet guides

* Free Michelin guides

You can download it free by clicking here.

Ovi platform from Nokia is like a store which features utilities, maps, downloads, software etc. To use various services like maps, files, calender etc, you will have to register at Ovi.com.

You can also use Ovi utilities on your computer.

We have heard of the Apple app store. It is probably the best online application store in the world. One can find various utilities from entertainment, games, social networking, travel etc. With iPod Touch and iPhone, Apple App store and iTunes store flourished even more. No wonder this has been envied by other mobile phone handset manufacturers and telecom service providers. So to take on Apple’s might 24 telecom service providers and mobile phone handset makers joined hands to create a single online application platform called Wholesaleappcommunity. The telecom service providers who are on board are América Móvil, AT&T, Bharti Airtel, China Mobile, China Unicom, Deutsche Telekom, KT, mobilkom austria group, MTN Group, NTT DoCoMo, Orange, Orascom Telecom, Softbank Mobile, Telecom Italia, Telefónica, Telenor Group, TeliaSonera, SingTel, SK Telecom, Sprint, Verizon Wireless, VimpelCom, Vodafone and Wind. Also, they are supported by handset makers like LG Electronics, Samsung and Sony Ericsson. The store is not yet online. And the site claims it will take at least another 1 year before we can see the app store online.

We have already seen Ovi store from Nokia, which received mixed response. We got to wait see how Wholesaleappcommunity evolves. For this will decide the fate of the multi vendor backed online application store.