CORP TALK: Nikkei Tech-On has a feature story on how Sony has plans to tap and grow on its gaming user base on the current PlayStation Network (PSN).

The idea is to help grow and integrate an online platform tentatively known as the Sony Online Service, which will then work with its various devices (TV, cameras, ebooks, mobile phones, etc.) for content distribution, generation, revenue and add-on services.

To date, the PlayStation Network (PSN) has 33 million member accounts. The idea is to allow users a singular user-ID which they can utilize to access ‘social elements’ from its devices, its networks and of course, the Sony PS3.

This is similar to how the company had once planned for the Memory Stick to be the integrating factor connecting all of its multimedia devices together. With this move, the factor has gone digital, and probably social.

Right now, the PlayStation Network 3.10 firmware update allows users to link their gaming activities with Facebook. Here’s a simple demo of how the Facebook social integration works with the PSN account.

HWM Indonesia

HWM Indonesia: Another app store? With Sony’s pervasive consumer electronics reach, this could well be a household app store of the future.

Sony has to make sure that the platform is “open” enough for developers to provide content/ applications.

Other consumer electronics giants might follow suit to strengthen (maintain) their foothold within the Internet in near future.

Mr. Teo Chee Hean (3rd from left), President of Singapore National Olympic Council, Deputy PM & Minister for Defence of Singapore, gamely poses with the Samsung Omnia Lite with Mr. Gregory Lee (fourth from left), President and CEO of Samsung Asia & senior executives from the Singapore Youth Olympic Council and Samsung South-east Asia.

CORP TALK: The world’s first Youth Olympic Games will be held in Singapore from 14-26 August 2010. Over 5,000 athletes, aged between 14-18 years old, and officials from 205 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) will be competing in 26 sports and take part in a Culture and Education Program (CEP).

As part of its commitment as the Worldwide Partner for the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games, Samsung Electronics will provide over 5,000 sets of Samsung Omnia Lite (B7300) mobile phones to athletes and key team officials.

These smart phones come preloaded with the “Digital Concierge for Singapore 2010″ app that will allow users to access Singapore 2010-related content and services anytime, anywhere.

The app lets them obtain personalized schedules on competition events and map content. They can also find out the latest sport results and get updates on the CEP activities. It’ll also come with fun, interactive mobile services for one-stop mobile social networking functionality.

The Motorola Zhishang XT800 is an Android-based smartphone that allows Chinese users to access SHOP4APPS.

CORP TALK: Motorola unveiled SHOP4APPS (or Zhi-Jian-Yuan in Mandarin, which means “Place for Apps Wisdom”), a store for Android applications in China.

The online store is designed to host apps customized for Android-based Motorola phones in China.

Motorola has also announced a new feature on their Android handsets enabling users to customize their Android devices by selecting their own search provider.

Users will be able to select their search experience from a number of providers including Baidu, with whom Motorola has signed strategic agreements.

SHOP4APPS will also give developers a platform to promote their apps through MOTODEV, Motorola’s global developer program, and via other Android development ecosystems.

To begin submitting their Android apps immediately for hosting on the SHOP4APPS store in China, developers need to only look here.

A 3D view of the Singapore Esplanade as viewed from Nokia's Ovi Maps.

CORP TALK: So Nokia’s gone and announced a new version of Ovi Maps, which is incidentally free for life. Yes, you heard that right. Where Nokia used to charge a certain amount for voice navigation either daily, weekly, monthly and so forth, you now get it free of charge.

A screenshot from the Lonely Planet guide that comes with Ovi Maps.

Better yet, it’s free in 74 countries and in 46 languages. There’s more: Nokia’s also throwing in free detailed maps for all 180 countries they support (via Navteq), with 10 of those countries having traffic information.

This looks like an intentional shot across the bow of personal navigation device (PND) makers such as Garmin, as Nokia plans to roll out the new Ovi Maps across their entire lineup of GPS-enabled mobile devices, past and present.

All the way back to the venerable Nokia N95, Nokia has shipped approximately 83 million GPS-enabled devices since; that’s no small number.

With Nokia deciding to throw in their maps for free is also quite stunning, especially if you consider that many PND vendors make a business out of selling maps of different countries to their customer base.

Before the break, here’s a video highlighting features from Ovi Maps:

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CORP TALK: Singapore’s telecom and cable TV provider StarHub has has launched an enhanced mobile TV app across major phone platforms like BlackBerry, Windows Mobile and Android, with support from phone brands like Acer, HTC, LG, Motorola, RIM, Samsung and Sony Ericsson.

Plans are also underway to have this app on Apple iPhone and Nokia Symbian platforms before the end of the first quarter of 2010.

The StarHub TV on Mobile service was launched about a year ago, and it now boasts 24 premium cable TV channels anytime, anywhere. The app itself was developed by award-winning mobile developer SPB. (more…)