June 02, 2009 03:02 PM Eastern Time 

AP Mobile News Delivers Preloaded Widget on Nokia N97 for Users Across the Globe

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Associated Press announced the availability of an AP Mobile news widget preloaded or available for download on the new Nokia N97 mobile computer. Nokia announced that global shipping of the Nokia N97 begins today.

AP Mobile for the Nokia N97 enables users to choose their news, offering personalized delivery of content set according to their preferences. Consumers can scroll through stories and AP photo galleries as well as watch AP videos. The widget is available in English, French, Spanish and German languages.

When Nokia N97 becomes available in North America, U.S. users will be able to select hyper-local news feeds on AP Mobile based on their zip code and choose stories from a robust selection of topics, including Entertainment, Health, Science, Wacky, Politics and Technology. Weather information, provided by AccuWeather.com, is also available and includes temperature, conditions, highs/lows and a five-day forecast.

“With just a single icon on their touch screen, we are giving Nokia N97 users access to multimedia versions of their world, national and local news,” said Jeff Litvack, AP’s general manager of mobile and emerging products. “One year ago, when we launched AP Mobile, our goal was to be the news button on the most popular smartphones. Having our AP news widget preloaded on the Nokia N97 is a fantastic start.”

The rollout of the Nokia N97 follows the May 26 launch of Ovi Store by Nokia, where AP News, www.apnews.com, was the No. 1 U.S. mobile news app for the opening.

The AP Mobile team worked with technical experts from Forum Nokia, Nokia’s global developer program, to develop the widget in five weeks from concept to product grade. The widget utilizes the S60 software platform for mobile phones and its multi-tasking support as well as Nokia’s Web Run-Time technology and multimedia capabilities. AP recently provided a preview of the AP Mobile news widget at the 2009 Nokia Developer Summit in Monte Carlo, Monaco held on April 28-29.

About AP Mobile

AP Mobile is an award-winning multimedia news portal developed by The Associated Press, a leader in the mobile news market. AP Mobile gives users news they can choose and provides anytime access to international, national and local news. AP was the first to debut a dedicated iPhone news application in June 2008, offering AP’s own worldwide coverage of breaking news, sports, entertainment, politics and business as well as content from more than 1,000 AP members and third-party sources. www.apnews.com

About The Associated Press

The Associated Press is the essential global news network, delivering fast, unbiased news from every corner of the world to all media platforms and formats. Founded in 1846, AP today is the largest and most trusted source of independent news and information. Developed by The Associated Press, AP Mobile is an award-winning multimedia news portal providing anytime access to international, national and local news content from AP and more than 1,000 AP members and other trusted sources. On any given day, more than half the world's population sees news from AP. www.ap.org

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=5978486&lang=en