Nokia has just updated its Nokia.mobi site, with the launch of “Here and Now’, which is a new section that provides updates on world news, music, celebrity buzz etc. The site is bookmarked by default when you get a new Nokia device, making it easier for users to be introduced to it. Some of the activities that users can use the service for include:

• Listen to music
• Grab downloads
• Read the Buzz about celebrities
• Get to Know the latest news
• Browse the mobile net
• Discover Nokia services and products

Nokia has released a rather major update for the North American edition of the N96, albeit rather quietly. Improvements are plentiful and include improvements to the camera’s image quality, Bluetooth compatibility and Nokia’s Mail on Ovi service, which allows users to sign up for an email account directly from their handsets.

Nokia's 1680 has hit Canadian markets via 7-Eleven's Speak Out Wireless prepaid, and will set you back about $73. The phone has a VGA camera, FM radio and is bundled with 20 minutes of talk-time, hardly ground-breaking, but if you're looking for a simple phone, this is about as simple as they get.

Nokia's 6208c has gone official in China, though the "c" in the model number probably gave away the country that the phone was destined for. The 6208c boasts a stylus that can be removed from the back of the phone, allowing users to write Chinese characters directly on the phone, which is more natural to many people. The phone will be shipping somewhere in the first half of 2009, and will have features such as a 3.2-megapixel camera with dual LED flash, 4x digital zoom, microSD memory card slot and Chinese language support.

Nokia certainly isn't too happy with the fact that Nokia phones with the image of Joseph Stalin have started to sell in Moscow shops. Nokia has unsurprisingly distanced themselves from such devices, as recommended users not to buy such phones and they do have a certificate of the company, and are not eligible for warranty repairs.

Torture is never a good thing, regardless of whether it’s performed on humans, animals or your cell phone. Hopefully your cell phone will never have to go through it, but some folks over in Russia have taken Nokia’s 5800 Xpress Music to through a series of torture tests which include the freezer, washing machine and a nice fall. It seems a little unfair to subject a phone that isn’t touted as a rugged model through these tests, but as long as they’re only doing it to their phone, we’ve got nothing to complain about.

You can’t say Nokia isn’t trying to innovate, as a recent patent filing by them shows a rather interesting folding phone design. Consisting of 4 pieces held together by hinges, when closed it looks like a square, but unfolded it looks like a Nokia communicator (albeit with a rather weird shape). Such a design probably wouldn’t sit well with the fashion conscious crowd, but it you’re a techie, the QWERTY keyboard will definitely be interesting.

Information on Nokia’s upcoming handset, the Victoria has been revealed by the FCC; since the phone has passed the FCC’s testing. The phone, which has a product code of RM-412, should be in the similar category with the E66, seeing that it uses the same battery. The Victoria will be a 7-band (GSM850/900/1800/1900 and WCDMA Band I/II(1900)VIII) cell phone with GPRS and EGPRS support, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and have accompanying accessories such as the HS-43 headset, AC-5E charger.

Folks in the UK will be able to get Nokia's N96 Comes with Music edition, which will grant them access to over 2 million songs, all for free. The service will be available for a year, and users will be able to store all the tracks that are downloaded without having to pay anything extra. You can expect the N96 Comes with Music edition to hit the market around January 2009, and you can pre-order it via Nokia UK's online store for 540GBP ($800).

Nokia's 6208 Classic has rather rare phone design from Nokia, seeing that it has a physical keypad and a touchscreen all packed into a candybar form factor. The device will be powered by a tweaked version of the S40 interface. It hasn't been officially confirmed just yet, but it's been rumored that this phone will be available in China only, though we hope that the rumor isn't true. Features of the 6208 Classic include:

• 2.8" TFT touchscreen display at 16 million colors
• 240 x 320 resolution
• Quad band GSM connectivity with GPRS, EDGE
• 27MB internal memory
• microSD memory card support
• 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus and flash

Most of us most certainly have an email address (or ten), but let's not forget that there are plenty of people in developing nations that don't even have an email address. Nokia will be trying to capture that market with its Mail on Ovi service, which has gone live on public beta around the world. Users will be able to create their email account directly on the mobile phone without having to go through a computer, which should be a boon to many users. There is a long list of supported phones on Nokia's announcement page.

Global financial crisis? There's probably no such thing in the eyes of Goldstriker, as proven by the £12,000 Nokia 8800 Princess Edition, which will be released next January. The handset will have 8.2 carats of diamonds across the front and the back of the phone, and platinum instead of normal boring leather. The Nokia 8800 Princess Edition would probably make the Nokia 8800 Gold Arte look cheap. Said phone will be launched at the Colette store in Paris.