Keeping up with other high-profile application store announcements this week from Microsoft and RIM, Nokia today announced new content and services for its Ovi Store, due to open globally in May. The world’s largest handset vendor has teamed with Tim Kring, creator of television show Heroes, to develop interactive themed content for the store. Nokia and Kring will launch the first mobile phase of the project this summer before developing it across other mediums. Announced at the GSMA Mobile World Congress in February, Nokia has sought to differentiate its own application store offering from the likes of Apple and others by talking up how users can personalise their shopping. Nokia will give 70 percent of all download revenue to developers, the same share offered to developers by Apple, Google and Microsoft. A statement from Nokia today claimed that “to date, thousands of content providers and developers from around the world have signed up, with [the] majority coming from the US, UK, China and India.” Brands such as EA, Facebook, Fox Mobile, Glu, My Space and Qik all provided support for the Ovi Store announcement in February, and since then additional content providers including Associated Press, Paramount Digital Entertainment and Shazam have come on board. Nokia says that, in early May, “tens of millions of existing Nokia Series 40 and S60 users will be capable of enjoying the new service. In addition, the Nokia N97, available in June, will be the first device to feature the simple and easy-to-use storefront.”

Meanwhile, Nokia today announced a number of other developments. It unveiled its new ‘Point & Find’ service, enabling people to access relevant information and services on the Internet by pointing their mobile phone camera at real-life objects. A beta version, focusing on movies, is currently available in the UK and US. The company also talked up its ‘Green Explorer’ service, helping people make environmentally-friendly travel decisions. In addition, Nokia Messaging now supports Microsoft’s Windows Live Hotmail application. With the imminent support of the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic handset, Nokia Messaging will be available on 20 different device models worldwide. Finally, Nokia confirmed reports earlier this week that US operator AT&T will offer the vendor’s new E71x device, which is claimed to be the thinnest Qwerty smartphone available.