Everything begins with top stories
www.storynations.com is a new platform which will in the first place bring top stories on the market. The definition of a 'top story' obviously differs from one person to another. Some people will look for a story full of entertainment, some will be more interested in the 'informational part'. On this platform we want to offer stories which we spent excessive energy and time on to make them even more attractive. This means this is a growing platform. In the coming months the top stories will be released first. Afterwards other added-value content will be added as well. And eventually everyone will have the opportunity to make and publish this content. And each and every one of you may assist in deciding which content is published first. This means it is absolutely a good idea to cast your vote if your preference appears in the list
What can you view or purchase here?
www.storynations.com is a virtual shop for mobile stories. Stories that give you extra entertainment and information while travelling, cooking, practising sports ... You can easily find www.storynations.com on the internet via your computer. Or directly via a 'mobile phone' with wireless internet access, whether by means of a wireless network, UMTS, GPRS or something else.
What devices can I do it on?
On this platform you can find stories that can be played on many different mobile devices: ranging from mp3 and iPod (only sound) to iPod with visuals, PlayStation Portable and the better mobile phones currently available that are capable of playing fragments. Please note: some mobile phones can only play 6-minute fragments. You can find this out by checking the free space of your multimedia device. Your mobile phone manual should provide more information. Or visit the outlet where you bought your mobile phone. Fortunately this shop also offers short but fascinating stories. Other mobile phones can easily play 40-minute and even considerably longer video fragments The same applies to mp3, iPod, PlayStation Portable and many other devices appearing on the international market every day. In addition, it is also possible to play these mobile stories on PDAs, symbian phones and smartphones. And if you do not have any of these devices, you also have the possibility to print a paper version of the story and to go on holiday, start cooking etc with this document at hand.
Why is this a ‘filling station’ for mobile stories?
This shop also provides for a kind of 'filling station' where all these mobile stories are converted into the right format so that they can be played on your mobile device. For every step of the process we also took into account the fact that you may have absolutely no experience with downloading or buying mobile stories. We want to be able to serve everyone in this shop and not only the people who already have a lot of experience with mobile phones.
Are these mobile stories free of charge?
Most stories in this shop have to be paid. This is simply because they were made with the assistance of the very best. The price varies and is sometimes based on the length of the story and sometimes on the content. This means that some stories are remarkably cheaper, simply because they are much shorter. And sometimes you can win or obtain stories by means of a special code you received via promotional actions with our partners, such as magazines, newspapers and TV but also companies in the food sector, tourist offices etc.
How do I pay for these stories?
You can only pay for these stories electronically, after which you can then download them electronically. Other methods will constantly be brought on stream.
When launched, the following methods of payment will be available: (international) credit cards; Visa and MasterCard, Belgian Bancontact and Mister Cash debit cards issued by BNP Paribas Fortis, KBC/CBC, ING, Dexia, VDK, Fintro and AXA. Plus Argenta Spaarbank from this autumn. All payments are secure and we use the security services of Ogone.
As a further option, you can pay by sending one or more SMS messages costing 2 EUR incl. VAT each, although only if you are with a Belgian provider. To do this, use the quick-dial number 6045 and the code « STORY ». Once you have sent the SMS with the payment, you will receive an SMS with an electronic code or voucher for 2 EUR. These codes are valid on this platform only and can only be exchanged for a story on this platform. You can enter a code on our platform as payment for any story with a maximum value of the code. A electronic voucher can only be used once as payment. This means that for amounts greater than 2 EUR, you will have to send more than one SMS message and be sent more than one code.
Once valid payment has been received, the story will be sent to your personal MyStoryBox. You can then download it from there to receive it on your own PC.
Do I receive my story as soon as I have paid for it?
Downloading may take a little time and depends on your Internet provider, as well as the time of the day you are downloading the story (for example during the peak hour after school ends), the location you are downloading from (for example in an area where there are lots of ‘Internet neighbours’), what you are doing on your computer at the same time (certain other programs, etc.) and a number of other factors.
We recommend you begin downloading your story in plenty of time so that the download can take place while you are working on your computer or doing something else. The best download time for an average 40-minute story can be anything up to 15 minutes, while the worst might be 40 minutes or more.
The download itself is entirely under the control of your computer and the program or operating system you use; we cannot intervene or make any adjustments on that point. As soon as you click on the download link, it’s up to your computer. Store the file in a location where you can find it again, e.g. in a StoryNations folder on your computer’s desktop.
Do I have to pay separately for the download costs if I do it at home on my computer?
Normally you will not have to pay extra if you download the story via your computer and pay a fixed subscription fee for your internet connection. The only exceptions are people who still pay per bit or have a monthly subscription. This means that in 80% of the cases you only pay for the story. No additional costs, in other words.
Do I have to pay separately for the download costs if I do it direct to my mobile device (without going via the computer)?
If you decide to download this story directly to your mobile device, you once again have several possibilities. If you do this at home, using your wireless internet connection (which for example also connects your laptop to the internet), you will have no additional costs. However, you can also decide to download the story on the spot, for example in a city (you are e.g. in Bruges and you notice that you can download a mobile story for this city). Once again, you have several options. First of all, you can buy a 'voucher' that gives you access to wireless internet. Depending on this voucher you can download certain story volumes. The more expensive the voucher, the more stories you can download. But this means that you have to pay extra for this voucher (this may vary from € 5 to &euro 30 and more). In addition, you naturally have to pay for the story itself as well. Secondly, you can download the story via, for example, GPRS (e.g. people who have access to the internet with their superior mobile phones), but in this case transaction costs have to be paid. And it can take quite a while to download your stories, because this can depend on the number of people in your environment who use the same operator at the same time. The conclusion is that the cheapest solution is to download the story via the computer to your desktop (or to another location on your computer) and subsequently to copy the story to your device. But it is also possible to download the story to your device directly, on the understanding that it may be a bit more expense and may take longer.
Can stories be downloaded directly to any mobile device?
No, this is not possible for all devices. Those for which it is possible are mainly the better mobile phones, PDAs, smartphones and symbian phones that are capable of communicating with the internet or via GPRS, UMTS etc. It is not possible to directly download stories to an mp3, iPod, PSP etc.
What happens if the story has been downloaded to my computer? How do I get it from my PC to my mobile device?
The manner in which to copy the story to your mobile device after it has been downloaded to your computer depends on your mobile device. The possibilities to do this are mentioned in the manual of your device. Or you can go to the shop where you bought the device. For most people who already have an mp3, iPod or similar device, the procedure to be followed remains the same.
Can I create my own stories and make them available in the virtual shop?
If you have your own ideas, concepts or projects about mobile stories, please send us an e-mail to info@storynations.com with a short description of your proposal or suggestion.
Can I pass on downloaded stories to friends, colleagues or family?
As every story in this shop has been created by people, artists, media companies etc, copying and passing on the mobile files to third parties is considered piracy and is therefore forbidden and punishable by law. This does not only protect the copyrights of the scenarists, actors, content owners etc, but of all artists whose music was used in this mobile content. All these parties are compensated in accordance with separate agreements per mobile file and general copyright regulations. Furthermore, passing on these stories just like that is not only forbidden but also prevents users from collecting STORY STARS because the stories were not obtained legitimately. STORY STARS are credits you receive for buying mobile stories, casting votes, visiting the platform etc. Soon you will be able to exchange your STORY STARS for financial value and choose from a number of unique offers in the STORY VIP ROOM. In addition, these STORY STARS will give you access to exclusive mobile content otherwise not accessible.