• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, September 2, 2009

Extending its mobile reach, Facebook has partnered with Nokia to launch a "lifecasting" feature integrating the social networking service into the phone giant's handsets. The new offering announced at the Nokia World conference in Stuttgart, Germany will allow users to post their location and status updates directly to their Facebook account from the main screen of their mobile device.

The lifecasting tie-in with Facebook will debut in October on the new Nokia N97 mini, which has touchscreen display, a Qwerty keyboard and home screen geared toward personalization via downloaded applications from Nokia's Ovi Store.

Nokia promises that Lifecasting with Ovi goes beyond just publishing status updates to create new types of communication patterns such as navigating to a friend or a place.

"People want to bring their physical and online worlds together via the Internet," said Jonas Geust, vice president of Nokia N series, in a statement. "The Nokia N97 mini is designed for this new social internet and to help navigate people and places. With lifecasting, the Nokia N97 mini and Ovi usher in the next chapter of personal and location-aware Internet."

A Facebook app for select Nokia phones was released in June via the Ovi Store, but the new lifecasting service offers a more deeply integrated mobile experience by incorporating location-based information. Facebook last week released an upgraded iPhone app through the App Store, including a host of new features such as improved navigation, video uploading and the ability to text and call friends directly from the app.

Facebook says it has more than 30 million active users on mobile phones, with more than 150 wireless operators in 50 countries deploying and promoting its mobile products.