a multi-tasked stream of consciousness or perhaps just emails to myself
I learned today that the N95 actually has an accelerometer and that rotateMe 2.0 will arrive next month ready to take full advantage of this making your device much easier to use as you maneuver through multimedia, maps and the web — something I do every day!
Technorati Tags:
N-Series, N95, Nokia, accelerometer, rotateme
Can you hear me Obi Wan?, originally uploaded by atmasphere.
Just having some fun with Photo Booth in Leopard … using the Hologram effect.
Very cool… Apple has decided to offer Nick Haley, an 18yr old kid from the UK, an amazing deal. They are upgrading the production of his home-brew iPod Touch commerical into one that will air on TV during Football and primetime starting this weekend. Pretty sweet to see that Apple is paying attention to the community. Good ideas can come from anyone.
Would you like to win a Nokia N810 Internet Tablet?
Thoughtfix has posted the following video explaining the general idea, but head over to the Tabletblog site to get the scoop with all the rules. I’m one of the judges and I look forward to seeing your entries! The deadline to submit your videos is November 16 so get going!
When I initially discussed GrandCentral, I was given a special conditional call forwading code which enabled my phone to send voicemail messages directly into GrandCentral as opposed to my carrier. This is great for people managing a lot of numbers and as it was pre-iPhone, at the time offered a way to get something like Apple’s soon to launch Visual Voicemail.
I am a few devices later now, and have been craving the Grandcentral voicemail features again and decided to set it up for myself this time (thanks to Phoneboy for the search suggestion).
With a simple code, you can initiate conditional call forwarding on your GSM phone and choose where to send calls….
Dial: *61*yournumber# and hit send. I’ve entered my GrandCentral number as my number, but really you can do this for any number you want. Dialing ##61# and send should return things the way they were if you prefer.
From here it’s a matter of choosing how you’d like to use GrandCentral… The simplest way is to just call your own number when you want to retrieve a message – which is suggested in the alert txt. If you’d like access to a more visual style you need to fire up your browser and check out the m.grandcentral.com site.
As you can see from the N95 screenshots below, GrandCentral offers a pretty robust way to manage voicemail. You can see who’s left new messages, review a historical listing, listen and easily call people back — using your GrandCentral number as the outbound CallerID.
As an added bonus to me, I no longer get the encoded double txt alerts from ATT’s Visual Voicemail system.
Walt Mossberg has a great piece (Free My Phone!) up on All Things D, which is a must read for anyone even remotely interested in the mobile industry.
While he’s not saying anything that we (you gentle reader) have not heard or discussed, to hear it from someone with as much consumer clout as Walt Mossberg is something worth noting.
A shortsighted and often just plain stupid federal government has allowed itself to be bullied and fooled by a handful of big wireless phone operators for decades now. And the result has been a mobile phone system that is the direct opposite of the PC model. It severely limits consumer choice, stifles innovation, crushes entrepreneurship, and has made the U.S. the laughingstock of the mobile-technology world, just as the cellphone is morphing into a powerful hand-held computer.
Whether you are a consumer, a hardware maker, a software developer or a provider of cool new services, it’s hard to make a move in the American cellphone world without the permission of the companies that own the pipes. While power in other technology sectors flows to consumers and nimble entrepreneurs, in the cellphone arena it remains squarely in the hands of the giant carriers. [All Things D]
Interestingly there’s no mention of Nokia in the piece, just that Apple was able to sell the iPhone without the carrier getting inside. This is not entirely correct, there are no ATT apps or services, but there are limitations in what the iPhone can really do…. VOIP anyone? We can argue there are no applications later.
When I was in San Francisco last week the topic of unlocked phones came up and Bill Plummer suggested the phrase Born Free instead of unlocked. The term unlocked implies that the device was actually locked at one point and is now no longer that way. The Nokia N-Series devices are largely sold direct in the US – without a carrier contract and without carrier involvement on any level.
It took me a moment to appreciate that this is not just semantics, but truly an important difference. There are not too many manufacturers offering open devices… Palm has previously sold a GSM Treo without a carrier and I believe Motorola is starting to offer a device or two.
Clearly buying an open device is not something the average consumer seeks today. Devices are not subsidized so they cost more on the surface and you typically cannot use carrier services like music and video. Since I don’t use any of those services anyway. I literally just want open access to the network.
Without a carrier getting in your way, it’s easy to add your own content, browse and customize the device the way you want AND most importantly use things that were intended to be used in full. You simply pick a GSM carrier add your SIM and are all set. Should you choose to switch carriers, you are free to do so (outside of any contract term of course) and use the same device with another carrier.
The carrier BS has progressed to a point that goes well beyond reason and basic business and can only be seen as driven by greed. It hurts the consumer and I think will start to hurt the carriers as people become more savvy to the experience they could be having. There’s absolutely no reason for matters to be as locked as they are and I will advise those who ask to buy open to keep the as much of the power in the hands of the consumer.
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Apple, AT&T, broken, DUN, E-Series, Gizmo Project, Google, Internet Tablet, Jaiku, Maemo, Marketing, Mass Market, mobile, N-Series, N95, Nokia, open, Palm, S60, Social Networking, Sprint, Standards, T-Mobile, TruPhone, unlocked, Verizon, Video, VOIP, Vringo, WiFi, YouTube, Motorola
Not sure they are even bothering with this …
AT&T, which already lets Napster subscribers transfer music from their personal computer to their cell phone via a cable or a storage card, said it would sell Napster music directly on its phones for $7.49 for a bundle of five songs, or $1.99 for a la carte purchases, beginning in mid-November.[News.com]
Silicon Alley Insider has the most consise version which they’ve very adeptly recycled from previous attempts at this mobile download BS:
…yet again, consumers are being asked to spend more to purchase something on their phone than they would if they bought it anywhere else. In this case [Napster] and AT&T are charging $7.49 for 5 songs: That’s a 50% markup over what it would cost to buy the songs via iTunes…
I just posted my initial thoughts on the Nokia N810 over on the MaemoApps site… head over and let me know what you think or if you’ve got any questions you’d like to have answered.
This sounds very cool…
In an exclusive interview with Develop, Nokia’s games boss Mark Ollila has revealed that the company is hard at work on multiple cross-platform games for its revamped N-Gage platform.
Earlier this year it emerged the company was developing a new game in association with studio RedLynx which could be played on both PC and mobile and used Nokia’s SNAP technology as its connectivity backbone. That title, Project White Rock, reportedly boasts hundreds of lines of recorded dialogue suggesting it is a more traditional, possibly MMO-like, game experience for multiple players.
But Nokia also has another such title in development, Ollila explained – one which features a user-generated content element.
‘For one of the titles we are working on we are looking at the possibility of letting players create a game and sharing that experience with others,’ he explained adding that the decision to create games that work across both mobile and PC is part of Nokia’s larger plan to build community around its rebirthed N-Gage service.
I can’t imagine there will be Mac love here, but regardless Nokia is feeling very progressive to me these days and that’s a very good thing.
Technorati Tags:
Marketing, mobile, N-Series, Nokia, N-Gage, N81, UGC, Games
A quick hey from our breakfast table after spending a few moments with the new tablet. So far it’s excellent! Very solid build and beautiful screen. The keyboard takes a bit to get used to as it’s small, but easy to use.
The hardware is pre-pro and you can expect the full release in both hardware and software in the next 4-5 weeks.
Reggie at Internet Tablet Talk scores by noting the release of the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet Press images…(below) I’m looking forward to seeing this new tablet today and spending some quality time with Nokia team as well. Stay tuned for more as the day goes on as I am hoping to bring you video updates and live pics…
Technorati Tags:
GPS, Internet Tablet, Maemo, N-Series, N810, Navigation, Nokia
I am sitting on a plane en route to the Web 2.0 Summit writing this on my N800, enjoying my time to write some things wihout distraction… aside from the guy in 11B reading this over my shoulder!
About two weeks ago, Tommi at the S60 Applications blog asked for feedback on the Nokia Beta Labs program. My initial thought is that it’s really a solid idea which enables the feedback loop via the blogosphere and certainly on the applications blog comments. I posted something similarly on Tommi’s site but now that some time has passed it seems that perhaps the focus could be on altering the existing status more rather than pushing out the new. Don’t get me wrong – I’m an applications junkie just like most of you, but I would like to see some renovation before building more.
When I attended the Evening with S60 event in NYC, I was told (incorrectly now) that the S60v3 FP1 browser would be released within 30 days to other S60v3 devices which was great news. I saw a massive spike in traffic after my update on this news which confirmed I was far from alone in looking for this type of update. Nokia, with the exception of Maps, seems to require a new unit to get what become device standard features (of course right after you) purchase your phone.
Of course, a long time has now passed and we’ve yet to see a release. Instead, we heard about the widgets which will be coming in FP2 probably in Q1 2008. Not to take away from widgets (I think I’ve seen the light a bit for very task specific information), the browser now seems a bit limited in one very key area thanks to some healthy competition from both the iPhone as well as Nokia’s own N800 . The iPhone has enabled a VERY rich use of tabs which make maintaining simultaneous activities online possible. The S60 browser can also do multiple tabs and actually does them quite well. There is NO WAY TO MANUALLY OPEN A NEW WINDOW.
The hack I’ve found for this is silly, and takes longer than I would like to get going, but has now become a part of my browsing process on the N95-3.
The browser is the perfect candidate for a quick beta release through the labs. Many devices do not have enough RAM to browse in this manner (yet) and it’s probably more power user than mass feature, but isn’t that who’s visting and using the beta labs anyway? We should not have to wait for a Firmware release (which we all know wipes the device fresh) or worse, a new device to get such aseemingly small adjustment. This really should be something we just have in devices like the N95-3, N95 8GB, N81, N81 8GB, E90 and as well as future devicess that have enough operating RAM to make this possible – which should cover all N and E-Series moving forward, right?
The iPhone has really turned the mobile browsing experience up on its head. Regardless of their true capabilities, all mobile devices are being compared to the iPhone. The fact that the same engine is used in S60 and the iPhone makes this even more open to scrutiny.
The N800, which does not share the webkit engine, can go toe-to-toe with the iPhone even defeating it with some complex sites, but requires a second purchase. This is great for both Nokia’s bottom line (as well as non Nokia handset users) It is admittedly far more enjoyable to browse on the larger screen, it’s not something you always want in your pocket.
There are some great mobile web applications and services which have sprung up seemingly overnight to support the million plus iPhones… How many S60 devices are there? Considerably more…
A device like the N95-3 should not be hamstrung by a missing feature like this. The game has changed a bit now and we need to look how others are doing things and what can be learned to improve what we have and what’s to come.
Love to hear your thoughts here…
Technorati Tags:
Apple, E-Series, Firmware, Internet Tablet, iPhone, Maemo, Marketing, mobile, N-Series, N800, N810, N95, Nokia, Nokia Maps, S60, Nokia Beta Labs
As we prepare for the eventual Google Mobile experience, there are a few updates that are worth noting.
First, last week Google released a terrific update to their Maps application on Friday, which now runs native on S60 devices. You can download from your phone via http://www.google.com/gmm. Speed seems much improved in loading and moving through maps over the Java version as you might expect from a native app. Google Maps also now fully supports GPS which is just awesome. It does not seem to support AGPS yet, but connects very quickly enough if you are not deep inside a building.
Compared to Nokia Maps, it’s a bit quicker for general location awareness and directions, but you can’t tap into saved locations from your device (yet) and you can’t get live turn by turn directions with spoken updates for driving – but you can see live traffic! POI are tied with Google and seem to be better than Nokia Maps… I can see myself using this a lot… I’m sure I’ll be checking in with Google Maps when I land in San Francisco tomorrow.
Some screenshots:
Last night I became aware of an update to GMail Mobile… which can be downloaded at http://www.gmail.com/app. While it’s not native there are some nice improvements which seem worthy of the update. You can save drafts though only one which is helpful if you are tapping something out on your phone and get interrupted or run out of time. While you still cannot send attachments, there’s a pre-load option so messages pop open much more quickly. This uses more data so non-unlimited plan people take note… There’s a status on how much each transaction uses so you can keep tabs on things if you need.
Based on the release of the Native S60 Google Maps application, I’m hopeful that we’ll see a native GMail as well. Aside from attachment sending, I’d really like to see an auto-refresh option so my new mail is just there waiting to be read… Manual refresh works quick enough, but saving that step would be appreciated.
Technorati Tags:
A-GPS, Driving, Gmail, Google, Google Maps, GPS, mobile, N-Series, N95, Navigation, Nokia, Nokia Maps, S60, Travel
Free your SIM for a faster data connection!
I honestly have no idea why this is working now but it is, and I’m very happy!! I know I ranted about this earlier this week and I still think that there is something wonky with the iPhone SIM. I had a lot of trouble getting my MacBookPro’s Bluetooth Internet Connection to stabilize but thanks to some coaching from David Pitkin I finally just nuked the pairing with the N95 and started fresh. I had to reboot a few times in the process of sorting this out due to my Mac automatically going into disconnecting mode with the phone even though a connection had not been activated. Quite frustrating!
If you’ve connected with Cingular or ATT in the past with other devices this will look familiar as it’s the standard setting
The Password for Cingular / ATT is CINGULAR1 (all caps). I believe the settings are case sensitive so be sure things are ALL CAPS! While you can’t see it, I have TCP Header compression on in PPP options. This should be a default setting…
Error correction is on and I am using the Nokia 3G CID1 script which can be found on Russ Barkman’s excellent site. When you download the modem scripts they need to go in /Library/Modem Scripts – that’s the machine level, not your user folder.
From there it’s a matter of just connecting either from your Menubar or from the Internet Connect and you should be online with your phone – in my case the Nokia N95-3.
This has been seriously harder than any other DUN connection I’ve tried to get working and yet amazingly it’s using the standard settings. I was given a glimmer of hope earlier in the week when the Nokia N800 Internet Tablet connected after I tried adding a fresh setting. That did not have the same initial impact on the Mac. I’m 99.9% sure I was typing everything correctly based on the number of times I’ve tried to get this going. I think I would have hit it at least once! I still don’t seem to have MMS working, but I can let that slide in exchange for DUN.
Anyway… it’s working and I am ready to rock my 3G Bluetooth DUN connection when I travel. Who needs airport wifi?
David – I definitely owe you a beer in San Francisco this week!
Technorati Tags:
3.5G, 3G, Apple, bluetooth, DUN, HSDPA, iPhone, Marketing, MMS, mobile, N-Series, N800, N95, Nokia, open, wireless, PAN
Stefan notes some intrigue regarding next week’s Web 2 Summit in San Franciso and highlights Nokia’s Platinum Sponsorship of the event as well as the following …
“Nokia will also be hosting a stylish party in the adjacent Twin Peaks room, which will showcase their next generation of Web 2.0 offerings, launched earlier that afternoon.”[IntoMobile]
While I can’t say for sure at this stage, my money is on the new tablet and possibly some new integrated services from the Ovi Ecosystem. I’m guessing that since the FCC information spotted by Thoughtfix contained GPS and we believe WiMax as well as a slider keyboard that this will be the official preview of the device. It’s just prior to the FCC’s required confidentiality ends and seems like the perfect moment to announce things on their terms rather than let the FCC site reveal their plans.
GPS and Nokia Maps make a lot of sense on a new internet tablet – especially with the Navteq acquisition and the future services that have been discussed. As you may recall from the initial Press Release on Nokia Maps, Linux (the Tablet OS) was mentioned a possible future supported platform:
smart2go is new: the software turns mobile computers, smartphones and PDAs into local mapping and routing engines with a navigation option, providing worldwide mapping free of charge. In so doing, the unique hybrid solution combines the advantages of on-board and off-board navigation. Maps and location-aware content only need to be loaded once – they are then always available on the client. As smart2go will carry the application name “Nokia Maps” across many future Nokia devices, it will also be available for a diversity of other operating systems such as Windows Mobile 5 and Linux, in the future. [Nokia PR]
I’ll actually be at the Web 2 Summit as well as this party so you can count on some (as close to) live coverage of things as they go down. I’ll definitely be using Jaiku and will try to moblog snippets from the conference and party. It may be hard to reply in real time, but I will post as much as I can before settling into a more official post here. My N95 will be snapping pics and uploading to my photostream on Flickr. I am also sorting out ways to possibly stream some video as well if possible. It looks like I will have full 3G coverage – not sure about inside the venue though and I won’t know until there whether there will be accessible WiFi access. Stay Tuned!
Technorati Tags:
3G, Flickr, GPS, Internet Tablet, Jaiku, LBS, Maemo, N-Series, N800, Navigation, Nokia, Nokia Maps, WiMax, Web 2 Summit
This has nothing to do with the Applications issue…
The iPhone is a completely locked device. Both the device itself as well as the SIM card from AT&T are locked. Of course, hackers have broken these things, but if you don’t want to have to break it to “fix it” you are pretty much out of luck in enabling features that are quite common for phones today.
Currently the iPhone does not support MMS or DUN and AT&T’s SIM is locked and prevented from offering these services to another device should you switch devices for the day (or longer). You can choose to have AT&T deactivate this SIM and activate a new (and different) SIM card for your other devices but this is both ridiculous and cumbersome since you would have to reverse the process in order to then use the iPhone. There’s nothing you can do except pay more money to use features most any other smart or feature phone offers. If you want the iPhone this is how it is. If you want another device in conjunction, AT&T is more than happy to sell you an additional line … and data plan!
I tend to use a lot of devices. I enjoy being with a GSM carrier so I can move between devices as the mood strikes me and usually choose the device that suits the need for that day or a particular trip. The Nokia N95-3 is an awesome (and open) device and the phone I currently want to be able to take full advantage. While I can use the 3G services AT&T offers on the phone with the iPhone SIM inside, I cannot send (wonder if I can receive) an MMS or use the phone as a bluetooth modem for my laptop or internet tablet. This is something I have long done (and paid for the privilege) with previous devices before the special iPhone plan was created. This special plan by the way includes unlimited data! I know even unlimited is limited (xxGB) in the TOS, but I should still be able to use (or even pay more if I must, to use) the device I want on the network I am paying to access.
I’m very frustrated by this situation and am not about to pay for a second phone plan or cancel the iPhone one and give AT&T and Apple the satisfaction of an ETF (~$170). I just want my 3G service in the N95 shared with my personal network of devices and when I want the iPhone for the day I am more than happy to deal with EDGE and WiFi. Is there an actual logical (not because Steve Jobs said so) explanation behind why this is impossible?
I’ve heard that PAN works with a Blackjack and iPhone SIM, but there’s no support for PAN in the Nokia’s that I’ve found… There’s a very interesting proxy access hack for the iPhone that seems like it would work on the N95, but there’s no proxyserver application that I’ve found. GNUBox looks promising, but is unsigned and rather complex to deal with.
Image found on Google… borrowed from ZDNet.
Technorati Tags:
3.5G, 3G, Apple, bluetooth, broken, DUN, HSDPA, iPhone, Marketing, MMS, mobile, N-Series, N800, N95, Nokia, open, wireless, PAN
