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Ovi Suite – Syncing Smoothly in Windows 7

One issue I’ve had running Windows 7 was Nokia’s PC Suite refuses to install due to some privilege issues.  I’ve tried a few tricks and it seems it’s just going to fail.  The good news is that Ovi Suite installs just fine (except for Nokia Music  which I will have to try separately in compatibility mode) and brings a sleek UI and connections to the Ovi.com portal.  I was pleasantly surprised to see that my E71 was also able to connect even though it is not listed as a supported device.  The E71 will actually only sync PIM data for the moment though … no media sync through Ovi Suite until it’s eventually supported (right Nokia??).

The real benefit though is that I now have a simple way to connect to my phone for a data connection which is something I do daily during my commute.  I know there are other options but prefer DUN over Joikuspot or Walking Hotspot for a 2 device connection as the connection seems to just work better.

As you can see in the image above, my N79 is syncing while I’m typing this.  I’ll give the rest of the suite a whirl over the next few days, but having this working is a big bonus running Windows 7!

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Something’s missing in Windows 7 Photo Import

Windows 7 has a very nice approach to importing images and video from a device yet it’s missing a rather critical feature … image preview!

Windows 7 Photo Import

I love that I can add a name (album) and tags, but without the image preview it’s impossible to know what the pictures are … making this pretty useless.  The picture highlighted was taken tonight and I am pretty sure is of my daughter, but of the 8 pics captured not all were good.  There’s no way to de-select the blurry ones or make sure you get the good ones.  Something to work on before release …

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Google takes Quicksilver Pro … I hope it’s coming to Windows!

Google has launched a new Mac application based on Quicksilver called Google Quick Search Box.  At first I missed why I would want a quick Google search on my desktop, but when I read this lifehacker post on the topic it became clear this was really Quicksilver reborn as a Google product.

I’ve used Quicksilver for years and there are some awesome extensions to make your life easier and productive without ever touching the mouse.  On the PC, I use Launchy though it pales in comparison to the functionality in Quicksilver (macros and application plug-ins come to mind).  I really hope this one makes it over to the PC side so I can use it across all my systems.

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two-finger-scroll – awesome donationware

As I’ve previously mentioned the Synaptics software is not yet working in Windows 7 which is a definite bummer, but that problem has been solved with an excellent donationware project on Google Code. two-finger-scroll is a quick download and once installed you can use two fingers to scroll through any screen.

I’m loving this!

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Some system updates arrive for the Samsung NC10

I suppose you might have noticed that the Samsung NC10 is something of a new obsession in my writing here … Par for the course with a new device, I’m afraid.

Today the Samsung Software update popped up when I got to the office and informed me that there were some updates.  Three in fact … though the first notice was for the notifier itself.  Once it updated, there was a notice for both the system bios as as well as the easy network manager. 

The process was smooth taking about 10 minutes which included two reboots – one after the initial updater and then another after the bios update which took most of the time.  I can’t say I am noticing anything new here … Windows 7 still generally resumes from sleep without sound, volume and display controls which is quite frustrating to say the least.  At least the reboot process is fast – much faster than my work machine so it’s all good.

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The almost status of Nokia Software Checker

Ricky beat me to blogging this, but I also had the same experience using the Nokia Software Checker on the N79. Nokia Software Checker appears on the newer Feature Pack 2 devices (N79, N85) and appears to be an application who’s sole purpose is to schedule checks against the firmware database.

In theory this is a very handy thing as having the latest software on your mobile tends to deliver new features and most importantly bug fixes.  Updating firmware via FP2 is a simple non-destructive process so updating to the latest software is also painless.  

Back to the Nokia Software Checker … I noticed this application on the N79 first and decided to try it last week.  After pinging the Nokia server, I was told there was an update (not what update) and suggested I connect to my PC to run the software updater there instead of prompting me to check right on the device.  Over the air updates are a key feature on these new devices and I was surprised to see it not referenced.  I tried the OTA update anyway (homescreen > *#0000# > check for updates) and was told there was no new software available.

I’m not sure why there is a disconnect between the two applications and the database online here, but this is not a good way to create a positive user experience.  I’ve not had the chance to try an update from my PC yet but I’m guessing that the software update via PC and Phone are in sync and that it’s the Nokia Software Checker that’s out of alignment.

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Windows 7 beta on the Samsung NC10

I should probably preface this post by saying I’m far from a windows expert.  I am quite comfortable within XP but don’t really have much experience in Vista outside of the few occasions I’ve launched it in VMware to flash a phone.  I use XP daily for work, but basically just tolerate how it all works.  I definitely prefer OSX, though the more I’ve used Windows on a daily basis the less I find I care as there are ways to basically to everything I need on each system.

The Windows 7 beta was leaked at the same time I ordered the Samsung NC10 netbook so I decided to go for it.  I had a few days of experience in VMware before the NC10 arrived and overall I find that it’s quite peppy and looks really slick.  It definitely reveals XP’s age visually and offers some general niceties.  I was pleased to see that performance in both virtualized as well as the netbook environment was excellent.  The standard install / startup of the NC10 includes some Samsung specific applications for controlling the keyboard, trackpad, battery etc and none were obviously included in the Windows 7 install though they all installed without too much hassle in Windows 7.  I did have to use compatibility mode to install things, and thus far the only conflict here seems to be the synaptics trackpad software.  Through some trial and error I was able to find that the conflicts are unfortunately with most of the cool stuff you get with the synaptics driver.  By disabling the virtual scrolling and gestures, I was able to stop the trackpad from freezing.  While this essentially reduces the trackpad to a basic device again, I at least can continue using the PalmCheck feature which prevents the trackpad from activating while typing.  With the smaller keyboard this feature is actually critical for me.

Otherwise I’m running Firefox, iTunes, Tweetdeck, Chrome, Windows Live Writer, Evernote, Launchy, Skype, WinSCP, OpenOffice, Boingo and probably a few things I’m not remembering.  I’ve seen a few circular stalls (the windows 7 beach ball) which I expect to have resolved when I upgrade from 1 to 2GBs of RAM.  Windows 7 installed beautifully and seems to handle pretty much anything I’ve thrown at it.  I’m looking forward to seeing how things evolve over the course of the beta.

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Mail for Exchange is NOT enterprise ready

I’ve had Mail for Exchange running on my E71 for about 6 months now … essentially since I got it over the summer. In that time, I have had to either create new a profile or re-install the application dozens of times. For some reason the my profile data seems to get lost and the E71 stops syncing with Exchange.

I’m not clear on what causes this problem and I’ve seen it across two versions of Mail for Exchange as well as firmware updates for the E71. I know this is a DIY Solution rather than something implemented (or required) by IT so I’m somewhat on my own, but our IT team has also seen the same things. We use Exchange 2007 and there are never issues like this with Blackberries in the company.

This type of application / service needs to just work. Once configured there should not be any thought required other than how well and consistently it syncs.

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Mobile Peer Awards

Mobile Peer Awards Logo

The Mobile Peer Awards is the annual competition from MobileMonday and will take place at Petit Palau at the Palau de la Musica on February 16, 2009 from 16H till 20H right during the upcoming Mobile World Congress.

For Startups, participation is free of charge and open to any startup willing to pay their way to the event but you must register before the December 31 deadline.

The idea is that each chapter of Mobile Monday, nominates their favourite local startup to go into the final. This year there are no less than a staggering 67 chapters entering. This means that there’s an (online) pre-judging round selecting 20 finalists to present their 3-minute pitch at the event in Barcelona.

To make the finalist selection as transparent and open to the industry as possible, the organizers are accepting applications to the finalist-selecting jury (individuals who will select the finalists among all the chapter nominees by online vote during mid January – and will not need to be in Barcelona). If you’re interested to become part of that jury or know someone who should be part of it, send an email to jury AT mobilepeerawards DOT com with a short bio, your LinkedIn profile, and personal blog and twitter name if you have it. [m-trends]

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Palm (re) launches their app store

palm app store

The Palm Software Store is open again though this time as a mobile download for both Palm OS and Windows Mobile devices. I say again because Palm was actually the original mobile application and services platform … The original being accessible from the Palm VII.  The real news this time is the shared revenue with developers …

PalmVII

It’s amazing just how poorly Palm handled their initial lead in converged mobile devices … Let’s see if something real (and interesting) arrives for CES.

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Delicious mobile beta

As simple as the layout is on del.icio.us it’s remarkable that it’s really not a very mobile friendly site … at least until now. There’s finally a true mobile version of the site and it looks great! The only thing we actually need now is an easy way to add bookmarks rather than just review them which is what the current beta site offers.

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Helvetireader

Helvetireader

I just installed the Helvetireader Greasemonkey script for Google Reader and it’s awesome. I’ve been browsing in full-screen mode while on my work machine though using Chrome on and off with Firefox and this might be enough to get me to stick with FF for the moment. I can’t get the userscripts to work just yet with Chrome nightlies, but I think I’m just tired after consuming too much turkey.

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Where’s my Federated Presence?

It’s easy to maintain a single status line across services which lets you report the same update across your social services.  I tend to use Ping.Fm mainly which lets me deliver cross-service updates via email, IM and web including mobile.  What’s missing in this age of unified communications though is the ability to share a richer level of presence.  

By presence of course I mean my actual presence – am I in a meeting, on the phone, on the go or even in a different timezone from you.  All of this information can be relative input for deciding how to best get in touch with someone and there is still no way to do this effectively outside of the expensive enterprise route from companies like Cisco, Avaya, and Microsoft which also require that you use their solution exclusively without taking inputs from other sources.  Of course these inputs should be definable so I don’t share random personal bits with business contacts or important business information across to my Facebookfriends but I realize that’s a degree of complexity that might be more challenging.  Still even the “basic” federation for presence seems to be missing …  

The key thing here is that I don’t want anyone else to have to install or use a particular service for this to work.  I just want this solution to deliver the right level of detail to the right service so my various contacts are informed appropriately.  Not too hard right?

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Chrome – It’s new and shiny

Google Chrome

I was very excited for the Chrome release today.  Spending as much time in the browser as we all do now the experience and performance are critical parts of the online experience.  While it’s a very early release, I definitely like what I see so far and look forward to tracking the progress forward as things evolve.  

I’m finding that the speed is decent.  Not hyper fast like they were promoting but then I am not running some javascript test page, I’m using a bunch of tabs and windows like I always do.  What Chrome does though which is generally get out of your way and let you experience the page or application a site is offering.  It’s very simple to create single window views like Fluid does on the Mac.  I’ve got that configured for gmail, google reader, wordpress and my office webmail … so far so good.  

Right now Chrome only works on a PC unless you compile it yourself.  My work machine, a Lenovo X61 is not having any issues with Chrome and I actually find it to be a very pleasant browser.  There are some subtle things about the UI that i really like and of course a few I would like to see changed.  

On the positive side, the window is about as full as it can be all the time which is awesome on my small screen and even better when connected to a larger monitor.  There’s no status bar on the bottom of the window, but when you hover over something that can be clicked on, you can see where it will go just like you know you can.  There are some slick overlays for downloads and completed downloads stick to the bottom of the window to remind you they are ready to be acted upon.  When things crash or go bad, only that tab seems to be effected and Chrome is able to save the state of things quite gracefully.  In my limited testing this afternoon, I’d say it does a much better job that Firefox 3 currently.  Not bad for a .2 release.

As you might expect with an early release, there are some bad things.  The one that’s making me nutty is that there is no way to email a page / link without using a bookmarklet.  I’ve got one for Gmail, but it makes sending a page or link to work collegues in Outlook take a few steps more than I’d like becuase I have to copy and paste twice to get both the link and title or content from the tab.  I’ve also noticed that there’s no way to get certain links working on Facebook which is a huge miss.  I was unable to “become a fan” or comment on someone’s status today and both links looked like they would work, but failed to do anything.  Back to Firefox … 

In general though Chrome is very smooth, very stable and really well done.  I’m looking forward to the fixes further optimizations and hopefully some plugins.  Of course I’d also like to install this on my Mac!

While they’ve only teased at this point, I would expect Chrome to be the browser in Android when it launches later this year.  We’ve already seen the power of webkit in mobile devices – first in the S60 browser and then of course with the iPhone.  Webkit has become the engine to beat (sorry Opera) in higher end mobile browsing.  My guess is that it will sync via some Google service and I hope that multiple computers will also sync eventually as well…. Google killed the Firefox sync extension recently and it seems quite clear now that those bits are being focused on their own developments.  It’s great that Chrome is open source and I hope Nokia is watching closely to see how they can improve their own S60 webkit browser as it’s clearly stagnated a bit since Apple came along with Mobile Safari.

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Set Nokia chat as your default contacts view

I just discovered a handy tip for Nokia Chat fans … It’s possible to set your default contacts view to jump right to Chat rather than the main contacts application view. This works great for me since I really don’t need to scan my contact list … I tend to access who I need from the comms app of the moment.

On the E71, you can set this right within the contacts application settings as seen here:

Nice and simple. If you are already engaged in an open chat, Chat seems to take priority, but this is a nice way to always default to Chat.

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Nokia Chat

Last week, Nokia Beta Labs released a very cool new application called Nokia Chat. As you might guess, Nokia Chat is an IM application, but that just starts to scratch the surface as there are also additional layers of presence and location. Unlike some apps you might have tried like Jaiku or twitter, Nokia Chat is about one to one communication and does not have a public room in which everyone’s discussions pass by.

Nokia Chat is Jabber based and to use it touch need to sign up or in using your Ovi sign-in. Your handle is then nickname@ovi.com and you can also add this account to your desktop IM client using chat.ovi.com as the server.

In addition to chatting with your friends and colleagues you can share locations as well using the GPS on your device. This is something you are fully in control of though, so rest assured that your actual location is not revealed unless you to choose to share. Nokia Chat integrates with the system landmarks and uses the familiar (or actual if you prefer) name in you presence line. You get to send you own location which provides a link to you on the map and is fully navigable from within your mapping app so you can meet up if you like – or simply just see where someone is hanging out. What’s nice about landmarks is that you can use saved locations from both Google Maps or Nokia Maps. When you open a location link, it goes to Nokia Maps …

Nokia has integrated Chat into the address book though it works as a tab within the application. On the N95 you move the rocker to the right and then switch into chat mode. On the E71, the tab is accessed by moving to the left, which gets you into the tab ui at the top of the screen. When chat is running it is also actually using contacts and I’ve found you need to keep both open in order to stay actively connected.

The GPS functions by searching on a user defined interval. 20 minutes is the default and that seems to offer a nice balance between actively sharing and managing battery life. It’s hard to tell exactly how long the connection is maintained, but from an offline state to connected your location can be shared within a matter of moments (less than 30 seconds including application start up) thanks to the use of landmarks as reference points and the speed of AGPS.

Nokia Chat has become my preferred mobile IM app. I would love to see support for additional IM services which would let this work beyond just Nokia handset owners. You can add Gtalk and other jabber service buddies, but connecting with AIM, MSN and Yahoo contacts would make it complete – even if those people could never take advantage of the Nokia specific features. I have found the application to be very lightweight and notifications for chats are easy to manage and not intrusive.

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Shozu for iPhone

shozu for iphone

While I won’t be waiting in line for the 3G iPhone, I’ll probably still install Shozu as soon as it’s available as being able to share my media to any site is a core function of what I do with any smartphone. It’s good to see Shozu is releasing the feature complete iPhone version of their application so you can publish and subscribe to media across their full list of supported sites.

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Nokia N78 Updating Over the Air

06/27/2008, originally uploaded by atmasphere.

Pretty cool stuff …

The latest S60 update (Feature Pack 2) supports firmware over the air and today I had a chance to test it out. Using a wifi connection I was able to check and then download the update which then proceeded to reboot and update my device as shown.

I manually checked for the update via the Device Manager application (Tools / Utilities) which took care of the rest. Unlike previous efforts to update my phone, I did not have to have a SIM card inside and there was no worrying about bumping the cord.

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Yahoo! OneConnect … dead or alive?

Remember Yahoo OneConnect?

I’m thinking this might be DOA at this point. Sure the landing page says Q2 2008, but it’s been a rocky road at Yahoo recently and I can’t imagine this project is high on the priority list.

I hope it’s still moving forward regardless as I think this is the only mobile lifestream / presence aggregator under public development. At Mobile World Congress Yahoo demoed both a standalone as well as Yahoo Go widget though I’m hoping if this comes through there will definitely be a standalone option as I really don’t want to be locked into Yahoo! Go which I loathe ….

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