Navigating w/o GPS

Since the E61i wasn’t delivered to users with built-in GPS, we’ve learned to rely on workarounds in the meantime. Here’s a .gif map of Salcedo Village, that you can save in your mobile phones. Very handy when you’re not familiar with your meeting locations in Makati. Just zoom in, pan left/right to see street and buildings names .

Nokia promised sometime back that all their handsets in the near-future will have built-in GPS. I wonder how this will change the street navigating experience here in Manila? I’m sure it’s just going to be as frustrating as before. We need to have a standard definition of “street” first – when is it a street, or just an alley? hehehe

Download the Salcedo map here

My E61i Active Standby Screen

What does your active standby screen look like? Mine has gone through countless versions, since I really try to optimize the shortcuts and standby apps to match my usage pattern. I’m pretty happy with my current configuration, which I’ve been using for almost 2months now. It looks like this:

My one-click applications include:
1. Music Player - since I always listen to music when I’m on the go
2. Gallery – to show off videos and pics on my phone
3. New SMS – this is the core function of a mobile phone for me

*note: the soft-keys also give me one-click access to my calendar, contacts & email applications in case you are wondering why they’re not available in my active standby.

Secondary applications that are two-clicks away include:
1. Calcium - calculator for quick/urgent computations (like splitting resto bills, hehe)
2. Clock – since I program my alarm every day
3. Calendar – to remind me of my agenda daily
4. Wlan Scanner – so I can quickly check if WiFi is available nearby

Next would be the three-click apps:

1. Camera – I’m no paparazzi, so I don’t need this to be a 1-click app like others
2. File Manager – I really get O.C. sometimes, so I organize files always
3. SMS Inbox – This is actually more important for me than the calendar, and I don’t understand why the E61i firmware update suddenly exchanged their locations as active standby plugins! I guess I have to live with this now. Haaay.

Last 2 apps include Active Notes & the Web Browser (4 clicks away). I used to have Opera Mini as the active standby app, but the icon was really ugly and it was an eyesore on my standby screen, hehe. I switched it back to the built-in browser instead.

What about you, what does your Active Standby screen look like?

Nokia PC Suite 6.85

I’ve been using the new version of Nokia PC Suite with my E61i for sometime now, and I have to say that this is a tremendous usability upgrade from the earlier version. It finally supports true drag-and-drop functionality, allowing you to transfer files to your handheld unit and the application will automatically convert it to a format supported by your phone. No more converting digicam videos of your drunk friends or videoke sessions using a separate conversion program. Yeh! Might seem like a small thing, but this is definitely something that the average user will truly appreciate – I’m sure a lot of people never took the effort to search for a video converter and actually use them before.

Here are some screencaps:

This is the Main Menu. You’ll see the drag-and-drop menu on the upper left side, where a transfer progress bar will also appear when converting or uploading content. The application icons are still available on the main right screen. An SMS inbox snapshot is also accessible below the drag-and-drop menu.

When you drag-and-drop files to your unit – like homemade videos or music files, it will ask if you want to convert the file to a compatible format. There is an option to automatically convert next time, without having to ask first. And one of the highlights for me is that it supports conversion of WMV files – without a hitch! Yeh! And it doesn’t take half as long as the current converter I am using. Great great great!

From the settings menu, you can define your default conversion preferences. Like what I mentioned previously, you can set the application to automatically convert content when you drag-and-drop next time. You can control video and audio conversion, set the quality and file type, and location to save files in. Definitely makes the process of moving content to your phone hassle free.

Yeh! Nokia PC Suite Team!

Win a Smart New Nokia E51

Yeh! Just click the link below to go to the online contest landing page that was setup for the launching of Nokia’s latest ESeries device. The contest is pretty simple - just tell Nokia the most unusual thing you’ve done to make a difference at work. You can just write about your experience, or spruce it up a bit by attaching photos, videos or illustrations. It’s up to you. The most engaging, entertaining and honest answer will win. Click this link to join!

To know more about the Nokia E51, head over to the e-series.org reviews of the device and you will see why it’s a great phon. WiFi, 3.5G, Email and Blackberry Support, MP3 and Video Player, 2MP Camera, QuickOffice, Series 60 3rd Edition (Feature Pack 1), and a whole lot more. If you’re thinking of buying a new phone soon, consider this!

E61i Firmware Update

I just finished upgrading my firmware. From the original 1.0633.22.05 I am now running 2.0633.65.01 on my unit. I have two things to say: (1) the upgrade process was straightforward and flawless, a standing ovation due to Nokia. Yeh! But… (2) not much difference after the firmware update… was it premature?

Whoever developed the phone memory backup tool should be given an award. It’s sooooo convenient and user friendly. With my old phone, my rule was to backup data every month – I’ve always been scared of losing all my notes, contacts and calendar items. But it was such a chore to backup, I ended up doing it just 3x a year. On the E61i though… I literally just need 5 clicks to backup, I leave it in my pocket, and it’s done in a few minutes. The data is stored on the memory card, which I can always restore later on. Now that’s a perfect example of excellent usability.

After backing-up, it’s time to install the software update. I used the shortcut from PC Suite, or you can go to http://europe.nokia.com/softwareupdate directly, it’s the same thing. From there you have to download the Nokia Software Updater application, which will retrieve the new firmware and install it to your phone. I think it took me about 20mins to complete the whole process, and I did not experience any glitches.

Moment of truth! My phone restarts of course, and when the welcome screen appears it’s like the phone is brand new again! It asks me for location settings, date and time, etc. The same old Dots theme is in use, and the active standby screen asks you to configure your voicemail. At this point, I go to my memory card tools to restore my backup and am surprised again at how easy it is. Just a few clicks, a few minutes wait and my old phone interface greets me – just the way it was before the update! You can compare the screencaps below. All my data is properly restored (contacts, appointments, etc.). Even settings for profiles, active standby configuration, and customized menu arrangement. Only letdown is that some 3rd part applications are not restored, so I have to reinstall.

After the software upgrade (before restoring backup):

After the software upgrade (AFTER restoring backup):

Now that’s why the software upgrade process was a breeze for me. Now going to the software improvements with the new firmware, I compiled some of the improvements noted by users from E-Series and the Nokia Discussion Boards below, together with my comments:

PREDICTIVE TEXT INPUT
I think everyone agrees there is little use for this in a qwerty smartphone. click here

FASTER & SNAPPIER PROCESSING
Not sure if it is really faster, or if it’s just psychological (since I updated my firmware, it must be faster!), or if it’s simply a result of re-flashing the phone. But if it is true, it’s just a tiny bit faster. I’ll observe over the next few days.

ADDED OPTION FOR CALENDAR SCREENSAVER
Not fair! I don’t have this, still date and time or text options. click here

ADDITIONAL THEMES
Don’t we all have enough Dots themes in varied colors? The plum and pink options are not appealing at all (maybe for the ladies). Anyway, you can always install themes – this is not a real firmware improvement for me. click here

INBOX AND CALENDAR IN ACTIVE STANDBY
Maybe the majority of users out there prefer this layout with the calendar on top of the active mailbox. But in my case, I prefer that the active mailbox comes first, because this serves as the shortcut to my SMS Inbox. click here

POWER-OFF NOKIA LOGO DISSOLVES
This animated shutdown screen does not appear on my unit. Would have liked it.

There are still other improvements that other users have talked about, such as enhancements in the web browser, WLAN connectivity and bluetooth. I haven’t experienced these things first-hand yet, but I’ll keep an eye out for them in the next few days. In the meantime, I should come up with my wish-list before the next firmware update and will post it here. Maybe some Nokia developers will see it here someday, hehe.

Nokia E61i Designio Leather Sleeve (Boxwave)

While I prefer using my phone bare, I decided it was time to give it some protection after noticing small scratches and even paint peeling off the sides. I spent an afternoon in Greenhills, but only the Capdase leather and silicon cases were available – which I found to bulky. I also didn’t appreciate the plastic covering over the keyboard, which made it hard to use the keyboard. After Greenhills, I went around popular gadget stores and even smaller tiangges looking for a better option , but it was only capdase capdase capdase everywhere.

So I decided to try and order a case online. A customized Vaja case was out of the question, since it cost $60 minimum (maybe next time!). Looking around, I settled with Boxwave which had a store on Amazon, and I placed an order for the Designio Leather Sleeve. I liked this because the keyboard was not covered at all, it looked very sleek, was one of the cheaper options available, and it’s a fairly popular option for E61/62/i users. So I confirmed my order last November 2 – exactly 18days ago. The package was delivered to me today.

First of all, I’m extremely happy that it was delivered door-to-door. I was expecting to pick it up from the post office, or worse from customs – which I would have dreaded. After the horror stories about import taxes and under-the-table bribes, I was really preparing to bring my Taxation book – just in case. So… yeh! to door-to-door delivery!

The case is packaged in a sturdy cardboard box, and some foam inside to protect it from the round the world journey.

How do I find it so far? The size and fit is just perfect – not too bulky that it seems like you have a brick in your pocket. While it does add a little extra weight, it makes the phone feel very solid and secure in your hands. You can connect your headset, earphones, charger and USB cable without any problems. Of course there is a small peep hole for the camera at the back as well. My 1 major gripe doesn’t have anything to do with the design… When I got the case, the screen protector had a very obvious scratch in the upper left side – maybe a third of an inch long. Must be an injury suffered after being tossed around cargo planes and delivery trucks. But hey, I can live with that.

Nokia Audiobook Manager v1.03

I was surprised to see a comment on my Download Nokia Audiobooks Now post this morning saying that a new version has already been released. I checked it out, and it is available for download from Beta Labs. Now if you remember my initial feedback, I pointed out that there was no progress bar while converting files, and that really sucked for me. Lo and behold – I download the new version, and this issue has been fixed!

I commend the Audiobooks development team for the quick turnaround time, and most especially for listening to all the users out there giving in their inputs Now that’s the beta community at work!

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IMAP for Gmail on my Phone

Don’t you just love Gmail (and Google)? I just finished setting up a new email inbox in my phone for the recently launched IMAP access for Gmail. It’s FREE! It’s FREE! It’s FREE! It runs really smoothly, no problems encountered and it was pretty quick – even if I was just using my phone’s edge connection. IMAP access is better than POP simply because your inboxes stay in sync, whatever action you do. If you delete a message using your phone’s email application, it will be deleted even when you access Gmail from your desktop PC. No more putting up with POP, which is such a hassle. You can read about the other benefits of IMAP here.

 

Of course, I also have to commend the excellent messaging application on my E61i, which made the setup process extremely easy to handle. I was able to download my emails on my first setup try – very straightforward and nothing complicated. You can view the instructions and settings from the online Help index of Gmail for the guide. Or if you need any help, you can just email/text me. Most of the newer phones have a built-in email application anyway, so it;s worth a try.

Here are some screenshots of the Gmail IMAP access on my phone:

The messaging application main screen

Gmail message inbox

Email from Cha… hahaha (text view)!

HTML view, so you can see the formatting

Download Nokia Audiobooks Now!

Here’s the newest application available for free download from Nokia Beta Labs – Audiobooks. You can also check other cool software under still development from the site, like the threaded SMS program, Mosh, Share Online (for N73 & N95). Some graduates include Widsets and Welness Diary – which are both excellent program.

Going back to Audiobooks – this is a great addition from Nokia because it really makes your mobile phone an all-around media device. You can view photos, watch videos, listen to music, subscribe to your podcasts – and now you can listen to full audiobooks without relying on the basic music player. My biggest gripe with listening to audiobooks or even long podcasts with the built-in Nokia music player is that you can’t bookmark! You always have to remember the exact time (min:sec) that you stopped, and then use the fast-forward button continue where you left off. Now I can bookmark every 3secs if I want. Hehe.

You can download Audiobooks here.

It also comes with a PC application which allows you to create audiobook files from your Mp3 collection. It’s fairly easy to use – but this is where my 1 major complaint comes in… There’s no status bar when converting the files! Case in point, it took 21mins to process a 30MB podcast I have. The whole time I had no idea if it was processing, how many more minutes, or if the whole thing hanged on me. Good thing I’m a patient boy. Hehe.

Here are some screenshots of the mobile application:

Audiobook library  screen

Active audiobook screen

Chapter selection

Adding bookmarks

Saved bookmark selection