Just testing the WordPress iPhone app. I’ve included the last pic I took on my phone.

Nokia South Africa have very kindly given me an N97 as a thank you for hosting their global ‘Search for N’ competition. I know some of you must have been sick of seeing consecutive Nokia posts so thanks for bearing with me during that time.

I received my N97 on Monday evening and the first thing I did once I hopped onto my wireless network was:

That was me testing the Facebook widget that came pre-installed. I have to admit I don’t like it, I prefer logging onto Facebook via Opera Mini. Btw, the Nokia default browser reminds me of Internet Explorer It definitely needs working on.

I’m still playing around and learning new stuff as I explore.. like finding out that I can use a widget slot for additional shortcuts:

As you can see in the image above, I have two rows of shortcut bars. Most of the widgets have real time updates and quite simply, I can’t afford to have it updating and eating away at a price of R2/MB. I’m looking into getting a data bundle soon. Just a small one though, for when I’m away from a PC. I still don’t use my full 10GB every month (Neotel).

I downloaded the native S60 Twitter client, Gravity and it’s a fantastic mobile application. It allows you to reply to tweets, RT, DM, favourite, unfollow etc and manage multiple accounts. It doesn’t come anywhere close to Twitter mobile. I’m currently making use of the trial period – it costs €10 at the Ovi store. I’ve also started downloading and installing random applications like a level, a handwritten recognition calculator, a bubble game etc. The novelty will wear off soon

Okay, I hate long drawn blog posts, so I’m going to stop here. If I find the time, will post a review.

Earlier today I attended the Nokia E75 launch, held at the Skin Sense Day Spa in Rivonia. As you might know I’m no corporate so phones in that range don’t interest me.

I got to play with the phone for a short while and if first impressions are anything to go by, I wouldn’t mind owning this handset. What I like about is that it’s light (much lighter than my N85) even though it has a slide out keyboard. It’s slim, sleek and well, stylish, especially in the deep red colour that it’s also available in. So it gets full marks in the ‘looks’ category but I can’t vouch for battery life etc.

Some plus points:

• supports mobile VPN
• Nokia Messaging – you only need your username & password (supports Gmail, Windows Live, Yahoo! [remind me again who uses Yahoo!], AOL).
• customizeable home screen views for business and personal. So when you get home, flip screens and no work mail coming in.
• data encryption for phone memory and microSD card

View full technical specs here.

Even though I don’t mind owning this device, I’d still pick the N97 over this

You might wonder why the comparison. These two products are hardly in the same category. But I think one might just put the other out of business. Given the state of the current economy, I don’t see consumers rushing out to buy laptops or notebooks. There have been reports that the netbook market is soaring and sales will grow by 65% this year. At the same time Nokia’s earnings have dropped in the first quarter of this year to €122 million, compared to last years €1.2 billion, during the same period.

Statistics aside, smart phones are now being created to give you the ultimate browsing experience. That’s what the touch-screen Nokia N97 promises. You can customize the phone’s home screen with widgets, watch high-quality movies, browse ‘real’ web pages etc. But what about the price tag that comes with a high-end phone like this? I’m not talking about business men and women who need these devices or the super rich. I’m talking about middle class working citizens who save up, look what the market has to offer, make comparisons and then decide what to go with.

Put yourself in this scenario – would you spend ± 6k on a cellphone and browse the web on a 3.5″ screen or spend about ± 4k and browse the internet on a 9″ screen, with full qwerty keyboard (98%)? It’s not a difficult decision.

The current mobile market is very competitive. It’s not like a few years ago where you knew exactly what phone you were getting. Now all phones offer the same features – so what do you go for?

I’ve reached a point where I don’t go for the phone that has all the coolest features. I’m not big on a GPS merged into a phone. (I think the two devices should remain separate). You can’t put everything onto a cell/smart phone. What happens if you get a call while your phone is taking you to your next destination of if you are recording an interview and your phone starts ringing? What about battery life?

I think if the average consumer is opting for a netbook, chances are he won’t be spending ± 6k on a smartphone.

Oh, I’d be lying if I said I don’t want to get my hands on the Nokia N97. Perhaps Nokia will let me play with one

If you have a laptop or netbook that is WiFi enabled and you find yourself an in a situation where you need to connect to the internet (eg if you’re on the road – and not the driver) or you are in a coffee shop that doesn’t offer (free) WiFi (then why are you there?), you might want to try this simple solution:

Converting your cellphone into a WLAN.

I came across this particular software called JoikuSpot that does exactly that. Visit www.joiku.com from your phone and follow instructions to download the application. You need to select your phone model and add your cellphone number in international format. An sms will be sent with the download link. Configure settings accordingly.

If you visit the website from a web browser, you will notice that there is a light version (free) and a premium version (€15). I am referring to the free version.

This is just an emergency solution, not a permanent one. Can you imagine what your phone bill would be like? I would suggest that you keep a Virgin mobile SIM card in your wallet for a situation like this as they charge 50c/MB out of bundle – which is 75% cheaper than Vodacom’s (prepaid) offering.

I was given the Nokia N85 to play with over the Dec / Jan holidays. Compared to the other phones on the market, the N85 stood out. I’m a huge Nokia fan and for the last year and a half, I was disappointed with Nokia’s releases. Yes, I’m eagerly awaiting their ‘answer to the iPhone’ as its been dubbed – the Nokia 5800.

Back to the N85, it was not as chunky as the N96, but rather light. The large bright screen was ideal for browsing the net and playing games. The main reason we were given the phones was to test the games on the N-gage* platform.

I was disappointed that the game One (very similar to Street Fighter) crashed the phone after every fight. I ended up playing a lot of Poker, some Tetris, Fifa and Star Wars Force Unleashed.

I couldn’t use the phone as my primary one because I was given a sim card preloaded with airtime – so it was used for surfing and gaming. The battery life was decent – if I didn’t play games everyday, it would have lasted much longer.

I downloaded the latest Opera Mini and it supports full web browsing. I picked up 3.5G most of the time, which was really fast. If you use your phone to surf the net, then the N85 would be ideal.

If you use the Gmail application on your mobile, then you will be slightly disappointed as it runs very slowly on the phone. Although, I think this problem is more a Google one than Nokia.

Some Nokia N85 specs:

• 2.6″ 16M-color OLED display
• 5MP camera
• Symbian OS 9.3 with S60 3.2 UI
• 3G with HSDPA support
• Wi-Fi
• USB and Bluetooth v2.0
• FM transmitter
• 8GB memory
• Built-in accelerometer
• 3.5 mm audio jack
• TV out
• Stereo FM Radio
• Dual slide design for gaming and audio

Its definitely one of the better Nokia’s out there but I think Nokia is trying too hard to break into the mobile gaming market. They should stick to what they’re good at – making phones.

* Current phones supporting the N-gage platform are 5320, 6210, N78, N79, N81 8GB, N82, N85, N95, N95 8GB, N96 and launching soon, N97.

The Sims 2 – Castaway

This new mobile version of the successful The Sims series will please Sims fans. You are one of a few castaways on an island in the middle of nowhere. You are left to explore the island, interacting with the other castaways to help achieve your goals and making sure your basic needs are taken care of. The simple, self-explanatory interface means even Sims “newbies” will find this game typically addictive, although the sedate nature of Castaway may not get serious gamers’ pulses racing.

Tetris

The age-old classic is back, and EA could not have created a better mobile version. There are three game modes available to the user. In addition to the traditional “marathon” mode, there is an “ultra” mode, where you try to get the highest score in three minutes, as well as “40 lines”, where you attempt to reach 40 completed lines in as short a time as possible. The optional ghost feature will be quite useful to beginners and experienced Tetris players will be delighted that there are no annoying shape-shifting pieces. Sure to be a hit with Tetris fans.

FIFA 08

The 2008 mobile adaptation of the famous Fifa series will challenge even experienced gamers and football addicts. The in-depth training mode is a must before taking on the tough season or club challenge modes. Players have a choice of one of five European leagues in season mode, including the English Premiership. A highlight is the challenge mode, with unique and difficult match situations. The controls may take a while to get used to, but the excellent gameplay should make Fifa 08 a firm favourite with fans.

Fight Night 3

Fight Night 3 starts off with a two-minute tutorial that encompasses all you will ever need to know to become the best boxer in the world. Gamers have an option of a quick fight or the lengthier career central version, where you get to create your own player and try to build him up into a future champion of the world. The graphics are unbelievable, with incredible attention to detail. Featured boxers include modern-day heroes like Oscar de la Hoya and Ricky Hatton. A superb version of the famous boxing series.

Written for Digital Life – July 2008