Tag Archives: nokia

Barking Seed Is One Mobile Games Community To Look Out For

Last week, I have had the opportunity to meet with one of the Indie game developers Breakdesign through a blogger event. Originally from South African, now based in Singapore, it is inspiring to meet the co-founder of Breakdesign Rick and his team talking about game development with so much passion. If indeed one of their visions is to offer free mobile gaming to all parts of the world – rich and the not so rich – looking at the latest list of top countries in the battle arena, I think they have more or less achieved that.

Mobile gaming is not new. But what is special about this Indie game developer is the mobile games community they have created – “Barking Seed”. Imagine, each time the game is over, you are given the opportunity to upload your score to their website, perhaps add a little comment to shout to the world. You play to be amongst the top players. And you play to represent your country as one of the top, stand a chance to win phones and accessories. Just how additively fun this concept is? During the blogger event, as our scores were posted to the website in real time, none of us were talking. We – guys and girls – were going all out to score.

I have tried out three of their games on my touchscreen phone. These are Flash games – responsive, pretty to look at, and does not take long to play. Good soundtracks too. “Monsterilla” (featured above) is my favorite. It is a colorful puzzle game that has a strong appeal to either sexes. There is another game that you keep squishing roaches (erm … I know) until you are overwhelmed. It does get pretty intense and Cynthia got a real shock when she accidentally looked into my screen. So many crawling roaches! Looking at “That Roach Game” at a philosophical level, I agree with the co-founder Rick. You just can’t win. The third game I have tried is “Ninjani”. Guys would love this. This game tests your reaction time as well as your anticipation skill. The fact that you can get better as you play repeatedly perhaps makes “Ninjani” one of the most addictive games of the three.

I look forward to more new game releases for the community “Barking Seed”. I have high hope for them. Three years it has taken this small team to bring this innovative offering to the world. I still have no clue on how they generate revenue when the games are free and come with no advertisements. Only time will tell. Meanwhile, if you have a Nokia phone, head to OVI Store and download these free games. If you have not heard of OVI Store – surprisingly many friends of mine who use Nokia phones fall into that category – there are many free applications and games for grab. Have fun with these featured Flash games and good luck in winning! As for me, I am going to work Cynthia hard and win me some “Monsterilla” points using my login ID. Girls are supposed to be better at this sort of cute colorful puzzle games, yes?

External Links: Barking Seed Community Site and Breakdesign Corporate Site.

Nokia N900 – Revamped, Simplified, With The Power To Deliver

Leave a reply

This Nokia N900 I am using means real business and I am not kidding you. The improvement on responsiveness and overall user interface, the power of multitasking and the ability to open multiple full website simultaneously, this beast is everything that a Nseries user would hope for. I have read a good number of positive testimonies for this phone. Is this for you? Read on to find out more on what this phone is and is not.

Overview

On the evening when I received my unit, I vividly remembered one line the Nokia presenter said: Why use a mobile site [with limited functionalities] when you can open up a full site? It is so true. Mobile sites or mobile applications that are there because full websites are too taxing for most of today’s smart phones are things of the past. N900 is one big step towards what mobile computing is to be. With 1GB application memory (256MB RAM, the rest is virtual) and up to 10Mbps 3G data connection, I can open up multiple websites and applications at ease, and at the same time. Tired of waiting for a site to load? Toggle to another site or do something else, just like what you would do in your desktop environment.

N900 comes with 4 desktops that are fully customizable (see below slides for screenshots). It has a full QWERTY keyboard and a CTRL key that the Nokia community has been asking for. You can now do copy, paste, undo and more! N900 has the same touch screen size as N97 (3.5″) but with an even better resolution (800 x 480 pixel). It plays video beautifully (all my friends love it). Its touch screen is resistive. It works well with your nails or the supplied stylus for precise navigation. If you come from a cold country, you don’t need to take off your gloves to use the touch phone.

N900 is built using a new operating system: Maemo – a Linux based open source platform. Improvements can be made by the passionate developers – for profit or not, without the wait for Nokia to make it happen. The MSN plug-in for the Instant Messaging function is a good example. Developed by the community, available free for the N900 users.

Screenshots taken by me (feel free to mouse over and pause)

First Look

What Nokia has done – from what I observe after first week of usage – is to revamp the product offering by focusing on what the majority needs. Functionalities such as dictionary, Chinese character input, message reader, audio recorder, content search, converter, and podcasting seem to have dropped. If you have not heard or seldom use any of these functions, it probably does not matter to you. What we have gained in return comparing to previous Nseries models are:

A sleek full web browser powered by Mozilla technology (we can now open new window!).
Innovative zone in and out of a web page by touching any part of the screen and circulate in clockwise or anticlockwise direction (no, you don’t need to use two fingers on the screen like some other phones). For existing Nokia users, double tapping on the screen not only toggle between normal view, zone in view, but also page-width view.
Internet Radio has returned (missing in N97)!
Easy management of Internet connection (oh yes, no more trying to configure destinations and different modes of connection in different applications).
Integrated chat and voice-over-IP (Skype, Google Talk, Jabber, SIP, and Ovi by default, MSN by community and more to come I bet).
Improved user interface with animation (OK, that is more for perception management on waiting time but hey, since every other smart phone is doing that …).
Much improved Media Player with (finally) an analog volume control.
Enriched notes function with style formatting.
Thumbing through the contacts by groups of ABC, DEF, GHI, and etc. (in portrait mode only). If your hands are free to pull out the keyboard, you can still type the name of the contact, as in N97 etc.
Control over 3G, GSM, and dual network mode (see later section as it comes quite useful for me).
A data counter to track network usage.
Simplified profile setting – General and Silence profiles with the option to turn on or off vibration, ring tone selection and volume.
RSS Feed.
Control-Z, C, X, V for undo, copy, cut, and paste. Control-O and S to open and save items. And … Control-Shift-P for taking screenshots! I bet there are more shortcuts beside these. Somewhere.
4 fully customizable desktop areas.

While I truly love these enhancements made by Nokia, I have the following observations to share. Again, some may matter to you, some may not.

N900 operates in the 3G frequency bands of 900/1700/2100 instead of 900/1800/2100 like N97. And because 1700 is not supported by SingTel (I have called to confirm that they only support 900/1800/2100), there may be locations that the 3G connection is not as good as your old Nokia phone (note: to be fair, not all smart phones in Singapore supports all three bands). For me to get a more stable data connection, I manually select the network mode of 3G and GSM if need to. Having said that, most of the time I leave the setting to 3G. When the 3G works (which is often), the speed is fast.
Music that you have purchased and downloaded from Nokia Music Store cannot be played in N900. It is not a Comes With Music device either. Nokia has to implement the DRM on the new operating system. I am unsure when, if ever, this will happen.
Maps in N900 does not have voice navigation, like the current Nseries phones. We have to wait for Nokia to port that over to the new phone, if and when.
While much of the improvement made to the Media Player is good, working with playlist seems tedious. And there is no repeat track function nor equalizer as well. No way to send the tracks via Bluetooth. Can I live with that? Sure I can.
MMS is currently not supported. I sure hope that it is in the road map for the upcoming patches.
N900 is relatively bulky, and heavy (181g). But that does not bother me as I need the computing power.
N900 is power hungry. There has been discussions that in the next patch, power consumption will be improved. As of now, for heavy users like I, it is best to keep it charging whenever possible. Again, that does not bother me for what N900 is capable in doing.

In Summary

N900 is one great phone that Nokia users (especially Nseries users) would love. And it is growing on me. It is clear that Nokia has taken the suggestions from the user community and implemented them into this new phone. Because N900 is built on an open platform, I have high hope that the developer community will help to take this phone and the future Maemo (or MeeGo?) devices forward.

Perhaps I am the minority here. I truly hope that Nokia will one day give us the option to activate any of our Nokia phones to be a Comes With Music phone (surprisingly not many of my friends know about this unlimited music download service). Quite possibly the best service Nokia has provided for the selected models. I wish that N900 has a Comes With Music option, something I miss most from my N97.

Note: Recommended retail price for N900 is S$999.

Experiencing Free Navigation And More

6 Replies

When my mother first saw how my phone assisted me to navigate from Wheelock Place to The Big Splash on the road, she couldn’t believe her eyes. Hearing that all we need is the free satellite signal from above us even in the absent of mobile signal is enough to add that into her list of fascination on how technology has advanced. From my new rice cooker that has the options to select the type of rice and how soon we want to eat, to the TV system that … think about it, what happens to those good old days when you select what you want with a click of a button? Or two? I can only imagine how fascinated I would be in the not so distant future.

Recently, it was announced that Nokia’s Maps – branded as OVI Maps – would come with free navigation for selected phone model. You can also plan your trip on your PC and synchronize the bookmarks with your phone. I am happy to hear that N97 is one of them. Yesterday, I gave it a try, mainly because I had a genuine need. The first thing I have noticed is the new menu (see below). It took me a brief moment to download the guide (I chose British female voice!) and to log onto OVI Maps using my Nokia ID (not mandatory but it is nice, as you will read later). And it was good to go.

The map is on 3D and it rotates as I navigate (see above). In theory, there is no need for me to see the screen. But because at times the Global Positioning System (GPS) signal is lost, I may miss a turn (and the phone is smart enough to do re-routing almost instantly). So for best result, I reckon it is good to mount the phone somewhere at the windscreen and see where is your next turn, which is what drivers do for their GPS devices.

So, why is there a need to log onto OVI Maps? For the simple reason that you can now synchronize your bookmarks with your OVI account in the Internet. This is powerful. Because I may discover a new eatery place or a place of interest anywhere in the world, save the GPS data onto my phone for future use, and I can synchronize with my OVI account and continue to access this location for my future Nokia phones. Or I can share my locations on Facebook, via OVI Maps.

Another powerful feature is the ability to plan my trip using the computer. I have used Google Maps. And I am surprised by the user interface of OVI Maps. The transition is smooth. And overlay onto the different map modes (such as landmark etc.) is the real time traffic condition. At one glance, I can tell where are the areas that I shall avoid, if so I wish.

Route planning in OVI Maps is a breeze. Alternative routes are displayed and can be selected with a click of a button. I have no complain about OVI Maps for now, except that there are locations that I cannot find using OVI Maps in the Internet but able to find via my phone. To be fair, I can’t find these locations in Google Maps neither. Below is a screenshot of how, in theory, I can plan my route from my home to the Botanic Gardens. The deeper purple route from A to B is the optimized route. The red thin line along the highway CTE indicates that heavy traffic at that segment is expected. And the route in light purple is an alternate route via the highway. There is a third one also in light purple overlaid with the highlighted one for the shortest route in case if you wonder why the routing near the destination is a bit confusing. Selecting different mode – shortest route, fastest route, and optimized route – will highlight the route accordingly in deep purple.

In summary, despite the occasion lost of GPS signal during my first navigation experience, as a free service that bundled with selected Nokia phones, it is certainly one feature that Nokia users should cheer about. Imagine no more getting lost when you are overseas and in town. Looking at how far the maps function has progressed since the early days of Nokia putting maps onto their phones, I am keen to see what the near future will bring.

PS. I may try to mount the phone to the windscreen to see if the GPS signal strength can be improved.

Nokia Christmas Party, By The Singapore River

Nokia E72 – And The Wait Is Over

2 Replies

The Nokia E72

I have friends who swear by the Eseries (while I am more of a Nseries dude). When the E75 was out, I asked one friend of mine if she would get that but she got the E71 instead. Why? I suppose having the full QWERTY keyboard right underneath the screen does have its appeal, a design without a need to slide out the keyboard. Knowing that I would attend this Nokia event, I did some homework, ‘interviewed’ my friend and got to know a bit more about Nokia Eseries.

Now that I have touched and felt the new E72, I can understand why my friend – in her own words – loves the Eseries. For those who are constantly on the go and need an efficient phone and messaging device – both email and instant messaging (and also social networking), the Eseries is optimized for just that. There are dedicated buttons on the E72 to quickly access the calendar, contact, and messaging functions. Holding one of these buttons create a new calendar entry, a new contact, or a new message (imagine if my N97 has that!). There is a button to instantly return to the home screen too and by holding it, you can toggle between various opened applications. At the center of the phone is the new Optical Navi™ Key. It senses the motion of your finger (or thumb) as you scroll your long emails up and down. And you can use that key to scroll through any onscreen items. From my brief experience, it feels responsive. And I do like the keyboard design too. The common punctuation symbols are easily accessible, a different experience I have with my N97.

In fact, the entire phone interface feels responsive thanks to the Symbian S60 3rd Edition operating system. For those who are already using E71, this could be a worthwhile upgrade for the following reasons.

5 mega-pixel camera
250MB internal memory and supports up to 16GB microSD memory card
3.5 mm audio connector (now you can use the standard earphones)
Able to synchronize calendar items to Outlook (on top of emails and contacts that E71 is able to)
Better battery performance
Slimmer design

And for those who are curious about the key features of email and instant messaging, on email, E72 supports Mail for Exchange, IBM Lotus Notes Traveler, Nokia Messaging service (lifetime license), and POP/IMAP. On instant messaging, it supports MSN, GoogleTalk, OVI Chat, Y! Messenger, and more. E72 is now available in Singapore selling at a RRP of S$750 (excluding operator plan and GST). If you have questions for Nokia, please drop me a comment here or send me an email.

* * * * *

I have always enjoy blogger events hosted by Nokia and Text100. And I had such a great time catching up with old friends, making new friends. During the event, there was a little contest that involved a bit of instant messaging using the new E72 and a bit of creativity. Shocking to me, I won this little Nokia Mini Speakers (MD-6). I have no idea if Nokia does sell those little beauties but had I known such thing exists, I would certainly have bought them long ago. Great for traveling (comes with a pouch). And great for playing music in the bathroom while showering too! These are active speakers taking in 4 AAA batteries. Definitely better sound quality than the phone speakers, a design more geared towards the XpressMusic series. So this looks really good pairing with Cynthia’s XpressMusic 5800 than my N97.

What a lovely gift!

WilfridWong.com

Where Good Things Are Meant To Be Shared