Just returned from my Holiday in Thailand. During my holiday somehow my e61 fell a few times hitting concrete. Though it survived the first few times, after the 4th time it was clearly too much and my dear companion basically stopped working. As I never dropped it before (not completely true as I have wasted one e61 by dropping it in a pool), and looking back, I saw this as prophetic for the things to come. Travelling back from Thailand I was destined to buy as new phone. As I did not yet come across any Nokia e90 (not in China, not in Hk, and for sure not in Thailand) the plan was to treat myself with a brand new e61i. Traveling through Frankfurt airport I went out to buy my Nokia e61i. Entering the airport’s electronic shop I started to smile - I walked straight into a Nokia e90. Why Germany has it and the “rest of the world” not yet is a mistery to me, but anyway I got it though I have to get used to the fact that apparently the Germans put the “Y” where the “Z” is supposed to be. Anyway, just exploring the device and I will keep you posted on any progress / discoveries. 

[..] I wrote a small program, called LogExport, to Export the Call Register data to a CSV file. It only does that thing, no more and no less. You will only find one menu: Export, the analysis task can be done by a spreadsheet. I was actually planning to give analysis options, but after reading so many subscription plans from different providers [..]

This is actually a really simple but nice application. With this simple appl you can download all the phone’s log information to a *.csv file which then can be used for analysis purposes in Excel. All detail in terms of calls in/out and messages in/out is made available.

Really convenient if you have some trust issues with your lady as even when SMSs or calls are deleted from the phone they will still remain in the log. The best way to learn your loved one is unfaithful? Buy her a Nokia e61, install this appl (explain that this appl is needed to make the “internal antenna work”) and download the *.csv once or twice a month.

Good luck - and … do not blaim me …

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Following several posts on Sudoku the guys at ZingMagic were so nice to give me a trial version of their Zingles (=Sudoku) application. Making inquiry why they do not make a trial version available to a broader audience (as you can only buy their applications), gave me more insight in the harsh world of Symbian software development.

All 3rd edition applications need to be Symbian Signed if they use the phones IMEI for any kind of dynamic registration. Any Symbian signature goes at a cost of some EUR200 per application. Each trial version over a different distribution channel (read website) implies a new signature. Thus if you develop several Symbian applications like these guys which you like to distribute to multiple sites let’s say 20 different ones, then you can imagine the cost that comes with making trials available. Clearly something the guys at Symbian can improve to speed up the rate% of new applications being made available. Because, and as I guess, many users like me want to try certain applications before making the dollars$ available for it.

Ok, back to the application itself. Let me first highlight what I personally think is important in a Sudoku application:

• user interface – application should be intuitive and should make best use of resources being available
• data input / handling the application – as there is quite some interaction required the data entry should be intuitive and fast (not too many steps)
• choice in levels – obviously Sudoku for different users requires different levels – as I consider myself as an ace, hard should be really hard

When opening the application you will first have to select if you want to play a new game or continue with an old one. Actually this is quite a good feature as you are enabled to store multiple games at the same time. In fact, even if you are playing you do not have to worry about saving the game as each move is automatically stored when made. The way I use this feature is that if I am not able to quickly solve the Sudoku I save it up for later.

 

Continue reading [Review: Sudoku continued: Zingles for the Nokia e61 and Nokia e62]

At clickergamer.com they have prepared a FREE Xmas gift being a game called SNOWED IN 5 - FLAKED OUT. As said it is free and downloadable for almost all mobile platforms including Symbian s60 3rd edition. Even better it has been specically optimized for the Nokia e61 and Nokia e62. Although it is clearly a marketing stunt of the guys at clickergamer.com I do not mind to much as actually it is a nice and addictive game. If you sign-up at clickergamer.com than you can get a registration code for free before the end of January 2007. You can download the *.sis file for the Nokia e61 and Nokia e62 here.

The purpose of the game is actually quite simple. The idea is that you manage to create as many “Xmas figures in a row of miminal three” as possible. The longer the row the higher the score will be you collect. Rows can be created both in horizontal and vertical direction. You create rows by “exchanging” Xmas figures from its square with adjacent squares. This can be done again in horizontal, vetical, as well as diagonal direction. TIP: to move in the diagonal direction use the number keys on your e61 / e62 (eg 1 for NW and 9 for SE). The game is offering two game modes: easy and time mode.

Continue reading [FREE Xmas gift - a game for the Nokia e61 and Nokia e62]

After already some first indications that a successor for the Nokia e61 is in the make, recently some first pictures have come available of a possible successor Nokia e61i. Although the authenticity is debated (fake or not?) I did not want to keep from you. If it is, then they did a nice job modding it.

Some first observations are:

• The 16m color QVGA stays - pity where I was hoping for a VGA LCD in its successor
• Looking at the back of the e61i it seems despite most comments of the current e61 users, that a camera will be introduced. Considering the E-series are not considered “high-end” phones like the N-series, it will probably mean that there will be a “low-end” 2mp camera embedded
• Pop-port is still the crappy Nokia’s own version and not the universal mini-USB like the current e62 with “charging possibility”
• The housing looks nice. Still a metal casing though with a different color set-up. The front has become a black cover
• The main soft keys and central joystick have been replaced for a new set of keys. Record key seems to be still wrongly positioned
• Thickness still seems the same (where we all hoped for some slimmer version)

For the rest it is difficult to say. Likely this new phone will be introduced for the first time end of this month during Nokia world in Amsterdam. Ed from e-series.org will be joining in Amsterdam, thus let us look out what he comes back with on the Nokia e61i (and e65?). See if he can confirm the authenticity.

As we are all aware the progress of new game development for the Symbian s60 3rd edition platform is dreadfully slow. Would it not be a good thing if we can play all the classic games on the road on our Nokia e61? The LCD display is perfect for it. Now is our chance …

Recently a lot of already existing emulators for earlier versions have been updated to the s60 3rd edition platform. What is an emulator? Basically an emulator is like “replacing” the Commodore 64, Nintendo or Gameboy on your Nokia device and enables you to play exactly the same old classics (like my favorite game PacMan) as you were used to on these first “game consoles” in the late eighties. In principle the number of games you can play is “unlimited”.

Steps to take are as follows,

1. Download an emulator and install it on your Nokia e61 (most provide trials and if you like you can register it)
2. Find and download games on the internet specific to the emulator used (ie these are not interchangeable)
3. Copy over (and “install”) game files into the respective directory on the phone or memory card (eg in this example in “phone/others/vSun/”
4. Enjoy playing your games

Continue reading [Nokia e61 - games, games, games]

Nokia e61i the successor of the e61 … who can tell? According to the latest post on Symbian Watch we can indeed expect a slimmer version of the e61 this time featured with a camera.

Personally I cannot wait for the e61’s successor, must be a cracker. What I personally like to see is reflected in the below “wish list” :

1. Same size LCD in terms of inches, but this time a VGA (640×480) LCD instead of QVGA : but do not loose the 16M colors
2. Slimmer is good (but not at the cost of the battery life)
3. Smart roaming should be standard (eg automatic switching of networks in the background to maintain a connection to the internet)
4. Much faster CPU to accomodate more CPU heavy applications like the office ones
5. An additional jogdial on the right side of the phone (not to replace but in addition)
6. Loose the record button - not positioned well - too many times the phone start recording without even realizing
7. Email button : hate the fact you cannot change the email application the button opens (I guess nobody uses the standard email application from Nokia)
8. Please loose the “double browser” - I mean the s40 version
9. A contextual while-you-type menu of contact names in the “To” field for new messages (or making a call)
10. Although personally I use mostly BT for laptop vv mobile communication, it seems that the pop port is really the worst part of the current e61

If you have anything to add to this “wish list” please do so in the comments - like to see it more “complete”.