Looks like the latest and greatest from Nokia PC Suite is out and with some new features:

-Built in Communication Center with Calendar View
-Manage calls and Messages from your PC
-all the other goodies PC suite offers

PC Suite is a great tool from Nokia that has always been free. Another reason to buy Nokia!

Right now only available in PC flavor.

Download:
http://europe.nokia.com/A4144905

add my Nokia N95 on twitter!
http://twitter.com/NokiaN95

nAlertMe is an application by a brilliant French S60 software developer Samir!

nAlertMe is an application using a S60 phones accellerometer (make sure your phone has one before downloading!). When activated, it is basically an alarm that goes off if the phone is moved and the correct sequence code is not completed.

See a video of it in action.

Download Here

PS - This is a free app, but I suggest making a donation to Samir so he can continue to develop great apps!

So I noticed today, the N96 has 2 sets of media buttons. (play/stop, rewind and fast forward)

At first I thought this was redundant...but now as a big listener of music and podcasts I can see where this is convenient. I'm digging the kickstand on the back, makes watching those video podcasts that much easier!


Keep checking up for more quickies!

When I get a new phone I like to do a first take, to see how my experience changes over the course of using the phone.

-seems wider than an N95, but not huge
-not digging the front menu buttons. small and flat against the phone.
-the d-pad feels a little weird, but in a good way.
-love the look and feel, even though I question the functionality.
-love the stand built into the outer rim of the camera...very cool.
-I like the screen size.

I'll post more about the handset as I use it, keep checking back to get my take on the N96.

Hey Kiddos,

got a package in the mail today. Open it up, guess what? I'm an official ninja...with my weapon being a Nokia N96!



Apparently Wom world is having a little contest. Take a unique picture with the N96 using the Ninja outfit. This picture has to be unique...there's some competition out there.

Why help me you ask? well...the winner gets to pick people to trial the N96! SO YOU could be holding one!


Couple of quick rules if your reading this:

1. You must be a registered member here at CellPhoneForums.net
2. You must have 10 or more good posts. (not junk)

Good luck kiddos, PM me your ideas!

Hey Kiddos,

Smartphones, or pda phones, mobile computers, etc...have become the norm today, with most people making the transition to easier to operate smartphones. (i.e. Apple Iphone and now Android).

Just read an article over at gizmodo, one of my favorite tech blogs and heard an interesting idea. Jason Chen suggests we need a new name for smartphone.

While I think this is a good idea, 1) I think it's better to subletly introduce this idea rather than try to force it on people; 2) Have we become so lazy we don't want to say the extra syllable?

I personally think we need a new word for "dumbphone".

Jason suggests "com" as the new word...I think it's a little corny myself.

What do you think?

Hey Kiddos, just thought you'd like to see some pictures I took in Las Vegas with a Nokia N95.

Not all the pictures came out great, but the cool thing was I could upload directly from my N95 to Share on Ovi, which is a great place to store your pictures and video.

Could an N95 replace a conventional camera? Check out the pix and judge for yourself:

I used to work in the mobile phone industry in the retail division selling phones. My first GSM phone was a Nokia. I started out selling CDMA phones at first and absolutely loved Sanyo and Samsung, Nokia became my absolute favorite when I made the move to GSM.

I used to push Nokia phones to everyone that would listen, even outside of work. Truthfully I still do to this day, even though I haven't worked in the mobile phone world in a long time.

One of the many reasons I love Nokia phones is not just for the quality, durability and reliability of the handsets, it's because of the added value Nokia gives you outside of the phone. Ovi.com is a shining example of this.

What is ovi.com?
Ovi is the link between your phone and Internet, allowing you to get more from your Nokia phone!

Ovi adds a great value to owning a Nokia handset.

Are you a blogger? Share your pictures or videos on Ovi by uploading them straight from your phone! You can also upload via your pc.

Want to backup your information? Use ovi to sync, edit, and backup your contacts, calendar, task list, and notes!

Want to download the latest Nokia maps to help you get where you need to go? you can do it through Ovi!

Right now Ovi is in the beta stage, but works very well for syncing data. I've been using share online with ovi for awhile to upload pictures and video. (check out my uploads here)

So if you have a Nokia phone, (if you don't go get one) check out ovi.com and connect!

The recently announced Nokia N79 and N96-3 (U.S. 3G version) finally released their specs.


I'm kind of diggin the N79, as it looks like a better replacement for the N73 than the N78 was. The N96 looks pretty similar to the N95...and with the recently announced N85 it's not as impressive, although I wouldn't mind having one!:smart:

Check out full specs here: N96-3 N79

If you haven't been following the recent tidal wave of Nokia phones announced in the recent months, let me refresh your memory:

N79
N85
E71
E66
5320 Xpress Music
N78
N96
6220
6210 Navigator
N82

I'm all for having different form factors, everyone has there favorite whether it's a slider, candybar, QWERTY or flip. Personally I enjoy candybar's and sliders due to the one handed ease of use and size.

So what's the problem here? Nokia is releasing phones that appeal to all audiences (including the s40 phones I didn't list). There's a saying, you can't please all the people all the time...Nokia is definitely swinging a big bat at a big ball, but keeping their eyes closed all the way.

This has worked in all markets save for North America, but with brands like Samsung, LG, HTC and now Apple pumping newer and more focused phones...is Nokia keeping their eye on the ball or are they just packing every feature they can into a phone (making it more expensive) and hoping that it will sell based on features alone...and then releasing a phone with slightly better (but otherwise the same)features 2 months later?



Let me confess, I'm a diehard Nokia and S60 fanboy...and have used many other phones including the Iphone and many iterations of Windows Mobile (Including the Palm Treo 750 and HTC Tilt and Titan) so I have a slightly rose colored view of Nokia and S60.

I think there is a couple of things Nokia can do to answer some of their competition:

1. Put a different spin on an existing technology.

We've seen what it's done for Apple and touchscreens, Nintendo and motion control, why can't Nokia do the same thing? Fore example, web browsing (which seems to be popular) or maybe a motion based UI? (like the Wii?) Then spin the marketing ala Apple to be the greatest thing since sliced bread.

2. Instead of releasing many handsets annually...focus on a few.

Maybe categorize and focus...a Flagship like the N95 which encompasses all features, then maybe a media phone like the Iphone which concentrates on video/music/picture creation and playback etc... I think one huge thing that Nokia could do is create a phone for aspiring artists that could edit video, audio, and pictures with ease.


3. Marketing in North America

Hey Nokia, giving celebrities, bloggers, and big budget movies your handsets do not equal marketing. Hey did you see that Nokia that was in Batman? That was friggin sweet. Where can I get one? What? It's not released yet? Can I at least get sonar on it?

Listen Nokia, I'm one of your biggest supporters, and know many more that blog and scream your greatness to the heavens of the Intertubes, but that doesn't work here in North America.

Sure competition is fierce here, sure carriers rule and they have ridiculous standards and rules, why should you let that stand in your way? Nokia is a great brand, I think they need to start working closer with carriers (including CDMA!) and develop a niche within their segment instead of trying to be all things to all people. Take at&t for example. at&t lacks a QWERTY non-smartphone to conquer the Envy's and the Sidekicks of the world. Why not capitalize and develop a S40 or even a S60 handset with decent multimedia capabilities and unique slide out keyboard or unique design?

I know what people are saying, carriers screw up phones with branding and bloatware, and who would want a S60 phone without all the bells and whistles?

The point of this rant is to get S60 and Nokia handsets into the hands of the masses. Once a person adapts to the UI or a specific type handset...they usually don't stray. That will open the door to gradually up the ante on features and have more and more people graduate to an N-Series device. E Series and business is a whole other subject...

What are your thoughts, is Nokia hitting em out of the park, or are they swinging without watching the ball?

Put some lingerie on the Nokia E66, then slap on a business suit over it and you get the super sexy Nokia E66. Not only is the design sexy, but it's metal and not plastic so it feels pretty solid in your hand. I was not worried at all about manhandling the E66 like I have been with previous Nokia's (like the N78).



The E66 comes in White and Grey steel versions, I am using and prefer the Grey steel version. The E66 I reviewed is in Euro 3G flavor but I believe their is a US 3G version floating around out there.

If you build it, they will come
The metal build of the E66 is fan-friggin-tastic. A++ Nokia, I wish all of your phones were built this way. The only drawback to this is the back metal plate is a fingerprint magnet, but wipe it off with your shirt or cloth or live with it...it's not a big deal unless your OCD.

The E66 has a very nice 240x320 TFT screen with an output of 16million colors. I like the size, even though some may prefer a bigger screen.

The main button layout is a little cramped, but to fit all the components into such a small form factor I can forgive Nokia. The keys are customizable as well, so if you want the email key to take you to the internet, a certain application or read your messages, you can do that! The d-pad feels great on your thumb, another great job design wise by Nokia.



On the left side of the E66 you'll find the micro-USB port, Infared port, and 2.5mm audio port. (yuck Nokia, 3.5mm please!) A standard Nokia charging port is on the bottom. The back of the phone has a mono speaker (which isn't bad btw) and 3.2 megapixel camera with LED flash.

When you slide open the phone (which is sexy smooth) you're greeted by a very functional keyboard that I would say is probably my favorite on a slider.

Business never sounded so good
The reception on the E66 varied. It was not as good as my N95-3 or the E71 and N78 that I demoed, but was much better than many non-Nokia's I have used in the past. Since I'm rating this against other Nokia's I would give it a B-, sometimes dropping signal in the fringe areas, and a few times dropping calls in good signal areas. To be fair, this could also be at&t's network.

Sound quality was outstanding on the E66. The main speaker seems to be a little quiet, but not so much I couldn't hear. The speaker worked very nicely for playing MP3's, although was a little tinny at times. The lack of stereo sound was also noticeable, especially when coming from an N-series phone. The Speakerphone worked rather well, although the caller on the other end sometimes had trouble understanding me.

Lights, Camera, Action!
The E66 sports an FM radio, Nokia's built in music player, and a 3.2megapixel camera. It does have Nokia's proprietary 2mm headset jack, but you can get an adapter for a regular headset or go the a2dp route with some bluetooth headphones. The music player was typical Nokia, not bad for a business phone but no Ipod. The sound was actually really good via headphones though (used through an adapter). Tie in some bluetooth headphones, Nokia's Sport Tracker software with the built in accelerometer, and you got a possible Ipod replacement!

The camera can be a sore subject, depending on what you're used to. If you have an N-series Nokia or a good Sony-Ericsson camera phone, than you may be disappointed with the E66's offering. On the other hand, if you are used to other business phones like the E61/E62/E71 or any Blackberry/HTC model, the camera on the E66 is suprisingly good...I would actually say it's one of the better camera's on a business phone.

Save for one software glitch in my E66. The accelerometer kept the picture upside down every time I took a picture...not only annoying but difficult to take a good pic.

Web browsing was fast via the web, but I'll avoid talking speeds due to not having a US 3G version. The WiFi connection works well though, and streaming youtube was great via WiFi.

Put on your suit and tie
What the E66 is made for, business! The E66 is fully syncable with your Outlook Calendar/Contacts/Tasks/Notes via Nokia PC Suite. The E66 also comes with Mail for Exchange which can sync your exchange mail/calendar/contacts/ etc... wirelessly. MFE works very well, as I got email pushed to my phone very quickly when it was received in my inbox. The only problem I have with MFE is that it does not sync folders in Outlook mail. I also used Seven Beta Mail which works very well for the same reasons but will sync folders, although it is a battery hog.

I think some business users may be put off that the phone doesn't have a QWERTY keyboard, which I can understand. If you are a looking for a business phone and you:

-don't send many emails, just want to receive
or
-are a master of T9

than the E66 could possibly be your perfect phone. IMO, QWERTY on a phone is not a whole lot faster than T9, but that's another discussion all together.

Let's Make a Connection
The E66 comes with every connection possible (except 3.5mm headset, but hey this isn't a music phone)
-WiFi
-Bluetooth
-IrDa (Infared)
-EDGE/3G (U.S. and Euro variants)
-AGPS

WiFi worked great, and switching from WiFi to EDGE was a breeze using Psiloc Connect. Psiloc Connect is a whole other review, but allows you to switch seemlessly between connections and is software I would absolutely recommend buying alongside Handy Taskman.

The GPS is pretty solid, taking about 10-15 seconds to lock on with a good Internet signal. I'm not a fan of Nokia maps though, as they charge extra for voice navigation, but it does work well. If you're cheap like me stick with Google Maps and GPS, gives you turn by turn directions just no voice.

Check under the hood
The UI on the E66 is still FP1, which isn't necessarily a bad thing since I didn't see much improvement besides graphical with FP2.

The UI is pretty standard fare S60 with some improvements. I love the active standby...all phones should have this option. The E66 allows you to have shortcuts to 6 of your favorite apps on the home screen, and also access to your email, internet telephone, WiFi hotspots, Calendar, tasks, missed calls, voicemail and message notifications, search and is all customizable! So if you wanted to just see email, voilah, you can remove all the other features shown.

One of my favorite new things on the E-Series models is the "switch" application which allows you to have custom home screens and themes for work and for play. Nice touch with this one Nokia!

My only true complaint about the UI is that it's not more customizable like Windows phones. I would love to be able to pick what I want on the active standy such as a large clock or maybe local weather. Not a dealbreaker though.

Smart and Sexy
The E66 is possibly my favorite phone design and build wise. It felt great in my hand, the slide was super smooth, and the keypad/buttons felt like they were attached to my hand. I know some people question the red power button, but hey I dig it.

The accelerometer is a neat little gadget, but IMO totally unecessary on the phone. The auto rotation occassionally got annoying, but can be turned off if you want.

For business power users, I would probably stick with a QWERTY device...especially if you edit alot of docs/send alot of emails (unless you're a T9 wizard as stated earlier).

If you are looking for a small, sexy phone, that can sync your business data quickly and easily, this is one of the best phones you can buy.

Not Recommended for :
Power Media Users, Power Business Users

Recommended for :
Moderate to Light Business users

Hit me for specs

Do you ever wish they would take an old phone and update the specs?

I was a big fan of the Nokia 6620 when I had one, and I would love to see a slightly tweaked design wise, but updated specs (gps, 3G, WiFi etc...)

N-6620 anyone?


What phone would you update?

Via Engadget Mobile
Wow...this would be great for Symbian and the Android platform.

I'm excited to see Symbian going open source, especially here in North America where Symbian phones are a rare commodity.

What are your thoughts?