And here we go again. Have you already pimped up your phone? Have you found the right background, or have you even build one by yourself? A very popular site on wallpapers is N900Wallpapers.com. All kinds of backgrounds can be found there, sorted in many several categories. You may also upload your own creations and share them to others. All you have to do, is to create an account, choose your files and upload.

Another possibility is to create a panorama view of a landscape on your desktop. This video tutorial shows you how to do it. It is pretty similar to the instructions I posted some time ago on how to make a wallpaper by yourself. This is made with Adobe Photoshop, but you may use GIMP as well.

Panorama desktop for N900

Very nice, thanks to Mark Guims post on the The Nokia Blog.

Another nice wallpaper gallery can be found here. These are backgrounds with the dimensions 800 x 480 pixels, so they don’t fit for loop-able versions, but you will find a lot of pretty pictures inside the gallery.

So here is my this weeks favorite  loopable wallpaper background I found on a site I can’t remember (maybe it was the N900Wallpapers.com site, but anyway):

- sam | visit our Nokia N900 forum -

Altough there aren’t so many official applications which are available in the Ovi Store or in the Maemo download section (not mentioned the countless programs, that come with the testing and the devel section), I have already established three of my favorite apps to my own personal list. I have written about them in earlier posts, so you can get more information about the programs by clicking the links. I decided to list useful applications in my point of view, such I am using for my everyday job.

On the third place, I placed BlueMaemo. Presentations can be controlled directly from your N900, which is the essential task I use it for, and makes it really a good alternative to the mac remote-control. And as a nice side-effect, people are very astonished about the way I am showing my content.

Second I choosed Evernote. I really don’t want to miss it anymore. It is not really a native application on the phone (it just opens in the browser, and I do not use it that way), but with the instant messaging plugin you can post your thoughts, ideas, photos and everthing else right to your Evernote account to edit the notes later on your desktop pc, mac, whatever, assumed you have installed the Evernote software on your working station. Just brilliant.

At least on place one, is the blogging app MaStory. This is really my number one favourite. I love to write my articles independent of where I am, and post them from everywhere. This app just works great and at that so simple to use. I have the full overview over my writings, publications or drafts, mediauploads and comments, categories and tags.

So tell me, which apps you like the most.

Some time ago I’ve mentioned Widgets Gallery, UI concept of Maemo 6. Even earlier you could have found series of Qt-based demos. Qt itself is application framework taken over by Nokia in 2008. Since then technology was developed to be available on every platform Nokia could reach, including Linux-based mobile phones, and Symbian. If to belive in Qt’s most important feature, portability, the code written in a good manner can be used to build application for Windows, Linux, Symbian, Mac OS and more.

I’m sure that in case of N900, the technology is advanced enough to write complex and advanced applications. In extras-devel repository there is a series of Qt Mobile Demo applications like MyBudget, HyperUI and ShopList. Part of it, Qt Mobile Demo: Weather is now developed as regular application, still staying in extras-devel before will be well tested and approved.

What makes Qt so attractive? I think that putting together a nice piece of software is fairly easy with default available widgets. At least try demos mentioned above or have a look on screenshots, slick and steady, rather concepts than fully working applications, but give a nice view on what is possible with this framework. Phone UI looks futuristic, but still elegant and intuitive. Lists, counters, charts, animations, overall look of MyBudget and ShopList are really eye-candy. As concept-only work it makes me think more optimistic about UI future!

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For more info on devel and testing catalogues visit Application catalogues tutorial

Please visit Nokia N900 Forum

As the headline already tells you, this is a continued blog about Tips and Tricks on the N900. As in some comments in the last post was mentioned, that most of you already know many of these hints, and others are also findable in the manual, the meaning of this information gathering is just to have all interesting material in one place shareable. I’d also like to get Tips and Tricks from you, so I can add these to our collection.

So here are the next ones:

Selecting text: hold the shift key and use the arrow keys

Selecting text with stylus: double tap for a word, or triple tap for all words (this is like the mouse double-click you are used from the pc)

Shortcuts used in web-browser:

. Ctrl + N: opens a new window

. Ctrl + R: reloads the current page

. Ctrl + B: opens a bookmark

. Ctrl + D: adds a bookmark

Shortcuts used in Email:

. Ctrl + Enter: send message

. Ctrl + R: reply to message

Taking a screenshot:

. Ctrl + Shift + P: captures current screen and saves it to the images folder (this one is for tricky fingers ).

Have you also known, that taping with one thumb on one side of the touch-screen and alternately with your other thumb on the other side of the screen while releasing the former finger almost at the same time, lets you swap your desktops in a horrendous speed. It needs a little bit practice, but if you got the hang of it, it is really a cool thing.

So this is it as much for today. To be continued …

There are not so many games available at the moment for the N900, and so I think it is really clear what the Top 3 games could be. Of course everybody has his own ambitions on games what is the best, but here are my Top three ones, although I don’t count me as an real game fanatic, I am more the just for fun and try kind of type.

On my personal third place I will place Bounce. This is really a quite cool realized 3D game which needs a littlebit skills to balance the ball through its way. What I like is that the accelerator of the N900 has really taken place in this one. I hope for more levels in the future, when I remember the version made for the Nokia 9210 which fortunately also ran on the Nokia 9300i.

My second choice is Backgammon, coequal with Chess. Both are wonderful timekillers and challenging games which also utilize a littlebit your brains. I am really a fan of these ones.

And as my favorite game I declare Angry Birds. Lots of fun and physics. Yes you “heard” right: physics is this games secret. You have really think about the angle and speed you are shooting the birds to their journey. There are 21 levels in the free version. You have to pass one after one to advance. Once finished all 21, there is an option to download more levels for a little fee.

So tell me, which games you like the most.

- sam | visit our Nokia N900 forum -

Most of you probably know sudoku, logic game of placing numbers in 9×9 grid following few simple rules. This games comes to almost every phone or mobile device in general and it’s no different for N900, even more, at the moment you have four alternative applications.

EightyOne

First of all we have EightyOne already available in extras, so it appears as pretty stable and well written piece of software. It has few difficulty levels, so everyone may be satisfied with playing. On exit current progress is saved, so you can take hard level and little more time in few parts. I also think that interface is quite good, numbers placed initially are different color than placed by player, you can easily tell how far you are from the beginning. Also gives few intresting options like statistics, tips or solving all game to check if you’re following good trail.

masudoku

Another sudoku-based game is masudoku, for now available in extras-testing and extras-devel. It’s also equipped with few difficulty levels, but I find it more difficult to play because of one-colored numbers, only wrong placed pieces are shown in different color. It also gives you possibility to solve all, check if you can still solve the game and take hints. Unfortunately no option to save, so you have to start from the beginning every time.

masudoku – levels, marks, tips, devel&testing

gpe-sudoku

Third I’ve found is gpe-sudoku (in extras-devel) and I was pretty confused seeing it’s interface, not so intuitive to be honest. It lacks level distinction, description of basic functions on screen, but also has some neat functionalities, like saving game or placing checkpoints to which you can go back to specified point.

Thumb Sudoku

The last one is Thumb Sudoku available in extras-devel. Following the name, it can be played using only your thumb, because runs in portrait mode, so it’s easy to operate with one hand. Nice interface, large grid, good visibility and comfort to play anywhere are most obvious pros. Save on exit is another useful thing, but unfortunately it doesn’t give you choice of difficulty level. Nevertheless still in devel, so it can improve soon.

As you see it’s up to you what to choose when looking for some type of applications. Looking at speed of development for Maemo 5 we will that variety in almost every sphere of life.

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For more info on devel and testing catalogues visit Application catalogues tutorial

Please visit Nokia N900 Forum



If you search the internet for some special functions of your Phone, you will find a lot of things, useful and useless just in a subjective point of view, of what you can do with your N900. Of course you will find tips and tricks on several sites described and discussed, but I will try to gather them all step by step here in our tips and tricks blog, so all these informations can be found easily, all in one place. It also will help to keep them in mind refreshing your memory from time to time.

Today I will start with some keyboard shortcuts, which make specific actions really handy. If you are used to work with your keyboard on your PC, you might find quite much similar actions.

These are used in text applications, email, sms, etc.
. Ctrl + C: Copy text
. Ctrl + V: Paste text
. Ctrl + C: Copy text
. Ctrl + V: Paste text
. Ctrl + X: Cut text
. Ctrl + A: Select all

. Ctrl + O: Open
. Ctrl + N: Create a new item
. Ctrl + S: Save
. Ctrl + Z: Undo
. Ctrl + Y: Redo

. Ctrl + F: Open search bar
. Ctrl + Right arrow: Move the insertion point to the end of the word
. Ctrl + Left arrow: Move the insertion point to the beginning of the word

Have you also known, that opening the keyboard and simply starting to type a name, opens the contacts and filters them in alphabetic order. It’s called smart dialing.

So this is it as much for today. To be continued …

IMPORTANT UPDATE: one of users, Huschke, insisted on putting reasonable info on reliability of applications from extras-devel and extras-testing. I agree with what he is trying to say, these repositories are created for applications not yet approved by Nokia and Maemo community, even if hosted by Nokia and Maemo. These software packages are considered unsafe for your device! Before you add these catalogues please be sure you know what you’re doing.

Before I get to the point let me remind you about previous word on catalogues, where I’ve covered most of general informations about where to find packages I’m writing about. I will also remind that applications from extras-devel and extras-testing are there because they’re not completely ’safe’ for your N900. This time I will give you step-by-step tutorial how to add them to your device. This thing was mentioned here and there many times, but some of you may have missed it.

First of all run your App manager as usual. Then open menu from toolbar and choose Application catalogues option, which will give you possibility to add new software download sources.

App manager menu

When you have it opened look if you already have extras catalogue, should be installed by default but may be disabled.

Catalogues list in App manager

Catalogue details in App manager

Open catalogue settings and uncheck Disabled field. If you don’t have this catalogue(s) add new with one of following settings:

For extras:
Catalogue name: Maemo Extras
Web address: http://repository.maemo.org/extras/
Distribution: fremantle
Components: free non-free

For extras-testing:
Catalogue name: Maemo Extras-Testing
Web address: http://repository.maemo.org/extras-testing/
Distribution: fremantle
Components: free non-free

For extras-devel:
Catalogue name: Maemo Extras-Devel
Web address: http://repository.maemo.org/extras-devel/
Distribution: fremantle
Components: free non-free

You can check weather package you’re looking for is available in extras, extras-testing or extras-devel using maemo.org Package Interface, which I’ve mentioned before. Just type word from package name and examine findings, package details will give you clue on where to look releases of what you need.

maemo.org Package Interface

From now on I will try to include link to this tutorial every time I post info on extras-testing or extras-devel packages, I hope it will help you.

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Please visit Nokia N900 Forum

Some time ago Sam posted loopable wallpaper tutorial, so now you know how to put your favourite pictures on your homescreen. In the end he got it to quite low-level file editing, which apparently can be done in a little simpler way using wallpapercreator application. Take Sam’s steps to the point when you have a 3200×480 picture, save it and upload to your phone. When you have it ready run WPcreator, select the image and when you press crop you can see how it will be divided into parts. Then just press Install, give it a propper name and you can select your new wallpaper when changing desktop background.

WPcreator application

When I first made wallpaper this way I wanted it to be visible, not to cover all of it with icons, bookmarks, widgets etc. Also I like to keep some things categorized, I have IP and Dataplan widgets along with MaePad shortcut on one desktop, everyday application shortcuts on second, games and bookmarks on third and inbox widget on fourth, the rest of screen space is empty to show my wallpaper. Also I think some applications could be included in status menu (along with internet connection, sound profile etc.) like BlueMaemo to connect N900 as remote controller via bluetooth. Today I’ve found quick-launch, which allows to do such thing. When it’s installed it gives you additional options in settings menu, there you can choose any 4 of installed applications to be shown as shortcuts in statusbar menu.

Quick-launch in statusbar menu

Of course this is my point of view, I’m just showing some concept and it’s up to you weather you choose to use it or not. Your N900 should look and work as you want to, this is what I think in the first place.

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Please visit Nokia N900 Forum

In these following reviews, I will write about wallpapers specially made for the Nokia N900. Sometimes I will also post my own custom made backgrounds, and today I will start with one, which I made sometimes ago for my phone. I used Adobe Photoshop CS4 to edit a snapshot of my virtual bookshelf and cropped it to 4 pics with 800 pixels width and 480 pixels height. You can download the pics and use them if you like to.

Here’s a screenshot of how it looks on the phone:

I named this one woodshelfs.

For installing the wallpapers as a looping background, please follow the instructions from my post N900 Backgrounds – How To Make A Wallpaper By Yourself. The other way to put wallpapers into a loopable background is to change the background picture on every single desktop screen. It will have the same effect, but it is much more work.

So here you are:

- sam | visit our Nokia N900 forum -