Nokia N8 Blog Recommends Nokia Belle OS - Free Games, Apps, Tips, Guides and More

Remote Multidrive for Nokia Belle - Access files over Wifi

2012-05-08T09:12:00.000-07:00

Remote Multidrive for Nokia Belle is a small and free app that runs a web server on your mobile phone and lets you share your files over WiFi on any device that has a web browser on your WiFi network even if it is an android device. The files are presented as a list on a webpage accessed by pointing your browser to the phone's IP address.

Server Started

Server Stopped

Advantages

Takes less than 2 minutes to setup and run
You can password protect the server access
You can specify your own port number;default being 80
You can enable SSL
Single touch start and stop
Can share phone memory, mass memory and microSD
Nice and intuitive webpage on which files are served
Can run in the background
Very light weight in terms on memory requirement
High speed data transfer compared to bluetooth transfer

Disadvantages

Phone memory, mass memory and microSD - all cannot be shared together
Only one way data transfer, cannot upload files to your phone

Download the file from the link below and transfer it to your phone to install using Nokia Suite or simple file transfer. The file is signed and can be installed on any phone. You might require Qt installer if not already having. Nokia Belle comes with Qt, hence, it shouldn't be an issue.

Download Remote Multidrive

Setting Up A Personal HTTP File Server For Nokia N8

2012-03-23T11:31:00.001-07:00

This is a generic guide for setting up a personal HTTP file server for accessing files over WiFi on your Nokia N8 or any other WiFi enabled device. You can share a specific drive on your PC (host) and this server generates a directory listing for the same. The directory listing page will be accessed via the web-browser on the URL (http://<yourIPonhomenetwork>:<port>/). Each folder/file appears as a link that you can click and navigate.There are no file size restrictions.

Prerequisite

Download Abyss Web Server X1 (Free Personal Edition) and install on your host machine (your desktop or laptop).

Configuring Abyss Web Server

1. After installing, you will see a pop-up asking you to install it as a Windows Service. Choose the option for Windows Service and immediately after that the server console will open with this URL (http://127.0.0.1:9999/). Select the preferred language.

2. You will now have to specify a user account for logging into the server console. Remember this is not a user account for accessing the folder structure later.

3. As soon as you create a user, the page would reload and a login window will appear. Provide the user details that you just created. This will open the server console.

4. On the webserver console, click on 'Configure' located along side the host entry. This will further open the console with more options for configuring the host.

5. Click on the 'General' option. This will let you specify the folder that you wish to be able to access via a directory listing on your mobile device. You will also be able to change the default port from 80 to any other of your choice.

Click on the Browse button for Documents Path

Choose the relevant drive/folder to share. For example, I have selected E:\

Also, specify the port number for the host. You can choose any number but that should not be used by any other program. The the URL will look like - http://<yourlocalnetworkip>:<chosenport>

6. After clicking on OK in the above step, you will be back to the host configuration console. Now click on IP Address Control option. This will open the options page for specifying the ip range you want to restrict the server usage. I have used 192.169.1.* that will allow devices that on my local network. This is an optional step as it is very unlikely for other devices to access your server without specific firewall exceptions.

Virtual path should "/" and add your ip range by clicking on Add

7. After clicking on OK in the above step, click on Restart Server to implement the configuration changes.

The new port should now reflect in case you changed it.

8. Now check your ip by typing ipconfig in the dos command window.

9. Now combining the ip and port, the access url for HTTP File Server becomes - http://192.168.1.2:56887. If I had not changes the port the this url would have been http://192.168.1.2:80. Once you hit this url, you should see all the directory/files listed like in the image below.

There is no restriction on the filesize. You can download any amount of data with any file size. Audio files can be played while they download while for other file types, you need to wait for the download to the complete. The speed of file download depends on your WiFi speed, Mobile device and memory card write speed. Abyss File Server can also be downloaded from http://www.aprelium.com/abyssws/download.php

Update: Generating Free Symbian Certificates For Nokia N8

2012-03-14T08:32:00.000-07:00

Recently, I had quite a few comments from readers complaining about their inability to generating free symbian certificates for Nokia N8 using the websites from this post of mine few weeks back. I went back and checked the website and it seemed to be working. I am posting a video confirming the same. Even the loop hole that allowed instant downloading of the certificates is working all great. If you see the video, I have generated the file then and there and then used the loop hole to download them immediately. Read the old post with full instructions.

Note: This works for Symbian Belle OS as well.

Other websites for generating certificates (required 24 hours - Not tested by me)

http://cer.s603rd.cn/

http://www.s60certkey.com/

Get a glimpse of Windows Phone 7.5 Mango on your Nokia N8

2012-03-13T07:45:00.001-07:00

I found this little application that emulates the Windows Mobile 7 Mango OS on Nokia N8. I always wondered, how the new Windows Mobile 7 Mango OS would look on Nokia N8. In fact the emulator has few basic functionalities as well in case you seriously wish to use it. Some of the basic shortcut functions included in the emulator are phonebook, dialler, contacts, menu, calendar, sms, email, Nokia Store, browser, music player and camera.

I must say that Nokia N8 would have been a clear winner had Nokia released the phone with this OS. Anyways, there is a paid app that you can buy from Nokia Store if you want the Windows Mobile 7 shell on your N8. It is an addon with SPB Mobile Shell.

Download Windows 7 Emulator For Nokia N8

Comparing Nokia N8 and Nokia 808 Pure View

2012-03-11T00:48:00.002-08:00

Needless to say that Nokia N8 has set the stage for powerful devices like the ones of Nokia 808 Pure View to emerge from Nokia Labs. Nokia N8 was the first mobile device to have featured USB OTG, 12 MP HD Camera and Dolby 5.1 Sound. Also, it is great to see that Nokia has not shifted its focus from the great and unmatched hardware that they design. Unlike Apple, which keeps its focus on the outside, trying to either miniaturize, make the devices more of a fashion statement. However, people's taste differ from country to country, some countries focus on whats on the outside while others focus on whats on the inside and how long the phone will survive. Anyways, moving further with the comparison.

Nokia Belle Feature Pack 1

Nokia 808 Pure View features the latest Nokia Belle Feature Pack 1. As of now, there has only been a Nokia Belle roll out for older Nokia device like Nokia N8, etc. It is yet to be seen be if this update will be available for Nokia N8 as the phone releases sometime in May this year. Change log -

Dolby Headphone and Dolby Digital Plus for personal surround sound experience
20 new and improved home screen widgets
Faster browser with HTML 5 support
Latest version of Nokia Maps
Microsoft Apps via OTA update
Better notifications bar and a refreshed multitasking bar
1GHz to 1.3GHz processor speed boost for Nokia 700 and 701

41 MP Sensor

Nokia 808 Pure View is a design marvel, Nokia has furthered the photographic excellence that was gained in designing Nokia N8. Nokia 808 Pure View with a 41 MP sensor (38 MP effective, 7152 x 5368 pixels). Xenon Flash and Carl Zeiss Optics, is a leader in Mobile Photography. Nokia N8 features a 12 MP camera which takes stunning pictures even today and stands out. Nokia 808 has 3x lossless digital zoom. Supports full HD video recording and nHD playback on a 4 inch capacitive touch screen.

1.5 GHz ARM 11 CPU

Nokia 808 Pure View has double the size of CPU and memory found in Nokia N8. It has 1 GB ROM and 512 MB RAM. These help the camera to launch in less than a second and the fastest Nokia phone ever.

DLNA and uPnP

One of the biggest complaints with Nokia N8 was the absence of media sharing features which was later plugged using Nokia Big Screen and Nokia Play To but that too partially. Nokia 808 promises to come with native support for both the protocols.

Dolby Headphones

This is another advancement on the audio front which is exclusive to Nokia 808. This technology allows Dolby Surround via any ordinary headphone hooked to this phone. It is said that no other phone in the market yet features this technology. Nokia N8 misses this.

Secure NFC (Near Field Communication)

Nokia 808 features the NFC chip like the recent phone models from Nokia. This allows quick sharing with other NFC enables devices. NFC is playing an emerging role in the field of mobile payments in the banking sector.

3.5 mm Nokia standard audio connector with TV-out

So if you don't have an HDMI TV, you can still view the contents of your phone on a normal low definition TV. Nokia 808 still features an HDMI output with Dolby as well.

8-Channel Graphic Equalizer

Nokia 808 features a 8-channel audio equalize that we clearly missed in Nokia N8.

Conclusion

All in all, Nokia 808 appears to be a great phone. The only decisive factor will now be the pricing of this phone. With Nokia Belle, this phone should not be costlier than Nokia N8 given the build quality is definitely not as good as Nokia N8. The price bracket for this phone should be (550 - 650)$.

Nokia Belle Free Game : Asphalt 6 Adrenaline HD

2012-02-15T08:01:00.000-08:00

Asphalt 6 Adrenaline HD is a high voltage racing game of the likes of the popular Need For Speed. I did not get NFS after upgrading to the Symbian Belle from Anna. Nokia may not have included it in the firmware package due to compatibility issues and might release a new version later. Meanwhile, Asphalt 6 is perfectly taking care of my gaming needs on the new OS. Although it does not seem to be very compatible as of now to Belle but in-spite of a few crashes, once it starts the race, everything works perfectly.

Asphalt 6 Adrenaline HD like usual car games comes with stunning graphics and popular car models. The concept is similar, you need to earn money before you can upgrade to new and popular cars. The circuits are locked and can be unlocked if you win the preliminary ones. You have different modes of play wherein you can race single or in a group. You can increase your difficulty level by including live traffic during the race. You can also play in the multi-player mode either online or using the Bluetooth. Download the installation file from the link below and transfer it to your phone using Nokia Suite or simply copying it to the mass memory/microsd card.

Download Asphalt 6 Adrenaline HD

Nokia India Offering Belle Carry In Upgrade Service

2012-02-14T07:07:00.000-08:00

Nokia supersedes any company when it comes to customer support. It has invested heavily in customer service networks across the world with full commitment which is now paying off. I received a mailer today from Nokia about the latest Belle upgrade. As per the mailer, I can provide my details on this website, select the nearest retailer or care center and I will get a call back and I can drop my mobile at a fixed time. The software upgrade will be done for me by Nokia. However, this appears to be a chargeable process (nominal) although I guess this could be free as well but nevertheless it is definitely a great relief for non-techies. How many times do you see such a service by Samsung or LG or Apple (Excluding USA). The website also contains a guide on the do-it-yourself update process. I believe this belle promotion will be soon/already get extended in other countries. Do post in your comments if you see something like this in your country.

Check out the mailer below.

How to update Nokia N8 to the Official Nokia Belle Firmware from Old Leaked Belle Version

2012-02-10T12:44:00.000-08:00

Nokia Belle software is available officially on the Nokia Suite in most countries. The update size is approximately 274 MB. It is not released on FOTA (Firmware Over The Air) as it is a major big size release. This post is an addendum to the help guide posted on this website that elaborated on the process of manually flashing the leaked firmware on Nokia N8. Any one who has updated to a leaked Nokia Belle firmware as guided in that help guide can now also update to the official firmware. All you need is to connect your phone to the Nokia Suite and under updates, opt for a reinstall of the firmware.

After having updated to the official version of Nokia Belle, I did not see any changes in the version number and the date. Only the custom version seemed to be different.Also, the free phone memory was about 104 MB which was only 84 MB earlier in the leaked version of Nokia Belle.

Old Leaked Belle Firmware

New Official Belle Firmware

Nokia Belle Rollout Started All Over The World

2012-02-10T08:31:00.000-08:00

Nokia started rolling out the new Nokia Belle software for its array of young devices early 7th Feb 2012. The devices covered include Nokia N8, C7, E7, X7, E6, C6 and Nokia Oro. Nokia 500 is yet to get the update. You can visit this link to find out the status of the update in your country. There are these following statuses for updates

Update available = Nokia Belle update has been published
Waiting for approval = Nokia Belle has been submitted for operator and/or local review
Software under creation = Nokia Belle is currently being created by Nokia
Nokia Belle not available = Nokia Belle will not be launched for this product code/country

Step 1 - Select your country after selecting the region from the map

Step 2 - Now verify the status as per the product code. You need to check the product code by dialing *#0000# on your phone.

After Dialling *#0000#

Here, you can then tally if your product code has the update or not

Australia still waiting for approval

South Korea not getting the update at all

Vietnam has Belle in preparation still

Thus, the images above show how the statuses look like for various countries. Meanwhile, for people who have flashed their phones using the guide on this website, I am using the re-install option on the Nokia Suite and trying to update the phone. I will post an update once I am through.

Professional Home Theater Installation (Sponsored)

2012-02-03T07:47:00.003-08:00

Custom installing a home theater requires a creative eye to evolve technology using the house surroundings. Mere bringing technology home wouldn't suffice. The buyer choosing Home Theater Installation Los Angeles should give significance to upkeep of the system as well as the overall acoustics. Much more, a good architecture layout plan ought to be drawn before choosing custom home theater installation. Many who are interested in home theater installation los angeles, still remian worried about its components. Moreover, most are ignorant on the components which comprise the Home Theater Installation Los Angeles.

Custom home theater installation package would contain a Plasma or LCD installation package which would incorporate a game console, satellite DVD, cable box and DVR, together with handheld remote control displaying program functions to enable customer understanding on technical instructions. However, this package in the Home Theater Installation Los Angeles would not include mounting of Plasma or LCD or the speaker installation and Stereo hook-up. Non inclusion within the Home Theater Installation Los Angeles would imply that the customers would have to spend an added cost for including it within the installation package.

Home theater installation los angeles package is available in the form of 'on wall installation & no wire concealment'. This package would consist of everything contained in the Plasma or LCD installation package, excluding the site survey done by installation experts, to be able to explain the customer concerning the intricacies involved in custom home theater installation. The approximate time necessary for this type of Home Theater Installation Los Angeles could be approximately three hours whereas simple Plasma/LCD installing a home theater los angeles would require a just two hours. The main difference in this installation is the presence of specialized expert professionals who render valuable information to the buyers of Home Theater Installation Los Angeles.

The third package in home theater installation los angeles is 'on wall installation & wire concealment'. It has similar features as in 'on wall installation & no wire concealment' package of Home Theater Installation Los Angeles but also includes the wire concealment which adds sophistication to the living area for the audience.

It is for the buyers of home theater system to decide the kind of home theater installation los angeles they want. Whatever might be their choice of installation, it is an undisputed fact that Home Theater Installation Los Angeles will certainly bring smiles back around the audiences of this new age home entertainment.

Belle Free Apps: Nokia Car Mode - A Better Driving Alternative

2012-01-31T09:14:00.000-08:00

Ever since the birth of Nokia Belle operating system for Nokia N8, Car Mode happens to be first such application exclusive to this OS. Nokia Car Mode is an amazing and innovative piece of software from the company. It is a boon for all the car users out there. With this application, you can transform your phone to a dedicated automotive device that acts like a Phone, GPS and a music player. It allows you to access all the essentials features of your phone with minimal distraction while driving. This application along with a car mount either on the wind-shield or the dashboard, makes a very convenient solution.

Easy To Use Dialler

Navigate Through Audio Tracks

Manage FM Transmitter

Nokia Car Mode lays out the essential phone functions in the form of bigger and easily click-able icons. Bigger icons make it easier to navigate through the Bluetooth pairing function, answering/making phone calls and listening/browsing music while driving. You can change a track without getting distracted. When you receive a call and choose to answer, the speaker phone is enabled by default. The various buttons that include going back, closing the Car Mode, Switching on/off the radio, changing the track, accessing/searching the phone-book etc, are very well placed on the Graphical User Interface and intuitive. This is a must have application for any car user. This is a free application from Nokia.

Nokia Car Mode also comes with Mirror Link technology which is a paid version. This is only useful if you have a Mirror Link certified multimedia system in your car. Currently, this is available with Volkswagen. Mirror Link works by connecting your phone via USB cable to the car multimedia system. The phone's essential functions are then available on LCD display of your car and can be used normally with even having to touch your phone.

Download Nokia Car Mode

Nokia Suite Update v3.3.86.0 allows official update to Symbian Belle for Nokia N8

2012-01-24T09:01:00.000-08:00

I just checked this today, there is a new update available to the Nokia Suite (update v3.3.86.0) that allows you to update Symbian^3 and Symbian Anna based phones to Symbian Belle. However, this does not specifically says Nokia N8 but the chances are too high for an update. The update log specifically mentions this. Since my phone is already on Belle I cannot check this yet, you might wanna try with your phone and see if you get the official update to Symbian Belle. You can download the latest Nokia Suite version here.

Symbian Belle - Nokia Store Offering Free Premium Apps and Games

2012-01-22T07:33:00.000-08:00

Nokia Store on the new Symbian Belle Firmware for Nokia N8 is offering free premium apps. There are five premium apps available for download. As soon as you launch the Nokia Store, you will see a message at the top - "A special gift from Nokia". Simply click on it and you will see a collection of apps listed for free download. The list includes -

1. Camera Lover Pack

2. Nimbuzz Messenger

3. Ebuddy Mobile Messenger

4. Assasin Creed HD

5. Shrek Kart HD

This is to promote the new Nokia Store. The Ovi Store has now been renamed to Nokia Store and in an effort to accelerate the transition to the new version of the store. Nokia may have started this campaign. However, the free apps not very compelling and I just downloaded the Camera Lover Pack as the others appeared to be already free for download. Alternatively you can download the Camera Lover Pack installer here.

What's new and better with Symbian Belle?

2012-01-17T09:49:00.000-08:00

Symbian Belle gives a whole new face to Nokia N8 and a never before user experience. There are a whole set of new things that I can do with Belle.

I am listing down some of the things that I have so far like -

1. I can switch off the Mobile Data. This means that none of data access points from your network operator will be used for any application on your asking for a data connection. This prevents accidental data charges appearing on your mobile bill. When you need to use the data, simply switch on the Mobile Data and after usage switch if off. This never existed in any Nokia OS versions even if you see historically.

2. It is much more easier to access Bluetooth and WiFi with the swipe down menu.

3. The Ovi Store gets updated as soon as you launch it after installing the new firmware. The QML version is really state-of-the-art. It is much faster and easier to use. Also, it is called Nokia Store now. The update message also says that there is a gift coming soon and I will be able to download premium Nokia apps free from the store. Download Nokia Store Standalone Installer

4. The Internet Browser is a-lot better and faster. It is much more easier to use it with tabbed window options. They have tried to copy the design from Opera but whatever, it works great for me.

5. A Free F-Secure Anti-theft Software integrated in the firmware. I was expecting a completely free one with the antivirus features as well but that was not the case. Only the anti-theft feature is free.

6. The latest version of Quick Office and Adobe Reader.

7. A search widget gets installed via Software Update utility. This search widget is much like the Android one and very useful. It searches both in Google and your phone.

All in all, the risky decision to flash Symbian Belle Firmware on my Nokia N8 has paid off. I am feeling I have a brand new phone in my hand. However, we will be seeing the new firmware getting released by Nokia soon so do not worry if you don't want to take the risk to flash your phone.

How to flash Nokia N8 Firmware with Symbian Belle v111.030.0609 (Latest Version)

2012-01-15T04:11:00.000-08:00

Having heard so much about the Symbian Belle and seeing nothing tremendous happening on the Symbian Anna front, I finally opted for a manual flash to the new Symbian Belle OS. Although, it included risks of having the phone bricked, I took the risks and passed with flying colors. My phone has already passed the warranty period and if anything could have gone wrong, I could get the phone updated at the Nokia Care. I must agree, Symbian Belle is an amazing OS so far that we have seen from Nokia. So I am going to list down the steps for flashing your phone at your own risk.

Pre-requisites -

1. Symbian Belle Firmware - Download

2. Phoenix Service Software - Download

1. Assuming that Phoenix Service Software is already installed. Download the Symbian Belle Firmware Files and extract in a folder "RM-596" and place the folder under C:\Program Files\Nokia\Phoenix\Products. Look at the image below.

2. Launch the Phoenix Service Software. Select "USB1 - RM596" from the Connections drop-down. This can say USB2 or USB3, etc instead of USB1 if you have many USn cable connected to your computer.

3. Once you are done with the above step, the Phoenix Service Software would look like the image below. The bottom of the GUI will say "Ready".

4. Select File -> Scan Product from the top menu options.

5. The Phoenix Service Software will scan the connected Nokia N8 as a result of the step above and start showing the current version of the firmware on your phone. Look at the image below.

6. Now, select Flashing -> Firmware Update from the top menu options.

7. As a result of the above step, a new window "Firmware Update" will open within the Phoenix Service Software.

8. Click on the button "..." at the side of the Product Code label in the window "Firmware Update".

9. As a result of the step above, a new window "Product codes available in current Data-Package" will open. Select "euro3_dg" and click on OK button.

Note: The product will get listed only if you have performed step 1 of this guide correctly.

10. As a result of the step above, the selected code should now be visible in the window "Firmware Update".

11. Now click on the "Options" button. A new window will open listing all the firmware files. You need to delete the files that appear in red font. Simply click on the entry in red and click on "Delete" button.

Remove the files appearing in red font

Select the file entry and click on delete

After deleting the files appearing in red font

12. Now we are good to go. The final step is to click on "Refurbish" button on the "Firware Update" window.

13. After clicking on the Refurbish button, you need to have a little bit of patience while the phone gets update with Symbian Belle. At times, you might feel that the software is stuck but wait until it actually throws up an error and notifies you of any action. Look at the images below.

At this stage, the software takes a lot of time before moving forward so keep your cool.

At this stage the actual firmware update has completed and the phone should restart.

If you see this error at the end of the process with a popup, you need not worry. Simply press the power on button at the top of the phone. Everything should work as usual and the new OS boots.

Facebook Client 'Fascinate' For Symbian Anna

2011-12-25T00:45:00.000-08:00

I have used many Facebook clients on my Nokia N8 and yet didn't find any better. Even the official client is very slow and difficult to navigate through. 'Fascinate' is one client which I have liked the most so far. The simple reason being that it is very fast and user-friendly. It even surpasses the Nokia's very own Facebook client as it supports advanced security features like, device identification while logging in. I cannot access my Facebook on Nokia's native client simply because I have the device identification feature activated in my security settings at Facebook. Even Facebook chat is integrated with this client.

It is very easy to navigate through the various features of Facebook with this client. Moreover, it allows you to slide through just like your multiple home-screens which means that you get more viewing area in a limited space. The swipe and slide is way too smooth and quick. The Facebook data gets updated real fast. It works in both the landscape and portrait mode and switching between the modes is quick. The image viewing experience on this client is best than any other I have seen so far. Fascinate supports push notifications and it can customized with a number of options. The theme of this application can be changed between black and the Facebook blue.

Once you have done installing the application. You need to allow permission for this application so that it can access your profile. This is mandatory otherwise the application cannot connect to your Facebook profile.You can download the installation file from the link below. The phone may download additional components during the installation process depending upon the pre-requisites available on your phone.

Download Fascinate

How to generate symbian certificates for signing apps?

2011-12-24T06:19:00.000-08:00

This specific post refers to the process for acquiring the Symbian certificates for your Nokia devices whether running on Symbian Anna or Symbian Belle or an earlier S60 version. All you need is the IMEI number of your phone. You need to dial *#06# on your Nokia handset to get the IMEI number.

Process

1. Go to the website - http://www.shoujizu.net/en/

2. Register for a free account - http://www.shoujizu.net/en/register.php

3. Login with the new account.

4. Click on Apply Certificate and key in the details.

5. After submitting the IMEI in the previous step, go to My Certificates.

6. You will notice the status of the your certificate request as Normal which means that the certificate is generated. Now the catch is that when you click on the link (cer|key) for downloading, you are redirected to the paypal payment page asking for 3 Euros. To get around this and get the certificates free, right click on the link (cer|key) and copy the link address and replace the "check" work in the link with "down" and then paste the new link in the browser and the file gets downloaded. Ex -

Cer Link after right clicking and copying -

http://www.shoujizu.net/en/check_cer.php?imei=your-imei&en_type=cer

Link after replacing 'check' with 'down' -

http://www.shoujizu.net/en/down_cer.php?imei=your-imei&en_type=cer

Key Link after right clicking and copying -

http://www.shoujizu.net/en/check_cer.php?imei=your-imei&en_type=key

Link after replacing 'check' with 'down' -

http://www.shoujizu.net/en/down_cer.php?imei=your-imei&en_type=key

Conclusion

The process outlined above may not be effective after sometime when the website finds about this loophole and changes the process. However, even in the worst case scenario, you can get these certificates by paying 3 Euros and the best part is that the certificate files get generated immediately as soon as you submit your IMEI.

Nokia N8 Game: Fragger Now Available for Symbian Anna

2011-12-11T06:40:00.001-08:00

Fragger is a popular android and an online game from Miniclip. It is now ported to Symbian Anna and can be installed across latest Anna supported Nokia phones which includes Nokia N8. It is a point and shoot game much on the same lines of Angry Birds. This is an extremely addictive game and a must have. You need to do is to select a particular angle and a adjustable force and throw grenades at the enemies. You get a fixed number of grenades and you need to eliminate all the enemies before you run out of these grenades.

There are lots of levels to unlock and play. The whole graphics is designed very well and the touch controls work like a charm. The game is light on the phone and never seem to hang or get slowed down. Each level is a new game play and never gets boring.

Download the installation file from the link at the bottom of this post. You will need to sign the file for your phone before you install the file. The signing instructions can be found at this link. The installation does take a long time on the phone so do not think it is stuck. In case, the installation fails, try to install again and all should be fine.

Download Fragger (Unsigned)

Android's Tank Hero Now Available On Symbian Anna

2011-11-06T05:06:00.000-08:00

Android happens to have some of the very addictive popular games that makes me envy it. One of such popular game, 'Tank Hero' is now available for Nokia N8 and all the other Symbian Anna supported phones. The game appears to have exactly the same game play as is the case with the Android version.

To give you a brief about the game, you need to destroy all the tanks in order to clear a particular level. You can navigate across the maze using a D-Pad and tap in the direction you wish to fire. The missiles reflect back only once after hitting the walls. Thus, if you target a tank, you can shoot at a position from where the missile reflects back and hits the enemy tank.

As you proceed to the higher levels you encounter tanks that can hit you with missiles that can cross the maze walls. Similarly, even your tank gets a weapon upgrade with similar features. All in all, Tank Hero is a very addictive game that can be played in both the campaign and survival modes. The graphics and touch response happen to great on Nokia N8. Download the game installation file from the link below and use the following post to sign it for your phone's IMEI number before you install it using Nokia Suite or transferring to your mass memory.

Download Tank Hero

Nokia N8 Firmware Updates To Software Version 025.007

2011-10-26T11:36:00.000-07:00

Few days back there was a service pack released for Nokia N8 and now there is a new firmware upgrade available for Symbian Anna that updates the old version 022.014 to a new version 025.007. The update is available via both the inbuilt application update utility and FOTA (Firmware Over The Air). The upgrade is marked important and has a size of 932 KB only. The installation requires a restart of your phone and also prompts for a data backup. The firmware installation takes about 10-15 minutes to complete. My overall experience immediately after the update has not been very different but I do find the phone a bit more quicker and responsive.

After Upgrade

Before Upgrade

To update, dial *#0000# and select 'check for updates' from the 'Options' menu and follow the instructions.Do update your phone and leave comments on your experience with the new firmware update. It is nice to see updates to the Symbian Anna OS back to back by Nokia.

Symbian Anna Free Game - Ra-One Genesis (Original Movie Game)

2011-10-25T23:14:00.000-07:00

This post especially goes to the Indian Fans and wish them a very Happy and Prosperous festival of Diwali. Ra-One is a popular kids Bollywood movie getting released today featuring the Indian Actor Shahrukh Khan.Ra-One Genesis is J2ME Touch-based game for Symbian Anna OS. It is not an intricately designed game but does feel good to have it on the phone, especially if you have kids who are fans of Ra-One. It is a 2D game with simple controls and since it is Java game, the touch controls are not the best but enough to be able to enjoy the game.

The game installation file is 1 MB in size and can be installed using the PC Suite or by directly transferring to your phone using the SD card. This game is compatible with all the Nokia touch phones that support Java. Do drop in your comments and have a very happy festive season.

Download Ra-One Genesis

Symbian Anna Free Game: Birdy Nam Nam

2011-10-25T10:39:00.000-07:00

Birdy Nam Nam is an arcade game being similar to a duck hunting game on the Android platform. The game is well supported on the Symbian Anna OS and has a good touch response. The game play is very simple and easy. All you need to do is tap on the flying chicken, vultures and other different bird types in order to kill them. Your ultimate goal is to prevent these birds from laying eggs which fall on the ground reducing your life. One of the best ways to do this is to kill the bird by tapping on them as soon as you see it. The complexity of the game lies in the increase in the number of birds flying across the screen simultaneously laying eggs.

To make the game further interesting, you get an additional weapon choice each time you complete a level. These weapons include shotgun, machine gun, bomb, etc. I would give the graphics a 3.5 out of 5.0 and the game-play a 4.0 out of 5.0. I did start the game in a half hearted way but ended up playing the game for 20 minutes which proves the game is indeed addictive. Use the link below to download the game and install the same using the PC Suite or transferring to your phone using a SD card.

The game also supports Arabic and Francais languages additional to English.

Download Birdy Nam Nam

Nokia N8 gets the Symbian Anna Service Pack update

2011-10-24T08:05:00.000-07:00

I have just installed the latest Symbian Anna Service Pack update. This happens to be a very important update from Nokia's point of view. However, I have not observed any major difference in the functioning of the phone. The update enables faster geo-tagging, thus, folks using geo-tagging might see some difference. Other changes include improved scrolling through the messages, phone stability and other usability improvements.

This update might be fixing many of the bugs inherent to the Anna OS. One of the changes that I have observed is the absence of the "Start-up Error. Contact retailer" bug. Every second time I would restart my phone I used to get the start-up problem prompting me to again restart the phone. I am no longer facing this issue any more.

It is nice to see Nokia still caring about the N8 handset. I am hopeful of the Symbian Belle and ultimately the Windows Mobile 7 OS making in to the phone. To update, simply launch the Application Update utility from the phone or use the Ovi Suite. The update size is 1 MB.

EA Games Transformers - Dark Of The Moon HD for Symbian Anna

2011-10-22T11:32:00.000-07:00

Transformers HD is a brand new game released for Nokia N8 by EA Games. It works great on the new Symbian Anna OS and users running other phone models with the same OS may try installing this game. So far I have loved this game. The whole game play is very detailed as per the EA standards. The graphics and the controls are superb and easy to use.

This game lets you change between different characters from the Transformers movie. However, you need to clear levels and collect game points to be able to change characters. You also get to change and choose between different weapons.

The variety of weapons for use with this game are amazing and make the game interesting. For instance, you can switch from a humanoid robot shape to a truck and change weapons ranging from machine guns to multiple rocket launchers. The touch screen response is great and the game never appears to lag. The background music is an original Transformers sound track.

It is a highly recommended game for Nokia N8 from my end. Simply download the file from the link below and install using PC Suite or by transferring to your mass memory/SD card. Please do share your views about this post.

Download Transformer HD

How to make Voip calls on Nokia N8?

2011-10-03T09:06:00.000-07:00

You have bought Nokia N8 and trust me you have made the right decision. This post helps you configure and make VoIP calls on Nokia N8 using 3G or a WiFi connection. You won't find any settings inherently in the phone that allows you to make VoIP calls on this phone. You might be able to setup a SIP profile on the phone but there isn't a native method or an option that helps you make a VoIP call.

You need to install an additional application that enables setting up 'VoIP Services' on Nokia N8. The application is called 'SIP VoIP 3.1 Settings'. To get started, you need to first install this application. You can download the application form the link below.

Download SIP VoIP 3.1 Settings App

The application mentioned above adds an additional option under - Settings ->Connectivity->Admin. settings -> Net settings. This option is called 'Advanced VoIP Settings'.

Step 1 - Get the SIP settings

Sign up with a VoIP service provider and get the recommended settings. Some of the paid service providers give you exact settings for Nokia while the free ones do not. You need to look it up in the forums or experiment with different settings till you get the right one. For demo purposes, I have signed up with Ekiga.net which is a free VoIP service provider. Example Settings for Ekiga.net -

Access point in use: <Your 3G or WiFi APN>

Public username: sip:<username>@ekiga.net

Use compression: No

Registration: Always On or When needed

Use security: No

Proxy Server: <No settings required>

Registrat server: <Tap on the option and fill as shown below>

Registrar server address: sip:ekiga.net

Username: <Ekiga.net username>

Password: <Ekiga.net Password>

Transport type: UDP

Port: 5060

Step 2 - Create a SIP Profile

Navigate to Settings ->Connectivity->Admin. settings -> SIP settings and key in the settings from step 1. The 'Registration' above can be either 'Always On' or 'When needed'. Selecting 'Always On' ensures that net calls can be made quickly as the service is always online. Selecting 'When needed' will make the service online when you try to make a net call which causes a few seconds delay as first the service goes online and then the call gets connected. To check if the SIP profile has been created successfully, keep the 'Registration' option as 'Always On' and check if the SIP profile listed under SIP settings says registered. If the SIP profile is not created correctly, it will say 'Register Failed' below the profile name. Watch the video below for detailed process.

Step 3 - Setting up the VoIP service

This step is the most important one after you have successfully setup a SIP profile as above. Assuming that you have already installed the additional application required as mentioned at the beginning of the post, navigate to Settings ->Connectivity->Admin. settings -> Net settings. Under 'Net settings', you will find the option 'Advanced VoIP settings". Select Advanced VoIP settings -> VoIP services -> Options -> New service -> <SIP Profile created earlier>. In this demo, I have named the SIP profile created above as 'Ekiga'. After selecting the SIP Profile, after a few seconds, you will see the Profile with the option to 'Sign in'. Select this option and you are good to go. Also, under Advanced VoIP settings -> VoIP services, you should now be able to see the SIP profile name listed. See the video below for more details. (Note: Once the VoIP Service is added, you can see a special icon with a phone receiver and a globe at the top of the screen.)

Step 4 - Making your first net call

Now, that you have already created the VoIP service profile, simple launch the dial-er on your phone and type the number you wish to call. Select Options -> Ekiga Call and the call gets connected using the VoIP profile.

Ekiga.net supports a number of free VoIP gateways which can be used to make a call. You just need to prefix the gateway code before the number you wish to call. Example, if you wish to call 1800-MY-APPLE (toll free number for apple), dial *018-1800-69-27753. (*018) is the code for a popular free VoIP gateway GTalk2VoIP which allows free 1800 calls. A list of more such gateways supported by Ekiga can be found here.

To test your setting you can make a test call by dialling *500 (Echo test) and *520(Call Back) as shown in the video below.

I hope this post helps you understand the whole process of setting up the SIP profile and making your first net call from your Nokia N8. Please leave your comments. This post also applies to other Nokia phones that run the Symbian Anna OS.