Firefox for Maemo beta 5 became available for download tonight, so get your Nokia N900 and install it now! Oh wait… the device is not available to the public yet. I wouldn’t get mad though. I found beta 5 to be slower than the default browser and less accurate at displaying some sites. For example, The Nokia Blog looks ugly on it.

Firefox for Maemo

Default Browser

Here’s what’s new from the official Firefox Beta 5 release notes. It also builds upon the feature set of the previous releases. Read the complete list on the release notes.

• Enabled official branding, with Firefox name and logo
• Support for localizations, currently including Spanish, German, French, Italian, Dutch, and Russian
• Enabled plugins
• Viewport meta tag support
• Fixed a number of sites that resize their content after the page is loaded
• Added a form assistant to make filling forms easier
• Improved panning performance and behavior
• Zooming doesn’t jump around anymore
• Numerous other bugs and polish issues addressed

I’m not giving up on Firefox on Maemo though. I notice a HUGE improvement in performance from the previous version, making me feel the developers are working really hard on this project. I hope they make The Nokia Blog appear more accurate on the next version, though.

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During a routine quality test, Nokia discovered a potential issue with certain chargers from one of their suppliers. Before any consumer problems were reported, they’ve set up a charger exchange program so those who are affected can swap them out for free. I’ve just checked mine, and I’m lucky that I’m not affected. Check yours.

The affected chargers are those manufactured by BYD between June 15, 2009 and August 9, 2009 and with the following model types

• AC -3U
• AC-3E

and those manufactured by BYD between April 13, 2009 and October 25, 2009 and with the following model type

• AC-4U

“The plastic covers of the affected chargers could come loose and separate, exposing the charger’s internal components and potentially posing an electrical shock hazard if certain internal components are touched while the charger is plugged into a live socket”

To help people to determine if their charger is affected, they’ve set up the website, chargerexchange.nokia.com. I’ve included one of the illustrations above to help you out. According to Reuters, 14 million chargers could fall apart. Are you affected by this?

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Nokia has partnered with Island Def Jam Music Group (IDJMG) and Universal Music Group International (UMGI) to launch Nokia Play 2010 to deliver unique and exclusive music content to fans around the world. It will kick off with a streamed concert from Rihanna on November 16th 2009. This announcement coincides with the global availability of the Nokia X6, an S60v5 device that Comes With Music.

The live event where Rihanna will perform for the very first time a select number of tracks from her New Album, Rated R, is free to watch on nokia.com/rihanna. If you’re a fan, I’ve embedded a countdown below so you won’t miss it.

Nokia Comes With Music customers will be able to download an exclusive version of Rated R with a bonus track, remix and other additional content free as part of their subscription.

The Nokia X6 has a lot of features for a music device. It has a 3.2in capacitive touch screen, 32GB internal memory, 5MP Carl Zeiss camera with Dual LED flash, shoot 640×480 pixels at 30fps video, 3.5mm audio jack, GPS, and more. Take a look at the full specifications.

Selected bloggers at the event will record, broadcast and share elements of the exclusive live concert with fans around the globe linking them all via Web-based social computing technologies. I happen to be available that day. Hey Nokia… call me!

If you enjoyed this article, you might also like…

• Nokia 5530 Hands-On Video and Initial Impressions
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After unlocking my iPhone and testing if a T-mobile USA SIM card worked on it, a nationwide outage occurred. For a moment, I thought it was my fault. Well, it’s back in service and T-mobile confirmed it was a backend system software error. I ran some speed tests on the Nokia N900 today to see any changes.

Before Outage

Tests from October 15th

After Outage

Tests from November 4th

Results

It seems both download and upload speeds increased after the outage. Is this conclusive? I’m not sure, but I hope I continue getting these speed rates on the Nokia N900 here in New York.

Oh, and one more thing… speedtest.net is a flash site. Not many phones right now can even see this page on their browsers.

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• Nokia N900 Preview of Qik

Opera Mobile 10 beta just came out for Symbian S60 3rd and 5th edition devices. I installed it on the Nokia N97 right away and shot it on video to show you how it looks. It’s a nice alternate browser, but prepare for occasional headaches because it’s still in beta.

You can also watch this video in HD on Youtube. Subscribe to the channel to preview the latest videos before they get published on the blog.

It is very similar to Opera Mini 5 which I demoed previously. This version is optimized for Symbian meaning faster rendering, zooming, panning and almost everything else you do with a browser. Page downloading is now 50% faster than the previous version.

It’s still Beta
Sounds too good, right? I encountered some problems while using Opera Mobile. Clicking on links sometimes do not get recognized and I often get ‘Out of Memory’ messages when I have multiple tabs open or scrolling down a page.

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You probably already know that Qik lets you stream video live from your phone. In case you need a reminder, I met the cofounder, Bhaskar Roy, at the Nokia N900 NYC meetup and asked him to give The Nokia Blog viewers a demo. Take a look.

You can also watch this video in HD on Youtube. Subscribe to the channel to preview the latest videos before they get published on the blog.

As a reminder, this is just a preview of what’s to come. This article is based on Qik version 0.0.36 running on a pre-production Nokia N900. Features may be added or changed when the Nokia N900 arrives in stores.

Qik on the Nokia N900 has a very simplistic interface. There’s a prominent green button that lets you stream videos immediately. There’s also quick access to set a title and and privacy.

The application menu on top gives you more settings to play with. Here, you can choose whether to stream videos with max quality or minimum delay. You can also go to your Qik profile from this menu or sign up if you’re new.

Clicking anywhere else on the screen toggles full-screen mode just like the main camera application on the Nokia N900. I noticed there’s currently no way for me to use video autofocus. I hope this feature gets added in an update.

Video Sample

Results

I found streaming to work really well on wifi. The delay is very minimal. My main complaint is that the videos aren’t really viewable ‘live’ when using the a carrier’s internet connection. Viewers will see a choppy video until the file is fully uploaded. For best results, use wifi. What’s also great about Qik is that it will automatically resume uploading if it was previously interrupted or disconnected.

Qik is the fastest way to share your videos online. You can choose to automatically upload your videos to Facebook or send out a Tweet when streaming live. There are more services to automatically forward the Qik streams. I recommend installing it if your phone is supported and definitely recommend it on the Nokia N900.

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The Nokia NYC flagship store is hosting a Nokia N900 meetup and I’ll be liveblogging it… using the Nokia N900. I’ll share live updates and photos while I meet with Nokia reps and fans at the event. It will be different from my previous liveblog because I will not be using a laptop for updates. Come back to this page when the meetup starts at 7:30PM Eastern, October 30th and see if the Nokia N900 can handle the task.

4:25 AM:

4:26 AM: the meetup kicks off at 7:30pm eastern time!

4:28 AM: commenter bob this is a test comment.

4:36 AM: you can participate in this liveblog by sending questions and comments. see you all in a bit!

6:42 PM: on the bus heading towards the store. i’ll try to ask ur questions to the proper nokia reps there

6:43 PM: Skylor Try to get a release date please! AT&T version?

6:47 PM: skylor, they probably wont say anything about an unannounced att version of the n900 but ill try.

6:50 PM: this liveblog will be updated using the nokia n900. i’ll be multitasking using the web browser for text updates and the 5mp camera for photo updates. the doors open at 7:30pm and start at 8pm eastern.

7:28 PM: quick stop at apple store to check out the magic mouse and 27in imac

7:29 PM:

7:34 PM:

7:37 PM:

7:51 PM: hanging out at the store. drinks and food passed around

7:51 PM:

8:02 PM: there will be a raffle at the end. surprise

8:03 PM:

8:03 PM: the nokians are getting introduced

8:04 PM: samir agarwal head of maemo operations speaking

8:07 PM:

8:10 PM: basically intro to the nokia n900. most of which nokia fanatics already know

8:10 PM: browser is same engine as firefox with flash 9.4

8:14 PM: built in skype, sip, gtalk out of box. extendable… for ex im running aim on mine right now.

8:17 PM: ovi store expected at launch or soon after

8:21 PM: b. roy from qik is up for a demo

8:24 PM: qik only took 4 days to create on maemo. theyre now just optimizing it

8:30 PM:

8:46 PM:

8:55 PM:

9:00 PM:

9:12 PM:

9:13 PM: raffle time

9:15 PM:

9:17 PM:

9:19 PM:

10:22 PM: ill post a recap soon with more details and photos. thanks for following the liveblog!

Here’s the RSVP response:

The New York meet-up is held in the Nokia Flagship store at 5 East 57th Street, New York.

The doors open at 7.30pm and the ‘official’ part starts at 8pm. For the following couple of hours you will be able to meet likeminded people, as well as Maemo folks from Nokia and the community. We will provide some nibble food and N900 demos, so you can get a feel for the device in case you have not had the chance yet or just have fun with it. The event then ends at 10pm after which we can continue the chats elsewhere. We will also have a surprise lottery at the end of the event.

As the space is limited, we have a name list at the door so we ask you to bring a piece of identification with you.

We are very exited about the N900, and we hope you are as well.

Have you pre-ordered your Nokia N900 yet?

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On October 31st, developers, beta testers, and anyone lucky enough to have a pre-production Nokia N900 are doing a test marathon of applications before the mobile computer hits the shelves. The Maemo community will host the event from 2-7PM to make more apps available for end users. Applications that pass the tests will appear on Maemo Extras.

Photo by Michael Dawes

At publish time, there are 22 applications made by the community ready for end users. According to a recent email sent to Maemo Summit participants, there are 74 applications waiting for evaluation. With the help of testers, the marathon will attempt to have 50, 75, or even 100 stable applications from the community by sales start. The Nokia N900 is planned to hit retailers this November. Have you pre-ordered your N900 yet?

If you are interested in participating with the test marathon, join the discussion over at maemo.org.

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Vlingo came pre-installed on the Nokia N97’s firmware 2.0 and I’m surprised at how well it works. You can use ordinary language to instantly send a text or an email message, call a friend, create a note, update your Facebook or search the web simply by saying what you want. I’ve included a video of while trying it out.

You can also watch this video in HD on Youtube. Subscribe to the channel to preview the latest videos before they get published on the blog.

The app recognizes commands pretty well if you follow the instructions. For example, I was not getting matches when I said, “Send message Sheila, what’s for dinner”. I had to say, “Send message to Sheila, what’s for dinner.” It tries to find a match from the phonebook when I want to call or message someone. It’s even accurate with numbers for zip codes. If you forget the exact commands, the instructions are one button-press away.

Vlingo really saves time. It’s faster than typing for certain tasks. I recommend checking it out yourself. The free version has all the features, but limits the amount of text messages and emails to 15 each. Buy Vlingo Plus from within the application to send an unlimited amount of SMS and emails. A 30-day license is $4.99 while the full license is $19.99.

Vlingo on the Nokia N97 currently cannot update Twitter status. It’s a feature available on the iPhone version. It also transcribes from the ugly default email program and cannot do it from Nokia Messaging. I hope these options get added in an update.

Vlingo have been around in the US for a year and have over 2 million users who downloaded from iPhone app store and the BlackBerry app world store. The free version is pre-loaded on Nokia N97, Nokia E72 & Nokia Mini at launch. It is also available for download at the Ovi Store and compatible with

• Nokia N95
• Nokia N95 8GB
• Nokia E51
• Nokia E71
• Nokia E75
• Nokia 5530 XpressMusic
• Nokia 5800 XpressMusic

Try it out and let us know what you think of Vlingo.

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When I was at Maemo Summit, I kept hearing the terms ‘Maemo Extras’ and ‘Extras Testing.’ As a new user to the OS, I was totally clueless! I did some digging and found out these were repositories or places where applications from the community can be found. I’ll share with you what I learned and how you can use it when you get the Nokia N900.

Extras

An easy way to browse and install applications from ‘Extras’ is by going to downloads.maemo.org from the Nokia N900’s web browser. You can install the apps by simply clicking on the green arrows.

You should also enable the repository in Application manager so that the N900 receives update notifications for the apps. The Extras repository is supposed to be pre-configured in the Nokia N900 but is disabled by default. To enable:

Go into the Application manager.
Tap the menu -> Application catalogs…
Tap Maemo Extras.
Uncheck Disabled.

If it’s not there, you can manually add it:

Application manager –> Application catalogs –> New
Catalog name: Maemo Extras
Web address: http://repository.maemo.org/extras/
Distribution: fremantle
Components: free non-free

After you enabled the repository, browse through the download section of the Application manager.

Extras-testing

If you feel adventurous, Extras-testing holds applications waiting to be tested and passed to the Extras repository mentioned above. Warning: Applications here might break and cause trouble to your device! Regular users are encouraged to stay away!

You can check out the apps here with comments and ratings from testers. To install the apps, activate the repository in application manager:

Application manager –> Application catalogs –> New
Catalog name: Maemo Extras-testing
Web address: http://repository.maemo.org/extras-testing/
Distribution: fremantle
Components: free non-free

Extras-devel

I shouldn’t even be mentioning Extras-devel because it could really mess up your device. Warning: The software hosted in extras-devel is most likely not ready for end users. Developers upload the newest version of their software to extras-devel for an ‘automatic and human Quality Assurance process’ before it gets passed to Extras-testing.

Haze plugin adds more services to IM on Nokia N900

I was hesitant at first, but I decided to install a plugin from this repository after hearing about account-plugin-haze. It lets me add my AIM
account on the built-in Conversations instant messaging app on the N900. It also supports GaduGadu, ICQ, MSN, QQ, Sametime, and Yahoo, but I don’t use those services. It seems to be working fine so far and I hope to see it in the Extras repository soon!

To activate:

Application manager –> Application catalogs –> New
Catalog name: Maemo Extras-devel
Web address: http://repository.maemo.org/extras-devel/
Distribution: fremantle
Components: free non-free

More Reading

I gathered all the information above from the Maemo Wiki. I hope it helps other Nokia N900 users who are new to Maemo like me. If you want to read straight from the source, check out the wiki for Maemo Extras.

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I’ve been checking the Maemo Downloads site and found this cool little applet called Simple Brightness for the Nokia N900. It adds an option to the top control panel that lets you quickly adjust the screen brightness. I made a video to show you how it looks.

You can also watch this video in HD on Youtube. Subscribe to the channel to preview the latest videos before they get published on the blog.

The applet works exactly as it is described. It is developed by Faheem Pervez and can be installed directly from the Nokia N900 by going to Maemo Downloads.

I like this a lot because it enhances the already awesome control panel on the Nokia N900. Even without this applet, users have out-of-the-box quick access to the access points, bluetooth activation, messaging status, clock, and profile.

I wonder what other options developers can add. What would you want?

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I know it’s not out yet, but you can prepare by creating your own loopable wallpapers for the Nokia N900. Sometimes visuals are better than words, so I created this video to show you how to do it.

You can also watch this video in HD on Youtube. Subscribe to the channel to preview the latest videos before they get published on the blog.

Quick steps

• Get equirectangular photos
• Crop it to 3200 x 480
• Slice it into 4 images of 800×480 images
• Create a .desktop file to group the images
• Transfer the 5 files to N900/images folder

Sample .paris.desktop text file

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Background Image
Name=360 Paris
Hidden=True

X-File1=/home/user/MyDocs/.images/360paris_01.jpg
X-File2=/home/user/MyDocs/.images/360paris_02.jpg
X-File3=/home/user/MyDocs/.images/360paris_03.jpg
X-File4=/home/user/MyDocs/.images/360paris_04.jpg

X-Order=01

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I use Youtube a lot and I just discovered users can automatically notify their Twitter followers when new videos are uploaded. This is possible thanks to Youtube’s AutoShare feature. It’s great because it also simplifies the process of sharing videos on Twitter directly from your phone. I’ll show you how.

Step 1. Activate Autoshare on Youtube. You can find it in Accounts – Sharing.

Step 2. Upload videos from your Nokia phone via Pixelpipe. Here’s more information about this step if you haven’t heard of it yet.

Sharing videos via Nokia N900

Step 3. That’s it! After the video is uploaded and processed, your Twitter account will automatically announce it for you. I only have one complaint. I wish Youtube didn’t add “I uploaded a Youtube video,” on the tweets. It limits the length of our titles.

Make sure to subscribe to the channel to preview videos before they get published on the blog.

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Email is a very important feature for me and it works pretty well on the Nokia N900… for the most part. I’ll show you how it looks on the pre-production Nokia N900 from setup, to reading the inbox, replying, and creating emails. In this post, I use my Nokia Messaging account to push my emails from Gmail.

The Nokia N900 referred to this post is running software version 1.2009.41-10.

Video Overview

You can also watch this video in HD on Youtube. Subscribe to the channel to preview the latest videos before they get published on the blog.

Setup

During the setup, there’s a pre-loaded list of service providers like Gmail, Yahoo, or Exchange. The list makes it easier for you to just log in and start using email. Most of the other info like ports, server addresses, etc. are no longer needed. For advanced options, select ‘Others’ to manually fill out all the credentials.

Multiple email accounts are supported. There’s no option to combine the accounts into one inbox, but you can choose from a dropdown which account you’d like to send your new emails from.

For some weird reason, Nokia Messaging does not show up in the list when I’m using a SIM card from AT&T or T-mobile here in US. It is available when I insert my European Vodafone SIM.

Inbox

Browsing through the inbox is fairly easy. Flick your finger up or down to see the list of emails. Those in white mean already read, while the ones in color are still not read. Long-press on an email activates a popup while blurring the background. You can mark the email as read or delete it from there.

Search is currently missing. You will not be able to look for certain emails.

Reading Emails

HTML email is supported by the Nokia N900. Images do not load automatically, so you’ll have to press the load image button at the bottom of the screen. If there’s an option to load images automatically, I haven’t found it yet. Other options while reading an email include the usual reply, reply all, and forward. It’s very straightforward.

Writing Emails

As I previously mentioned, you can select in a drop down which account you are sending the email from. You can also use the bottom panel options to change the font, size, format, and color. More options are available by pressing the status bar panel. This includes attachments, CC, and BCC. Attaching images is pretty straightforward as well.

Finishing Thoughts

Email on the Nokia N900 is simple and easy to use. Many users will be happy with it. However, it is not exactly perfect yet.

Issues. There are some issues on this pre-production Nokia N900’s email experience that hopefully gets resolved before hitting the shelves.

1. If I login using the Gmail account, the app becomes too slow. I will often get a “not responding” warning and force quit the application. I think it is trying to download all my emails since a couple of years ago, but I could be wrong.

2. Google Sync for Email is not fully supported. It can download some emails, but will not display the content or recipient.

3. Nokia Messaging is not in the preloaded list if I am using an American SIM card. It shows up when I have my Vodafone SIM card from Netherlands.

4. If I am using Nokia Messaging as an email account AND use Exchange for Google Sync, I can read emails but cannot send emails. Mike from Nokia Conversations has the same setup, but told me he is able to send emails.

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This is a tip for the USA readers currently under AT&T contract, but want to enjoy 3G data on the Nokia N900. Since the N900 does not support AT&T’s 3G frequency, you have to use a T-mobile SIM card. Tmo’s Flexpay Monthly plan doesn’t require a long-term contract, so you can just get one at their stores without signing your soul away for the next two years.

Step 1. Go to a Tmobile store and tell them you want a Flexpay monthly account. Tell them you already have a phone to use it with but you don’t have it with you at the moment. Check the reason at the end of instructions.

Step 2. They’ll ask which plan you want. Since you already have AT&T, you probably don’t need minutes on the T-mobile account. The cheapest option is $29.99 for 300 Whenever minutes with unlimited weekends.

Step 3. Tell them you’ll add the extra services (like the data plan) later on.

Step 4. Sign the papers, then leave the store with your new Tmo SIM card.

Step 5. Insert the SIM card into the Nokia N900 and register/login at my.t-mobile.com with a computer or laptop. Tmobile will not recognize the Nokia N900, so change the phone in your dashboard to one of the Nokia phones. The default for me was a Tmobile G1. I changed it to the Nokia 5310.

Step 6. Go to Manage Services and add data access for your account. It is $9.99 per month for unlimited web.

Step 7. That’s it. Now you have a Tmobile SIM to use 3G on the Nokia N900. After taxes, it adds up to about $50 a month. The good news is that you’ll be able to end the plan anytime you want. This is a temporary fix until a Nokia Maemo device compatible with AT&T’s 3G frequency comes out.

Step 1a. If you tell them that you have it with you, they will scan the N900 for the IMEI number. Since it is not in their system, they will force you to pay the $24.99 data plan instead of $9.99.

Switch or Second SIM?

I don’t think you’ll enjoy using the N900 with an EDGE connection. 3G or Wifi is a must, but it will cost another $50 per month for current AT&T customers. Will you switch or get a second SIM for the Nokia N900?

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Last Wednesday was the first year anniversary of the Nokia Users Monthly Meetup in New York. As usual, we hung out at the NY flagship store for a couple of hours, then headed out for food and drinks. We went to our original spot, Brother Jimmy’s, and I had the Nokia N900 to take some flash photos. Check it out.

Gallery

The Nokia N900’s flash photos weren’t great, but they were also not horrible. The dual LEDs flash lit up the subjects pretty well, but noise is noticeable in some of the photos. The photos would have been better if there was xenon flash on the N900, but I’m sure Nokia’s engineers had good reasons to leave it out of this device. What do you think of the photos?

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I was spoiled by using the 3G connection with the Nokia N900 in Europe that using Edge here in the US is unacceptable. T-mobile is the only provider in the US able to provide 3G data for this device, so I got a SIM card to show you how fast the network is in New York City.

You can also watch this video in HD on Youtube. Subscribe to the channel to preview the latest videos before they get published on the blog.

T-mobile USA was consistent after several tries. Downloads are usually 2.25Mb/s and uploads around 0.35Mb/s. Run your own speed test with your provider and paste your results in the comments below.

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I first heard about Hermes on Twitter and knew that it will be popular. It is still under development, but it basically grabs your Facebook and Twitter friends’ info like photos and birthdays, then sync it with your Nokia N900’s contacts. I asked the developer, Andrew Flegg, to get in front of camera to talk about the app. Check it out.

You can also watch this video in HD on Youtube. Subscribe to the channel to preview the latest videos before they get published on the blog.

If you want to try it out, it can be found in the Extras-testing repository. I don’t suggest installing it yet because of this WARNING. I recommend waiting once it is officially available in Maemo Downloads.

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It’s been about 48 hours since I got my loaner pre-production Nokia N900 and I find it really hard to put it down. I’ll try to show you as much as I can so you can preview the mobile computer before your preorder arrives. In this video, you’ll see that the Nokia N900 has an autofocus for photographs AND videos.

You can watch this video in larger size on Youtube. Subscribe to the channel to preview the latest videos before they get published on the blog.

You can focus on a subject before recording by pressing the camera button halfway. It will not refocus while recording. This is great for doing macro videos!

Requests

What’s the next thing about the Nokia N900 you’d like me to demo? Let me know!

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I’m in Amsterdam at Maemo Summit for the third and last day of sessions. I am teaming up with Rafe from All About Maemo and Reggie from Maemo Talk to provide you live info, photos, and videos. You’ll be able to comment, ask questions, and vote on polls. The third day’s coverage starts Sunday October 11th at 09:00 CEST. All my photos will be taken and uploaded directly from the Nokia N900!

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I’m in Amsterdam at Maemo Summit for the next few days. I am teaming up with Rafe from All About Maemo and Reggie from Maemo Talk to provide you live info, photos, and videos. You’ll be able to comment, ask questions, and vote on polls. The second day’s coverage starts Saturday October 10th at 09:00 CEST.

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• Maemo Summit Liveblog Day 3
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I’m in Amsterdam at Maemo Summit for the next few days. I am teaming up with Rafe from All About Maemo and Reggie from Maemo Talk to provide you live info, photos, and videos. You’ll be able to comment, ask questions, and vote on polls. The first day’s coverage starts Friday October 9th at 09:00 CEST.

You should see the embedded collaborative live content below.

If you enjoyed this article, you might also like…

• Maemo Summit Liveblog Day 3
• Maemo Summit Liveblog Day 2
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Lately, I’ve been using Posterous to post photos and non-Nokia related articles on my personal site. I’m really liking how it works with the Nokia N97 and the Nokia Messaging app. Combined together, they make a great mobile blogging tool.

In short, Posterous lets you write blog posts by simply writing an email to post@posterous.com. You can set it up to autopost your entries to your other existing online presence like Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, and even another blog.

Multiple Photos

My favorite feature is how Posterous handles multiple photos. Just attach several photos in the email, and they will automatically create an embedded photo gallery within the post. When it comes to Twitter, it’s great to automatically share photos you’ve taken, but will your followers like it if you tweeted 10 related photos in a row? Probably not. Posterous auto-tweets one time with a link showing the gallery of the multiple photos. I think this is the best way to share multiple photos on Twitter! Here’s a sample tweet for this post.

Auto photo gallery by Posterous

Autoposting

Another great feature of Posterous is autoposting to other services like Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, or other blogs. Posterous takes it to another level by enabling you to autopost to only some of those services with each post. You can select which of those services to post by simply changing the email address.

Integration with Nokia Messaging

Since Posterous works via email, I like how it integrates with the Nokia Messaging app. On the gallery, you can select the photos to upload, then click on the Nokia Messaging option. If you don’t want photos on the post, just write an email without any attachments.

Finishing Thoughts

I suggest trying out Posterous if you haven’t yet. You won’t regret it. It definitely makes our Nokia phones even more powerful. This is perfect for mobile blogging as well as instant sharing of photos. I love it on the Nokia N97 because of the Qwerty keypad for quick typing. I can’t wait to try it out on the Nokia N900.

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Before I install any apps on a new Nokia phone, I have a routine of changing certain settings. Here is a list of 5 settings I change. Let me know yours.

Change clock type to digital. I have a hard time reading the default analog clock display by Nokia. (Clock setting)

Turn off key tones. I don’t want to hear a beep every time I press a button. (Profile setting)

Turn off Warning Tones. Turning the warning tones off usually eliminates the camera shutter sound. However, I think some phones sold in certain regions do not allow users to turn it off. If that’s the case, I select the least noticeable tone. (Profile setting)

Auto Time Update. During the setup wizard, I don’t manually enter the correct date and time. Turning on auto time update makes sure you have the right time. (Clock setting)

Hide Security Warnings. I haven’t noticed any negative effects of this setting yet, but it prevents those annoying pop up messages before accessing certain sites like Gmail. I’m an impatient person. (Browser setting)

What’s Your Routine?

Before installing any apps, are there any settings you have to change first?

If you enjoyed this article, you might also like…

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I’ve tipped readers to get their wallpapers at Interfacelift, but here’s a video showing how I do it directly from the Nokia N97. The same should apply to other Symbian S60 phones, but you need to learn which wallpaper size works best. For comparison, I’ve also squeezed in how it looks on the iPhone

You can watch this video in HD on Youtube. Subscribe to the channel to preview the latest videos before they get published on the blog.

A difference with the iPhone is that you can long-press on an image to save. That method saves the user a few presses compared to the Nokia N97.

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Thanks everyone for over 200 submissions in the Nokia N97 Giveaway. It was a hard decision, but we now have our winner! Congratulations to ChrisStobbs from Youtube who posted a very funny and informative video response. I still can’t stop laughing at his Nokia N97 cardboard costume with slider. Check it out.

Here’s Chris’ response to what Mobile Computing means to him:

I will be contacting Chris through Youtube for his address info. WOMWorld Nokia will be sending him the Nokia N97 prize.

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It’s not a netbook, according to Nokia. It’s a mini-laptop! These packaging photos give you a preview of unboxing your own if you decide to spend the 575 Euro suggested price. It’s not exactly an unboxing because the accessories and manual weren’t in the box when I took the photos.

The Booklet 3G features a 10.1-inch HD ready display, 12 hours of battery life, 2 centimeters thin, 1 kg light, integrated A-GPS, front-facing camera,SIM slot, and HDMI port for HD video out. You can watch the overview including the rest of the specifications for more info.

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The Nokia E72 isn’t out yet, but I’ve got to play with a pre-production model during the Mobile Geeks of NY meetup. It is the update to the E71, whose camera I absolutely hate. The camera app was the first thing I checked on the E72 and I was surprised to see a new autofocus system. Check out the video.

To autofocus with the Nokia E72, you rest your finger on top of the Optical Navi key. The green bracket shows up on the screen to confirm locked focus, then you press fully to take the photo. This is different from the predecessor where you had to press the letter ‘T’ to focus on a subject.

You can also watch this video in larger size on Youtube or subscribe to the channel to preview videos before they get published on the blog.

The Nokia E72 was not running final software, but the new autofocus worked pretty well. I wasn’t able to grab the photos from the E72 to see the quality, but there are plenty of available photo samples on Flickr.

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News of the GSM Palm Pre releasing in October broke out today and I’m wondering if this affects your buying decision for the Nokia N900? The Palm Pre w/ SIM slot will support UMTS/HSDPA Bands 850/1900/2100, meaning European and US 3G on AT&T. No announcements for a Nokia N900 variant supporting AT&T 3G has been made yet.

Photo by offstandard / CC BY-NC 2.0

There’s a catch if you decide to get the Palm Pre over the Nokia N900. According to PreCentral, you might still need to unlock the Pre for use outside O2 or even get a QWERTZ keyboard. Here’s a quick rundown of the specs found on the Pre:

• 3.1-inch touch screen
• 320×480 resolution
• QWERTY keyboard
• 3 megapixel camera w/ LED flash
• Built-in GPS
• 8GB of user storage
• 3.5mm stereo

How does this new information affect your buying decision for the Nokia N900?

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I asked Chanse Arrington, Product Manager of Multimedia at Nokia North America, to show me the Nokia N900 in about a minute and this is what we came up with. You can see how multitasking is done on this Maemo device. I have to say I’m loving the N900 more each time I see it!

You can also watch this video in larger size on Youtube. For a video walkthrough, you can also watch my longer Nokia N900 hands-on video from Nokia World.

Thoughts on Multitasking

The Nokia N900 appears to be made for multitasking. There’s no physical button on the front of the phone, but the area of the screen you’ll be touching a lot is the upper left corner. You press it once to show all open apps then press again to show the applications grid. Clicking outside the grid takes you back to your panoramic home screen.

Complaint & Suggestion. My complaint about multitasking on the Nokia N900 is that it tries to display the thumbnails of all open apps in one screen. If you have more than 3 apps open, the thumbnail preview of each app becomes very small.

I recommend Nokia to look into how the Palm Pre uses their “card view.” It shows one full thumbnail and two partial thumbnails that are movable like the panoramic home screen. Here’s how it looks.

If you enjoyed this article, you might also like…

• Review: Simple Brightness Applet for Nokia N900
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