AAS: Articles and Features: Series 60 (Full)

The Free N-Gage Software and Demo Scene

Tue, 04 Oct 2005 19:02:13 +0100

The Free N-Gage Software Scene

How much can you do with an N-Gage for as little money as possible? While there�s a huge amount of Series 60 software you can install, and over 50 MMC based titles out there (with no sign yet of Nokia slowing down the releases), the N-Gage QD at $99 in the US looks like a fantastic bargain. Add in the seven free software downloads direct from the N-Gage Arena and you have to ask why the machine isn�t doing particularly well.

Hold that thought for a moment, because it�s time to whistle stop through some short reviews on Nokia�s N-Gage Freeware scene. All of these titles are available to download from http://arena.n-gage.com/

System Rush

System Rush is the first title inthe wave of games to be released leading up to Christmas 2005, and Nokia have continued the tradition of releasing a demo version of the game with a handful of levels - and quite frankly this is a good idea. People still need a�bit of convincing that the N-Gage platform is still worthy of spending time, more so as the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP are now easily available to those who want them.

The game itself, while shrouded in a massive plot of hackers, corporations taking over the world, and code vehicles penetrating secuirty layers, is one of the slickest 'future' racing games around. Ideworks really have got the hang on how to throw a million lines around the screen and keep everything at a frantic pace - sometimes too frantic when you're climbing the learning curve. Definitly worth the download and space on any MMC.

Pathway to Glory

PtG�s demo was the first downloadable game we saw from Nokia, back in September 2004. Given the hype behind Pathway, releasing a single level demo so everyone could see just what they were going on about was a master stroke. The single map here still takes a good bit of planning and gaming to actually beat, and is probably the best use of a demo out there � to prove a new gaming concept to people before they buy. The success and number of PtG Demo downloads probably not only made sure the game would be a massive hit, but also ensured more software from Nokia.

Asphalt: Urban GT & Colin McCrae Rally 2005

Up next, the two driving games. Asphalt is very arcade in its style, so it�s race to the line as fast as possible. It�s possibly the most lacklustre demo, as it�s purely a single level demo, and even then I think the choice of Paris as the track was a mistake (New York would have been better). As a thirty second advert for the game, it�s great. As something that makes you want to keep playing, a bit more depth is needed I think.

Colin McRae, on the other hand, with two circuits, actually has a lot more depth. The game is much more simulator, so the car is harder (more realistic) in it�s controls. You�re going to be sliding about and off the road till you learn to balance everything and get a good time. A much steeper learning curve here (more than Pathway to Glory I feel) but great gaming rewards when you succeed.

Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory

Absolutely stunning graphics for the N-Gage, with a spin around camera so you can watch Sam Fisher climb, spin jump and tumble around the training area from the full game. Yes, the training area. You don�t actually get a competitive level here, just a "this is how to do this" scenario. So you step through it all, and are told you�re ready for your missions. Which you need the full version for. So a great demo, but not quite a gaming experience. But to show off the graphics, it�s worth the install

Snakes

Not strictly a demo, but the success of the demo scene probably convinced Nokia to try using this "viral" market to good effect to release one of the landmark mobile games onto the N-Gage. It�s the classic Snake game. In 3-d. With a huge number of modern day power ups, boosts, walls and holes. This is one title not to be missed. It�s probably worth the price of the N-Gage on its own.

Worms World Party

Worms truly is a love it or hate it game. Technically squeezing it into the N-Gage (both in size and screen dimensions) is impressive. It�s fair to say though, that a portrait screen isn�t the best for playing Worms on, so being able to check it out first is very much welcome. While you only have a single map in this demo and your team options are fixed, it�s a complete blast. The majority of the weapons are there, as is the multi-player gaming (which is lacking in other demos). Just having this classic title lurking on the N-Gage if you ever need a good frag with a friend makes it worthwhile.

X-Men Legends

Finally, it�s the Marvel action fest that is X-Men Legends. An isometric view, but with the same depth and playability of the PS2 and Xbox versions, this is a great little single map adventure that should take you some time to complete. Control of the four central X-Men characters (and yes, you get to be Wolverine!) makes this a great romp. Gorgeous graphics and the inclusion of one of the game cut-scenes show just what the N-Gage can do.

Summary

One 64mb MMC card should see you able to load all the demos (and Snakes) from the N-Gage site, and it means you get a bundle of action the second you pick up your N-Gage. Why these aren�t in the retail boxes I�ll never know � at the very least Snakes should be there. If you�re short on room, I�d recommend System Rush, Snakes, Pathway to Glory, Colin McRae and X-Men Legends as the best of some pretty high quality titles. Go forth and play!

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It's all about the software � the rise and rise of Series 60

Tue, 27 Sep 2005 18:42:09 +0100

The year is 2001 and the Nokia 7650 has just been launched, the world's first Series 60 smartphone. I'd been using the Nokia 9210i Communicator, but its lack of RAM, relative paucity of software (this was before OPL had been released for it) and bulk meant that I wasn't incredibly attached to it. I took a look at 7650 and Series 60 but dismissed the PIM applications are extremely poor, bemoaning for the umpteenth time that Symbian's trademark applications hadn't all made it across to the new platform. In addition, there was almost no storage memory and no expansion card. And, of course, very little third party software (being a new platform). In short, I dismissed Series 60 from my mind as an underpowered, simplistic platform.

Instead, my eye was caught by Handspring and their Palm OS-powered Treo 270. Having previously used a Palm III for a while, I knew I liked the easy synchronisation, interface and power of Palm's applications, plus there was a huge catalogue of add-on programs, from office suites to utilities to games. To get all this with Symbian-like telephony included seemed too good to miss and I plumped up for the Treo. I wasn't happy at heart though, if only because I knew that, back in the Symbian world there was the possibility of real multi-tasking and doing 'proper work'.

With a view to getting back into the current (2003) 'cutting edge' of the Symbian world, I snapped up one of the earliest UIQ-interfaced Sony Ericsson P800s, followed fairly quickly by the newer P900. The form factor was right, the design was generally excellent and it was great to have a camera on board and stereo music blasting into my ears, even if that silly 128MB limit on the expansion cards did limit what could be carried around. But, gradually, the cardinally stupid 'return to base state' behaviour of all UIQ applications began to really annoy me, and I never really got on with having to extract the stylus just to input a few characters.

Hallalujah! [FX:heavenly choirs] Nokia put everyone out of their misery with the announcement of the Nokia 9500, a single keyboarded Communicator device with oodles of RAM, oodles of flash memory, all the built-in applications I used to know and love, plus a VGA camera, stereo music output and support for 1GB MMC cards. This was the device that I had been waiting for, for the last five years. By now, OPL had been finished for the Series 80 platform and I could program away on my handheld, just as in the days of Psion, plus others could run my programs with a simple runtime. The extra comms capabilities (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPRS) were also vital in establishing the 9500 as�the businessperson's communications device. And quite right too.

Yet, only seven months later, a glance at my hip will show you a Series 60-powered Nokia 6630. What on earth happened to the 9500 and how come I'm using a platform I was so dismissive of four years ago? Well, the 6630's Megapixel camera had something to do with it, it's true. Once you've seen your daily snaps (and with a young family, there are a lot of these) with four times the number of pixels, it's very hard to go back. But there's another reason, and it's not to do with the relative sizes (size isn't that important to me, since my devices tend to stay on my hip).

It's all about software. To a small extent it's about the built-in software within (take a deep breath) Series 60 version 2, Feature Pack 2 devices (now you know why sites tend to stick to quoting simple model numbers!) - Series 60 has come a long way from those early Nokia 7650 beginnings. The PIM applications are slicker, the interface has been tweaked and optimised, and the underlying Symbian Operating System (v8.0) is much more powerful and robust.

But THE main reason why it's the 6630 that's staying with me every day is that there's now a critical mass of top notch software that just isn't available for the Communicator. Software like iSilo, which lets me archive web pages and HTML file sets. HanDBase, which lets me keep all my business data on both PC and smartphone. And games, games, games galore. I'm not a big PC gamer, but I absolutely love snuggling down with my smartphone in odd moments and knocking down a round of bowls in Bowling Master, or trying to achieve a lowest under-par round in Golf Pro Contest. Or spending time with any one of the dozens of quality games.

And of course the killer applications for Series 80, such as OggPlay (for music) and TomTom Mobile 5 (for navigation) are also available for Series 60 and installed on my 6630.

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iSilo,�HanDBase and Golf PRO Contest,�three of the newest stars in the Series 60 world

Text input was always a concern of mine, preventing me from giving 'predictive' input on a numeric keypad the time of day, but now I've learnt some of the tricks, I find I can knock out up to 20 words per minute fairly easily (compared to about 30 on the 9500's keyboard). And, for those occasions when speed is of the essence (like writing this article), I reach for my Bluetooth keyboard and I'm connected in a couple of seconds.

Do I still think Series 60 is underpowered and simplistic? No, but I still hanker for notes on Calendar entries and more than one To-do list, all synced nicely to Outlook. Is this too much to ask for, Nokia and Symbian? And I'd really, really, really, really, love someone to find a way to get the OPL runtime working properly on Symbian OS 8 so that I and other OPL stalwarts can start converting over the large number of OPL programs from the rest of the Symbian world.

My 9500 isn't exactly gathering dust these days, it's too good a unit to be left alone for long. But when I leave the house it's my sleek black 6630 that comes along with me. And, for the moment, I'm pretty happy with the arrangement.

For me, it really was all about the software. There's enough now for modern Series 60 smartphones that there's very little need to look elsewhere.

Steve Litchfield, Sept 2005
3lib.ukonline.co.uk

Glimmerati Preview

Mon, 26 Sep 2005 15:37:49 +0100

E3 is when you announce things. Big things. Things that make the industry sit up and take notice. And Nokia�s N-Gage press team is no exception. Last year, they had the N-Gage QD to show off, and they were trailing another of Nokia�s own titles, Glimmerati. It was pretty hard to work out exactly what the game was, apart from the fact it had a lot of money spent on it, and it was a driving game.

Eleven months later, we catch up with the Producer of Glimmerati to find out about the game, and�the delay which means it�s still labelled as coming soon at the next E3. "We take perfection seriously, deadpans Jussi Laakonen (MD of Bugbear, the developers behind Glimmerati) when I ask him about the delay. "Coming with a great game takes time. It�s not been the easiest of projects, but it has been very rewarding." The delays aren�t all down to development issues, there are marketing considerations and release slots to consider as well. At the end of the day though, Glimmerati will get out on MMC, and Bugbear wants it to be a classic.

So what is Glimmerati? It�s more than a Driving Game, as Jussi is quick to point out. "There�s very few racing games, apart from possibly Driv3r, that have a strong storyline to go alongside the game. One of the things we wanted to do was create a good experience, all round, in Glimmerati. So we�ve concentrated on giving the player what they expect in a glamorous driving game. There are fast cars, beautiful ladies, and hi speed racing in exotic locations." The production team has been out in force with cameras and tape measures to get the best looking levels possible. You�ll be racing in Paris, Monaco, Milan and the middle of the Mediterranean.

The look of the game is one that seems to ape the Super Sprint top down look, but pulling back ever so slightly to get the 3d effect in. "This is mainly so you can see what�s coming up on the road ahead," explains Jussi. It�s rather like watching from a helicopter just behind and above your car.

The storyline itself sees you inherit a huge amount of money from a dying Uncle. But to get the social status that you believe you deserve, you need to start at the bottom of the Glimmerati Club, and slowly ascend through your driving skills and relations with other characters until you (hopefully) become accepted into the inner circle.

Of course Stanley Kubrick could plot the story, but if the actual driving game itself isn�t up to scratch then the whole concept fails rather quickly. So while the idea of uploading your "Clubcard" Diary to the N-Gage Arena sounds great in theory (as does fastest lap times, race times, and a gallery of the prizes you have won), it all comes down to the game. If the car handles well, then we could have a huge hit on our hands� or another Crash Nitro Kart. Given Bugbear�s past history of racing games on mobile platforms, I�m pretty hopeful.

Glimmerati is now scheduled for release in July 2005.

More screenshots and info on the Glimmerati AAN Games Page.

Rifts: All About N-Gage Sit Down With the Creator, Designer and Producer of this eagerly awaited RPG

Mon, 26 Sep 2005 15:17:54 +0100

So what is Rifts? I asked Kevin. "I didn�t like the limitations of early RPG games, with their narrow design and limitations [remember that this is back in the early 1980s]. The majority of them were fixed to one genre, be it fantasy, superheroes, technology or magic. By combining magic and technology in a plausible way� that became Rifts � although it did take three years.

The world of Rifts takes place just after the golden age of mankind, where technology, augmentation and computing were at their height. Then �something happens�, a cataclysmic world event that laid waste to large tracts of land, energise lines of magic called leylines. Where leylines cross are powerful magic places, and rifts are opened into alien environments and other dimensions.. Oh and magic has returned. So mankind is sharing the earth with new races, breeds and creatures.

Many companies approached Kevin about making a computer version of Rifts, and every time he turned it down. So what happened to make Kevin select Nokia�s N-Gage? "Simply, I wanted Rifts done right, by a group that understood Rifts." Shane Neviile, now Nokia�s Producer and in charge of shepherding Rifts from concept and onto MMC, is a fifteen year old fan of Rifts. Shane was the man who pushed Nokia to go after the Rifts franchise when new N-Gage games were being considered To lift the bar of role-playing in computers in general was Shane�s goal. And Rifts was the right title in his mind for that.

Kevin, is the N-Gage the right gaming device for Rifts? "Rifts is dynamic enough to work on any platform and I want to see it in many venues. I like what N-Gage has to offer. A lot of what they talk about and what the platform can do is pretty cutting edge and I find that exciting."

The third part of the alliance is Trent Ward, Creative Director at Backbone. Shane invited him (and Backbone) to a meeting because "Nokia were looking at them to code a licensed role playing game," which left Trent both apprehensive and uneasy� right up until Shane put the Rifts Sourcebook down on the table between them.

Yes, Trent�s a Rifts fan as well. Honestly these guys must have all thought that their boat had come in, finally getting to work on something they had treasured personally for many a year. And while Backbone makes games for a living, there was a huge sense of responsibility to make sure the Rifts world, perfected by Kevin over 15 or more years, makes the successful jump into the modern computer gaming world.

Rifts works on an isometric view, which allows for the details in the sprites and character types to be seen in much greater detail than a first person adventure � it�s also easier to recognise characters with an isometric view. Moving around and performing actions in the Rifts world is in two flavours. The adventure mode gives you direct control over your character, in a real time scenario. When you get to combat (and you will!) you switch to a turn based mode, much like Pathway to Glory. "Rifts is a combat heavy world, where there's lots of high-speed movement and high-speed weapons," explains Trent. "The system will let players use these correctly, rather than a flash of action."

It sounds like the three key players have really worked together as leaders to bring Rifts to life, but I wonder how involved Kevin was in the coding process? "[Trent and Shane] invited my input, and brought me into the studio to meet everyone. It�s so cool that everyone has been doing such a great job, I�ve hardly had to put in any real feedback beyond �Wow that�s great!�"

Kevin�s visits had a knock on effect, explains Trent. He gave us a driving force of "we can�t let Kevin down." Everything had to be perfect, as he was watching. We all got on really well and nobody wanted to be the one who got it wrong." And where did Nokia figure? Shane takes that one up. "Given the Backbone offices are 30 minutes from my office, meant that I could be around while the game was in development and be really hands on. This is one of our big games for the year and we�re all excited at Nokia. The plan is late summer or�early fall for a public release, but it�s not decided yet.

Rifts breaks cover to the media at E3, and we�ll have a look at the preview when we get back from the USA. Till then, thanks to Trent, Shane and Kevin for taking the time to talk to us.

Want to listen to Kevin, Shane and Trent talk about Rifts? 25 minutes of highlights from the All About N-Gage interview with the Rifts team feature in "The Mobiles Show" over at the Podcast Network. Head on over and download the MP3 now.

Links of Interest

Rifts in the All About N-Gage Games Database.

The Rifts: Promise of Power mini-site.

Nokia's Mobile Search and Mobile Service Consumption

Mon, 26 Sep 2005 14:12:49 +0100

Nokia�s Mobile Search

Yesterday Nokia announced Mobile Search:

Nokia today introduced a pioneering mobile search software solution that provides users with easy and fast access to leading search engines directly from their Nokia handset. The search application is a simple, convenient, and fast way for Nokia smartphone users to find and connect to any website as well as local search engines, whenever, wherever. The current service and content providers incorporated in the search application include Eniro, Fonecta, Medio Systems, Yahoo!, Yell.com, as well as digital map solution provider AtlasCT and digital map data provider NAVTEQ.

If you have not�tried this yet, you should, it is a very handy tool. Of particular�note in my opinion is the local search functionality. This allows you to search for businesses in your local area (or an area you specify). You are provided with a list of results and from this you can do several things: dial the relevant numbers, add the number to your Contacts, and view a map with the location of the results pinpointed.�Much of this�information may be available via your Operator's portal, for example Orange in the UK provide a 'Where's My Nearest...' service. However, because�Mobile Search�is an application it is easier to use, it's faster in getting to results�and�it's better integrated into the phone. More than anything,�Mobile Search demonstrates the power of the service type application when compared to its mobile browser equivalent.

The Local Search in the UK is provided by Yell.�Enter a business name or type and a location and it returns a list of results. Being a Symbian application, it is tightly integrated into the phone.�This is best illustrated in screenshots:

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Carry out a search, viewing the search results list and the detailed information view.

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Context menu for actions, viewing a map showing location of search results, and zooming the map in.

The Web Search and the Image Search are provided by Yahoo. A web search returns a list of results which you can get further information on (the title, and a brief description). You can also choose to add a result to your Bookmarks or to Browse to it� (using the phone's Web application). An Image Search returns a similar list with the addition of small thumbnails alongside each result. Clicking on a result takes you to a larger thumbnail (the detailed information screen) from which you have the option to retrieve and save a larger image.

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Searching the web, the subsequent results,�and the�detailed information screen.

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Searching for images, a list of results with small thumbnails and the detailed information screen.

In tests that I ran I found that doing a search was�approximately�three times quicker using Mobile Search (open Mobile Search,�perform search, and view results)�than it was using the Web application (open Web, access and load Yahoo Mobile Bookmark, perform search,� and view results). Local searches have�a greater�time saving, especially if you use the mapping functionality.

The presentation of results is much better (especially on images). The advantage for a service type application is that it can display more information about a given result without additional network connections. In all searches within the Mobile Search application there is one network connection�round trip. The first list displayed is simple (results screen with one result per line list), and more information (detailed information screen) is only�one�keypress away. This compares�to a browser-based search solution where you must either include all information onto a single page (making results harder to read) or accept that more information requires an additional network connection�round trip.

The integration with the built in applications (browse to a result, add to bookmarks, dial, add to contacts) results in a much better user experience. This is at is most noticeable in local search where it is possible to find a local taxi company, view its location on a map (and zoom in or out for clarity), and call the company, all from within the Mobile Search application. You can book a taxi in less than a minute from a standing start,�which is not only�very impressive, but very usable in the real world. Local Search services available do vary by country (currently UK, Finland and Sweden), but the application will change the local service used�when it detects (via the Network) that you have changed countries.�Further search types can be added via plugins, raising the possibility of Google or other search sources being supported. Mobile Search could become a one stop solution for any type of search on the device.�Some of the possibilities are�plugins that allow an internal search (searching your calendar, notes, email�and contacts), an eBay search, an Amazon search, and so on. Since�mapping data comes from a separate source to the local services data�it can easily�be combined with other search services or used on its own.

Nokia's Mobile Search ably demonstrates how it is possible to build a powerful and easy to use service type�application.�That is to say, an application which retrieves information from one or more sources (services), displays it on the mobile device and looks to integrate that information into the functionality of the device on which it is being accessed.�

The end functionality provided�may be�available�via the browser�through Operator and Search�Portals, but the user experience is completely different.

Mobile Service Consumption

Steve talked about the benefits of off board data solutions (i.e. Internet-based) and of course this is�part of the power of this type application - it allows access to almost unlimited indexes of information.�More than that, I think�Nokia's Mobile Search�is a good example�for how, in the future,�we will consume information on mobile devices. Consumption will be service application (rather than browser) led.

I have often been heard to say (to those that will listen to my waffle) that the mobile user experience is the key to the future. This is what the service application type does. It nails the user experience by using the full power of the phone�s features and by providing a familiar user interface. This is something that is hard to do well in a mobile browser with the result that few people use the available services and subsequently fewer services are developed and deployed. It is not without reason that a route finding application such as WayFinder�has been popularising smartphones in the mainstream. With its off board�data model,�it's an example of�a service type application. While advanced service type applications are obvious for more complex services such as navigation their use in simpler scenarios at first glance seems less obvious, but this is to misunderstand mobile. While on the desktop, service applications work well through the browser, the same is not true of mobile devices.�It is necessary to�think of mobile and desktop as different paradigms and design applications and service provision�accordingly.

This is not to say there is no place for mobile browsers,�but they are not the same containers they are on the desktop. Instead they are a conduit for the display of�information from service applications, and are of primary use when you move outside the areas covered by service applications. It is worth noting that both Opera and NetFront recognise this, in the Opera Platform and Netfront Dynamic Menu model there is an attempt to�add service type application functionality to�the browser�by more tightly integrating with the phone. This browser-led�model could be successful because it demonstrates different thinking to the desktop, but I think service applications are more likely to succeed because they have greater flexibility.

For the majority of Mobile Internet use, the service type application is a better approach in terms of ease and speed of use. As with most software systems, it's all about the mobile user experience.

Orange Services and the Nokia 6680

Mon, 26 Sep 2005 14:12:30 +0100

Introduction

I have been using a Nokia 6680 as my principal phone and mobile device companion for the six weeks. The 6680 is at the height of the Symbian technology curve, although with Symbian 9.0 and the Nokia N91 and other Series 60 3.0 devices just a few months away it will not stay top dog for long.

In this review I'll be looking at the Nokia 6680 as provided on the Orange network in the UK. Steve has already published a generic review of the Nokia 6680 and so as with the P910i review from earlier in the year I'm going to be looking at the phone from a different perspective - that of a normal user getting a contract mobile phone in the UK.

While many power users may buy phones outside a network contract (sim-free) the majority of users will be picking up their phones with a contract from an Operator. In the UK the networks are subsidising the Nokia 6680 so that you can pick it up at�very low�cost when signing up for a contract. Indeed Jim Hughes managed the various options available so that Orange paid him �30 to take two 6680s away(!) Compared to the full price of �400 or more it is not difficult to see why very few people buy their phone sim-free. Orange (and other networks) customise their 6680's with extra software as well as pre-populating the phone's Bookmarks and Settings. Some of the customisation add real value, but some of the additions and changes are more controversial.

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I also think it is important to realise that the functionality of a (smart)phone and the user experience is made up of three parts. Firstly the hardware and the software provided by the device manufacturer, second that added by the user in the form of third party programs or content, and thirdly the connection and services provided by the Operator. Inevitably, and quite correctly, the first and second of these provide the focus of most reviews, but we should not forget the third. As smartphones get increasingly sophisticated, the services provided by an Operator will become an ever more important part of the experience. The connection provided has always been important - after all the first function of smartphone should be as a phone. But it is services, whether operator provided or third party which will have a large influence on the user experience in the years ahead.

With that in mind I want to look at some of the services provided by Orange on the 6680. The question is - how much do they add to the offering?

The Operator Portal

Do you remember when WAP was cited as the next big thing for mobile phones? WAP was one of the most over hyped mobile technologies ever. The reality of the user experience on the late 90's small screen devices did not match the promises. However in many ways early hype was not so far from the truth - it just took a lot longer to arrive. It wasn't until screen technology improved, GPRS and 3G provided faster speeds, and XHTML browsers enabled richer design that the idea became usable. What is more, the offerings have moved beyond simple text information to a far richer experience not just in terms of content (images and video) but also other accompanying features such as location awareness. The increasing sophistication of phones has also created an increasingly two way medium - images from the phone can be uploaded to services, ringtones can be downloaded and remixed on the phone.

There is a great deal of variation in the depth of operator offerings. Comparing notes with a US friend I explained that for many tasks, such as looking up travel information, finding local information (be it fish and chips or a taxi), or simple news and information, I rarely left the portal. He by contrast rarely used the portal because it mainly consisted of being able to download games and ringtones. This downloadable content is near universal since it easy to implement and highly lucrative, but I suspect in a simple form its time is limited because users will become increasingly aware that it is easy to add content themselves or will find third party services that are better value. By contrast the local information in the US was available via portals such as Yahoo and MSN Mobile. There is an interesting fight ahead between operators and third party Internet portals, although increasingly we are likely to see co-operation. Frequently the operator portal (and the operator offering in general) uses rebranded third party services. I.e. one company provides the train times services which all the operators use, another provides a MMS to Postcard service, and probably the best known of these is the Shazzam song recognition service.

Orange's portal, dubbed Orange World, is attractively put together, and provided the expected news and information, entertainment and tools. It is divided into 3 broad areas - Info, Fun, and Tools, each of which is a top level link.

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Info provides news and information in many areas. With a 3G phone such as the 6680, videos are provided in addition to the usual text and image content. In the UK at least there is not a lot of difference between portals in a broad sense, but there is often a differing focus. The 3 network became best known for showing Premiership Football, while Orange has a reputation for good Film content. However, the most frequently used news and sport summaries are very similar between networks - either provided by Sky or by ITN. 3G's promise of video downloads has been well fulfilled on Orange World and seeing someone staring intently at their mobile on the train and bus as they watch the third screen is becoming increasingly common. Other 'Info' information services include Travel (train times, directions and live pictures of traffic jams), Film (download trailers, buy tickets, and read reviews), and others.

Shared between Tools and Info is also where you find Orange's 'Where's My Nearest ... ?' service which tells you where the nearest x is (be it petrol, pizza or post office) with an accompanying map. Tools can look a bit spartan, but much of the functionality is integrated elsewhere. The downloadable guides (from Berlitz) to both languages and places are not always of a high standard and you are better off looking elsewhere. More usefully you can set up text and photo messaging alerts to notify on local weather, breaking news, or goals scored by your favourite football team.

Fun provides the expected download of ringtones, games and gossip. Orange have provided a limited number of 6680-optimised Java Games and a few games written in Symbian C++ (not that the casual user would notice), but it is the services which require a client application to be downloaded to the phone that are most interesting. These include Fireplayer, Orange Music Player, and Orange TV.

Orange World has a fourth top level link which is Your Page. It is an area you can customise to give you the latest information from areas you are interested in, you can also add things such as a location aware weather forecast, cinema listings from your area and links to favourite sections of Orange World. This customisation service is surprisingly useful, allowing you quick access to the areas you use most. The personalisation is apparent throughout the portal, for example the last few train times are retained so you can quickly look up a train on the same route as before.

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Mobile TV

With the launch of the 6680 Orange announced that Orange TV would be available on the handset. This is provided by the MoibiTV service. 6680s on Orange come preloaded with the Orange TV application or you can download it from the portal. On starting the application for the first time you are asked to subscribe to the service. The price at �10 a month seems quite high, but that does include 1GB of data to use solely with Orange TV. Personally I think a better pricing model would be per usage with a per month flat rate option also available. Currently the content is lacking - for the price paid I would expect it to be better. Various channels are available (ITN News, CNN and Cartoon Network), although some are of limited interest (Fashion TV). Special channels are rotated in and out, these have included Big Brother and Glastonbury TV. Despite what you might think the 'TV' is surprisingly watchable. A 3G data connection is required, this limits coverage and is something of an annoyance when you move in and out of reception. There is also something of a 'cool' factor. It certainly attracts a fair amount of interest from other people, especially when waiting for a delayed plane in an airport terminal. When experts cite mobile phones as the third screen they point at mobile TV as being a driver. Orange TV goes some way to achieving this, but there needs to be an improvement in both content and reception before it can go mainstream.

Orange Music Player

2005 is meant to be the year of the music mobile phone. Be it the long delayed Motorola iTunes phone, the SonyEricsson Walkman-branded phone or the iPod-like Nokia N91, everyone seems to have woken up to the possibility of music on phones. Orange have chosen the�Chaoticom mobile music service to implement a music offering. The Orange Music Player is a client application that you download to your phone, which you can then use to buy tracks from Orange, and then play them back. The application itself is a bit limited, with no search options, and rather long downloads to get the initial catalog. The preview, purchase and download process is painless and it integrates with your existing billing. At around �1.50 per track the price isn't too outrageous. However, you can't add your own songs which means that building up a reasonable collection is going to get expensive. Worse still, there is no way to transfer purchased tracks to any other music player on the phone. People are not going to very keen on buying music again just to play it on their mobile (or buying on the mobile and then not being able to play it elsewhere). It is a nice idea, but until it can be tied in with a more generic service (be that iTunes or Yahoo Music) or have less restrictive DRM it is a bit of a dud. I do not think it is going to get much use.

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Fireplayer

Fireplayer is another client program, one that allows you to remix ringtones. In order to use it you must download Fireplayer ringtones, these cost �3.50 (compared to �1.50 for most other tones), which is perhaps on the expensive side (but then all ringtones are overpriced, given that you can make your own for free - Ed.). Fireplayer ringtones consist of multiple tracks that can then be mixed in different ways using the the Fireplayer software. Normally there are a couple of 'beat', a few 'vocals', a few 'instrumental' tracks and a few 'fxs' per Fireplayer ringtone. You can also speed up, slow down and combine the tracks in quite a number of different ways. I'm not a music expert, but even my creations didn't sound too bad. The end result is rather satisfying and unique to you. You can save your finished creation and use it as a ringtone. Fireplayer is a simple idea, but it is well executed and adds a completely new level to the lucrative ringtone business model. There is a lot more fun to be had in mixing your own than simple downloading.

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Orange Online Services - SyncML

Through their web site, and not as heavily advertised as it should be, is Orange's Organise service (a rebranded version of Voxmobili's SyncML server). This, with a bit of setup, allows you to synchronize (or backup) your contacts, calendar and tasks via SyncML to the Orange server. You can view and edit details online and sync back to the phone. It is a shame that this is not easier to set up and is not available out of the box, as I'm sure this will put some people off. There have also been some reports of the sync process being unreliable, although I did not have any problems. People interested in this kind of functionality who are not on Orange should check out Mobical.net. This kind of service has a lot of potential, although a lot of people will be happy with the (flawless) sync provided by the current version of PC Suite.

The Phone Customistion

Orange customises the phone in two different ways, firstly by adding extra software and secondly replacing or customising existing software. Orange provide three additional programs: Guide, Backup and Downloads. Downloads promises to provide updates and additional programs, but there were none available when I checked the service. Backup offers an over the air backup solution that works fine and can save you from catastrophic data loss - if you remember to backup. There does not seem to be much incentive to use this form of Backup given data rates and the free alternative via PC Suite. Guide is a useful help guide which introduces new users to many of the phone's functions and capabilities. For the novice to have on-device help is a great idea, though the more experienced user will know what they're doing and it is no replacement for the included manual.

If you buy the phone direct from Orange you will also be ready to go in terms of settings (such as GPRS), and Bookmarks for Orange World are included in the browser. Orange has opted to change the idle screen, something which has generated quite a lot of controversy, especially since it can not be customised or removed very easily. The new Idle screen, referred to as the Orange Home Screen, takes the same style as that seen on the P910i or the C500. There are a list of icons down the left hand side of the screen allowing quick access to Contacts, Messaging, Calendar, Gallery and Orange World. Summary information about new messages, missed calls, upcoming appointments, battery strength, signal strength, Bluetooth and sound status is also displayed. Some will find the information displayed an improvement on the standard Idle screen, but others will rue the loss of the Active Idle screen and navigation key shortcuts. I feel that Orange deserve credit for trying to create a single user experience across their range of phones, but I wonder whether it is worthwhile when it is only skin deep; furthermore, it should be a removeable option.

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So what do I think of the 6680?

Having talked about the services available on the Orange 6680, I wanted to briefly mention the 6680 itself. That this is the third release of Series 60 (2.6 following on from 2.0 and 1.0) really shows. The UI is slick and a lot of the early rough edges are gone. Menus wrap around as you would expect them to, Connection Manager and Settings Wizards simplify phone set up and options. There is a file manager installed by default and there is extra bundled software (Quickoffice viewer and PDF viewer) which adds powerful extra functionality. All in all, the software is very polished.

The hardware itself is extremely good. The screen stands out in nearly all situations, the keypad is easy to use, and the camera is of sufficient quality to use for quick snap shots. The maturity of the smartphone is evident most of all when you compare it to an earlier model. Try going back to a 3650 and you will see a surprising difference.

And what about 3G? Video calling is supported, but I've yet to use this except when showing off the phone. Video calling was another of those over hyped mobile technologies. Where 3G really does make a difference is in data rates. There is still a bigger lag time than on a desktop, but pages and especially images appear far more quickly, checking email becomes a breeze rather than a long chore, and of course video downloads appear in a matter of seconds rather than minutes. 3G really makes a difference when using data services - and if you are a smartphone user it is worth getting a 3G handset for that alone.

Conclusion

The operator offering is becoming an ever more important part of the smartphone experience. To get the most out of the phone most users are going to rely heavily on the operator offerings. While it is possible to set up your own SyncML server it is is a practical proposition for very few people. MobilTV, Fireplayer and Music services are not going to have universal appeal, but for those that do use them they add another dimension of use. More importantly the ease with which these services can be accessed are going to be fundamental in spreading smartphones to the mass market. Symbian and Nokia often talk about taking the Symbian OS and Series 60 to the mid and low tiers, but they do not talk about what will drive this. While cost is a major factor, there must also be a consideration of what people will use the phone for.

And the 6680 on Orange? I think it is a very attractive package for any user. A great phone, but with more added via a compelling operator offering. It puts an incredible amount of power and information in your pocket. There is a lot of room for improvement (the Orange Music Player being the pick of the duds), but there�are also innovative services (the pick being Fireplayer). Of course there will always be one more service or feature to add, a better or faster way to access it, but with the 6680 and similar devices the power of mobile looks set to move from the geek-day to the everyday.

High Seize Preview

Fri, 26 Aug 2005 18:58:31 +0100

The summer months of (next to) no news on the N-Gage is slowly drawing to a close. The titles for the winter season of game releases are starting to do the rounds, so naturally it�s time to look at what you could be deciding to buy in the next few months. First up is High Seize.

Coming from Red Lynx (who are the team behind Pathway to Glory and its sequel), the fact that High Seize is a turn-based strategy should come as no surprise. So why choose this over Pathway to Glory? First of all is the playing area. It�s a strict square grid, with every unit the same size. Secondly, the fighting attributes of each unit are all on display � the number of squares, the range, the power of attack and defence, etc. All this makes for a game with slightly less �real� tactics and movement compared to PtG, but conversely it�s much more accessible and easy to get into, easier to understand and make up your own tactics, and generally get proficient in strategy war games.

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There�s a continuous story line running through the game, as with most N-Gage titles, but unlike most N-Gage titles, this one actually makes sense. There are a huge number of possible scenarios and ways to play, such as kill enough boats to escape, destroy a specific fortification, overwhelm a village, etc. The story reflects that as you hire a Pirate ship, cruise around the seas chasing other pirates with treasure maps, clues to your father�s jailer, and other stirring Errol Flynn stuff.

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High Seize plays very nicely, the key layout is well thought out, and right now it�s gripping me in the same way as the original Pathway to Glory did. It�s expected out in Q4 2005.

The Sendo X and a half

Thu, 21 Jul 2005 15:52:51 +0100

The saga of Sendo and its 'X' smartphone could fill a book. Possibly two. Starting out with Microsoft, getting (ahem, now what was Ewan's word? - no, can't possibly use that officially...) err... let down by them and starting (more or less) all over again using Symbian OS and Series 60 as its base, the Sendo X was at best visionary and at worst too late and too full of issues.

As one with a soft spot for the Sendo X, I'm inclined more towards the 'visionary' end of the scale. The X's specifications, although looking a little dated now, were certainly fairly impressive even in late 2004 when the device was finally�launched. Over and above the specs of Nokia Series 60 smartphones of its time, the X offered:

Separate�GraphiX/SoniX processors, handling screen display and stereo music playback, with a built-in MP3 music player and a standard 2.5mm headphone/audio socket
Infrared as well as�Bluetooth�connectivity
A camera with�a 'flash' (actually a very bright LED)
A built-in Now! screen, bringing lots of info together and providing a mini-desktop, with user configurable 'panes'
An extra-high screen, giving an extra 12 pixels for a permanent status bar of battery/network strength and operation icons
DocView and Opera in ROM
User-installable firmware upgrades. These work brilliantly over your standard USB serial cable and don't even wipe any of your settings or files (the way every manufacturer should do it)
Oodles (32MB) of internal flash memory
A hot-swappable expansion card (no rebooting needed to swap cards), and every variety of both SD and MMC are accepted
An optional plug-in keyboard with fabulous 'gotta try it one more time' 'Butterfly' expanding action

Which certainly impressed me when comparing it to, say, the Nokia 6600 or 7610. Of course, to get all this working on top of Nokia's Series 60 interface and Symbian's underlying OS 6 meant quite a lot of custom code. Since the X's launch,�there have been�numerous serious and not-so-serious issues (crashes, clashes, that sort of thing), plus the fact that with Series 60 v1 and OS 6�being the base,�some of the Series 60 software being released these days simply won't run on the 'X'. Notable examples being Quickoffice and TomTom MOBILE, two of the 'killer' apps for the platform.

Still, despite a few quirks, the X mostly did a good job for its fans. It was sold by Vodafone, though never pushed as it ought to have been, and it�never accumulated user numbers big enough to set the world alight. Yes, the screen was a bit dim (even set to 'Ultra bright'), yes the PIM software was stuck at Series 60 v1 status and yes the camera was�about as bad as VGA cameras get, but we loved it anyway, if only because it was different. And British. With a capital B.

So what if we had to reboot every now and then just to get things working again. Sendo's limited software team were beavering away fixing issues and writing new code but somehow most of their efforts never made it into official firmware releases, possibly for political reasons. Then came the announcement of the X2, with music very much at its heart. The X was already pretty darn good at playing back music, what with SD support, proper headphone jack and a choice of several different music players (the built-in 'MP3 player' and the freeware OggPlay). But the X2 promised to put dedicated music control buttons right up front, with nice extras such as a revamped themes engine, OS optimisation, new Now! screen features and an 'Easy Start' application to help new users get connected and working online.

Then came Black Wednesday, June 29th 2005, when Sendo went into administration. I'm not going to dwell on the reasons for the company failing here, these things are inevitably complex. But, as chronicled on SendoSmartphones.com, the engineers at Sendo (henceforth referred to as 'the good guys') saw the writing on the wall and determined that if nothing else, they were going to get all their hard work released in one final uber-firmware upgrade or die trying. And, aside from a false start, the new firmware, 1.198.8.2, was released for the Sendo X, bringing many of the improvements that were destined to arrive with the X2.

1.198.8.2 effectively turns a Sendo X into a Sendo X and a half, with quite a bit that's worth commenting on. For starters, the 'X' is now faster and more stable, with over a Megabyte more free RAM now that the�extra Sendo�layers (over the OS) have been well and truly optimised. The Camera algorithms have been tweaked, it's still a lousy camera but at least the photos come out looking the correct colour (and 'night mode' has gone, not being needed anymore) and video capture and playback�are now smoother. The Speed Dial system has been extended to include launching applications (giving you no less than three alternative application launching systems in the one device - you're spoilt for choice here). Finally, in addition to a number of bug fixes and tweaks, there's a new application, Easy Start, a wizard to help beginners�set up�MMS, WAP, GPRS and so on.

Aside from the limitations of the camera, the 'X and a half' firmware help make the Sendo X a valid option in the smartphone world, mid-2005. Of course, there's the immediate ramification of there not being any official support or warranty, but there are plenty of Xs on the second hand market and being able to pick the Sendo X up for well under �100 and then flash it to 1.198.8.2 yourself makes for a cheap well-specified smartphone.

What of the future? Motorola haven't bought up Sendo for its current handsets (they're probably after Sendo's talent, ideas�and systems for customising handsets for different operators), so the X and a half is probably as good as a Sendo is going to get. But as smartphones come and go in the AllAboutSymbian (virtual) office, I keep picking up my Sendo X and admiring its many good points. If only... If only...

Steve Litchfield
Links: Sendo X top tips, SendoSmartphones.com

System Rush Interview: The Business of Games

Thu, 16 Jun 2005 15:00:39 +0100

System Rush is fast approaching the N-Gage platform. And lets be honest - it�s fast. Wipeout fast. I caught up with Rob Hendry, from Ideaworks 3D to find out more about this futuristic racing game.

"It�s a fast paced, futuristic, arcade-style racing game set in the world of underground hackers and unethical corporates," explains Rob. "The player is pitched against rival hackers inside hostile virtual 'race' networks in an attempt to capture back code that was stolen from them. The key concept is to hack into and survive within a number of corporate networks and avoid its defences while racing against hostile AI and Boss characters. Once you've hacked into the network the objective of a successful race is to steal back a piece of your stolen code that is being used to frame you for a global cybercrime. Ultimately, to compete the game you must race to win back all of your code across each of the five networks and then bring down the networks with a code bomb in the final phases of the game."

Or, to put it in a few words, it�s a racing game, in the future that throws you around the courses as fast as possible. Ideaworks have done a fair number of N-Gage titles (witness Tony Hawks and Colin McRae) so I thought I�d take this chance to find a bit about how the business of making games work. Firstly, how did Ideaworks get involved in games development?

We�ve built on significant research and develop in our proprietary technology including a core game engine and wireless multiplier gaming platform. This technology has enabled us to bring games such as Tony Hawks ProSkater and Colin McRae Rally 2005, which you mentioned, but also Tomb Raider and The Sims Busting Out to the N-Gage. System Rush is a departure for Ideaworks in that it's our first original idea we�ve taken forward and is an area we intend to grow so that we can map our creative talents onto our established technology development and expertise.

How did the ideas and plots for the games arise? Is it one person's vision, a team effort, or a huge number of meetings? "Well, let�s take a look at System Rush. The main concept was to deliver a fast paced, high performance, action packed experience. The premise that the racing took part in a virtual network also gave the team the scope to play with ideas and produce a game that had a highly visual theme in terms of the track environments. It was key that we produced a game that was suited to the platform as a mobile device, so we focussed on a game design and structure that would allow players quick access to races when they had the opportunity but each time a race was completed it was part of a bigger game story which kept the player interested in progressing through the game."

Once you have that idea, what happens next and who makes the move? Is it Nokia with a big briefcase of money, or Ideaworks with a glut of evidence of a "killer game?"

In the case of System Rush, Ideaworks initially contacted Nokia with a vehicle based game concept. From that point the design then went through a number of iterations and a process of refinement before we began full development. The game we have now is a very different creature to the original concept.

How does the design and coding process work for N-Gage games? Do you have fixed points where Nokia and you discuss the game (alpha, beta, final, etc) or is it a constant go between until the boxed MMC is released?

"The coding process is almost exactly the same as for other platforms such as PC and console. From a design perspective, the main point of departure is that the N-Gage is a communications device as well as a gaming device. That means making sure that not only can the game run and operate alongside the phone operations, we look to integrate design features that utilise the connected capabilities of the phone and Nokia's Arena platform. As a handheld portable device we've tried to focus on designing a game that allows the player to jump in and grab a few minutes of game time when on the move. Also having game controls that are easy to use and allow the player to get into the game quickly are key design parameters."

How much input does Nokia have at the design stage and throughout coding? Do you get involved with the marketing images, mini-websites and the decision on whether to supply a 'free demo' that end-users can download?

"There's a lot of communication at the concept and design stage initially which also includes planning and agreeing milestones and deliverables during the project life-cycle. Once the design has been mapped out the emphasis is on us as a developer to make it happen and produce a game that delivers on the design, technical and quality goals we set out to achieve. Once in development we worked with a number of Nokia Game Publishing groups including the Arena, testing and marketing teams and worked particularly closely on providing input and assets for marketing including the development of the game microsites and demos."

And of course, everyone who comments in the mainstream press seems to think the N-Gage is a dead end market and will go nowhere (surprisingly, we here think a little differently). But as a business, do you expect to be rewarded financially for your titles? Perhaps are you using this to get a foothold in the gaming market or to gain experience for more Java-based mainstream games?

"I would not say that everyone that writes for the mainstream has written off the N-Gage. In fact Nokia's latest games have been getting some of their best reviews yet. While I can't comment on any financial rewards that we may get from this arrangement, I can say that we do not plan to starve anytime soon. Nokia is the largest producer of mobile phones, and they have a long-term vision of mobile games. That vision includes the N-Gage and as you mentioned more Java-based mainstream games (SNAP Mobile). By working with them now when we are both getting our feet wet, we hope to be with them when the larger vision comes to fruition."

Rob, thanks for your time.

Links of Interest

System Rush in the All About N-Gage games database.

Nokia's System Rush Mini site.

Can a smartphone make you smarter?

Wed, 15 Jun 2005 13:38:22 +0100

Introduction

There have been several newspaper articles recently commenting on the negative impact of mobile phones in schools, colleges & universities. This article aims to look how smartphones (and Series 60 in particular) can be highly beneficial to a higher education student.

The curse of the student loan...

Owning a smartphone can be an expensive business � there�s the initial layout for the phone itself, the choice of either Pay As You Go (PAYG) or contract tariff and the cost of third party applications. Here are a few steps that can minimise the cost:

Getting the phone: Basically, you can either get the phone itself with a contract or second hand. Handset only prices are exorbitantly high, especially when it comes to smartphones. There are literally thousands of smartphones available on eBay so there is a good chance you will be able to find something to suit you. Bear in mind that the older the phone model is (such as 7650 or 3650) the cheaper it will be. However, older phones use an old version of the OS (such as Series 60 v1 or 1.2) and therefore may not be compatible with some of the more up-to-date applications. Shopping around for a phone on contract can often get you a relatively recent handset with a modern OS for a low price, but�obviously you will be locked into a contract.

Choosing the tariff: There are advantages and disadvantages with either PAYG or contract. PAYG gives you a lot more control over how much you spend each month, thus preventing any nasty shocks. The downside is that any PAYG handset you get probably won�t be a smartphone, requiring you to get one yourself. If the package did come with a handset, you can sell it on eBay and put the money towards the smartphone of your choice. The other downside to PAYG is the very high cost of GPRS � between �2.50 and �7.50 a megabyte. If you regularly use GPRS, this will seriously affect your remaining credit for normal calls. Contract tariffs also have their good sides and bad sides. When you choose a phone on a contract, you will get a modern handset but the price you pay for it does vary depending on your monthly line rental. Some contracts have an inclusive amount of free data calls as well, which with careful watching can last over a month or so. The drawback to all of this is that you will be locked into a contract for a year and if you are unhappy with your current service it is very difficult to change.

Freeware is your friend: The range of software that usually comes with a smartphone is quite limited and eventually you will need to add your own software to expand functionality. This can be costly process � many third party applications from places such as AllAboutSymbian's shop (www.allaboutsymbian.com/shop/) or SymbianGear or My-Symbian�can have price tags that match their desktop equivalent. However, there is a world of free software out there, see the directory at http://3lib.ukonline.co.uk/nonagss60.htm. Many handheld computing magazines also include full versions of applications of their coverdiscs, from time to time.
Use your smartphone to track your expenses: Any student who wishes to leave college or university without a world of debt to pay quickly learns how to manage a budget. Your smartphone can help out a lot in this respect � there are a number of budgeting applications out there to help keep your student loan in check; for example MyBudget from L3Solutions.
Watch your GPRS counter like a hawk: It�s amazing (and horrifying) how quickly all those emails and brief moments of web browsing can add up. The other thing to remember is that resetting your phone will also reset your GPRS counter (located in Call Log section) � always back up regularly.

Back to basics

A standard smartphone already comes with a number of applications and features that are ideally suited for higher education, with the added bonus that there�s no charge for them:

Calendar: Ideally suited for keeping track of lesson times and exam dates. Rather than having to individually enter each lesson/tutorial for the next year (which would probably take that long to enter!), the entry can simply be entered once and set to repeat by altering the End Date and the Repeat settings when entering the information.
To-do list: In a word, invaluable. The Series 60 to-do list allows you to keep track of coursework deadlines by assigning the Due Date when entering. Sadly, it also means you have no excuses for forgetting to hand it in�
Contacts: Throughout your time at college, you will be meeting lots of different people and have dozens of phone numbers to remember. By storing them on your smartphone, it allows you to manage them more easily by creating various groups to store them in. To create a new group, go to Contacts, push right on the joypad and hit �Options�. This is very handy for keeping your tutor details in one group, friends as another group and personal numbers in another. This makes it a lot easier when searching for a particular number and for assigning a ringtone (highlight the group and click �Options�). The other advantage with stored contacts is that it is very easy to beam them via either Bluetooth or IrDA to another phone or PDA, even if it isn�t a smartphone.
Camera: Despite having a nasty reputation in schools, a camera can be quite useful in higher education, particularly if the course involves group work or graphic design. The camera can be used to take photos of a work in progress before being emailed to other group members to check that it is heading in the right direction and all without touching a PC [Ed: don't laugh, I've done this in real life in the business world, photographing an important white board brainstorming session]. The photos can easily be attached to emails and sent from the phone or transferred to a PC for inclusion in a document. Unfortunately, there are no programs available for Series 60 at present that can embed photos in a document.
Voice recorder: Digital dictaphones are very expensive and only used intermittently. However, some research for projects requires interviewing people and by using the Voice Recorder function on your smartphone, it can save the interview in MP3 format and can also be emailed to someone from the phone (by email attachment) if needed. Given the average size of an MP3 file, this can be an extremely expensive process and therefore should only be done if there is no chance at all of sending from a PC.
Clock: One of the most basic applications on the phone but good for getting up in the mornings. If you are recharging your phone overnight, simply set the alarm.
Messaging: With the majority of communication on a phone now being done by text message and with most students using a computer in their dormitories, why not experiment with email on your smartphone? As mentioned above, there are several different attachments that can be added, whether it�s a photo of project work in progress or what your friend got up to at the student union last night. It also comes in handy when researching something that requires you to be in a remote location for periods of time. Simply attach a copy of the work you�ve done (whether it�s a word document sent from your PC to smartphone or a text document typed up on the phone itself) and email it to your form tutor. Again the only drawback is your GPRS costs � if sending a document back and forth as it slowly gets larger and larger, this can put a hefty dent in your phone bill/credit.
MP3 Player: Should your smartphone have a built in MP3 player, it�s worth remembering it can be used to listen to sounds other than music. For example, you may wish to replay a voice-recorded interview from earlier. It can also be used when learning languages � see Tu parle francais?
Web and WAP: While it is theoretically possible to do online research for a subject via your smartphone, this can become very expensive, very quickly, especially if the sites you are viewing contain a lot of graphics. The other thing to bear in mind is that some web sites may not display properly in a smartphone�s browser and that viewing reams and reams of text on a small screen is very impractical.
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A word to the wise

Almost all colleges and universities these days require that course work be submitted as a word processed document. With the addition of a Bluetooth keyboard and a good suite of office applications (such as QuickOffice), a smartphone can easily manage this. QuickOffice also comes with Quicksheet and Quickpoint � trimmed down clones of Excel and Powerpoint. Quicksheet is capable of spreadsheet functions but is unable to plot graphs. Quickpoint is useful for previewing slideshows but due to the Series 60�s limited processing power, it cannot handle advanced animation sequences smoothly.

However, the QuickOffice suite is quite an expensive collection of software, retailing at around �50 for the complete set. The other problem with QuickOffice is that it is not compatible with earlier versions of Series 60 � this means that anyone using a Nokia 7650, 3650, N-Gage (either version), Sendo X or Siemens SX1 are in trouble. For those looking for an alternative, your phone already has its own built in word-processor. The Notes application found on every Series 60 phone is capable of several thousand words. All that�s need once the document has been finished is to send it to the desktop via mRouter, a quick bit of formatting in Microsoft Word (or equivalent) and your document is ready. For more detailed information, pay a visit to http://3lib.ukonline.co.uk/poormanwp.htm. There is a freeware solution for Excel users as well, in the form of MicroCalc. Whilst MicroCalc is not as advanced as Excel, it is still highly useful for emergency editing of spreadsheets.

eBook readers are another type of application that may be particularly useful for English students. By loading a textbook onto a memory card, it allows the user to annotate it easily � which can be useful when planning English essays. It also saves wear and tear on your arms from having to carry around the Complete Works of Shakespeare!

Tu parle francais?

The number of language learning programs for smartphones is vast, although it does depend on what language you wish to learn. Generally, European languages are very well covered, though if you want to be a little more exotic, Psiloc has a number of applications which allow for the text input of Arabic & Greek, amongst others (http://www.psiloc.com/index.html?id=256). Far Eastern languages such as Chinese are not well supported under Series 60 yet. Language programs come in several forms on Series 60:

eBook versions of language Dictionaries (there is a nice range of official Oxford Dictionaries such as English�<-> French from Mobile Systems
Flashcard programs (i.e. a word or symbol pops up on the screen and you have to select its corresponding meaning) � a diverse range of which can be found at www.l3solutions.com. These particular apps also allow for user annotation.
Travel translators � not particularly useful as these tend to cover basic phrases which most students would know before doing either an A-Level or degree.

One program that offers a unique way of translating is Circle Translator. This is basically the mobile phone equivalent of the Alta Vista web site translator. All the user does is type in a sentence in English and select the required language. It does this via GPRS so while there is no cost for downloading and installing the program, the amount you pay is dependant on how often you use the program.

The built in MP3 player (or OggPlay) can be used to transport recordings of language CDs, thus allowing you to listen to them as and when you want. The built in voice recorder, in conjunction with the above, can let a student compare their pronunciation with that on the CD.

Go figure�

Maths students will also find a number of third party programs to cater for their needs. Basic calculators are plentiful on places such as the AAS shop and chances are the phone already has one stored in ROM. There are some scientific calculators available as well (a Series 60 version can be found�here) which cover trigonometry and statistics well, although graphic calculators are less common. Even basic maths tasks can be handled by your smartphone � SRuler, a freeware application, simulates a simple ruler down one side of the screen.

Other Subjects

It�s not just mainstream subjects that can be helped out � there are programs for everything from Law (Poorman's Law Dictionary) to History (WorldHistory Trivia for Symbian). Medical students are particularly well served, with various eBook format medical encyclopedias and drug dosage calculation programs.

There are of course many subjects that haven�t been covered here. This isn�t to say that there aren�t programs available but there are some that are beyond the range of this article. Many of the large online software retailers have a specific section for educational software.

Keeping it together

If your course involves completing a large project of some description (and odds are it will), then you will have various notes and other information scattered all over the place. Why not let your smartphone help keep things tidy? If you outgrow the built-in Notes appllication, why not try�a database? QuodDB is completely customizable and allows you to include text files � which can be incredibly handy if you are using your built-in Notes app as a word processor (see A word to the wise).

�

All work and no play.....

Of course, higher education isn't all about slaving away over coursework, getting massively in debt and stressing about exams - there's also the social aspect. There are a number of programs that can help you communicate at little cost. Agile Messenger is a handheld version of the instant messaging apps found on desktop computers. Currently supported are MSN, Yahoo, AOL & ICQ. The best bit is that Agile Messenger is freeware but remember to keep an eye on your GPRS counter when using it. Bluetooth messaging really comes into its own in crowded situations. For example - your friend has just gone up to the bar to get a drink. You suddenly remember he owes you a pint from last week. You quickly send a message to him via Bluetooth (as all Bluetooth transmissions are free, it's a lot cheaper than text messaging someone a few metres away) and your friend returns with your pint. For those who want a little more sophistication and don't mind splashing out, Mobiluck takes this a�stage further by allowing you to detect other nearby Bluetooth phones without the need to go through all of the various Bluetooth menus. This is good if you're trying to find your friends as you're coming out of a nightclub of an evening.

Summary

There�s a world of software out there for students and the majority can find something suited to the course they are doing (unless it�s something very obscure � as yet there isn�t a Klingon � English dictionary for Series 60, but I�m sure it�s only a matter of time...) With this in mind, the next time your tutor complains about your Sendo or Nokia going off in class, just explain that it�s all in a good cause�.

Thomas Boys, June 2005
SendoSmartphones.com
thomas@sendosmartphones.com

Nokia Nseries N91

Thu, 02 Jun 2005 14:18:24 +0100

Operating frequency

EGSM/GPRS/1800/1900MHz + WCDMA
Data transfer: WCDMA up to speed 384 kbps, EGPRS/GPRS (class B/multislot 10) up to 236.8 kbps
Note: Actual achieved speeds may vary depending on network support

Dimensions

Weight: 160 g
Length: 113.1 mm
Width (max): 55.2 mm
Thickness (max): 22 mm

Display and User Interface

Color display (176 x 208, 262k color)
User interface Series 60 Platform
Automatic brightness control for display and keypad
Music keys: Play/Pause, Forward, Back, Stop.
Switch easily between music player and last used application with dedicated key.
Keys: Two configurable soft keys, Send & End, 5-way configurable navigation key, S60 keys (Menu, Edit, Clear), ITU-T (number/text) keypad, Volume (up & down), Power, Device lock switch

Music:

Audio formats (decoding)

MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, Real V8, WAV, WMA, M4A, AWB, SP-Midi, AMR, WB-AMR, Nokia Ring Tones, AMR-NB, AWB

Music Player

Intelligently designed music player � optimized for music listening
Dedicated playback keys and volume control
Enhanced on the go playlist management � edit playlists, add new music
Get meta data

Enhanced music features

Mixer, 8-band equalizer, stereo widening, loudness, stereo balance, music DRC (Dynamic Range Compression)
See what is playing when in the idle stat
Answer calls while listening to music and music pauses and then resumes again when the call is ended
Smart integration with music services (easy access to music shop)
Music user profile or sim-less operation allows for uninterrupted listening
Synch with PC and download new music over the air to your Nokia N91

Visual Radio

Flick on Visual Radio mode. Add a rich new dimension to your radio listening. It's a snap to switch and a whole new experience when you do. www.visualradio.com. Requires network support and the support of your radio station

Hi-Fi quality sound

Use the Nokia Music Headset HS-28 with remote control or use your own high quality headphone and connect directly to the 3.5mm audio jack on the Nokia N91
Connect the Nokia N91 to external speakers

Record music

Stereo music through line-in from your stereo
From FM radio
Make your own recording using voice record application

Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) DRM 2.0

For 'protection' and digital right management of music files

Memory

Up to 4GB of internal dynamic memory for music content, multimedia messages, ringing tones, images, video clips, and applications
Additional 30MB of storage for contacts, calendar notes and events, text messages.

Video and Camera:

Video

Video streaming and capture: H.263, MPEG4, Real Video 8
Image viewers: JPEG, GIF 87a/89a, WBMP, BMP, PNG
Download and play multimedia files (video and music
Stream media files from compatible media portals
Full-screen video playback on the phone to view downloaded, streamed or recorded video clips in larger size

Camera

2 Megapixel Still Image resolutions: 1600 x 1200 (default 640 x 480)
Still Images file format: JPEG, YUV, RGB
Advanced camera modes: still, burst, video and options for night, brightness adjustment, image quality, self-timer, and macro-mode.
Digital zoom up to 8x

Connectivity:

3G Near broadband speeds for faster and more responsive downloads.
WLAN 802.11b/g WLAN for hot spot connectivity at your favorite caf� or meeting place.
USB USB 2.0 full speed interface with mass storage profile (USB mini)
Nokia PC Suite Connectivity with USB or Bluetooth wireless technology

Synchronization

Local synchronization of contacts, calendar and music files to a compatible PC using compatible connection Synch contacts and calendar wirelessly over Bluetooth wireless technology

Bluetooth

Integrated Bluetooth wireless technology v.1.2
Send and receive images, video clips, graphics, and business cards via Bluetooth wireless technology
Profiles with Bluetooth connectivity: Basic Printing Profile (BPP) using Image Print or Info Print applications, Human Interface Device Profile (HID) using Nokia Wireless Keyboard application

Messaging

Convenient email client:

Compatible with Nokia Wireless Keyboard (sold separately)

Multimedia messaging:

Combine image, video, text, and audio clip and send as MMS to a compatible phone or PC
Automatic resizing of your megapixel images to fit MMS (max. 300 KB attachment size depending on the network)

Text messaging:

Supports concatenated SMS, picture messaging, SMS distribution list
Predictive text input
Support for all major languages in Europe and Asia-Pacific Instant Messaging

Browsing

XHTML browser Improved Web compatibility with support for HTML 4.01, including support for elements such as image maps, background images, and frames Support for a subset of JavaScript 1.5, which includes the most commonly used functions found on the Internet File upload over HTTP using standard HTML forms Small screen rendering option including a faster page-up/page-down scrolling style Full-screen mode, download progress bar, and adaptive history list 3GPP video streaming OMA DRM 2.0 including forward lock for content protection, combined delivery, separate delivery and superdistribution Wallet: convenient online use and storage of your numbers and passwords

Call Management

Contacts: advanced contacts database with support for multiple phone and email details per entry, also supports thumbnail pictures and groups Speed dialing Logs: keeps lists of your dialed, received, and missed calls Automatic redial Automatic answer (works with compatible headset or car kit only) Supports Fixed Dialing Number, which allows calls only to predefined numbers Conference call *

Java Applications

Java� MIDP 2.0, CLDC 1.1 (Connected Limited Device Configuration (J2ME)), JTWI 1.0 Over-the-air download of Java�-based applications and games *

Other Applications

Personal Information Management (PIM): Advanced Series 60 PIM features including calendar, contacts, to-do list, and PIM printing

Voice Features:

Voice dialing Voice commands Voice recorder Integrated handsfree speaker

Digital Services

Java� and Symbian applications

Graphics, icons, animations, logos Games: Possibility to download new games Ringing tones: True Tones, polyphonic tones Themes: Possibility to download new themes

Power Management

Standby time: up to 190 hours (7 days) Talk time: up to 3-4 hours Display: 176 x 208, 65,536 16-bit colours Battery: BL-5C, 900, mAh, Li-Ion

Nokia Nseries N90

Fri, 29 Apr 2005 15:46:16 +0100

Nokia have announced the Nseries N90 - a flip 3G Series 60 smartphone. Features include a 2 megapixel camera (Carl Zeiss optics) with integrated flash, macro mode, auto focus, dedicated shutter and zoom buttons and x20 zoom (digital). Video capture is in MP4 at 352 x 416. It is a triband phone and supports both EDGE and WCDMA networks. External screen resolution is 128 x 128 pixels, and the inside screen is 352 x 416 pixels (double the previsouly announced Series 60 models). It is the first Series 60 device to feature a higher resolution screen. The phone screen can be tilted (like the Nokia 6260) and in this mode the phone screen will switch to a horizontal display view.

Technical Specifications:

Operating frequency:

Triband GSM coverage on up to five continents (GSM 900/1800/1900 networks), and�WCDMA 2100
Automatic switching between bands and modes
Data transfer: WCDMA up to speed 384 kbps, EGPRS/GPRS (class B/multislot 10) up to 236.8 kbps�

Dimensions:

Volume: 95.9 cc
Weight: 126 g
Length: 108.8 mm
Width (max): 53mm
Thickness (max) 21.8mm

Display and User Interface:

Color display: 176x208 pixels, up to 262,144 colors
Automatic brightness control
Five-way scroll key, two soft keys, application key, edit and clear keys, send and end keys, Multimedia key for instant access to your key application
Active standby screen

Imaging and Video

2 megapixel camera (1600 x 1200 pixels) with 20x digital zoom
Dedicated shutter key and camera activation slid
Integrated flash (operating range up to 1.5m)
Flash modes: on, off, automatic, and anti red-eye
Advanced camera modes: still, sequence, video
Six possible capture scene settings including scenery, portrait, night and sports
Settings, brightness adjustment, image quality, self-timer, white balance settings and color tones
Video and still image editors
Movie Director for automated video production
Image and video clip uploading to the web

Nokia XpressPrint Printing Solution

Print digital photos directly from the device to compatible printers
Transfer photos directly to compatible printer or kiosk via Bluetooth wireless technology, MultiMediaCard (MMC) or directly to
PictBridge-compliant printer via USB Data cable (sold separately)
Integrated print application is quick and easy to use; no installation, no fuss
Find out more at www.nokia.com/xpressprint

RealPlayer Media Player

Download and play multimedia files (video and music)
Stream media files from compatible media portals
Full-screen video playback on the phone to view downloaded, streamed
or recorded video clips in larger size
Played formats (decoding): MP3, AAC, Real Audio, WAV, Nokia Ring
Tones, AMR, AMR-WB, AMR-NB, AU, MIDI, H.263, JPEG, JPEG2000, EXIF 2.2,
GIF 87/89, PNG, BMP (W-BMP), MBM, MPEG-4 and eAAC+

Memory Functions

Up to 30 MB of internal dynamic memory for images, contacts, text messages, multimedia messages, ringing tones, images, video clips, calendar notes, to-do list and applications
Expandable memory: compatible with 64 MB Reduced Size Dual Voltage (1.8/3V) MultiMediaCard (MMC)*
Hot swap slot for easy reduced size MMC card insertion and removal

Note: The built in reduced size MMC reader in the Nokia N70 functions
on 1.8 Volt and therefore requires a dual voltage MMC which can
support both 1.8V and 3.0V. Use Nokia original accessories to ensure
compatibility.

Messaging

Easy-to-use email client with attachment support for images, music and documents (view jpg, 3gp, MP3, .ppt, .doc, excel and .pdf files) *
Compatible with Nokia Wireless Keyboard (sold separately)
Multimedia messaging: combine image, video, text, and audio clip and send as MMS to a compatible phone or PC; use MMS to tell your story with a multi-slide presentation
Automatic resizing of your megapixel images to fit MMS (max. 300 KB attachment size depending on the network)**
Text messaging: supports concatenated SMS, picture messaging, SMS distribution list
Predictive text input
Instant Messaging *

Visual Radio

Listen to music and interact with your favourite radio stations
Find out what song is playing, who sings it, and other artist information
Enter contests and answer surveys, vote for your favourite songs
Download the songs you buy direct to your phone
Find out more at www.visualradio.com *Requires network support and the
support of your radio station

Connectivity

Integrated Bluetooth wireless technology v.2.0***
USB 2.0 full speed via Pop-Port� interface
Nokia PC Suite connectivity via USB and Bluetooth wireless technology
Local synchronization of contacts and calendar to a compatible PC
using compatible connection
Remote over-the-air synchronization
Send and receive images, video clips, graphics, and business cards via
Bluetooth wireless technology

Browsing

WAP 2.0 XHTML/HTML multimode browser
Improved Web compatibility with support for HTML 4.01, including support for elements such as image maps, background images, and frames
Support for a subset of JavaScript 1.5, which includes the most commonly used functions found on the Internet
File upload over HTTP using standard HTML forms
Small screen rendering option including a faster page-up/page-down scrolling style
Full-screen mode, download progress bar, and adaptive history list
3GPP video streaming
OMA DRM 1.0 - including forward lock for content protection, combined delivery, separate delivery and superdistribution

Data Transfer

EGPRS, class B, multislot class 10 (UL/DL = 118.4/236.8 kbps)
Note: Actual achieved speeds may vary depending on network support
GPRS, class B, multislot class 10
Speech codecs: FR, EFR, WCDMA, and GSM AMR
Transfer data from one Series 60 phone to another

Call Management

Contacts: advanced contacts database with support for multiple phone and email details per entry, also supports thumbnail pictures and groups
Speed dialing
Logs: keeps lists of your dialed, received, and missed calls when your phone is turned on and is in your home network
Automatic redial
Automatic answer (works with compatible headset or car kit only)
Supports Fixed Dialing Number, which allows calls only to predefined numbers
Conference call *

Java Applications

Java� MIDP 2.0, CLDC 1.1 (Connected Limited Device Configuration (J2ME))
Over-the-air download of Java�-based applications and games *network footnote

Other Applications

Advanced Series 60 PIM features including calendar, contacts, to-do
list, and PIM printing

Voice Features

Speaker Independent Name Dialing (SIND)
Voice commands
Voice recorder
Integrated handsfree speaker

Digital Services

Java� and Symbian applications
Graphics, icons, animations, logos
Games: Possibility to download new games
Ringing tones: True Tones, polyphonic tones
Themes: Possibility to download new themes

Power Management

Battery: Lithium Ion Battery 970mAh BL-5c
Talk Time: Up to 3.5 hrs****
Stand-by Time: Up to 11 days****

�

�

Nokia Press Release:

Twist and Shoot: Nokia N90 makes its premi�re

Part of the Nokia Nseries high performance multimedia range, the Nokia N90 brings Carl Zeiss optics into the mobile arena Amsterdam, Cancun, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur � Nokia today proudly presented the Nokia N90 multimedia, an advanced and inspirational multimedia device. Starring Carl Zeiss optics and a full set of advanced digital camera features, the Nokia N90 is targeted at high-technology enthusiasts who value the ultimate in connected mobile photography. The Nokia N90 boasts a 2 megapixel camera with autofocus and 20x digital zoom, integrated flash, macro mode for sharp close-ups, and high quality video capture with on-phone editing capabilities.

�We foresee that already this year, the camera phone market will grow to be over four times the size of the digital camera market,� said Juha Putkiranta, Senior Vice President, Multimedia Imaging, Nokia. �And not only is the market growing at an enormous pace but, as fantastically highlighted by the Nokia N90, camera phone functionality is also developing rapidly to meet the needs of the more demanding picture taker. With its pioneering multi-hinge twist-and-shoot design, we have brought ease-of-use and high quality photography into mobile telephony.� Facilitated by its two screens, the Nokia N90 features two ergonomic modes for instant photo and video capture.

Simply twist the unique rotating camera barrel, and automatically the 2 megapixel camera is ready to shoot high quality photos, in a snap. A dedicated capture key and the cover display (128 x 128 pixels) of up to 65,536 colors as a viewfinder make the snapshot experience ever more effortless. Unfold and twist the main display (352 x 416 pixels), and the Nokia N90 is ready to shoot high quality video in MP4 format using the high-resolution (352 x 416 pixels) 262,144 color landscape display as a viewfinder. Dedicated record and zoom keys, including up to 8x digital zoom for video capture, provide for very convenient one-hand operation.

Capture
The Nokia N90 is packed with advanced camera features that ensure high quality photos and videos every time. With autofocus, pressing the shutter key halfway automatically focuses in on the target, after which pressing the key all the way captures the image with amazing clarity. Furthermore, the macro mode feature provides for striking accuracy when taking close-ups.

Print
Printing great quality images is now possible directly from the Gallery with just a few pushes of a button. With the Nokia XpressPrint printing solution, users can select from a range of mobile printing options, including PictBridge, where the handset is connected directly to a compatible photo printer with a USB cable; wireless printing over Bluetooth wireless technology; or by extracting the Reduced Size Dual Voltage MultiMediaCard (RS-MMC) from the side of the phone and inserting it into a compatible printer. Store Photos and video clips taken with the Nokia N90 can conveniently be stored on the phone�s internal 31 MB memory or the 64 MB in-box RS-MMC. Users can also easily store captured content at full resolution using the Nokia PC Suite Image Store, which, when connected, automatically saves images and video clips to the PC.

Share Images and video clips can also be instantly shared via MMS, email or by uploading them to web albums directly from the new improved rotating Gallery, which also allows on-handset editing of captured images and video clips. In addition, video clips can easily be trimmed further on the PC with the in-box Adobe Mobile Video Editor software.

Part of the Nokia Nseries, a new multimedia device range that combines rich functionality into one device, the Nokia N90 capitalizes on the convergence of imaging, smartphone features and 3G. 3G-enabled features, such as two-way video calling*, video sharing* and push email, are further complemented by an organizer, video streaming, Internet browser and add-on software. Based on the leading Series 60 Platform, the Nokia N90 is a tri-band phone for GSM 900/1800/1900, EDGE and WCDMA networks, and is expected to be available in the second quarter of 2005.

Nokia Nseries N70

Wed, 27 Apr 2005 16:43:24 +0100

As part of their Nseries announcement Nokia today unvieled the N70 a 3G Series 60 smartphone with a 2 megapixel camera. Clearly focused on imaging other camera features include improved desktop and printing connectivity, an integrated flash, x20 zoom, and an improved on board gallery application. Other features include a a stereo FM radio (with support for Visual Radio) and music player. The phone is expected to be available Q3 2005, an EDGE variant will be available at a later date.

Nokia Press Release:

Slide and Shoot with the Nokia N70: the smallest 3G Series 60 smartphone with 2 megapixel camera

Nokia N70 is part of the Nokia Nseries high performance multimedia range

Amsterdam, Cancun, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur � Nokia today introduced the Nokia N70 multimedia, a beautifully designed, compact and easy-to-use 3G smartphone with versatile mobile photography, personal productivity and entertainment features. Incorporating a complete smartphone feature set, as well as a 2 megapixel camera, flash and front camera for video calling, the Nokia N70 comes fully equipped with stereo FM radio, a digital music player and new 3D games.

�The Nokia N70 perfectly illustrates our commitment to offer powerful, all-inclusive handsets that aid people in their daily lives. In addition to advanced smartphone and entertainment features, mobile photography is extremely easy and enjoyable with the elegant Nokia N70,� said Joe Coles, Director of imaging product marketing at Nokia. �The number one reason why people today purchase new handsets is the camera. Indeed, we foresee that by the end of 2005, over half a billion people worldwide will own a camera phone.�

Easy mobile photography
The slide and shoot design makes mobile photography fast and simple. The rear camera slide reveals and automatically activates the 2 megapixel camera, ready to instantly shoot photos or video. The intuitive slide is complemented with an integrated flash, 20x zoom capability and a range of capture scene settings for optimizing image quality in various environments, including Scenery, Portrait, Night, and Sports. Furthermore, the dedicated shutter key on the side of the phone enables users to capture images like they would with a regular camera, allowing for greater stability and ease of use.

The storage, management and organization of images and video clips is convenient and efficient with the Nokia N70. With the Nokia XpressTransfer storing solution, all new photos and video clips can be automatically copied to the PC. Photo albums created on the phone are also automatically saved in similar albums on the PC. Furthermore, the Adobe Photoshop Album Starter Edition software offers users an efficient way for organizing or editing photos
and video clips on the PC.

The new improved rotating Gallery provides for enhanced browsing of images and video clips. Images can, for example, be organized into slideshows, with the viewing experience further heightened with added background music. Images and video clips can also be instantly printed from the Gallery with the Nokia XpressPrint printing solution using a USB cable, wirelessly over Bluetooth connectivity, or using the Reduced Size Dual Voltage MultiMediaCard (RS-MMC).

Smart productivity
An excellent and powerful tool for personal and professional information management, the Nokia N70 offers a full set of smartphone features, including very easy-to-set up email functionality with extensive attachment support, Internet browser, video streaming and 3G-enabled features such as two-way video calling* and video sharing*.

Furthermore, additional applications can be installed from various sources**, while organizer information can easily be synchronized with compatible PCs.

Entertainment on the move
Equipped with a digital music player with stereo audio, FM radio and support for Visual Radio, the compact 126 gram Nokia N70 also doubles as a great pocketable music device. For an even more playful multimedia experience, theNokia N70 supports S60 and Java 2D and 3D games, some of which are pre-installed in the phone or on the standard in-box RS-MMC.

Measuring just 108.8 x 53 x 17.5 mm (95.9 cc), the Nokia N70 is the smallest ever 2 megapixel 3G smartphone based on the leading Series 60 Platform. The Nokia N70 is expected to be available in the third quarter of 2005. Additionally, a variant of the Nokia N70 for EDGE (Enhanced Data Rate for GSM Evolution) markets will be available at a later date.

iPod, RIP

Thu, 17 Mar 2005 00:24:13 +0100

OK, it's a fair cop, the title of this piece is a little sensationalist and I don't really expect Apple's iPod to curl up and die. Not for a year or two, anyway.

We've all known for a while that Symbian devices are pretty good platforms for playing back music. In theory, anyway, as Nokia has traditionally insisted (why, oh why?) on crippling most of its Series 60 smartphones to only output in mono. Who on earth wants to listen to their favourite music in mono? You might as well listen with only one ear... Hopefully, Nokia are starting to see the light, with their recent new Communicators, with the 7710 and even with the latest Series 60 devices all supporting stereo music output.

There I was, drinking with an interested friend, when I found myself enthusing about the joys of keeping all my favourite music on my smartphone. I plonked my Sendo X down on the table in front of him. "That smartphone has got my entire CD collection on it", I boasted." "It's always with me and I can use it to drive a Hi-Fi, a set of speakers or my car stereo system. All my music, all the time. Oh yes, and it's a phone and personal computer as well. And you can get one for next to nothing..."

Admittedly I was stretching the truth slightly, in that it hadn't got all my CDs loaded. But it did have my favourite 40 or so albums, at full CD quality, on its 1GB SD card. For those of you that are good at maths, you'll be scratching your head until you remember that I'm a bit of an Ogg Vorbis fan; you know, the open source music format that's twice as efficient as MP3...? Go grab OggPlay for yourself and have a play... Anyway, back to the main plot...

My friend's jaw dropped. (It dropped even more when I slammed in the Route 66 MMC card and showed the X describing how I should get home again, but that's another story).

A couple of hours later, I was idly listening to our very own Ewan being interviewed by the PodCast people, in which he was favourably comparing Symbian smartphones to the big selling iPod players, and pointing out that there had been a lot more smartphones sold than iPods. Yet the media at large portray an iPod as more or less the only digital music player out there. And they talk about MP3 as if it's the only digital music format. And they usually totally ignore the fact that 20 million Symbian smartphones can (to some extent or other) also fill your ears with digital music.

As ever, getting the message out that there's more to music than iPods or MP3 is a matter of education and I doubt it'll happen overnight. But sooner or later, the iPod (and all other simple music players like it) will die. Devices are becoming increasingly converged, as I'm sure you've noticed. PDAs are acquiring telephony and being branded as smartphones. Traditional phones are acquiring cameras, games and basic PIM functionality. Standalone entertainment devices (like the iPod, Portable Media Centers, etc.) are acquiring PIM functions and better connectivity. But right, slap bang in the middle, are Symbian OS-powered smartphones. Never have Symbian been better placed to succeed. For you and I, this means that we're also in the right place, investing our time and energy in learning about a platform that's very much in the ascendancy.

Of course, no company stands still in this business, and Apple (for one) have some pretty cool ideas. I'm sure they'll come up with ways to make 'dumb' music players like the iPod more intelligent and adaptable. But there's no way the existing breed can cope with the vision of a connected smartphone that can handle all your email, stereo music (including buying direct to the phone, thanks to 3G speeds), PIM, Office, imaging and gaming needs, all in the one tiny box.

Anyone who's handled a device like the Sendo X gets smitten by the same thought - this is what a smartphone should look like. Let's fast forward to a similar looking 'everyone has one' smartphone in the year 2008. The processor will be ten times as fast (making, among other things, dictation quite practical as a means of text input), the memory card will hold even the largest music (and video) collection in full, and the 4G connectivity will mean that music albums and movies will take only a couple of minutes to download.

And it will look like the Sendo X. Not a Pocket PC. Or an iPod.

Steve Litchfield, March 2005

Previewing the Sendo X2 Music Phone

Wed, 16 Mar 2005 22:29:51 +0100

Let�s sit back in take stock of the Sendo X2 Music Phone. For all the flashiness of the press releases, and the strong competition of other Series 60 devices, I think the X2 is going to win the short-term summer battle

Firstly it�s got a strong message. This isn�t just another Series 60 phone, this one is a Music Phone. Now the purists in us all will realise that this isn�t the first Series 60 phone to play music, the N-Gage Classic made a good job of this as well (and also had a built in FM tuner), but it�s the first to be promoted this way.

Secondly, Sendo have listened to the criticism of the delays in getting the X to market, so as well as the traditional route through the Operators, the X2 will be available for purchase through the Sendo website when it�s ready. They won�t wait for an Operator to release it first. Come the summer, we�ll be able to buy it for under �150. That price point is pretty jaw dropping, and a lot of the industry watchers (and companies) took a double take at 3GSM when they heard this price.

It�s a given that it�s going to be very close to the final build cost of the unit. So why do it? Well firstly I�m guessing that even if the unit ships with a mini-SD card, you�ll have the chance to buy a high capacity one at the same time, which is where Sendo may be able to make some profit. But maybe it�s not about profit. The bottom line is going to be well catered for by the networks. What Sendo need is mind share. They�ve got a name from themselves mainly due to the legal shenanigans with Microsoft, what they need is some traction with their mobile phones.

The N-Gage classic is still a very well respected phone in hacking circles. Not because it�s a gaming phone, but because it has a huge amount of memory, it�s a USB mass storage device, and it�s generally overpowered for its low price point. Someone in Sendo has decided that now the N-Gage classic is getting really hard to find that the Sendo X2 is going to fill that gap. And once you get a certain amount of power users on board and spreading the word, the increased profile is worth much more than selling the unit with little margin.

The phone itself is remarkable in the fact that it�s unremarkable. The X had this as well when I had it with me on a trip to the USA. You can spot a Nokia smartphone from miles away, but the X was always mistaken for the SE T610. The X2 again just looks like a phone. Nothing special, it�s what�s under the hood that counts.

My biggest complaint about the X has been corrected in the X2, and that�s the cursor/enter pad. The X had a nice design that just didn�t really sit well with my thumb. Well the X2 has replaced this with a square pad, raised in the four main directions. It�s feels pretty strange, but is actually a lot more suable than the original X two ring cursor affair.

The main buttons have a touch more shape to them, and it�s easier to get to the green and red call buttons, apps and delete key. The side keys for the music player are easy to find while the phone is in your pocket. Keeping these as dedicated buttons will help the user experience (another 3GSM buzzword). Interestingly, the music player is configured to stop on an incoming call, and will only restart if you hit the play button, even after the call is dropped.

The screen on the Sendo X2 is worth talking about as well, for two reasons. First, physically the screen is much nicer than the X. It is brighter, and easier to read from an angle other than looking at it straight ahead. That�s a big plus point because with the heavy use of dark colours on the original X, there were times it was hard to make out. Sendo�s Now! Screen is still present � one of the reasons the X2 is staying with Series 60 v1.2, and not updating to 2.0. A lot of the power users are going to complain about that, but given that Sendo have a huge investment in time and money on the build of 1.2 they have, with their extra support in Themes and the Now! Screen it�s probably a sensible choice for the Birmingham company given their limited resources.

The sheer size and weight of the unit is probably the most amazing thing. We�re taking a weight that�s close to the basic �teen� handsets that manufacturers have, but now they�ve squeezed all the smartphone bits into the handset, as well as a hot swappable mini-SD card for extra storage. 2 gigabytes of music in your phone? Yes please! That mini-SD, using a standard format, is probably worth more of a mention than it is going to get. Unlike Nokia�s rush to RS-MMC, the Mini-SD is a well recognised format, and easily purchasable from any of the media stores. The fact you don�t need to remove the battery or restart your phone is something that, thankfully, we can now take for granted in a Sendo Series 60 phone.

Once we get into August and September, the X2 is going to be measured against a huge number of new Series 60 devices, mostly second-generation devices such as the Panasonic X800 and the Nokia 6680. But I don�t think that�s the point of the X2. It�s been labelled as a music phone, and you can be sure that this request is something that�s been backed up by a network order before the X2 was made public. And you can be sure that an operator has already requested the X3 as well.