BlackBerry – why it is getting a large following

I just got my new Nokia E71. Shiny nice phone and looks a lot like a RIM BlackBerry. In previous Nokia business phones you could download “BlackBerry Connect” and use the Symbian phone with BlackBerry Servers. But now it seems – the latest Nokia E66 and E71 will not get the BlackBerry Connect software. I do understand RIM if they don’t want Nokia to take part of their handset market, and it is a sensible business decision.

But why are so many attracted to BlackBerry? Well when you have a BlackBerry Data Plan, you can get “unlimited roaming data” packages. So if I’m traveling a lot – then I don’t pay exorbitant roaming charges. In the UAE you can get GPRS unlimited roaming data with Blackberry for about DHS 280 pr. month ($75). And for a business owner that is a very vise decision if your employees travel a lot.

So now where RIM is shutting Nokia out of the BlackBerry network – it must be time for Microsoft, Nokia or others with PushMail clients to start building roaming relationships with mobile providers so you can get same prices using Exchange or Nokia Mobile Mail – as you can with RIM BlackBerry.

If that does not happen, even more people will join the RIM BlackBerry Service –and now as their only “new phone” option will be a RIM handset. RIM sales will quite probably rise. And I would expect with BlackBerry Bold – the first 3G handset – that you will get unlimited worldwide 3G bundles very soon even in the UAE.

So my E71 will never get BlackBerry Connect - and that will mean a lot less potential clients for the close to perfect phone, who dont want an ugly chunky RIM handset.

Come on – Nokia, SonyEricsson, Microsoft and the rest of you. Look at RIMs network model – and make one of your own before we have too many ugly RIM handsets in the wild

Mobile SlingPlayer(s) updated

A few updates have hit SlingMedia SlingBox mobile users today.

The new versions are:

SlingPlayer Mobile for Pocket PC 1.6
SlingPlayer Mobile for Windows Smartphone 1.6
SlingPlayer Mobile for Symbian OS 1.01
SlingPlayer Mobile for Palm 1.0.1

I have only tried the Symbian 1.01 - and the new features seems to be limited to bug fixes and a few extra handsets supported. (Nokia N82 and N95 8GB)

But still no support for E90 - so E90 owners still have to live with stamp-sized video on their E90s.

Access Points can now be defined as “Ask Everytime” which is nice since the E90 is quite stupid in its Network handling.

Buhuuu SlingMedia for not providing support for more phones. (And for not releasing the SlingPlayer 2.0 and SlingCatcher!)

Recap of the latest news

Symbian Related

The Nokia E90 Bug list – I got it and I like it – despite the bugs

No VPN for Symbian – Why ?

Installing Exchange Certificates on S60 – Tutorial on S60 VPN

Nokia N95 - RIP – dead and gone – never Nokia N95 again

HTC & WM6 Related

Sneak Peak at HTC Shift – Mini Review HTC Shift

HTC Shift to Launch at Gitex In Dubai – The Launch is confirmed

HTC Athena / Advantage X7500 Windows Mobile 6 Review – the WM6 Mobile ROM review

12 New Phones from i-Mate – i-Mate launch at Gitex

Being HTC Touched – HTC Touch Review

Skype Related

Skype in Dubai – Skype is again working in Dubai without tricks

VPN for Symbian – astounding figures!

I know there is a need for S60v3 and Symbian VPN. I just did at statistics run on my search engine referrals.

35% of you come here to find out about some kind of VPN solution for Symbian devices – and we are not talking small figures.

Now which supplier will come out with a solution to give the users Symbian Based VPN?

Nokia WAKE UP!

anthavpn WAKE UP! Get Movian VPN out in a E90 supported Configuration!

Stop sleeping there is a gigantic need for VPN for Symbian Devices!

Nokia S60 VPN gone missing

Guys – how hard can it be to put VPN on a Symbian Phone

I do really love my new Nokia E90. Great screens – easy to use. My Roadsync is up and running with my exchange private certificates (see previous article). But the biggest missing object from my phone is ability to use VPN.

I'm constantly on non-encrypted Access Points everywhere. I don't check anything with passwords, unless I can get through a VPN connection on my computer.

But checking the built in Nokia E90 Communications tutorial – it states:

"For VPN usage..." (go through tutorial..) Contact your systems administrator." - Nokia – are you taking the piss?

But Nokia forgot to inform the world's system administrators on how to provide VPN access to a Nokia Phone. Hacks exists on the Internet on how to use "older" E series Nokia Phones Mobility VPN package, and install it on the E90. But that requires mechanical software skills most people do not have. You have to do a LOT of work to get your VPN up and running, including getting special security certification to "encrypt" the settings you send to the phone. And Nokia has strategically removed the "download" options around the world for the "old" VPN software, leaving even hard ball techy guys in need of VPN with only one solution – find a "pirate" copy.

MovianVPN used to be a solution. But Certicom does not offer that anymore. You can still buy the Movian VPN for S60 from anthavpn but despite 3 attempts to contact them about E90 compatibility I have so far to succeed. Not a single answer so we must assume they have gone bust or are to busy selling anthavpn solution for Microsoft Mobiles. And that is despite Microsoft Mobiles got VPN built in out of the box.

So dear dear Nokia, please wake up and make a good VPN client available for the S60v3 series of phones. I would not mind to pay – as long as it can connect to standard VPN boxes out there like Cisco or my Microsoft Server based VPN – or even OpenVPN. I just need something so I know my browsing is secure and no one can sniff my passwords – and when I am in "Protected" areas, where VoIP is blocked by network operators –that I can tunnel home and establish my phone connection anyway.

My only alternative is changing to the HTC Kaiser (TyTN II) when it comes out and once again be able to surf and call with piece of mind – which pretty much have the same specs as the E90. So Dear Reader – write your Nokia representative J and complain! I did!

Kaz911

Nokia N95 critics review

Well - who have not awaited the Nokia N95 with impatience?

I did -and bought it the first place I saw it. Nice phone - runs Nokia Series 60 V3 - (a Nokia Symbian version).

Among the features much talked about was 5 mpix camera, built in GPS, and VoIP via Wireless 802.11x networks. (Wi-Fi) and yes the phone does have a 5 mpix camera - but what does that help when the images that it captures are only 200-400 KB? and looks like crap? It does have autofocus and Carl Zeiss lens, but I think Mr. Zeiss would turn in his grave if he saw the quality of this camera. I'd rather have a 3 mpix great quality camera - than a 5 mpix bad... NOKIA!!

And built in GPS - great stuff - apart from GPS fix to satellites takes forever (I have never tried less than 5 minutes) - and the maps here are like 5 years old... (Dubai, UAE) and to use Navigation you have to pay an obscene amount of money for it.. Damn Nokia - this is stupid...

And voice over IP (VOIP) - then N95 excels in not disclosing all possible settings in the edit menu. You have to write custom software to edit things like the Stun server etc. So in short it only works with the "partner" of Nokia - VOIP Service - Gizmo Project. That is all right - but... then you should not label it as an VOIP phone - but as a "tether" VoIP client with limited ability..

Which brings me to the Wireless Performance... Again here - someone wanted to save dollars... The wireless Wi-Fi interface almost needs line of sight to work. Even my worst other phones with Wi-Fi have never had a problem - but the N95 surely is a bad performer.

And then the barcode scanning - used with the camera?? I have tried to scan multiple barcodes - and all with the same result... no recognized barcode (so far)

And last but not least - the importing of own certificates does not work on my N95... Which means my Exchange RoadSync software asks for every connection... “Are you sure?” “Are you sure?”... but my exchange certificate - the phone won't accept..

Damn - bit of small grapes .. Lets hope future firmware updates will erase the problems... :-)

have a nice one! :-)

Damn