My Nokia Blog

The guys at Nokia Beta labs, responsible for the awesome “Nokia Bots” and ”Nokia Conversations” widgets and the “Photo Browser” application currently available in the Ovi Store have released a beta version of the text input program “Swype”. The Swype apps is available at the following link. Swype aims to significantly speed up text entry on touchscreen, button-less devices and is available on multiple platforms. Go give it a whirl and leave your feedback both here and at the Beta Labs page. Help them make a better product for us users will ya!

Currently available for the Nokia N97, N97mini, X6, 5800, and 5230

Video of Swype in action below.

via

Nokia released a while back a cool online application called Ovi App wizard which lets you use the RSS feeds of your website to create tiny little apps and publish them to the Ovi store, obviously the idea was poo pooed by the media a while back and no one talked about it since, well Ewan from Mobile Industry Review made a screencast of the process of creating the application and well I was amazed by the simplicity of being able to create an app so easily even if it is only an RSS feed. Again credit goes to Nokia for trying to make it easier for developers to make applications.

Nice Nokia N8 BTW in the ad above

You can see the screencast here

via Mobile Industry Review

One of our readers Gemma sent us an email asking for a short how-to on using your Nokia smartphone as a 3G modem. Given that it’s something I felt like a great deal of our readers would benefit from (if they didn’t already know ) I decided to take up the torch and do a quick post showing this.

As we all know, when buying a Nokia device, Nokia provides their software suite installation CD in addition to other accessories. Although the CD itself is not mandatory for installing the software suite (It’s just as easy to find on the internet) the majority of users will gain access to Nokia’s Ovi Suite or PC Suite via this method.

1st step:

Install the darn thing! As much as you may be inclined to do without it there are quite a few features included with this that’ll amongst other things, allow you to use your mobile phone as a modem!

2nd step: connecting your phone to the PC.

This can be accomplished in two main ways, Bluetooth or via the USB cable provided with your phone. Either method works, though for faster download  speeds it’d be best to go the USB route (saves battery life as well!)

3rd step launch Ovi Suite or PC Suite on your PC.

You’ll be greeted by a screen much like this one. (For the sake of privacy my photos, contacts and text messages have been removed LOL )

Provided that your mobile has been connected via USB, it’s really a very simple matter.

Click there and voila, you’re phone is a USB modem. This is a free feature on every sim-free/unlocked Nokia that I’ve ever owned, EVER. I’ve never incurred any extra cost for doing this and for those conscious of your data consumption, Ovi suite will provide information on the amount of data transferred and the time elapsed since the connection was opened .

[Jay: Alternatively you can share your 3G connection over WiFi with apps like JoikuSpot. This is free, and the paid premium version will let you secure your connection. I like the USB function too as it also charges your device (if that's a feature)

Do be careful as some networks prohibit the use of your connection as a modem/data tethering. Also note that it becomes so much easier to consume data when browsing over PC.]

As a bonus feature to this little How-to:

How would you like to be able to send and receive text messages on your phone and reply to them without ever picking the phone up? Click on the messaging section and you’ll be brought to an area where you can back-up all the messages on your cell either manually or every time your phone is connected to your PC, send text messages to any contact you desire, read conversations in threaded, IM-style fashion and receive unobtrusive pop-up notifications on your desktop every time you receive a message.

This feature is VERY useful for texting while in class!

NB. Don’t know what the scenario is for you mac users out there, but I’d imagine it being a somewhat similar procedure provided a PC-suite-esque program exists.

Send your tips and article suggestions to tips@mynokiablog.com!

Here’s a neat application that you would have thought was already in your phone but isn’t. What’s great about it is that it will allow you to edit your custom dictionary. Normally you can only add words, with less frequently used “added” word being phased out. Here you can edit/delete them if you want (say, if you’ve accidentally spelt it wrong). Great when you’re using predictive text and it keeps inserting the wrongly spelt word!!

• Open it via the app (not via message editor)
• Words added via QWERTY (when prediction is on) appear in T9 too and can be edited/deleted (note, you’ll need to restart the app to see newly added words via message editors)
• Edit by Language (it’ll ask which language at start up)
• View all the words in your custom dictionary
• Add new words to the dictionary via the app.
• Edit and Delete existing words via the app
• Check the total number of words
• Export the words from your dictionary (as an XML file)
• Import words from an xml file
• Scan text files to import all the words
• Transfer your dictionary to another phone

To download, head on over to Beta labs. Note, that it’s at experimental stage and you’ll Click to continue reading about Nokia Custom Dictionary

Got something simmering in the stove or roasting in the oven? Need to leave it for a while, but need a reminder to make sure you won’t forget and let your cooking burn? No timer on the cooker or timer is only on the cooker itself?

You should get Egg timer for S60 5th Edition. It’s free at the Ovi Store.

• 59 minute analogue timer
• Metallic finish
• Use touch screen to turn the dial. Time automatically counts down.
• Remaining time displayed below
• Better than alarms, you don’t have to work out number of minutes + current time.
• Vibrates per each minute you turn the dial
• Mechanical sounding alarm
• You can leave it in the background

DOWNLOAD FOR FREE FROM THE OVI STORE

Hey all, just seen this and thought might be useful for some people (Personally this is the first time i’v heard of the app!!)

It’s basically a tool to configure some of the key thing for your device on your PC and then send them to either one or several devices! (things like contacts, e-mail address’s, etc)

Screenshot of Configuration Tool 5

Nokia’s blurb about the tool is that it’s mainly aimed at developers, but personally I think it’s also good from moving settings from an old phone to a new one, without having to search through all the menu’s! (Only downside right now is that is mostly works with the E-Series but others may be added as it also works with N97 (original and mini).

Nokia’s Description:

Simply manage the settings and policies of selected Nokia devices. With your PC and device connected through Nokia PC Suite and a USB cable, you can easily configure various settings on several devices at a one time, including:

• Wireless LAN
• VPN
• VoIP
• Email
• Internet Access Points (IAP) on several devices at a one time
• Also transfer files, contact cards, and applications

The Nokia Configuration Tool is designed for:

• Deployment across mobile fleets that are of small and medium size
• The testing and trial of Nokia devices prior to larger scale deployments

Currently supported devices:

Nokia E51, Nokia E52 PR 2.0 and newer, Nokia E55 PR 2.0 and newer, Nokia E60, Nokia E61, Nokia E61i, Nokia E62, Nokia E65, Nokia E66, Nokia E70, Nokia E71, Nokia E72, Nokia E75 PR 2.1 and newer, Nokia E90 Communicator, Nokia N97 and Nokia N97 mini.

Download from:

http://europe.nokia.com/support/download-software/nokia-configuration-tool/compatibility-and-download

This morning, I received a DHL package from WOMWorld. As far as I knew, it was “just” the Nokia Bh-905 stereo bluetooth headset (unboxing in a mo!)

But stowing away with the bubble wrap was a card and a really nice brushed metal USB stick.

What’s in the USB stick?

I think I’ve already got one version or another installed of the apps above and they’re definitely worth trying out! Particularly Nimbuzz and Fring!

If you want to try them out, I’ve uploaded them all as a .zip file over at megaupload and rapidshare.

Click to download MNB DailyApp.zip from megaupload – Approx 5MB

Click to download MNB DailyApp.zip from rapidshare

Also, as mentioned in the card, check out this video over at blogs.nokia.com/dailyapp/appawards/

Vote over at http://blogs.nokia.com/dailyapp/appawards/

. What is your vote for Must-Have Music App?

• BandFan
• Midomi Music Identifier
• Playlist DJ
• Shazam
• TuneWiki Lyrics Search

Picture Memory Touch is your classic “Pair Match” game.

You’ve got 36 icons, divided into 18 pairs. They’re scattered around a 6×6 grid and you’ve just got to find all the pairs against the clock.

Screenshot and Video Demo below.

Download for free from the Ovi Store (you might find it easier to download from your native Ovi Store client for this one)

Download for free from the Ovi Store (you might find it easier to download from your native Ovi Store client for this one)

For other free S60 5th edition games, check out the page link free-games-for-s60-5th-edition

Memory Tester Touch is a game that well…tests your memory.

You’ve got a 3×3 grid of 9 squares. One square lights up at a time, and you have to remember the pattern as one new square is lit (provided you’ve got the previous pattern right – otherwise game over)

You get one point for each correctly lit square you remember. Get a square wrong and you’re back down to zero. Unless you hit a new high score, the previous high score will continue flashing.

Screenshots and demo video below.

Download it for Free at the Ovi Store

Download it for Free at the Ovi Store

For other free S60 5th edition games, check out the page link free-games-for-s60-5th-edition

This version of Tic Tac Toe touch is slightly improved over the previous version available on the Ovi Store.

• It’s your standard 3×3 grid and it’s one player only.
• You play the “X”, computer plays “O” with standard tic tac toe/noughts and crosses gameplay.
• The visuals have improved slightly, plus the game keeps a record of your score (well, until you exit that is and then its wiped).
• After each game you’ll get one of three notifications of either winning, getting a tie or losing.

Download for free from the Ovi Store

Download for free from the Ovi Store