Monday, April 30, 2007

First Nokia N95 firmware upgrade

Womworld reports on the first firmware upgrade for the N95.  It seems to correct a red tint that is apparent in the phone they upgraded prior to doing so.



Thanks for the heads up Womworld.



For theinfo on updates try here





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30042007113


30042007113
Originally uploaded by Phil(hellene).

- Taken at 6:08 PM on April 30, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

30042007098


30042007098
Originally uploaded by Phil(hellene).

- Taken at 12:45 PM on April 30, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

30042007097


30042007097
Originally uploaded by Phil(hellene).

- Taken at 12:45 PM on April 30, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

30042007095


30042007095
Originally uploaded by Phil(hellene).

- Taken at 12:44 PM on April 30, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

30042007092


30042007092
Originally uploaded by Phil(hellene).

- Taken at 12:26 PM on April 30, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

30042007090


30042007090
Originally uploaded by Phil(hellene).

- Taken at 12:17 PM on April 30, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

30042007087


30042007087
Originally uploaded by Phil(hellene).

- Taken at 12:10 PM on April 30, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

30042007086


30042007086
Originally uploaded by Phil(hellene).

- Taken at 12:09 PM on April 30, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

30042007081


30042007081
Originally uploaded by Phil(hellene).

- Taken at 12:04 PM on April 30, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

30042007075


30042007075
Originally uploaded by Phil(hellene).

- Taken at 11:56 AM on April 30, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

30042007074


30042007074
Originally uploaded by Phil(hellene).

- Taken at 11:53 AM on April 30, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

30042007071


30042007071
Originally uploaded by Phil(hellene).

- Taken at 11:48 AM on April 30, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

30042007070


30042007070
Originally uploaded by Phil(hellene).

- Taken at 11:34 AM on April 30, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

30042007069


30042007069
Originally uploaded by Phil(hellene).

- Taken at 11:34 AM on April 30, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

30042007068


30042007068
Originally uploaded by Phil(hellene).

- Taken at 11:32 AM on April 30, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

30042007067


30042007067
Originally uploaded by Phil(hellene).

- Taken at 11:31 AM on April 30, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

30042007066


30042007066
Originally uploaded by Phil(hellene).

- Taken at 11:15 AM on April 30, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

30042007065


30042007065
Originally uploaded by Phil(hellene).

- Taken at 11:14 AM on April 30, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

30042007063


30042007063
Originally uploaded by Phil(hellene).

- Taken at 9:59 AM on April 30, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

The best laid plans..

Well, I have become enamoured with my current IT setup now that the N95 has joined the stable.  I now have everything I need to blog, work, organise and entertain myself.  (Yes, I know there will always be kit that comes out i will lust after, I’d not turn down a tablet for instance, but I can’t complain that I can’t do something – there so much potential with this N95, Axim Pocket PC and Lenovo x60s ThinkPad).


The one thing that all my devices have in common is a need for power.  I counted up my options and realised a few days ago that I needed a way to recharge my phone while wandering London, running GPS, taking photos, uploading, blogging even.  I have rechargeable battery powerpack options for the Axim and my previous, P910i, phone.  So what is a boy geek to do?


I you have read this blog in the last few days you will know, Proporta have moved from the pack I mentioned to a dense USB battery which charges from a mini USB and puts out it’s 3400Ma of goodness via a full size USB port.  Proporta veer on the side of caution and quote buy Special delivery Friday and get on Monday, I was flying on Sunday and it was already Thursday.  I searched for the Proporta battery from locations such as London, thinking I could call by while in town.  I didn’t find a London shop with it but I did find a firm I have bought kit from before - Expansys.


I ordered around 2.30pm on the Friday and it was delivered on the Saturday morning as suggested on the Expansys site – perfect.


If it was a successful solution what’s it with the title?  To be able to charge the N95 from a USB port I need a lead for it.  I’ve got one, it’s a genuine Nokia CA100 USB charger lead that I got on eBay for £4 including postage (£9 in the shops).  I have it in a safe place as it is the only one I have, the one teensy, weensy problem is that the safe location is at home in Cornwall, while i am writing this at my accommodation in Islington! (aaaaggggghrr).


I say teensy problem because there are many more pressing concerns that eclipse this – after all, I can pop along Tottenham Court Road tomorrow and get a spare.   I won’t dwell here save to say that it is things happening to others, a funeral on Wednesday of my friend Eddie in Surrey, my middle brother having an angiogram (sic?) tomorrow (crumbs! it’s 00:31 – today then) to confirm what they say [that it’s not his heart] and my best friends’ computer won’t boot normally since I removed trojans and malware last night. 


Now, I really must head to bed – once I hear amy Whinehouse’s last song.  Channel 4 have a Vodaphone TBA Show (To Be Arranged) where people are only texted a few hours before a concert in a, till then, secret venue.  Tonight it’s Amy, a girl I would have shied away from in my courting days, to my loss (though as I am old enough, just, to be her father it’s a moot point).


I’m whacked and a nice comfy bed awaits.

Sunday, April 29, 2007

29042007062


29042007062
Originally uploaded by Phil(hellene).

- Taken at 11:39 PM on April 29, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

29042007060


29042007060
Originally uploaded by Phil(hellene).

- Taken at 11:38 PM on April 29, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

29042007059


29042007059
Originally uploaded by Phil(hellene).

- Taken at 11:04 PM on April 29, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

29042007058


29042007058
Originally uploaded by Phil(hellene).

- Taken at 11:02 PM on April 29, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

29042007055


29042007055
Originally uploaded by Phil(hellene).

- Taken at 12:01 PM on April 29, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

Saturday, April 28, 2007

28042007054


28042007054
Originally uploaded by Phil(hellene).

- Taken at 10:39 AM on April 28, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

Proporta USB Charger


28042007053
Originally uploaded by Phil(hellene).

- Taken at 10:32 AM on April 28, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu



It is thanks to Expansys that i got this device overnight for my trip to London tomorrow. All of a sudden my phone charging concerns, while wandering the capital for 8+ hours, pale as I can now recharge 3 or 4 times as I go.
Special Royal mail delivery was charged at cost, and while the device was maybe £5 more than proporta charge it is well worth it, to have a suggested delivery of today rather than a safer promise of order Friday get monday guarantee.

Thank you Expansys UK.

Friday, April 27, 2007

27042007051


27042007051
Originally uploaded by Phil(hellene).

- Taken at 3:12 PM on April 27, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

27042007050


27042007050
Originally uploaded by Phil(hellene).

- Taken at 3:11 PM on April 27, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

27042007049


27042007049
Originally uploaded by Phil(hellene).

- Taken at 3:10 PM on April 27, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

26042007048


26042007048
Originally uploaded by Phil(hellene).

- Taken at 7:29 PM on April 26, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

Thursday, April 26, 2007

Unlimited data on Orange UK for £8 per month

OK what shall I do?  laugh...or cry? 

After asking Orange and asking orange and finally moving after over 10 years with them they bring out a hugely improved data plan.

Fortunately, for me, I am going to laugh.  I ot a great deal with T-Mobile on this N95 and am quite happy.

It's good to see Orange catching up with T-Mobile and 3, but feels good to be supporting an organisation that was playing fair with data for longer.

Thanks to SMSTextNews for the heads up.





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26042007047


26042007047
Originally uploaded by Phil(hellene).

- Taken at 7:29 PM on April 26, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

26042007046


26042007046
Originally uploaded by Phil(hellene).

- Taken at 1:30 PM on April 26, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

25042007045


25042007045
Originally uploaded by Phil(hellene).

- Taken at 9:24 AM on April 25, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

25042007044


25042007044
Originally uploaded by Phil(hellene).

- Taken at 9:23 AM on April 25, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

24042007042


24042007042
Originally uploaded by Phil(hellene).

- Taken at 10:37 AM on April 24, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

24042007041


24042007041
Originally uploaded by Phil(hellene).

- Taken at 10:37 AM on April 24, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

The Cloud offers unlinited wifi for £9.99

This looks like a very tempting offer from the Cloud.

Thanks to SMSTextNews for the heads-up.





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Monday, April 23, 2007

N95 New Firnmware version on the horizon?

Mark Guim gives the heads up on a possible new version of the N95 firmware on his blog .



I haven't had much in the way of crashes with this little beauty but I'm quite happy to have a few tweaks if they're available.



Thanks Mark.





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23042007040


23042007040
Originally uploaded by Phil(hellene).

- Taken at 7:22 AM on April 23, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

23042007039


23042007039
Originally uploaded by Phil(hellene).

- Taken at 7:21 AM on April 23, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

23042007038


23042007038
Originally uploaded by Phil(hellene).

- Taken at 7:21 AM on April 23, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

Sunday, April 22, 2007

22042007037


22042007037
Originally uploaded by Phil(hellene).

- Taken at 5:07 PM on April 22, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

22042007036


22042007036
Originally uploaded by Phil(hellene).

- Taken at 5:06 PM on April 22, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

22042007035


22042007035
Originally uploaded by Phil(hellene).

- Taken at 5:05 PM on April 22, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

Strange photo at the cemetery

I took this shot rather quickly and didn’t look at it till I got back here.


We were visiting Mylor (Cornwall, UK) cemetery and I thought I would take a shot of my wife and father-in-law standing by the grave of her mother/his wife.  It was an overcast but sunny day, plenty of light for well exposed photographs, no glaring sunshine to throw off the meter.


Having taken the photograph in suitable lighting conditions, as I have with others on the N95, I got the following:

Whizzing along - N95 3G

Falmouth tethered T-Mobile N95 speed test


Here’s the result of a speed test for the first time I have tethered via USB my x60s notebook to my N95 phone. 


I am on T-Mobile with the Walk ‘n’ Web plus account that allows tethering and is giving me a 3G signal of 7 out of 7 bars strength here in Falmouth, Cornwall, UK.  (Yes, I realise that we are for once fortunate in comparison to our American cousins, in having 3G available).


I can now fully appreciate the marvels of EVDO-like connections that James and Kevin have long enthused about; before this I was limited to GPRS at best and then at a relatively exorbitant price.

22042007034


22042007034
Originally uploaded by Phil(hellene).

- Taken at 3:14 PM on April 22, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

22042007033


22042007033
Originally uploaded by Phil(hellene).

- Taken at 2:24 PM on April 22, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

Respect for the London Marathon

View of the marina while awaiting sunday lunch


22042007032
Originally uploaded by Phil(hellene).

- Taken at 12:16 PM on April 22, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

Fencing with my father

21042007031


Yesterday my father asked me to give him a hand with a task he was doing at my Auntie’s in a neighbouring town.  While we had plans to go out Cathy agreed with me that I should pop along to help. 


I was especially pleased to be asked, as my father doesn’t usually call on my help; this is mainly to do with the fact that my hands have a mind of their own when it comes to practical tasks, the mind is willing but the flesh is weak.  I might be able to work out what needs to be done, the materials needed, tolerances to be kept within and even the physics involved, but my hands do not follow what my brain suggests. 


Admittedly I was probably third choice but I was happy all the same.  The task in hand was to replace a fencing panel and post which had rotted away.  Not a complicated task by any means but definitely a two man effort, given the holding and lifting into place involved. 


The job went smoothly, all due to my father’s experience and handy tips, such as drill a very slender hole to give the fixings a path and prevent splitting the thinner wood. 


It was a very satisfying hour or so, not for the muscle aching feeling of a job well done, (such as after a long day on the farm) but for the chance to work alongside my father, the greatest man I know.


 

Friday, April 20, 2007

Real food - note it's jam first!


Cornish Cream Tea





Taken at 6:49 PM on April 20, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

Cream tea in the Reef Bar St.Ives, Cornwall


Gorgeous





- Taken at 6:43 PM on April 20, 2007 - cameraphone upload by ShoZu

Thursday, April 19, 2007

FW: Waiting for the bus

It's such great weather at the moment, (I might have guiltier if Warmer hadn't Twittered that he had sunshine today). I have posted this photo on Vox yesterday (I'm there as Philhellene). It's a view I pass on the way to and from work.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

FW: Waiting for the bus

It's such great weather at the moment, (I might have guiltier if Warmer hadn't Twittered that he had sunshine today). I have posted this photo on Vox yesterday (I'm there as Philhellene). It's a view I pass on the way to and from work.

Eric Mack - is it time to switch to the windows mobile platform?

Eric Mack is debating whether to take the Windows Mobile route. I wrote an entry in his comments but thought I would repeat it here, as it deals with the direction I have gone in since getting my Axim and why I didn't go for a Windows Mobile phone recently. (I repeat it here with my original typos).

Is it time to switch to the Windows Mobile Platform?

Eric, I have no experience of palm but am a Dell Axim x51v user.

I came to Pocket PCs once WM5 gave persistant storage.

I have successfully used HotSpotVPN 1 as my VPN on the Axim (though their site instructions are a little dated and needed slight tweaking).

Personally, now Dell have finished with the Axim I would wait a little for a choice of Windows Mobile 6 devices. I feel sure they will give more options, especially in relation to things like Vista and it's new synching suite for mobile PCs.

Personally I have gone the split devices route - separate pda & phone.

Apart from my ThinkPad x60s notebook for desk type work, I carry the Axim x51v for note taking, using OneNote 2007 mobile client & also PhatNotes, using Calligrapher for handwriting recognition, (I can write more efficiently than type - especially in cramped or in a rush); I do have a Stowaway BT keyboard I can use - fits plane/train seat trays.

I use a Nokia N95 for photography (including whiteboards for OCR) and for phone/calender (though the Axim also syncs back to Outlook so all devices have my calendar).

Posted at 4/18/2007 7:42:34 AM by Philip Ferris

Smart Dusting a planet

I'm no expert and it may be a hotch potch idea from all the SF I have exposed myself to over the years, but I can't help feeling that using 'Smart Dust' to explore planets, as reported by the BBC, could be something that will come back to bite us sometime in the future.

No doubt the little beauties would be inert till activated, so we're not talking spaceship blows up during launch and releases active particles into the Earth's amtosphere, and I am sure that merely data collecting particles would not react adversely with anything here...but it's food for thought for someone like me - read overactive imagination and a prediliction for daydreaming.

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Customising the N95 soft keys

I like to think that I am always open to learning things from others and with this attitude I often find reward in reading even the most basic information. 

I found that it was very worthwhile reading the Hints & Tips for the N95 on the S60.com website.

I especially like the pointer regarding customising softkeys to being able to add shortcuts to the five way rocker switch. 

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Police caution over wi-fi theft

This is not a post about the Police being careful, the term "caution" is, as I understand it, a legal one in the UK which equates to a written warning by the Police which can come up when employment checks are made.

It had to happen at some time, with the concerns people have over things like terrorism they are not prepared to give ground.  The BBC has a report on the matter, entitled Two cautioned over wi-fi theft.

In a nutshell, they are not prepared to challenge it in court at the moment but a caution in itself can be a deterrent to the casual user.

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Monday, April 16, 2007

Please help out the respectable firm Henry Needle & Sons

I see from the Nokia Blog that the established firm of master taylors Henry Needle & Sons are suffering due to the take up of N95 devices.

If you care for the survival of innovative firms such as HN&S please pop along and enter this competition that runs separately from the Nokia "There's a thing in your pocket..." competition.

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Nokia N95 Wireless Adventure

Now this is something i would love to take part in. 



n95blog reports on the Nokia N95 Wireless Adventure this is a competition across a number of asian cities.  it seems people have to travel across a location with their N95 devices gathering clues to the soul of their city, (I oresume taking photos as they go).





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Free cab rides in London

I caught a report on Steve Clayton's site about free cab rides in London.



What a great idea, I will have to look out for them when up there wandering about on Monday 30 April.  I am getting quite excited about going up and having the Monday to wander and get some video and shots on the N95.  I am hoping the additional batteries and desk charger will be here in time as I am sure i will get through quite a bit of power.





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Sunday, April 15, 2007

The strange disappearance of Bees


Bee at Eden Project Cornwall


The worry over global warming is a clear and present danger but I think this one is of more immediate concern.


Apparently there is a growing phenomenon of colonies of bees collapsing.  I came across this report in the UK Independent newspaper while surfing – Are mobile phones wiping out our bees? by Geoffrey lean and Harriet Shawcross.             


If you want to make a disaster movie, this gives you the main premise, (not the suggested connection with mobile phone use but the prospect of life without bees.)


Can anyone read statements like this:



“The alarm was first sounded last autumn, but has now hit half of all American states. The West Coast is thought to have lost 60 per cent of its commercial bee population, with 70 per cent missing on the East Coast.


CCD has since spread to Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece. And last week John Chapple, one of London's biggest bee-keepers, announced that 23 of his 40 hives have been abruptly abandoned.”


The Independent 15 April 2007


and not be very afraid?


[Update:  I see Digg was onto the story a couple of hours ahead of me]

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Cornwall, United Kingdom
A married Cornishman who is getting an inkling of what he wants to be when he grows up. I currently work for the NHS. [See bottom of page for Blog Archive and Links.]

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