Jane Talks Tech!

So, it's officially been over a month since I took possession of the Nokia E71x phone, which is an ATT-modified version of the Nokia E71 phone. My previous posts have focused on getting rid of the many ATT-branded applications that have littered the phone, some free & paid applications that add to the functionality of the phone and now, I'm talking about applications that are fun to have on the phone for the socially connected person. Phew. Here goes:

1) So far, I've spent a good bit of time researching what applications I want on my phone. I knew that I would benefit greatly from an application that would let me make screen recordings on my phone and I found an app for that: the Mobiola Screen Capture software application. It takes screenshots and can take video recordings of whatever is taking place on screen! It's pretty impressive and if you are inquisitive like I am, you will definitely add this tool to your arsenal.

2) Again, being a blogger, I looked for a way to easily create rich posts for my blogs and I found a very robust freeware application for Wordpress.com hosted blogs as well as self-hosted Wordpress blog: Wordmobi. The installation is easy-peasy and it works as advertised. As a matter of fact, I've penned 1 or 2 posts via this application and while it could do better in terms of its user interface, I'm NOT staring this gift horse in the mouth. :) It works via Wifi which is great if you aren't signed up for a data plan so it scores major points in my book. :D

3) I love chatting with my friends and family. I've signed up for practically all the top instant messaging services there are so I was looking for applications that would allow me to add, at least, Yahoo Messaging, Windows Live, Gtalk, Skype, etc. I've searched high and low for an application to do just that. I didn't want to spend any more money on applications. Thankfully, there were several freeware alternatives. The top two that come to mind are: fring, Gizmo, and nimbuzz. An important source for the freebie-loving Nokia owner is this website, Freeware for Symbian. I LOVE this website because not only do they tell you about the great applications available for free, they allow YOU to visit the publisher's website to download the program yourself! This behavior makes them much more trustworthy than a site that offers the downloads from their site. So, I feel confident in recommending them to you, but as always, caveat emptor. My recommendation on the IM applications is to install and try them out. Here's their section on Messengers. As for me, I've got Nimbuzz installed on my phone and PC. It fits my needs and you might come to that conclusion yourself so up and away! :)

4) This fourth item is a hidden gem and I wish Nokia would do more to advertise it. Read More »

1. Update: it appears that using the Ovi Suite software, you don't need to go to the trouble of downloading the older maps .sis files. Please try downloading and installing Ovi Maps to your Nokia E71x phone using Ovi Suite which works well! Follow the steps in my latest post about installing Ovi Maps on your E71x phone. Let me know in the comments if you aren't able to install Ovi Maps using the Ovi Suite software!

Wow! The visits to my posts on tweaking the Nokia E71x, some apps for the Nokia E71x and my recommended gear and more applications for the E71x are insane by my very modest standards. This blog is a labor of love and at most, I get ~ 15 visits daily (5 of which are from Bots). So, seeing something in the neighborhood of 60 visits/day is pretty huge and no Bots there! :D It tells me that this is a market that can be tapped into and by Jove, I aim to please! Just make sure you support a struggling artist/blogger by coming back and checking out any advertisements that catch your eyes! {end of shameless plug}. Keep track of my posts on Nokia E71x through my tag.

So, what else have I discovered about my new Nokia E71x since I've had it? Well, here goes:

1. The question  is not if your phone will get scuffed up, it's when. Get a case for your phone now or see the black beauty get scarred.
2. Google Maps will not work without a data connection. If you obtained a Nokia E71x without signing up for a data connection AND you are able to use Google Maps, guess what? You are making a data counter at AT & T very happy. I'm dreading my phone bill because I didn't realize that Google Maps didn't work with Wifi and I had been playing rather heavily with tracking myself via Google Maps. Oy vey. Painful and expensive lesson learned.
3. Nokia Maps 3.0 (now Ovi Maps) works on your Nokia E71x device. The road to getting it installed is painful, but it can be done. The best part about it? Nokia Maps 3.0 will work on your device without needing a data connection. For driving directions to work, you will need to purchase a license from Nokia. You don't need Wifi connection for the turn-by-turn directions to work. Again, with the Ovi Suite software, there's no need for the instructions below. Ovi Suite will detect your Nokia E71x device and allow you to install Ovi maps on your device! , but if you are a sucker for pain, suit yourself. :) Here's I went through to get it working on my device: Read More »

So, it's been close to 3 weeks since I have had the Nokia E71x in my possession. What have I learned?...

As a follow-up to my series of posts about software for the Nokia E71x phone, I'm going to list a couple more applications that I am actively using on my phone....