Best use of N8 Camera

Of course we know that the Nokia N8 can take great pictures of mountains and castles and scenery but how often in your daily life unless you are a pilot will you actually use this? A friend of mine always liked having the N95 because of the camera that it had on it because as an engineer, he used the N95 to take photos of circuits and machinery which would later be used by other engineers to inspect the parts. Obviously, you can see the importance of a good camera in his daily work so he was shocked at how amateurish the photos turned out when he upgraded to a different smartphone.

Since the N8's camera is probably still the best in the market, what do you do with your N8 camera in your day to day life which makes it impossible for you to leave your N8 at home? If you are busting to share some other reason why you can't leave your N8 at home.. go on...

Random Vibrations Hidden Widgets

Every once in a while, I noticed that the N8 would vibrate randomly and I would open up the applications that are active and there was nothing I could see causing the vibrations. The usual times I can think of when the phone could vibrate is when

• Missed call / Message 
• GPS walk mode when it wants to tell you to turn a corner 
• Gmail when new mail comes in

However, none of those scenarios occurred. It turns out that although I deleted the Email widget from my home screen, it was still working in the background (but not showing up as an active application) downloading emails and when it did, it would vibrate to let me know. 

So, your problem may be caused by a widget that is still downloading stuff long after it was removed from the home screen. Hope this helps.

025.007 Firmware Update Released

If you haven't heard yet, the new firmware update for Symbian^3 (that's you, N8 users) is now available over the air by going to your dialler, type in *#0000# and in options, check for updates. No one really knows what this update does but from what we know, it's to introduce you to Nokia Store (changed from Ovi Store) and to fix some bugs from the previous release. You'll get a screen something like this except of course it will be a Nokia N8.

N8 Problems Updating to Anna

Here's a troubleshooting guide that Nokia released to help those that are struggling to get Symbian Anna update installed on their Nokia N8. I have a feeling Anna is partially installed on my N8 and I am in the process of figuring out what I need to do as well. Good luck to all, leave comments about your problems

Generic Symbian Anna update troubleshooting:

• FA136052: Why don’t I see Symbian Anna update packages in the software update client on my phone?

There could be several reasons.

1) Symbian Anna has not been released for your country yet and therefore no update is available yet.

2) Symbian Anna has been released for your country but you are using

                a) a productcode that belongs to an operator that has not approved the update yet

                b) a productcode that belongs to a country that has not released the update yet

3) You have checked for software updates in the last 24h and your phone is not showing new available updates, as it is only connecting to the server once every 24h and any other time only check its memory. To clear your phone’s cache, tap the Clock on your homescreen and change the date of your phone to next day (via Settings). For example, if todays date is 6th Nov, then set the date to 7th Nov. This will make existing updates visible.

• FA136053: Why don’t I see Symbian Anna update packages in OviSuite?

There could be several reasons.

1) Symbian Anna has not been released for your country yet and therefore no update is available yet.

2) Symbian Anna has been released for your country but you are using

                a) a productcode that belongs to an operator that has not approved the update yet

                b) a productcode that belongs to a country that has not released the update yet

3) You have checked for software updates in the last 24h and OviSuite is not showing new available updates, as it is only connecting to the server once every 24h and any other time only check its cache. Available updates will get visible after 24h – or try to update via the software update client in your phone (by using WiFi).

• FA135977: Why don’t I see Symbian Anna after just having my phone updated over the air via the Software Update client?

In some product codes/phone variants when updating via OTA (over the air) it is not possible to jump from the existing software version directly to Symbian Anna, if another software release has been accepted for that phone variant in between the old software and Anna. In this case when using OTA the intermediate software versions need to be installed first.

If using Ovi Suite or Nokia Software Updater (NSU) all variants of Symbian Anna supported phones can be updated directly to Symbian Anna.

• FA136073: Why can’t I download Symbian Anna application packages (Installation fails)?

The reason for this is most likely a problem with existing QT files on your phone. Please try the following:

A) Solution1 – especially if you have “Nokia bubbles” on your phone

-          Install the following QT files on the C: drive of your phone in exactly this sequence

        * http://dl.nokia.com/ns/sdo/QtSA4.7.301.sisx

        *http://dl.nokia.com/ns/sdo/QtWebkitSA4.8.0.sisx

        *http://dl.nokia.com/ns/sdo/QtMobilitySA1.1.301.sis

-          While you install above QT files you MUST keep the following things in mind:

*Installation must be done to C: drive of the phone. If you by mistake select E: drive, you can cancel the installation and re-install again. If E: drive installation is complete, you can re-install one more time and select C: drive for installation.

*Installation order must be met. First it has to be QT (QtSA4.7.301.sisx).

-          Open the software update client on your phone via Menu>Applications>(Tools>)Softwareupdate

-          Select the shown Symbian Anna application packages and start the update

B) Solution2:

- Launch the File manager on your phone (Typically found: Menu -> Applications -> Office -> File mgr.)

- Choose Options -> Find -> E: Mass memory -> Root folder

- In the “Find text:” window, type “*.sisx” (without double quote) and the select find.

- It will display many sisx files starting with “TMP”. Example: TMP3efa4.sisx.

- Now select Options -> Mark multiple items  and now mark all sisx starting with “TMP”.

- After marking them select Options -> Delete and delete all of them.

- Now tap the Clock on your homescreen and change the date of your phone to next day (via Settings). For example, if todays date is 6th Nov, then set the date to 7th Nov. This is needed to clear the software update cache and make new updates visible.

- Open the “SW update” application.

- Select the shown Symbian Anna application packages and start the update

• FA135984: Why have I lost Quickoffice and Adobe pdf reader after downloading and installing Symbian Anna?

It’s crucial that you not only download the operating system but also the Symbian Anna application packages. They are available via Ovi Suite update or over the air (depending on your country and operator) as well. The package called Symbian Anna 1/2 contains the Quickoffice and pdf reader, and Symbian Anna 2/2 contains other important service updates, so we recommend updating everything you see in Ovi Suite or the Software Update client.

• FA136033: Why do I get an error message “Phone setup: Feature not supported” after the update to Symbian Anna?

The message will vanish as soon as the application package Symbian Anna 2/2 is installed, which is part of the Symbian Anna update.

• FA136059: Why do I get Error 12017 when trying to update to Symbian Anna via OviSuite?

Error 12017 (FailDeviceError) means that the device is not responding.  

1. Check if the device reboots normally. If it doesn’t, Nokia OVI suite cannot talk to it.

2. Check if it connects to Windows through USB normally and it is in “OVI Suite” mode. Make sure USB connection works reliably and the USB driver is up to date. You can also try to change the USB port if there is USB hub or internal hub in laptop computer that can work less reliably.

• FA135962: What happens if I skip the application updates (i.e. have only downloaded the operating system update) while updating to Symbian Anna?

Application updates are classified as either mandatory (Symbian Anna 1/2), important (Symbian Anna 2/2), or optional (Social, Ovi Store, Angry birds). If those application updates are not done, your experience will not be optimal. Without these updates you'd:

- not have Adobe PDF reader. 

- not have Quickoffice.

- not have Microsoft Office Communicator.

- not have In Device Search.

- not have Internet Radio.

- not have Social client.

- not have a working music store.

- have issues with Phone feature is not supported appearing every boot.

- have subtitle support missing from Video player.

- miss all Surround icons for apps that are included in the application packages  

- miss all the error fixes to the service/TPO clients.

- miss all the enablers ( NAC, Qt, SSO, Ovi Notifications ..).

- The email attachments can’t be read as Quickoffice/Adobe reader won’t function.

-  You might see mixed old & new icons in the menu or Homescreen.

No further application updates can be done unless the mandatory Symbian Anna package is installed.

• FA135983: Why do I get the message "Phone feature not supported" after the Symbian Anna upgrade?

This message is displayed if only the Symbian Anna device upgrade has been installed, but not the Symbian Anna Application packages. Install the Symbian Anna Update 1/2 and Symbian Anna Update 2/2 as that will solve the issue.

• FA136026: What is included in the Symbian Anna Update ½ and 2/2 application packages?  

Symbian Anna Update 1/2 includes the following:

Adobe (PDF) reader 10.00(245) / Quickoffice 6.04(460) / QT 4.7.3 / QT Mobility 1.1.3. / Qt webkit 4.8.0. / CPService_2.0.11119 / CWRTCore_1.0.11124 / LKM_1.0.11051 / ONSP_1.2.11120 / OVI 1.0.11121. / SCP_2.0.11121. / SSOUI_1.3.11120 / SSO_1.3.11120 / SSOUserName_widget_1.0.0 / ServiceProvider_1.0.11124 / CP_ launcher 2.1.1 / Veveo Indevice Search 2.39.201

Symbian Anna Update 2/2 includes the following:

2.3.6 - NAC. / 13.2.24 - Ovi Music 1.1. / 3.6.688 - Maps 3 SR6. / OviMaps-OriginOfDownload-3.6.1. / SignInEnabler_92_1_0NOCS. / Maps_ODML. / Internet Radio 3.03(0) / MS Communicator 2.01.369 / Psiloc font magnifier 3.2.0. / Shazam 3.01(0) / Jolkuspot 3.10. / Video Player 9.23(62). / Here and Now 2.0.3 / Internet Search Engine 3.0.8 / Home Screen Search Widget 2.0.5

Additional SW Update may contain the following optional applications:

Ovi Store 2.12.042 / Social 1.3.237 / NFC Sharing + Angry Birds Free with Magic

• FA135982: How should I update Symbian Anna if I’m in an area with weak network coverage?We recommend to do the Symbian Anna update via Ovi Suite or via WiFi because of the update size (>80MB for over the air updates) and corresponding download times.

• FA136058: How do I update to Symbian Anna when my productcode belongs to a “SWAP” device?

Nokia doesn’t offer Symbian Anna updates via OviSuite or OTA for productcodes that are linked to a SWAP device at the moment. Please go to your local Nokia Carepoint to get your phone updated.

iPhone 4S vs Nokia N8 Camera

Claims that the iphone 4S has the best camera on a smartphone has angered many commentators and now AllAboutSymbian author Steve Litchfield puts the numbers up to show just how much the new iphone falls short of the Nokia N8.

In his analysis, the Nokia N8 as more than twice the amount of light captured by the camera or "raw light gathering ability", making dimly lit rooms a challenge for the new iPhone 4S. He also looked at the sensor size of the N8, which has the biggest sensor of any mobile camera on the market, compared to the Apple iPhone 4S camera, finding it 75% larger and more able to create photos that have more depth.

Head over to www.allaboutsymbian.com/news/item/13334_For_those_who_were_wondering_a.php for the whole article.

N8 Firmware Update: Anna's features

In Singapore, Nokia Connections was the venue for more announcements about the upcoming Anna firmware updates. Nokia will start shipping N8, E7, C7 and C6-01 with Symbian Anna in July but it will be possibly August when existing owners can get the download. If you don't have a new Nokia, it's probably best to wait till July and get one with the new firmware installed.

The new firmware promises the following features:

• New interface 
• Faster web browser (and we all know we need that!) 
• Portrait orientation QWERTY keyboard on screen 
• Improved OVI Maps allowing Public Transport options and location sharing
• Access to Intranet and Business level security for emails
• Social media integrated to the address book and homescreen

What's New in Ovi Maps 3.08?

Drive Enhancements: 

• Live traffic routing takes traffic information into account to avoid traffic jams automatically (available in Germany, France, US, UK and Russia).
• Turn on "Avoid traffic" in your "Route settings" to take traffic conditions into account while you drive. Always get the best route for right now.
• New Drive look & feel - home screen now has buttons for "Set destination," "Drive home" and "Just drive."
• "Just drive" or Drive assistance shows your accurate speed, gives speed warnings, the distance driven and real time traffic.
• New information bar on Drive navigation and Drive assistance screens.
• Also easily toggle between Estimated Time of Arrival in minutes or distance to your destination - just tap the icon on the screen.
• New option menus in Drive.
• Set a contact as a destination.
• Easily change your settings during Drive navigation. Changes in settings are immediate and can been seen instantly.

Additional improvements

• Long tap is now available to give quick access to "Drive to," "Walk to," "Share" and various lists.
• Settings reorganized to "General" "Maps & Walk" and "Drive."

Hop to it here

N9 brings Meego to reality

Stephen Elop, Nokia's new CEO, has announced the upcoming Meego Nokia device, the Nokia N9. Touted as the first completely touch device, the Nokia N9 will have a awesome 8MP autofocus camera which is one step back from the N8 12MP and will also include new technology which allows you to transfer files by tapping the phone on to another device. The device will be encased in a polycarbonate cover which apparently improves antenna performance.

The change to Meego will be an interesting one seeing as WP7 will be the future for Nokia. Not much is known about the N9 but if you want to check out the features and specs, head over to this page.

Anna arrives in July

Nokia N8 fans are all waiting to wow their friends with  the upcoming Symbian Anna update in July. Perhaps the delay in releasing the firmware update is related to timing of the two big announcements coming up. After months of bad press reports and a demoralizing drop in Nokia's share price, the new over the air update to the N8 firmware will bring some massive changes that could keep Nokia fighting whilst it awaits the arrival of the first of the WP7 enabled Nokias. The firmware must be strong enough to keep investors hopeful of Nokia's recovery from its current form slump and Elop's reputation goes on the line with the introduction of this new girl.

Amongst the updates, there will be the ability to film HD 720P videos at 30 frames per second and auto-focus will be set to continuous. More soon.

Optus offering N8 on $29 cap

For those that have been eyeing the Nokia N8 for quite a while at a safe distance, perhaps your time has come. Optus has just released the Nokia N8 on their $29 cap and considering the problems that Vodafone is currently having, this may be the right deal to get you the 12MP media animal that the Nokia N8 is.

The Optus $29 cap includes $180 worth of value, 200MB of data, free social networking website access and two months free. The total commitment over two years is a minimum of $638 which should be low enough for most people to get on board.

N8 Apps - Gravity

Gravity
App Price: $12.00 AUD
App Category: Application > Social Networks

Available on Nokia’s latest smartphones - Nokia C7, Nokia E7 and Nokia N8, plus many more

Gravity - http://store.ovi.com/content/6855?clickSource=search

For serious social network addicts, Gravity is an application by mobileways.de that allows you to watch multiple social network accounts at the same time, including Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare and many more.

The dashboard displays an overview of new messages, replies and last updates from all your social media accounts.

For Twitter, for example, you can select a tweet and a context menu pops up which makes replying or retweeting an easy two-step process. And for the commercial user, you can save Twitter searches to keep an eye on what people are saying about your company or product.

The application has also utilised the touchscreen on the Nokia N8 very effectively – the large screen means you catch more of the action in one look.

The verdict

If you haven’t tried out Twitter, Gravity will have you tweeting like an addict in no time.

Nokia N8 Apps - Camera Pro

CameraPro
App Price: $4.00 AUD
App Category: Application > Photo & Video

Available on the Nokia N8, Nokia C7, Nokia X7

CameraPro - http://store.ovi.com/content/101266

This app was tested on the Nokia N8 and has been the talk of the twitterverse. CameraPro by software developer Harald Meyer takes the incredible 12MP camera on the Nokia N8 and supercharges it with features that are found on more advanced point-and-shoot cameras. Adding to the impressive N8 imaging capabilities, CameraPro introduces burst mode to allow you to take more than one successive shot in time lapse mode, so you can capture amazing changes in scenery such as sunsets and incoming storms.

This application will appeal to photography enthusiasts who want to do more than take a group photo with friends. Also, the continuous autofocus will automatically adjust the video focus as you are filming.

The verdict

It seems you can only use the video mode in the lowest resolution setting. However, this is a very promising app and a must-have for the diehard photographers and gadget fans out there.

N8 Firmware Updated 014.002 but apparently not

I updated the Nokia N8 firmware quite a few weeks ago and even posted on here to mention it however, today I plugged it into my computer and used the ovi services, which reported that there was an update available for my N8. My thoughts went straight to the talk about PR2.0 and thought that Christmas had come early. However, the software updater was saying that I have firmware version 013.016 and 014.002 is now available. If you remember further up in this paragraph I already told you that I updated to 014.002 and I also checked my phone *#0000# and yes, it is using 014.002. Anyway, I decided to let Ovi have a go at updating my software (again) and see what happens. Well the installation finished and nothing seemed to change but it seems that Ovi is satisfied that I have 014.002.

PR 2.0 What's coming up?

The Nokia N8 firmware update to 2.0 has been previewed with the portrait keyboard, chat application, faster scrolling and much more. But if you can't wait for it to come out to have a look, check out the video below.

E7 gets Firmware upgrade

The big brother of the Nokia N8 is the Nokia E7 which has only just started to be released to the world last week. Already it has a firmware update which brings the E7 to firmware version 014.002. Currently there is no changelog available yet but we'll post it here when we get it because it would be interesting to see what they update. If you haven't checked out the E7 yet, follow this link to see a comparison with the Nokia N8.

N8 + Mobile Projector - what will you do with it?

Awesome Videos made Possible with N8

If you are wondering whether to get the Nokia N8 for its video capabilities, eight winners of the N8 producers competition may help you to make that decision. Here are the videos that won each producer the opportunity to experience ZERO gravity in a modified Boeing 727. Were they worthy of such an incredible experience? click play to pass your judgment :)

N8 BMX EDIT – Lénaïc Maréchal

FRANK DA CRANK – TREB MONTERAS II

MY NOKIA N8 EXPERIENCE – Bastien ROGER

Lapsed… – Iain Wallace

Nokia N8 – An A Cappella Jingle – Andrew

SK8FX #N8Productions – Dustin Hill

I can show you – Matjaz Klemencic

Waking up to life – keirux

Bike my day – Jurica Barac

OviJackpot - should I bother?

I've just downloaded the app OviJackpot and after playing for quite a while, I can tell you what to expect. It promises bonus Ovi Applications but those Ovi Apps are actually already available on the Ovi Store for free. If you ever wonder what will happen when you lose all your "money", the game gives you back another $500 and away you go once again. There seems to be unlimited of these second chances. After unlocking two more casinos, the game and checking out the free applications that they were offering when I did win, I exited the game and came on here to tell you all what to expect. So did you save 30 minutes by googling Ovi Jackpot?

What to Do When My N8 Won't Send Emails

Recently had some problems with email on my phone. For some reason, the emails would not send. Today, I was able to mysteriously fix the problem by deleting all the outbox items that had been queuing to be sent and when I sent another email, it went off without a problem. This was a surprisingly easy fix for a problem that had me looking into every section of the phone's settings, connectivity, email, internet and preferences over and over again. If you have a mysterious problem sending emails from your N8, maybe try delete all the emails from your outbox and try again.

Another thing I discovered was that the Nokia email program does not allow you to send any attachments that exceed 4mb. This bombed my idea of uploading videos and photos via facebook's upload-by-email function. Anyway I am sure you all would find it useful to know the size limit for attachments.

Nokia N8 vs Nokia E72

As many of you will know, before getting the Nokia N8, I was using the Nokia E72 which I still find hard to part with, so currently I am using the E72 as my primary phone and the Nokia N8 as a complement to the E72.

So how does that work practically? Which phone do I use for what situations? From my own experience, this is what I have found to be the indispensable features of both phones which make letting go of either phone a great difficulty.

N8 pros vs E72 cons 

• Photos First of all, in my recent trip overseas, I did not take a point and shoot camera. Well I did, but it was more accurately called a camera phone and the Nokia N8 performed exceptionally well as a point and shoot. So for photos, the Nokia N8 is now my go to device. 
• Videos For the same reason we have dropped the point and shoot for the N8, the N8 is much preferred for shooting videos, producing HD videos worthy of a big TV screening later. 
• From 0 to Search As mentioned earlier, Nokia has created a widget which can be added to your N8 homescreen which allows you to type in your search. Then with one press of the button you can search your whole phone for this word or search Google. This is faster than opening up a browser in the E72, then running a search. 
• HDMI connectivity is probably only useful with the Nokia N8 camera but I've also found it quite a novelty to run Opera Mini on a very maxi TV screen! Add the bluetooth keyboard in and you've made your home (or friend's) TV internet ready :)
• USB thumb drives We won't even mention this with the E72 because such a feature was only in E72 developers' imaginations but the Nokia N8 allows you to open up documents in a thumb drive, view photos and even edit documents from your phone (thanks to QuickOffice being now available for N8 users) 

If you would like to see the arguments for keeping the Nokia E72, head over to our other blog here.

Preview of PR2.0 Coming soon

Nokia is working on a new firmware update for the Nokia N8 which is expected to come out in a few weeks time which will be PR 2.0. A video has appeared on youtube which purports to demo the new firmware. Some of the expected changes for 2.0 include a QWERTY keyboard in portrait mode, something that fans have been crying for since the phone's release last year. What else is coming? You'll have to wait and see..

N8 Quick Search update now available

There has been yet another software update overnight with Quick Search Update now available via the Software Updates (go to Applications). This 1.3MB download will enable your N8 to do a search via Google or your preferred search engine from the home screen. We are currently downloading it for the N8 and will report on it soon...

What's the Best N8 Apps Reviews?

What's the point in having an awesome phone if you are not making the most of it? In the coming weeks, we'll be looking at the best Nokia N8 apps available and would like to have your thoughts as we go along. As a quick list, here are some apps I am looking forward to reviewing or have already been using

• Gravity for Twitter
• Angry Birds
• Night Light
• Google Maps 
• Nokia Maps
• SPB mobile shell

If you have some favourites to mention, leave a comment below and we'll take a look. We are interested in useful and awesome apps so that will be the perspective we will approach each N8 application. Should be an interesting journey so hope you all join us!

Purchase in progress. Confirming payment

If you have come to this blog post, there is a good chance that you are experiencing the same problem that I have just experienced. I purchased an application on the Ovi Store (the updated Ovi Store) and after selecting my payment option and confirming the purchase, the Store was stuck at "Purchase in progress. Confirming payment".

Meanwhile, I got an sms from ovi store saying confirming the purchase and included a confirmation code.

Back at the Ovi Store, the screen was still stuck confirming the payment. I tried a few days later and the same thing happened again. That time, I closed the Ovi Store and re-opened it, hoping to find my new "paid for" application in My Stuff.. but alas, no app. Anyone know what the problem is? Could it be to do with my phone number not being correctly linked to the Ovi username? Love your thoughts..

Edit: Well after waiting a good five minutes, the store came back to life, only to report that

"Server error. We are experiencing problems with the payment service. You will be taken back to the catalop page."

I am yet to find out if that means that my payment did not go through.. stay tuned..

Problems with the New N8 Firmware

I have noticed one problem with the new Web firmware update where the on screen keyboard sometimes fails to appear when you click on to a text field to type. This is quite frustrating and I was wondering whether anyone else is experiencing the same problem?

Updated
Another problem I have been experiencing is where the phone won't wake up from sleeping or crashes whilst sleeping. The only solution for this has been to restart the phone.

Discovering the Usefulness of Other Features 
Whilst travelling, internet access has been a challenge. One of the features I have found useful is the WIFI icon added to the home screen which allows you to see when your phone is connecting to a WLAN, connected to a WLAN or not connected to a WLAN.

How have you found  your firmware update?

What's good about the New 1.1 N8 Firmware?

OK so we just posted the changelog for the new firmware 13.0.16 PR1.1 which you should already be downloading from your N8 now (don't worry about backing up your data - should be ok to just update your phone). I have just installed the new firmware and the first thing I notice is that the touch screen vibration was no longer working. I checked my profile to ensure that it was enabled but it still did not work. I restarted the phone to see if that made a difference and after looking into the Profiles again, the touch screen vibration returned.

But how is it really going to make a difference for N8 users?

Web browsing - Opening up the Web browser following the upgrade, the web browser seems to be running faster. No options are immediately obvious as new additions following the upgrade. Opening up Google Docs, I still have the problem viewing spreadsheets where the phone will only allow me to view mobile mode which views one column at a time. Desktop view is not allowed.

EDITABLE Quickoffice!!! This is the biggest change for me. I could not believe when the N8 came out, that it did not include the ability to EDIT Office documents such as spreadsheets, word documents and presentations. Now Nokia seems to have repented of their ways and included the ability for you to create and edit documents on your Nokia N8. Get a bluetooth keyboard and exponentially increase your love for your Nokia N8 with this new update!! You are able to edit the documents with a bt keyboard without opening up the on screen keyboard as well, allowing you to use more of the phone's screen for editting. All they need to do now is add the ability to Quickoffice to sync with Google docs... hear that, developers??

No more fiddling with Dialler The new update means that you will not have to rotate your phone over and over again when you are using the dialler. Before the update, the dialler would only operate in portrait mode but now they have enabled landscape mode which will be great news for N8 users. Actually, this issue was something I was wondering about today whilst fiddling with my phone - why does the N8 dialler not work in landscape? in typical Nokia fashion, the solution was not far away.

Email to Maps integration This is a very useful feature which i have not tried out yet but let me know whether it works.

If you notice any other big changes following your N8 update, or you found these observations useful, please leave a comment.

Download New PR 1.1 N8 Firmware now!

A Nokia N8 firmware has just been released into the wild with 013.016 PR1.1 for RM-596 made available via the software update tool. You can download the new firmware by "calling" *#0000#.

The changelog for PR 1.1 is here:

• Web updated to 7.2.8.10
• Quickoffice updated to 6.4.166, editing functions now enabled on the N8 (i.e. don't have to pay to upgrade), improved zooming functions
• Adobe Reader updated to 2.5.653
• Big update to Nokia Email; performance improved; 'unread emails' flag added to homescreen widget; meeting requests can be accepted directly from email invitations; maps integration, which means people can view the meeting location on the map when the address is mentioned in the location field in the invite
• General performance improvements
• Dialler now works in landscape mode
• Previous performance updates are rolled in and, in the full (Ovi Suite-installed, >100MB) image, there's the facility to provide a better working starting point than hard resetting a PR 1.0 device

Awesome Fireworks Display for Australia Day on N8

Last night Perth had Australia's biggest fireworks display for Australia Day and we captured it on the Nokia N8. This is how it looked. The video was shot at South Perth, with the Perth city in the background. This is the final few minutes of the fireworks display.

Changing Default Browser

I am not sure whether this was a recent addition to the N8 on one of the updates but I noticed today that there is a way of changing the default browser that the phone uses for surfing the internet. Go to Settings -> Applications Settings -> Default Applications to make the changes. This will be useful for those that would much prefer Opera Mobile over the Symbian browser.

Apps Update for N8

For those eager Nokia N8 users, you may realise that the Nokia N8 now has an Apps Update which has just come out. In order to download it, go to APPLICATIONS -> TOOLS -> SOFTWARE UPDATE. This update will correct the roblem that we often have where the phone will lock down but the screen won't dim, causing an unnecessary waste of battery. On installing the application, the screen dimming still didn't work so I've restarted the phone. After this, the phone lock works very quickly and responsively. We'll see whether this remains the case in the next few days. Do you know anything else that has changed?

Nokia and Snowboards have one thing in common

We're a lot about making the most of the phones that we own and so it is with great interest that we hear the background story for the PUSH Burton project - where snowboards are tracked wit the state of the art technology developed by Nokia via the Nokia N8 (of course). It was one of the biggest highlights to meet Stu Wells and the team who were in charge of this project in London during Nokia World 2010 and its with great interest that we can announce the project is nearing completion. Jaw will drop and minds will wonder what else one can do with a Nokia phone. If you want to get a behind the scenes view of the project, join a Nokia product manager on his blog to find out how this project came to be.

For those that are interested in how this project is going, you can have a look at www.blogs.nokia.com/pushburton. 

Get PUSH Burton Blog updates here such as the most recent update.. yesterday!

R&D Update 10/01/11

10.01.11 - posted by admin

We’re just days away from heading out to Laax with the entire Push Snowboard team! Check out the Push R&D team’s latest update on the new phone app…

Hi all!
Just give you all an update on the phone app, we’ve been working around the clock this week to finish as much of the new app as possible.

Currently we have two apps: One is the “ugly/development” version that does everything needed for our test this week in Switzerland and the other is basically the same app (under the hood it IS technically the same app) but with a completely new look & feel and some simple visualizations.

This new app is almost finished but some bits are missing and the developer (uh… me) will try to have it done by the weekend!

Wish you all a nice week! (Mine will be for sure!)

-Clovis

Taking photos in silence

Just thought I would share a little tip I discovered which is not available for many other phones. On the Nokia N8 you can take a photo without the shutter sound if you turn your phone to silent mode. The camera on the N8 is very powerful but sometimes its the very simple features that help us the most.

N8 via HDMI to Your TV

One of the great features of the Nokia N8 must be the fact that you can plug the phone directly into a big tv screen via the HDMI slot! Now Nokia has made things even more exciting with a new application called Nokia Big Screen which allows you to:

• Show your photos and videos in high definition on your TV screen
• Listen to music from your phone on your home audio system
• View song lyrics in karaoke style and watch videos with subtitles
• Play music on the background while you browse your photos
• Enjoy a photo slideshow with music of your choice (change the direction with left/right arrow keys)
• Screen saver activates after a minute's idle time to protect your TV
• Use your phone as an entertainment hub you can take everywhere with you

Sure you could do many of these things before but now they can be done with a better looking interface. I have not tried it out yet but this was something important to let you all know first. Leave your comments when you've had a go at Nokia Big Screen. You can download it from Nokia Beta Labs by signing in to http://betalabs.nokia.com/apps/nokia-big-screen