The Mobile Space Cell Phone Blog Is Back

Hello everybody and welcome back to the Mobile Space – Cell Phone related blog. This blog will now being revived and I will be writing about all kinds of cell phone related topics. Some of these topics include accessibility, cell phone reviews (of many different brands), cell phone signaling, and even information on cell signal boosters.

Amir is no longer with us because he no longer has the time to maintain this blog. I hope that this blog can continue to provide you with all of the great information that you have come to expect from it.

If there is anything that you would like me to write about go ahead and leave a comment and I’ll try to get you information regarding it.

New Release of S60NewsReader Offers OPML Support

My favorite S60 RSS Aggregator, S60NewsReader, was just updated to V1.03.04. This new release adds support for a highly desirable feature: import/export of OPML files. I just gave it a try and it works flawlessly. One thing, however, can truly complement the export/import functionality. I’d like to be able to select multiple OPML files when I want to import RSS feeds. Currently you can’t select more than one OPML file, and as you import one feed you have to start the whole process by specifying whether OPML files reside on the phone memory or on the memory card. As such, it would be great to specify a folder which contains OPML files. Alternatively, the application can help users check/uncheck their desired OPML files similar to how contact names are selected upon composing SMS messages. Tobias Stoeger has done an excellent job of developing a totally accessible application, and, I believe, applications like this indicate that accessibility isn’t at variance with feature-richness.

Quick Update on the Status of The Mobile Space Cell Phone Blog

New Update On The Status of The Mobile Space Cell Phone Blog

As an avid blog reader, I hate to see huge gaps between two posts. Now this happened to my blog and I’m more apologetic than you might imagine. This has happened for two important reasons:

• You might find it strange, but I still use a slow K56 dial-up connection. Obviously such a connection doesn’t allow me to stay online or to surf web sites as freely as I wish. It also keeps my telephone busy. I’m doing my best to get a 256KB ADSL connection. If I succeed in doing so, you’ll see my blog posts almost instantly.
• I’ve decided to set up my own web site in order to facilitate the process of posting articles and receiving comments. Buying a domain from something like WordPress is almost impossible for those who live in Iran, but I sincerely hope to be able to find a solution soon.

Last but not least, I still believe in the solid principles of my mobile space cell phone blog, and will resume my posts as I resolve these issues.

Nuance Releases TALKS 3.60.3

Although the Nuance TALKS page reflects no new releases as I’m writing this post, many dealer sites have been updated with news of the release of TALKS 3.60.3. According to the release notes, this is mainly a maintenance update for TALKS 3.52 which offers S60 FP2 support for handsets like the N78 and the 6220. TALKS 3.60.3 provides the following new features and bug fixes.

Automatic progress announcement

A new option in the advanced settings allows to activate automatic read-out of progress indicators, for progress bars (like during software installation), and while loading a web page (announcement of the data size that has been read so far). “For 5 seconds” is the default, same as for previous releases of TALKS. “Never” means that no progress read-out occurs. Otherwise, progress is checked in the set interval. This option can be found in the application-specific settings as well, allowing the user to define different progress announcement for any specific application.

List of symbols and edit menu

When pressing [*] while not typing a word with T9, a list of special symbols appears. The top row of this list can display the most recently used symbols, and it has not been read by previous releases of TALKS. For handsets that do not have an [Edit] key, or for newer firmware versions of handsets that have this key, pressing [*] or [Edit] brings up a list, allowing to choose from the most recently used symbols, choose from other symbols, and set the edit mode and language. All of these cases are now read properly by TALKS.

Improved support for Wayfinder Access

TALKS now reads the textual display of the map view in Wayfinder Access. This usually shows the name of the closest street, if GPS is active, and the user can move around using specific key commands, like 1 to move to all POI’s close to the current GPS position, the arrow keys (or 2, 4, 6, to move into the corresponding direction. While this is of limited use for a fully blind person, a partially sighted user can use the map view with the new speech support to improve her/his orientation along a route, or at a given position. In addition to that, TALKS is offering better support by completely reading out long screen content, like for the Vicinity “Around you” feed view, where speech has been cut off in previous versions.

Other Improvements

• TALKS now reads lists that previously could only be read by turning off “Read full list items” in the advanced settings.
• Arabic: Fixed incorrect reading of calculator display when using Indic digits (e.g. on N95).
• Arabic: Fixed random loss of characters on web pages.
• Nokia 6110 Navigator: Added workaround to allow inputting text into fields in the web browser.
• Nokia 6110 Navigator: Fixed crash in splash screen of Route66 with FW 4.22.
• Changed TALKS key on E71 from [Shift] to [Chr], in line with E61 and E61i.
• Fixed some possible application crashes when TALKS is enabled.
• Fixed specific crashes when showing unknown objects in the Object Viewer.

If you want to download TALKS 3.60.3, use this URL. Release notes can also be downloaded by following this URL. These two downloads are provided by Talknav.

Talkonaut 4.15 Introduces Many New Features

If you are a fan of the free IM/VoIP S60 client, Talkonaut, you can now upgrade to its 4.15 release. Talkonaut 4.15 – which is almost incompatible with Symbian S60 screen readers – offers the following new features and bug fixes:

• ZLib compression support added which allows to reduce IM chat and presence traffic by 7-10 times.
• Status storing support.
• Improved feel and look for graphical user interface.
• Improved menu structure, frequently used features are now easily accessed through right soft-key.
• Talkonaut is now translated to Polish, Chinese and Arabic languages.
• Clipboard support for “copy” and “paste” features.
• Support for Password-Protected conference rooms.
• Support for nick change in conference rooms.
• Real full JID is being displayed for conference room moderators.
• Extended contact information is now available.
• “Contacts” tab is not shown when “show groups” or “show IM groups” option is enabled.
• Native ICQ, MSN, Yahoo and AIM -like sound notifications.
• Long text support in chat input, allows to insert Enter character.
• Some smilies were not properly shown (THUMB-UP).
• Private chat contacts no longer appear in main roster.
• Fixed vCard support.
• Fixed calling from Google Talk to Talkonaut.
• Improved voice quality for mVoIP calls.
• Fixed SSL connection on Symbian.

Simply put, if Talkonaut supported Skype and were screen-reader compatible, it could be called the most feature-rich Symbian S60 VoIP/IM client.

Related Info: Talkonaut Vo-IP / Messenger Comparison

Talkonaut Updated To V4.12

Highly Anticipated Nokia N96 Cell Phone Begins Shipping

Long after the N96 specs were leaked it is finally being shipped to customers.

Espoo, Finland – Nokia today announced the availability of the much anticipated Nokia N96, its flagship multimedia computer in the iconic Nokia Nseries range. It boasts live TV, 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, turn-by-turn voice navigation, 16GB of internal memory that can be increased to 24GB with an optional microSD card, superior sound and music, N-Gage gaming and a stunning 2.8″ display. First shipments of the Nokia N96 have started and it will be available with an estimated retail price of EUR 550 before taxes and subsidies.

“The Nokia N96 is mobile entertainment at its best, a fitting flagship for our Nseries range. It defines convergence by blending phone and multimedia options seamlessly with the unique Nokia Nseries dual slider that makes discovering and sharing experiences easy. Watch live TV and video, take high quality photos and geotag them to specific locations or directly upload them online via the fast internet connection – it is all about taking mobile entertainment and communication to the next level,” says Jonas Geust, Vice President, Nokia Nseries.

Supporting live TV as it happens using DVB-H technology, the Nokia N96 delivers advanced television viewing across a number of channels. It is even possible to record favorite programmes to watch back whenever suits, be it on a train, in an airport lounge or in a café over a drink.

In many markets, the Nokia N96 comes pre-loaded with a blockbuster movie (title varies by region). Feel part of the action as it erupts through the vivid 2.8″ display and built-in 3D stereo speakers. Sit back, watch the plot unfold and enjoy the special effects hands-free, practically anywhere, thanks to a cleverly designed ‘kickstand’ on the back cover.

The Nokia N96 has the ability to store up to 40 hours of video content transferred from a PC via hi-speed USB 2.0 connection or found online with WLAN and HSDPA support. The Nokia Video Center offers access to a variety of content ranging from movie trailers and comedy to news from world-leading providers such as YouTube, Reuters and Sony Pictures. The Nokia N96 supports the most common video formats including MPEG-4, Windows Media Video and Flash Video.

Capture clear, bright, high quality video clips at 30 frames per second as well as sharp, defined photos with the 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics and dual LED Flash. Images can be geotagged instantly to record the location and directly uploaded to online communities such as Share on Ovi and Flickr.

The Nokia N96 has an enhanced navigation experience that includes rich, easy-to-use maps with urban detail as well as satellite views. Voice guided turn-by-turn navigation – for walking or driving – along with the new City Guides that offer a great way to explore undiscovered places. It is even possible to upload and share personalized journeys, favourite places and great new finds online.

The Nokia N96 boasts an advanced music offering and can hold a music collection that entertains even more dedicated fans. People can create personal music playlists by downloading tracks from the Nokia Music Store and other online sites or synchronize PC and mobile libraries via hi-speed USB connectivity. Alternatively, the Nokia N96 offers RDS radio or a wide selection of stations via the internet.

Making the mobile experience even more personal, the Nokia Download! application provides a broad range of tailored content – including a selection of branded entertainment as well as personalized content – to ensure each Nokia N96 is as unique as its owner.

Related Info: Samsung i8510 Cell Phone is the Nokia N96 Cell Phone Killer

Cell Phone News is the Hub of the Smartphone World

If you are looking for a good web site to be notified of the latest smartphone-related blog posts around the world, take a look at Cell Phone News. Cell Phone News gives you access to the best cell phone and mobile internet articles from across the web, as judged by other members. Also, you can use it to follow your favorite blogs in one place, bookmark useful articles and use the tags system to find all articles on a particular topic. The new version of the site draws from over 300 cell phone blogs and news sites. Suggestions for new blogs to include in the Trusted Sources list are most welcome.

Comparatively, Cell Phone News is similar to our familiar and fabulous WOM World; however, Cell Phone News isn’t just about Nokia handsets. Moreover, blog posts appear on Cell Phone News automatically, that is, without human intervention.

Nokia N85 Cell Phone – The Definitive Entertainment Package

Espoo, Finland – Nokia today unveiled the Nokia N85, the latest Nokia Nseries multimedia computer made to set new standards for mobile entertainment, gaming and sharing. Along with an eye-catching 2.6″ OLED screen and smooth, sleek finish, the Nokia N85 redefines the mobile experience. It boasts N-Gage gaming, music with in-built FM transmitter, 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics and geotagging capabilities, three month integrated license for turn-by-turn voice navigation and high-speed connectivity, all in one device. This cell phone is expected to begin shipping in October 2008 with an estimated retail price of EUR 450, before taxes and subsidies.

“The Nokia N85 was created to be more than the sum of its parts, offering a complete mobile entertainment package designed for connecting, sharing and discovering,” said Juha-Pekka Sipponen, Director, Nokia Nseries. “The iconic Nokia Nseries dual slider design has evolved to become smaller and sleeker while integrating the newest features and services to deliver the best mobile experience to date.”

With a strong lineup of multimedia features, the Nokia N85 is taking the world of mobile convergence to the next level. Gaming, photos, navigation and music blend together with the newest Ovi and third party services via 3.5G HSDPA and Wi-Fi connectivity to make discovering and sharing experiences quick and seamless.

Engage and interact

The Nokia N85 is pre-loaded with at least 10 made-for-mobile N-Gage gaming titles that jump off of the screen thanks to the dazzling OLED display and a voucher to activate one full game license. Dedicated gaming keys light up when the device is in landscape gaming mode to further enhance the action-packed experience. A state-of-the-art 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics and bright dual LED flash captures clear, sharp images as well as DVD-quality videos at 30 frames per second. Combined with A-GPS it is possible to geotag favorite pictures to see where each photo was taken using the Nokia Maps application or online sites such as Share on Ovi or Flickr.

Each Nokia N85 comes with an 8 GB microSD card, up to 30 hours of music playback time and its high-fidelity sound means favorite tracks can be enjoyed virtually anywhere. Build a personal music collection from the millions of tracks and playlists available from the Nokia Music Store or other online music vendors, or synchronize PC and mobile music libraries via USB cable. Alternatively, consumers can enjoy RDS radio or a wide selection of stations via the internet The 3.5 mm audio jack makes connecting a top-quality headset simple and an in-built FM transmitter lets the Nokia N85 play wirelessly through a car or home stereo to really crank up the sound.

While it comes out of the box with a multitude of powerful functionality, the pre-loaded Nokia Download! application makes the Nokia N85 truly customizable by offering a wide range of bespoke content. This includes an outstanding selection of world-class branded entertainment content, the latest in mobile gaming and dynamic applications so users can really make their device their own.

The Nokia N79 Cell Phone Tops the Candybar Category

In spite of the fact that we can’t praise a cell phone without actually using it, it seems to me that the Nokia N79 is the best candybar handset manufactured by Nokia. This means that even the N82 will no longer carry the title of the best candybar Nseries handset. Just take a look at the following N79 specs:

• Stylish Nseries power emphasized by two different front covers – and five Xpress-on TM smart back covers. Three smart covers are included in every box, so the N79 can suit any occasion. The display theme changes automatically when new covers are attached.
• FM Transmitter with direct access to the Nokia Music Store, power for up to 24 hours of music playback plus 3.5 mm headset connector and dedicated music keys for non-stop music enjoyment.
• 5 MPX camera with Carl Zeiss optics, geotagging and dual LED-flash for high-quality images and DVD. Quality video and easy upload to Share on Ovi, Flickr or YouTube.
• Discover new places with turn-by-turn voice navigation, pedestrian navigation, city guides and 15 million points of interest with Nokia Maps 2.0.
• Includes a 4GB microSD card and supports up to 8GB for carrying a wide selection of songs, photos, videos and games.
• Size: 110 x 49 x 15 mm.
• Weight: 97g.
• Display: 2.4” QVGA (240×320 px) with up to 16M colors.
• Memory: Up to 50MB internal memory, 4GB in-box micro SD memory card.
• Talk time: Up to 210 min (3G), 330 min (GSM).
• Stand-by time: Up to 406 hours (3G), 370 hours (GSM).

So far, we know that the N79 is the smallest candybar Nseries handset. It’s also the first candybar Nseries smartphone to offer dedicated music keys. However, these are not enough to make the N79 shine. The following features have been taken from N79 technical specs page.

• BL-6F 1200 mAh Li-Ion battery.
• Browsing time with packet data (maximum): 5 h 54 min.
• Video playback time (maximum): 4 h 24 min.
• Video recording time (maximum): 3 h 30 min.
• Video calling time (maximum): 2 h 20 min.
• Music playback time (maximum): 29 h.
• Gaming time (maximum): 4h.
• Slide cover for protection and camera activation.
• Video recording file formats: .mp4, .3gp; codecs: H.263, H.264.
• Audio recording formats: AMR, AAC stereo.
• Video playback file formats: MPEG4, AVC/H.264, WMV, RV, Flash Video, H.263/3GPP.
• Video streaming: MPEG4, AVC/H.264, WMV, RV, Flash Video, H.263/3GPP.
• Audio streaming.
• UPnP music streaming.
• Digital stereo microphone.

As the detailed specs list shows, the N79 comes with a BL-6F 1200 mAh battery, supports audio/video streaming, provides a digital stereo microphone, and ads AAC to the audio formats it can record. I believe these are enough to take any Nseries handset one step forward. If the right-mounted speakers are better than those of the N82, I’ll definitely get an N79 as it reaches Iran.

Related Info: Nokia N79 & N85 To Be Announced Today

Nokia N79 Cell Phone – Powerful Fusion of Technology and Style

Espoo, Finland – Nokia today unveiled the Nokia N79, the latest addition to the Nokia Nseries range that combines intelligent and customizable design with a fully-loaded multimedia computer. Behind its sleek exterior, the Nokia N79 is a technology powerhouse. It offers a full range of multimedia experiences including integrated navigation, music with FM transmitter, high-speed connectivity, superior web browsing, at least 10 pre-loaded N-Gage games and an advanced 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics. The Nokia N79 is expected to begin shipping in October 2008, with an estimated retail price of EUR 350, before taxes and subsidies.

“The Nokia N79 packs cutting-edge technology into a compact design – a characteristic of the iconic Nseries – that allows people to discover, create and share their passions with others,” said Juha Kokkonen, Director, Nokia Nseries. “It has been designed for those who want a device that is as appealing as it is powerful and comes with interchangeable covers that have automatically matching screen themes. This balance of performance and style means that it is a powerful and defining step forward from the popular and very successful Nokia N72 and Nokia N73.”

Perfect for the style conscious, the Nokia N79 comes with Xpress-on smart covers that are available in five cool colors: Light Sea Blue, Espresso Brown, Olive Green, White and Coral Red. A combination of three of these comes with each Nokia N79.

The convergence of photos, music and navigation in the Nokia N79 combines with high-speed 3.5G HSDPA and Wi-Fi to make it quick and easy to share experiences on websites, blogs or online communities.

Experience new discoveries

The innovative technology packed into this colorful offering means that accessing a rich pool of services to further enhance individual experiences is seamless. Log on to online communities like Friendster, Flickr or YouTube or click through to Nokia services such as the Nokia Music Store, N-Gage, Nokia Maps and Share on Ovi, an online service that enables consumers to share personal pictures and videos from their mobile devices.

The 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, dual LED flash and video light captures sharp, clear images and video that can be edited immediately, without the need for a PC. Images can also be geotagged to specific locations. What’s more, the Nokia N79 comes packaged with a 4 GB microSD memory card that makes it possible to store around 3,000 songs, approximately 2,500 pictures and up to four hours of DVD-quality video clips that can be organized by albums or tags and uploaded directly to Share on Ovi or third party services. The addition of a sliding lens cover helps protect the top-quality lens when not in use.

Nokia Maps makes it easy to explore and navigate new surroundings by accessing more than 15 million points of interest (POI). In-built A-GPS providing turn-by-turn navigation – for walking or driving – comes with a three month integrated license on the Nokia N79.

A Friendster widget will also be made available for the Nokia N79 via the WidSets service. This will allow people to browse Friendster friends’ profiles, view and post shoutouts, upload pictures taken with their handset, and browse their own and friends’ photo albums. All this enables more effective communication with friends while away from a computer using the Nokia N79. New users can even register for Friendster directly on their device via a link to Friendster’s mobile site (m.friendster.com), create an account, and instantly begin participating in the Friendster global community.

To ensure each device is as distinctive as its user, customizable features are available at the Nokia Download! store, a one stop personalization shop, already embedded in Nokia Nseries devices. It lets consumers create a unique experience for themselves by offering easy access to a multitude of popular ringtones, branded entertainment content, the latest in mobile gaming and dynamic applications for personalizing mobile devices to the user’s own preferences.

Related Info: Nokia N79 and N85 Cell Phones To Be Announced Today