N82 Firmware Update 31.0.016

So, a couple of days after the firmware update was announced, I decided to update my N82 last night. Steve at AAS had suggested the update had interfered with the Maps functionality on his phone, but on the whole most users were reporting a successful update, with suggestions that the phone operates faster and smoother, that the Auto Screen Rotation had been improved, the call ending bug had been fixed, a faster GPS lock, better battery life and improvement in the loud speakers.

I've never experienced the call end bug - apparently some users have seen the phone 'hang' for a few seconds after ending a call. As for the ASR, I have that turned off, the only time it is useful to me is in the gallery, or sometimes web browsing. Most often it is just bloody annoying. Just to see what it is like, I re-enabled this feature last night. My impression is, if this is now 'fast' then before it must have been excruciatingly slow! So, I've turned it off again. GPS in my experience on the N82 has always been fast, what I did notice is the positioning is slightly more accurate. When I've loaded Maps in the past at home, I was always located at the property next door, but last night it accurately positioned me at home. I only activated the Maps to try the log on, it seemed no quicker, but also no slower, just more accurate. Battery life remains to be seen, but the speakers are a definite improvement, even for someone like me who rarely notices these things. Play music on loud speaker now, then turn on stereo widening, and you can clearly hear the difference.

So all well with the phone, but I did wonder half way through the update if I would even have a working phone at all! The firmware downloaded ok, the update started, after a few minutes I got a message on screen saying the connection to my N82 had been lost! I started to think I may have bricked my phone somehow. I followed the message on the screen which said to remove battery, charger and USB cable from the device, then re-insert the USB cable, battery and charger, press the power button for one second and see click the retry button on screen. I did all that except plug in the charger, as I wasn't using the charger to begin with.

After about a 7 minute wait, I got the error message again! I wasn't quite panicking just yet, but was starting to get concerned. I followed the instructions on screen again, but this time did plug in my charger. That somehow seems to have done the trick as the phone kicked back into life and the firmware install started again and everything, thankfully, went through fine with no further issues.

As you can see from the screenshot, I now have version 31.0.016 running on the phone. For now all seems to be ok; I'll post up if I come across any issues.

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Audio Smileys

A new application of absolutely no relevance from Nokia Beta Labs, Audio Smileys. Whilst the app has no general relevance it *is* good fun, and can create a laugh around unsuspecting friends. See the video clip below for more. In the clip the question is asked, do we want to see more apps like this or not? I think that it is good to see fun apps being thrown out for phones every once in a while, and think it should be encouraged. Click the link to download the application.

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Nokia N82 Software Update

Steve at AAS got the scoop on a new update for the Nokia N82, but since updating has been having issues with Nokia Maps.

If you've done the update and have feedback, or if you are having issues with Maps to, pop over and join in the chat. Personally I think I'll wait and see how things go before I update my phone.

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Nokia N82 - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly!

So, after a long time deciding, I now have a sure idea in my mind what I want in my mobile phone. I still say phone, when in reality it is so much more. But Mobile Communication device just sounds naff!

Candy bar is my preference, followed by flip, then slide. I want a proper alphanumeric keypad on my phone. No QWERTY, no touchscreen. It must be S60.

At the moment, the Nokia N82 fulfills my requirements for the above. But the N82 is not perfect. Here's my take on what is good, what is bad, and what is downright ugly!

The Good.
5mp Camera - With the N82 you've got to start with the standout feature, the camera. Excellent high quality pics, proper Xenon flash, quick processing. Video clip quality is very good too, more than acceptable.
Connectivity - Everything you need, from WiFi to HSDPA, Bluetooth, backed up by HSCSD, GPRS and EDGE.
Messaging - Everything covered here, too. Email is the main one I use, so much cheaper with a good data plan to email than use text or SMS. Also being S60 there are so many options for connecting to IM services, too.
GPS - If you are going to have a feature like GPS on your phone, it is good to know it will work when needed. The GPS on the N82 is damn fast, I rarely have to wait too long to get a log to the network, and with aGPS as a back up location finding is almost instant. I rarely use maps, but on the occasions I have the software has never let me down, and t hat applies to either Nokia Maps or Google Maps.
3.5mm Connector - Having a music player on a mobile phone is pretty much standard these days, but a 3.5mm connector is not. Even some handsets that are heavily branded as music phones, like the Walkman range from Sony Ericsson, lack such an obvious option.

For me, the above are the highlights of an excellent product. There is much more that the phone offers, but those are the standout features I appreciate having. But, it isn't all rosy....

The Bad
I don't like the Micro USB cable - I have so many standard mini USB cables lying around, but for that one phone I have to have a Micro USB cable. Annoying. I don't understand why Nokia couldn't stick with the standard mini USB here?
Multimedia key - Unlike some other bloggers, the multimedia menu on the Nseries range doesn't bother me so much, as I rarely use it. But that silly key does bother me, a lot. It just gets in the way, and it looks naff.
And if that key is bad, then the actual keypad is a nightmare. Although recent experience has shown me it is preferable to a QWERTY set up, it is still uncomfortable for long term usage.

The Ugly
This is ugly! Just look at that Homescreen, writing all over the place! I actually like having the shortcut icons on my screen, at the top, but I do not like in any way the whole list of writing that comes with it. Search content, share online, calendar entries, etc, it just looks so messy. I'm not really bothered about themes, as you can see I tend to stick with plain looking ones, so it is not having the wallpaper covered that bothers me but the mess. What makes the whole thing worse is knowing that Nokia could very easily implement the excellent homescreen plugins used on the Eseries. The all or nothing approach with the Nseries handsets is just not on, not with a perfectly acceptable solution just begging to be used.
So currently my screen looks like this. It just looks wrong without the six icons across the top. It's a good thing that I can create shortcuts around the Navi-Key, but it isn't the same.

So, that's my thoughts on the N82 for now. By no means an exhaustive list, but just a highlight of what I like and dislike about the phone. Until a proper replacement comes along, it is the phone I choose to use.

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Stick With What You Know

I have always been of the mind that I don't like touch screen phones, and I have always been of the mind that I don't like QWERTY keyboard phones. You would have thought that by now, I would accept this and just deal with it. I guess wisdom doesn't always come with age!

The main thing I use my phone for is messaging, text and email. I rarely call. I web browse frequently, and I like the added extras available on most modern smartphones, such as camera, GPS, MP3 player, etc. I've tried all platforms, from Windows Mobile to UIQ to S40 to your bog standard phone interface, and nothing performs to the level of S60.

Knowing this, I still like to try out new phones, new features, new services and new products. But, every time, I go back to what I know. Of all the phones I have owned, only a few have really stood the test. Amongst those are the Nokia 6310i, Nokia 7650, Nokia 6600, Nokia N73, Nokia N95 (inc 8GB version), and Nokia N82. I wouldn't suggest I am a Nokia addict, but the phones that pass the test are for me the phones that I keep going back to, after trying something new. Before owning a 6310i, there was never a phone I was particularly bothered about, although the 2110 was ok, as was the 8110, but the 6310i was in a class of it's own. I'd buy a new phone, but nothing came up to standard, so I would go back to it. Until the 7650 came along. And the same with that, I must have bought the 7650 at least 5 times, as I would sell for a new phone, only for it not to come up to scratch, so I would buy the 7650 again! Same with the 6600, N73 and N95. Sure there would be a period in between whilst I was using other phones, but none ever passed the test the way these phones did.

And now, the latest phone to pass the 'test', is another Nokia, another S60 phone, another NSeries phone. Over the last few months, I've been using the E51, then the Samsung F480 Tocco, followed by a Sony Ericsson C905. The Tocco, whilst a nice enough phone for a touchscreen affair, just didn't cut it, especially web browsing, and text entry was a pain. The C905 is a great imaging phone, with some nice features, but the keypad was hard and lacked any decent feedback, and it just looks like an old phone. Kinda plain and normal.

So, I took the opportunity to take a look at the market, and see if there was anything new out there for me. And, rather than make an impulse buy like I usually do, I took my time and compared phones. As mentioned in previous posts, I took my choice down to mainly the E71 or E66 with the E51 as an outside option, or the N95 8GB or the N82. I nearly went for the E71, I truly did, but that blasted QWERTY keyboard, it sucks! Surprisingly usable it may be, but not usable enough. For a quick message it was fine, but once I got into a long text conversation, it wasn't long before the phone and I became bitter enemies! I did try to persist, but I can't begin to tell you the relief of putting my SIM back into the N82. No more typos! Simple, easy, T9 assisted text entry. Just what I need.

So, after all the fannying about of the last few months, I hope I will remember the lesson learned. I actually do not like touchscreen phones; I actually do not like QWERTY keypad phones; nothing compares to S60 for usability, 'customisability' and functionality.

Basically, I should stick with what I know, and right now the current hero handset that I know, the latest to pass 'the test', is the Nokia N82.

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Arrivée du Nokia 3600 Slide aux couleurs de Rip Curl chez Bouygues Telecom

Nokia est associé à Rip Curl, l’une des plus prestigieuses marques de surf pour lancer le Nokia 3600s Rip Curl. Ce téléphone dédié aux demoiselles passionnées par la mode et les joies de la glisse, sera commercialisé chez Bouygues Telecom dès le 19 janvier 2009, au prix de 9 euros avec un forfait Bouygues Telecom ou 49 euros avec un forfait Universal Mobile.



Tendance et performant, le Nokia 3600s Rip Curl se différencie par sa forme compacte et l’originalité de ses dessins aux courbes aquatiques. Ce slider aux lignes fluides possède des surfaces étincelantes et de jolies nuances de couleurs. A la pointe de la technologie, avec son appareil photo 3.2 mégapixels, la vidéo, Windows LiveTM Messenger, son lecteur MP3, sa radio FM et le site de personnalisation Rip Curl, le Nokia 3600s Rip Curl permet de rester en contact permanent avec ses amis.



A propos de Rip Curl

Depuis sa création en 1969 en Australie, Rip Curl est la marque de surf la plus authentique et fait partie des leaders du surfwear international. Aujourd’hui, Rip Curl est numéro 3 mondial. La marque s’adresse à tous les pratiquants passionnés de sports de glisse –surf, snowboard, ski, …- en proposant des produits innovants et au design marquant.

Rip Curl, « the Ultimate Surfing Company », peut se vanter d’avoir certainement les meilleurs événements féminins européens ainsi que le meilleur team surf internationale. Il en sera encore de même pour l’année prochaine. Une volonté et une valeur de la marque australienne jamais ébranlées par les diverses crises. Pour la 8ème année consécutive, Rip Curl revient sur les meilleurs spots européens pour permettre à toutes les filles de s’initier au surf, avec cette année l’aide d’Hawaiian Tropic.

Egalement, en octobre, le Rip Curl Pro Mademoiselle s’invitera pour la toute première fois lors du Rip Curl Pro Search Somewhere. Les 17 meilleures surfeuses de la planète débarqueront sur la prochaine destination de l’étape la plus attendue du tour masculin et constitue une opportunité unique pour le grand public d’assister à une compétition d’exception.

Le surf féminin est en train de vivre une nouvelle mutation avec l’arrivée d’une jeune génération talentueuse venue tout droit d’Australie, Hawaii mais aussi d’Europe. Dernière petite surfeuse à avoir fait sensation, la jeune française Pauline Ado. Elle réalise l’exploit de remporter le titre de championne du monde junior professionnel, et rentre dans l’histoire de l’ASP en devenant la première européenne à remporter ce titre. Une performance historique qui accompagne les exploits récents de Stephanie Gilmore. Cette dernière, à peine âgée de 20 ans, est devenue en quelques mois la leader charismatique et respectée de cette nouvelle génération du surf féminin. Une fille saine, sportive, dynamique, souriante et féminine, la Rip Curl Girl parfaite !


A propos de Bouygues Telecom

Créée en 1994, Bouygues Telecom compte plus de 9,3 millions de clients, dont 6,9 millions de clients Forfait, et 8 000 collaborateurs. L'entreprise a pour ambition de "devenir la marque préférée de service de communication personnelle" en privilégiant le service et l’accompagnement de ses clients.

Créatrice du forfait et du répondeur gratuit en 1996 puis des offres illimitées (Forfait Millennium), Bouygues Telecom lance en 2006 Neo, le premier forfait illimité vers tous les opérateurs tous les jours dès 20h.

En 2008, la nouvelle gamme de forfaits Neo permet à chacun de choisir sa période d’illimité et de surfer sur Internet sans contrainte.Bouygues Telecom devient fournisseur d’accès Internet (FAI) et lance en octobre la Bbox sur son propre réseau fixe acquis en juillet.

Le réseau Internet mobile de Bouygues Telecom associant les technologies 3G+ (72% de la population couverte au printemps 2009) et Edge (94% de la population couverte) permet de profiter d’une excellente couverture partout en France et de très hauts débits dans les principales villes pour une qualité de service adaptée aux besoins de ses clients.

N°1 de la Relation Clients en téléphonie mobile* pour la deuxième année consécutive, Bouygues Telecom assure un service de proximité. Ses six centres de relation clients implantés en France qui emploient 2 000 conseillers de clientèle, son réseau de distribution de 580 Clubs et le site Internet disponible 7j/7 et 24h/24 permettent d’offrir une présence de qualité auprès de ses clients.



* Podium de la Relation Clients BearingPoint-TNS Sofres (avril 2008)



À propos de Nokia

Leader mondial dans le domaine de la mobilité, Nokia contribue à l'évolution et à la croissance des marchés convergents d'Internet et des communications. Notre vaste gamme de terminaux mobiles, de services et de logiciels garantit aux utilisateurs une expérience optimale dans les domaines suivants : musique, navigation, vidéo, télévision, photographie, jeux, mobilité professionnelle et bien d’autres encore. Nous nous attachons en priorité à développer et élargir notre offre de services Internet grand public, ainsi que nos solutions et logiciels professionnels. Par l’intermédiaire de Nokia Siemens Networks, nous fournissons également des équipements, des solutions et des services pour réseaux de communication.

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Orange est partenaire du Train pour l'Emploi et l'Egalité des Chances

15 000 postes à pourvoir

à bord d’un Train-expo™ exceptionnel

le « Train pour l’Emploi et l’Égalité des Chances »



Fort du succès rencontré lors de sa première édition, « le Train pour l’Emploi et l’Égalité des Chances » sera de nouveau sur les rails du 17 au 31 mars prochains et stationnera dans 12 gares. Cet événement s’inscrit dans une démarche offensive qui consiste à recruter des femmes et des hommes sur les seuls critères de compétences, de motivation et de mérite. Les candidats motivés, volontaires, diplômés ou non, pourront choisir de postuler à l’un des 15 000 emplois et contrats d’alternance offerts par des entreprises de renom (privées et publiques) et fédérations à bord de ce nouveau Train-expo™ d’envergure.



Plus que jamais, il est bon de souligner que des entreprises ont des besoins en recrutement et savent se mobiliser pour l’emploi. Groupe La Poste, Orange, la SNCF, AXA, groupe Carrefour, Keolis, la Défense Nationale (Armée de Terre, Armée de l’Air, Marine Nationale), NRJ se regroupent dans ce collectif qui veut donner à chacun sa chance en matière d’accès à l’emploi. Avec le soutien de la CGPME, la Fédération Française du Bâtiment, ETHIC, la Fédération des entreprises de services à la personne, elles vont ainsi au plus près des publics diversifiés, de tous âges, issus de tous horizons, qui ne viennent pas spontanément à elles.



Cette année, le partenariat renforcé avec Pôle emploi et le Conseil national des missions locales permettra à tous les demandeurs d’emploi de postuler plusieurs semaines avant l’arrivée du Train. Un site internet est ouvert à compter du 2 février 2009 et permet de déposer son CV en ligne : train-emploi.fr



Ce projet ne serait rien sans la conviction qui anime ses créateurs et organisateurs. Karim Zéribi, porte-parole du Train pour l’Emploi et l’Égalité des Chances commente : « pour donner sa chance à chacun, il faut veiller à ne pas tomber dans le piège qui consiste à créer de nouvelles inégalités en voulant lutter contre. C’est dans une dynamique d’ouverture et de diversification des voies de recrutement que se fera ce voyage. Notre objectif est de donner à chacun sa chance, la priorité des recruteurs se portant sur l’évaluation des compétences et des aptitudes du candidat. Il est temps de cesser de définir nos concitoyens par leurs origines ethniques, leur lieu d’habitation, leur sexe ou leur âge. Ce collectif d’entreprises n’a qu’un objectif à bord de ce train pour l’emploi : recruter les meilleurs ! ».

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