My smartphones are usually geared around helping me work - email, web, IM, and so on. But every once in a while, real life intervenes, with family visits (in this case) demanding a complete break from work activity. And yet my Nokia 5800 turned out to be a star performer in everyone's eyes rather than a geeky 'Steve's trying to work when he should be chatting' electronic toy. Somewhat surprisingly.
Read on in the full article.
Interesting article, Steve. Touch is taking over...
re. Nokia Maps "but it's still the best mobile sat-nav for me". Better than TomTom? TomTom seem to have given up on S60 but I thought that navigation was still a lot better than Nokia Maps (in the UK at least)?
Personally I think the best bit of Navigation Software for the S60 is NavMii - www.navmii.com - It's very similar to Tom Tom and optimised for the 5800 too. Also cheaper than Nokia Maps! I reviewed it on Nokiaaddict.com here - http://nokiaaddict.com/2009/05/25/review-navmii-1-1-0-481-on-the-nokia-5800xm/
Kip
The great thing about a 5800 is that it makes the bridge between a smartphone and a normal human beings phone, it's just a phone that does all the good stuff if you want, but not a social crutch like some I could mention.
alistairj wrote:TomTom seem to have given up on S60
Good article Steve. I rate Google Maps as well, just used it to plan a small holiday break. I'm in a similar place with the Nokia 5800, I wish the camera was better but its good for most purposes.
Great feature Steve. Certainly shows what the 5800's camera can do given the right lighting conditions.
Just wondering why you didn't use Nokia Maps to search for the Spanish campsite?
...and the future of streaming/downloading?
As for S60 devices, I've really appreciated being able to download and play-when-I-fancy iPlayer stuff on the N96 and (more recently) 5800 but the real power of this service is clearly going to be when I can actually *keep* it. I enjoyed downloading 'Survivors' and more recently 'Reggie Perrin' but once the period of time allocated has expired, it's gone. Rafe has explained in the (recent) past about the reasons for this after meeting the responsible bods from the BBC, I recall, but surely we must get past this?
I might be old fashioned (for now) but I still like 'collections' and 'owning' stuff. This is the reason I still have a Sony DVD/HDD Recorder - so that I can record/burn TV shows that I want to 'keep forever' on a DVD - which, incidentally, I have done with Reggie Perrin and now have a permanent record of it on DVD. (BTW - it's not a patch on the original, but still, it's fun!)
On iPhone, it (as Steve mentions) streams and does a good job of that (as long as one's connection is sharp - I have 1MB download at home and 8MB at work and that's a *huge* difference in streaming terms. At home I often have a 'break' in delivery).
My O2 SIM-card now dances regularly between the iPhone and E71/90/5800/N96 and I can't decide which is 'best' for my needs on an hourly/minutely basis!
I love the Apple 'way' with apps and super multimedia connection with iTunes - and most of it 'just works' but something in me just keeps jostling back to S60. Maybe that's just the 'SIBO/EPOC factor'?! The biggest challenge for me just now is that the iPhone works beautifully with Facebook and Twitter and Audioboo and although there's a Facebook client/link on the 5800 and a Twitter 'link' for S60 (unless you want to pay �8 for Gravity) there's no way of recording audioboo submissions on a S60 phone - unless you know better! And it's all just 'links' and not 'apps'.
Time I slept! Night!
Tim
Yes, wish there was a proper Facebook client for S60 - inexplicable how noone's come up with one so far.... Maybe the N97's Facebook widget can be extended downwards?
Oh and don't baulk at Gravity's �8 cost - it really IS *that* good. Just buy it. Twitter on your phone, definitively and natively.
As for S60 devices, I've really appreciated being able to download and play-when-I-fancy iPlayer stuff on the N96 and (more recently) 5800 but the real power of this service is clearly going to be when I can actually *keep* it. I enjoyed downloading 'Survivors' and more recently 'Reggie Perrin' but once the period of time allocated has expired, it's gone. Rafe has explained in the (recent) past about the reasons for this after meeting the responsible bods from the BBC, I recall, but surely we must get past this?
Best regards,
Malcolm
TimSalmon, I believe that recording and keeping TV programmes is illegal in the UK, you may use your DVD recorder for time shift purposes only. If you want BBC programmes to keep forever then you need to purchase them on published media. So, buy the Reggie Perrin DVD box set when it comes out and convert it down to mobile.
Of course, everyone is legal right........ ahem.
slitchfield wrote:Yes, wish there was a proper Facebook client for S60 - inexplicable how noone's come up with one so far.... Maybe the N97's Facebook widget can be extended downwards?Oh and don't baulk at Gravity's �8 cost - it really IS *that* good. Just buy it. Twitter on your phone, definitively and natively.
Gravity might be an excellent peice of programming, but Twitter itself is useless and pointless.
If the developers of Gravity could apply their talents to something useful then that would be great.
i dont know if this is of any help to anyone
but my mates 5800 has a facebook app installed(seems to be through the fw tmobile uk
ironically enough mine has myspace....and for the life of me i cant seem to get facebook!)
there is also a mobile widget through yahoo go! where facebook
can be added but just as a widget....its actually pretty decent....
hope this helps someone....
someone asked steve why he didnt use nokia maps to search for the address of
his sister in spain.....im not sure if this is the reason, but maybe steve didnt have
spain as one of his downloaded map data?
i do agree with what steve outlined.....the 5800 seems to
be a hybrid between a smartphone and regular phone....
i commend nokia on finding such a balance with the device...
its good enough to keep regular users happy as well as us geeks
(as we geeks cant complain when we buy it as we know its limitations)
but regular users are quite happy with this "feature packed phone"....
then throw in a price of sub �200 pounds and well weve got more sold than
mcdonalds!!!! lol
slitchfield wrote:Oh and don't baulk at Gravity's �8 cost
...ah, before I do that I must decide on a device to focus on or it's �32! 😉 I have used the demo on the N96 and it is good, you're right.
But I still say that even with the luxury of a big (touch, if you like - personally I gravitate more to the N96 than 5800) S60 screen, if you want to do web-surfing for anything other than a quick-check, the iPhone can't be beaten (at the moment) so our previous combination support for both is a good idea for those who can afford it. An iPod Touch is only �150 now so it needn't be expensive to do. Incidentally, contrary to what Maemo fans say, the N810 (though technically superior) is not a patch on the iPhone/iPod Touch in terms of slick usability, speed, scrolling and zooming. Using the N810 is just a cludge for that purpose. And I haven't even started on games - as covered in your recent article!
I will say one thing further to emphasise my previous point, that the N96 gets much more SIM-time than the others and for some reason, the restrictions of not having QWERTY and no touch-screen don't seem to matter. I would prefer that the keypad had raised keys, like the N95 8GB, and I'd prefer to have the 1500mAh of the E71 (incidentally, don't bother to try getting the 1200mAh battery of the N78 and 'trim it down' as instructed in various YouTube assurances - it doesn't work - you can't close the back up) but there won't ever be a perfect device, as we keep saying to each other time and time again - until we're blue in the face!
Anyway, I drivel on... I'm sure I'll be touting device sales on twitter soon myself, too!
Tim
malbry wrote:I have a 5800 and don't bother with the in-built iPlayer for the reason you describe. Instead, I download onto my PC or Linux netbook using iplayer-dl (Google for it) to save a local copy without DRM.
That sounds interesting - I'll take a look. Thanks Malcolm.
Tim
Unregistered wrote:I believe that recording and keeping TV programmes is illegal in the UK, you may use your DVD recorder for time shift purposes only.
With the greatest respect, how can that possibly be true? Surely as long as I'm using for my own purpose I can shuffle stuff around my devices and burn what I like? How would Sony (in my case) be allowed to sell a HDD DVDRecorder which it shows it's audience in the handbook how to burn stuff from it's HDD to it's built-in DVD drive if it were illegal? I really can't see how your belief has any substance.
Tim
Unregistered wrote:my mates 5800 has a facebook app installed(seems to be through the fw tmobile uk ironically enough mine has myspace....and for the life of me i cant seem to get facebook!) there is also a mobile widget through yahoo go! where facebook can be added but just as a widget....its actually pretty decent....
hope this helps someone....
My 5800 has a facebook and myspace link included but they just launch the Web app and got to a URL, effectively 'desktop shortcuts' - they're not S60 'apps'.
You're right about the Yahoo app though - I'd forgotten about that one - it does seem to tick all the right boxes and may be the way to go.
Tim
timsalmon wrote:With the greatest respect, how can that possibly be true? Surely as long as I'm using for my own purpose I can shuffle stuff around my devices and burn what I like? How would Sony (in my case) be allowed to sell a HDD DVDRecorder which it shows it's audience in the handbook how to burn stuff from it's HDD to it's built-in DVD drive if it were illegal? I really can't see how your belief has any substance.Tim
With the greatest respect, to hijack your Sony HDD recorder example, why would any car manufacturer be allowed to sell a car in the UK if the car can travel more than 70 mph if doing so is illegal?
The law on fair deal recordings:
Acts that are allowed
Fair dealing is a term used to describe acts which are permitted to a certain degree without infringing the work, these acts are:
* Private and research study purposes.
* Performance, copies or lending for educational purposes.
* Criticism and news reporting.
* Incidental inclusion.
* Copies and lending by librarians.
* Acts for the purposes of royal commissions, statutory enquiries, judicial proceedings and parliamentary purposes.
* Recording of broadcasts for the purposes of listening to or viewing at a more convenient time, this is known as time shifting.
* Producing a back up copy for personal use of a computer program.
* Playing sound recording for a non profit making organisation, club or society.
The exception that allows your Sony HDD DVD doodah is time-shifting defined as:
The time shifting exception allows the legal copying of a TV broadcast of a film or TV programme (e.g. onto a DVD or on to a computer hard drive) only if:
* you make the copy in your own home; and
* you copy from the original broadcast; and
* your only reason for copying is to view the broadcast at a more convenient time.
This time shifting exception does not apply if you then share this copy with others by sending it to them or uploading it for download by them.
http://copyrightservice.co.uk/copyright/p01_uk_copyright_law
Number 8 in the above link.
As a proud 5800 user, very good article: for me even a 5/8mp camera phone can't rival a separate camera because of sensor size, flash etc. and for everyday photos for memories, facebook etc. the 5800 is fine.
Quick question, is that The Vyne in the photos? Lot of memories there!
No, but right area (Berkshire). Basildon Park!
Unregistered wrote:why would any car manufacturer be allowed to sell a car in the UK if the car can travel more than 70 mph if doing so is illegal?your only reason for copying is to view the broadcast at a more convenient time.
I guess to reply to your car example, Unregistered, it would be very difficult to govern all cars to not go more than 70mph in this country at point of import and there would need to be different adaptations made to all cars for all different countries. I think that the simile is maybe not such a fair one where the *sole purpose* of the DVD recorder is to record onto DVDs. Anyway, I'm not going to get into an argument over that, just to say that the points you rise are very interesting and if it's all accurate (I'm no legal bod) obviously not only individuals but companies clearly facilitate the breaching of such regulations. I guess, however, that I could argue that I'm only recording programmes onto disk to view at a more convenient time, so think I get away with it! I certainly don't share. loan, hire or sell to others - they sit in my lounge!
Tim
timsalmon wrote:I guess to reply to your car example, Unregistered, it would be very difficult to govern all cars to not go more than 70mph in this country at point of import and there would need to be different adaptations made to all cars for all different countries. I think that the simile is maybe not such a fair one where the *sole purpose* of the DVD recorder is to record onto DVDs. Anyway, I'm not going to get into an argument over that, just to say that the points you rise are very interesting and if it's all accurate (I'm no legal bod) obviously not only individuals but companies clearly facilitate the breaching of such regulations. I guess, however, that I could argue that I'm only recording programmes onto disk to view at a more convenient time, so think I get away with it! I certainly don't share. loan, hire or sell to others - they sit in my lounge!Tim
Well Tim, if I choose to use my DVD recorder to transfer my Hi-def camcorder recordings to DVD then the recorder is being used for an entirely legal purpose (notwithstanding the video content!!!). The sole purpose of the recorder is to record video to DVD, but NOT solely for *copyrighted broadcast television* with the intention of *retaining indefinitely*. Remember, recording for viewing at a convenient time is legal according to fair use/fair deal arrangements.
This is why iPlayer downloads have time limited DRM. Because with a clean slate technology and BBC only content and a BBC software player, it can more easily be done. To do it on a general recorder would mean the agreement of standards across all the different organisations involved...BBC....ITV....SKY.....CH4....etc....and all the recorder manufacturers would be difficult and probably counter productive. (sound familiar? different standards for different countries....point of import....). Sound simile I believe.
Basically, the BBC and other broadcasters protect their copyrights so that DVD sales are protected.
There are many rules are routinely breached. No big deal. Common sense.