If you free, do NIMBUZZ me.

I like to test applications for my Nokia E71. If I found it useful, I will install it and use it. Well, sometimes I just use it for a couple of time then that's it. But some of it stays in my phone as I find it convenience to have. You know, the feeling to know that you have something although you may not using it frequently but when you want it, it's there.

Enough of craps. For this posting, I wanna share my experience of using one of the freeware instant messaging client, Nimbuzz. Not many people know about Nimbuzz. I've been using it (though not on daily basis) for quite sometimes. Maybe since 2006, during my time with Nokia E70. Since then, it has improved alot.

As you can see on the right side of this posting, I'm one of the ambassadors for Nimbuzz. But don't worry, I'm not going to be biased in my review. Keep on reading and you'll know.

Nimbuzz supports many IM such as Google Talk, Yahoo Messenger, MSN Live and even Facebook chat to name a few. Cool huh? I like the user interface. Neat and tidy. You can even make a call to any Google Talk id (as long as they are using the client version on their pc). I'm not sure about call to any IM client. It delivers what it is suppose to deliver, instant messaging. No doubt about it. You can configure your SIP account for VoIP service. I haven't tried this feature.

In the early stage, I did tried to make a call to normal telephone using Nimbuzz but to no avail. At that time, we need to call a local number before our call is transferred to the targeted number. So, we can enjoy a local call rate which is cheaper than international.

I don't have to mention all the good things about Nimbuzz as they deliver what they advertise. However, I have a few complaints:
1. Some of the ID's are not grouped accordingly. For example, if I have 10 friends who are on Google Talk. Only 4 of them are listed under Google Talk group. The rest I need to find under the common group. Same goes to YM.
2. Whenever you want to start using Nimbuzz, it takes around 10 seconds to connect. Hopefully they can improve this.

Other than the above, I'm a happy user of Nimbuzz. Btw, they also released a desktop version. But I'm not able to use due to connection error. I reported this matter to the support team and waiting for their response.

Go ahead and give it a try. It's free anyway. Happy Nimbuzzing!

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sent using nokia e seventy one

Nokia E71 - part 3

While the total RAM is 110 MB, do not expect that it will work without any glitches. I did experience some problems with Nokia E71. Sometimes it restart by itself, sometimes the screen will freeze, sometimes the applications won't work until you restart the phone etc. I'm not sure what is the real problem. Maybe due to some of the applications, or maybe due to Symbian OS. But the good outweigh the bad. I can live with it although sometimes it annoys me.

Let's review the built-in cameras. As I mentioned in my previous posting, it comes with 2 cameras, front and back. The front camera is meant for video while the back camera is the main camera. It's a 3.2 MP camera, with auto focus and LED flash. To be frank, the photo quality is sucks most of the time (unless you capture a photo in a bright sunny day). And again, I didn't expect too much on the phone camera. I will use my Nikon D40 whenever I want to capture photos.

Conclusion? Nokia E71 is a phone that has most of the latest technology and yet affordable. It's suitable for those who cannot live without email and internet. The build quality is very good and looks elegant. For those who want something like blackberry but not a blackberry, Nokia E71 is something that they should seriously consider. For those who like to send SMS, they also should consider this phone (I write this post with only one hand). But to fully utilise the phone, you need to subscribe to the unlimited data plan. Then you can push Nokia E71 to the limit. It's your call.

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sent using nokia e seventy one

Nokia E71 - part 2

One thing I want to highlight is the display. IMHO, the display on Nokia E series is the best compare to other Nokia models. I can't remember what is the resolution (you can just google for it) but the color and the quality is above the rest. I always use it as a benchmark whenever I want to explore other phones.

The sound quality from Nokia E71 is good. Well this is very subjective. Since this device is meant for executive (E = executive, err I guess), the sound quality is acceptable.

Let's move to the hardware. The build quality is very good. The size is just nice, neither too big nor too small. The QWERTY keypad is very responsive. Although the keypad is small, believe me, it's easy to use. You just need to familiarize with the keypad structure (especially when you want to type a number or special character). You can even use it with one hand (because the other hand is busy hanging on something in lrt). It also has a dedicated button for volume control and 4 customizeable keys (which you can assign any favorite applications).

I'm the kind of user who will really fully utilize my mobile device. So, I installed many applications in my Nokia E71. Fring, Nimbuzz, Roadsync, Twim, Gmail, Google Maps, Opera Mini, to name a few. Most of it are freeware (why buy when you can get it for free). My Nokia E71 is the main source for me to be online. I surf alot using my phone. The built-in browser is good for normal browsing. You can even view youtube video using it. But it also has some limitations. Which is why I also installed Opera Mini to compensate that limitation.

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sent using nokia e seventy one

Happy New Year! Nokia E71 - part 1

It's been a very loooong time since my last posting. Ok, this year, I'll write frequently. That's my new year resolution. But, instead of sitting in front of my laptop typing, I'll write from my Nokia E71, and email the writing to my blog, and publish it instantly. So, in the process, you may notice typo errors etc. Pardon me for that. I want to fully utilise my Nokia E71.

Just so you know, I bought Nokia E71 in August 2008. I've been waiting for a phone that technically has everything. And Nokia E71 perfectly meets those requirements. My requirements are:
1. GPS device
2. HSDPA
3. 3G (duh)
4. Wifi
5. Dual camera for video call
6. QWERTY keyboard (actual keys, not touch screen like you-know-what)
7. Any features in my Nokia E70
8. Affordable (unlike Nokia E90, too expensive)
See? Nokia E71 meets all my requirements.

I'm not going to list out all the technical specifications of Nokia E71. Just visit Nokia's website and read it from there. I wanna share my experience of using it after 4 months. In general, I'm satisfied with the phone. It has all kind of connection method such as bluetooth, wifi and even infrared. It supports HSDPA, 3G, EDGE and GPRS. It also has 2 cameras, front and back. The front camera is meant for video call while the back camera is the main camera, 3.2 mp. Its integrated GPS chip works fine.

Another VOIP service for SIP-Enabled device

Wow... it's been quite sometimes i haven't write anything on this blog. My last post was in April, when i wrote about Nikon D40 and SB-400. Now, i'm back! Hope i will have the time to update this blog regularly.

Early this year, on January 23rd, i wrote a blog titled "Free calls to regular phone. Seriously?". It's a VOIP service that enabled you to call to regular phone from your pc over internet. Recently, i found out another VOIP service that enabled you to call to regular phone over internet, but this time exclusively from your SIP-Enabled device such Nokia E-Series. It's called Truphone.

What is Truphone? From their website, "Truphone routes your mobile calls via the internet. That means free mobile calls to other Truphone users & very cheap calls to anyone else." See? "Very cheap calls to anyone else." But that is not my main attraction. The main attraction is, they are doing an offer, "Terrific offer: free calls until Dec 31st. Sign up before 30th September and get free mobile calls to 40 countries worldwide for the rest of the year." But as usual, read thoroughly before you sign up. Especially the fine print. Ok, enough of that. Let me share my experience of using Truphone.

As i owned Nokia E70 and subscribed to Unlimited 3G data usage, why don't i fully utilize the usage of my E70? So, i subscribed to Truphone. As i mentioned earlier, Truphone is meant for SIP-enabled mobile device. It doesn't have a client for pc. So, for people without SIP-enabled device, just forget it. Installation is done in two ways, either you download the client directly from your phone by SMS, or download to your pc and transfer the installation file to your phone. But everytime you install the client, it will send a sms to request for configuration file. And you'll get a couple of smses in return. I'm not sure the charges on sms. It didn't stated anywhere on the website.

Once configured, you can make a VOIP call to any regular phone as they gave USD2 for a start. I prefer to connect from the SIP service rather than the Truphone client. It consumes less memory. Oh did i mention that you can connect to Truphone by 3G or WiFi? Yes, we could. Making a call to regular phone is not a problem at all. I've done a couple of phone calls using Truphone and it works without any glitch. The best part is, you can also call google talk using from Truphone! I really really love this feature. As i don't have any of my friends using Truphone, i do have friends using google talk. Just imagine, you can call them from your handphone! Isn't cool?

But, i have a problem making a call to google talk id. When i tried to call my own id, which i log in during office hour, it's always unsuccessful. Same goes to my colleague. So, i log an incident to the support team. After exchanging emails, finally the support team decided to give me a call. Isn't great? You are using a free service, and they call you to solve your problem. After a couple of test, it worked as it should. However, when i try to call a friend in India, i faced another problem, unable to listen to his voice. Sheezz..... it's ok. I'll keep on trying. And it will be nice if they can provide the SIP password! So that we can use Truphone with third party application.

I recommend this service to anyone who own SIP-enabled device. Currently it only supports selected Nokia E-series and N-series. I believe they will try to expand the list of supported device. While there is a lag a second or two during the call, it still acceptable. I still hoping that i can resolve the google talk issue. And the support team, they really try their best to resolve the issue. So guys, try to call me on my Truphone. The number is +12064248375.

Nikon Speedlight SB-400

I did mention about Nikon SB-400 in my previous posting. Now i'm going to review this litte stuff. Overall, i'm very satisfied with the performance of Nikon SB-400. It gives me the option to have creative lighting. It is small, compact and most important is affordable. It uses only 2 AA-size batteries, which is very convenient as u can get the batteries in most convenience stores. The flash head can be tilted in 4 steps, horizontal, 60, 75 and 90 degrees. For me, it'll complement Nikon D40.

Below are the technical specifications for Nikon SB-400, extracted from Nikon's website:

Electronic Construction	Automatic Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) and series circuitry
Flash Exposure Control	Slow-sync, Red-eye reduction, Red-eye reduction in slow sync, Rear-curtain sync flash, FV Lock flash, manual flash (with D40 camera)
Guide Number	30/98.4 (ISO 200, m/ft), 21/69 (ISO 100, m/ft)
Flash Coverage	Light distribution covers an 18mm lens when mounted on a Nikon DX format camera and a 27mm lens when mounted on an F6
Film Speed Range in TTL auto flash mode	0.6m to 20m (2 to 66 ft.) (Varies depending on the ISO sensitivity, zoom-head position, and lens aperture in use)
Recycling Time	Approx. 2.5 seconds
Number of Flashes	Approx. 210/2.5-30 sec.
Power Requirements	Two AA-size 1.5V batteries
Dimensions	Approx. 66 x 56.5 x 80mm (2.6 x 2.2 x 3.1 in.)
Weight (without battery, memory card or body cap)	Approx. 127g (4.5 oz.)
Other Features	Ready light
Supplied Accessories (may differ by country or area)	SS-400 Soft Case

Nikon D40

Almost 3 months since my last posting, dated back in february 2007. Now i'm back, with new gadget this time. Readers, i would like u to meet Nikon D40.

Well, i've been doing some research on digital camera for quite sometimes, more than a year. At first, D-SLR is not in my list as the cost is too high. I was looking for high-end point-to-shoot digital camera. Panasonic Lumix TZ-1 and Sony DSC-H5 were one of the few that make it into my list. Around December 2006, i found out about Nikon D40. Then i stop searching. That's it. I found it. This is the one.

In terms of pricing, well it is affordable. In the range of high-end point-to-shoot camera. Of course in terms of size, it is bigger than point-to-shoot digital camera. But we can have more control of the camera. The target market for Nikon D40 is for the high-end point-to-shoot customer who wants to explore the world of D-SLR, which suits me.

I want a digital camera that is affordable but rich in features. Well, Nikon D40 meet my requirements. It comes with AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II (kit lens for Nikon D40), charger, Nikon D40 body (duh), straps and USB cable for data transfer. On top of that, i added 1 GB SD card, UV filter, tripod, camera bag and last but not least Nikon SB-400 speedlight. I will tell you more on Nikon SB-400 in my next posting.

As i mention in my earlier posting, i'm going to review this stuff from average joe point of view. I'm still new in D-SLR world, still learning to expand my knowledge. So, do not expect any details on technical things.

I like this gadget very much. I don't mind carry Nikon D-40 around while i was out and about. I read alot on the net about photography. And try to experiment what i learn. It gives u the control like a professional photographer. In terms of interface, it's user-friendly. It has a theme whereby it will show graphically what is aperture and shutter. Very helpful and informative for beginner, like me! Until now, i'm still trying very hard to understand how to get the correct aperture, exposure and shutter. Most of the time, i will set the exposure control to P (programmed auto). So, i can concentrate on my composure rather than fiddling around the aperture and shutter. Combine this gadget with Nikon SB-400, u'll get more control in terms of speedlight. Bounce the flash to the ceiling and u'll get a natural-looking photos. I always use that when shooting in-door.

Do alot of reading before you buy digital camera. One thing for sure, don't get blind by MEGAPIXELS! The sales people will say, the higher the MP, the better the picture. Nonsense.
While my Nikon D-40 is only 6 MP, but the quality is comparable with 10 MP cameras. Try first before u buy. Don't just listen to what people said. Find the one that will suit u.

Below are the technical specifications for Nikon D40, extracted from Nikon:

Type of Camera	Single-lens reflex digital camera
Effective Pixels	6.1 million
Image Sensor	RGB CCD, 23.7 x 15.6 mm; total pixels: 6.24 million, Nikon DX format
Image Size (Pixels)	3,008 x 2,000 [L], 2,256 x 1,496 [M], 1,504 x 1,000 [S]
Sensitivity	200 to 1,600 in steps of 1 EV with additional setting one step over 1600
File Format	Compressed NEF (RAW): 12-bit compression, JPEG: JPEG baseline compliant
File System	Exif 2.21, Compliant DCF 2.0 and DPOF
Storage Media	SD memory card, SDHC compliant
Shooting Modes	1) Single frame shooting mode, 2) Continuous shooting mode: approx. 2.5 frames per second*, 3) Self-timer mode, 4) Delayed remote mode: 2 s. delay, 5) Quick-response remote mode
White Balance	Auto (TTL white-balance with 420-pixel RGB sensor), six manual modes with fine-tuning and preset white balance
LCD Monitor Size	2.5-in.
LCD Monitor	230,000-dot, low-temperature polysilicon TFT LCD with brightness adjustment
Playback Function	1) 1 frame; 2) Thumbnail (4 or 9 segments); 3) Magnifying playback; 4) Slide show; 5) Histogram indication; 6) Highlight point display; 7) Auto image rotation
Delete Function	1) Card format; 2) All frames delete; 3) Selected frames delete
I/O Terminal	Can be selected from NTSC and PAL
Interface	USB 2.0 (High-speed): Mass Storage and PTP selectable
Picture Angle (in 35mm [135] format equivalent)	Equivalent in 35mm [135] format is approx. 1.5 times lens focal length
ViewFinder Type	Fixed-eyelevel penta-Dach mirror type; built-in diopter adjustment (-1.7 to +0.5m-1)
Eyepoint	18mm (-1.0 m-1)
Focusing Screen	Type B BriteView Clear Matte screen Mark V with superimposed focus brackets
Viewfinder Frame Coverage/Magnification (with 50mm lens at infinity; -1.0 m-1)	Approx. 95% (vertical/horizontal) / Approx. 0.8x with 50mm lens at infinity; -1.0 m-1
Autofocus	TTL phase detection by Nikon Multi-CAM530 autofocus module with AF-assist (range approximately 0.5-3.0m/1ft. 8in.-9ft. 10in.); Detection range: -1 to +19 EV (ISO 100 at 20°C/68°F)
Focus Modes	1) Autofocus (AF): Instant single-servo AF (AF-S); continuous servo AF (AF-C); auto AF-S/AF-C selection (AF-A); predictive focus tracking automatically activated according to subject status, 2) Manual focus (M)
Focus Lock	Focus can be locked by pressing shutter-release button halfway (single-servo AF) or by pressing AE-L/AF-L button
Exposure Metering System	TTL full-aperture exposure metering system. 1) 3D Color Matrix Metering II (type G and D lenses); Color Matrix Metering II (other CPU lenses); metering performed by 420-segment RGB sensor; 2) Center-weighted: Weight of 75% given to 8mm circle in center of frame; 3) Spot: Meters 3.5mm circle (about 2.5% of frame) centered on active focus area
Exposure Metering Range (at normal temperature [68°F/20°C], ISO 100 equivalent, f/1.4 lens)	1) 0 to 20 EV (3D Color Matrix or center-weighted metering), 2) 2 to 20 EV (spot metering)
Exposure Control	Digital Vari-program (Auto, Auto [Flash Off], Portrait, Landscape, Child, Sports, Close Up, Night Portrait), Programmed Auto (P) with flexible program; Shutter-Priority Auto (S); Aperture Priority Auto (A); Manual (M)
Auto Exposure Lock	Exposure locked at detected value with AE-L/AF-L button
Auto Exposure Bracketing	±5 EV in increments of 1/3 EV
Maximum Shutter	1/4000
Minimum Shutter	30
Shutter	Combined mechanical and CCD electronic shutter, 30 to 1/4000 s. in steps of 1/3, bulb
Sync Contact	X-contact only; flash synchronization at up to 1/500s
Flash Control	1) TTL: TTL flash control by 420-segment RGB sensor. i-TTL balanced fill-flash for digital SLR and standard i-TTL fill-flash for digital SLR available when CPU lens is used with built-in flash, SB-800, SB-600, and T041, 2) Auto aperture: Available with SB-800 with CPU lens, 3) Non-TTL Auto: Available with Speedlights such as SB-800, 80DX, 28DX, 28, 27, and 22s , 4) Range-priority manual available with SB-800
Flash Sync Modes	AUTO, Portrait, Child, Close Up: Auto, auto with red-eye reduction; fill-flash and red-eye reduction available with optional Speedlight. Night portrait mode: Auto, auto slow sync, auto slow sync with red-eye reduction; slow sync and slow sync with red-eye reduction available with optional Speedlight. Landscape, Sport mode: Fill-flash and red-eye reduction available with optional Speedlight. P, A: Fill flash, rear-curtain with slow sync, slow sync, slow sync with red-eye reduction, red-eye reduction. S, M: Fill flash, rear-curtain sync, red-eye reduction.
Accessory Shoe	Standard ISO hot-shoe contact with sync, signal, and ground contacts and safety lock
Self-Timer	Electronically controlled timer with duration of 2, 5, 10 or 20s
Remote Control	Via Wireless Remote Control ML-L3 (optional)
Power Requirements	One Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL9; charging voltage (MH-23 quick charger): 7.4V DC, AC Adapter EH-5 (available separately; requires optional AC Adapter Connector EP-5)
Battery Life (on a fully charged battery)	Up to 470 shots on a fully-charged battery
Tripod Socket	1/4 in. (ISO1222)
Dimensions	Approx. 126 x 64 x 94mm (5.0 x 2.5 x 3.7 in.)
Weight (without battery, memory card or body cap)	Approx. 475g (1lb. 1oz.) without battery, memory card or body cap
Supplied Accessories (may differ by country or area)	Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL9, Quick Charger MH-23, USB Cable UC-E4, PictureProject, Rubber Eyecup DK-16, Camera Strap, Body Cap BF-1A, Eyepiece Cap DK-5, Accessory Shoe Cap BS-1