Automate your life with Nokia Situations - now your phone can do stuff all on its own!

I have been using the Nokia Situations app on my Nokia E7 for a while now, and it is one really useful app to have.
In case you don't know what the app does, it basically allows you to specify conditions under which the phone changes its own settings.

For example, you initially start with a "General" profile - default ringtone, default message tone, Bluetooth off, no applications running etc.
You can then start to add additional profiles - for example I just set one up called "Car".
My "Car" profile is set to turn on as soon as my phone connects to my Jabra Freeway Bluetooth car kit. As soon as the "Car" profile becomes active, my phone Music Player starts as well, so that I can play music from my phone through the car audio system.

Once I leave my car and my phone disconnects from the car kit, the "General" profile is activated again.

Another great way to use it is to automate profiles by time.
For example, I have set my phone to go into silent mode at 18:00, and then go offline completely at 22:00, until 07:30 the next morning.
Very cool. Less cellphone waves buzzing through my brain while I sleep... :)

You can even specify automated profile changes by GPS location or Wireless network, so that if your phone detects that you are in a specific area or within range of a certain network, it will change its profile accordingly.

If you have a compatible Nokia handset, you can grab this super cool app over at:

http://betalabs.nokia.com/apps/nokia-situations

Damn these new devices are just getting smarter every day.
So how is your smartphone making your life easier?

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Symbian Belle has landed...

After much speculation and patience from local Nokia smartphone owners, the long-awaited Symbian Belle update is now available for download via Nokia Suite, for phones that launched with the Symbian^3 platform.

Nokia Suite popped up on my laptop a few minutes ago with the screen above, according to which we can expect the following updates / improvements / changes to the existing OS:

- Six home screens which can be easily personalised with enhanced widgets (currently there are only 3 home screens, and for me that has been fine up until now, so I am not quite sure what I am going to do with the 3 new homescreens just yet...)


- Smoother and simpler menus for easier navigation (not that this has ever been a problem on my E7)


- Dozens of other new and improved features... (will have to play around with Belle a bit once the update is done to find out what these are!)

Regardless of any negative press from the anti-Symbian brigade, you gotta hand it to Nokia for supporting the Symbian OS so well.
Symbian has certainly had its day, but even though Nokia have now firmly pledged themselves to the Windows Mobile platform, they still continue to push out regular, meaningful updates to their existing devices.

My E7 has just got better and better since the day I got it - keep 'em coming Nokia!
If you have done the Belle update on your phone, please comment here to let us know how if the new update is working well for you.

p.s. Phones that are affected by this update are the Nokia N8, E7, X7, C7, E6, C6-01 and Nokia Oro.

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Why I choose the Nokia E7 as my next phone...

For a long time now I have been debating what my next phone will be.
We are far too spoilt for choice nowadays anyway, with the likes of the iPhone 4, Nokia N8, Nokia E7, Blackberry Torch, HTC Desire Z etc. etc. and the list goes on and on.

Truth is, since I was introduced to my first N-Series Nokia device, the N80, I have been a pretty loyal supporter of the brand.

Also, as more of a business user, and having researched tons of different devices and specs, I can honestly say that the Nokia E7 is the most likely candidate to replace my trusty Nokia N97 - itself a great little device that despite its flaws, has taken all the drops, knocks and scratches in its stride, all the while keeping me connected with the world.

So before all those Apple jaws start to drop in shock, horror and indeed disbelief at my choice of a Nokia over an iPhone, let me clearly point out why I choose the Nokia E7:

- Full QWERTY Flip out keyboard. This is a biggie. The benefits of it are blindingly obvious, and no onscreen QWERTY can replace it. Don't even try to argue.

- USB on the Go - essentially this allows you to plug an ordinary USB flash drive into your phone, greatly extending your options in terms of where your data gets stored.

- Nokia OVI Maps, offering free turn by turn voice navigation. I have personally made use of this service for a long time on my N97, and I have to say that it is an excellent product, also bundled with the E7.

- Nokia ClearBlack display, which is supposed to be one of the best viewing experiences on any smartphone currently available. Yes, I know that the iPhone 4 has a higher resolution screen, but reviews online show that the E7 proves to be a worthy competitor... Let's wait until mine arrives to see.

- Expanding on the previous item, the E7 features GorillaGlass, which is supposed to be super tough when it comes to resisting scratches from sharp metal objects. Check this out:


- This next one is a double-edged sword. While Nokia has pledged its allegiance to Microsoft and abandoned the Symbian platform on future smartphones, what it has done is committed itself to supporting its existing Symbian smartphones until somewhere around 2016.
That means that the imminent Symbian "Anna" update will soon be available to the E7, along with any other updates that may follow.
So while Nokia have certainly laid out a longer term road map of their future in smartphones, there is still a place for the Nokia E7, at least in my mind.

Let's see what I have to say once I have actually used the device for a few weeks :)

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This just in... NOKIA - All-in-one business smartphone - the Nokia E7, arriving in stores shortly

Just got this in my inbox from Nokia:

Espoo, Finland - The highly anticipated Nokia E7 will begin arriving in stores in select markets this week, with broader availability building up quickly in several markets.

Image by NokiaConnectZA via Flickr

With its tilting 4 inch ClearBlack display, full qwerty keyboard and a fast access to a wide variety of apps directly on the homescreen, the Nokia E7 is the key to having a successful day in or out of the office. Importantly, the device supports business applications from leading enterprise technology partners including Microsoft and IBM.

Key features of the Nokia E7:

- Easy access to private and business email
- Create, edit and share office documents and view PDF files with Adobe Reader
- Fast, secure intranet access with the built-in VPN
- High-resolution photos and HD video with the 8 megapixel camera and dual LED flash
- HDMI connectivity to project files, videos and images onto large screens
- 16 gigabytes of on-board flash memory
- USB-On-The-Go, enabling easy file sharing by connecting a USB stick to the smartphone

For business users, Nokia E7 provides direct, secure and real-time access to email, calendar, contacts, tasks and the corporate directory through Microsoft Exchange servers, as well as Office Communicator Mobile, developed by Microsoft for Nokia smartphones, which brings presence and corporate instant messaging.

Additionally, a wide range of entertainment and social services available on the Nokia E7 make it the perfect off-duty companion, and the Ovi Store offers a wealth of apps such as Bloomberg, Angry Birds and Sports Tracker.

The new arrival offers drive or walk navigation in 80 countries. The latest commercial version of Ovi Maps, available immediately via Ovi Store or Ovi Suite, adds visibility to subways, trams and trains, real-time traffic, safety alerts, visibility to parking and petrol stations, speed limit warnings, and improved search and location sharing capabilities. 

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