Nokia 5800 Blog

Nokia game: Zum Zum

Rodney Garcia — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:53 +0000

Eliminate the threat by shooting colored balls in the path.

The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic phone not only makes phone calls but is also a good source of fun especially in games. If you want a heart-pumping game that will test your finger skills and quick thinking, perhaps you can try your hands on Zum Zum from innerActive.

What is Zum Zum?

The game is situated in the ancient city of Egypt where pyramids tower the lands and pharaohs rules the kingdom. The game presents you with a “game board” that has a carved pathway in stone. On one end is a hole that releases multi-colored balls that move towards another hole at the end of the path. Your task is to shoot different multi-colored balls towards the path and hope to form three-colored balls. When you do, this will eliminate that set of balls and lessen the chances of the ending the game. How will it end? Once the balls stack up and it reaches the end of the hole, then the game is over.

At the left side of the screen is the up and down arrows that guide your shooter’s movement. When you are ready to shoot, press the icon that looks like a target.

To know the color of the balls you will be shooting, check out the roster located at the lower right portion of the screen.

There are special items you can use. Sometimes, you can use a rocket to eliminate certain balls in the path. Or you can also use this colored beach ball to eliminate similar colored balls in the path.

Each stages brings you closer to your prize.

My Take on Zum Zum

Zum Zum is similar to the game Zuma by PopCap games.

Zum Zum is addicting. I’m not too sure how many stages this game has. But it is so fun to play. It does need some strategy, cunning and precision.

The graphics are very well done though it does look like an old 8-bit Nintendo inspired screen. The sounds is also very good which makes use of your Nokia 5800’s internal speakers (which is loud).

However, one drawback is that this game needs to connect to a WIFI or internet connection to play. Apparently, it uses advertisement from sponsors so you can play this game for FREE. Now, the problem is that if you do not have a WIFI internet connection or you are unable to connect to your carrier’s internet connection, you will not be able to play this game at all. I think that is the price to pay to play for FREE.

And, sometimes, a message pops up telling us about the advertisements. For others, this might leave a bad taste in the mouth. For me, it is tolerable since it is FREE and the game is really that good. Why complain?

Controls are good and responsive. You just need to get used to it since the screen is flat with no protruding navigation controls.

My Verdict on Zum Zum

I love playing this game even though it does have its occasional advertising messages. It’s a small price to pay to play for FREE. However, maybe then can consider having a paid version so we can play this game even if we do not have an internet connection.

The Zum Zum game can be downloaded for FREE at the Ovi Store (http://store.ovi.com/content/770085CA419F9C85E040050A87321ACD).

Just register to access the site and download this application straight to your Nokia 5800 XpressMusic phone. Be sure to install the Ovi Store Application in your phone and search for it there.

Nokia 5800 App Review: Psiloc World Traveler now with Flight Assistant

Anunay Kumar — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:45:46 +0000

Psiloc is a well-known software company which make applications for Symbian devices. Recently they have launched the World Traveler application for Nokia 5800. This is an amazing application if you happen to be a businessman or a general guy in to job operations where you take frequent air travels not just across the country but also across the world. I should say that this application has something for everyone.

World Traveler now features a Flight Assistant which is the main feature of the product which is going to sell. Initially i thought that this feature would basically serve some of the major countries like USA, UK, Europe, South Africa and other countries which have Airlines as the major mode of travel. However, i was surprised to see the details and accuracy in the flight reports generated by this application. This generates accurate reports not just for international flights but even for domestic flights. I stay in India and i was surprised to see the flights listed by this application for international travel and domestic. I could get local flight details from/to the remotest and not so well-known places in India. Moreover, in India, flights happen to be the secondary mode of travel in day to day travel. So, it was really heartening to see such an application.

World Traveler features a whole lot of other interesting features :-

1. Weather Reports
It generates weather reports and forecasts for any city in the world.

2. World Clock
It features a world clock which gives you time for four different places anywhere in the world at the same time. So, it becomes easy for a World Traveler to keep of track of his time in different time zones.

3. Currency Converter
This is a very useful feature which lets you compare four different world currency types at the same time. You can update the currency conversion rate to show the latest one.

4. Travel Safe
This is a simple digital locker where you can save a lot of sensitive information such as, Credit Card numbers, Passwords, Account Numbers, etc.

5. World Map
This is an animated globe that keeps revolving showing you the time zone and your current location on a globe-based geography.

6. Travel Plan
This feature has not been implemented yet so you can keep updating the application to keep track.

Overall, this application is a must buy for the features that it offers. You may have to buy 2-3 different applications in order to have all the features that this application offers as a single application. Moreover, the look and feel of the application is very professional and pleasing and makes you feel good about the money you spend buying it. I would suggest that you must try installing it and use it's features. You get a two day free trial license (Weather & Flight Assistant) once you install it and update the license status. Other features are absolutely free to use.

Download World Traveler

Nokia App: Quickview Calendar Lite

Rodney Garcia — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:21:00 +0000

Glance on your appointments today.

Life can be pretty busy at times. For those with a digital lifestyle, gadgets become a big part of our scheduling. We use our gadgets to check our emails, fix our dates and tick out our to-dos. The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic phone has a built-in calendar system where you put the most important dates in your life. Sometimes, they can be too many that you need to just see the ones you can see for this day. Enter a FREE VERSION of an application which you can download at the Ovi Store. It’s called Quickview Calendar Lite by Tilapia.

What is Quickview Calendar Lite?

Quickview Calendar Lite is the FREE offering of the PRO version of the same name. When you launch the application, it will display all the appointments, dates and important info you need to see for this day.

At the top, you will find a drop-down option where you can choose the types of entries you want to display namely Meeting, Anniversary, Day Event, Reminder and To-Do.

Below it displays the first five events that is in your calendar. The Lite version on displays five events.

If you want to check out the Nokia 5800 built-in calendar, just choose “Options” and tap on “Launch Calendar”.

My take on Quickview Calendar Lite?

It’s great that you can filter your calendar events. They even put a graphical drop-down feature at the top of the screen. Unfortunately, that’s where the graphics end. Disappontingly, the interface shifts to the built-in Nokia selection feature. The application does not show anything about the drop down which can be seen in other applications. Why they didn’t use this, I do not know.

One of the “nice to have” features is the ability to increase the fonts. This application will not be good for people with poor eyes since the fonts are quite small. Most applications do give the user the option to increase fonts. Is this part of the Pro version?

Glance on your appointments today.

My verdict on the Quickview Calendar Lite?

Quickview Calendar Lite is a “nice to have” application. It’s not one of those apps that are a necessity. Would I buy the Pro version? I think you can already be satisfied with the Lite version since the only difference is that it will display more than five entried. We do have a FREE app for that. It’s called the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic built-in calendar.

Download it anyway. Besides, it’s FREE and it does do it’s purpose.

The QuickView application can be downloaded for FREE at the Ovi Store (http://store.ovi.com/content/71F4537107623DA5E040050A853237E9) . Just register to access the site and download this application straight to your Nokia 5800 XpressMusic phone. Be sure to install the Ovi Store Application in your phone and search for it there.

Nokia 5800 Help Guide: Determining your phone’s IP address over a Wireless Network

Anunay Kumar — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:31:52 +0000

Whats My IP ?

Recently I published a few posts which required the user to know the phone’s IP address while on the WLAN network and I did happen to go through a number of comments where people were asking about how to determine your phone's IP on WLAN. I tried working on that and I found no solution to such a problem. Moreover, if you are not a very techie person, it is a real big deal logging in to your routers admin page on your PC and finding out the phone’s IP. I did have a little bit of knowledge in writing simple programs so I thought about writing an application that tells your IP when you launch it.

I have written a small Python based application that actually tells you your IP when you are connected to a WiFi access point. It is called WhatsMyIP. You just need to launch the application and it pops up a menu where you need to select your access point. Here you need to select your WiFi access point. As soon as you select it, the application prints your IP address that is assigned to your phone on the network.

Even if you wish you to know the IP assigned to your phone by your data connection (NOT WiFi), simply select your data connection access point from the pop-up menu and it will print your IP address.

Pre-requisites:-

Python Runtime 1.9.7 – Download (Unsigned)
WhatsMyIP – Download
(You may have to sign WhatsMyIP)

Important Note: Please restart your phone once you complete all the installation. This is required for the completion of the installation of the Python Runtime.

Usage instructions for WhatsMyIP -

1. Connect to any website using your WiFi connection and without closing the browser, navigate to the Applications Menu and launch WhatsMyIP.

Select your WiFi connection.

Without closing the browser, go to the App Menu and launch WhatsMyIP

2. Select the WiFi access point. As soon as you select the WiFi connection point, WhatsMyIP will print your IP address on WLAN.

Select the WiFi connection from the pop-up.

WhatsMyIP will print your current IP address.

Please post your suggestions and views on this post.

Nokia Game: Sky Force Reloaded Lite

Rodney Garcia — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:55:18 +0000

Guide your spacecraft and beat the enemy.

Various games are appearing left and right at the Ovi Store which are becoming better and better. This one we will be reviewing is a FREE download but is a Demo version of the real game. It is a glimpse of the type of action you can experience by purchasing the FULL GAME. If you like games that involve flying and has guns and explosions, then SKY FORCE RELOADED LITE is for you for your Nokia 5800 XpressMusic phone.

What is Sky Force Reloaded Lite?

Sky Force Reloaded Lite is a “Free to try” game from Infinite Dreams. It let you become the fighter pilot of a spacecraft packed with heavy machinery, weapons and special feature armaments. Each level has special missions that you need to accomplish to get to the next level.

You will be battling different enemies on each level. For starters, there will be other fighter crafts that will try to destroy you both on land and in the air. There are land-to-air missile launchers and other weapons meant only for your destruction.

The way to navigate your sleek red fighter craft is by moving your Nokia 5800 XpressMusic phone. The game uses the accelerometer of the phone. No need to worry about tapping the screen to launch your weapons. The fighter craft automatically fires for you. All you need to do is just point your craft in the right direction and blast your enemies to kingdom come.

If you want to use the touch screen for directions, you can switch it using the options page. But it would be easier if you just leave it to "Accel" mode.

At the end of every stage, you will be fighting the “boss” character. In this case, it’s a big mean machine ready to eat you alive. But you still have a chance to destroy him. Just dodge the things he’s dishing out.

Check out the options of the game.

My Take on Sky Force Reloaded Lite

Sky Force is a great game to play. No wonder it was awarded by Best Software of 2007 by the Smartphone and Pocket PC awards. It is now back with new enemies and new weapons.

Controls are good in Sky Force Reloaded Lite. You just have to get used to the way the accelerometer works. It’s like trying to balance a ball. You don’t want to tilt the phone too much or the momentum might shift the spacecraft too much. It is good that the programmers made the firepower shooting automatic. At least, I just have to focus on the direction of my spacecraft. Learn the physics of this game and you will be victorious.

Though it’s a 2D game, you will appreciate the simplicity of the graphics. The shadows and the lighting give the games an awesome look. The sound and sound effects are excellent. Though it either blasts you back to the 80’s, it’s still a great game to play.

My Verdict on Sky Force Reloaded Lite

Yes. It is just a one level game since it’s a free-to-try game. I guess that's why it's called Sky Force Reloaded Lite. But at least it gives you a glimpse of what this game can offer. This can bring loads of hours of gameplay to your Nokia 5800 phone. Not a lot of people may like this demo version but it does show you that it can be worth the price.

Now the only thing that bothers me is that the game intro shot shows a helicopter but the game has a spacecraft. Go figure.

The Sky Force Reloaded Lite game is a try-to-buy demo software that can be downloaded for FREE at the Ovi Store (http://store.ovi.com/content/759BC9F221024C51E040050A85327DBF). Just register to access the site. You can also download this application straight to your Nokia 5800 XpressMusic phone by installing the Ovi Store Application.

Nokia App: Elements

Rodney Garcia — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:51 +0000

Vital data for every element.

There comes a time in a techie’s life when he looks at his Nokia 5800 XpressMusic phone and asks what other purpose it can have aside from making phone calls, typing text messages, listening to mp3 music and other stuff. How about we give you one reason: Presenting Elements from OffScreen Technologies.

What is Elements?

“Elements” is a simple application that displays the table of elements. Yes. You read it right. These are the ones we study in High School which we can’t seem to memorize since they are a lot.

When you launch the application, you will be quickly taken to the familiar arrangement of the table of elements places in a wood-finished background. Each element is color coded with the scientific letter combination shortcut on the squares.

At the upper left corner, you will see a big “I” which will pop the “About Us” window. At the upper right corner, you will see a big “X” which obviously ends the application.

The most logical thing to do (which I know you cannot resist) is touch the screen. When you touch a box, the application will display the information about that element in a neatly arranged pop-up window. You’ll see the name of the element together with its corresponding element letter. Below the name is a roster of details such as atomic weight, boiling point, melting point, density, percent of the earth’s crust, when it was discovery and ionization energy.

Once you’re done, simple tap on the screen the pop-up goes away. Select another one if you like.

Pick an element. Any element.

My Take on Elements

I know this application has been on Ovi for month. But I never got the chance to review this. I would say that not all would appreciate this application especially to those who hate science or will not find any use for this application. However, it would not hurt to have this very light file in your applications roster.

Which leads me to a point: Not all things in gadgets are about games and music. I’m glad there are companies who take the time in making applications just like this in the hopes of giving the Nokia 5800 phone more use other than fun stuff. The Nokia 5800 is a great platform for different applications and this one can help someone out there even if it is just for curiosities sake.

I love the way this application displays the vital info on every element. However, we do suggest you use the Nokia 5800’s stylus since the square are small and you can touch an element box that you don’t intend to.

My Verdict on Elements

The Elements application may not be everyone’s cup of tea but it can prove useful someday. Besides, it won’t matter much in disk space since its small compared to some games available in the Ovi Store.

The Elements application can be downloaded for FREE at the Ovi Store. Just register to access the site and download this application straight to your Nokia 5800 XpressMusic phone. Be sure to install the Ovi Store Application in your phone.

Nokia 5800 Help Guide: Broadcasting your PC Winamp audio to your phone over WiFi

Anunay Kumar — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 15:18:44 +0000

We are again going to do some experimentation with our Nokia 5800 phone, don’t worry it will mess your phone. I have seen a large number FM transmitters being sold on eBay and Amazon for hefty prices. How would it sound if I actually save all your cost? Of course, it sounds nice. But, how are we going to do it? I believe most of us have WiFi routers installed and even Nokia 5800 has a WiFi and we connect our laptops/PC over WiFi. So, do you see the connection – ‘WiFi’? Yes, we will use WiFi to broadcast our music to our Nokia 5800.

Benefits of using WiFi over FM?

1) The audio quality is purely digital. No possible distortions as in FM transmission.
2) The audio transmission over WiFi is purely secure and no one else can listen to it unless you allow it. However, this depends on your WiFi network security i.e. it is not an open network. Even if it is open, it would be quite difficult to connect as you need the link for the audio stream.

In this guide, the instructions are provided where you will be able to transmit whatever audio you will play on your Winamp player to your Nokia 5800. The audio will automatically play on the Real Player in Nokia 5800.

Before we proceed further with the instructions, there are a few pre-requisites that we need –
Icecast Streaming Server – Download
Edcast Winamp Plug-in – Download
Note: Download the mp3 encoder here , unzip it and place it in “C:\Program Files\Winamp” folder.
Winamp Player v5.56 - Download [This is version that I have tested this on.]
Note: Allow access to these applications when prompted by the Firewall.

1. The very first step is to install the Winamp Player (Skip if you have it already installed). Then install the Icecast Streaming Server. Edcast Winamp plug-in is to be installed the last.

2. Once you have completed the installation, launch the Icecast Streaming Server. Click on the start button.

3. Launch Winamp Player. Go to Winamp Preferences -> Plug-ins -> DSP/Effect -> ‘edcast DSP v3’. As soon as you select it, the Edcast plug-in will get launched.

4. Click on the ADD ENCODER button on the Edcast plug-in interface. This will add a default entry into the encoder settings section.

Right click on the encoder entry and select configure.

5. Right click on the default encoder entry and click on ‘configure’. This will open another window.

6. While on the Basic Settings tab, make the selections as shown in the image below.

7. While on the YP Settings tab, make the selections as shown in the image below.

8. While on the Advanced Settings tab, make the selections as shown in the image below. Click on OK.

9. Now verify that the encoder entry under encoder settings on the Edcast interface shows MP3: 128 kbps/44100Hz/Stereo. Now select the ‘AutoConnect’ checkbox and click on Connect.

10. The Edcast interface should now say ‘/nokia5800blog.mp3’ or 'connected' in the encoder settings (Transfer Rate) section.

Once you start playing on the Winamp Player, the interface will look like this.

11. Play any track on winamp. Our Settings for the PC is done. We will now configure our Nokia 5800.

Configuring our Nokia 5800 Real Player for receiving the audio stream -
1. Go to Applications Menu and launch the Real Player

2. Select Options -> Settings. Select your access point which will be your WiFi connection.

Select the appropriate WiFi access point.

Leave rest of the settings as shown. Do not change the default settings.

3. Now go back to the Real Player Menu and select the Streaming Links option. This is where we will create a link for receiving the streaming audio.

4. Select Options -> New Link. Select Memory Card as the memory for the new link. Key in the name and the URL. What URL to use?
http://:8000/nokia5800blog.mp3
Example – http://192.168.0.100:8000/nokia5800blog.mp3

5. After you have created the link, simply launch it by clicking play button.

Some loop holes

1. The Real Player needs to be running on your Nokia 5800, the entire time you want the audio to be playing. What I mean is that you cannot send the real player to the background and access any other application and if you do that, it will pause and you will again have to bring it to the active screen and click on the play button.
2. Use your Nokia 5800 well within the range of your WiFi.

Please post your comments and view and if you faced any problems following the instructions above.

Nokia game: Assassin’s Creed

Rodney Garcia — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:36 +0000

Be ready to overcome the odds.

When we visited the Ovi store recently, major applications and games have sprouted out. One of the most noticeable in the roster is a game title I would not have thought would be dipping its fingers in the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic realm. Today, we talk about Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed.

What is Assassin’s Creed?

Assassin's Creed is a third-person action-adventure video game created and developed by Ubisoft and was released worldwide on different gaming platforms such as the Playstation and Xbox 360. In the game, you take the role of Altaïr as experienced by Desmond. You are a trained assassin and are given different missions to kill different people of influence in the city.

You will be going from different stages, jumping across obstacles and walls, obtaining items along the way and solving some puzzles. You are armed with a sword, which you use to veer away your enemies.

To navigate your character in the game, there is a typical gamepad placed on the lower left corner of the screen. Then, the action button is found on the lower left corner of the screen. At the upper left corner, you will see your life meter and the type of weapon you are using currently. Opposite this (the upper right corner), you will find the universal symbol for “Home”, which will take you to different options in the game such as quitting or adjusting the sound.

My Take on Assassin’s Creed

Assassin’s Creed truly blew away everyone when it first came out and I was excited to try this game on the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic phone.

Don’t expect 3D graphics here. Unfortunately, the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic phone does not have the 3D capabilities of a Playstation Portable. So Ubisoft went for the traditional 2D sideways reminiscent of the old game portals such as Nintendo Super Family Computer. Graphics are quite jagged but it does try to do it’s best to bring the fluidity of the game into the phone.

The sound is pretty much 8-bit style. Frankly, you do feel like playing an old-school game but with the new generation titles.

I do have some problems with the control system. Since the game displays the controls on the Nokia 5800’s flat surface, it doesn’t feel as responsive as I had hope it would me. The control keys are small and sometimes your character does not follow your commands because you touched the wrong direction button. Plus, I was quite cautious because I might be putting too much pressure on the screen and it might break. It does take some getting used to and you will take some retrials before you get the hang of it.

Get instructions from your master.

Game play wise is pretty basic but admirable. It has a mixture of puzzles to solve, enemies to battle and walls and chains to climb. It’s not just a hack-and-slash game but a game it does require some skill and some common sense. I like games like this.

My Verdict on Assassin’s Creed

Assassin’s Creed is a wonderful addition to your game roster. Just make sure you take it easy on the controls because you might break your Nokia 5800 screen from too much intense playing. Though it is FREE to download, one cannot but help to think if this is just a demo or a full game. I have played about three levels and I have not received any hints of a demo.

The Assassin’s Creed game can be downloaded for FREE at the Ovi Store (http://store.ovi.com). Just register to access the site. You can also download this application straight to your Nokia 5800 XpressMusic phone by installing the Ovi Store Application.

Nokia Game: Zombie Infection

Rodney Garcia — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:00:15 +0000

They are everywhere.

This is our final offering to complete your Halloween experience. There is nothing so terrifying than playing a scary video game on your Nokia 5800 XpressMusic phone. The Ovi Store has in its roster a game from Game Loft that you can download for FREE and try out the game. We bring to you Game Loft’s Zombie Infection.

What is Zombie Infection?

Zombie Infection is a downloadable game from Game Loft.

It’s 2011 A.D. and you are in New York City.

While patrolling the streets of New York as part of a team of trained officers, you are plunged into the height of bloodthirsty zombies killing everyone on sight. This is caused by the release of a frightening virus that turns people into flesh-eating zombies.

You go in as three people: a military officer, a news reporter, and a hand-to-hand combat specialist. You also have all the latest weapons at your disposal including a Rocket launcher, Katana, Grenades, Laser Gun and Machine Gun.

In the actual game, there are 36 missions to finish and save the city (and the world) from the deadly virus and its zombies. You can even use lights & shadows to avoid or attract & kill zombies allergic to light and not just your ammo and high-powered armaments.

You can use the environments to finish your mission. You can break through walls, burn trees in your way and open doors.

My Take on Zombie Infection

Zombie Infection takes you back when video games are pixilated and are two-dimensional. But this did not stop Game Loft from producing one of the scariest mobile games out there.

The sounds effects, soundtrack and the graphics are very good for this genre. It does have a very high scare factor.

For the controls, you can use the keypad that comes with the application or your stylus to guide them via the screen. Sometimes, the control can get haywire and your character starts shooting even if you don’t want him to.

I would have love the game done in landscape mode to maximize the real estate of the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic phone. This would have been a better gaming experience since most game are done landscape mode.

Blast those creep's heads.

Verdict on Zombie Infection

Download this game. It will give you a sneak peak on the world of Zombie Infection. There is some realism to it and does have a great story that can get you so involved. If you like this game, get the full version at the Game Loft website (http://www.gameloft.com/ps3-games/zombie-infection/). We suggest not to play this in the dark.

The Zombie Infection game can be downloaded for FREE at the Ovi Store. Just register to access the site. You can also download this application straight to your Nokia 5800 XpressMusic phone by installing the Ovi Store Application

Nokia 5800 News: New Update for Mail For Exchange available via Nokia Application Update

Anunay Kumar — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:32:48 +0000

There is a new update available for the email client Mail For Exchange. You can install this update using the Application Update which is a inbuilt feature of Nokia 5800 and you can find it in the Applications menu. To know more about using the Application Update Feature, please visit this post. The latest version is Mail For Exchange v2.09(188) which is an update to the older version For Exchange v2.09(162).

Previous version

Latest version

Another important note about the update - you can update to the latest version without any worry. All your data and contacts remain intact and nothing is missing. The update by the internal Application Update utility is a silent one and OS managed. It is somewhat similar to Windows Update feature.

Last update was in August

To know more about Mail For Exchange, please follow this post. Please post your comments and views if you faced any issues with the latest update.