hertenberger.co.za

I’ve not paid a lot of attention to anything but Windows Mobile devices and the promise of a better day with Linux, of course So much so that I’ve slept through the hype surrounding the new N-series based on the Symbian S60 platform. The N95 is here and it packs a huge feature set into a small package.

Just a brief run-down of some of the features:

• built-in GPS with maps and location-based services (network-dependent, of course)
• 5MP camera, capable of recording near-DVD quality video
• quad-band, HSDPA, USB, Bluetooth, WiFi and IR connectivity
• Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) support
• standard headphone jack, TV out
• integrated VOIP support

The slider moves in two directions: one way to reveal the keypad and in the other direction to reveal dedicated media playback controls. The GPS is able to provide turn-by-turn directions when teamed up with maps available over the air. The phone boasts a fair amount of internal storage (160MB to be precise) and a slot for Micro-SD cards is available (up to 2GB supported). Overall, reviews of the unit indicate that the screen is crisp and that the camera performs really well. There is a fair bit of criticism of the battery life – many indicate that the phone requires a daily charge. That’s not such a big deal for me as I habitually plug my JAMin into the power socket every night.

Depending on the applications available and whether or not some of my peripherals will work with this, it may be time to consider a change…

Week 2 of my JAMin experience started with the download of the latest ROM release from the Clubimate website. The device had performed flawlessly during the first week, but the ROM update was required to enable Microsoft’s Direct Push. A big pity with ROM updates is that the entire memory is wiped clean. That means all applications, data and customization disappears.

The ROM update is about 58MB in size and is supported by an excellent updater. There was one scary moment when the updater no longer connected to the JAMin. A device reset and a restart of the update process worked. I recall having had a similar problem with my LOOX – the first time the updater starts, the Activesync connection breaks. It simply needs to be re-run. The time for the upgrade is 10 minutes and the device indicates its progress through critical and non-critical phases by alternating between a blue and red progress bar. A restart at the end and then the lengthy performance of reinstalling all applications.

Surprisingly, the version on my device was very old. The new version adds the much anticipated Communication Manager. I’m not sure what else is built-in. I’ve noticed little else, other than a new battery indicator in the status bar and the letter E indicating GPRS/EDGE instead of a letter G. To my relief, the Fizz Traveller (now version 2.3) alarm clock can now wake the device out of standby mode! Another bonus for upgrading. This is the first time I can use a PocketPC as a reliable alarm clock.

There’s really no configuration to be done for the Direct Push to work. Obviously the Exchange server must have the correct service pack loaded. Once ActiveSync has been configured with the server address and user details, a simple click on the Direct Push icon in the Communication Manager activates Direct Push. It works like a charm, sending Emails to the device as soon as they are received. Data transfer costs remain low, as the JAMin doesn’t maintain a constant connection and no extraneous periodic synchronization needs to take place. Most impressive!

During the next week, I intend loading some additional applications and testing the overall AV performance of the JAMin.

Do you often move from computer to computer? Portable applications have been around for a while, allowing installation on a USB stick for use on different machines without leaving traces of your activities behind. Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird in their portable guise are nothing new, but wouldn’t a portable office productivity suite be cool? Head over to PortableApps and check out the new release of Portable OpenOffice.org 2.0.1. Work on your documents wherever you want!