Increased stability under Nokia PC Suite 7.1.26.0

Not much has been released about the updates from Nokia PC Suite 7.1.18.0 to 7.1.26.0 except that you can now 

- Take backups of contact groups and restore them to a different device model.
- Stability and usability improvements
- Support for new Bluetooth stack versions

The new version can be downloaded from here. The Europe Nokia website does not have this 7.1.26.0 version available yet. 

For those not familiar with the Nokia PC  suite, you are not getting the most out of your Nokia device if you are not linking it to your computer using the Nokia PC suite. From the user guide which most of you won't end up reading, here is a list of things you can do with the Nokia PC suite: 

With Nokia PC Suite you can (using)

Backup (Nokia Content Copier)

Back up personal data from your phone to a PC.

Restore personal data from your PC to any supported phone.

Synchronise (Nokia PC Sync)

Synchronise personal data between a phone and a PC.

Connect to the Internet (One Touch Access)

Use your phone as a modem to connect your PC to the Internet.

Organise your Contacts (the Contacts view of Nokia Communication Centre)

Create, edit, and view the contacts stored on your phone.

Share business cards by multimedia messages or email.

Messages (the Messages view of Nokia Communication Centre)

Read, Send and Reply text messages and multimedia messages from your PC.

View and organise messages into folders.

Edit your Phone Calendar (the Calendar view of Nokia Communication Centre)

Edit and manage calendar entries on your phone.

Browse your phone files (File manager)

Transfer files between the phone and the PC. View your phone files and folders on the PC.

Note that you can manage your mobile phone in Windows Explorer as a Windows Portable Device or with Nokia Phone Browser, depending on the operating system and Microsoft software installed on your PC.

Transfer music (Nokia Music Manager)

Rip CDs, create and organise music tracks on a PC and transfer them to your phone.

Convert music tracks into a format that can be played on your phone.

Store images (Image Store)

Store images and video clips from your phone on a PC.

Transfer videos (Nokia Video Manager)

Transfer video files between your PC and phone.

Install applications (Nokia Application Installer)

Install games and other programs from the PC on your phone.

Update phone software (Nokia Software Updater)

Download Nokia Software Updater from the Internet, and update your phone software for additional functionality and improved performance.

Download maps (Nokia Map Loader)

Download maps from the Internet and preload them onto your phone for the Nokia Maps application. For example you can download the whole map of Australia!

Nokia E63 on Three down to $19/month for first 12 months

Just a quick post to let everyone know that you can now get the Nokia E63 in Australia with Three for free on the $29 cap for 24 months with $10 off each month for the first 12 months (ie $19/month or 4 months free). 

Have a look at this post where we review the Nokia E63 and how it is a good alternative to the Nokia E71. The other day, there was an article about how to add GPS to a Nokia E65 or E63 and overcome the lack of GPS.

What is it like to have a GPS enabled Nokia E65?

When I first purchased the Nokia E65, the biggest decision holding me back was whether I wanted to get a phone with GPS or not. I decided to get the Nokia E65 which doesn't come with GPS because

• Not having GPS may save battery life
• I wasn't going to spend $200 more just for GPS
• Nokia N95 was much chunkier than a slim-line Nokia E65
• GPS can always be added later with a GPS receiver

Over the past year or so, I've asked you all to keep an eye out for possible GPS receivers that work well with the E65. However, it was only last week that I finally purchased a GPS receiver. When I saw the Freedom Keychain GPS 2000, I was quite impressed with the size of it. It looked pretty sleek and with some quick googling, it seemed to be coming from a pretty reputable brand which also makes bluetooth keyboards.

How does it charge? How long does it last? It charges via a mini USB cable, or a car charger, both of which come included with the GPS. Lasts about 10 hours connected to a device apparently, I haven't tested that though.

So how does it work? You connect it to your E65 via bluetooth by opening up Nokia Maps, Google Maps or Nokia Sports Tracker and "Search for GPS device" or something to that effect. Turn on the GPS receiver and once the phone and GPS are paired, they connect when needed. To pair it, your phone will ask for a code, it is 0000.

Google Maps I have tried on my Nokia E65 Google Maps and Nokia Sports Tracker with the GPS receiver. Both worked very well and for a E65 user, it was quite exciting to see this humble little device speaking to satellites now! Google Maps allowed me to search for a destination and map out how to get there. Then I could just watch for the red marker move along the mapped out route. Search for various posts about Google Maps on the right of this window in the Google search bar.

The Nokia Sports Tracker also worked well. Truly this is one of the best applications Nokia has ever come up with. It is best if you are part stats junkie and part fitness junkie. This application records EVERYTHING about your workout, distance, altitude charts, pace, time, the route you ran etc. Then it records the details of the "workout" so that you can compare your progress to previous workouts. More about Nokia Sports Tracker here.

Nokia Maps I also tried Nokia Maps with the GPS, but not on the Nokia E65 as I was not sure whether the little one could handle Nokia Maps. I used the Nokia E63 and it worked perfectly, locking on to 9 GPS sattelites to keep me in check. Unfortunately for me, I don't have the voice navigation license so I couldn't tell you how that would go. More about Nokia Maps in my Nokia E71 review here.

Finally, I have to say that the Freedom Keychain GPS has been fun playing with it, and without the Nokia GPS receiver to compare it with, I can at least say that the Freedom GPS worked. Anyone know more about GPS devices compatible with Nokias? Leave a comment.

Enabling GPS on a Nokia E65 or Nokia E63

This has been a question on my mind for the last 2 years since I got the Nokia E65. The marketing geniuses in Nokia put GPS programs on the Nokia E65 and E63 causing users to frantically check whether their phone actually has GPS built in. In fact many of you come to MyE65 first by looking up whether your phone as a GPS which you didn't know about.

Let's just make this plain statement - Your Nokia E65 and Nokia E63 does not come with GPS. But it doesn't mean your phone can't have a GPS receiver connected to it.

A GPS receiver is a device that connects to your phone, via bluetooth usually, and allows your phone to receive GPS signals. With programs like Nokia Sports Tracker and Nokia Maps, you can be on your way by buying a GPS receiver costing around $100 Australian dollars.

I have been looking for GPS receivers on and off since I got the Nokia E65. Today, finally, I have purchased a non-Nokia GPS receiver called the Freedom Keychain GPS. Its so small it fits on your keychain. We'll see how it works when I receive it in the coming days.