How To Take A Screenshot On The Nokia E71

Here is one I haven’t covered. Many Nokia E71 and E71x users have asked me how I take my screenshots for the articles here at the blog. It’s quite simple actually thanks to a very kind Symbian developer named Antony.

screenshot-e71-app

Why Take A Screenshot?

Maybe you want to show a friend how to do something via email. Maybe you want to post in the E71 forums a screenshot with a problem you might be having or an application review.

Download Screenshot By Antony

Click here to visit his website and download the application. Version 3.01 works just fine even though it isn’t listed.

I recommend using the <X backspace key as the shortcut since the E71 doesn’t have a dedicated camera key.

Google Search Application, Maps, And Youtube Updated For E71

Last month I showed you the official Google Search App for the Nokia E71. It has recently been updated along with other mobile applications from Google including Youtube and Google Maps. The Youtube application and Google Search app just got a few bug fixes and performance upgrades, while the Google Maps application received a few important new features.

Google Maps for Mobile has been updated in a huge way. They have now implemented something called Layers which lets you add layers of information on top of the maps. This includes traffic alerts & incident reports, points of interest with wikipedia information, and especially cool is your own maps that you’ve added from your PC. Below is an example from Google of how My Maps works for mobile.

Here is an example of how My Maps can come in handy.

Layers on the Map: Latitude locations + My Map

Since my wife and I love participating in cycle touring events on our tandem bike, we thought our challenge for this year -- 1500 KM of riding in Audax UK's Super Randonneur Series -- would make for a great environment to test the Layers functionality while on the go.

The first thing we wanted to try was My Maps. This feature on Google Maps on desktop becomes even more useful with the ability to access them from my phone. We're not alone in wanting this -- it's the fifth most requested feature on the Google Mobile Product Ideas page. It was great to trace bike routes and add places to stop on the computer, add the My Maps layer in Maps for mobile with a few clicks, and see them up on my Nokia S60 handset from our bike.

That was an example given to us by the folks at Google. I highly recommend upgrading to this version of Google Maps on your E71.

Get The Latest Applications

To get all these updates visit http://m.google.com  from your E71’s browser.

To learn more about Google Mobile Suite visit this link from your computer.

Why Buy An Unlocked E71 Instead of E71x And Nokia Looks To Break Into U.S. Smartphone Market

It’s been about 3 months since the Nokia E71x has been available I’ve seen and heard many mixed reactions about the AT&T version of the E71. Most of the reaction has been bad, that the phone is locked down and preinstalled applications cannot be removed. Some find that not all applications for the Nokia E71 unlocked work on the E71x. Those that have had BOTH devices say things like “the E71x is a completely different device… so restricted and tied up.”

We haven’t really heard Nokia speak on the differences between a locked and unlocked device especially here in the United States, until now.

some rss readers cannot see video below.

It may seem kind of silly that people don’t know what a sim card is, but sadly that’s the truth here in North America. I’m happy to see Nokia making commercials geared towards North America. I’m sure it won’t end up in a TV commercial, so what exactly is Nokia planning on doing with this video? Thanks to CJ for finding the video. If you are looking for a E71 unlocked vs E71x comparison post click here.

Buy Nokia E71 Unlocked Phone for $319.99 from Amazon.

Nokia To Sell More Carrier Branded Phones

Recently Nokia has implied that they are ready and eager to take on the North American smartphone market, a place that is dominated by love for the Apple iPhone and full of die hard Blackberry fans. Recent comments by a top Nokia executive shows that they are ready to grab the bull by the horns and take on North American with a full head of steam. An article at ComputerWorld states…

Analysts see that as a subtle move by the engineering-focused Scandinavian company to start using American marketing techniques. The Surge slider device, jointly developed with AT&T Inc., includes a physical QWERTY keyboard, noted Frimere.

"Our strategy is to get as many devices into U.S. carriers as possible," Frimere said in an interview. "We want to be No. 1 in the U.S."

What a bold statement to make for such a huge challenge this will be. But you know the saying “Go big or go home”. Hopefully Nokia backs up these statements.

att-surge

What is this Surge slider device that is mentioned? It’s yet another qwerty Symbian phone coming to AT&T. From the press release

Dallas, TX, USA - Now you can carry your clique with you in your pocket. AT&T* and Nokia today announced the availability of the Nokia Surge, a socially supercharged smartphone powered by the nation's fastest 3G network. Available online and in AT&T stores on July 19, the Nokia Surge is an ideal device for active consumers who like to stay connected whether using IM, text or email, sending multimedia messages, AT&T Video Share, or updating and connecting via their favorite social networks.

In addition to an impressive suite of messaging capabilities, the Nokia Surge offers a powerful browsing experience, including Flash support to view most sites in full HTML or watch YouTube videos.  Nokia Surge allows users to post messages, images, videos, and comments to web sites like Facebook on-the-go with the pre-installed JuiceCaster application.

"Launching at 79.99 USD with a complete email solution, downloadable applications and full HTML browser with Flash support, Nokia Surge hits the sweet spot between a quick messaging phone and a smartphone because of its low-price and strong feature set," said Michael Woodward, vice president, Mobile Phone Portfolio, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets.

It’s good to see more Symbian powered smartphones coming to AT&T but I would like to see them less “locked down” and more open, closer to an unlocked device. And personally I can’t see Nokia selling many smartphones with a 2.2” inch screen like the Surge has.

Do you think the North American smartphone market can be cracked by Nokia? What are your thoughts on the AT&T Surge?

Forums Are Back & Deal Alert: 2.5mm Headphones For $5.69 - 80% Off

Well it’s been a really long and antagonizing week for many E71 fanatics including myself. Since last Saturday the forums have been down. I apologize for the downtime, turns out the server went over the traffic limit the same guy that my EXTREMELY reliable (no joke) server guy went on a long camping trip. Well he’s back now and all is well. I got a ton of emails and tweets from many of you asking about the forums and thanking me for the community. I’d like to say thanks to all of you for the support. I noticed a handful of people are already posting today. Sweet! Click here to visit the E71 forums.

Deal: 2.5mm Samsung Headphones In Ear Style

2.5mm-e71-headphones

These headphones are just what you need if you don’t want to fiddle with a 2.5mm-3.5 adaptor for normal headphones. Plug them straight into your Nokia E71 and enjoy your jams. They also have answer/call buttons, but I’m not sure about the mic. You might still need to have the E71 near you so people can hear you.

Prices start at $5.69 (original price $29.95). Not sure how long this deal will last.

Click here for the product page.

If you have a pair of 2.5mm headphones that you like let us know what they’re called.

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

E71 & Sound: Make Your Music Sound Better With These Tips

One of the few weaknesses of the Nokia E71 is the music experience and audio quality. Now we know that the Eseries is meant to be strictly business, but times are changing and convergence between work and play is becoming standard. I like to use my phone as my dedicated mp3 player at home, in the car, and at even at work. It’s still bums me out that the E71 doesn’t have a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, but hey what can you do? Well, there are a few alternatives…

You can find a good 2.5mm To 3.5mm Stereo Audio Jack Adapter on Amazon.com for really cheap so that you can use any headphones you want. Eforcity also has the adaptor (pictured below) for $1.49 and ships worldwide. Link

Universal 2.5mm Male to 3.5mm Female Stereo Headphone / Speaker Adaptor

Or if you dislike the adaptor (like me) there are plenty of good quality 2.5mm headphones for the E71.

But don’t take my word for it…

e71-sound

World famous Symbian theme creator tehkSeven has already wrote up a great article about optimizing the sound quality of the Nokia E71. He showcases his favorite headphones and adaptors, along descriptions and photos! Mr. tehk even gives some great tips that I have never thought about like turning OFF all the extra sound settings in the music player to get a better sound through your headphones. I have personally tried these tips and I’m pleasantly surprised at the better sound quality, especially through my car speakers. Click here to read the entire article.

Are you happy with the music sound quality of your E71? Hopefully these tips by tehkSeven will help you out.

My Thoughts On The Nokia N97 vs. E71; Photos Galore

01012008191

I’ve been using the Nokia N97 as my main device for about 4 weeks now so I’ve had plenty of experience and time to compare it to the Nokia E71. As many of you already know, the N97 is Nokia’s latest Nseries flagship device featuring a 5pm camera, large 3.5” high resolution screen, Symbian S60v5 touch interface, 32gb hard drive and a full qwerty keyboard. The N97 is Nokia’s first Nseries smartphone to feature a full qwerty keyboard which is the primary reason many E71 users are attracted to the N97.

In this article I’ll compare my experience with the Nokia N97 to my trusty E71. Hopefully this helps many of you that are on the fence come to a decision. All of the photos can be clicked to see the full size.

Price Of The N97

First off, let’s get this out of the way and take a  look at the price of the Nokia N97. Amazon.com has the best prices and service around in my opinion and have the N97 priced at $599.99 while the E71 is competitively priced at $300. So while you are reading the rest of my review keep in mind the N97 is double the price.

Typing: N97 vs E71

The Nokia N97 features a full qwerty 3 row keyboard. The buttons are more spread out than the E71 but they don’t have as much tactile feedback. The tactile feedback of the N97 can be compared to those cheap calculators with soft rubber buttons. For this reason I need to have the keypad sounds turned on. The buttons of the N97 are larger than the E71, but also completely flat.

01012008195 

The spacebar on the N97 is also set to the right. Many people have complained about this, but once you get used to it there is no going back. Personally I think this was a great move by Nokia to keep keyboard at only 3 rows.

01012008193

Which am I faster on? I would say I can type the same speed on both devices. Which am I more accurate on? I am more accurate on the N97 than the E71, mainly because the keys are more spread out. Granted your fingers have to move farther apart to type, but over time your hands get used to this.

Who wins? I am more accurate on the N97 but the E71 is more comfortable. I think in the long run I’d rather type on the E71 to prevent cramping when typing long emails or blog posts.

Operating System & Browser Speeds

01012008192 The operating system on the N97 is S60 5th edition while the E71 has S60 3rd edition. The menu speed on the N97 is very fast and supports transitions. But when starting a new sms without multiple apps open in the background it tends to slow down. The N97 has less RAM than the E71 so the performance is not as good. The Nokia E71 is true workhorse, I’ve never had it lock up or shut down apps on me. On the N97, if you have more than 3 or 4 applications open at once more than likely something will close down. For heavy users you won’t be too happy with this situation. Hopefully Nokia can fix this problem with firmware updates.

Who wins? The E71 hands down is the clear winner in terms of OS speed and performance.

On the other hand the browser has been significantly upgraded on the N97 and S60v5. It’s a lot faster than the E71 and pages are more fluent. The N97 features kinetic scrolling with touch which is a lot nicer to use than the d-pad on the E71. I was pleasantly surprised with the browsing experience of the N97. It’s comparable to the iPhone.

Who wins? Hands down the N97 wins.

Form Factor & Size

01012008197

This is a big part of the decision making process for many folks. In pictures the N97 looks HUGE. When I opened the box and held it in my hand I was surprised that it is not huge, but still big. It is chunky and bulky, but when you put the two on top of eachother the measurements are the same. I’ll let the photos below allow you to decide.

01012008202

01012008204

 01012008207

The form factor of the E71 is also much better because it’s one solid piece. The N97 has a slide up form factor and it’s extremely tight. Normally I hate moving parts on my devices, but this time Nokia nailed it on the head with this state of the art slider. After a month of heavy use it still feels the same way it did when I first pulled it out of the box.

Who wins? The E71 wins. One solid piece in my opinion is the best form factor and the N97 is much thicker. With that said, I am very happy with the slider quality of the N97.

Build Quality

01012008187

The Eseries has always been known to have the best build quality in Nokia’s lineup. We already know the E71 is covered in metal and is made of solid parts. The build quality of the N97 helps bridge the gap between the Nseries and Eseries. Normally Nseries devices are made of strong plastic, but the N97 has a chrome metal trip around the screen helping it to look and feel very solid. The rest of the phone including sides and back is still made of hard plastic. Overall the N97 has a nice feel and is made of quality parts. No wobbles or loose areas are found except for the battery cover. There is a small gap between the battery cover and the battery which makes it feel loose. A fix for this has already been found, eliminating this problem.

Who wins? The E71 takes the cake in this department because of the metal battery cover.

Everything Else?

All the other areas I will list are mostly going to be winners for the N97 because it is a Nseries device which is more geared towards media consuming and creating.

01012008201

  • Screen – N97 wins.
  • Battery life – They have the exact same battery. But in terms of life, E71 wins – barely.
  • Audio quality – N97 wins.
  • Call quality – Tie.
  • Video playback – N97 wins.
  • Camera/Video capture – N97 wins.
  • Storage – N97 has 32gb built in & microSD slot. N97 wins.
  • Business purposes – N97 close behind, but E71 wins because Adobe Reader is free.
  • Customization – N97 has homescreen widgets/fullscreen wallpaper. N97 wins.

Am I leaving anything out? If so let me know

Let’s Tally Everything Up

01012008183 If you look at all the major factors I talked about before the “everything else” section the Nokia E71 comes out the clear winner taking 4 out of points.

If you look at all of the factors I’ve covered, the N97 takes the lead at 7 wins, 6 losses, and one tie.

So if you don’t need all the extra features of the N97 then you should definitely hang on to your E71. But if those extra specs are something you’d like to have then you’re going to have to shell out the extra cash and be willing to give up the E71 size to get the Nokia N97.

It’s hard to justify the cost of the N97, but easy when you add up what you’re getting. The sound quality is on par with an Apple iPod. The camera quality (in decent lighting) is equal to a cheap digital camera. And the huge screen experience acts as a great GPS device in the car.

In the end it’s all up to the needs and wants of the user. Hopefully this review has helped you out if you were thinking about buying the N97.

E71 Shortcuts: Create Dozens Of Custom Key Combos To Launch Nearly Any App Or Task

We buy these Nokia smartphones because Symbian is one of the most customizable operating systems right? Well I’m going to show you an E71 AND E71x application that will let you to take it to the next level and create our own custom key combinations to launch anything from applications, files, bookmarks, or even start a sms to a specific contact. I’ve been using this application for a few months now (I know I’m lagging on the review) and it has pretty much transformed the way I use my device.

The application is called Cute Keys. It allows you to create keyboard shortcuts that perform specific actions. With Cute Keys you can create shortcuts for following actions:

  • Open chosen application installed on the mobile
  • Open selected file or document
  • Call a certain recipient
  • Open selected contact from your contact book
  • Change Bluetooth status
  • Send SMS/MMS/email to selected recipient
  • Browse selected website

Description:

Every shortcut is set of two, three, or even four buttons on your mobile keyboard. Mostly you can use two buttons, one of which is a special button, and the second one is a number button. Mobiles with QWERTY keyboard allow more possibilities; there you can create the shortcuts similar as you do on your PC.

There is no limit for the number of shortcuts created, their number is only limited by the hardware.

Please note: You can not use two number buttons in one shortcut, you have to use at least one special button or joystick.

Screenshots:

Screenshot0046

Screenshot0048

Screenshot0050

Screenshot0049

As you can see in the first screenshot I have a shortcut to my Google application and a few shortcuts to send a text to various contacts. I use the spacebar + any number to launch whatever applications I want. For sms shortcuts I use the @ + any number. Keep in mind it’s not good to use the shift or function keys since we already use those when typing.

The great thing about Cute Keys is I can launch whatever task or application I want from any screen. Now I don’t have to dig through the menu or contact list. This can make us extremely efficient. It’s just a matter of memorizing our shortcuts. To make that easier for instance to send an sms to Nick, I made the shortcut @ + 9 which is also @ + N. I suppose I should make all of my shortcuts like that so it’s easier to remember.

While Cute Keys is not free, it is worth the $9.99 you have to drop to keep the full version after the 10 day trial period expires. The free 10 day trial period gives you the FULL experience of Cute Keys, nothing is left out. So it can’t hurt to try it right?

Click here to learn more about Cute Keys by SymbianGuru.

Click here to download it directly to your Nokia E71 or E71x.

It Seems The New E71 Firmware Has Increased The Photo Quality

First off, happy 4th of July to all the American readers. I hope you’re enjoying some bbq and beer today with friends and family. I don’t normally blog on holidays, but I thought this would be a good topic to ponder today. A few days ago I told you guys that the new firmware doesn’t really bring anything that makes me want to rush and update my E71. The hassle of having to reinstall all of my apps, themes, and contacts just doesn’t sound fun, especially since the version 300.21.012 firmware didn’t seem to bring any huge updates or fixes.

But this morning I was checking the forums and noticed and post by active member Nima_Mohseni in the firmware topic. Nima showed us photo samples of quite a nice collection of Coca Cola cans taken before and after the firmware was updated to the latest version. Check out the photo samples below…

Old E71 firmware:

e71oldfirmware

New E71 firmware…

e71newfirmware

Looks like a very big difference doesn’t it? The old firmware looks blueish with a lot of grain and the new firmware looks more natural with a lot less grain.

These images has me second guessing my original statements of not rushing to upgrade the firmware. As it stands – I can’t anyways since it seems it’s not available in North American yet.

I would love to see if others of you are noticing an improvement in photo quality. If any of you can link to your before and after photos that would be great. If you don’t want to upload them you can email them to mike@e71fanatics.com and I can try and get them posted in this article.

Enjoy the holiday and the weekend everyone. Oh and big thanks to Nima for posting these photos!

Can The E71 Handle A 16gb microSD Memory Card?


The Nokia E71 is capable of handling any microSDHC memory card up to 32gb. Many people have been asking me on Twitter and via email if it was possible for the E71 to have a 16gb memory card. I'm sure you'll be glad to hear that indeed this is possible. Having that much storage capacity in your E71 allows you the freedom having a ton of music, videos, pictures and files on your smartphone without having to worry about running out of space.

Where To Buy

Amazon.com always has great deals on memory cards for the E71. I recommend you look for the class 4 or 6 speeds since they are faster than the class 2, although class 2 is what I use and it works good enough for me.

Amazon: 16gb microSD cards - all classes.



Is 16gb too much for you? Amazon has the 8gb memory cards
starting at like $14 bucks. If you're still using the 2gb card - c'mon it's time for an upgrade!

Do you have a lot of storage space on your E71? What size card do you use?

New E71 Apps In The Ovi Store

Screenshot0044 Have you checked out the Ovi Store lately? It has recently been updated and now includes a few applications that you might find handy. Personally I was let down by the Ovi Store upon launch, but over the past 3 weeks I am happy with the content they are adding.

Still though, I would like to see more – many more free applications for the E71, as Ricky from Symbian-Guru recently mentioned. It would be nice to have all my favorite applications in one place, especially when I update my firmware and my entire device is wiped out. That’s a topic for another discussion, so for now I’ll continue with the Ovi Store updates.

New Applications include…

  • Opera Mini – Very fast web browser
  • Qik – Stream live video to the web and upload to your Facebook from the E71.
  • Skyfire – A more advanced browser, a little to chunky for me. Great for heavy browsing, includes flash content.
  • Palringo – Free instant messenger; includes Gtalk, Facebook Chat, Yahoo IM, etc.
  • Photobucket – Upload your E71 photos to your Photobucket account.
  • Flyscreen – RSS reader, twitter, social sites, etc.
  • Nokia Magnifier – Use your E71 camera to magnify anything.
  • NeoReader – Scan barcodes to get more info on a product.
  • Powerboot – Choose applications that you’d like to startup when your E71 starts up.
  • HourPower – Have your phone tell you the time every hour or at the press of the button – out loud!

Those are all FREE E71 applications found in the Ovi Store. There are more of course, I just picked up the ones that I recommend. Those don’t include many of the great commercial applications that you can find as well. You might notice that those are starting to get cheaper and cheaper to buy… very cool! Don’t forget you can visit store.ovi.com from your PC browser if you don’t feel like digging around on your E71. Stayed tuned to another post I’m working on to show you all of the applications I have installed on my E71. Sort of like the feature that Gerrymoth was doing over at Nokia Addict (a good read).

Have you checked out the Ovi Store lately? Let us know if have downloaded any cool apps or themes you’d like to share. Don’t forget you can visit store.ovi.com from your PC browser if you don’t feel like digging around on your E71.

E71 Firmware Update: Version 300.21.012 Brings Minor Fixes & Updates

Over at the E71 Fanatics Forum one of our preferred and trusted members moedot7 has informed us all that the Nokia E71 firmware has been updated to version 300.21.012. The conversation he started includes a few links to various articles around the web with the changelog and big fixes.

It seems this update is not much of a doozy. The current firmware my E71 is on is very stable and I’m too lazy to update at the moment mostly because User Data Preservation is STILL not supported. This means I will have to reinstall all of my apps, themes, contacts – EVERYTHING! Maybe I’ll get around to it in a few days. For now, check out some of the mentioned changes to see if you’re interested in updating…

* Mail Improved Mail For Exchange
* Music Internet Radio added
* Other improvements My Nokia Application and easy-dialing added,
improved USB flashing and enhanced usability

Be sure to backup your important data before updating.

It seems that North American variants of the E71 have yet to get the update. Hopefully it comes soon.

Click here for instructions on updating your Nokia E71 firmware.

Have you updated yet? Let us know your thoughts.

Can't Find What Your Looking For? Do A Search...

Custom Search

The Mobile Fanatics