The Samsung i8510. Nokia N96, C905 killer?

Rumours rumours everywhere. This time its Samsung. If initial reports are true, Samsung is readying the big momma of all Series 60 phones. This one - christened the i8510, boasts of an impressive spec list that may make the likes of the N96 cringe and turn in their graves – even before release.

So whats the big deal?

To start with, there is the 8 Megapixel camera (reportedly, the same unit as the Sony Ericsson –C905 –Shiho), Other features :


• A 2.8-inch QVGA (240×320 pixels) screen displaying 16 million colours
•120 fps (QVGA) video recording. (Note: These are not the final specs – so that might go up to VGA)
•UMTS with HSDPA support, WiFi, GPS, TV out, DivX support, dedicated 3D graphics chip.
•Optical mouse (Similar to as i780 and i900 Omnia)
•1200 mAh battery.
•106.5×53.9×16.9 mm metal case
•16 GB internal memory – probably an 8GB version is expected too.



If the above specs are true, the N96 seems to be outdated even before launch. As for the Sony Ericsson C905, a direct comparison would be unjust as the latter is not a smartphone. No word on face detection on the Samsung though.

Now, lets wait and watch what Nokia has for an answer! This is getting interesting day by day!

Now get yourselves a Nokia Account.

Nokia seems to be converging all its services under one roof so that they can be accessed from a single user ID which Nokia says will be your new Nokia account.


This marks a gradual shift for the company from being only a mobile phone manufacturer to a service provider. Most of these services like Maps, File and music sharing started out as different companies but were eventually bought out by Nokia. Naturally, all these services had different membership systems. Now, once under one roof, it is plain annoying too use different IDs for each service. This is one of the reasons why Nokia is aiming for an unified account access system – a la Google.

Nokia has also launched an umbrella brand for all these services. Known as the “Ovi” (Finnish for Door), the website can be accessed on http://www.ovi.com

The services that can be availed currently include Maps, Nokia Music Store, Ovi Share, Ovi Files ad N-gage
There is also the new Chat application that is coming up. More on that here


To create your account, all you need to do is to navigate to http://accounts.nokia.com and sign up using an e-mail ID that works. Although I did notice that there were initial sign up and webpage access issues –hopefully these will be fixed soon.

The Iphone frenzy.. I still don't understand

So, the Iphone 3G has landed.. no we do not have a first look but will as soon as we get a hands on on the device. This story is related to something else actually.

Now, don't get me wrong.. I do not hate the iPhone 3G, I just do not understand the frenzy behind the device. I did see the phenomenon last year and see the same thing being repeated again.

I am not criticizing it nor am I making fun of the folks who stood in queue overnight to get hold of one as soon as it was launched. Infact, I might have one of them had the phone been launched here!

I am amazed at what a Brand name could do.. now to be honest, the iPhone does pack in a lot of features in that not so big frame. Most prominently, the UI. I am sure many have tried to ape the UI and many will in the future.... but the original is what it is.


Now, when it comes to capabilities, almost everyone knows it is a very capable smart phone... but is it the best? Well, its your say.. Basic functions like Bluetooth and FM Radio (for us folks in India :) ) are missing. We eat and prosper on bluetooth here and it becomes a prestige issue after getting a phone like this for a fortune the person decides to transfer a file and lo..! Where the freak did the "send via bluetooth" option go!? Thats where the Iphone owners ego (if he has any) gets hit hard. It sure isn't a funny sight when a friend offers to transfer you a file and you holding one of the most hyped phones ever blurting out.. "Are bhai.. baadme bhej.. bluetooth nahi hai"


For geeks, the iPhone would be an object of desire, curiosity and what not. The flaunt value is unparelleled... maybe only rivaleld by the likes of the N96 and the HTC Touch Diamond.

Now for another interesting angle, most people who use their initial previous generation iPhones here in India bought it from the flourishing grey market. However, this time round, the iPhone is slated to be launched here in September/October by Airtel and Vodafone. I seriously doubt people here will wait that long to get hold of one. According to latest reports, it would be only a matter of days when the iPhone 3G will hit the flourishing underground marketplace of South East Asia and eventually, India. From an initial Yahoo report, heres what shop owner Chris Lau had to say.
“We have already taken orders for the new iPhone from 40 people and estimated its arrival on the gray market in about a week. I’m not 100 percent sure the stocks we are receiving will be unlocked, but I don't think it will take long to crack it," he said, referring to the practice of hacking iPhones' computer code so they can be used with different mobile service providers.

Now, previous experience with iPhones availability in India not long after its International debut will no doubt heighten expectations about its availability here in India. The grey market is ready and raring to go. Albeit, Apple has taken precautions which include steps from tracking buyers and serial numbers, to auditing distributors and resellers, who are typically the biggest risk in the supply chain.

On a final note we know its launched.. but will it be here in India sooner than its slated to be? We will get to know very soon!

Nokia Series 40 Sixth Edition Previewed.

Nokia has discreetly introduced the new Series 40 sixth edition with the Supernova Series. So what does this mean for one of the most widely used native-non smartphone operating system?

For starters, the new OS will support the following enhanced Java APIs.

Location API for J2ME (JSR-179) for creation of location based applications. For laymen, what this means is GPS support with an external GPS unit to obtain location specific information.
The other newly introduced feature is the inclusion of the Cell Broadcast Service message handling. (JSR-205)

For normal users though another significant change is the addition of support for Flash 3 Lite 3 player from Adobe. This will allow running animated swf files and time – date related wallpapers. The theme effects will be extended to the radio and multimedia player applications – and then there is the horizontal scrolling of lists in the user interface.

The Maps application from Series 60 will be seen in the Series 40 now –albeit the older version.
There is a revamped e-mail client as well and support for pop –up windows with the browser.

With the new additions, S40 has moved an inch closer to the capabilities offered by big brother S60 – though we do not see a merging of the features in the forseeable future as both the platforms are aimed at different target audiences.

Series 60 Third Edition Malware Isexplayer. The true Story.

Okay.. I am the guy who reported this story initially.. and now I see that it has created a storm within the Symbian circles...


The issue was first reported on Esato by me and then on Techtree.. and subsequently on Symbian Freak and then on All About Symbian

This is what the initial reports looked like..

"Just as you thought the new Series 60 third edition handsets were a safer bet than the older ones, here’s something to be worried about. Probably the first malware/virus for Series 60 third edition is making rounds on the Internet. It is well known that earlier series 60 editions were plagued by malware issues ranging from the Commwarrior variants, Skull to Caribe. The newest kid on the block, a software called “Isexplayer” acts as a pornographic portal offering various “services”. Once you install the .sis file, it is reported that the software dials a premium rate international phone number – automatically and that too randomly without the owners’ knowledge. Interesting to note is that the software does ask for your permission to allow it to make calls – but this is at the time of installation. End users usually allow this. What the program does not state is that the calls will be automatically made!"



That was my initial story. I have checked the application and saw the license agreement which has an interesting clause.

Here it is
"B)Access fee:Users get unlimited access to the 3g6.se and is billed subsequently per entry. The access is billed by calls made to an international destination. The application will try to call destinations which is the most inexpensive for the subscriber (based on the subscribers country of residence), but are not in any matter obligated to do so. You agree to let the application make these calls to pay for access fee when due according to these billing terms. Total call duration for unlimited access may vary from 10 minutes to four hundred minutes per entry, depending on the subscribers country of origin and available international destination”


I reiterate that this is not a Virus but a program which has a malware tendency... No reason to be worried.. But if you install this inadvertently, it might hit you real bad.. So please do take care. Additionally, it sounds like the software works differently in different phones. On mine, it made 13 international calls. On some others it may do something else. I am not sure because I have tested it only on my phone.


Also, there seems to be a confusion regarding the type of file this is.. I downloaded this to check what the file type is and see that it is a sis file.. some others say it is a .jar file. I doubt if the site detects the phone browser and offers the appropriate version for the kind of phone you are using.. More on this when I get further information...