CoPilot for 3rd edition

Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a version of CoPilot released for S60 3rd edition phones in the next month? Not a comment or unofficial leak, just a thought (cough…).

“Turn by turn voice guided satellite navigation on your phone. Just key in your destination and start driving.
Lightening-quick trip calculation. And if you miss a turn. CoPilot works out the best new route in seconds.
Designed for driver safety. In safety mode a map is only shown near a turn to avoid distracting the driver.
Detailed NAVTEQ street maps of the UK on your phone, the same as those found in a top-of–the-range BMW in-dash system.
Walking mode. Find the way around on foot using your phone.
Seamless, borderless door-to-door routing across Europe (with the optional European maps license).
Estimated time of arrival and distance remaining displayed on-screen.
Choice of ways to input address, including Postcodes.
2D & 3D display with night mode.”

The Carnival of the Mobilists #43

The Carnival of the Mobilists is always a good read and it’s nice to be recognised in it after only 48 hours of this blog starting up- “Carnival newcomer Shaun McGill turns out to be a long-time blogger and Palm OS/Windows Mobile expert. He submitted one of his longer blog entries but I’ve widened it to the (ahem) entire blog. Essentially, he’s started using a Symbian OS-based Nokia E61 (you know, the ‘Blackberry-killer’ one) and his writings on his experiences with a totally new mobile platform are fascinating, not least because of the quantity: 12 posts in the last 3 days, as I write this!”

Universal European made Executive Tower PDA Mount / PDA Holder

Thankfully the E61 appears to be one device that does not fall over at even a sniff of Sat Nav (unlike the Treo…) so it is advisable to have a decent holder for it when travelling.

The Universal European made Executive Tower PDA Mount / PDA Holder is my cradle of choice and it works well with the Nokia, leaving room for charging and also having a firm grip on the sides.

A friend of mine who also works on PDA247 had a crash in his car a few months ago and it was basically a write off. Guess what, the cradle was still stuck to his windscreen- that says a lot about it. Well worth £24.95.

“Looking for vibration free mount solution for your PDA? This excellent, versatile European made Executive Tower Mount is perfect answer. Looking to use your PDA in car for Satellite Navigations? The Executive Tower Holder has screw tightened swivel head that rotates 360 degrees so that it can holder your PDA in vertical or in horizontal position. Extendible arm allows for perfect and optimum viewing position. Once you have the perfect setting, all you have to do is tighten the screws and freeze the setting. This Universal Holder uses patented ratchet system and is made to last, unlike some cheaper holders. The suction mount is one of the strongest available in the market today, if not the strongest and it comes with a Self-Adhesive disc so that it can be mounted on top of the dashboard or on windshield. You’ve spent hundreds on your PDA, so why spend money on cheap PDA holder s that may last few months? These holders are guaranteed for 12 months.”

E61 & the Web

The first application that jumped out at me when I used the E61 initially was the built in web browser which is very very good. Everything I tried worked well and it rendered pages very well indeed… apart from the page I need to log in to for internet banking. This is a must have for me as I am often away for a few days at a time and it is nice to check my finances when there is no ATM available- helps me sleep

I thought the inbuilt browser was by Opera (probably is?) until I installed Opera 8.65 today and lo and behold- I have internet banking working now as well as the ability to update my web sites whilst on the road. It is also very quick and does a great job of rendering complex pages. I have never given top marks to any application but this one would get a 10 from me.

I reviewed the Windows Mobile version of this software a few weeks back for PDA Essentials and mightily impressed at the time. I’m even more impressed now that I can use the almost exact same version on the E61- this for me is the most important progam on my Nokia and takes it another step closer to mobile perfection. Well done Opera!

USB cradle from Brando

Last week I received a USB cradle from Brando which retails for $20. It is one of the sturdiest effeorts I have seen, indeed it looks like an old style desk accessory you would see on the criminals desk in an episode of Columbo (I know what I mean anyway:))

Brando have been clever in this case because it effectively replaces the two cables that come with the device (one for charging and one for syncing) with a standard mini USB cable that does both. If you require a quicker charge there is a socked for a 5v cable as well- for example my PSP cable works perfectly with it.

The other annoyance I have with the Nokia is the connector socket- it works fine but can be a bit fiddly when attaching the standard cable to it- again, this cradle gets around that problem by creating a very tight fit for the outer edges and the connectors are flexible enough to enable the user to simply slot it in without a second thought.

The final point of design is the fact that the E61 is slanted when in situ and thus this makes the screen a LOT easier to read when on your desk. It’s also nice to see a cradle heavy enough to cope with a device being put in and removed and not fall over countless times a day.

The point I am making is that this is a wonderfully designed accessory that adds a lot to the device itself and I only wish that cradles for all PDAs and Smart Phones had been designed with this much care and attention because some of them are awful.