View Full Version : N900 in Japan?
verumgero
2009-09-15, 02:19
So here I am in Japan feeling awfully left out over the coming of the N900. I have been doing some searching but I can't seem to find any word on whether or not the N900 is coming to Asian markets. Has anyone here heard anything?
Sorry, mate, I haven't heard a peep. I was just in Japan and actively looking for information on the N900 but came up with nothing.
MrWeasel
2009-09-15, 06:30
On the PUSH N900 page from the other thread
(http://www.psfk.com/2009/09/hacking-80s-gadgets-with-the-nokia-n900-push-n900-london-launch.html) it says
The winners will receive N900 devices, funding and support to build their idea, which will then be toured around the international Nokia flagship stores in Helsinki, London, Tokyo and New York in February/March 2010.
So i think at least until then it will be released in Japan as well.
hypnotik
2009-09-15, 12:28
Does maemo 5 even have localization support for east-asian character sets? if not, a release seems doubtful.
verumgero
2009-09-15, 12:48
Does maemo 5 even have localization support for east-asian character sets? if not, a release seems doubtful.
That is a really good question. The mention of Tokyo is a little uplifting, I was going to call Softbank and harass them about it but it is past there normal business hours. I guess I will just have to wait till morning to call.
i think that this will be a cool internet tablet in japan, but will you be able to use this as a phone? if so, im sold on the n900
i think that this will be a cool internet tablet in japan, but will you be able to use this as a phone? if so, im sold on the n900
Don't quote me on this, but I believe it will work if you have a sim card that you can use in Japan, such as a sim card from a Softbank prepaid phone.
I believe this will work because:
1. The N900 supports the 2100 MHz 3G band, which should mean the phone will work in Japan.
2. There are reports of other 2100 MHz 3G phones working in Japan with a Softbank prepaid sim card. See for example here: http://talk.maemo.org/showpost.php?p=326348&postcount=51
This is for the phone call functionality. As for messaging functionality, you may need to configure the phone with information that e.g. Softbank will not want to provide. But I think in 2010 the law will change so carriers must provide all configuration information to allow other phones to work on their network.
This is only for Softbank prepaid sim cards, which is a configuration that I have heard will work. I don't know anything about Softbank contract plans, or other carriers. I think I heard that non-standard sim-like technology has been/is being used in many Japanese handsets.
I think I've found some viable solutions for Japan usage (none completely ideal); if there's interest I can post more detail.
Basically my conclusions are:
You can get voice connectivity by using a compatible sim card directly in the N900, or (probably) by using the N900's bluetooth headset profile to remote-control a nearby bluetooth-capable J-phone.
You can get 3G data connectivity (wide coverage) by using a compatible sim card directly in the N900, or by using a portable battery-powered WiFi router such as the Cradlepoint PHS300, that allows you to plug in a 3G modem (verified as compatible with many Japanese models) and access it via WiFi.
You can get WiFi data connectivity (narrow coverage) by looking for free hotspots (maps available online), or by subscribing to a paid WiFi hotspot service.
Regarding direct sim card compabitility with the N900, it seems:
E-Mobile: Offer various voice-only, data-only, or voice+data plans. Probably won't work at all due to E-Mobile using the non-widespread UMTS Band IX (but possibly a future N900 firmware upgrade may support that). Cheap.
Softbank: Offer various voice-only, data-only, or voice+data plans. Voice sim card will probably work. 3G data may work, but Softbank contractually prohibits using their sim cards in other devices on the cheap flat-rate plans; the more expensive business plans seem to allow sim-swapping. If you use a sim card in a non-approved device you may get hit with massive charges because Softbank appears very unfriendly to tethering or unapproved devices. Cheap.
Willcom Core 3G: A data-only plan from Willcom. Verified (http://straitmouth.jp/blog/setomits/1772) to work in Android GDD phone (http://968cs.cocolog-nifty.com/diary/2009/06/gdd-phone.html) (that runs on 900/2100 MHz, both supported by the N900) in Japan for 3G data connection. No voice on this plan. Slightly more expensive. Also the web page says the service may end in 2012.
B-Mobile: Time-limited, prepaid, no-contract data plan. English documentation (http://www.bmobile.ne.jp/english/3g.html) available. Per-minute charges are expensive, but if you don't use it much, it can be cheaper. The web page specifically says it's intended for surfing mail checking, so if you watch streaming video or use P2P on this plan you may get cut off. Interestingly, they also offer a sim-card-only prepaid plan (http://www.bmobile.ne.jp/android/index.html) aimed at Android developers.
Docomo: Seem to offer voice-only or data-only plans. Not sure about details here. Slightly more expensive.
AU: Doesn't seem to offer 3G data, not sure about details.
Regarding a WiFi data connection using the PHS300 as a WiFi router plus a USB data modem, then accessing the data connection from the N900 using Wifi, I found out the following:
Willcom W-Value SELECT (https://store.willcom-inc.com/ec/faces/cmdprdw003994/), a low-speed 64kbit PHS service. USB modem verified to work with PHS300: see 1 (http://yaplog.jp/another_ando/archive/57), 2 (http://prius.cc/d/20091001_phs300_ns001u.html). Cheapest option: 980 yen/month, for max of 24 months (after that it reverts to standard price of 3700 yen/month). Willcom also has another similar offering where you buy their WiFi router instead of using the PHS300.
Willcom Core 3G: verified (http://d.hatena.ne.jp/marshmallow_man/20090803/p1) to work with PHS300, requires using some initialization commands.
E-Mobile: Many modems verified to work with PHS300. See PHS300 documentation.
Others may work, but you should check before buying. Note that the PHS300 does not run Linux (http://www.mulliner.org/blog/blosxom.cgi/hardware/phs300hardware.writeback), so you are dependent on the manufacturer to update their firmware to support newer USB data modems.
Regarding paid WiFi hotspot services, there are a couple of these available, but they only work in e.g. downtown Tokyo, and don't have nearly the coverage of 3G data. But depending on where you live/when you need data, WiFi may be a better option for you.
Personally, I think I'm going for Bluetooth headset profile for voice, and Willcom Core 3G for data. Continuing to investigate, though.
I'm also living in Japan, and very interested in this device...
I wonder how the SCIM input will work across programs ? It works ok on my N810, if I don't update to the latest OS version (at least when I tried ~6months ago)
This is a showstopper for use in Japan (as a phone) if input doesn't work...
imokruok
2009-11-03, 18:22
For non-Japan folks who want to use this as a phone during travel, the Passport SIM from Telestial.com offers Japan access. Data rates are outrageous, but voice works as long as your phone has the right frequencies. I haven't had much experience with it but to make a few calls from Narita during a layover.
Didn't Nokia pull out of Japanese market except for Vertu luxury brand.
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE4AQ1K620081127
Nokia to cease sales in Japan
Thu Nov 27, 2008
Nokia, the world's biggest mobile phone maker, said on Thursday it will stop selling mobile phones in Japan
Yes Rauha you're right - they did.
It must be a typo, there is no flagship store in Tokyo, only Vertu store in Ginza.
CaptainGinyu
2009-11-04, 05:36
Isn't it pretty hard to just get a SIM in Japan, without a phone? I'm studying abroad in Tokyo next year, and my N900 is going with me, even if I can only use it with Skype+Wifi to call home, but it would be AWESOME if I could use it for voice there, too, especially with Google Voice..
somedude
2009-11-04, 06:22
Isn't it pretty hard to just get a SIM in Japan, without a phone? I'm studying abroad in Tokyo next year, and my N900 is going with me, even if I can only use it with Skype+Wifi to call home, but it would be AWESOME if I could use it for voice there, too, especially with Google Voice..
google voice and gizm account on wifi would be your best bet even if it wouldnot have voice for you wouldnt it?
CaptainGinyu
2009-11-04, 06:41
Yeah, probably. I guess I'm also thinking about the easy way for people to be able to call me, too. The friends I already have in Japan, I mean.
aironeous
2009-11-04, 06:43
Japan is saturated with cell phones, Nokia had to pull out.
I'm glad they did because for me it signaled that they would finally stop having that Japan technology Market influence as a general guide towards what they should try to do with their next models and instead they have had to innovate through the Nokia tablet product relying on all their own people and supporters from around the world, i.e., they stop being fixated on trying to compete in the Japan market and opened their eyes to a wider audience.
But i love Japan even though I've never been there I see so many pretty Japanese girls and the movies are pretty good and the words are easy to pronounce.
CaptainGinyu
2009-11-04, 06:46
...but definitely not so easy to write. I've been speaking the language for almost 10 years and I still study Kanji :p
Isn't it pretty hard to just get a SIM in Japan, without a phone? I'm studying abroad in Tokyo next year, and my N900 is going with me, even if I can only use it with Skype+Wifi to call home, but it would be AWESOME if I could use it for voice there, too, especially with Google Voice..
Yes, it's pretty hard. Some pushy people have apparently been able to get Softbank SIMs without a phone. However this recently may have been stopped again.
A glimmer of hope on the horizon is the fact that in 2010 Japanese law will require carriers to provide APN information to allow third party (or other carriers') phones on the network. It is possible that as a side effect, SIM cards (without phones) may become more widely available, due to the increasing number of people who just want to connect to a carrier's network without buying a phone from that carrier.
For prepaid data-only SIMs, it is already possible to get them without a contract (e.g. B-Mobile).
For prepaid voice, currently AFAIK Softbank is the only carrier that is taking new customers. Even if they force you to buy a handset, the cheap ones run around 7000 yen or so, so it's not that expensive - compared to the price of the N900, anyway. :)
So, anyone in Japan buying the N900? If so, from where?
Here's one place: expansys.jp (http://www.expansys.jp/d.aspx?i=188894).
Are there other places to buy or other options?
Venomrush
2009-11-12, 14:18
Japan uses USIM mostly, apparently Japanese handsets are way more advance than the N900 ;)
A few years ago their handsets were able to watch broadcast TV, now making cashless payment for public transport with their handset is quite normal :)
You can apparently buy a Japanese Softbank SIM card without a handset here (http://www.japanmobile.jp/product/229).
Found some more online shops that look like they may be able to ship the N900 to Japan: BLT, Sparco, and PriceUSA. Note that BLT and Sparco may require you to send a photocopy of your credit card before they agree to international shipping. Inquiring now about PriceUSA.
Anybody else with more information about Japan buying, please post it here. Or am I the only one here buying in Japan? :confused:
Good to see there's a healthy interest in people taking the N900 to Japan. Maybe once the device is a little more available some inertia can be built up behind localization/input.
I'll be moving back to Japan in Aug '10 if everything goes right.
Softbank uses uSIM, is it possible to get the ￥4,410 unlimited data plan via SIM or is uSIM supported on the n900?
Has anyone had a similar experience, or know definitively?
Xisdibik
2009-12-06, 05:32
I'll be moving back to Japan in Aug '10 if everything goes right.
Softbank uses uSIM, is it possible to get the ￥4,410 unlimited data plan via SIM or is uSIM supported on the n900?
Has anyone had a similar experience, or know definitively?
If you find out about this please post here, I would love to know about this!
A little out of place question here.
Why a N900 when you guys have all those uber keitai's? I know that there's not much of a good smart phone selection in Japan, but yea. I've drooling over keitai for ages. The only thing stopping me is that data and gps is not usable outside of Japan.
A little out of place question here.
Why a N900 when you guys have all those uber keitai's? I know that there's not much of a good smart phone selection in Japan, but yea. I've drooling over keitai for ages. The only thing stopping me is that data and gps is not usable outside of Japan.
Let's start here:
http://mb.softbank.jp/en/products/
Look through these phones and tell me which one you like. I'm not impressed by any to tell you the truth. I too thought that a keitai would be awesome until I got one. Compared to cheap phones they're nice, compare to the n900 they're nothing special.
I own a t912, and I got that model because it had GPS and TV. However, I didn't watch tv on it because, (1) no tv on underground train, (2) ear phone plug is propriety, (2) screen is too small. I didn't use GPS because, (1) it was in Japanese, (2) drained battery in about an hour and was slow.
Look through the Softbank phones. The charges lasts 180-220 minutes. Why? Because no one talks. A keitai will last you 3 days on 1 charge don't make any calls, or 6 days if you never use it at all. Whoopy.
Don't even get me started on their phone plans. $45 for 60minutes a month. $45 additional for unlimited data.
Why a N900 when you guys have all those uber keitai's?
The openness of the N900 is the major appeal for me.
As an example, my current sim-locked phone has a camera which stopped working in the middle of my overseas holiday. After working fine for 3 days, the camera app refused to start, saying "please connect to network," which was impossible because I had no overseas sim card. Besides, why on earth does the camera app need to connect to the network? So I was stuck without taking pictures.
With an open platform, this wouldn't have happened - or even if it did, i could modify the software to disable or work around the network check. The ability to have root (administrator) access to my own hardware is something that is becoming more and more important. Buying the N900 is a way of supporting the idea that private individuals, not corporate interests, should have the right to fully control hardware that they own.
hallgreng
2010-01-09, 02:07
i am in okinawa right now, and neither here nor at kansai international am i able to see any phone carriers. a business associate next to me had his tri-band blackberry connect to NTT Docomo while my n900 appeared to do nothing.
iv tried setting the phone to GSM, 3G, and Dual modes, but nothing gets a rise out of it.
i was hoping to use my n900 during this business trip and my tokyo/osaka vacation in february, but at this point it seems like im out of luck...
does the N900 not have a compatible radio, or am i bunking something up?
mysticrokks
2010-01-09, 02:19
""please connect to network," which was impossible because I had no overseas sim card. Besides, why on earth does the camera app need to connect to the network? So I was stuck without taking pictures.
"
did you enable geotagging and the phone wanted to get location first.
OrangeBox
2010-01-09, 02:25
So here I am in Japan feeling awfully left out over the coming of the N900. I have been doing some searching but I can't seem to find any word on whether or not the N900 is coming to Asian markets. Has anyone here heard anything?
You haven't missed anything. In Japan buy a Sony-Ericsson instead that lets you pay for your metro ticket with your phone.
i am in okinawa right now [...]
iv tried setting the phone to GSM, 3G, and Dual modes, but nothing gets a rise out of it.
What SIM card are you using?
hallgreng
2010-01-09, 02:32
its an alaskan AT&T 3g-branded SIM.
if i simply have an incompatible SIM, is it possible to get a prepaid plan while im here in japan? last time i tried it was impossible as i wasnt a resident. i suppose i could have a local friend puchase one and allow me to use it, but i would prefer not to burden someone with that.
im hoping that with the large US military presense here in okinawa that they have a way for me to get a SIM when im on the installation -but that is just wishful thinking at this point. i wont know if there is anything like that until monday.
regardless, the n900 is really badass with gjiten and mscim working. my japanese sucks (i only really know enough to impress the pants off a girl [though my accent and kana penmanship are said to be superb]), so gjiten and mscim REALLY come in handy when im looking for a word.
mysticrokks
2010-01-09, 02:34
i see no reason why the nok wont work in japan- it has the hardware- its your sim.
OrangeBox
2010-01-09, 02:43
i see no reason why the nok wont work in japan- it has the hardware- its your sim.
What is the percentage of Japanese people speaking English or being able to use a device with English keyboard?
Prepaid SIM: http://www.japanmobile.jp/product/229
Disclaimer: never tried that company myself.
If you just want data you can try b-mobile, a per-minute prepaid data-only 3G service. Not sure if the SIM will work in the N900, but I think it would.
Larrikin
2010-01-09, 02:51
Word of caution, I was on the prepaid plan on SoftBank when I was in Japan and had to use the cheap free phone I got with my card because the card wouldn't work on my N95
Word of caution, I was on the prepaid plan on SoftBank when I was in Japan and had to use the cheap free phone I got with my card because the card wouldn't work on my N95
Interesting. It seems it is possible to get it to work though:
http://www.nokiausers.net/forum/general-95/14542-using-nokia-n95-softbank-japan.html
Could it have been a problem with your N95 model not supporting the proper frequency band?
To the OP: rental SoftBank SIM - see last post here http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies-archive.cfm/1137775.html
hallgreng
2010-01-09, 09:28
(apologies as i am drunk right now) well i went to an AU store at Torri Station today (army base) and they said they dirndt sell prepaid sims. the lady said ti would wok if i had a friend with an old SIM -he could re-enable it and loan it to me. not an option. her other idea was to check out the marine base nearby and rent a mobile phone, as they had that service there. iwant to use my n900 and not any old crap phone, so im not doing that either...
sounds lioke i am more or less f*cked unless i get a friend to open a new account solely for myself or i become a resident (nice, but not an option ATM).
anyone have any other ideas i can try while i am here? i will be in tokyo (actually saitama, but whatever) feb 7-mar 7 so i can try other stuff then if necessary.
offtopic: okinawa is f*cking awwesome. anyone been here and seen the 'snake lady' (aka, the 'banana lady')?? thats some crazy sh*t!!
hallgreng
2010-01-09, 09:31
What is the percentage of Japanese people speaking English or being able to use a device with English keyboard?
a japanese keyboard has english lletters on it.
typing 'ka' = kana for ka (apologies, i dont havfe japanese input on my work laptop and im too drunk to install them right now).
japanese girlsin bars typed kana on my n900 as easily as i do.
offtopic: okinawa is f*cking awwesome. anyone been here and seen the 'snake lady' (aka, the 'banana lady')?? thats some crazy sh*t!!
ok now I'm curious, you have to tell us what it's about:)
Speaking of people actually testing these things on Japanese networks, has anyone else installed the SCIM/Anthy package Kimitake has uploaded to extras-devel?
Apparently it works for him, but I can't get it to install and start up cleanly in the SDK environment. Has anyone loaded it on their phone, and did anything special have to be done to get it going?
http://kimitakeblog.net/
http://maemo.org/packages/view/scim/
http://maemo.org/packages/view/anthy/
http://maemo.org/packages/view/scim-anthy/
http://maemo.org/packages/view/hildon-input-method-plugins-scim/
hallgreng
2010-01-09, 17:28
she is a lady that uses her womanly part to cut an inserted banana into pieces the size you would put on your cheerios for breakfast. she also has a snake that goes in there. no, she is not hot. she is kind of old and real dog too. that takes a lot of the magic out of it...
regardless, i think iv filled my freaky sh*t quota for life.
and i solved a personal mystery -if they dont take american singles, they have a coin purse on their g-string or a bowl at the foot of the stage (im not a strip club kind of guy, but i did always wonder about how they handled the smallest paper money being 1000 yen and thus too expensive to serve as a 'single'). though that could be an okinawa thing, as a lot of businesses accept american currency here, and i havent seen anywhere else on the main island that did.
soooooooo...
i guess im boned.
get a prepaid sim before getting to japan, or have a friend get a new phone and pay them for the hassle.
what the hell, japan?
mysticrokks
2010-01-09, 17:32
she is a lady that uses her womanly part to cut an inserted banana into pieces the size you would put on your cheerios for breakfast. she also has a snake that goes in there. no, she is not hot. she is kind of old and real dog too. that takes a lot of the magic out of it...
regardless, i think iv filled my freaky sh*t quota for life.
and i solved a personal mystery -if they dont take american singles, they have a coin purse on their g-string or a bowl at the foot of the stage (im not a strip club kind of guy, but i did always wonder about how they handled the smallest paper money being 1000 yen and thus too expensive to serve as a 'single'). though that could be an okinawa thing, as a lot of businesses accept american currency here, and i havent seen anywhere else on the main island that did.
soooooooo...
i guess im boned.
get a prepaid sim before getting to japan, or have a friend get a new phone and pay them for the hassle.
what the hell, japan?
ok , sounds ridiculas - cant be bothered with that, cant even be bothered with seeing hot birds stripe its just a tease.
hallgreng
2010-01-09, 17:33
Speaking of people actually testing these things on Japanese networks, has anyone else installed the SCIM/Anthy package Kimitake has uploaded to extras-devel?
Apparently it works for him, but I can't get it to install and start up cleanly in the SDK environment. Has anyone loaded it on their phone, and did anything special have to be done to get it going?
http://kimitakeblog.net/
http://maemo.org/packages/view/scim/
http://maemo.org/packages/view/anthy/
http://maemo.org/packages/view/scim-anthy/
http://maemo.org/packages/view/hildon-input-method-plugins-scim/
i have been using the mscim package for about a week. it works very well, and aside from the old issue about the Sym key and virtual keyboard not working (the devs say its on their to-fix list, woohoo!), its perfect. just apt-get mscim and it will pull everything it needs.
iv been looking up words all day! fantastic and useful saturday-night words like oshiri =]
hallgreng
2010-01-09, 17:39
ok , sounds ridiculas - cant be bothered with that, cant even be bothered with seeing hot birds stripe its just a tease.
well this was an oddity, and yes an absolutely ridiculous one. i doubt that anyone desires anything from the banana lady except their money back =]
yeah i agree with you on the tease thing. im back at my hotel now (0245) because i was the only person in my group that didnt find the professional teasers at various snack bars utterly enthralling. its difficult for me to even be there and see it, everything they do is so fake and obvious, but no one else seems to get it.
mysticrokks
2010-01-09, 17:47
agreed . i either want it for my own pleasure or not at all. i dont need it rammed down my throat all night.
Never mind, got it going.
It uses a very weird romanization style and input doesn't act like I expected from SCIM (or Anthy.)
For instance, to get 日 I have to type "niti." Also, it inputs showing romaji and tries to auto-convert mid-input instead of doing a swap once input is complete and I hit space.
I suppose I should look into an mscim/n900 port of Anthy, since it behaves more like I expect.
update:
It also won't activate in XChat, despite nothing being bound to ctrl+space :/
This is an almost-confirmation that a SoftBank SIM will work in the N900. The following Japanese shop is selling the N900 and recommends the use of a SoftBank SIM:
http://www.stf-phone.com/shopdetail/001004000255/019/000/ (in Japanese)
日本国内でご使用いただけます。
（※日本国内でご使用いただく場合、弊社ではソフトバンクのSIMカードを推奨しております）
This means, "You can use it (the N900) inside of Japan. If you use it inside of Japan, we recommend the use of SoftBank SIM cards from our shop."
Out of interest if anyone has taken 900 to Japan, does the GPS get a fix? And assuming you can find some maps for over there?
Hi fellow gaijins=)
I have N900 and softbank white plan for iphone. Did you get your USIMs working on the nokia? If so, how??
There is "Softbank Mobile Internet" AP available, but when i try to connect it says: "Internet connection failed. Try again?"
Also how to set-up email?
Calls are working though.
Thanks a bunch!
found the e-mail settings. just set-up e-mail address, login-id and password in:
https://selfcare.softbank.jp/cca/login.do
(incoming mail server) imap: imap.softbank.jp
(outgoing mail server) smtp: smtp.softbank.jp
server port: 993
Good to hear someone is actually using the N900 in Japan. Did you buy it in Japan, or import it? The Japanese import shops seem pretty pricey (up to $1000!), so I'm wondering if there's a cheap way to buy it locally or if I'll have to import myself.
Also, someone asked a very interesting question earlier in this thread... does the N900 GPS get a fix in Japan? And are there maps available for Japan on the N900?
hallgreng
2010-01-24, 04:20
i got a GPS fix in okinawa. the ovi maps app didnt have maps for that area built in.
i installed Maep and it pulled maps from openstreet when i was online (via wifi of course).
i will be in tokyo soon, will definitely need street maps (finding my way back to my hotel after a crazy night out, usually). gjiten and mscim are also invaluable with my child-like japanese skills.
even with the phone part being useless (for me without a SIM), the n900 is a fantastic companion in japan.
i took my 770 with me in 2006, my n810 in 2008, and now the n900. havent taken a laptop out of country since 2005 =]
Good to hear you got a GPS fix. There have been reports about GPS not locking without a data connection (https://bugs.maemo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=7026). Since you'll be using GPS and street maps in Tokyo, and presumably without a data connection when you're on the go (no SIM and no wifi), I'd be interested in hearing if the GPS continues to work well for you or if you encounter locking problems as described in the above bug report...
hallgreng
2010-01-24, 04:54
i think that was the thread that suggested one turn off Network Positioning for a quicker/better GPS lock. once i did that, i finally got my first GPS fix on the device.
I bought my N900 from finland before coming to japan, im finnish so all i can use is nokia=)
Got it for like 700USD. I think the best GPS maps for japan is google maps, im sure the app will
be ported sum day? But yeah, without a fixed data plan it's a no go. Well anyway the prepaids are
ridiculously expensive in japan, so afaik. a big time contract is forced upon those staying for a longer time. 4000yen/month for unlimited free internet is not so bad.
I apologize in advance if this is a really stupid question, but I have installed all of the scim and scim-anthony packages that wmarone mentioned but I can't figure out how to use them and there is very little documentation on the subject that I can find.
I would imagine that I need to have the scim daemon running but just starting it in a xterm doesn't seem to do anything. What should I be doing?
I apologize in advance if this is a really stupid question, but I have installed all of the scim and scim-anthony packages that wmarone mentioned but I can't figure out how to use them and there is very little documentation on the subject that I can find.
I would imagine that I need to have the scim daemon running but just starting it in a xterm doesn't seem to do anything. What should I be doing?
I also have the same problem. How do I use them? When is an easy-to-use version coming? The iPhone can do this easily out of the box.
hallgreng
2010-02-01, 02:09
all iv ever needed to do was install mscim and mscim-tables-ja and then reboot. CTRL+SPACE switches input methods.
just hit ctrl+space and start typing in japanese and a box should pop up with the characters youre typing. press space when you want to accept what is displayed.
and yes, the scim daemon must be running, though the install and subsequent reboot should set that up for you.
check it on the command line with
$ps faux | grep scim
that said, iv had some issues recently with the kana not appearing as i type, though when i press space it appears where i was entering text. weird...
i think that was the thread that suggested one turn off Network Positioning for a quicker/better GPS lock. once i did that, i finally got my first GPS fix on the device.
I brought the 5800XM to Japan in a trip last year and tried the Ovi Map. It took me a few minutes to get the first GPS fix, but it did work.
hallgreng
2010-02-04, 06:38
im heading to japan (tokyo, osaka, and every girl in between ^_-) for a month-long vacation on saturday. one of my friends has a spare softbank phone waiting for me!
ill likely put a data plan on it when i get there as wireless was too sparse to be useful on the n810 last time i was there. at least with the n810 i had an external ethernet adapter to plug in with... why nokia, why??
when i get there ill pop the SIM and report back!
hallgreng
2010-02-09, 00:02
works great in tokyo!
though i can only get a 3g connection... i would prefer gsm to conserve battery
nintendogs
2010-02-09, 00:57
That's because there are no GSM networks in japan ;)
hallgreng
2010-02-09, 06:29
well, better than nothing. people can call me directly now, im happy for that alone =)
there is no open wifi around here (in saitama about 40min from tokyo, atm) so im going to look into a data plan. however i hear its quite expensive...
Diginixy
2010-02-11, 06:25
I'm moving to Fussa (25 mins from Tokyo) in about 4 weeks or so. I have perused this thread and it seems possible to get my N900 working there. I read of Softbank's website that most (if not all) Nokia phones are not supported with data plans. My buddy who lives in Japan now actually has a SIM in his N95 on DoCoMo's network. But it seems that with 3G, I should be ok and my deivce should work?
hallgreng
2010-02-12, 02:50
I'm moving to Fussa (25 mins from Tokyo) in about 4 weeks or so. I have perused this thread and it seems possible to get my N900 working there. I read of Softbank's website that most (if not all) Nokia phones are not supported with data plans. My buddy who lives in Japan now actually has a SIM in his N95 on DoCoMo's network. But it seems that with 3G, I should be ok and my deivce should work?
mine works fine with a softbank sim, so i think yours should too.
i went out and got really drunk last night and LOST MY STYLUS!
anyone know a place that sells nokia hardware near or around tokyo?
if i swap sim card from my softbank iphone, can i still use the flat rate 3g connection?
Plan on a Japan vacation in May. What options exist if I want to use my N900 mainly for net access there? Do any of the rental phone services come with data that can be tether to the N900?
Looking into a bit more it seems b-mobile may be the best option for N900 3g data in Japan? Has anyone tried this yet.
The website only shows a USB device; can the sim in it be easily removed & is it usable in the N900?
How does the 150 hours of usage work since were talking about data? Likely much more then I need for a 8 day vacation so can this thing be resold with whatever is left on it?
So does anyone know if what I'm asking will work? I'd love to have 3g data net access on my n900 for the 8 days that'll I'll be in Japan. I've read that b-mobile also has another USB modem with 150 minutes but I don't know if it's 3g.
Looking into a bit more it seems b-mobile may be the best option for N900 3g data in Japan? Has anyone tried this yet.
Yes, I have the 150 hours prepaid device.
The website only shows a USB device; can the sim in it be easily removed
Yes, it can be easily removed and I have done so. There's a sliding tray just above the USB connector that you can slide out with your thumbnail and take out the SIM.
& is it usable in the N900?
I don't know since I don't have a N900 yet. I assume it would work since it uses the NTT network, which runs on 2100MHz. I think I read about people successfully using it in other Nokia smartphones: http://oniku.blog.ocn.ne.jp/denwa/2008/08/bmobile_3g_noki_76ad.html
How does the 150 hours of usage work since were talking about data? Likely much more then I need for a 8 day vacation so can this thing be resold with whatever is left on it?
Yes, you can resell it privately to someone else. (You cannot sell it back to the vendor, as they will not refund your remaining balance.) At that point officially the person is supposed to transfer the ownership by re-registering it; otherwise it keeps running under your previous registration.
You have to register the device by calling a phone number with a Japanese cell phone and inputting your device-specific ID number. No other information is needed (pretty convenient). From then on every time you connect, your time gets deducted. One connection always uses up a minimum of 3 minutes (so no 30 second quick mail checks). After the first 3 minutes, time is subtracted from your remaining balance in 1 minute increments.
Officially you're supposed to use some Windows-only proxy program to connect and keep track of your remaining time. But I don't do that (I connect the USB modem either directly to my Linux box, or I connect it to my wireless Cradlepoint router). Since you're not running their official time-keeping software, you need some other way of inquiring about how much time you have left. There's an (unofficial?) administrative website you can connect to that tells you your remaining time. Read all about it here (and bone up on your Japanese skills): http://oniku.blog.ocn.ne.jp/denwa/2008/08/bmobile_3g_c25a.html
Note the service has some traffic shaping so you can't watch Youtube or connect to data-intensive online games like Second Life. For normal surfing and mail checking it's fine though. For Youtube I was able to use an online proxy to watch, but I wouldn't recommend doing that often as they say they can disconnect you if you use "too much" data.
Still, it's one of the few (only?) prepaid data plans available.
Has anyone tried b-mobile's data only prepaid SIM? I tried it but no luck... "SIM Registered Failed" error appears on the screen.:(
It worked with other Nokia devices like 5800XM by setting the Packet Setting and "When available" option. Unfortunately I couldn't find this settings from both the
Settings application and various files stored under /etc.
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=ja&sl=ja&tl=en&u=http://www.bmobile.ne.jp/sim/setting.html
I feel that this case is similar with 3 (UK) data SIM card problem, which its SIM was unrecognized in previous maemo 5 release. It should be fixed in the current one, but I wonder how Nokia fixed it. Any info? :confused:
Looks like we are in the same boat :( I get exactly the same error. I started a different thread here:
http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?p=625541#post625541
Maybe these threads should be merged?
A workaround is to connect the b-mobile 3G USB modem to a Cradlepoint mobile router then access the connection via wifi. A bulky solution though - I'd much rather use the SIM in the n900 directly.
jorgemoscu
2010-04-24, 20:35
Sorry, can you say me how did you install gjiten? In my terminal it doesn´t work properly (no radicals are shown), and I have no kanji input method.
Can I also install kanjipad?
[
QUOTE=hallgreng;460529]its an alaskan AT&T 3g-branded SIM.
regardless, the n900 is really badass with gjiten and mscim working. my japanese sucks (i only really know enough to impress the pants off a girl [though my accent and kana penmanship are said to be superb]), so gjiten and mscim REALLY come in handy when im looking for a word.[/QUOTE]
hallgreng
2010-04-24, 21:29
you need to download and install the kanjipad binary from the debian repos (the sid version is a good bet) by hand.
i dont know why it isnt showing fonts correctly for you. gjiten shows no deps on my system and my gjiten has always displayed bushu.
here are the fonts i have installed, see if i have any more than you:
ls /usr/share/fonts/*
/usr/share/fonts/NcrBI4nh.ttf /usr/share/fonts/NcrRI4nh.ttf /usr/share/fonts/NtmBI4nh.ttf /usr/share/fonts/NtmRI4nh.ttf /usr/share/fonts/SwaBI4nh.ttf /usr/share/fonts/SwaRI4nh.ttf
/usr/share/fonts/NcrBR4nh.ttf /usr/share/fonts/NcrRR4nh.ttf /usr/share/fonts/NtmBR4nh.ttf /usr/share/fonts/NtmRR4nh.ttf /usr/share/fonts/SwaBR4nh.ttf /usr/share/fonts/SwaRR4nh.ttf
/usr/share/fonts/arabic:
TanseekProArabic.ttf UniversOTSArabic.ttf
/usr/share/fonts/chinese:
MHei18030C5.ttf
/usr/share/fonts/nokia:
DeviceSymbols-RX34.ttf Nokia_Sans_Maps.ttf nokiasmiley.ttf nosnb.ttf nosnr.ttf nosns.ttf nscnr.ttf
/usr/share/fonts/truetype:
ttf-droid
you need to download and install the kanjipad binary from the debian repos (the sid version is a good bet) by hand.
What's this? It's possible to get kanjipad on the N900??? Please give more details.
Your suggestion which I quoted above is probably enough for experienced debian users. But while I'm quite comfortable with the linux command line, the details of debian are not my strength. My attempts to check into this on the basis of what you wrote have led me down several confusing alleys.
A URL from which do download would be very helpful. I did find my way to a repository with reference to kanjipad in a plain text list of packages, but could not dope out where to find actual armel binaries. I've also found references to sid, but what is it and why is it a "good bet". Is it just a "good bet" or has what you suggest actually been verified to work on the N900?
Which reminds me, does anyone know if Kimitake has done any further work on getting Anthy to work on the N900?
hallgreng
2010-04-25, 06:42
What's this? It's possible to get kanjipad on the N900??? Please give more details.
Your suggestion which I quoted above is probably enough for experienced debian users. But while I'm quite comfortable with the linux command line, the details of debian are not my strength. My attempts to check into this on the basis of what you wrote have led me down several confusing alleys.
A URL from which do download would be very helpful. I did find my way to a repository with reference to kanjipad in a plain text list of packages, but could not dope out where to find actual armel binaries. I've also found references to sid, but what is it and why is it a "good bet". Is it just a "good bet" or has what you suggest actually been verified to work on the N900?
it worked on my n810, and prior to posting this i just installed and tested it on my n900. works great!
1) download this: http://ftp.ca.debian.org/debian/pool/main/k/kanjipad/kanjipad_2.0.0-6_armel.deb
2) in an xterm as root, cd into the dir you downloaded the aforementioned .deb into
3) run the command#dpkg -i kanjipad_2.0.0-6_armel.deb this will install the package. it has no deps, so it should go right in.
4) inside gjiten, open the dropdown menu and select TOOLS->PREFERENCES
5) select the GENERAL button on the lefthand side, then the KANJIPAD tab inside
6) under "path to kanjipad executable:" enter: /usr/bin/kanjipad hit OK
7) enjoy kanjipad!
ill be the one with questions when that meego thing hits -_-;
#dpkg -i kanjipad_2.0.0-6_armel.deb
I assume this means it's installing to the rootfs, which is risky depending on how big it is vs. how much you have free.
A proper port wouldn't hurt, I think.
hallgreng
2010-04-25, 18:05
I assume this means it's installing to the rootfs, which is risky depending on how big it is vs. how much you have free.
A proper port wouldn't hurt, I think.
this is true, however there things to consider:
1) the .deb is 35k and the binary 24k, so the impact to the rootfs is minor at worst
2) the .deb can be unpacked and the kanjipad binary put wherever a person likes (gjiten must be told where it lives regardless)
3) i am not in the business of making packages... though i must say i may try to build an optified package today just out of curiosity. if anything comes of it ill be happy to share!
UPDATE:
i optified the package but the binary calls specifically for /usr/bin/kengine, so without modifying the source code (trivial) and recompiling the binary, this package can only be half-optified.
seeing as it is less than 35k overall, i dont see the point.
it worked on my n810, and prior to posting this i just installed and tested it on my n900. works great!
1)...2)...3)...4)...5)...6)...7) enjoy kanjipad!
Thanks hallgreng. This gets me closer but:
Nokia-N900-42-11:/home/user/MyDocs# dpkg -i kanjipad_2.0.0-6_armel.deb
Selecting previously deselected package kanjipad.
(Reading database ... 27345 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking kanjipad (from kanjipad_2.0.0-6_armel.deb) ...
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of kanjipad:
kanjipad depends on libxinerama1; however:
Package libxinerama1 is not installed.
dpkg: error processing kanjipad (--install):
dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Errors were encountered while processing:
kanjipad
Where do we get libxinerama1? And how much rootfs space does it require?
hallgreng
2010-04-26, 06:17
hm, thats a shame. i have that lib installed on my n900 already so i didnt think there would be a problem. my apologies!
my n900 shows that package is in the 'extras' repository. you'll have to install libxinerama1 it before hand-jamming the kanjipad package.
presuming you have the 'extras' repo installed (not sure if thats a default repo, cant remember back that far):
#apt-get install libxinerama1
then kanjipad will either install or complain about another missing dep. if the latter, apt-get install <missing app>
^__^
EDIT:
forgot about the rootfs impact... unknown. the size of the package in the repo is about 1MB so it cant be too bad. that said, i have 36MB/15% free space remaining on my root partition. all these unoptified things add up if you dont pay close enough attention...
...kanjipad will either install or complain about another missing dep...
Nope. That did it. I can confirm that the steps described above will install a working copy of kanjipad.
Thanks, hallgreng.
I'm in Kyoto this month (from the U.S.). And I had hoped to be able to report about using a rented SoftBank SIM in the N900.
I had reserved a SIM card with SoftBank to pick up at the airport. But when they saw my N900 they argued hard against my taking the SIM card. Apparently some folks have used SoftBank SIMs in their smart phones and racked up huge data charges without realizing all the data access their phone was doing. Then they complain and ugliness ensues. (The data usage charges are on the high side.)
I should have insisted. (My impression was that they would have allowed me to have the SIM after another passionate warning.) I know my normal data usage is rather low because I have a pay-as-you-go data plan w/ATT in the U.S. and I check my usage charges regularly. But I let them talk me out of it. I ended up with a cell phone instead.
So here's my question as I think about some experimentation in anticipation of my next visit. What harm could I possible do by putting the rented phone's SIM in my N900?
Seems like the worst outcome would be that the cell system recognizes the change and cuts me off even after I put the SIM back in the cell phone. Lesser badness would be that it simply would not work in the N900 (for whatever reason) and I put the SIM back in the cell and all is well.
Is there _a_n_y_ possibility of something horrible happening? (N900 blows up? SoftBank police come knocking?)
So here's my question as I think about some experimentation in anticipation of my next visit. What harm could I possible do by putting the rented phone's SIM in my N900?
As far as I know SoftBank's rules are restrictive about not allowing 3rd party devices on their networks and/or charging ridiculous rates if you use a 3rd party device. They claim to use IMEI information to detect non-SoftBank devices from using their data network. Anecdotal reports seem to indicate they "look the other way" most of the time - but this can change at any time. Personally, I avoid SoftBank data for exactly this reason: too much trouble, too much risk.
For a rented SIM, the worst that could happen is that they claim you were online 24/7 for the whole time you had the SIM and charge you for every second of usage at e.g. 10x the normal rate for using a 3rd party device.
I would recommend the new b-mobileSIM, which is a prepaid 2980 yen SIM card for one month of unlimited data usage: http://www.bmobile.ne.jp/sim/detail.html
I haven't tried this myself, but I have tried the older b-mobile 3G 150 hours modem, and used its SIM card in the N900 successfully (see here (http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=50901) for the magic command needed to get the n900 to recognize the SIM - reboot after entering the command).
As far as I know SoftBank's rules are restrictive about not allowing 3rd party devices on their networks and/or charging ridiculous rates if you use a 3rd party device. They claim to use IMEI information to detect non-SoftBank devices from using their data network. Anecdotal reports seem to indicate they "look the other way" most of the time - but this can change at any time. Personally, I avoid SoftBank data for exactly this reason: too much trouble, too much risk.
Japanese telecoms, especially the cellular carriers, are frighteningly anal.
I would recommend the new b-mobileSIM, which is a prepaid 2980 yen SIM card for one month of unlimited data usage: http://www.bmobile.ne.jp/sim/detail.html
I haven't tried this myself, but I have tried the older b-mobile 3G 150 hours modem, and used its SIM card in the N900 successfully (see here (http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=50901) for the magic command needed to get the n900 to recognize the SIM - reboot after entering the command).
Now -that's- cool. ~3000yen for a month of 3G data service. Thanks for posting, I'm going to be there for two weeks in August and even just having data gives me Skype. Any word if the 1 month SIMs are being sold in stores?
Tizbad2k
2010-07-10, 10:30
very very interested in kowing where and how to buy one of these sims. i will be in japan in about a week
very very interested in kowing where and how to buy one of these sims. i will be in japan in about a week
The 3000 yen, 1-month SIM is only available from b-mobile's online store, which requires a Japanese mailing address and (likely) a Japanese credit card (if they don't do CoD.)
The next one up is a 6 month card for $140, which can be found at places like Bic Camera. I reeeeeally wish they would sell the 1-month cards in stores :D
Bumping for update visibility.
I purchased two of the 1 month data cards via www.rinkya.com, which puts a premium of approximately $20 USD (with shipping) on it. The booklet it comes in includes both proxy info ("web accelerator") and APN information.
Other things to note:
- Good for 90 days from purchase
- Last for 30 days from time of activation (which is done by phone, and goes live within 5 minutes.)
- They QoS p2p and video (probably nico-nico and youtube.)
- They'll QoS -you- should you exceed 3 million packets in 3 days.
- Outbound port 25 is blocked.
Doesn't hurt that they're going over NTT's Docomo FOMA network, so it's probably available throughout the country. Will know more next Sunday after I arrive, will try activating the card from the US this coming Friday.
Last bump.
The b-mobile SIM cards work great in the N900, but require you have a Japanese cell phone for easy activation. Once you do, you get at least ~300kbps, which is great for skype and web access.
urkarott
2010-08-23, 12:42
I would like to know how to buy one of the 1month card via rinkya, because I can't find this kind of sim card in any shop. Thanks!
greenferret
2010-09-20, 05:52
Last bump.
The b-mobile SIM cards work great in the N900, but require you have a Japanese cell phone for easy activation. Once you do, you get at least ~300kbps, which is great for skype and web access.
I just bought a 6-month b-mobile SIM, stuck it in, ran tesuri's command, and rebooted. When I try to make calls, it doesn't work. It lets me connect to the data network with the APN, username and password provided by b-mobile, but then all websites redirect to the b-mobile activation page. Is there something else that needs to be done to activate the N900 on the network?
Thank you to everyone who has posted on this amazingly helpful thread.
So here I am in Japan feeling awfully left out over the coming of the N900. I have been doing some searching but I can't seem to find any word on whether or not the N900 is coming to Asian markets. Has anyone here heard anything?
you can buy in a nearby country which is the Philippines. they are selling n900 that is originally made from China or Korea.:)
Greetings from a gaijin.
I am living in Japan and so happy toying around with my n900, Hongkong version.
I bought mine online in Japan. You can do it easily too from these sites:
- www.moumantai.biz (payment via Japanet Bank to deliver to your door)
- www.rakuten.co.jp (cash-on-delivery though you can transfer or use credit cards, my favorite because I dont have a credit card, and this site have English option to register membership).
For Japanese input, Kimitate has gathered a metapackage called Maemocjk-him-scim-anthy. I just installed this package using application manager. This work fine for me but I wish it could be better because I have to slide the keyboard in and out too often, making me worry for my N900 life-span!
I try making Japanese input as default by adding this line (learn from Internet teachers like you ofcause):
export GTK_IM_MODULE=scim
right at the last but one line in this file:
/etc/osso-af-init/af-defines.sh
This method work well too, but as a trade-off, I lose the symbol table. So whenever I need some symbols, I have to go to the file and delete the added line, reboot the phone!
For Softbank's Package Data Flat, I use this:
Conncetion name: Open Softbank
Connection type: Packet data (automatic anyway)
Accesspoint name: open.softbank.ne.jp
Username: opensoftbank
Password: ebMNuX1FIHg9d3DA
Prompt password at every login <box unchecked>
Use proxy <checked>
HTTP proxy <leave empty>
Port number: 8080
HTTPS proxy <leave empty>
Port number: 440 <not sure if neccesary>
FPT proxy <leave empty>
port number: 20
Installing Hide User Agent seems to be a must because with the above configuration, before installing Hide User Agent, I could not connect to Internet, but after pulling it in and press the hide user agent button, I have been connecting to Softbank easily for 4410Y/month.
For map, Ovi Map does not work well for me in Japan (only national roads and being located several prefectures away!!!). Google mobile map seems a little bit better, but not useful yet on my N900.
My last experience to share, and with which I so much hope someone else could enlighten me, is Softbank MMS.
I installed fMMS 1.2.5, have tried several useragent like N73, N95, Iphone 3GS (those version Softbank has) using gconftool-2, but the furthest I can have is receiving MMS headers, then "unable to retrieve message" or "Unknown name resolution" or the likes.
I gave a shout to the fMMS thread already. But the fMMS thread seems to be too big for Japan.
So please help if you can
Thanks.
PS. After PR1.3, Hide User Agent seems nolonger needed
fMMS 1.2.6 still not works for me, please help
yauchildchew
2010-11-03, 04:55
fMMS was a nightmare for me as well. I flashed few times to get to know how to get it to work.
THIS IS A MUST-DO STEP
================================================== =
Xterm:
sudo gainroot
gconftool-2 -st string /apps/fmms/useragent "New UA String"
(replace "New UA String" with any Nokia UA)
================================================== =
If u do the step correctly, any APN use, be it openmms or others, it seems like each password work for any user name! Its hard to mistake when u do the step above right in the 1st place.
Good Luck!
Hi Yauchildchew
I tried this:
SoftBank/1.0/705NK/NKJ001 Series60/3.0 NokiaN73/3.06.50 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1
and this:
NokiaN95/11.0.026; Series60/3.1 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1
as "New UA String"
But still I cannot make fMMS work.
What is the mistakes?
Could you please provide a correct "New UA String"?
Or better if you could give me a step by step setting for your fMMS?
I update to 1.2.6 on PR1.3 (global) already.
Thanks in advance
I just bought a 6-month b-mobile SIM, stuck it in, ran tesuri's command, and rebooted. When I try to make calls, it doesn't work. It lets me connect to the data network with the APN, username and password provided by b-mobile, but then all websites redirect to the b-mobile activation page. Is there something else that needs to be done to activate the N900 on the network?
Thank you to everyone who has posted on this amazingly helpful thread.
Yes.
1) You can't make any calls whatsoever. They have a new one that does this, haven't tried it.
2) As I noted before, you -must- have access to someone with a Japanese cell phone who can call the number on the back and enter the cell # for the sim card you have. The activation service is automated but requires you call from a cellphone.
I would like to know how to buy one of the 1month card via rinkya, because I can't find this kind of sim card in any shop. Thanks!
Create an account with them, and use their "Rinkya Shops (http://www.rinkya.com/storesrus.php)" service, you'll want to paste the URL for the order page and specify that you want the 1 month sim. I ordered two via this method and it worked out quite well.
Additionally, if you do not know anyone in Japan that has a cell phone, you may want to ask Rinkya if they can activate the card for you on a certain date. I did not do this and was scrambling for a day until I met with a friend of mine and activated two cards.
This method work well too, but as a trade-off, I lose the symbol table. So whenever I need some symbols, I have to go to the file and delete the added line, reboot the phone!
My solution to that is two-fold:
1) Applications I want to run using Japanese all the time I have wrapped in a shell script that sets those variables before running the program. Currently, only EBView is set up this way for Japanese dictionaries.
2) By default, anything not flagged like that can be used by closing the keyboard and tapping a second time in the input field, which brings up an input window. You can type into this using the IME like you normally would.
This thread is so low traffic posts can go missed for months, I hope everyone had their issues resolved since the last time I saw this one become visible :eek:
Ah! Nokia, how rude you are! (or am I so ignorant)
I did a complete reflash to PR1.3, update ovisuite to the latest, and wanted to re-download maps to my n900. Guess what? I could not find Japan on the list of ovi maps anymore!
I agree with Nokia that it is very hard to do business with Japanese people the way European want to, so you can pull out of Japan and hurt your faithful customers who have to be in Japan the way you like. But to delete a country from a world map like this is unspeakable!
Ovi maps for Japan were useless to me anyway, so I didnot care much. But to find out that a whole country is nolonger on the map is unbelievable. Are you turning as dirty as those counterparts in japan you did business with, Nokia?
Could any of the Japanese users tell me if your FMRadio can receive frequencies below 87,5 MHz?
I ask because Wikiwide noticed that they removed the "region" files from the FMRadio directory with PR 1.3
Thanks in advance for an reply
Hi Crogge
To answer your question I just install FMRadio on my N900 HongKong PR1.3, plug the wired headphone.
I notice there are two version of this: 2010.03.20 and 2010.03.60. I guessed the later was the latest so I tried it.
FMRadio 2010.03.60 just simply crashes to the desktop.
A reboot won't help.
Without removing this version, I tried to install FMRadio 2010.03.20, but was anable to install.
So I uninstall the 2010.03.60 version, install 2010.03.20 version, and it works without a reboot.
I tried to scan to frequencies lower than 87.5 but NO, it can go no lower than that or higher than 108.0 MHz.
I can not hit any Japanese broadcast with it anyway, neither on PR1.2 nor 1.3.
I tried installing FM-Boost but it still does not help.
After a reboot with both FMRadio and FM-Boost installed, nothing change: frequencies ranged between 87.50 and 108.00.
I do not install Japanese locale on my n900 though. I just use UK locale with GMT+9 for time zone.
Hope this post does answer you
yauchildchew
2010-11-07, 15:28
Hi Yauchildchew
NokiaN95/11.0.026; Series60/3.1 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1
as "New UA String"
try include the "" in ur code.
where did u get ur N900? I still dont see any PR1.3 update for my US N900 variant.
Hi Crogge
To answer your question I just install FMRadio on my N900 HongKong PR1.3, plug the wired headphone.
I notice there are two version of this: 2010.03.20 and 2010.03.60. I guessed the later was the latest so I tried it.
FMRadio 2010.03.60 just simply crashes to the desktop.
A reboot won't help.
Without removing this version, I tried to install FMRadio 2010.03.20, but was anable to install.
So I uninstall the 2010.03.60 version, install 2010.03.20 version, and it works without a reboot.
I tried to scan to frequencies lower than 87.5 but NO, it can go no lower than that or higher than 108.0 MHz.
I can not hit any Japanese broadcast with it anyway, neither on PR1.2 nor 1.3.
I tried installing FM-Boost but it still does not help.
After a reboot with both FMRadio and FM-Boost installed, nothing change: frequencies ranged between 87.50 and 108.00.
I do not install Japanese locale on my n900 though. I just use UK locale with GMT+9 for time zone.
Hope this post does answer you
Thank you, seems it is really a mess to receive frequencies below 87,50MHz.
yauchildchew
2010-11-11, 12:44
well, i got myself into the Uboot stuck situation and reflashed.
Worked the half day just to refigure out howfMMS works.
the APN is something consisting of SoftBank in the beginning, google it.
And "" is needed.
Good luck!
FBergeron
2010-11-13, 14:02
Greetings from a gaijin.
I am living in Japan and so happy toying around with my n900, Hongkong version.
I bought mine online in Japan.
[...]
For Japanese input, Kimitate has gathered a metapackage called Maemocjk-him-scim-anthy. I just installed this package using application manager. This work fine for me.
[...]
Hi,
I'm also living in Japan and am considering buying a N900. However, I would like first to verify something.
Could you tell me if the japanese input system that you are using (Maemocjk-him-scim-anthy) works well with Qt applications (toMOTko (http://maemo.org/packages/package_instance/view/fremantle_extras-testing_free_armel/tomotko/0.11.2-10fremantle0/) in particular (in testing repository)). I know that there is a problem with MSCIM as you can see in this thread (http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=47484). But I wonder if it works better with your mentioned input method. Or are they the same? I wonder...
Hi,
I'm also living in Japan and am considering buying a N900. However, I would like first to verify something.
Could you tell me if the japanese input system that you are using (Maemocjk-him-scim-anthy) works well with Qt applications (toMOTko (http://maemo.org/packages/package_instance/view/fremantle_extras-testing_free_armel/tomotko/0.11.2-10fremantle0/) in particular (in testing repository)). I know that there is a problem with MSCIM as you can see in this thread (http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=47484). But I wonder if it works better with your mentioned input method. Or are they the same? I wonder...
Hi,
I haven't tried toMOTko so can't confirm for now, but the Maemo-him-scim-anthy works nicely with QStarDict so I suppose it has no problem with QT. I also has no problem with microB search bar, note, abiword, or gnumeric
By the way my N900 Hongkong is made in Korea even though the shop lady told me on the phone that it is chinese made. So maybe I can safely say Official HongKong N900 is korean made.
Good luck
well, i got myself into the Uboot stuck situation and reflashed.
Worked the half day just to refigure out howfMMS works.
the APN is something consisting of SoftBank in the beginning, google it.
And "" is needed.
Good luck!
That's bad. But hopefully you have found the PR 1.3 to reflash to your phone:)
Ofcourse I have put all the user agent string in the "", now with fMMS 1.2.9, but still only mail deaders can be received.
Have been googling alot but still not found any luck. I made fMMS 1.2.4 works with softbank N73 useragent before, but after several reflashing and new fMMS versions, I get lost.
Thank you, seems it is really a mess to receive frequencies below 87,50MHz.
You are welcome
Since I can not listen to any stations properly from my area (Ibaraki) FMRadio is useless for me. May be will give it a try when I am in Tokyo.
But I am not that fond of Japanese FM radios anyway, So I will uninstall the app soon untill there is a better version.
yauchildchew
2010-11-16, 01:15
That's bad. But hopefully you have found the PR 1.3 to reflash to your phone:)
Ofcourse I have put all the user agent string in the "", now with fMMS 1.2.9, but still only mail deaders can be received.
Have been googling alot but still not found any luck. I made fMMS 1.2.4 works with softbank N73 useragent before, but after several reflashing and new fMMS versions, I get lost.
These are my steps (after reflash, i have got pr1.3, i remember more about fMMS and at the same time i lose some apps like healthcheck, apmefo, etc to work):
1) get fAPN and fMMS
2) delete MMS APN (sometimes it only shows up after u have tried to download MMS) create new APN (any name) through fAPN
3) fMMS settings: open.soft.....; softb...; qceff....; sbmms......; google for all details.
4) new APN setting: open.soft....;opensoft......; eb.....
5) xterm; input the string.
6) test.
Good luck.
These are my steps (after reflash, i have got pr1.3, i remember more about fMMS and at the same time i lose some apps like healthcheck, apmefo, etc to work):
1) get fAPN and fMMS
2) delete MMS APN (sometimes it only shows up after u have tried to download MMS) create new APN (any name) through fAPN
3) fMMS settings: open.soft.....; softb...; qceff....; sbmms......; google for all details.
4) new APN setting: open.soft....;opensoft......; eb.....
5) xterm; input the string.
6) test.
Good luck.
Thanks for reply
I found a bunch of useragent here
http://blog.livedoor.jp/nor_cola/archives/51345363.html
Tried the N95 one, but still no luck
Any more APN details please
Hi,
I'm also living in Japan and am considering buying a N900. However, I would like first to verify something.
Could you tell me if the japanese input system that you are using (Maemocjk-him-scim-anthy) works well with Qt applications (toMOTko (http://maemo.org/packages/package_instance/view/fremantle_extras-testing_free_armel/tomotko/0.11.2-10fremantle0/) in particular (in testing repository)). I know that there is a problem with MSCIM as you can see in this thread (http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=47484). But I wonder if it works better with your mentioned input method. Or are they the same? I wonder...
I tried toMOTko with scim module exported as default. It works fine but you still have to close the physical keyboard and tap on the screen to enter Japanese characters
FBergeron
2010-11-17, 04:48
I tried toMOTko with scim module exported as default. It works fine but you still have to close the physical keyboard and tap on the screen to enter Japanese characters
Do you think it's a bug from scim or is it a feature? Maybe someone should file a bug report if it's not already done.
Do you think it's a bug from scim or is it a feature? Maybe someone should file a bug report if it's not already done.
I think it is a bug from scim but related to qt because the same problem occurs with Qstardict. Gjiten has no such problem.
The status menu of maemocjk-him-scim-anthy also changes its position by itself ad I cannot make it return to where it should stay. This happens when I install something else, but can't remember which, so can't tell what it conflicts with.
If this scim anthy thing works like Atok or IME on windows it 'll be perfect.
I think the creator of this nice input module well awares of the problems but seems he is so preoccupied with Meego to fix them:)
To Kumainjapan-san
Sorry I can't reply private message (don't know how yet) so I post it here because it is not off-topic.
If you read all the posts on this thread, all the confirmation you need is there. Just insert the softbank sim and you can make calls, sms without problems.
The N900 find open information stored on the sim and automatically set up an APN called Softbank Mobile Internet, with crazily expensive rate not covered by any of softbank discount plan. Before using internet, go to connection setting and edit this connection using instruction on my post or similar, and you will be able to enjoy softbank unlimited data plan.
For S!Mail, which is MMS, I still cannot make it work on my N900 eventhough many have claimed to have made it using fMMS app.
If you make a google search on Softbank setting, you will see the general advice is not to ask softbank directly, not to show your N900 to them, keep your profile low in case you have trouble with over charged. This is, sadly, the truth. Softbank staff can even put a ban on your phone imei, which is the worst, because you will not be able to put any japanese sim in to use at all. So don't ask them about phone they don't sell. You have many kind and ready-to-help friends here on this forum and on internet.
"Softbank will find out and block your phone" kind of reply from japanese staff is, to me, empty threat. Don't worry. They won't be able to. As far as I can guess: softbank asks phone makers to put proper useragents to those phone to be use on softbank, lock down those function softbank don't want to be used on their network, like PC direct, internet sharing, internet modem...(That is maybe why it takes so long, if ever, for a nokia phone to have softbank firmware update)
So if you find our proper useragent for the relevant phone, you can use any foreign phone on softbank network without problems.
The only warning applicable is, even in unlimited package plan, softbank can ban your internet access if your internet data is over 300'000 yen/month (I haven't tried, so can't confirm)
kumainjapan
2010-12-04, 11:59
Duy2anh
Thanks for the reply. I wasn't sure if you received the private message or not because I never thought to check here. Ha.
Well, to answer your question about the unlimited package plan, I have the unlimited package plan with Softbank at the moment and I use over 40,000 yen in internet data a month, that that pales in comparison to the 300,000 yen a month setting.
I have been hesitant on buying a n900 because of Softbank's strict rules. I've had a friend before that has had callerID and SMS problems with an older unlocked Nokia on Softbank's service.
Thanks for the reply. I'll think on it more before making a plunge. It sounds like you have to be very careful when using an unlocked phone on their services. That's very aggravating.
(...) I have the unlimited package plan with Softbank at the moment and I use over 40,000 yen in internet data a month, that that pales in comparison to the 300,000 yen a month setting.
Since I started using N900 four months ago, my data rate is always between 120,000 and 180,000 except this month when I have to be in non-wireless area for 3 weeks, the rate is 260,000 yen and counting up right now. All covered by 4410 yen unlimited package.
I have been hesitant on buying a n900 because of Softbank's strict rules. I've had a friend before that has had callerID and SMS problems with an older unlocked Nokia on Softbank's service.
Don't ask japanese staff what they don't have in hand, because the answer is always a NO.
I don't have any problem with callerID or SMS, only unsolved problem with S!Mail (MMS)
I'll think on it more before making a plunge. It sounds like you have to be very careful when using an unlocked phone on their services. That's very aggravating.
Yes, you should be careful not to bring your phone to their shop to ask for anything. They just want to sell their services on their jailed phones.
Japanese laws is changing and sooner or later Japanese MB network companies will have to publicize their settings to users, just be patient.
While waiting, check this: Docomo is giving out free Samsung Galaxy for new 2-year contractors.
hallgreng
2010-12-05, 13:07
iv been running a B-Mobile SIM the past month down here in Okinawa. Works like a champ, however I only get 30min of voice calls if I initiate the call. Of course, if I'm called, then it doesnt deduct from my limit. Data is unlimited and runs well. Good enough for skype audio calls, and video calls work well (though not perfectly).
It all runs over the Docomo network, so I get excellent coverage (Softbank coverage is complete garbage in Oki).
Like others have said, dont bring or mention the n900 to any mobile phone store unless you are looking to waste an hour of your time.
@wmarone
Regarding the query below from Duy2anh about loosing the onscreen input window, you have mentioned about "wrapping in a shell script". Could you help provide an example of how this can be done, perhaps for EBView.
Also on a related note, you mentioned about using EBView. The search word input field on EBView seem to be so small. Have you any work around to make this input field appear a little bigger.. This Search word input field is so small that you dont see what is being input there..
TiA
Shin
This method work well too, but as a trade-off, I lose the symbol table. So whenever I need some symbols, I have to go to the file and delete the added line, reboot the phone!
Yes.
My solution to that is two-fold:
1) Applications I want to run using Japanese all the time I have wrapped in a shell script that sets those variables before running the program. Currently, only EBView is set up this way for Japanese dictionaries.
2) By default, anything not flagged like that can be used by closing the keyboard and tapping a second time in the input field, which brings up an input window. You can type into this using the IME like you normally would.
@wmarone
Regarding the query below from Duy2anh about loosing the onscreen input window, you have mentioned about "wrapping in a shell script". Could you help provide an example of how this can be done, perhaps for EBView.
This post would pop up the day I forget my phone at home.
Basically it's a shell script that looks like this:
#!/bin/sh
export XMODIFIERS=@im=SCIM #case matters for this variable!
export GTK_IM_MODULE=scim
export QT_IM_MODULE=scim
/opt/ebview/ebview
Something along those lines. I'll update when I get my N900 after lunch. The end result is that SCIM and Anthy will work for the application started by the script, and directly into input fields. They will still require the virtual keyboard intercept elsewhere, and won't interfere with the special keys VKB.
Also on a related note, you mentioned about using EBView. The search word input field on EBView seem to be so small. Have you any work around to make this input field appear a little bigger.. This Search word input field is so small that you dont see what is being input there..
I disabled quite a few of the buttons, as they were causing crashes when I tapped them. I'll post a screenshot later that shows what it looks like for me.
wmarone
Thank you for the shell wrapper. I would appreciate if you could confirm the set up on your n900 and also pointers on how an icon to this effect can be created. I am thinking of updating the path ( wrapper shell script) to EBview icon on the Catorize menu.
On the EBView input field, I have tried all possible menu disabling combinations. Your screen shot and setup would definitely help. I am wondering how the EBView menus are appearing in japanese for him..
http://d.hatena.ne.jp/kuma-tetsu/20100126/1264461748
This ( Japanese menu) makes the Search input field a bit more visible
wmarone
Thank you for the shell wrapper. I would appreciate if you could confirm the set up on your n900 and also pointers on how an icon to this effect can be created. I am thinking of updating the path ( wrapper shell script) to EBview icon on the Catorize menu.
I just created a PNG with the character 広 (mostly because I have Kojien on here,) centered in it, and created the necessary .desktop file for it. Took a while for the icon to actually appear, and I did it months ago so I'm kinda rusty.
On the EBView input field, I have tried all possible menu disabling combinations. Your screen shot and setup would definitely help. I am wondering how the EBView menus are appearing in japanese for him.
I trimmed all of those arrow buttons, and let the search box expand to fill the rest of the space. That did require editing the program's source code and recompiling. I, unfortunately, am not familiar with packaging things properly so my "install" is basically a tarball I unpacked on my device. Kimitake probably did a lot more work on EBView, he even posted his Qt port I saw at the MeeGo Day event back in September:
http://kimitakeblog.net/item/756
Which, as I remember, was much better suited to the N900's screen size. Had I known it was posted, I would probably have moved on to it earlier ;)
The menus there are probably due to setting the LANG environment variable, likely LANG=ja_JP.UTF8 or similar, you could set those in the script as well.
Kimitake probably did a lot more work on EBView, he even posted his Qt port I saw at the MeeGo Day event back in September:
http://kimitakeblog.net/item/756
Which, as I remember, was much better suited to the N900's screen size. Had I known it was posted, I would probably have moved on to it earlier ;)
Thanks for that.. I did try Kimitake's QT port of the EBView, it doesnt seem to work for me with all the Scim-bridge for entering nihono in the QT app. However another QT app QStarDict works fine.
But with all the EPWing data I have, I would love to have the EBView work properly on the n900 for me.
I trimmed all of those arrow buttons, and let the search box expand to fill the rest of the space. That did require editing the program's source code and recompiling. I, unfortunately, am not familiar with packaging things properly so my "install" is basically a tarball I unpacked on my device.
If its not too much to ask, would you mind sharing your customized EBView tarball ( with a more visibile Search input field). I hope it is just about untarring it into /opt where the current EBView is? I would appreciate your inputs on that.
The menus there are probably due to setting the LANG environment variable, likely LANG=ja_JP.UTF8 or similar, you could set those in the script as well.
I will try this.. Actually I found this link (http://blog.livedoor.jp/momoyan0306/?p=4) where someone had created a neat .deb package for JP locale setup.. But the link isnot available anymore. I have wrote to the author. Would anyone here have this .deb file ..
lameventanas
2011-01-19, 05:19
I've been reading this thread enthusiastically because I'm thinking about buying a N900 myself and I live in Japan.
I currently use a Nokia E71 with Softbank. It works well except I can't write sms or mms in Japanese, but I do receive them. Sometimes they don't open in the mail app, so I have to browse through the attachments one by one, and save the text one to the sd card, then use a 3rd party app to read it. Its slow and a pain, and sometimes I can't even save the attachment at all!
The only thing I like about the E71 is battery life and its VoIP integration (this is a must for me since I use an Asterisk PBX all the time).
So the main reason for me to buy a N900 is because I'm a big linux fan and this cellphone is completely open, and uses things like v4l, pulseaudio, etc. I might even write some software for it.
I would like to know of any compatibility issues using the N900 in Japan, especially using mms: showing emoticons and animations that people use with their japanese cellphones.
Is there any other thing that I should be aware before buying the N900 for use in Japan? :confused:
@Shin:
Let me dig for a bit, I don't know if I still have the tarball, though I should.
I would like to know of any compatibility issues using the N900 in Japan, especially using mms: showing emoticons and animations that people use with their japanese cellphones.
Such wide character sets may not be supported, I'm not sure to what extent the N900 offers. Might require additional code and pixmaps if they're insufficient as-is. Actually getting mms messages may be harder, since this thread alone tells tales of the carriers being real damn picky (at least Softbank) about the devices they allow on, and giving out information on their servers.
Is there any other thing that I should be aware before buying the N900 for use in Japan? :confused:
This thread tells a lot of the pitfalls. If you go Softbank, the main rule seems to be "don't tell anyone what you're using." I'm not sure if DoCoMo sells sim-only access to fOma, but it works quite well with the N900.
So, anyone have had any luck with Softbank prepaid sim cards in n900s?
tuxsavvy
2011-01-30, 19:32
shin: I've found an old copy of that locales file from googling however the package is seriously broken and there's no hinting as to whether or not will this be updated or not.
Link to file: http://momoyan0306.web.fc2.com/n900/n900-locales-extras-jajp_20100115-r294_all.deb
Installation goes fine on PR1.3, however you won't get ja_JP in the Settings > Language & region > Device language. I have dug deeper via comparing to the unofficial n900-extras-locales-zhtw from extras-devel and it seems like the file structures were either outdated or quite different. In addition to all that, it seems PR1.3 has a locale-archive for all the locales to be compiled into one big archive hence the lack of individual files inside each of the /usr/lib/locale/<lang> respectively.
I have made some small hacks with minimal success. The first attempt was to compile locale-archive to contain ja_JP as localesdef --list will show there's no ja_JP entry.
localedef -f UTF-8 -i ja_JP ja_JP.utf-8
This command then adds ja_JP locale from /usr/lib/locale/ja_JP/* into the locales-archive after a few moments of giving the device the time to remake the archive.
I then backed up /opt/maemo/usr/share/locale/ja/LC_MESSAGES before proceeding to copy the contents of /usr/share/locale/ja/LC_MESSAGES/* to /opt/maemo/usr/share/locale/ja/
tar jcvf /opt/maemo/usr/share/locale/ja/LC_MESSAGES.backup.`date +"%d-%m-%Y`.tar.bz2 /opt/maemo/usr/share/locale/ja/LC_MESSAGES/*
cp /usr/share/locale/ja/LC_MESSAGES /opt/maemo/usr/share/locale/ja
After rebooting I was able to see the ja_JP locale written of course in kanji but sadly after rebooting when using ja_JP has lead to only English locale for all the GUI portion. Funnily enough some of the commands in terminal did get shown up with portions of Japanese characters such as wget --help, ls -l, etc.
Inevitably this is now where I am stuck. There's Japanese words going through to the programs in terminal yet on the GUI side only the date formats and the days of the week is shown in Japanese.
Update: I have tried making duplicate directories under /usr/share/locale/ja to have /usr/share/locale/ja_JP as well as /opt/maemo/usr/share/locale/ja to have /opt/maemo/usr/share/locale/ja_JP. Again no success.
@Tuxsavvy
Thanks for looking into that.. While looking for this locale .deb from momoyan0306 from the link I mentioned above I managed to find a .deb version that works well on PR 1.3. If you are interested pls let me know and I shall PM you the installable. Since the original author doesnt seem to host this file anymore ( all links to this file on his site are broken ) and I managed to get this file from someone else who has saved it up, I am not posting it here
Is anyone here using keyholeTV (http://www.v2p.jp/video/english/) ..
This may be of interest to those who are not in Japan but still would like to listen to Japanese AM/FM stations and also watch Japanese TV realtime. Target interest group would also include people learning Japanese.
It is based on P2P technology and they seem to have versions for Windows, Mac, WinMobile and also for linux/ (http://www.keyholetv.jp/Viewer/Linux/)
It would be good to have this working on the n900..
I have used keyhole TV on my desktop computer, and indeed would like to see it working on N900. Currently I can watch dozens of live TV streams from China, Taiwan and Korea. Nothing from Japan...
jimbochou
2011-02-06, 12:14
I've been reading this thread enthusiastically because I'm thinking about buying a N900 myself and I live in Japan.
I currently use a Nokia E71 with Softbank. It works well except I can't write sms or mms in Japanese, but I do receive them. Sometimes they don't open in the mail app, so I have to browse through the attachments one by one, and save the text one to the sd card, then use a 3rd party app to read it. Its slow and a pain, and sometimes I can't even save the attachment at all!
The only thing I like about the E71 is battery life and its VoIP integration (this is a must for me since I use an Asterisk PBX all the time).
So the main reason for me to buy a N900 is because I'm a big linux fan and this cellphone is completely open, and uses things like v4l, pulseaudio, etc. I might even write some software for it.
I would like to know of any compatibility issues using the N900 in Japan, especially using mms: showing emoticons and animations that people use with their japanese cellphones.
Is there any other thing that I should be aware before buying the N900 for use in Japan? :confused:
I've attempted to use an N900 as my main phone in Japan but it wasn't really much of a success.
MMS - I got MMS working with fMMS on the Softbank network but I often had problems where I couldn't receive/open MMSs from Au or Docomo users. Didn't happen all of the time but a lost message isn't good. Other problems include not being able to check the server for messages which haven't yet been pushed to the phone yet (I don't know if that has changed in fMMS yet).
Emoji - I did manage to experiment with the emoticons to get some of the Softbank emoji to appear, though I never finished the solution.
Voicemail - Couldn't use DTMF tones to control my Softbank voicemail system.
Contacts/Phonebook - No katakana reading fields. Also there is no international number prefix setting, so if your numbers are in international format (+81), then you need to change them to local format before you can make a call from the Contacts application.
Maps - No real GoogleMaps for N900 means a very poor User Experience (compared to the S60 Google Maps app). Ovi Maps for Japan just basically tells you you are in Tokyo, no more details than that.
Infra-red - You may know about business card exchange using mobiles in Japan. IR port lacks SW for N900, so you can't easily exchange contact details.
Hate to say this but I personally would not recommend using the N900 in Japan.
tuxsavvy
2011-02-08, 10:02
Infra-red is a little outdated don't you think? I think people would exchange business cards, v-cards and what not via bluetooth? Though iirc N900's infra-red was detailed somewhere that it does not follow the regulations of the IRDA hence the lack of infra-red apps except for instance qtirreco .
As for google maps, there's no official ones from google which is a given. However there's GeePS (available from Extras under PR1.3) which utilises google maps.
zsugiart
2011-05-07, 12:46
all,
I'm in Japan atm, if you have an existing softbank sim card from a softbank phone, would you be able to use this on a foreign n900?
edit: I did try out the SIM, got 3G and data connection, but upon further reading softbank may charge you an arm and a leg for using their SIM on a foreign device. I don't think this place is appropriate for discussing softbank-specific case like this so I'll post this specific q in other forums. Thx
cheers,
z
(Cross-posting for other suffering MSCIM users)
I have just created a status menu switcher applet, which allows on-the-fly enabling/disabling of MSCIM (no rebooting).
This will save your battery life greatly, and also allows you to use the onscreen keyboard and symbol menu again!
It still has a few rough edges, but will probably be helpful to most people not requiring MSCIM to be active constantly.
Read this thread (http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?p=1004240) carefully, and then download the package if you wish to try it.
All usual warnings apply!! I will not be responsible if your device requires reflashing afterwards, etc.
zsugiart
2011-11-12, 04:19
Hey guys,
Been on my n900 for close to 6 month now. I was on bmobile sim and it worked (kinda) great. I'm looking for a better sim-only deal, and stumbled upon Bmobile FAIR. Have anyone used this? Seems like a great deal to me but I'm not sure if this'll work as well for my n900.
Also, I'm in Yokohama area and my GPS can't get a fix (even when I have data connection). Any n900 user in Yokohama? :)
tuxsavvy
2011-11-12, 09:14
I'm not in Japan but I have some suggestions that maybe able to help you. You should check if Bmobile doesn't work on pure 850MHz band. N900 is a quadband device but it does not support 850MHz or any particular country specific radio bands such as China which uses some fancy 400+MHz band.
Japan as far as I know used to not provide SIM services. They used to have similar designs as US did with CDMA. However I have heard that they are phasing that out in a bid to slowly conform with the majority in using SIM (thus GSM) services. The only thing however is the radio bands that each operator is allowed to operate on and thus comply with the national regulatory authority.
The GPS signal issue I think is now a widespread known problem if you're using AGPS. Though there has been no concise proof of any probable findings but the bottom line is that nokia's SUPL server is playing up. Many have been advised to use google's SUPL server and has had yielded great success.
To change the GPS server (if you're using AGPS) go into: Settings -> Location (under Connectivity) -> Location server (under Network positioning on the very bottom) -> change to supl.google.com (instead of supl.nokia.com).
If you're not using AGPS mode but only the internal GPS, it will take a fair amount of time to get a proper lock on your current location. Variations under weather and potentially under various areas (such as under a carpark with a roof, shopping centres, etc) can influence the accuracy and thus delay the amount of time for the initial tracking.
Hi Zsugi
Hey guys,
.... I was on bmobile sim and it worked (kinda) great. I'm looking for a better sim-only deal, and stumbled upon Bmobile FAIR. Have anyone used this? Seems like a great deal to me but I'm not sure if this'll work as well for my n900.
I have used bmobile talking SIM U300 (talking and slow internet) on my N900 without any problem. At the moment I am using b-mobile 1GB定額 (internet only). There are different "Fair" Sims. It looks as if some have data only and some have also talking included. If you want to use a data only sim then the setup of this sim card is a bit a pain. You have to send some dbus commands to your N900 (from the Shell). I found a How-To on some blog. After this setup the data only sim works very good. I would expect the "Fair" dataplan to work as well, but I have not tested it. Which bmobile plan have you used on your N900?
With the bmobile 1GB the internet connection is pretty fast, but unfortunately skype is not very good. Sometimes it works well and sometimes not. And talking to stuttering people on the phone is not very pleasant.
Also, I'm in Yokohama area and my GPS can't get a fix (even when I have data connection). Any n900 user in Yokohama? :)
I have been to Yokohama yesterday. I am living in Tokyo at the moment. I got some GPS fix, but it took some time. I think it was because of the shitty weather yesterday. So, no problems here.
Cheers,
keynya
zsugiart
2011-12-09, 15:17
hey guys!
@tuxsavvy - tried the supl.google.com :) the gps sort of work, it's definitely better than before.
@keynya - I am now using the 1gb data only fair sim. It's great - I can do skype call, skype video no problem. Quality drops every now and then but it's expected. I got the DBUS command when I first got in 6 months back, I did got it working with the old USIM300 plan.
am trying the diff map apps now to find a usable one here in jp. why did nokia map have no japan map is beyond me.
lameventanas
2012-06-03, 16:03
I've attempted to use an N900 as my main phone in Japan but it wasn't really much of a success.
MMS - I got MMS working with fMMS on the Softbank network but I often had problems where I couldn't receive/open MMSs from Au or Docomo users. Didn't happen all of the time but a lost message isn't good. Other problems include not being able to check the server for messages which haven't yet been pushed to the phone yet (I don't know if that has changed in fMMS yet).
Can you tell me what settings did you use for Softbank APN?
I have tried everything I found on the internet, but it doesn't work.
I also tried different user-agents.
I have a gray/white sim card.
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