Re: 300 testers and not a single bit of info
 

You have seen the search box at the top right of the page?

Re: 300 testers and not a single bit of info
 

:),,yea,

so there is now way to have Java & digital compass???? or they will added in the coming firmware/....:confused:

Re: 300 testers and not a single bit of info
 

You cannot add a compass via firmware.

Re: 300 testers and not a single bit of info
 

I have a question. My understanding (from using the search box :P) is that there is no digital compass, which is to say there is no magnetometer in the n900, i.e. necessary hardware is absent. So...who amongst the 300 has tried using the n900 for navigation in pedestrian mode. Is there some magical hidden secret sauce that enables "compass like" orientation. Perhaps a very quick, tight GPS lock? I don't know, I'm fishing here. The question really, have you used it for navigating on foot, in unknown territory and how is it (I'm thinking Google maps, but will take Ovi experiences if you want to relay them.)

Re: 300 testers and not a single bit of info
 

Ovi and the GPS radio are the most disappointing feature of the N900.

Ovi is version 1.0 and its been fairly stripped down from the S60 platform.

The GPS takes forever for a fix and has issues gettting a fix when there isn't a data-connection. I am hoping the new firmware addresses this.

Re: 300 testers and not a single bit of info
 

GPS is very fast to get fix when there is SIM card and data connection is open. It takes only seconds. Ovi Maps is useless for me at the moment.

Re: 300 testers and not a single bit of info
 

And Google maps? I ask because in my experience of use on my e51 (with an external bluetooth GPS), it (GMaps) will give you a direction arrow if you're moving fast enough or if you move far enough. I assumed that this was once there were enough separate sequential points to generate a vector. So I wondered...will I still have to walk a block before I realize I'm headed the wrong way, or will it be a couple of steps?

Re: 300 testers and not a single bit of info
 

Qik had an update today that fixed the startup issue.

I have posted a video created by Qik here: http://qik.ly/p21k

The interface is simple. saw some lines crossing the green text displayed by the app. After entering the login information, the camera is activated on the screen. There are 3 icons on the screen:
1. Title
2. Start/Stop recording
3. Public/Private toggle
Pressing Start initiates the streaming to your Qik page. The streaming delay is also displayed in real-time.

The video seen on the app is not as sharp as that seen when recording normally using the default camera interface. Also the quality of video on the Qik page is not that great. couldn't find an option to increase resolution.

The app needs some more work on the UI. I also couldn't use the Camera after closing Qik. Kept getting an 'Operation failed' error. I had to kill /usr/bin/camera-ui to get the camera back. Haven't been able to duplicate the issue.

HTH

Re: 300 testers and not a single bit of info
 

I would never want data connection open when in another country (which is where I would usually need a fix), so that solution is pretty much useless to me.

Instead I expect that I shall be able to use my own Holux BT GPS which doesn't need any help getting a quick fix.

Re: 300 testers and not a single bit of info
 

howcome from 300 poeple who tried the pre-released version of N900 didnt noticed about digitl compass,,,,

Re: 300 testers and not a single bit of info
 

Indeed. I have the same bluetooth unit, works great with my e51, sans data account, for the exact scenario you're describing (abroad, no data, spotty wifi). I was just hoping to converge a little bit, eliminate a device. At least I should be able to use the same charger on both (USB).

Re: 300 testers and not a single bit of info
 

Didn't notice what ?

Re: 300 testers and not a single bit of info
 

thank u,, i really appreciate your reply..:)

btw, is there sms handwriting recognition in N900??

thnx

Re: 300 testers and not a single bit of info
 

I believe the absence of the digital compass was know before the 300 received their units. It's non-trivial to add. Honestly this has been discussed ad nauseam, and there is even a thread about post production modding the n900 to add this functionality.

Re: 300 testers and not a single bit of info
 

There is no google maps application for the N900 at the moment.

Re: 300 testers and not a single bit of info
 

In the GPS settings you can select external bluetooth device. I haven tested GPS without data connection so don't know how long it will take to get the fix without it.

Re: 300 testers and not a single bit of info
 

Hmm, and I don't suppose the website supports using GPS. I wonder if the availability an app is likely to change in the near future. I mean, Maemo is pretty much a direct competitor to Android in it's target market space. Would it make sense for them to make an app available. They went after a custom ROM maker for bundling GMaps and Gmail in his ROM. Then again, there are Google Map apps for S60, and WiMo, so perhaps we just have to wait...

Re: 300 testers and not a single bit of info
 

yea i agree with you...even me heard that they gonna add the digital compass...but how they will add it although it is a hardware issue????really confusing..:confused::confused:

Re: 300 testers and not a single bit of info
 

Those more in the know can correct me if I'm wrong on this, but from what I've seen, there is no digital compass built-in, there will not be a digital compass...in this release. There are users, in the community, who are talking about adding some kind of digital compass functionality. These are not official Nokia efforts; purely talented (to various degrees) hobbyist.

Re: 300 testers and not a single bit of info
 

ok, so it igoing to be more like application....

you mentioned (in this release), do you mean that Nokia is planning to release another version of the N900?????

cos we have encountered many versions with E90, N95,..ect in where the hardwares were adjusted & more features added

so ,,,

Re: 300 testers and not a single bit of info
 

No, it would be hardware modding, like sticking a compass to the back of your N900 and pluging it through USB. See http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=31861 for more info

Nokia hasn't officially planned any new hardware release, but we can guess there will be a new tablet coming with maemo 6 in 1/1,5 year. Probably including a digital compass in the package. I don't see them releasing something earlier.

Re: 300 testers and not a single bit of info
 

Hmmm. Let me make sure we're on the same page here. When we say digital compass, we mean that if you're in a map application, for example Ovi maps, and you are standing still, there is a pointer that not only shows where you are on the map, but also which direction you are facing. The direction is provided by a piece of hardware ( a magnetometer), which the n900 does not have. As a result, when you are using a mapping application, it will not be able to show which direction you are facing when you are standing.

Re: 300 testers and not a single bit of info
 

Nokia has not announced any additional Maemo 5 devices.

Nokia has also not announced that there will be no additional Maemo 5 devices.

There's an expectation within the community that eventually the Maemo product line will expand out to include more than one device at a time. There's been no official word from Nokia on the matter though, and any discussion on a second Maemo 5 device, or multiple Maemo 6 devices, is speculation at this point.

Re: 300 testers and not a single bit of info
 

Yes. Exactly. What some people get confused about is that, when moving in roughly the same direction, it is possible to extrapolate this direction by calculating the vector between those points. the software then assumes that this is the way you are facing and can present this as a virtual compass. Some people see this display in navigation software and think that this is the same as a real digital compass - it isn't.

Re: 300 testers and not a single bit of info
 

Yeah, I was trying to make sure it was clear for Knight. The question I have on that is...how fast/sensitive is the aGPS in the n900? Does it acquire enough points to generate a vector after a few steps, or am I going to walk a block and look at street signs before I know I'm heading in the wrong/right direction.

Re: 300 testers and not a single bit of info
 

Yes, but I don't want to pay roaming fees when using the GPS in other countries.

Re: 300 testers and not a single bit of info
 

It was clear *BEFORE* the maemo summit that there will be no digital compass. So what should have been noticed by the 300 people? That - indeed - there isn't one?

Re: 300 testers and not a single bit of info
 

Nobody said that they are going to add a digital compass to the N900.

Re: 300 testers and not a single bit of info
 

Slightly off topic question:

Won't I be able to use N900's GPS with turn by turn navigation software that might be available in the future, without the need of data connection?

Will we be able to have pre-installed maps atleast?
Enlighten please :p

Re: 300 testers and not a single bit of info
 

Have any of you testers managed to successfully install vpnc? If not, would one of you mind trying? If vpnc will not work on the n900 then I won't purchase it right off. Thanks in advance.

Re: 300 testers and not a single bit of info
 

it is again amazing, following this forum and read some threads gives me more information on the device as I wanted:
radioFM I/O - check
MMS - WIP
SMS - check
email - check
IM - check
java - missing (dont know if WIP but I guess nokia is looking at it)
magnetometer/compass - missing (but if you find a magnetometer-chip fitting to the main cam socket, you are more than invited to tell the guys who think of engineering their own in DIY)
Accelerometer - check
QuakeIIIArena runs smooth- check
CIR - check
IrDA - missing
handwriting-recognition - (afaik) WIP
ASR - WIP
portrait mode - check
portrait kbd - WIP
landscape mode - check
open source - check
GPL - check
battery lasts a day of normal use - check
front cam - check
main cam - check
video call - WIP
is actually real and I am awake - check (aua)
walks the dog - missing (damn)
turn by turn nav wo dataplan - check

list doesnt end - check


its in the specs, or was mentioned here, in the wiki, planet, twitter, youtube, news, ...

whats the point of this thread?

This is SPARTA! (sorry needed it!)
told us what was missing in reviews previews and so on, I guess I know more about the N900 as I do about my current phone and I dont have it in my hands yet!

Re: 300 testers and not a single bit of info
 

Yes, please see Jaffa's "Downloading Ovi Maps without a network connection" page.

Re: 300 testers and not a single bit of info
 

Ovi Maps is quite ok in fact once you get used to the slightly nonstandard UI... :rolleyes: What sucks is the current search implementation that uses a data connection to find locations even altough the data is available locally...
Note to Nokia: Maps must work without Dataconnection, using local maps!!!!

Re: 300 testers and not a single bit of info
 

I disagree :D Please try maeMaps in it's current implementation for a first draft. Has search, routing, map types, traffic info, wikipedia layer and local search. It even supports GPS if you install the maemo-location plugin for MicroB. Only 15 kB.
Tell me what you need more and I will try to add it (next todo: hacking around with Streetview :-)
Of course it' still missing a proper help/doc, but it works really well for me.

Re: 300 testers and not a single bit of info
 

It has offline ROUTING, but turn-by-turn is neither available offline nor is it free. Also, does anyone know if they got OVI Maps 3.0 on the device? I read somewhere that it had v1.x!

Re: 300 testers and not a single bit of info
 

Full agreement from me there.

On the plus side though, Ovi Maps handles addresses far better than Wayfinder ever did. Wayfinder required me to know the ZIP code of any address I wanted to visit. Ovi Maps, even v1.0, on the N900 happily accepts mailing addresses without ZIP codes for locations.

Re: 300 testers and not a single bit of info
 

Technically you would only need a data connection long enough for the device to get the initial GPS satellite location information (the A in assisted GPS). After that no data connection is necessary once the device has a fix on the sats.

Re: 300 testers and not a single bit of info
 

ZIP codes.. if you're trying to find a location you don't know, how are you supposed to know the zip code? Even in my own town there are almost as many zip codes as streets, and I only know the one of where I live. ZIP codes are only used when snail-mailing people, and as almost nobody does this these days (except when getting something shipped to yourself) then almost nobody will know the zip code of some street address they know about. I wonder how Wayfinder could think up something like that. My TomTom navigator simply asks for city, street, number.

Good to hear that Ovi Maps is less insane than Wayfinder! :)

Re: 300 testers and not a single bit of info
 

the beta version of vpnc worked fine for me. I was able to connect to my office with no issues. http://pi.pe/15e6i4

Re: 300 testers and not a single bit of info
 

special thanks 2 u my friend.....:)