bifröst

Nokia’s PC Suite is really a nice software - if you use Windows and Outlook. But you have to find alternatives if you change one of these parameters. Maybe you run thunderbird as mailing client, so you can use tools like MobileMaster. And maybe you run linux as OS, so you can use tools like… wait… that’s the question!
Theres an XML-based format called SyncML which can be used to sync clients with a server application. The default sync client on Nokia mobiles is such a client, so why not use it? A connector for thunderbird’s addressbook and sunbird/lightning calendar is also available. So what kind of server should be used? I tried the OS version of funambol but swichted to their free online service at my.funambol.com quickly. There you can setup a push mail service for your symbian mobile phone. I didn’t try it because I have an IMAP client on my phone. You can sent a config message to your mobile which includes all the data for the sync profile. With my Nokia E51 syncing the addressbook worked fine via WiFi. One problem isn’t solved yet: some numbers aren’t replaced with the person’s name in the message inbox, although the are linked with the person in the addressbook (and I don’t have duplicates!). Let’s see if I can fix it via PC Suite when I start Windows next time.
I don’t sync the lightning calendar via funambol because you have to select which calendar you want to sync in the addon. One point is: it’s not handy to switch to the extensions config for 4 different calendars. And secondly all appointments send to the online service will be resend to the “other” calendar, which means I have duplicate entries in every calendar. I am using a google calendar connector within lightning and have some private calendars, share some calendars and use calendars shared by other persons (with writing access), so this sucks hard… I’ve found some tools for my mobile, but the don’t have all the features I need yet. One of it is open source - I want to talk about it next time.

As an IT developer the use of ssh or an irc client like irssi is essential. But if you want to improve your connection time, you have to use tools like this whereever you are. So why not trying to set up tools like this on your mobile?
I did not have to search a lot: PuTTY is well-known as an ssh client for windows users, but it’s also available for unix, mac os x or… symbian os. You just have to install the given sisx-file on your S60 3rd edition cell phone after you have transfered it. The installation for self-signed applications is restricted, but this can be changed in the applications manager’s options. Due to the lack of a cam beside the one integrated in my E51, I can’t post pictures (let’s search for a screenshot tool for mobile phones later…). So I try to describe the software. You can create several profiles and store information like hostname (or IP), the login username, which port or ssh version you want to use etc. Logging is also available. I was unable to connect to my notebook via wlan (both E51 and the notebook) but it worked well with my desktop pc. The first test was to do file operations and using vim which worked fine. And the next step was ssh’ing to my notebook (which worked fine via the desktop pc) and shutting it down with sudo shutdown -P now
The next step would be the use of irssi, but I have found a similar irc client: mIRGGI. The setup is as simple as it was for PuTTY and the configurable options are things like changing colors for everything, doing autojoins and executing commands after connecting. Switching tabs is not intuitional: you have to push the send button in the empty command line: now you are able to navigate with your mobile’s forward/backward keys.
Lucky me: I can connect my Logitech diNovo Keyboard the my mobile
Poor me: vpn is still missing!

Sometimes you need this Microsoft os called Windows, e.g. for updating your nokia mobile firmware. I’ve been happy to see, that the firmware for my E51 was updated some days ago. I tried to use the NSU (Nokia Software Updater) but the connection failed again and again. I even turned off my firewall in XP but nothing happend.
Searching for the given error message did not lead to a result (german message and english support board), but I’ve found the english error message, something with “NOL” - and there was the hint: NSU uses IE’s proxy settings to connect to the update server. This sucks and is not documented anywhere! I’ve changed my IE proxy settings for using IE at my uas only - and using firefox for “real” work.