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Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Hard Resetting your N9

There are times when you accumulate problems on your phone that the option to reset your phone is the best option. For me, the following problems started to appear on my N9 which made me decide to hard reset the phone today:

  1. Bluetooth was no longer working, as I mentioned to many of you in my email lately. 
  2. Pressing the lock button, the screen would discolour and give me a distorted image rather than dim to a standby screen. 
  3. Calls were not connecting for some reason
  4. Battery was draining since my installation of PR 1.1 and someone was suggesting that a hard reset should fix the problem
So in one foul swoop, I went to SETTINGS -> RESET -> HARD RESET and entered my security code to give my phone the equivalent of a FORMAT C:\

What happens after a hard reset?
  1. Some applications are gone
  2. Bluetooth is working again
  3. No more discoloured screen problem when locking the phone
  4. Phone is running faster 
  5. Not sure yet whether the battery draining problem is fixed. 
Ovi store was not working properly but after I deleted my Nokia account and then signed in again, the ovi store worked. Hope this helps someone out there. 

How Applications Can Damage your phone

I recently downloaded an application from my-meego.com which turned out to be an application that caused much damage to other users' phones. In the past, I have always been able to happily ignore the warnings about installing applications which are not on the Ovi Store without any consequences but I wonder whether this latest app has caused the downfall of my bluetooth.

The application was called Air UI which was being heavily promoted on twitter by N9 users. The application claimed to use the front facing camera to detect your movements to control the music player etc. I thought this was an interesting idea and downloaded it. I've since uninstalled it after it didn't do what it claimed and went back to My-Meego.com to discover that the app has been removed. The following are comments from users who downloaded this application. It's a little worrying!


   Jamesvini
from AUSTRALIA 
on 2011-12-01 03:19 CET
As soon as i saw this in on the front page I was like a kid on crack, "WHAT I HAVE TO HAVE IT!!!" But taking a closer look I have to say chaps it looks to me like it is a bit of a hoax, maybe a small hoax...a hoaxette. and as for the username "Nokia" can someone within the site please prove this is legit? Thank you all [Rate: 0/10]
   Algis
from LITHUANIA 
on 2011-11-30 22:38 CET
No bricks, but it just doesn't work at all. And yes I rebooted my phone. [Rate: 0/10]
   hood
from Somewhere on Earth 
on 2011-11-30 18:11 CET
How does it work? Any manual? [Rate: 0/10]
  Anonymous
from FRANCE 
on 2011-11-30 18:09 CET
Same error message! Please, how reinstall my N9?? [Rate: 0/10]
   N9User
from MALAYSIA 
on 2011-11-30 17:02 CET
Same boot error for me. So how do you fix the error? [No rate]
   Manankanchu
from HONG KONG 
on 2011-11-30 15:14 CET
Several warnings on bricked devices in Ovi Store ... [Rate: 1/10]
   et3rnal
from AUSTRALIA 
on 2011-11-30 14:30 CET
Great :D with future improvements to add more functions this will rock :D thanks nokia [Rate: 10/10]
   F2thaK
from AUSTRALIA 
on 2011-11-30 13:21 CET
cool [Rate: 7/10]
   Croco
from ROMANIA 
on 2011-11-30 13:04 CET
It bricked my device. After installing and restarting I've got a beautiful Error message (something regarding QT library) and the device would not boot. I had to reinstall it and all the apps i had also. So be careful if you want to try it. [Rate: 0/10]
   Rajeev
from FINLAND 
on 2011-11-30 11:08 CET
Idea is very good. But application is not recognising all moves. It would be helpful if you provide the help page also. [Rate: 5/10]
   Helix
from JAPAN 
on 2011-11-30 11:06 CET
After installing.. My N9 has crushed.! when reboot, it say, "DEVICE IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY.." AND ASK ME TO BRING TO NOKIA CARE CENTER.! [Rate: 0/10]
   lanku_lover
from INDIA 
on 2011-11-30 10:44 CET
not working [Rate: 3/10]
   tomtom
from AUSTRALIA 
on 2011-11-30 08:22 CET
Tried installing and totally screwed my phone - I have an error message "Security problem..." etc. and Device not working properly. You've been warned. [Rate: 0/10]
   MyN9
from AUSTRALIA 
on 2011-11-30 08:10 CET
doesnt work [Rate: 0/10]
   Jylan
from AUSTRALIA 
on 2011-11-30 08:00 CET
Just a warning - I installed this on my Black 64GB N9, and rebooted right after. The boot process failed with the message "Device not working properly. Try updating the device software with Nokia Software Updater. If the problem persists, contact the nearest Nokia Care point." Below that in monotype was the following: "Security problem : /usr/lib/qt4/plugins/inputmethods/libairuiplugin.so" [No rate]

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

PR 1.1 Successfully Flashed

After some hesitation, I attempted the flashing of my Nokia N9 to get to the PR 1.1 release. I realised the first time that I flashed it, I actually flashed my phone with my existing firmware! That's what happens when you rush things. My phone version was not available in the list so after some googling, I was able to confirm that I could use another variant.

What version? To see what version your phone is, check behind your sim card tray. I had 059L698 which is "059L698: N9 RM-696 Country Variant Australia AU Black 16GB V1".  I used the "059J241: RM-696 NDT AUSTRALIA BLACK 16GB" which had the PR 1.1 available. The NAVIFIRM file I needed was "DFL61_HARMATTAN_20.2011.40-4_PR_LEGACY_005-OEM1-958_ARM.bin".

After following the other instructions in the previous post, the phone was successfully flashed to PR 1.1.

Effect of PR 1.1? Not much seems to have changed except Swype is now available as an extra keyboard on the N9. You will need to reinstall all your applications but your personal data should remain in tact. More later..

Thursday, November 17, 2011

China N9 - True Self is to Unfollow

Never has a Nokia advertisement encapsulated the feeling of many Nokia users as well as the China N9 advertisement featuring Bing Bing. The theme of the ad is "Unfollow", suggesting viewers stay true to themselves and not just sell out to the masses. It's quite clear what the ad is insinuating but it truly does take some stroke of individuality to go out on a limb with the Nokia N9. But as the ad says, "Can I survive in the face of criticism, as much as I have survived on praise?" If we are just doing what others want, then who are we but a reflection of everyone else?

Here's another ad by Samsung which also unashamedly follows along the same line as the Nokia N9 ad above. In a subtle attack on Apple fans, the ad follows a group of fans lining up for the launch of a new phone, mocking their commitment to an inferior phone. Have a look.


Use Address Book Favourites Wisely

After finding the N9 address book quite cumbersome, I accidentally rediscovered a feature that I have not been using. In each of the address book entries you can select the STAR on the bottom of the contact card. This will put the contact at the top of your address book! No more scrolling endlessly for your top 7 contacts, just add a star on each of them and save valuable seconds on your Nokia N9.

Beautifully simple yet so easily missed!

Monday, November 14, 2011

How to flash your N9 to PR 1.1 (even if it hasn't come out yet)


Since the release of PR 1.1, many people have been saying they haven't been able to get their hands on the update. There is hope though, since the update is now on Navifirm.
Unfortunately, this tool is only available for Windows, and I doubt it will come out onto Mac/Linux.

Please be aware, I suggest you do a back-up prior to flashing, and that even with a back-up, you may need to reinstall apps that were not pre-installed.

If you already have this tool, click "Clear Local Cache", as sometimes the update will be hidden.

Search for "Nokia N9" in the device list, select "20.2011.40.4", and search for your product code. (Note: If you can't find your code, or wish to flash with unbranded FW, ensure it is same country/region, colour and memory option.) If you select the 10.2011.34.1 and download the flasher, your phone will be flashed but your firmware version will be the same that you currently have (ie don't select 10.2011.34.1).

Click to enlarge

Choose the country variant that your phone is, which can be found on the back of the SIM card tray. You will need to take it out to have a look. If it is not there, you may want to google it to make sure you choose a compatible alternative country variant.

In the third screen, download the 1.1 GB .bin file. This is what contains the FW update.

Next you will need to install the Flasher tool, found here. Make sure it is version 3.12, this is the one compatible with Harmattan. (This is available for Windows, Mac and Linux)

For Windows, you simply open the .exe file and run the following command " -F <c:\whereitis\whatever>.bin -f -R "
For Mac or Linux, open Terminal and use the following " flasher -F <file path of FW file>.bin -f -R " 
Both of these commands will reboot the device after a successful flash.

Just wait and hope you did everything right.

From what I can see, here is a list of the changes (sorry about poor order, its just as I remember it):

- Changed font in messaging
- Individual notification icon for chat, text, mail and missed calls (Icon is also blue now.)
- Charging icon present on Standby Screen
- Notification icon on Standby screen no longer centred, aligned right with the time
- Music Player controls on Lock screen
- Updated Facebook App
- Messaging now shows "Delivered" next to time stamp for last sent text
- Gallery has new UI; no longer a scroll list at bottom, instead 4 icons (All photos, captured, favourites, options)
- Camera has colour filter option
- Calendar UI has changed slightly (new icons in toolbar)
- Swype pre-installed (activate in settings)
- Shadowing now above toolbar in various apps (not important, but I'm listing everything since apparently there is over 3000 improvements)
- Maps seems to start-up a bit quicker
- Swipe down to close is on by default
- Nokia Drive turns on almost instantly now
- I'm sure there is a lot more under the hood improvements but nothing I have noticed

If you need any more help flashing, send a tweet to our guest poster @MFaro-Tusino

Thursday, November 10, 2011

How to Make Twitter Work on your N9


I had the problem where the facebook app and the internet all worked ok on my N9 but the Twitter app would not work. It would always say "Sorry, can't connect" or something like that. I've just come across the solution for this problem which will fix Twitter on your N9. First of all, you need to be aware that all your internet settings, wifi settings and bluetooth pairing settings will be reset. If you are happy with that, proceed with the following to fix your Twitter app.

Go into Developer mode by going to Settings -> Security -> Developer Mode -> should be blue
Go to TERMINAL app which should now be on the bottom of your list of apps.

Type in the following with ENTER after each line
1. gconftool --recursive-unset /system/http_proxy
3. gconftool --recursive-unset /system/proxy
4. gconftool --recursive-unset /system/osso
5. exit

Twitter should now work on your N9.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

N9 Firmware Update PR 1.1 is here!

Across the world, the Nokia N9 firmware update is being rolled out. PR1.1 which has been greatly anticipated by N9 users will bring in a raft of new changes including:
  • Swype
  • Music controls (play, stop, rewind etc) on the lock screen
  • Default swipe down to close applications
  • Noise Cancellation 
  • Upload photos on twitter
  • Better NFC tag reading
  • New photo modes (sepia, B&W, vivid etc) 
  • Faster Mail for Exchange 
  • Memory improvements
  • Other Bug fixes
  • Charging and calendar notification on standby screens
So get into your phones and let us know when your country is up for the update. It will be a 218mb update and will take a while to update your phone. 


Countries that have reported PR1.1 available - UK, Austria, Finland, Sweden and India


How do I know if it's available? 
When it is available for you to download, you will receive a notification in the notification screen of your N9. You can see the video below:




Another way is to go to Settings -> Applications -> Manage Applications -> Updates and keep pressing refresh.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Nokia Suite 3.2.100.0 now available

If you are using the PC Suite, you may have noticed that an upgrade is available to upgrade to Nokia Suite 3.2.100.0. Not much seems to have changed, just a new "look and feel" and the sync gives you a more detailed report about what was changed by the sync. You can get your version upgraded by going to the Software Updates button in your Nokia Suite.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

How to put music on your N9

I forgot that we live in a generation of iphones so even the simplicity of things needs to be retaught. Unlike Apple products, Nokia does not require you to use iTunes and if you have an Mp3 file of the music you like, its as simple as dragging and dropping the file into your phone. If you put your music in DATA\Music it will immediately appear in your phone's Music Player.

Transferring music from your computer to your N9 can be done by following our previous post about Nokia Ovi Suite and the N9 or the even earlier post about 7 things to know about connecting to the N9.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

How to Get Ovi Suite to Work with N9

Currently if you have the latest Ovi Suite for Nokia, you will get something like this when you try to connect your N9.


There has been some talk online that if you install a particular earlier Ovi Suite version, it will happily connect with the Nokia N9. Why that is the case, considering the N9 came out AFTER Ovi Suite 3.0.0.90? No idea but that's how it is.

You can download the N9 compatible version of Ovi Suite at http://www.4shared.com/file/NEaBJnfo/Nokia_Ovi_Suite_300290.html.

After testing out this download, we can verify that linking up to the N9 using your PC is possible with this version of Ovi Suite. Once you have connected to the N9, you can upgrade to the newest Nokia Suite when prompted and the program will still recognise your N9. This upgrade will take you to version 3.1.1.90. We were able to
  • Sync our contacts with the PC
  • Send an SMS using the PC via the N9 
  • Download photos from the N9 to PC
  • Check for software updates
  • Sync music 
This is also possible connecting via bluetooth as well if your computer has bluetooth and you have activated it on the N9. 

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Another must have App for N9 - Sportstracker


One of my favourite apps on Symbian has just arrived on the Meego Nokia N9! Sportstracker which gives you the ability to record your progress with a fitness routine, has so many statistics and graphs that it really is a must download, plus it's free! 
Some of the information that it tracks using your phone and GPS include:
  • Distance
  • Duration
  • Speed
  • Average speed and pace
  • Max speed
  • Energy spent (kCal)
You can keep a training diary to analyse your progress over a few weeks/months and this can be synchronised to the web at sports-tracker.com with also the ability to share your workouts on Twitter or Facebook friends. Check it out at the Nokia Store.