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I undertook the recent forced reset of my E90 without too much worry about data loss. After all, all my contacts, diary and email details would be synchronized once RoadSync got going again. I performed a backup using the PC Suite of all device content just before the reset and complete a backup like that every other week in any case. Once the device was back up and running, a quick glance at all the information I needed confirmed that everything seemed in order.

One of the applications I constantly use on the E90 is ActiveNotes. Anything of interest, lists and other notes find their way into an ActiveNote. When I tried to add something to my ever-growing list titled Research, I discovered that the notes had obviously been cleared due to the device reset. No problem: the PC Suite features a restore from a backup file. In fact, the restore and backup functionality is flexible enough to enable the user to select what content should be restored or backed up. The only problem is this: the ActiveNote data is combined with the Calendar data…

Okay if the calendar hasn’t changed, but of little use if a recent sync has updated and modified many entries. Obviously I was not willing to sacrifice my calendar’s known-good state for the sake of restoring my notes. On the other hand, I really wanted the notes back.

Thankfully the Interweb always offers a solution. Noki is an application that is able to read and interpret the contents of the Nokia backup files. These files generally have the NBU extension and contain all the data selected for backup during the backup process.Use of the application is very easy and there is little that can go wrong.

Using Noki, it’s a simple matter of selecting the desired backup file. The content is displayed in a neat tree view.

The ActiveNotes are basic HTML files. Using Noki I was able to extract them to the desktop and then copy them back to the phone’s ActiveNotes directory. Simple as that!

Over and above that, Noki is a means of integrating your phone’s data to a variety of other applications and using it in a number of other ways. The homepage provides a download link to the latest version and a list of capabilities. The price for Noki is pegged at USD 22 – I managed to get my notes out of the NBU file without being bothered by any request for serial numbers or a payment, and I can’t identify a place where the software is locked. Maybe that’s a special feature of the version I downloaded?

If you’re stuck with Nokia phone backups and need to manipulate or restore the data, Noki may be a lifesaver for you too.

I rely on RoadSync to constantly synchronize my E90‘s contacts, schedule and mail with an Exchange Server. The product has never let me down and has performed flawlessly. Hence my consternation when I attempted a sync whilst overseas. Obviously I’d switched to a wireless network and was attempting the sync manually, yet try as I might I could not resolve an error RoadSync and the E90‘s S60 3rd Edition had never shown before: Application closed – ucmp 0.

I tried the usual error resolution: reset mail data and try to synchronize again. That worked, but only for the first sync. Every subsequent sync would cause the ucmp 0 error to pop up. The more drastic measure of resetting all data and synchronizing again had a similar effect. Since I was on holiday, I ignored the error until I got back home and started googling for a possible resolution. There was nothing similar, though I found a few developers mentioning the ucmp issue with regard to memory overflows and possible persistent storage issues. The next step: re-install RoadSync. Same result: first sync works, subsequent synchronization attempts fail.

Switching off mail synchronization indicated that mail was indeed the problem, so I cleaned out my inbox and tested again. No joy: even with an empty inbox or a simple, single message in the inbox, no second or subsequent synchronization had any intention of working. I was at my wits end and turned to DataViz‘ support desk, mailing them details of the error and how to possibly reproduce it. Their turnaround time in getting back to me was quite something, taking less than a few hours each time. Finally, this morning the issue was resolved. Seems my E90 must have been corrupted even though I hadn’t installed any additional software on the device for some time. The suggestion to master reset my device by dialling *#7370# paid off. A brief re-installation of some software later, all is well.

This is another example of how valuable it is to consider purchasing mission-critical software. With the quality of support I received from DataViz, I consider the USD 49.99 pricetag well worth it.

fring is an application I’ve neglected to update and use for quite some time. As with all popular software, there’s always a new version available and I proceeded to download it to the E90. fring is essentially an application to enable voice over IP (VOIP) calls to be placed using a mobile handset and the carrier’s data connection. For calls to far away locations this is significantly cheaper than dialling a landline or mobile number. If the called party has access to fring or Skype or a similar support service, the calls are essentially free, except for the small amount of network traffic generated. If you’re in the coverage area of a wireless network, fring can connect over that too, meaning call costs are driven down even further.

But fring has evolved into much more than a simple VOIP application. It can become the central hub for all your messaging requirements, as it provides plug-ins and support for a host of services. The list is extensive and includes Skype, MSN Messenger, ICQ, Google Talk, SIP, Twitter, AIM and Yahoo. If you’ve signed up with any of these you can access them all from your handset. The fring interface provides an easy way of adding services: simply enter your credentials and all the necessary connectivity takes place.

As many services as necessary or practical can be activated. fring maintains a connection and updates as required. Though I use the Mobile GMail application on the E90, I find the GMail notifier in fring to be particularly useful. It pops up whenever a new message has appear in my inbox and displays a short preview.

For those with a special love for Facebook, a plug-in for that is available. The most salient features of the web interface are present and functional. A similar plug-in for Twitter exists, too.

The fact that one is able to activate so many services at once is a great idea. The usual problem of reacting to inputs and requests from all of them may be less novel to many. I switched off Twitter pretty quickly and followed that with a deactivation of the Facebook module. Unless you have serious ADD, you may want to be selective about which modules you really need to retain some of your sanity. Know that they are all there should you ever need them, though…

At the end of the day, fring‘s primary mission is to provide telephony services. It does this very well and integrates all contacts from the phone, displaying the status of each contact with regard to the various services that have been activated. So, you would know which of your contacts are presently logged on and available via various IM clients, for example. Or you could simply call them, using a supported VOIP protocol of your choice…

The call quality over a mobile GSM network is very good, though it does rely on decent signal strength. The same can be said for using fring in a WLAN environment. For travelers who wish to phone home without being shocked by hotel phone bills or reams of cellular call logs, fring is probably one of the best alternatives. The download is free of charge and works on virtually any handset.

RoadSync keeps my E90‘s contacts and calendar data updated using Microsoft ActiveSync technology. Having push notification of email is really convenient and obviates the need to constantly run Mail for Exchange at certain time intervals. Of course, RoadSync is not free, unlike Mail for Exchange.

The updated version of RoadSync does not introduce radical features. Instead, this is an incremental update, with some very useful features added and a couple of speed enhancements included. The well-known, fuss-free interface to the programs features remains basically unchanged. A new addition is the synchronization of tasks.

The most radical improvement is the ability to select the incoming email format. Text or HTML formats are available, with HTML providing a far more content-rich experience. RoadSync 4 features a notification to indicate the arrival of new mail and has a number of pre-defined keyboard shortcuts to allow faster access to commonly used functions. And it’s able to synchronize contact photographs if you’ve bothered with that feature in Outlook…

But the HTML format support is the main reason I upgraded.

With HTML mail, reading those early morning comics is now possible,

as is the at-a-glance view of my mailbox status

Previously, mails as shown in the two examples above would consist entirely of ASCII text and URL‘s. Being able to read the mail content as it was intended is fantastic and a real time saver. No more having to hop into a browser or PC mail client. The only prerequisite for HTML formatted mail to be enabled on the device is a backend Exchange 2007 server. HTML mail does push up data usage to some extent, but I would consider that absolutely negligible considering the advantages one gains.

The Mobile GMail application is constantly running on the E90 and is the easiest way I have found of watching out for new mail. The GMail team has released a new version with a number of usability features and additional functionality.

Mobile GMail version 2.0 now allows access to multiple accounts and has fixed the softkey command assignment display on the E90‘s wide interior and narrow exterior screens. The ability to access multiple accounts is the feature I’ve been looking forward to most of all.

Overall, the application has been optimized to load faster and retrieve email more efficiently. Another great addition is the customizable menu that provides entry points to the inbox, outbox and other folders. As I live in the All Mail view, I can now access that with a single selection rather than having to scroll around two menus as in the previous version.

Mobile GMail is now also capable of working in an offline mode whereby composed emails are kept in the outbox until a network connection is once again available. From a usability point of view, some handy shortcut keys make composition and other activities easy to activate through a single button push.

To install to your device, open a web browser and point it here. Java-capable (J2ME) devices and Blackberry only. Any existing older version will have to be uninstalled prior to the download and installation of the new version.

If you use GMail and have a phone capable of running the client, you should try it out. The ease with which you’ll be able to interact with your mail account on-the-go will be something you’ll wonder how you ever did without.

The E90 is a great device. As with any computer, adding software to enhance its functionality is where the real payoff lies and often allows existing hardware functionality to be exploited in interesting and useful ways. There are a number of applications that transform the E90, and a variety of other mobile phones with 3G/HSDPA access, into a portable wireless access point. WalkingHotSpot is one such application – I first heard about this application in a comment and eagerly downloaded and installed the small file. Unfortunately, WalkingHotSpot had no intention of running on my E90 – the cause of the error was never clear and a reinstallation did no good. So, I gave up on the idea of running such a solution on my phone.

Recently, I stumbled across JoikuSpot and had to try it out. This application is for Symbian S60 3rd Edition devices only. There are two editions: a free, light version and the same application with a number of features added available for purchase. It’s always good to be able to try something out before spending any money: I installed the free JoikuSpot Light.

The download is quick and painless, weighing in at 116KB. Transfer to the phone and install. That’s really all there is to it. I performed a quick test by enabling the JoikuSpot on the E90 without changing any settings. As with most data-enabled applications, JoikuSpot requests permisson to connect

and then requests the connection to use.

JoikuSpot won’t work with a WAP connection and requires 3G or HSDPA – I did a configuration OTA (over the air) to get my 3G connection settings working. For some or other reason, MTN decided to name that access point MTN-WAP.

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Yesterday, I wrote about my impressions of the new Handy Weather release for the E90. A rather annoying bug wouldn’t let me add more locations and the upgrade to version 6.0 had killed a couple of my preset locations.

A quick mail to the Paragon Software Support Team provided me with a very quick fix: seems the bug was well known and an updated installation file is already available. I downloaded Handy Weather 6.0 (1) and can say that the issue with adding more locations seems to have been fixed.

Rain forecast for the Gold Coast tomorrow. Why do I really need to know that…

The Handy Weather application is always available in my E90‘s active applications. This weekend, the software stubbornly refused to provide up-to-date weather forecasts: my one year subscription to the Intellicast weather information service had expired and it was time to renew or face daily uncertainty.

For USD 15, I was permitted to download the very latest Handy Weather version and added the ability to gain the all-important weather information for another year. Handy Weather 6.0 has been spruced up a bit, but is essentially the same application with a few new features added.

Weather information is still displayed in the chosen format for a selected location – I prefer the week view. Now, maps have been added to display regional information. The addition of this option is the most significant feature of release 6.0.

Three maps are available: temperature, pressure and satellite.

In the default view, the map image is displayed in a size that is appropriate within the applications main window. It is possible to zoom into the image and make it appear full-screen. It’s important to note that the quality of the image does not improve: this is literally a bitmap being manipulated and the quality decreases as the image expands.

The addition of the maps is a nice touch. Hopefully future versions will strive to provide more dynamic map generation and include navigation features similar to those found in Google Earth. Overall, Handy Weather 6.0 is a worthwhile upgrade with one glaring exception:

Any attempt at adding a new location results in the above error. I had about seven locations in the application prior to the upgrade. After the new version installed, four of those had mysteriously disappeared. I cannot add them back. Not good.

I’ve mailed the support desk at epocware and described the issue. Let’s see whether they have a fix…

Finding a decent Twitter client for a Symbian device is easy, but decent ones are hard to come by. It is also necessary to adjust expectations – you won’t find anything with the glitz and glam of the iPhone‘s Twitterific, for example… Jitter is the one I presently use, and even though it is extremely basic, it works very well and isn’t burdened by useless and unneeded features. Calling it a Twitter telnet client wouldn’t be far off the mark. It’s text only with no fancy graphics…

Setup is very easy: simply enter all the relevant Twitter account details and you’re off. For the download, a handy WAP link is available. Jitter works on a wide range of devices. Any mobile phone with MIDP support is capable of running Jitter.

Viewing updates from various timelines is possible, as is the sending of direct messages.

On the E90, Jitter is also quite happy to run on the front screen in portrait mode.

If you’re looking for a no-frills, free application to flitter away your Twitter-jitters, Abiro‘s Jitter may be just the application.

It’s been quite a while since I last installed any software on the E90. It’s always useful to have direct access to a currency converter. I don’t know how often I’ve googled the URL for XE (must remember to bookmark that!).

The built-in converter shipped as a standard application on the E90 caters for measurements and the like but not for currencies.

With Handy Converter, up to four currencies may be displayed simultaneously. Entering a value for any one of them automatically indicates the corresponding value for the other three. A great way to depress yourself: enter anything for the currency ZAR and compare to the others.

A subsequent screen lists all currencies with their relevant exchange rate to the base currency selected. It’s little more than list, but is a good reference to have access to.

And, what would a conversion program be if it didn’t include the normal conversions for weight, area, volume and the like? These are included too. I have yet to find a means of figuring out what size T-shirt fits Alexander – he normally ends up getting them two sizes too large regardless what size I buy…

I use Handy Weather constantly and rely on Handy Safe to keep a secure copy of all my passwords with me at all times. At USD 14.95, Handy Converter is expensive for the functions and features it provides. My primary gripe is the fact that the currency update is manual instead of the developer offering an automated or scheduled update. That would make sense, even if the rates were updated only once every few days. I’m buying this one purely due to the fact that the Handy brand applications are of a good quality, look good and are easy to use. I’ll live with the manual currency update, but do hope a scheduled update will be provided in a future release.

If you’re looking for a standard conversion utility that does not include any currency conversions, the standard Nokia application already on your device is more than adequate. If you are able to remember the URL for XE, you may consider a browser launch to that site far better value than Handy Converter.