racoma.com.phJ. Angelo Racoma on technology, economics, writing, problogging, and getting things done

I’ve been using my Nokia E51’s browser extensively since I acquired the phone a few months back. It lets me check emails, post blog entries, and even read my feeds while mobile. I can do this both thru WiFi hotspots or even via 3G/GPRS. My old LG had a browser, too, but the phone was simply too, well, simple for my growing needs. I installed Opera Mini on the LG and it made a big difference in terms of functionality.

And so having grown quite bored of the same old Nokia browser I use everyday, I decided to install Opera Mini. The diminuitive browser is well-praised for its speed and ability to render pages nicely on small screens.

However, I do have issues with speed. I don’t know if it’s a limitation on the part of my phone, or the software itself. Frankly, I find that Nokia’s built-in browser is just faster in most cases. From startup, to loading pages, to the general responsiveness of the interface.

I guess this is how it is with built-in software vs. add-ons.

Am I alone here?

Posting from my Smartphone using Scribe.

Last I wrote about mobile phones it was about my Nokia 1112 (which I reviewed here), the basic but decent mobile phone I’ve been using for almost a year now. Looks like I’m not alone in opting for basic, no-frills phones. Jeremy Wagstaff writes of a recent experience one Loose Wire.

The Nokia 1100, according to Wikipedia, is the world’s best selling handset, having shifted 200 million units. It seems to cost about $20, often less, and has a battery life of about 400 hours. And, crucially for my friend, sports two important features: It makes and receives calls and SMS. Beyond that, in the words of Bryan Ferry, there’s nothing. (Well, actually there’s WAP, but who uses that?)

The point about the Nokia 1100 is that it’s a phone. It doesn’t pretend to be anything else (except a flashlight, if you press and hold the “c” key down (presumably “c” stands for torCh or flasChlight or “come into the light where I can see you, Mildred”.) It’s designed for conditions in developing countries—dustproof keyboard, non-slip sides—but for many of us that could describe an ordinary day in the office (dusty, slippery, in need of illumination).

For my PIM and mobile Internet needs, I use my laptop!

Nokia has recalled BL-5C batteries made by Matsushita due to risk of overheating or even explosion (which is not really unique to Nokia batteries, but is a risk when using Lithium Ion batteries). I immediately checked my phone’s battery when I read the Nokia press release. It’s a BL-5CA. Close enough, I thought, so I decided to check the serial number against the Nokia database.

Thankfully, this is the message I got:

Your battery is not among those manufactured by Matsushita between December 2005 and November 2006 and your battery will not be replaced.

Downside: I don’t get a new battery.

Upside: I can be confident I won’t burn my hands, ears or some other part of my body when using the phone.

I arrived home with a flat cellphone battery the other night, and as I was turning it on while charging yesterday morning, the SIM got blocked (perhaps the phone’s “enter” button suddenly got stuck and keyed in blank PINs thrice in succession. Unfortunately, I seem to have lost my PUK slip, and my only recourse was to try those cellphone shops in the malls (or the Greenhills bazaars) if they could retrieve the PUK.

Unfortunately, no one was able to do that. I decided, instead to get myself a new SIM and a new phone to come with it, and visited Memo Express (an official distributor of various brands like Nokia, Motorola, SonEricsson, Samsung). I was thinking about getting a Motorola SLVR L7, but it would cost me PHP 10,000. Even if I could pay for that on zero-percent interest installments, I decided against it, since I’m no longer much for higher-end phones these days.

I just need something with basic functionalities, since I now rely on iCal and Google calendar for my scheduling needs. My ToDo lists are mostly in iCal and web-based apps, too. And I especially need something that I wouldn’t have to fumble with while driving (easy-to-activate/one-touch built-in speakerphone is good).

The Nokia 1112. Basic, but Decent

So I decided to get a Nokia 1112 for PhP 2,300 (with Globe SIM and one-year warranty). It’s small, easy to use, has a week-long battery life and won’t break the bank. I point out on bCellphones some key reasons why I think this one is a cool phone, despite the lack of capabilities or features that its more expensive brethren can offer.

Here are some shots of the 1112

Out of the box.

Simple, but it does the job!

New Mobile Number, Too!

I have to update all my calling cards and web contact details, since I’ll probably won’t be able to have my old SIM unblocked. My new number is +639275360123.