Alex's space

Openstreetmap on pembertons website

An interesting side project for me recently has been playing around with Mapping on a local Residential Lettings website here in Brighton

Its another fairly standard Textpattern install with a few tweaks but the fun has been getting the maps to show the ‘live’ property from the database dynamically.

The map is built using mapstraction and GeoRSS – the GeoRSS is generated directly from the Textpattern content management software that drives this site with many thanks to Ike Bowen for his how to create custom RSS feeds in Textpattern the Map data is free to everyone thanks to Openstreetmap

Push E-mail (sort of) on Nokia N80 and N73 and N95

How to set up email on your Nokia N series phone

I have tried this for the N80 / N73 / N95 and it works.

there are 2 main ways of doing this…

1. Using the automatic configuration on the Nokia support website

• go to your local Nokia site e.g. Nokia UK
• select support (from the blue top menu)
• select set up (from the grey top menu)
• select settings for Browsing and MMS Messaging (Get Settings >>)
• select Optional Step 2 (Get advanced settings)
• follow the instructions in the pop up browser

it is important to note that this method works for selected ISP’s and mail providers so as an example Gmail and my N73 did not work this way

2. So if you have your own POP3 or IMAP email / or your provider is not supported by the above method you can manually set up email on your N-series phone like this

beware, this is a long set (45 steps) of instructions and you should be really careful not to mix up the Red stop and cancel keys with the C / delete key, which i find is one of the biggest bugbears on the N73 and N80! you will have to start all over again!

Oh and this is a set of instructions based on a Vodafone user (me)!

• From the standby screen press the Menu key to enter the main menu.
• Using the Scroll key, scroll to Message. and press the left select key under Options.
• Open is highlighted, press the left select key under Select.
• Press the left select key under Options, scroll to Settings and press the select key under Select.
• Scroll to E-mail and press the left select key under Options.
• Open is highlighted, press the left select key under Select.
• Mailboxes is highlighted, press the left select key under Options.
• Open is highlighted, press the left select key under Select.
• Press the left select key under Options, scroll to New mailbox and press the left select key under Select.
• The Mailbox wizard is displayed, press the left select key under Start.
• Mailbox is displayed, scroll to IMAP4 or POP3 (depending on your account) and press the Scroll key.
• Press the left select key under Next.
• My e-mail address is displayed, enter the e-mail address (e.g. john.smith@vodafone.net) and press the left select key under Next.
• Incoming mail server is displayed, enter the incoming mail server address supplied by your email provider (e.g. pop.vodafone.net) and press the left select key under Next.
• Outgoing mail server is displayed, enter send.vodafone.net and press the left select key under Next. (you can use your own SMTP server here too if you like but it may need authentication so the first time you try to send mail it will ask you for U and P and it will remember them)!
• Access point in use is displayed, scroll to Create new and press the Scroll key. N.B this is network dependent so here are VF specific instructions, it is also possible to use one of your existing access points such as contract internet
• Press the left select key under Next.
• Connection name is highlighted, press the left select key under Options.
• Change is highlighted, press the left select key under Select.
• Enter Vodafone web and press the left select key under OK.
• Scroll to Data bearer and press the left select key under Options.
• Change is highlighted, press the left select key under Select.
• Scroll to Packet data and press the left select key under OK.
• Scroll to Access point name and press the left select key under Options.
• Change is highlighted, press the left select key under Select.
• Enter pp.vodafone.co.uk (for PAYT) or internet (for Contract) and press the left select key under OK.
• Scroll to User name and press the left select key under Options.
• Change is highlighted, press the left select key under Select.
• Enter web and press the left select key under OK.
• Scroll to Prompt password and press the left select key under Options.
• Change is highlighted, press the left select key under Select.
• Scroll to No and press the left select key under OK.
• Scroll to Password and press the left select key under Options.
• Change is highlighted, press the left select key under Select.
• Enter web and press the left select key under OK.
• Scroll to Authentication and press the left select key under Options.
• Change is highlighted, press the left select key under Select.
• Scroll to Normal and press the left select key under OK.
• Scroll to Home-page and leave.
• Press the right select key under Back.
• Mailbox name is displayed, enter the account name (e.g. Work email, Vodafone etc.) and press the left select key under Finish.
• Mailbox setup complete. Settings can be viewed and edited in e-mail settings is displayed, press the left select key under OK.
• Press the right select key under Back, scroll to Mailbox in use and press the left select key under Options.
• Change is highlighted, press the left select key under Select.
• Scroll to the new email account name and press the left select key under Select.

Ok so now you have a mail box set up on your N-series phone, what next?

(here i am going to assume that when you did the above you got familiar with the navigation ;-) )

You now need to set up your actual email account details:

• click on messaging -> options -> settings -> E-mail -> Mailboxes -> select your mailbox
• click on Connection settings -> Incoming e-mail
• fill in your U and P / mailbox type / leave the ports and security off (probably)
• if you are using your own SMTP then do the same for outgoing e-mail

So you can manually get your email now! woo hoo

Next you might want to set up your automatic retrieval settings

• from the mailbox menu select Retrieval Settings
• the only thing you can change is the retrieval amount (the default is 30 items)
• if you are happy with this go back to the mailbox menu and select Automatic Retrieval
• for header retrieval you can set it to always / only on home network / disabled – make your choice
• the rest is fairly self explanatory, you can set which days you want it to get emails, what time of day, and how frequently etc

If you are not to bothered about data usage / or you have a good deal for data, you can set it to pick up mail every 15 minutes and get a near Blackberry style email on your mobile.

The main difference is that it only gets headers automatically and you have to select an email to download and view the whole item. If like me you get a bit of spam this can be quite a good thing, and I feel that email on my phone works well for occasional use, and emergency (my laptop / Blackberry / desktop died ) type usage.

Any mistakes / comments – please let me know!

how to unlock BlackBerry devices (if you need to)

these are the instructions for unlocking BlackBerry from their network operator lock (if you have the relevant code)

to get the code you need to ask your network operator (they will need your IMEI).

1. go to settings
2. go to options
3. go to advanced options
4. go to sim card
5. Type MEPD (not case sensitive) (you will not see text appear on screen while typing)
6. Does it say Network active? if so your phone is locked
7. Hold the ALT Key while typing in MEPE (not case sensitive, and you will not see text appear on screen while typing)
8. It will say “Enter Network MEP Code, then you type in the 16 digit unlock code,
9. press in the rollerball to confirm.

Your phone is now unlocked

camera continued

for a short while i have been loaned a Leica D-LUX 2

already very impressed at the quality of the shots etc, and i will be posting some of the more interesting photos to my flickr soon.

in the mean time i am learing some of the techniques available on this camera as it seems to be be fuller featured than your average compact digital.

camera frustrations

I am increasingly frustrated by my camera situation …

currently i pretty much only use my N95 with Shozu and Flickr

which is fine but the camera (while great for a mobile) is slow and fiddly and the flash is not really any good, there is no telephoto etc etc.

i love the instant nature of getting my images live…

today i have been looking at Eye-fi

i am very impressed, it means that i could get a real camera (DLSR or top end D compact) and pretty much get the same effect (when ever i am in Wifi-coverage / near my laptop)…

i am still confused, but increasingly find my self wanting a Nikon DSLR (Nikon only as i can borrow lenses of my dad)!