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September 04, 2008
May 19, 2008
May 11, 2008
Firmware Upgraded, No Issues! Happy Dancing. A Few QIK Tips
I did the firmware upgrade following the instructions from Nokia and the advice from Amy Gahran.
The reason I upgraded my firmware is because I had some performance issues. I followed the advice that I had gotten from different sources (here) and it didn't work. So, I had no choice to take a deep breath and upgrade firmware. The only glitch was that I had backed up the data on laptop which is a vista -and when I tried to restore, I got errors that the program was uncompatible with VISTA. Grr ..
I had kept my activation key and link to the original download. So I downloaded again. This time I installed the app on my memory card so it won't hog up the nokia phone memory - which is sort of limited on this version. Also, if it fragments - I can use the reformat trick.
Qik's co-founder told me that the ability to reinstall/reactivate the client once you do the firmware upgrade from the profile page. More info here:
May 02, 2008
Getting Information for Aussie Sim Card via Twitter and QIK!
On Twitter, I asked if I could use an Aussie Sim card in my US Nokia N95 to stream QIK. Steve Garfield pinged @broy, qik co-founder who gave me a brief tweet. Yes I can!
I had more questions, so I blogged them and did a QIK video and posted here. @broy expanded in the comments.
Now, to find the best sim card deal and the Nokia N95 users in Australia. I found Silk Charm via a BlogHer colleague via email and tweeted her and she responded. She's a QIK user too! She tweeted my message out to her network.
My questions are:
- Where is the best place to purchase an Aussie sim card upon my arrival in Brisbane on Sunday, May 18th at 6:00 am jetlagged and needing it for the next morning?
- What are my plan options? I want to get phone and data access for that week. What is the best deal? How much will it cost?
A Quick Question and A Quick Answer From Qik
I am bringing my Nokia N95 with me on my trip to Australia and hope to use during my workshop. I had a question
Can I purchase an Aussie Sim card, insert into my US Nokia N95, and live stream QIK from Australia (and post photos to Flickr, etc)
The answer came from QIK -- (impressive listening skills) and is yes, but I can't use the 3G.
My next set of questions:
- If I can't use G3, does that mean the data access is slower? What will the performance issues be? Or does it mean I can only stream with wifi?
- Where is the best place to purchase an Aussie sim card upon my arrival in Brisbane on Sunday, May 18th?
- What are my options? I want to get phone and data access for that week. What is the best deal? How much will it cost?
- Do I need to do anything to my phone besides pop in the sim card for it to work? When I get back to US and put my original US sim card back it, will things get screwed up?
April 23, 2008
Fixing the Performance Issues
I have been happily emailing videos to blip.tv. This message appeared in the last two weeks - after doing a lot of live streaming. I deleted all the photos and videos except this one. I also deleted apps I'm not using. So, not sure what is causing this.
Got an email from an anonymous source who didn't want to go on the record because it may or may not work.
Possible causes - streaming large files.
1. Is the memory card fragmented?
a. Copy the memory card files to your PC
b. Then reformat your memory card (can be done on the phone)
c. Copy your files back on the card
If this doesn't fix the problem, the next step is to do a soft reset.
a. Make a back up of your data
b. Fully charge battery or plug it in
c. Type #7370# and follow the prompts
d. Don't touch phone after you have done this, it will be appear to be dormat for 5 minutes but then it will reboot all clear.
e. Restore your backed up information
If this doesn't work, the next step is to update the firmware.
Nokia Conversations Site Debuts
Nokia has just launched a new blog. Mobile Jones has more.
More on Amy's Brick and Nokia Launches New Blog
As you know, about three weeks ago, I took the Nokia N95 plunge and was as excited as my colleague, Amy Gahran, was. I feel in love with it - but the honeymoon is over ...
Amy Gahran, had a bad experience updating the firmware for her n95 purchased from Amazon. So, I took her advice to update the firmware. Well, Nokia's user support isn't the most intuitive. I felt like I was back in 1995. Amy was great and helped me by pointing me to the right resources. That was two weeks ago. My firmware was up to date, life was good.
Not so fast. I found another way to get the firmware version - and oh no, holy firmware versions batman, I had the same older version as Amy. Oh no, did that mean if I updated the firmware like Amy did that my beloved Nokia N95 would turn into an expensive, unresponsive brick?
I was tempted to simply pack up the phone and send it right back to Amazon. Instead, I registered the phone warranty and found the support phone numbers. I took a deep breath, dialed, and braced myself for an unpleasant technical and customer support experience. I actually called three times - the third time I decided to live broadcast it.
Bottom line - they claim that it won't brick if install the US version of the firmware and that phone is covered under warranty. I'm still afraid to update the firmware and wasn't going to - but now I'm getting some really strange performance issues that might well force me to update.
Amy Gahran wrote about my experience here, listened to the video, and offered some great advice if you are thinking about a N95 so you don't get screwed. Charlie Shick, from Nokia, left a constructive comment in that post.
Amy points to what Mobile Jones wrote about Charlie Shick and described him a “social media expert.” He runs the company’s blogger outreach program. Another blogger, N95 user, and commenter on Amy's posts - Jenifer Hanen referred to him in her comments.
Nokia has recently launched a new blog, Nokia Conversations. Amy points out that Mobile Jones reported that this blog will “highlight the developments inside the world’s largest device manufacturer, and new entrant into mobile content and services that the 60,000 employee company represents. Some of those 60K employees are also introduced along with their accomplishments and new products. Comments are welcomed.”
So, Amy was pretty pleased that maybe, maybe, Nokia was listening. She goes on to offer Nokia some excellent advice about how to improve their customer service and technical support. She left a comment on their blog letting them know about the conversation (hmm . don't they have a listening system in place?). No comments yet. I will look forward to watching this conversation develop - maybe I'll get some answers about my own technical issues with my N95.
April 17, 2008
Amy Gahran's Unresponsive Brick Haunts Me ...
I had thought my firmware was update and I could avoid the "unresponsive brick" problem that Amy Gahran experienced. So, today, I discovered that there is another method for finding out your firmware version. On the phone, you can go into tools, the device set up. And it gives you the firmware number.
Holy firmware version number Batman, my firmware isn't the most recent version (11.2.009) - but the same older version as Amy's - 10.2.006. I was tempted to simply pack up the phone and send it right back to Amazon. Instead, I registered the phone warranty and found the support phone numbers. I took a deep breath, dialed, and braced myself for an unpleasant technical and customer support experience.
Update: Amy Gahran wrote more about this here and listened to the video and wrote up these points:
In the meantime, if you live in the US and have bought or are considering buying a Nokia N95, please follow these recommendations as soon as it arrives (or right now, if you already have the phone):
- Register your warranty with Nokia. Just good practice in any case.
- Make a record of your phone’s serial number. It’s on the back of the phone, under the battery, in very tiny type. Double-check this by entering this character string into your phone: *#06# — that should yield a number that matches what’s under your battery.
- Check your firmware version. Enter this character string into your N95: *#0000# — Make sure you keep a record of this, too. If your firmware is earlier than 11.2.009 as of this writing, it’s out of date. (If you’re reading this post much later than Apr. 17, 2008, follow these instructions to find the current US N95 firmware version.)
- Call NokiaUSA customer support:
1-888-665-4228
. I recommend recording this call. Tell them you want to verify whether the phone you just bought is indeed a US version. Give them your phone’s serial number, and get them to confirm whether it is indeed a US version. (If it isn’t, make sure you find out who to complain to at Nokia about the vendor who sold it to you under false pretenses, and then also complain to the vendor and get a replacement. And blog it, naming the vendor, of course, so we all know who to watch out for.
Also on that call, ask the rep if they are aware of the US/non-US firmware clash that causes bricked phones, which Beth found out about from Nokia. If they aren’t, ask to speak to higher-level customer service until you get someone who knows about the problem. Ask that person whether, if you do a firmware update on your N95, which Nokia just confirmed is a US version, and that still bricks your phone anyway, whether Nokia will repair or replace it for free — and how long it will take them to get a working phone with up-to-date firmware back to you. (Definitely make sure you record this part of the call.)
- Upgrade your firmware only when you need to. For instance, if your phone menus are working too slow or you’re having other interface problems. If, in a case like mine, you have trouble accessing or using a service that’s supposed to work with your phone, don’t immediately assume that you should update the firmware to see if that fixes the problem. Instead, first call Nokia or the service provider’s support to search for other possible causes of the problem, and address those first, and specifically ask if you need a certain firmware version to use the service. (This was my mistake. There might have been another reason I couldn’t use Share on Ovi)
- When you eventually must update your N95 firmware, because you WILL have to at some point, cross your fingers, take a deep breath, and hope for the best. You’ll need to download Nokia’s PC-only update software and follow their procedures exactly — especially backing up all your phone data first.
My running notes in process are here:
I was only on-hold for 3 minutes. The customer support representative was actually articulate, pleasant, and gave me clear answers. Here's transcript of my conversation:
Beth: I just got an N95 and saw that my firmware version is 10.2.006. The newest version if 11.02.009 and I want to update it. However, a friend of mine got the same phone, had the same older firmware, and when she updated - it turned her phone into an unresponsive brick. How can avoid this? (If it happens, I'm returning the phone to Amazon)
Customer Support Rep: Yes, we've heard of the unresponsive brick problem. The problem occurs if you have a phone that isn't a "US" phone, but try to install the US version of the firmware update.
Beth: Well, I purchased my phone from Amazon and it said it was US phone. Are you saying that Amazon sold me an Asian, European, or some other version and labeled it as a US phone?
Customer Support Rep: No, I'm saying that at all. Can you give me your serial number so I can verify that your phone is a US phone.
Beth: Is there a way to get my serial number with having to get my magnifying glass?
Customer Support Rep: yes, type in *#06#
Beth: Here's my serial number.
Customer Support Rep: yes, your phone is US phone. You should have no problems.
Beth: Okay, you have no other records of anything else causing the unresponsive brick problem, right?
Customer Support Rep: You are correct. All unresponsive brick problems were due to a mix in the firmware versions.
He tells me that I can call customer support and they can walk me through the firmware update.
Still not trusting this one customer service rep. I called again. This time I asked as an open-ended question - "Are there any potential problems in updating firmware?"
Answer:
1. Make sure your battery if fully charged or you are plugged in - if you loose power while doing this it could cause a major problem.
2. Back up all your data.
3. Make sure you download the correct version of the firmware for your phone (see Amy's Advice)
I asked what happens if my phone turns into an unresponsive brick and I followed all these steps?
Answer: He checked for my warranty - it's good for a year. I can call for a repair request. They can definitely fix it. It would take ten days to get it back. No cost. Just the cost of shipping.
Okay, Amy suggested I record call, so I just did a live broadcast and got some different information. She was following the guidelines ..
On the Phone: Our Customer Care Specialists are ready to assist you.
Telephone: 
1-888-NOKIA-2U (1-888-665-4228)
TTY/TDD: 1-800-24-NOKIA (1-800-246-6542)
https://www.nokiausa.com/A4410064
Hours of Operation:
Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. EST
Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. EST
I plan to do that tonight. But, I want to find out from Amy whether or not her phone was a verified US phone.
