The mobile web in your pocket

The world has changed rapidly in the mobile sphere - I still remember those first cell phones that came out - bricks - that only the privileged few carried. You had to hold onto those bricks in the hand or use the bag, since it was just not pocketable, what with the large antennas sticking out and the weight of the phones. And then there was the exorbitant charges for calls - that people on receiving a call on the cell, would quickly hang up and then go searching for a pay booth / std booth to make a landline call back to the initial caller to finish the conversation.

Or there was the show-off friend who would hold the phone to the ear with a pretentious call, but could never afford to make a call in fear of the bills that would come. Such were the initial days of mobile phone tech.

Now a few years later, the antenna of the cell phones are history (except still for those Siemens phones, if anybody buys them), and each new model vies for the sleekest and slimmest style not compromising on features in any way. And add tonthat the 3 to 5 megapixel cameras with auto focus and xenon flashes.

Really a wonderous journey.
Such has been my amazement now as I use my new Nokia N95 phone. A small nifty device, albeit not the sleekest in any way - with the best-of-breed 5MP camera that puts my old 3 MP point-and-shoot-er to shame.

And what is striking is not the phone itself, but the underlying software of the S60 platform which allows you to stay connected and be instantly online with the photos you shoot (via Shozu), the thoughts you pen down (rather thumb down) on your blogs, the connections you make, the appts you share with you co-workers (with Google calendar integration) etc.
And all this always-on connectivity and calling at a expense that doesn't strike you down with the monthly bills of yore (still think American data charges are high though).

And this is where mobile tech converges to the pocketable world for me - my N95 along with the equally pocketable N810 playing a one-two in terms of mobile connectivity as I blog away on this very thought without being anywhere near a traditional computer or wired connection.

My N810 is my computer allowing me to compose and create content along wit the N95 and the phone is my connection to the outside world.

Exciting times indeed.

Nokia N810 thrill

So I have been using this "connected" device for a few months - and I must say I am still as thrilled as when I bought it.

I will not go into a review - as there are quite a few reviews of the Nokia N810 galore- but in short - it lets me stay connected at home and at work and on the road all the time.

Of course at home I use Wifi which is built in. I must say I am excited by the Wifi signals - as good as my laptop in fact. And best is it now gives me the freedom to surf the net (and I can't survive without my daily fix) while relaxing in the patio or listening to streaming music. Its the tool for this - as the N810 comes with a very nice set of inbuilt speakers. Who would imagine such a small device can belt out decent stereo audio over the speakers. In fact nowadays this servers as my main music player.

At work - where I can't access any personal sites (due to the corporate phobia of employees), I easily connect over bluetooth to my Nokia phone (more of that later) using a pretty decent 3G connection - and this is where the Nokia's fine browser (MicroB) comes is so useful. Its very nice browsing capability gives me access to all my webmails and google reader and news sites and all the other tidbits.

Plus as a portable device the new iPhone optimised websites work equally well on this and gives a much better browsing experience (facebook, stock apps, weather apps, iPhickr and mauku comes to mind).

And of course I can chat and video talk with my wife while at office (who doesn't need a break from the drag at work) using the inbuilt google talk client (inconspicously called 'internet call') while also Skype-ing with my family back abroad. And 'Fring' for the Nokia tablets brings in all the other IM clients and Skype and SIP clients together in one nice interface and one application to talk/chat to all.


So much in so small a package ! Thats what keeps impressing me even after these few months.
And what impresses me in all this is not the technology itself, but the fact that it so easily lets me connect to all around me and to get information so easily without being overrun my technical details.

And to top it off, Canola is one of my favorite apps when it saves the day with some beautifully executed music/video player with "the best" interface I have come across any portable device as well as let me listen to my daily dose of podcasts (can't live without NPR's RadioLab to energize my mind and thoughts).

And this does not even go into all the other aspects of the device .. but lets just savor a little at a time here :-)

Start moving

Being my first blog here - this is what I wanted to talk about - lets start moving around in this big world. Myself having uprooted from my home, very late, I realized what a big world it is and how much there is to learn and see. But the conundrum lies in how to stay connected to people you love and cherish without breaking the links and forgetting all the little strands of life.

This is where being mobile and being connected comes together. And technology today lets us stay connected in more meaningful ways than just a letter back home or a phone call to a loved one.

This is where sharing the little details of life, the little video of the little one taking the first swim in the pool, the little patch of garden you create in the back, the last trip and such little beautiful things can be shared and makes staying connected that more more of a canvas.

So here it goes to my connected world and my first really connected device