Latest Podcast



Featured Articles

Thursday, January 6, 2011

24 hours with the Google Nexus S: part two

Mark Bridge writes:

So there I was with my Nexus S, a cup of tea and the challenge of synchronising calendar, contacts, tasks and notes from Microsoft Outlook. I’d found Syncdroid.net and its list of suggestions… and then an email arrived on my phone from the ‘Android Team’

“Welcome to Nexus S” it said.

Nice work, I thought. You’ve noticed that I’ve set up my phone with my Google account and sent me a message. Could this be serendipitous?

Google and Samsung have partnered to bring you Nexus S, a pure Google experience phone. Learn more:

Register your Nexus S for access to premium support from Samsung
Visit our
Nexus S Help page for a full list of help resources
Watch Nexus S on our
YouTube channel

Once registered, you can contact Samsung directly at +1 855-EZ2NEXUSS (+1 855-392-6398) for support.

Sign up to to receive updates and promotions about Nexus S.

Enjoy!

A shame it’s so obviously aimed at the US market but, what the heck, let’s give it a go. Tap the help link and… see a page that invites me to visit the Nexus S Help site. Okay, try again. Tap the link… and, no, that’s not very helpful. An on-screen circular device with Call Us, Email Us, Twitter, Hot Deals, Videos and Mobile Pulse options. Doesn’t seem very mobile-friendly. Still, let’s try Mobile Pulse.

Good guess. “Google and Samsung Nexus S Resource Center”. Hit Nexus S FAQs and…

Oh, dear me.

How Do I Charge The Battery On My Generic GSM GT-i9020T (Nexus S) Phone?

What Items Come With My Generic GSM GT-i9020T (Nexus S) Phone?

How Do I Insert Or Remove The Battery Cover, Battery, Or SIM Card From My Generic GSM GT-i9020T (Nexus S) Phone?

What Do The Different Icons Mean On My Generic GSM GT-i9020T (Nexus S) Phone?

Where & How Do I Obtain A Copy Of Samsung Kies For My Generic GSM GT-i9020T (Nexus S) Phone?

…and many more in a similar vein.

Horribly depressing. You’d think someone could have done better. In fact, I know someone could have done better. Even the person who did it could have done better.

Let’s pop back to Syncdroid.net and continue with my Outlook challenge. Companionlink.com looks like the best bet for what I’m after – but its nothing like as straightforward as my old Windows Mobile device. That’s a shame.

As a quick fix, I’ve synchronised my Outlook calendar with the Google calendar – and I’ve imported my Outlook contacts into Gmail. (Selecting the CSV DOS export option from Outlook works nicely). That’ll do for now.

And I’ve added a few more apps: well, I had to see what all the Angry Birds fuss was about, plus there’s Foursquare, Friendroid (a FriendFeed client), Gowalla, Kitchen Timer, Last.fm, the LinkedIn beta, OI Safe for a few passwords, TweetDeck and my first paid app: HiFiCorder.

I appreciate the warning with every app that explains which services and features it’s able to access

In fact, I’m enjoying most aspects of the phone. I’m even inclined to offer that much-abused description: ‘intuitive’.

But I really should have thought more about the Microsoft Outlook issues. As someone who tends to rely on Outlook for email, contacts, calendar, tasks and notes, I’m struggling to find a sync solution I’m happy with. Mind you, I’ve only been using the phone for a day. I’ll let you know how my searching goes!

Print
Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Rate this article:
No rating

Leave a comment

This form collects your name, email, IP address and content so that we can keep track of the comments placed on the website. For more info check our Privacy Policy and Terms Of Use where you will get more info on where, how and why we store your data.
Add comment

Opinion Articles

‘The Eyes Have It’ at Mobile World Congress

James Rosewell writes:

DoCoMo are one of many network operators and handset manufacturers demonstrating innovative new products as Mobile World Congress. Our eye was caught by the employee demonstrating “Eye Controlled Earphones”. It’s a good job the ladies from the CBOSS stand weren’t walking past at the time.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

'Mobile Money Monday' at Mobile World Congress

James Rosewell writes:

Monday’s Mobile World Congress conference agenda dedicated one of 4 streams to Mobile Money - Transfers, Transactions and Technology allowing all stakeholders to share experiences and debate the future of Mobile and Money.

Two types of service dominated presentations and panel discussions; Near Field Communication (NFC) technology enabling payment at traditional Point of Sale (PoS), and the Mobile Wallet replacing plastic or cash.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

‘Innovation Corner’ at Mobile World Congress

James Rosewell writes:

Here’s my pick of the 3 most innovative companies I’ve uncovered at the 2010 Mobile World Congress.

Cootek.com win the prize for simplest innovation... an accurate touch screen keyboard. They’re a few months away from being ready to release the software to handset manufacturers, but the demo handsets worked very well. The keyboard assumes the user is not going to press the intended key, but in fact might miss and press another key in the same area. Based on this knowledge and an extensive dictionary of words and language context, it’s able to determine the intended word with surprising accuracy. I sincerely hope their technology will be made available for the Nexus One in the not too distant future.

Author: The Fonecast
1 Comments
Article rating: No rating

Google “Mobile First” from Eric Schmidt’s Key Note at Mobile World Congress

James Rosewell writes:

Google CEO, Eric Schmidt, presented a compelling vision of a mobile centric future. The phone has become the “high value end point” for Google services enabled by a combination of increasing handset power, mobile data networks and cloud computing. By far the scarcest resource is the bandwidth available through the mobile data networks. Google appear committed to work with Mobile Network Operators (MNO) to maximise bandwidth usage, although several audience questions suggested scepticism from the main stream mobile industry. Eric expressed a need to maintain a harmonious relationship with MNOs stating Google could not operate its service on mobile devices without their co-operation.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

The great Windows Mobile 7 conspiracy theory

Mark Bridge writes:

I like a good conspiracy theory. A good one, mind you. None of this “Funny thing happened on the way to Mars” nonsense. Oh no, not me. And, despite occasionally mirroring Jerry Fletcher by balancing a bottle on the door handle, I’ve never been inclined to publish such a theory. Until now.

You see, it’s Mobile World Congress in a fortnight’s time. Which is when the great and the good of the mobile industry – along with their mates and hangers-on – head for Barcelona. Microsoft will be there. They’re holding a press briefing on Monday afternoon. And there’s a lot of talk about Windows Mobile 7 being (unofficially) on the agenda. But where’s the evidence?

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating
RSS
First100101102103105107108109Last

Recent Podcasts

Reviewing our 2015 mobile industry predictions... and looking forward to 2016

Podcast - 15th January 2016

Iain Graham, James Rosewell and Mark Bridge return to review their mobile industry predictions from last year. Which mergers, partnerships and developments did they forecast correctly... and which didn’t work out as planned?

Later in the programme, the team anticipates some of the topics that will be hitting the headlines during 2016.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

Podcast from Mobile World Congress 2015

Podcast - 6th March 2015

Mark Bridge learns about the mobile technology trends at Mobile World Congress 2015 by chatting to James Rosewell of 51Degrees, Dr Kevin Curran from the IEEE and Chris Millington of Doro.

They talk about wearable devices, wireless charging, mobile operating systems and much more... including some of their favourite products from the exhibition.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

Looking back at February: from security scares to multiple MVNOs

Podcast - 27th February 2015

We're taking a look back at the biggest mobile industry news stories from February 2015, including allegations that the UK's security service tried to breach SIM card security by hacking into one of the world's biggest SIM producers.

We also talk about the planned BT and EE merger, the creation of two new UK virtual networks, some acquisitions in the mobile payment arena and a new Ubuntu smartphone.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

Interview with Chris Millington of Doro about mobile retailing, wearables and technology for older consumers

Podcast - 24th February 2015

In today's programme Mark Bridge talks to Chris Millington, who's Managing Director for Doro UK and Ireland.

They discuss the state of mobile retailing in the UK, the future of wearable devices and - as you might expect - smartphones for seniors.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

A month of mobile: O2 counts on 3, Microsoft counts to 10 and Apple counts its profits

Podcast - 30th January 2015

We're back with a month of mobile industry news, including takeover talks and takeover rumours. O2 and Three are said to be discussing a merger... but is there any truth in the suggestions that BlackBerry could be up for grabs?

We also discuss Apple's record-breaking quarterly figures, the highlights of CES and the launch of Microsoft Windows 10, as well as saying farewell to the current version of Google Glass.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating
RSS
12345678910Last

Follow thefonecast.com

Twitter @TheFonecast RSS podcast feed
Find us on Facebook Subscribe free via iTunes

Archive Calendar

«April 2025»
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
31123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
2829301234
567891011

Archive

Terms Of Use | Privacy Statement