After some testing I have come to the conclusion that there is a mechanical problem with my Nokia N73, after seeing it “crash” after placing it on my desk, it just turned itself off. I thought it might be the battery contacts, but they seem fine, but I think it might be another technical problem, maybe a loose connection somewhere.
New phone
Well my Nokia N73 is “broken” in the sense that it keeps turning itself off on a too regular basis. Upgrading the firmware hasn’t helped and as a result I am thinking about a new phone.
Obvious choice would be the Nokia N97, but it’s not out yet, so can I wait, or do I go for the E71.
Hmm. Decisions.
N73 problems
My Nokia N73 is giving me a few headaches, basically it keeps crashing and turning itself off.
I thought a firmware update might help, well at least reset the device. This is not as simple as it could be as the software is Windows only. I thought I could run it in Parallels, well I could, but I couldn’t pick up the N73 through the USB cable. I could in OS X but not pass it through to Parallels.
So in the end I installed the software to a Windows computer. What I couldn’t quite understand was that I went to the Nokia site downloaded the PC Suite software. When I ran the installer it asked if I wanted to check for a newer version. Well there couldn’t be a newer version as I have just downloaded it could there.
Yes there was.
Huh!
So having just downloaded a 36MB installer filer, I have to download a new 36MB version!
Once that was installed, I then had to install the firmware updater.
Once all that was done I could update the phone.
This was done.
However I am not sure if it has fixed the problem.
Was Kyte.tv killing my Nokia N73?
Recently my Nokia N73 has been crashing and for no apparent reason. Often I hadn’t even been using it for anything!
So suspecting that it may be down to a recent application, I checked which applications I had recently installed and there was the Kyte.tv application.
Hmmm…
I removed the application and so far the phone hasn’t crashed. Strange as it wasn’t running at the time.
Hmmm…
Silver or Black
After my personal mobile phone gave up the ghost I decided it was time to get a new phone. I have a Nokia N73 through work though so haven’t been entirely phoneless. But I need a phone for personal use.
I discounted the iPhone almost immediately, in the main as a) the phone was expensive at £269; b) the phone plans were expensive with the cheapest one at £35 per month; c) you can’t use the iPhone as a Bluetooth modem which means that I couldn’t use it with my laptop; and finally d) it uses EDGE and not 3G which means that even if I could use it as a modem it would be very slow and internet on the phone would be slow.
I quite like the Nokia N73, but I have one of those and I don’t really want two!
I did consider the N95, but with rumours of an N96 and wanting something with a slightly better battery life, I decided to go with a different phone.
After much thought and looking, I decided to go with the LG Viewty. I went with T-Mobile as they are one of the few UK mobile phone service providers which allow you to use the phone as a modem with your laptop and I wanted that over a separate USB 3G Modem.
Alas when I went into the shop they were out of stock. So I ordered online, only to make a mistake with my bank details so when they made the charge to the card it was refused! After phoning and correcting the mistake I found out that the phone was now out of stock, but would be back in stock soon.
Ten days later I get an e-mail saying that the black one would be back in stock soon, but the silver model was available now.
Silver, I didn’t know it was available in silver.
A quick internet search revealed that the silver model was newer, hmm, choices, silver now or black later.
Well after thinking about it for a couple of minutes I decided to go with the silver model. Phoned T-Mobile to let them know, when they told me…
“the black one is back in stock”
Aaarrrgh, silver or black, silver or black.
Decisions.
Choices.
In the end I decided with the silver one, as it was newer.
Hopefully it may arrive today, but it should be here by Monday. Only problem I have is I will need to get another memory card format as it uses Micro SD whereas my other phones have or use Mini SD or Memory Stick Duo.
It’s alive!
My Nokia N73 usually behaves itself.
It rings when someone calls.
It uploads photographs to Flickr when asked.
It will even let itself be used as a 3G modem.
It’s a good little phone.
But!
And there is always a but, sometimes it decides that it’s going to do what it wants and have some fun.
Today was one of those days.
I received a text, it appeared that my phone had taken one of the photographs I had taken, created a MMS and sent it to a recipient in my address book.
Later in the day it decided to upgrade my Jaiku presence without me asking, fair enough.
I tried to play a video clip with it, it told me it didn’t have enough memory.
Okay, so I exited the video application and left the phone alone.
Ten minutes later (obviously bored) my phone decided it wanted to watch the video and started playing it!
I wouldn’t be surprised if it phoned and ordered pizza for itself.
3G N73 Mac Internet
A guide on how to connect a Mac to enable it to use 3G Nokia N73 as a Bluetooth modem.
Connecting a Mac to the internet via Vodafone 3G and Bluetooth enabled Nokia N73 Update: link no longer works
This guide takes you through the process on a Mac (running Tiger 10.4) and on a Nokia N73 phone and enables you to connect via a Bluetooth connection to the Nokia N73 and use the phone’s 3G data connection for internet access.
This guide may also be useful to people with other phones and 3G accounts with other providers.