If you are looking for a smartphone with a candybar form factor and a QWERTY keyboard these days, chances are that you will end up with a Blackberry. Those chances are much higher than they were years ago.

You see, years ago, several devices on different smartphone platforms spotted a QWERTY keyboard in a bar form. We had devices from Symbian, Windows Mobile, and Palm besides Blackberry.

However, in the last few years, most of those platforms have shifted their focus from QWERTY bars. Oh, there are still lots of QWERTY devices on the market, but in a hybrid form that combines touchscreen with a slider. What is very rare on the existing platforms are QWERTYs on bars.

Personally, regardless of how responsive a touchscreen is, I always eventually crave for a hardware QWERTY keyboard. Weeks may pass. At times months. But I gotta have QWERTY! It is almost an addiction. I know several others like that. It is about preferences.

QWERTY bars have always been Blackberry turf. They made it popular. And while most other manufacturers are shifting heavilly, RIM are still holding on to that ground. The other mobile platforms that used to offer QWERTY bar alternatives have shifted their focus and almost left the turf exclusively in the hands of RIM and their Blackberry OS.

One thing is for sure, there is a market for hardware QWERTY in a bar form, and RIM are currently ruling that segment of the smartphone market. Will Blackberry hold out or are they a dying breed? Are hardware Qwerty devotees dinosaurs passing time till the apocalypse?

The Nokia C3 is an S40 device and comes with modem fiunctionality built in. It is also one of the hottest selling non-smartphones out there today. The hardware QWERTY keyboard and social networks integration at a budget price makes it a compelling device.

This morning, I received an enquiry about whether or not the C3 could work as a modem with PC. The anser is a Yes, and here is a brief guide. Note that this tutorial is applicable to any other Nokia S40 device with modem functionality.

You will need a number of things:

1. Your phone
2. Nokia Ovi Suite for PC
3. USB data cable

Setup your phone

1. On your C3, hit the Menu key
2. Go to Settings
3. Select Packet Data, then Packet Data Settings
4. Select Active
   
   If you already have your operator’s internet settings, select those. if not select any of the settings there as active, then go to Edit Active and manually modify the values to your operator’s settings.

Check our Quick Facts page for your operator’s settings.

Setting Up Ovi Suite

Download Ovi Suite and run the installation file on your PC

Launch Ovi Suite and then connect your C3 to your PC with the USB cable. Once your C3 is properly connected, you’ll see a C3 icon at the bottom of the app

In the left section of the Ovi Suite app, you’ll see “You can use your device to connect your computer to the internet.” Click the green “Connect now” link right below it.

On the following page, you are presented with two options. Select, I want to define the connection settings manually. Then click the Next button.

The page that follows lets you enter the connection settings for your operator. Enter Access Point, username and Password. Ignore the last field. Check our Quick Facts page for your operator’s settings.

When done entering the values, click the Connect button.

Ovi Suite should now initiate the connection of your PC to the internet.

Enjoy!

PS: Just be sure that you have a bundle plan active or your airtime will be depleted should you do any heavy browsing.

Genesis Card is a Chip +Pin Smart Card that is EMV complaint produced by eTranzact under the directive of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) instructing all Nigerian banks and switches to replace the traditional magnetic stripe equipment with smartcard technology. The Chip + Pin is a Two match system where by the Chip is accessed by a swipe-card reader to verify authenticity and the Pin is inputted to completes the transaction. Genesis Card has a unique attribute solely for the safety of the customers and carriers of the Genesis Card called ESA (eTranzact Strong Authentication).

Security

The Genesis Chip & Pin cards guarantees cardholders better security and convenience. Genesis is structured for the end users having security in place while being given good quality service. The Genesis Card is a highly secure card as it leverages on the eTranzact Strong Authentication Tool. The ESA is a one-time dynamic PIN generated via the card holder’s mobile phone to authorize any transaction.

Card Types

The Genesis Card is made up of three types: Premier, Advantage and Credit cards.

Genesis Premier card is a Debit card tied to the customer bank account. The Genesis Advantage is a prepaid which can be loaded/recharged through the branches of any 22 Commercial Banks connected to the eTranzact platform. The Advantage Card is useful for other value added schemes such as Loyalty scheme and Discount scheme & Credit cards. All three cards are acceptable on electronic payment channels such as ATM, POS, WEB and Mobile Commerce.

Benefits

Having a Genesis Card comes with many benefits including ability to purchase airline tickets at discounted prices, pay Cable TV subscription, purchase airtime of any Telecom service, pay for services, do fund transfers, etc.

Mobile and Web

One of the most significant benefits of the card is its adaptability to mobile and web. Genesis Prepaid Cards can be mapped to your mobile phone, thereby making your phone the hub of your transactions. You can make payments and transfer funds directly via your mobile phone. This has prepared the way for our Mobile Money services which kicks off fully early 2011.

All you need to do to download the eTranzact Mobile Menu (eTranzact mCommerce J2ME application), Cardholders can send short code to the following numbers:

Text D to
• MTN – 4045
• ZAIN – 32060
• GLO – 30030

For more information on the Genesis card and how it can be obtained, contact brand@etranzact.net.

About eTranzact

eTranzact International PLC is Nigeria’s first award winning multi-application and multi-channel electronic switching and payment processing platform. The company has operations in Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Cote d’Ivoire, South Africa and UK and aims to provide Nigerians, Africans and ultimately the world with cutting edge payment solutions.

This is the age of conversation and the era of sharing. Information and gist travel very fast now, so fast that we need to start looking at how we can gain control and use this speed to our benefit as individuals, as businesses and as individuals.

Sharon Omolayo was a five year old girl when she went missing. I was on the road when I got hold of the news via my Twitter TimeLine (TL) and I retweeted it. I also shared it immediatley via my Facebook account.

It wasn’t too long before I got informed via Twitter that Omolayo was found. This is just one of the numerous uses and benefit of engaging social media via mobile. You can stay in the know at all times, and you can help pass viatl information along real-time.

Cast your mind back to the time you created your Facebook account, and I suspect that you have memories of the challenges that you went through getting started. But you did eventually get the hang of it, and now you are either a pro at it, or you know better.

Also, you would remember how not too long ago updating our Facebook status was an occassional thing. Things are however better now. With GSM networks coming into the internet game and granting access to the internet. via mobile, it is easier for more people to get onto the social media buzz. Status updating is more of a realtime affair now. This was the reason it was easier to get the word on Sharon Omolayo out very fast.

Then, came the Blackberry buzz. This one is so huge and going viral now. In parties, club and events you’ll see young people typing away on their Berries. In some places, not having a Blackberry would induce feelings of inadequacy.

A Look at Twitter

The same way it was a little difficult for some of us to get started with Facebook, it has been difficult for some to get started with Twitter too. There are those who would say Twitter is too complex, some would just open an account and leave it dormant.

In an upcoming series, I will be sharing with you how I got my TwitterRave on, my early challenges and how you can completely navigate through your first challenge with Twitter.

Other reasons for watching out for this series:

• why you should be on twitter
• who should be on twitter
• unique features of twitter
• How Twitter is not a duplicate of Facebook
• why many more people are spending more time on twitter
• essentials of your Avatar and handle
• And so much more

This series will be very interactive, fun-filled, engaging and exciting. It will help you discover new and effective uses for social media as a private individual, a business owner, corporate organization, celebrity, an interest group, NGO or Clubs, and even as a marketer.

What was your experience like getting on into Facebook, and how have you been using your mobile phone to connect to social media? I will like to hear from you. Have your say using the comment box below.

*So you won’t miss any article in this series, I strongly recommend that you subscribe to Mobility Nigeria.

Mobility Nigeria team member, Jesse, went and got himself a spanking new Nokia N8 last week – and he has been goshing all about it since then (follow @JesseOguns on Twitter). While the unit that I have is the shiny futuristic blue version, he got himself the cool black colour.

That got me wondering if anyone who hangs around here got themselves a phone for Christmas. Alternatively, did anyone give you a mobile phone for Christmas?

Me? I didn’t get a phone for Christmas o (except you want to count the N8 gift from Nokia as an early Christmas gift). Interesting too, before the N8, no-one had ever given me a phone as a gift. Is it that people were afraid that whatever they got me would not cut it, or it just never occured to anyone to send me one?

Anyway, enough of that. Did you get a phone for Christmas, whether you purchased it for yourself or got one as a gift?

Several individuals have expressed reservations about the processing powers of the Nokia N8. I must admit that I wasn’t quite convinced too that the N8 had enough power under the hood to compete in today’s market. With a processor running at 680 MHz, the N8 certainly looks under-powered compared to the existing line-up of top smartphones in the market.

I have used the Nokia N8 extensively for a while now, and even run tests side-by-side devices from other platforms, so I am in a good position to tell whether or not the N8 is indeed underpowered.

Games

Gaming – especially heavy-duty gaming – is always a good area to test the processing capabilities of a smartphone. So, how does the N8 perform here?

Simply put, the N8′s 680 MHz processor and the dedicated graphics processor handle the heaviest games smoothly. I have run Galaxy on Fire, Need For Speed Shift and Asphalt 5 on the N8 and every single time, it handled them without any breaks, hiccups or jerks.

Multi-tasking

Running over 15 apps in the background (not in suspended state as with other mobile platforms, but actively running apps), the N8 still runs like a champ. Only when the heaviest of apps were running together did I get any memory messages – and I am not talking about just one or two of such.

This is corroborated by several others who have run similar tests on the N8. For example, take a look at this Nokia N8 multitasking torture test:

“15 heavy applications before things start closing! The major applications stayed open and the speed of the phone didn’t slow down too much. Not too shabby for a device that has half the specs of your run of the mill Android phone”. Source: Pushing the Nokia N8 to the limit with a multitasking torture test.

I have run a couple of tests myself, carrying out certain tasks on the N8 and some other devices, including the iPhone 3GS. The N8 has proven to be as responsive as any of those other devices.

The Impact of Transition Effects

One area that I must insist that Nokia needs to work on is the transition effects in the UI when opening or switching between menus. Better transition effects on some competing platforms makes it look like those platforms are faster, yet timing the transitions show that the N8 is just as fast, and in some cases does better. I am hoping that the new enhancements coming to Symbian will implement better transition effects.

Conclusions

But back to the subject, the Nokia N8 is testimony to the resource efficiency of the Symbian OS platform. Having a 680MHz processor and performing this smoothly and powerfully is a plus, not a minus. The N8 is the first modern smartphone that I am using that performs this smoothly and powerfully without having to worry about battery life through a hectic day. In my opinion, the device and the OS that it runs on should be praised to high heavens.

I also do not think that Nokia are blowing the N8′s trumpet enough in this regard. They seem to be focussed on the media aspects alone. The N8 is truly a respectable modern smartphone that delivers in a number of areas where other mobile platforms are struggling to catchup. Real multitasking and resource efficiency are two of these areas.

To our readers, we wish you a merry christmas (if you believe in Christmas), and a happy holidays (if you don’t).

Wherever we stand, this season is certainly a colourful and exciting one. And having a superb camera on a device like the Nokia N8 means being able to capture really lovely shots in almost any situation. Enjoy the following Nokia N8 productions (feel free to click through to view the full 4000×3000 images, but watch out, that means files of over 1.5 MB in size) –

Beautiful dusk at the Lagos Bar Beach, Victoria Island

Kart racing at Get Arena, Lekki, Lagos

Driving through Surulere yesterday morning and ran into Santa passing traffic - Ho! Ho!! Ho!!!

My sweetheart and I haven't been to a Christmas party in years, but yesterday was different.

Step in the name of love....

In all, the Nokia N8 delivered and we sure will have great pictures to go down memory lane years from now. I recorded some videos too. One thing is sure, for media contant creation, the Nokia N8 simply has no competitors.

How is this year’s Christmas at your end? Where you able to put your phone to use in capturing those moments and memories in audio, still and/or video?

Press Release from Fasmicro and Microscale Embedded, makers of the Ovim tablet:

There is one secret we have kept from everyone – Ovim Tablet can make and receive phone calls and can send and receive SMS.

It has full phone functionalities. We have built that capability because our local studies showed that people will like to carry one device. So, we are giving Nigeria a magical device that can function as a phone and provide power for all things Tablet.

This article is the first in a new category we are introducing. Named “Human Interest”, this category will feature stories of how mobile phones are impacting everyday living. It is a category that both mobile fans and people with no more than a cursory interest in mobiles will enjoy reading – admin

Recently, a friend of mine, who is himself an avid Blackberry fan, got his girlfriend a Blackberry 9630 Tour. The idea was to boost communication between the two of them, since BB Chat would now be a convenient means of communication between them. The two lovebirds live in two different cities.

Well, just last week, my friend informed me that his girlfriend was considering ditching the Blackberry. Of course, I was interested in knowing why. You see, the device was purchased from me. Was it faulty?

No; it wasn’t. My friend replied that his gal was complaining that since the BB arrived, he was no longer calling her as much as he used to!

I advised my friend to call her more often, with the tip that his gal simply wants to hear his voice more. That’s how ladies are built. There is not available in a BB chat message the kind of warmth that a lover wants.

Personally, I got married before GSM hit Nigeria. Perhaps, I wouldn’t be married to my wife today if things had been different. You see, she once told me a few years after we tied the knots, “If I had known that you love phones this much, I wouldn’t have married you.” Of course, I have since made adjustments such that she no longer sees my phones as her competition (I hope!).

Of course, my phones contribute to our relationship positively in many other ways – we talk regularly during office hours, have fun taking pictures, share a love song on the spur of the moment, and so on and so forth.

What about you? What are the good, the bad and the ugly effects of your mobile phone on your relationships?

Early this morning, I got a headsup from bosun99uk via Twitter notifying me of a Starcomms Android tablet named myPad.

According to the tweet, the tablet runs Android version 2.1, has a 10.1-inch display, is packaged with a free iZap wifi internet router and free 3 months internet subscription. The package is said to cost N75,000.

I was able to source for the image below:

Picture Source

Oh,notice the hilarous part – the tweet says that Starcomms used the picture of an iPad to advertise their tablet. Yup, that is certainly an iPad in that picture – notice the Apple icons on a supposedly Android tablet. Hope Apple won’t sue. What happened? Haven’t Starcomms taken delivery of a copy of the tablet they are advertising?

No other details on the device yet, but we are hunting. Hang around.

There is already an ongoing discussion in the forums: MyPad from Starcomms

When I first read up an article on the unconfirmed reports made by Eldar Mutarzin that Nokia and Microsoft are in talks about having Nokia produce WP7 devices, I simply waived it aside. Personally, I resist the temptation to publish vapourware.

I personally doubt that Nokia would go that route. Yes; discussions may be on to integrate services from Microsoft into Nokia’s products or have certain Ovi services powered by Microsoft. That will add more value to Nokia’s line-up than adding another platform to develop on to what they have in hand. For example, we see Nokia’s partnership with Yahoo resulting in Ovi email and chat being powered by the latter. That makes sense.

Minus the eye-candy, WP7 has nothing else to offer Nokia. Existing WP7 devices are also not exactly selling like hot cakes either. A WP7 device from Nokia does not make sense. Nokia already has Symbian for smartphones and MeeGo for tablets. What would WP7 be adopted for?

But we will have to wait to see how things go; won’t we.

For now, though, I thought it would be interesting to do a “What If” article on the subject. So, here’s the simple question:

What if Nokia produces a WP7 smartphone; would you buy one?

If you would, what would be the motivating factor for your purchase? If you wouldn’t; tell us why too.

The Ovi Blog has announced that Ovi Chat is now officially powered by Yahoo! The main advantage of this new integration is the ability to add Yahoo! Messenger friends to your Chat friend list. The way to do this is by going to Options > Add Friend, selecting Other domain and then entering your friend’s Yahoo! Messenger ID (i.e. friend@yahoo.com). Once they accept your friend request, their Yahoo! ID will appear with the rest of your Chat friend list. Now you can see when your friend is online and start a conversation.

You do not even need to have a Yahoo Messenger account to be able to do this. Your Ovi account will do just fine.

This is part of the fruits of Nokia’s new partnership with Yahoo. The Ovi blog post mentions that “more improvements” are on the way.

For me, the question is, why is there no Chat app for Symbian yet? Why are millions of S40 users proiviledged with this app and Nokia’s customers who paid more for their devices still out in the cold? Anyone understands why?