New Mobility Nigeria team member, Izi Ehigie, writes about her experiences with the LG GW305. This is her very first article for Mobility Nigeria. – Editor

“I’ll get you a phone”, were the words of my friend. He didn’t have to say “I promise”, but I knew that he meant it and I could hold him to his words. For a while, it didn’t look as if the phone was coming, but I knew it was.

One day, a long while later, my friend asked, ”Do you want a touchscreen phone or one with a QWERTY keypad?” Of course, I wanted one with a hardware QWERTY keypad.

Eventually, on Tuesday 9th of November 2010, I became the proud owner of a phone that I promptly I nicknamed ”GreyBerry.”

I am Izi, and about to give you a personal review of the LG GW305 phone. Roll along with me please.

The LG GW305 is a sleek black phone with a grey-coloured back cover (from where I got the inspiration to name it ”GreyBerry”). It is actually quite lightweight for its size.

Messaging on the LG GW305 is fun with its full QWERTY keypad. the mailbox isn’t quite up there. It seems basic and was unable to retrieve mails from my Yahoo mail account. I don’t know why emoticons were included on this phone when they are not visible in messages received.

One very funny thing about messaging on the GW305 is the delivery report which reads: “Report has been arrived“. Well, I guess that explains why the phone manual has just a few lines of English. Go figure.

Calls on the GW3054 are crisp and clear. There’s a 3.5 mm headset slot, though you cant end a call via the headset. That has to be done on the handset. The phone settings also lets you choose what calls you want to reject.

The large phonebook lets you allocate different funny images to your contacts. These come alive on your homescreen when you choose the Livesquare homescreen option.

Thumbs up for the camera. For a 2.0MP camera, I think it is a good one.

The LG GW305′s games are rather annoying since they are all demos and need to be purchased to enjoy the full packages.

Browsing on my GreyBerry has been the complete package – the good, the bad, and the ugly.

What’s good: That I can just pick up my phone and connect to the net.

What’s bad: A lot of sites do not load on this phone.

What’s ugly: Browsing terminates annoyingly without notice, leaving you with the notice, “Insufficient memory, unable to proceed“.

Well, that’s my brief review of the LG GW305. I do hope that you enjoyed reading my amateur effort.

Etisalat Nigeria has introduced two new Social and Email & IM plans on Blackberry smartphones as advertised in today’s edition of The Punch newspaper. The plans “give you the option to customise your Etisalat plans to fit your lifestyle while paying less”.

Social Plan

This gives you access to:

• Social Networking Sites (Facebook, MySpace, Twitter)
• Windows Live Messenger
• Google Talk
• Blackberry Messenger
• Yahoo Messenger
• 100 free SMS on-net

Features

• Available only to pre-paid subscribers
• No email access on this plan
• No browsing on this plan

Opt in code
Monthly: *299*2# (N2,000)
Weekly: *299*2*1# (N700)
Daily: *299*2*2# (N200)

Email & IM Plan

Subscribers to this plan get:

• Blackberry Mail (up to 10 accounts supported)
• Windows Live Messenger
• Google Talk
• Blackberry Messenger
• Yahoo Messenger
• 100 free SMS on-net

Features

• Available only to pre-paid subscribers
• No social network access on this plan
• Email and IM access will be defined on the device side
• No browsing on this plan

Opt in code

• Monthly: *299*3# (N2,500)
• Weekly: *299*3*1# (N800)
• Daily: *299*3*2# (N300)

This is a follow-up to my earlier article, Mobile Phones and Social Media, and the first in line of a series on mobile phone and social media.

Getting started
To benefit from this series, you should have a Twitter account. So, the first thing you need to do is sign up on Twitter if you do not have an account yet. On PC, go to twitter.com; on mobile: m.twitter.com.

But do not be in a hurry! It is important to know why you should get on board.

When I initially got on Twitter, I was doing it just to explore. I have since then changed my Twitter handle (username). *I almost wrote Facebook there* first

Why be on Twitter?
Here are a few reasons:

• To connect with people of shared interest all over the boy
• To build a platform for engaging with your clients and prospective clients
• To connect with celebrity on real time eg @toptosyn, @darey etc
• To know what current trends are

There may be other reasons. When you start to explore Twitter, you’d begin to see the many more uses to it. I must tell you that Twitter is still evolving and many of the uses are being defined and redefined by its users.

Decide why you’d like to be on twitter and get on the rave.

Twitter username or handle
While opening your account, you must have chosen a username (I will sometime refer to it as handle). You can always change it, if you don’t like it, or if you just want to go creative.

What should guide your selection of a username? Your selection of a username should be determined by the image that you want to project. I created a professional account/private, so I used my name and short form of my surname; @jesseoguns. Other examples are @mobilitynigeria for MobilityNigeria.com, and @iandbanks.

Avatar or Profile Picture
Make sure that you include an image. Don’t just leave your account with the default image. Your picture is okay, or an image to represent your brand. Sometimes people may choose not to follow you because you leave it blank, or because your avatar doesn’t look cool.

If you are promoting your brand, your logo should suffice. Brands like Mobility Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria and Dstv Nigeria all use their logos.

Bio
Your bio (short for biography) is what you want people to know about you at first glance. Depending on your type of account, It is also better not to leave it blank. Just check some of the handles I have shared within this post.

Whenever I received a message in my yahoo inbox that someone is now following me, before I decide to follow back, the bio is one of the things that determines if I’d like to follow the person or organisation. Take time to carefully craft yours so that it will pass the message you intend.

These are the very first steps, and they are quite easy to implement.

Go ahead and try this out. Comment your challenge below. If you are already conversant with using Twitter, tell us some of the things that helped you get started well and the few changes you have made.

Next Time

Next time we’ll be talking about the different mobile tools that can help you get your Twitter rave on.

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.

The new Symbian user interface is a big improvement over what was with S60 5th Edition. I mean, I had sworn by my grandfather’s beard to shun S60 5th Edition – and I kept my word. But what used to be Symbian 3 (now just Symbian) is more like it, and I am loving it.

One of the decisions that has been made about Symbian in recent times is that move to make it a constantly evolving platform, such that there is no more need for naming conventions like Symbian^3 or Symbian^4 at all. What we have is just Symbian built in such a way that bits and pieces of improvements can be made to parts of the OS and user interface without touching the whole.

For example, Nokia plans to introduce a new Qt-based browser in early 2011 as a free update for Symbian devices. Do you get it? Users don’t have to wait for big updates to the whole device. Instead, a browser update, once ready, can be pushed out – and to every modern Symbian device (that excludes S60 3rd Edition, S60 5th Edition and other older versions).

An improvement would not even necesarilly be device-specific. The idea is that an improvement to one would be available as an improvement to all.

For example
Social Networking (SN) is a built-in app on the Nokia N8 that allows you to post updates to multiple Facebook and/or Twitter accounts. You can also manage each individual accounts separately.

Other functionality built into the Social Networking app:

• Upload pictures from gallery
• Upload pictures from camera
• Read, compose, reply FB messages
• Manage FB events
• Manage FB Friends
• Post comments, manage Likes/Unlikes
• Check Twitter messages
• Manage Twitter Favourites
• Compose, read and reply Twitter messages

The version of SN that came with the phone didn’t look tops in terms of eye-candy. This afternoon, when I launched SN on my Nokia N8, I was greeted with a notification that an update was available for SN. A few minutes after that, the update was downloaded and installed – and voila a newer, finger-friendlier and much better-looking SN application (version 1.2.163) was running on my unit.

The following improvements are immediately obvious on the new version -

1. Fonts are larger and look better – all easier to read
2. Links are more touch-friendly
3. The update box looks and works better
4. The picture upload button is smaller
5. Facebook photo albums seem to load faster now
6. Some changes in colour scheme, especially of the “Comment” and “Like” buttons
7. Profile pics now have a nice border with rounded corners
8. Everything looks more pleasing and certainly works better

This kind of implementation in the Symbian OS is a very significant one. It means that users can expect continual improvements to their devices. This is the long-term support that Symbian (and Nokia) users have been crying out for.

It means that when you spend money on a Symbian device (excluding S60 3rd Edition, S60 5th Edition and other older versions), you are investing in a future-proof device, at least software-wise.

MoboFree development group announces that MoboFree, mobile first social network, is entering the Nigerian market.

Mobofree is an emotions based mobile social network. It possesses all the great things social networks bring to the customers – communication, content sharing, dating, self realization, etc. Additional features make Mobofree an exclusive product – it is mobile first (and therefore is mobile users oriented from the start), it adapts to user and it brings emotions to the Mobile Internet. Emotions do not only mean that user can set his current mood status. There is a unique CRM engine inside which analyses contextual information, user’s mood, users’ behavior and after a few weeks the system starts to change according to user: CRM engine models the user interface according to the mood and also encourages community to share good emotions and to help dissolve negative ones. In addition, the menu structure automatically changes according users habits and so on. Though MoboFree was launched only a few months ago, it has already been nominated at the World Summit Award mobile contest in Entertainment & Lifestyle projects category.

Mobofree membership is free and members only pay standard data rates to their Mobile Internet service provider.

Yomi Adegboye, Editor of Mobility Nigeria, an online mobility magazine with a focus on Nigeria, and Managing Director of Alireta, one of Nigeria’s leading hosting providers, has joined the Mobofree team as Business Development Partner for Nigeria. Mr. Adegboye will be responsible for strategic and commercial development of project and marketing actions to increase project awareness in the Nigerian market.

“I am excited to join the Mobofree team and execute on our expansion plans,” said Yomi Adegboye. “The Nigerian mobile market is growing rapidly and Mobofree is an innovative product with huge potential. I am looking forward to helping the team to establish Mobofree here in Nigeria.”

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About Mobofree development group:
Project is developed by SIR EU and partners – an Eastern European company with headquarters in Vilnius, Lithuania. SIR EU has developed more than 30 successful mobile internet projects and applications for iPhone and Android.

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Visit Mobofree on your mobile device today.

If you think only Apple can pull out crowds on phone launch days, you’ve got to think again. Nokia launched the C3 QWERTY messenger in Indonesia and pulled out thousands who lined up for hours to pick up their copy of the device.

The full-QWERTY, candybar Nokia C3 sports a 2.4-inch display with a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels, Wi-fi, GPRS/EDGE, 3.5 mm audio jack, MicroSD card slot, Bluetooth and USb connectivity, 2mp camera, Opera Mini web browser, and social network integration.

The device is also out in the UK already and costs 80 pounds without a contract. That’s should put it in the N20,000 – N25,000 bracket. This is the most affordable QWERTY by Nokia yet and is set to be a bestseller.

One thing is predictable, judging by the sales of the E71 and E72 in Nigeria, the C3 will sell by the bucketfull here in our own country.

Credit: Props to deoladoctor for the tip-off.

The world has gone social networking and instant messaging. Keeping in touch with family, friends, colleagues and even customers via Twitter, Facebook, Yahoo Mesnger and other like services has become an acceptable way of life.

In this part of my review series of the various features of the Nokia N900, I will be looking at how social networking and instant messaging services fare on this mobile computer.

The N900 comes with built-in support for instant messaging within the contacts application. No need for a 3rd party app. You open a contact and select the service you want to use and the conversations (messaging) interface presents your interactions in threaded view. Chats are saved automatically to the device so you can reference them later – just like your SMS.

Out of the box, the N900 supports Skype, SIP, and Google Talk within the Contacts application. But, here is where it gets better, there is a plugin that allows you to add even more services, turning the N900 into a social networking monster. In all, you get:

1. Facebook
2. Gadu Gadu
3. Google Talk
4. ICQ
5. Jabber
6. MSN
7. Ovi
8. QQ
9. SIP
10. Salut
11. Skype
12. Yahoo

That’s twelve (12) services all integrated into your Contacts and Conversations. Just to be sure that you understand this. I am not talking about 12 separate applications. All of them are integrated into the Contacts and Conversations on the device.

Now add to these the fact that you can sort your contacts by their availability online, so those who are currently online show up at the top of your contacts list.

You can also set your own status/availability for Yahoo, Google Talk and Facebook Chat. You can create a custom status and even specify your location, if you so desire.

The feature list is extensive and the usability is tops. What Nokia have done with Contacts and Conversations on the N900 is simply awesome. I have never had it this good with instant messaging.

Of course, if you want more than just chat, there are 3rd party apps for Facebook, for example, as well as Twitter and others. These function apart from the Contacts and Conversations apps, but they work well too. Screenshot below is that of friends’ status updates on FaceBrick, a standalone facebook app:

No device is perfect – not even the N900, and I know enough to say that its not for everyone. But permit me to say that I am loving this big guy, and I can’t say that enough!

How much information do we really need to consume? Do we really need to be up-to-date with what our friends are doing at every moment of the day? Do we need to attend to that email right away? Is the super, instant-connected wireless life in which we are deluged with so much information really adding that much value to our life or do we only think so?

In the beginning, we had email. Enter: Instant Messaging, RSS, followed by Facebook, Twitter, Afrigator and the like. Let’s not forget that for most people, there is still TV and radio alongside other traditional media pumping information our way.

Never mind too that lots of the information that we receive via all these channels are duplicated: you get it in your mailbox, get another version by RSS, run into several tweets repeating the same, etc, etc.

Now with the integration of these into mobile technology, it really becomes addictive. Your tweets and those of your friends follow you around. Same goes for email, Facebook, RSS feeds and all the others. All of them constantly begging for your attention – a beep here; a message notification there.

What got us thinking along these lines is that one of our team members did an audit of his life last year and felt that being so super-connected had become more of a hindrance than a help to him. So last year, he pulled the plug on many of these channels. He swears that he’s now much more productive and that he has put on some extra weight since then.

We see the results of his decision here at the office and agree about the effects it has had on him (notice the italics). We are happy for him. But can it be true that we all do not necesarilly need to be so dug deep in the super-connected life?

Do we really need to be this connected? Do we really need all that information or are we just suckers for the next technology buzz? Are we heading for an information overload? You tell us what you think.

In addition to making it possible for subscribers to tweet via SMS on its network, Starcomms has also launched a Facebook and Hi5 service that works via SMS.

To get going, simply send ‘STAR’ to 33397. Cost is N8/SMS.

Subscribers can also get their Friends’ wall updates on Facebook by sending ‘FB upd’ to the same number, 33397. Same tariff.