Vagalume, one of the applications I am using most often on my Nokia Internet Tablet N810, besides the well known applications for browsing the web, reading email, reading rss feeds, watching movies/series and reading PDF documents!

Vagalume is a GTK+-based Last.fm client. Although it works on desktop PCs, laptops and netbooks, it is specially designed to work in the Maemo platform, the one used by the Nokia devices such as the N800, N810 and N810 WiMAX.

A few of the most important features are:

Ofcourse, it plays Last.fm radio streams
It support for different radio stations (personal,neighbours,loved tracks,...
It supports marking tracks as loved or banned
It can tag artists, tracks and albums
It can send recommendations to other users
It can add tracks to your playlist
It can download free tracks to your hard disk
It scrobbles tracks so they appear in your Last.fm webpage
It sends Now Playing information

The latest version is Vagalume 0.7, released on 01 Sep 2008. Vagalume is sponsored by Igalia and is being developed by a team led by Alberto Garcia with some contributions from people around the world.

And what some people will say, what the hell is 'Last.fm' ?

Last.fm is a music service that learns what you love...
Every track you play will tell your Last.fm profile something about what you like. It can connect you to other people who like what you like - and recommend songs from their music collections and yours too.

…and as you use Last.fm, you make it better for you and everyone else.
When you recommend some music to a friend, or you tag it, or you write about it - even just listening to it - you shift the song's importance on the site. It'll be recommended to different people, because you've listened to it. It'll move up our music charts and maybe more people will hear it because you thought it was good.

Original post blogged on b2evolution.

As I mentioned already in one of my previous posts, the N810 has a integrated built-in GPS receiver.

As Nokia has a promised during the release of Diablo - OS2008, the automatic notifications feature in the home screen about the availability of OS updates or single applications, including those installed from third parties, is working fine !

This is really a quality improvement for the end user. With this feature the end user will be informed automatically when a new version of installed software is available, especially important for security updates.

The only thing that should be improved further in the future is the 'repository management'. Sometimes it's still required to tune the repositories manually in order to install some of the applications. Not really user friendly when becoming more and more a product for the mass.

Original post blogged on b2evolution.

On 24th June 2008, Nokia has released the first huge 0S2008 update for the N800 and N810 Internet Tablets, based on Maemo 4.1, known internally by the name 'Diablo'.


The biggest improvement seems to be the feature called 'Seamless Software Update feature', meaning that future OS updates will be made available over-the-air, without needing to reflash the Internet Tablet. Now users will get automatic notifications in the home screen about the availability of OS updates or single applications, including those installed from third parties.

For those interested in all software packages changes, please checkout following link.

Original post blogged on b2evolution.

How to setup a phone call towards a landline or mobile phone using SIP protocol ?
How to setup a Voipbuster account on the N810 ?

or in other words:

How to make calls for free of how to make very cheap calls using the N810 ?

The information I have provided on the next page is mainly coming from this page on www.internettablettalk.com !

Screenshot has been taken after ending a 2 min Voipbuster SIP call using N810.

This procedure has been tested and verified on the latest OS2008 build !

Interested in all the required steps, all the details, some configuration screenshots, please click on the link for page 2.

Original post blogged on b2evolution.

In order finally to make use of the integrated built-in GPS receiver of the N810, the maps are for free available for download, I needed 3 more things:


* the Nokia HH-12 Easy Mount Holder
* the Nokia DC-4 car charger
* license code for the Wayfinder Navigator for Nokia Internet Tablet


In fact, the N810 came with some kind of car holder, the Nokia CR 89 which could be fixed to the dashbord itself, but in fact the HH-12 is required in order not to damage your dashbord. I bought it today via Ebay, the easiest and cheapast way, isn't it ?!

For the 'voice guidance' I will have to buy an extra license code from 'Wayfinder', the Wayfinder Navigator Nokia N810 Edition. The price for the license depends on the region and duration (1 month (9.98 EUR), 1 year (89.00 EUR) of 3 years (98.99)).

The product region I am interested in, includes a licence to use voice guided turn-by-turn navigation in the following map regions:
- UK & Ireland
- Germany & Alps (Germany, Austria, Switzerland)
- Scandinavia (Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway)
- Benelux (Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg)
- France
- Italy
- Spain and Portugal

After purchasing the product you will get a license key to unlock the navigation features of the map application. If you make the purchase directly from the internet tablet the key is entered automatically.

First I will try the Wayfinder Navigator for 7 days free of charge, just enough to test the built-in GPS quality (some people complain about the long time to fix) and the provided software functionality. If this test periode gives a positive result, I will buy the 36 months license !

Original post blogged on b2evolution.

Great news !

Today, I have ordered my Nokia Internet Tablet N810 ! And lucky me, the N810 discount code for my Maemo contribution was accepted.

Now, I have just to be patient a few more days, ...

Thanks to the Maemo team for their appreciation.

Let's hope the other 499 Maemo contributors can use their N810 discount code asap.

Original post blogged on b2evolution.

For people who aren't familiar with the Nokia Internet Tablets yet, but who are interested in the device, there is now an interesting How To section available on the Nokia website.

Original post blogged on b2evolution.

The Nokia N810 Internet Tablet User Guides are available for download now !

The exact download locations of the English and Dutch versions can be found below:

- Nokia N810 Internet Tablet User Guide in English

- Nokia N810 Internet Tablet User Guide in Dutch

Remark, currently the N810 isn't available yet in the Nokia NSeries Online shops (for example Belgium). The availability is foreseen somewhere in December, however no official date has been given yet. For those of you interested in a low priced N800, please checkout the Online Shop - Belgium.

Original post blogged on b2evolution.