How to activate BSNL 3G in iPhone?

Maintaining iPhone features in India is not easy because almost all mobile phone users are belong to Nokia or Sony Ericsson. So support for Apple iPhone is less. To use BSNL 3G features, you require a 3G supported mobile phone and BSNL 3G USIM. Normally to get activated in BSNL 3G, you need to send {your mobile model} to 58355:

example: NOKIA E65
to 58355

It worked for my Nokia E65. But for iPhone it is currently not possible because, they are not having the settings for Apple iPhone. I activated 3G successfully and I did what follows.

Step1: Go Settings->General->Network->Cellular Data Network
Step2: Edit under the tab - Cellular Data
APN => bsnlnet
Usename => {Left blank}
Password => {Left blank}
Step3: Go Settings->General->Network
Step4: Switch 'Enable 3G' to ON. Also switch 'Cellular Data' to ON if not.

*Note: 3G will work if you are in a 3G coverage. Else you can get connected and use internet with 2G or 2.5G. If you are not in a 3G coverage area, it is better to turn off 3G. This will save a lot of battery. If you are in a 3G coverage, and you turned on 3G on your iPhone, a '3G' symbol will be displayed on top left corner of your iPhone screen. If you are in 2G, a 'E' symbol is displayed to remind that you are in EDGE network.

Step5: You are done. Use 'Safari' to browse internet.

If you are having any problem please report. If you found any other methods, please comment about it.

Go on with pyS60

I got a very good feedback from my previous post: "How to simulate PyS60 in your PC". As the request of opentechlab readers, I am attempting to write a brief beginner level tutorial on pyS60 emulator.

Once you are successful in installing and setting up the environment (If you didn't set up yet, click here), it is the time to go on.

Start the emulator program from:

Start->All programs -> S60 Developer tools -> 3rd edition FP2 SDK -> v1.1 -> Emulator

You probably need to wait for a couple of seconds to load it if your system is slow. Then a medium sized window with a full fledged mobile phone appears on the screen.

Now you need to open python. Just do as in your mobile phone. it's in Menu -> Installations -> python.

Now it's ready and do what you want.

Hacking python script

Select options -> Run script ->ball.py

You can move the ball anwhere in the screen. It's a physics simulation example in python. You can see the actual python script by opening ball.py file using any editor (notepad is not recommended. programmers notepad is good). The file is stored in :

C:\S60\devices\S60_3rd_FP2_SDK_v1.1\epoc32\winscw\c\python

Search for the word 'blobsize'. Then you can find a line like:

blobsize = 16

Change the value of blobsize into 25 and save it. Then open ball.py in emulator. Did you notice any change? Similarly you can change acceleration, gravity (what about changing gravity into -0.01 ?) etc.

Developing your own programs

I am just starting with a hello world. Here is the program.

1)Simple hello world

print "Hello World!"

2)Say, hello world

from audio import*

say("Hello World!")

3)graphical hello world!

import appuifw
appuifw.note(u"Hello World!", "info")

It is good practice to make a short cut of python on the mobile desktop by changing options in settings.

How to simulate PyS60 in your PC

You can do your experiments in PyS60 without touching your mobile phone. The experimentation is easy while you set up everything in your PC. Here I am explaining how to set up the PyS60 environment in WinXP platform. I didn't try this attempt on my Linux yet. I will surely post about it if I get some good mobile stuff on Linux. This will be a boon for python developers in Nokia S60 mobile phones. But rarely it can be seen that some python scripts works neatly on simulator may cause strange responses on your real world system. I would like to here about it if you get any funny experience on your S60 device.
Download the required things:

1)Download S60_3rd_Edition_SDK_Feature_Pack_2_v1_1_en.zipfrom the following link:
http://www.forum.nokia.com/info/sw.nokia.com/id/807ec36d-0a8e-4bda-8e10-4d5e5bb4764a/S60_3rd_Edition_SDK_Feature_Pack_2_v1_1_en.zip.html


2)You can find ActivePerl 5.6.1 build 635 here:

http://downloads.activestate.com/Act...SWin32-x86.msi

3)Download PythonForS60 _1_4_5_SDK_3rdEdFP1.zip from http://sourceforge.net/projects/pys60/files/

First install ActivePerl because S60 SDK requires it.
Then install S60 SDK. Please note to install it in C:\ drive to avoid confusion.
Extract PythonForS60_1_4_5_SDK_3rdEdFP1.zip. Then you get another archived file sdk_files.zip.
Extract it again and you get a directory named 'epoc32'.
Copy this directory into "C:\S60\devices\S60_3rd_FP2_SDK_v1.1"
Then probably Windows XP asks to replace the already existing folder 'epoc32'. Click yes.
You have done. Cheers!

Bluetooth interactive console using pyS60

Nowadays, text messages via mobile phones are shortening to small, but difficult to understand language. I don't think whether the major reason behind this shortening is economic, but most people feel tedious to type text through a 4*3 panel. Typing a program like, C or python in correct syntax is again a tedious work. You can use bluetooth console, in order to avoid this problem effectively. Here I describe how to setup bluetooth consloe communcation in your MS Windows XP platform. For beginners, this procedure may feel ambigous. So I tried my maximum to describe it with screenshots.

If you are not aware of pyS60 please read this.

You can find some other tutorials here:
s60python
nokia wiki
pys60 Library Referance
Yet another tutorial
Lecture

The above links were extremely useful to me. The procedure is repeated here, but I tried to describe it in rather simple way. If you feel any difficulties, please inform me.

Setting up bluetooth interactive console in winXP

step1: Plug your bluetooth device into your PC (any USB port). Then Run your bluetooth driver program which you installed from the CD/DVD when you buy your bluetooth dongle.
Then automatically a serial port is assigned for it. In my PC, it is COM6. You can do step 5 in case you don't know the COM port your PC supported.

step2: Run command 'hypertrm' in your run window. Run window can be opened by clicking Run option from the start menu.

step3:You will get hyperterminal opened like this:

Enter any valid name for your connection and select a suitable icon and forward.

step4:Then you will get another box like this:

Type any 3 digit area code and phone number.Your country or region may be automatically filled. If not, do it manually. Select COM6 from 'connection using' lineEdit tab. It may be changed. You will get which COM port your computer assigned (If you didn't get it, notice first screenshot)

step5:Take your symbian smart phone with pys60 installed. Turn your bluetooth ON and open pys60 application. From 'options' menu, select 'bluetooth console'. Your application then searches for blutooth device. You can optionally select it as your default connection.

step6 (Error Debugging): You are now probably connected successfully. Not yet? Check your connections. Check whether you run your bluetooth driver.If your bluetooth driver is running, a symbol of bluetooth will appear on the panel (see screenshot 1). I used Enter blutooth dongle (part number:E-UBTV) from entermultimedia. and it's driver(BlueSoleil). The driver is downloadable in case you lost the CD/DVD with your dongle. If you can type anythong on the white blank screen of hyperterminal, you are probably done everything. Else, you should check the whole procedure.
In any case, you should plug out the dongle and replug.
Didn't connected yet? Some mysterious powers are playing around you ;-)
I am happy to help if you can't find any way to connect.


step7: If you are successful in connecting your mobile, you are done.

step8:You can do anythong with python. Try these

step9: While you close application, you get a dialogue box and click yes.

You can save hyperterminal settings for the future use. Then when you run 'hypertrm' command, you will get a window like screenshot 2. simply close the box named 'Connection Description' and then you can open the saved file (here, pybluetooth.ht). Again there is an option to save the connection in your mobile and make it as default connection.

Google maps works without GPS

A GPS phone with Google maps is really amazing. But unfortunately, my Nokia E65 has not any GPS support, but navigator programs are included in Symbian. A bluetooth GPS device can be used along with many phones without any GPS module in-built. But it costs around Rs.5000 India. But Google maps is useful even if you have any GPS support because it works well using GPRS network to find current position, not much accurate because it will show the nearest mobile radio transmitting tower. But it becomes handy and have only 1.3MB to download and useful in navigation. Recently, Nokia also provided "nokia maps", but I am not commenting about it because, now I decided to stick with Google!
You can download Google maps directly to your mobile phone from m.google.co.in/maps
or vist www.google.co.in/mobile from your PC.

Python for Symbian s60

Python is very convinient language compared to any other and constantly increasing it's popularity. It is listed in the top 10 programming languages also. It can be used in MS Windows, Linux and everywhere. It's a best hacker's choice also. Many varieties are emerging from python. Portable python- which need not be installed but paste the file in your Thumb drive or any other portable devices and you can use it everywhere. Really Nice. Now the pyhton coming to conquer the mobile phone world!. Yes, you can do what is you go for in a PC.

• Just donwlad the pyhton instllalble file. Install it
• Open python for s60
• Options->Interactive Console
• Do what you want
• You can see some example *.py files in Options->Run Script

simplest example:

print "hello World!"

#Note: Wherever you want to press enter in PC version of linux, in mobile, you use 'scroll key', not 'enter' character in the list of special characters. You can run python scripts also bu require one text editor. One good text editor is JtextLite.

Happy Programming!

Increase Battery life of your Nokia!

There are several ways to increase the battery life of your Nokia mobile (not only nokia ;-) ). One good advice read from this link. I am now describinf how to turn off dual mode of your mobile to GSM in Nokia E65. Other mobile phones (probably using symbian OS) have the same step to do so.

Navigate to
Main Menu->Tools->Settings->Network

Change network mode to 'GSM'

It will ask to restart. Press 'Yes'.

Another good link here.

Software install problem in Nokia E65

My nokia E65 is cute and smart, but had some problem while installing softwares inside it. It uses symbian OS. I googled about this problem and searched several forums and found that, only some mobile phones in this series has this problem. While installing a software (.jar , .jad or .sis, .sisx files), a progress bar appears and an error "Unable to install" appears while the progress bar becomes almost complete.
The solution is to upgrade the firmware inside your E65 and restart your mobile. Now my E65 is really smart!!!
Steps to upgrade your mobile phone firmware(This is applicable to almost all nokia phones)
1) Download Nokia updater software from nokia website. Here is the download link:
http://europe.nokia.com/get-support-and-software/download-software/device-software-update/download
2)Install nokia updater in your OS.
3)Back up your data in mobile phone using backup utility in the Nokia PCsuit. No need to back up the data in the memory card.
4)Check your mobile phone is fully charged in order to ensure that, it will not switched off during update process
5)Start Updater.It will detect your phone while connected to PC via cable and automatically download and install firmaware.
6) Do not unplugg PC cable during the installation process.It will cause severe damage.
7)Copy the data from backup after successful installation

8)Try install software now, it will surely be installed.
Good Luck!

How to activate GPRS on E65 with vodafone prepaid

I got one great mobile Nokia E65, and I am starting to dig it. First of all I am going to activate GPRS to get full power of E65. I am using a lifelong Vodafone sim card. To activate GPRS we should do the following:

1)To activate GPRS on simcard
2)Download and save settings on your mobile phone.

To activate GPRS on simcard, send a message
ACT VL to 144

Automatically settings will be sent as SMS. Save it. But I didn't get any settings at all. So I set up it manually. To do it manually,

Go to menu->Tools->Settings->Connection->Accesspoints

Here shows available accesspoints. Probably you should make a new one named 'Vodafone live!'.To make new one,

options->New access point

Enter into new access point,then configure as shown.

Connection name : Vodafone live!
Data bearer : packet data
Access point name : portalnmms
User name : None
Prompt password : No
Password : (No change)
Authentication : Normal
Homepage : http://live.vodafone.in

Then do,

options->Advanced settings

Network type : IPv4
Phone IP address : Automatic
DNS address : Automatic
Proxy server address : 10.10.1.100
Proxy port number : 9401

To access GPRS,

menu->Web

Yes, you have done!

Note: I am residing at Kerala,India. So people residing outside Kerala, should take appropriate changes. Call 111 for any help from vodafone.