Connecting the N810 to Internet via 3G

You have to follow these simple steps (I suppose Bluetooth is already on for your phone and your N810):

- Pair your N810 and your phone (N80 in my case) via Bluetooth. This is achieved in the N810 by going to the Control Panel, then choose Phone and add a New one. You'll see your phone and if you follow the wizard you'll pair them forever for automatic connection between every time that both BT interfaces are turned on.





- In the Control Panel, choose Connectivity, then press button Connections and then New. Follow the wizard, name the connection (for example, I named it Yoigo over BT) and , for the type of connection, choose Data Packets. In order to configure the Data Packets connection, you should enter the Access Point Name (internet for Yoigo), the Dialing Number (*99# for Yoigo), and your username/password with your provider (both empty in my case). In fact, the autonfiguration message, that Yoigo sends to your phone when you first turn on your phone and connect to their network, creates a network connection profile for the phone to act as a GPRS/UMTS modem and it looks like the N810 read its information and filled automatically all the details.



By the way, from now and on, it is very likely that your N810 connects via 3G when its BT interface and your phone's are both on. If you press on the connectivity icon in the systray of the N810, you can tell it to connect automatically to any connection, to WiFi or to phone (and additionally to always ask before establishing any connection).

Fixing the mobile operator name in Windows Mobile (useful for Pointui Home)

One of the things that I would love to get fixed in Pointui Home is the fact that the operator name is too long and does not fit the space allocated for it in the screen. Besides, it is untrue (Vodafone E) while my operator is Yoigo.

I guess that this is because GSM networks provide certain information (mobile network code, mobile network country, operator name and network name, for example) to our phones, and some phones are not using the proper information.

For instance, Pointui Home displays the network name as stored in the registry in Windows Mobile, in \HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\State\Phone\Current Operator. Windows Mobile is missing the operator name (Yoigo). So we can change the string to Yoigo and show a more accurate information and a shorter string. Well, not that easy... As we switch our phone off and on, Windows Mobile will replace again the string value associated to that entry in the registry to the network value provided by the operator. You can override the value again, or you can create a program that periodically does this task (there are some available).

The fact is that Yoigo is operating on Vodafone Spain network and that leads some mobile phones to make users unsatisfied with the information displayed on their phones' display.

[ADDED SOME MINUTES LATER] I guess that it would be possible to permanently display the string that we want for our operator by adding a key to the registry entry
\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\RIL\OperatorNames\ named like the mobile network code and with a value equals to the string that we want for our operator. I have to try it.

Yoigo should worry about support for certain applications and services

You already know that I am very happy with my mobile phone service provider, Yoigo. But as one starts trying to use his phone for more and more things, you realize that they still have a lot of work yet to do about the "small things". Sometimes, small things make the difference.

For example, Nokia PC Suite does not support Yoigo configuration to use your phone as a 3G modem when you need connection and no Ethernet or Wifi connectivity is available. You have to guess the configuration and set it yourself until you make it work. I think that the friends at Yoigo, knowing that Movistar, Orange and Vodafone are supported, should call Nokia quickly and ask them to support them (giving them the proper configuration settings).

It is not only a matter of better support to their clients, it is also a matter of good image for the company.

Another example: SMS messages relative to a Google Calendar event. Yoigo is not listed among supported companies. Yoigo should talk to Google and kindly ask them to be included (and prepare everything to support this service).

I could go on with the list, but it would take long to write. These two examples should clarify how Yoigo should make it to increase its commitment to allow their clients to access advanced data services at a low cost. Paying little is good, but being able to use these great services thanks to the agreement between your service provider and your web service/application provider is much much better.

First invoice from yoigo

I received last week the first invoice from Yoigo (the Spanish mobile operator i have changed to). I have been using my phone all these vacations through as my only connection to the internet: browsing the web with Nokia WebKit browser, Opera Mobile, Opera Mini and even the old S60 WAP browser, uploading pics to flickr as I shot them in order for the family to follow our steps in Fuerteventura (and especially, my one-year-old daughter's), downloading/installing/using applications like Yahoo Go! (I really loved it, being based in widgets, ... but I felt a bit uncomfortable as I could not believe I could do it for only 1.2 euros per day.

Now I do (seeing is believing, yes) and I am even happier than before.

There are some things that I expect from them so they become the almost perfect mobile operator:

• Video-calls (I do not like them saying there is no real demand for that service).


• Service of SMS notification for calls missed when the phone is off or disconnected from the GSM network SEPARATED FROM the voice mailbox service (they're tied together and you can only switch both of them on and off at the same time... this sounds unbelievable to me as it sounds like no technical problem but a way to charge more money to the users )


• My Yoigo working


• Keep their promise of not charging more for their services (and even lowering the rates if more and more users come to them)


• Increase the number of countries for voice and data roaming

They have recently announced their rates for roaming inside the Europen Union and they are the cheapest ones in Spain, so they seem to keep walking the good path.

One day I'll try to compare the cost of use of a mobile phone with other operators and yoigo and post the results.

Strategies like Yoigo's are the ones to impulse the use of data-based services in mobile devices.

Yoigo

I have signed a contract with Yoigo, the 4th mobile operator in Spain (after Movistar from Telefónica, Vodafone and Orange). They try to do things easily: connection charge, 12 cents + VAT; national call, 12 cents + VAT per minute; text message, 10 cents + VAT; minimum monthly fee, 6 € + VAT. Call fees apply to any mobile or any landline in Spain.

The other operators have great offers in certain conditions but they suck your money when you call out of these conditions. So you have to be using a calculator and read the small print of your contract to be sure of what you'll pay.

Yoigo will still have to improve stuff like roaming (there are countries like USA where do not have any agreement yet), but on the other side they have agreements to call people in the (foreign) country where you are with the same fees as Yoigo national calls. Few countries support this, but I bet they are going to be more and more as time goes by.

Yoigo also promises not to raise fees in the next years (they talk about decreasing them if the amount of customers is bigger and bigger).

I must say that the thing that really made me want to sign with them is that I can connect to the internet with a daily flat rate of 1.2 €.

Yoigo is ruled by Telia Sonera and, in my opinion, this is a guarantee. My workmate Diego Berrueta is happy with them. We'll see.

By the way, I signed the contract with them just by using their web. And the pen I used in order to write it was S60 Web Browser :-)