First steps with Maemo 5 Version 1.2

by Volker Weber

maemo5v1.2

Instead of waiting for the OTA download, I just went to the Maemo site, grabbed the images and flashed the device. While I encourage you to backup first, all my data was retained through the update process.

I quickly tried a few of the promised updates. Ovi Maps gets a new interface, but it is still only a mapping application, not a navigation one with turn-by-turn instructions.

maemo5v12ovimaps.jpg

Nokia added Facebook Chat, but that is actually quite a small change since Maeomo already supported Google Talk and Ovi Chat, both using the Jabber/XMPP protocols. Choices for Chat/VoIP accounts are now Ovi, Skype, Google Talk, Facebook, Jabber (sic) and SIP.

maemo5v12chat.png

I tried making a couple of video calls with Skype, but they would not work. The other party won't see me, and they can't activate their own camera. No error message on my end. I can turn the front facing camera off and on, but to no avail. So far I have tested Macs and Ubuntu at the other end. Need to try with Windows.

Comments

The Turn-by-turn and more should be activated in the coming weeks.
The OVI maps application is fully functional.

I did get the Video-call to work to a colleague with another N900.

Dag Kvello, 2010-05-26

The Turn-by-turn and more should be activated in the coming weeks

Do you have a source for that?

Have you had any luck calling Skype on anything but another N900?

Volker Weber, 2010-05-26

Now I would also be interested in that source plus the sense this would make :)

Hubert Stettner, 2010-05-26

Well, the source is Mamo Central:

http://maemocentral.com/2010/05/24/the-n900-finally-gets-the-pr-1-2-firmware/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MaemoCentral+%28Maemo+Central%29

It's usually very relliable.

Dag Kvello, 2010-05-26

And where exactly does it say that "Turn-by-turn and more should be activated in the coming weeks"? I cannot find it.

I am asking because I just spoke with the VP of navigation products at Nokia yesterday. My understanding is that Ovi Maps (the navigation product) is being developed on the Meego stack.

Volker Weber, 2010-05-26

Hmm, I was of the understanding that this would be on the QT 4.7 stack wich would make it an Mameo PR 1.2 & MeeGo app.

I'll look for more info.

Dag Kvello, 2010-05-26

What I hate about Ovimaps on my Device (E71 and E72), is that you need to enter the entire street address at once, and it has to be spelled right. Tomtom, and most of the other products let u narrow it down by Country,City,Street, using some form of type ahead for each field (city, street, etc). And the Street names proposed via the type ahead are based on the set of streets for the city u entered previously.

Has this been fixed in Maemo ?

Joel Demay, 2010-05-28

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