With the recent dismantling of S60.com, N-Gage.com, Widsets.com and other websites, plus the lacklustre performance of the E75, one’s gotta wonder if someone who picks up this phone isn’t some mindless automaton who buys whatever shit Nokia slings.

What’s worse is that if you look at history, the E61 was a pretty good phone, the E61i was an even better phone, the E71 rocked. The E62 was introduced by companies like Fido and Cingular and was essentially carrier branded garbage (sort of like the E71x which was released by AT&T). Nokia would have been smart to stick with the name E71i or the N71i as previously whispered through the blogosphere but they dropped the ball when they let AT&T release the carrier-branded FP2 variant of the E71 as the E71x.

Well (after a rocky start), I can report with great certainty that I probably won’t be smashing my E72 and thus far I’m pretty happy. Or at least, perhaps my time with the E75 has taught me to cope.

I’m not the average user and my needs are directly correlated with my business interests, but keeping that tall list aside, stability and responsiveness should rate really high on the scale what makes or breaks any phone, right? Right!

The E72 is a responsive phone. The hosted Nokia Email solution actually loads up quickly (not in the blink of an eye but still tolerable) and transitioning and loading other software isn’t so bad.

My setup (aka the testbed):

• Nokia E-Mail with Mail for Exchange

My primary mail client – the new ‘Mail for Exchange’ is Nokia’s attempt at shoving bloatware down peoples throats. Thankfully the fast processor in the E72 can cope and synchronization with Microsoft Exchange Servers is pretty tolerable. Nokia E-mail also uses FP2’s network destinations feature which replaces access point groups that was available in the E61i.

Shamefully, Nokia E-mail doesn’t give you the ability to select folders for synchronization and doesn’t give you access to all of your top level folders.  Instead, Nokia E-mail syncs all the folders within its grasp based on a single setting – if you ask for it to sync all of your email, you’ll fill up your phone’s memory (imagine a million sent items) and will have to use the three-finger salute to wipe out and reset to factory settings.

The older (downloadable) version of Mail for Exchange (available in the E71 and previous) strikes me as a more stable and mature product.

• DataViz RoadSync

RoadSync is another mail client that syncs with Microsoft Exchange. Setting it up is a bit of a pain since it takes control of your email key, sets itself to the default email program, etc. and whch all has to be undone. Once it’s going, it’s solid and responsive.

In FP2, RoadSync really shines. The same software installed on an FP1 phone can’t see most of the top-level folders and brings up an annoying send dialog if you send immediately (when installed as the secondary e-mail client). Once you’re on FP2, the send dialog has been hidden and RoadSync magically has access to all of the top-level folders.

DataViz – I apologise for all the mean things I said to you in the past, all this time it’s been a limitation of the operating system.

• emoze

emoze is another push email account. It’s a hosted solution that can interface with your POP3, IMAP4 or can also connect to an Exchange Server using Outlook Web Access. emoze also brings view as HTML support to users running the older version of Microsoft Exchange Server (2003) but still has some viewer kinks to be worked out.

In fairness, Nokia E-mail does allow you to set up multiple accounts (one Mail for Exchange account and multiple POP3 and IMAP4 accounts) but falls flat in the ease of setup and stability department. After beating my head against the wall over intermittently receiving emails, I said fuggetaboutit and installed emoze. emoze is lightweight, uses Nokia’s old mail interface and simply works. Thumbs up emoze people for making a stable and lightweight product!

• Killer Mobile TotalRecall

In my E71, I used VoxTalk to record all my incoming and outgoing phone calls. I bill for my time, so it’s important to keep track of phone calls. Well, VoxTalk doesn’t work on the E72 so I’ve installed TotalRecall which is a similar application and thus far, it works like a charm.

• Birdstep SmartConnect

I’m using the European version of the E72 which means the fastest Internet speed I’m going to get is whatever EDGE is capable of. I’m surfing in the kilobits not the megabits (until I purchase an E72-2 which comes out in a few days). To make things worse, most S60 software isn’t aware of network destinations, so I’m stuck using simple access points.

Birdstep launched SmartRoaming in the era of the E61 which allowed for seamless Wifi roaming. Smartconnect is the same software for the E71 and thus far it works perfectly for me E72, too! So now I can have third party programs (like RoadSync and emoze) automatically switch between my various Wifi access points I have at home and in the offices and also roam onto Fido’s GPRS/EDGE network when I’m away. I get to save battery power and improve performance automatically.

• Google Gmail, Google Maps, Google S60 App

The new Google App for the S60 has voice recognition built in and it’s pretty accurate. Kudos to Google.

• Nokia Conversation

Threaded SMSes strike me as a must for any smartphone nowadays. It’s odd that this piece of software has to be installed like a third party product. Rather, it should be installed by default. It’s been a graduate from Nokia’s Beta Labs for some time.

• Gravity

Twitter and facebook status update program that doesn’t suck.

• Escarpod

Okay, I’m fine if Nokia doesn’t want to include N-Gage in the E72. Really, I’m fine with the fact that they want to force all game makers to publish their games to the Ovi store. I’m fine with being penalized for having purchased games in prior iterations of my Nokia phones staring with the N95. I won’t talk about how useless the Ovi store is either. What’s baffling, though, is that Nokia ripped out the Podcasting client that’s been built in their E-series phones for at least three years. Instead, we have t install ‘in-development’ software like Escarpod.

Overall, the E72 does what I need it to do. I’m not craving any additional features and I’m no longer excited about what’s next from Nokia. I’m happy with this phone and its stability but I’ve been beat up too many times. Maemo and S60v5 just don’t turn my crank anymore.

Side note, I hear the Palm Pre will support multiple Exchange accounts.

Wish Nokia had done the same in the release of their most recent E-Series flagship, after all, isn’t the E-Series set of phones supposed to be made for efficiency? They did drop the ‘enterprise’ label for ‘efficiency’ recently but with the E75, they fall squarely on their face.

So, I’m three phones in now… the first E75 was smashed in frustration, the second and third, gifts from contacts that live in the dark underworld of mobile phones. Third time’s a charm, right? Well, I’ve certainly learned to cope, that’s for sure. (more after the jump)

For the many that may be reading this for the first time, I’m not necessarily the average user – I rely heavily on two seperate Microsoft Exchange Servers on different networks to do what I need to do. I prefer push mail and have found that through the years, the Nokia E61, E61i, E51 and E71 have all given me exactly what I need – fast and productive access to two Exchange mailboxes via push.

How, on earth, do I do it? Well, simply put, both Nokia and DataViz have published Exchange connectivity software (Mail for Exchange and RoadSync respectively) for Nokia’s S60v3 phones including the E-Series, N-Series and Communicators. Both programs coexist to a certain extent (I only sync one calendar, tasks, contacts – the other Exchange client is specifically for mail and that’s it) and as a result, I’m a happy camper.

So, back to the E75.

The specs are great – E-Series phone, slider with full keyboard, runs N-Gage, Nokia’s gaming platform, S60v3 feature pack 2 and all the bells and whistles.

I truly think there’s a couple of great features that feature pack 2 phones offer – destinations instead of access points allows you to switch between Wi-Fi and 3G seamlessly for apps that support it (like Nokia Mail and the built in browser), location tagging built into the camera application, user data preservation on firmware updates (not totally stable) and a suite of cool ringtones.

…. but there’s the other side too – the Nokia Mail (which replaces the standard mail app and Mail for Exchange) is slick but it’s slower than molasses running uphill and downright frustrating. The amount of RAM memory to install software is extremely limited and in two cases, I’ve filled the memory of the phone up to the point where mail and SMSes ceased to be received – not cool! The phone isn’t ever eager to respond and the form factor is better fit for a purse than a suit jacket or front pocket on the jeans.

I’ve had much to say about Nokia Mail … simply put, it’s slow, clunky and stinks… more on that, HERE.

In the end, I’ve been far more productive with the E71. It fits better in your pocket, the feature pack 1 software isn’t buggy and there’s plenty of room in the phone’s local memory to install applications.

For that, I give the E75 a 0 out of 10.

Now, since I’ve been stuck with the phone for reviewing purposes, I’ve had to cope – so here’s what I’ve done:

1 – formatted the phone and got rid of N-Gage

2 – installed every possible application to the phone’s external memory – in my case, a reputable 16GB SDHC micro card

3 – installed RoadSync v4 as my primary mail client – even though it has it’s shortcomings, it’s still better than Nokia Mail

4 – used Nokia Mail for my secondary mail client – I don’t have to be as responsive on the phone

5 – upgraded to Ovi Maps and Quickoffice v6

6 – moved the message store of the phone to the external memory

That’s it…  trim the fat and bear with the slowness… and try not to smash yet another phone.

In upcoming Nokia phones, I’ll be sure to be weary of the Nokia Mail application – it’s a piece of garbage. Failing that, I might have to actually carry two phones again, a quick and responsive BlackBerry and maybe something else. As for Nokia, f#%k that!

Now, in all fairness to Nokia, I am a Nokia E71 user – it’s a sexy, versatile phone. I monitor two Exchange accounts using Mail for Exchange and Roadsync. I use the VOIP client frequently, the podcasting application is a lifesaver, Widsets keep me up to date and I like viewing rich media with Skyfire.

… but to have Nokia purport that there are no hidden costs, I think they may have misunderstood the ultimate cost – people’s time. Some comparisons, after the jump.

For the purpose of this test, we’ll talk about connecting the mobile to Microsoft Exchange Server.

Software installation test:

Nokia E71 – you must install either Mail for Exchange or RoadSync
BlackBerry Handheld – software is included on the server

Server configuration test:

Nokia E71 – Mail for Exchange and RoadSync connect to Exchange natively
BlackBerry Handheld – BlackBerry Enterprise Server is required

Cost per unit test:

Nokia E71 – Mail for Exchange, free. RoadSync, $40
BlackBerry Handheld – Built in client, free. BES license, $99

Activation test:

Nokia E71 – Mail for Exchange and RoadSync, must know all the details of your Exchange server, at least five different settings have to be entered into the device
BlackBerry Handheld – User only needs to know their email and activation password

Automatic retrieval test:

Nokia E71 – Mail for Exchange, will automatically retrieve the rest of a message. RoadSync, must manually download the rest of a message
BlackBerry Handheld – Messages automatically retrieve

Server side management test:

Nokia E71 – Mail for Exchange and RoadSync, limited configuration and management of the device from the server
BlackBerry Handheld – dozens of configuration options from access rules to signatures on the server

Subfolder test:

Nokia E71 – Mail for Exchange, no subfolders. RoadSync, only folders below the Inbox
BlackBerry Handheld – Subfolders anywhere and everywhere

Note: when I queries the RoadSync people about this issue, they stated that this is a limitation of the ActiveSync protocol. With the release of the iPhone and it’s ability to connect with subfolders regardless of where they may be (same level as Inbox, for example), I’m calling bullshit.

Search test:

Nokia E71 – Mail for Exchange, built in plugin for internal search. RoadSync, server-based search works only with Exchange 2007
BlackBerry – fast handheld search

Name resolution test:

Nokia E71 – Mail for Exchange, will resolve names in the device’s addressbook, you can use a tool to find names on the server. Roadsync, no automatic resolution, you can use a tool to find names in the device’s addressbook or on the server
BlackBerry – will resolve accounts on the server and the device automatically

Flags, followup, reminders:

Nokia E71 – Mail for Exchange, no dice. RoadSync, flagging and reminders on messages for Exchange 2007 only
BlackBerry – no dice

One button composition:

Nokia E71 – Mail for Exchange, hold down the e-mail key. RoadSync, one button composition broken, you have to go through several menus to compose an email
BlackBerry – Quick composition from the home screen

So in the end, both devices read email, once you get to know your device, you’ll probably get along well with it. The most confounding aspect of the Nokia device is the configuration and management of the device. Not as smooth as the BlackBerry yet and costly as a result. If you count your labour as free, then maybe there’s an ROI justification to look at it. If not, then it’s gotta be BlackBerry.

In all fairness, I haven’t mentioned Nokia’s Intellisync which is supposedly a contender for the BlackBerry Enterprise space. The client which is also the same client used for the free Nokia Email service (similar to BlackBerry’s BIS) is a piece of junk. Slow, clunky and poorly laid out at best.

Fret no more, ‘lil camper. Here’s a guide on how to get the firmware update you always wanted.

Background: I own both an E71-1 (European E71) and the E71-2 (North American E71). In October, I was notified that there was an update to the E71’s firmware. Some fixes, some enhancements, all good stuff (see the Nokia E71 blog, HERE for more details), so I embarked on updating my phones.

Model: E71-1, Type: RM-346, Product Code: 0560654 – success
Model: E71-2, Type: RM-357, Product Code: 0569371 – no dice

To date, there still isn’t an update available for the E71-2 above via Nokia Software Update (NSU).

A couple weeks ago, I stumbled upon a thread on Symbian Guru, HERE, that covered a successful flash update of the Nokia E71-2. The Guru was kind enough to disclose his product code, 0559585.

I recall using a piece of software called NSS or the Nemesis Service Suite, HERE, to change the product code of an older Nokia phone of mine. In this case, all I did was download the software, plug in my phone via USB and go through the steps below.

Step 1 – open up NSS, plug in your phone

Step 2 – hit the magnifying glass in the top right

Step 3- switch to the Phone Info tab

Step 4 – Check the Product Code box and hit Read to read the data from the phone

In this case, my product code is 0569371

Step 5 – type in the product code you want to change in the phone

I typed in 0559585 which is reported to be an E71-2 product code that has an upgrade available on NSU.

Step 6 – hit Write to write the new data to the phone and you’re done!

After that, it’s smooth sailing  on NSU.

You’re golden! A Nokia E71-2 has been upgraded from firmware 100.07.76 to 110.07.127! I’ve been testing the updated phone for a day without any issues – the 3G service hasn’t been impacted at all and it’s totally stable. Good luck with your updates!

According to Mobile Industry Review, Nokia’s UK MD, Simon Ainslie, said:

RIM are a competitor and have done a reasonable job in a space that is traditionally ours, so it’s no great surprise that we see this as an opportunity to give consumers a proper choice on what email solution they want.

‘Our approach is to make email a mass-market proposition for everybody, not just for the corporate boardroom group of individuals where BlackBerry has established itself.’

I’ve got a perfectly good E61i connected to a Blackberry Enterprise on Exchange server via Blackberry Connect – I can see subfolders and take advantage of the features and functionality of BES which is pretty extensive. It runs smoothly and outside of not being able to send PIN messages to others or being able to use BB Messenger, it’s pretty robust. In short, it’s a pretty good push email solution for a hardcore roadwarrior (like me). With the features of the E61i, I can have a couple of Exchange accounts, a BlackBerry BES account, WIFI connectivity, VOIP telephony and even Push to Talk.

With my shiny new E71, I can have almost every feature listed above but I can’t download Blackberry Connect. It won’t install and as per the above, there’s no planned support. The current prescribed alternatives to BlackBerry Connect (without throwing the baby out with the bathwater) include Mail for Exchange 2.7 and RoadSync 4. Neither appear to let me file messages the way I would want to and both are licensed ActiveSync (inferior) clients. ActiveSync ain’t bad except for the fact that Microsoft appears to have kept the good stuff to themselves which is evidenced by how Microsoft Smartphones and Nokia Smartphones (with either MFE or RoadSync) perform differently. The Nokia solution is simply OK for the job. Meanwhile, I’m either better off owning Windows Mobile or getting a BlackBerry Handheld.

Oh.. and then there’s Nokia Mail – it’s supposed to be some form of BlackBerry BIS alternative. I’ve got the latest and greatest from Nokia – the E71 yet the mail application runs like shit. It’s slow, it sometimes doesn’t work (usually due to an outage on the Nokia network) and it’s basically a glorified Nokia Intellisync client. Speaking of Intellisync, Nokia likely wants you to throw out your BES and install the Intellisync server to get ‘BlackBerry like’ functionality.

So, if EVERYBODY is able to throw out current infrastructure, perhaps Nokia will be able to ‘make email a mass-market proposition for everybody’. While you’re at it, murder your family too since the prescribed Nokia solution will replace them. It’s the Nokia way. Yay Nokia.

Recently, I decided to bite the bullet and purchase the North American E71-2 which can take advantage of high-speed 3G internet here in Canada. I was impressed but I also noticed some interesting differences between the first phone I got and the second one. Apparently, the E71-2 I received has an additional feature – quickdial. On the standby screen, you can start typing your intended victim’s name and voila – the E71-2 will try to discern who you’re trying to reach and wil pop up a list of potential callees. No such luck with the E71-1. This, of course, is pre-firmware upgrade. I’ll report once I actually get to that.

For reference, my E71-1 bears a product ID of RM-346. The E71-2 bears a product ID of RM-357. Other than that, they’re both firmware 100.07.76 dated 08-06-2008.

BTW – I also discovered a new shortcut for the phone. If you want to toggle between predictive text and standard entry, hit ALT then press CTRL then hit SPACE. If you’re looking for other shortcuts, check out the E71fanatics page on the topic, HERE.

In sequence, the last three phones I’ve used are the Nokia N95 8GB, the Nokia E61i and the Nokia E61. I’m happy to be back with an E-Series phone. If I were to compare the N95 to the E71, I’d say I miss the 5 megapixel camera. The E71 comes with a 3.2 megapixel camera that I would classify more as a toy.

Features I missed with the N series are back as well – one touch voice dialing – hold down the voice key on the right hand side of the phone and speak the name of your intended victim. It seems that the voice recognition has improved as well. More after the jump.

Buttons – the bane of me

A couple of tidbits for the Nokia E61 and E61i user – the button which allows you to switch tasks on the E71 is now located as the second key on the left of the joystick. I’m so used to the E61i task switch on the key next to the joystick that I frequently push the wrong button and consequently wind up creating a calendar entry – pain in the butt to say the least. Some more ’self training’ will have to go on to unlearn that one.

The other button feature I miss is the ability to program the middle button or voice button as I like to call it on the side of the phone. With the E61i, by tapping this programmable button, you can call up the voice recorder. By holding it down, dial by voice. With the E71, you can’t program a tap – only dial by voice exists.

Transfer your Nokia Maps license to a new device

I am also really happy with Nokia Maps and the built in GPS in the E71. I transfered my CITIES folder from the ‘memory card’ portion of the N95 8GB to the memory card of my E71. I don’t know if this had any effect on my Nokia Maps license but I was able to transfer the remaining time on my license (about 2 years worth) to my new phone. Now, it’s possible that Nokia maps identifies the license by SIM card but by transferring the CITIES folder, I was able to re-use the cache and maps I had already downloaded to my N95.

N-Gage first access installed on the E71?

On the Internet, there’s a copy of the N-Gage first access program that can be used to ‘unethically’ install a preview version of N-Gage to devices like the N95 8GB. You can either extract the file or search for ‘9_n-gage.sisx‘ – this program seems to also install on the E71 although that’s about as far as I got. I didn’t actually test any games, but theoretically, N-Gage with that suite of demos which came out with first access might be possible on the E71. When I tried to upgrade N-Gage to the full version, I ran into an error – same with uninstalling it, so be forewarned – a full wipe of your device will be necessary if you want to get rid of N-Gage. For aspiring S60 hackers, I’d try to see if the release version works on a brand new device in the future. Who knows, I might go out and buy another E71 for my travel phone and will experiment then.

Power User Supremo

Mail is the most important issue for me – I’m really appreciative that Nokia added the ability to monitor two mailboxes on the active standby screen. Two mailboxes means that I can view my corporate account and the critical technical support mailbox quickly. Everything else is just to keep in the loop.

Mail setup:

• Mail for Exchange 2.5.5 – corporate email
• Roadsync 3.003 (399) – technical support mailbox
• IMAP – regional company account #1 (Vancouver)
• IMAP – regional company account #2 (Calgary)
• IMAP – personal email hosted by GMail

One of my gripes in this situation is that the E71 complains that I have too many accounts auto-retrieving messages when I try to set my third IMAP account to auto-retrieve.

It also seems like auto-retrieval at fixed intervals is still broken and intermittent at best so the only reliable way to get email to the E71 is to use push-based systems.

One thing that I miss from the N95, E61 and E61i is the visual feedback on the front screen. The mailbox with the lightning bolt through it would most likely mean that your mailbox is connected. With the E71, the only feedback you get is on the mail accounts screen or by opening Roadsync or Mail for Exchange to see if they’re connected. Roadsync is easy, just switch the task to it. MFE is a bit more painful since you have to launch the application.

On my E61i, I use BlackBerry Connect. Thus far, I have not tested it on the N71 but if I get enough time, who knows.

Bye Bye Mon Cowboy

Well.. or at goodbye least ‘Access Point Groups.’ In the E71, you no longer have the ability for your device to intelligently switch between several WiFi access points, for example – a great feature for the user looking to save some cash. Sadly, now you’re confined to a since access point. Really sad since Devicescape doesn’t allow you to use your 3G or GPRS connection and Birdstep’s Smartroaming went the way of the dodo bird.

VOIP with someone, or if you’ve got cash to burn and like poor customer service, go Vonage

The SIP or Internet phone works great on the E71 as well – as good as it worked on the N95 or E61i and better than on the E61. You can read more about how I connected my E61 to Vonage back in 2006, HERE. Since then, I’ve switched providers but no comment thus far other to say that it’s functional.

The iPod Killer, RSS reader and more

With Nokia’s built in Podcasting client, you can subscribe to podcasts fill the memory card (mine’s 2GB but you can get 8GB and hopefully 16GB soon) without the need for your computer. So long as the program is open, you can use it to find podcasts, manage your subscriptions and download as required. The built in music player is as slick as the music player in the N95. It would be nice for Podcasting to open up on its own when the phone starts, though – makes sense for people on the go.

As for the built in RSS reader which is a subset of the web browser, you can tell it to auto-refresh feeds for you as well – no improvement here – seems to refresh intermittently at best.

The Grand Finale

Overall, the E71 is jam-packed with features. It’s sexy, small, rugged and has more functionality than you can shake a stick at. Some of which needs to be refined for the power user but outside of that, I’d say for the corporate mover and shaker, it’s a really good match.

For the anyone considering a serious telephone, the iPhone whether it’s the original or the iPhone 3G is simply nonsense. Have you ever tried to type on that thing? IMAP is slow on the iPhone and despite having an ‘Exchange’ tab in the original iPhone, there is no support for Calendar, Tasks and Contacts. The 3G model may have these features in but given the dog-like performance of its predecessor, why would anyone subject themself to this?

Final note for the uber geek – the E71 has built in support for SSL certificates from Stargate aka GoDaddy and Facebook, etc. which means you won’t need to deploy CA certs to the phone to access some encrypted sites.

Kudos to Nokia, 9/10 -

A couple weeks ago, I took the opportunity to sit down for dinner at Lumiere with my wife, Mona, friend, Robert Delamar, and his wife, Midori. This was the second time in a month that I had a chance to enjoy the food at the famed restaurant and as usual I was impressed with all aspects of the dinner – from the company to the service and understandably, the food.

My friend Bob, talks about Lumiere’s history and our friend, David Sidoo on his blog, at Urbmob, HERE, in a posting titled ‘A True Baller.’ If you haven’t been to Lumiere yet, take the opportunity to at least enjoy the tasting bites before they close – the press release is at the end of this post.

Bob labels David Sidoo as a baller but one of the reasons we likely enjoy each others’ company is simple – Bob travels alot to LA, NYC and Japan on business. Having lived in Japan for a couple years, we definitely have a connection. Running a record label is definitely great for the jetset lifestyle.

Back to getting paid, Bob’s company is Urbmob – think Urban and Mobile. The company is a social network which allows artists, models and fans to share in revenues from the sale of ringtones, wallpapers and more with Urbmob’s trademarked Talent Rank service. Upload music and photos – they get transformed into ringtones and wallpapers for download. Pretty simple really, check out the blurb, below:

So you’re an aspiring artist, model or a fan hell bent on promoting your own stuff and you want to know how to monetize your insane talent. You also want your audience to recognize your talent and put you on TV, Radio, get into Magazines, and do your own events… Well you came to the right place. Welcome to Urbmob.

For artists, they post their stuff up, much like a MySpace profile and can sell their wares. Brilliant, unique and definitely defensible intellectual property. Check out the quick video blurb on their corporate site, HERE.

—

You can also check out the press release from Lumière with details on hours of service and special cocktails, after the jump.

For Immediate Release
April 1, 2008

Lumière Nights, Tasting Bar Bites

Vancouver, BC – Lumière’s Tasting Bar is just the place for a little nosh with lots of posh. From now until May, sample a three-course tasting menu for just $40 per person (exclusive of taxes and gratuities). Chef de Cuisine, Dale MacKay is behind the stoves to lead and inspire the talented brigade.

A delectable trio of dishes including a starter, main and dessert are offered to foodies in the know and hipsters, who sip, savour and go. Choose from a global card of dishes that feature Ahi Tuna Tartare with Black Truffle and Asian Vinaigrette, Fresh Herb and King Oyster Mushroom Risotto and Mango Citrus Pavlova with Spring Fruit Salad. If cocktails are your pleasure, sip away at the glam bar and envibe with such elixirs as the Bourbon Stiletto, Le Nouveau Martini Francais or the Passageway to Bermuda.

Lumière reservations can be made by calling 604.739.8185. Both the dining room and Tasting Bar are open Tuesday through Saturday from 5:30 pm.

Lumière is an eclectic blend of European sophistication and modern French cuisine that speaks a languare all its own. Lumière has captured the attention and tastes of food lovers from all over the world and is the first freestanding restaurant in Canada to earn the coveted Grand Chef Relais & Châteaux designation. Now entering its second decade, Lumière will continue to set the standard for exceptional culinary experiences. www.lumiere.ca

-30-

Tasting Bar Menu

STARTERS

Ahi Tuna Tartare
black truffle and Asian vinaigrette

or

Seasonal Greens
pickled beets, candied walnuts, honey Chardonnay vinaigrette and parmesan

or

Beef Carpaccio
oven-dried tomatoes and shaved reggiano

MAINS

Fresh Herb and King Oyster Mushroom Risotto

or

Barbequed Peking Duck Broth
pork and duck wontons and Thai basil

or

Sake and Maple Syrup Baked Sablefish
braised shortrib and a soy-ginger froth

DESSERTS

Chocolate Fondant, Banana Sabayon, Peanut Emulsion, Malted Milk Ice Cream

or

Mango Citrus Pavlova with Spring Fruit Salad

or

Meyer Lemon Namelaka, Almond and Olive Oil Genoa, Toasted Marshmallow, Honey Lavender Ice Cream

$40 per person

Cocktail Menu

The Bourbon Stiletto
Bourbon, Amaretto, muddled fresh lemon, with a dash of orange bitters, garnished with cerises griottes
with Wild Turkey $10
with Makers Mark $15
with Pappy Van Winkle 20 yr $30

The Lemon-Basil Fauxito
Stolichnaya Vodka muddled with fresh basil, lemon and sugar, topped with soda
$10

A Cocktail Named Desire
Brandy, shaken with Kirsch, Maraschino liqueur and orange bitters, shaken and served neat
with St. Remy Napolean Brandy $10
with Alvear Brandy $15
with Hennessey Davidoff Cognac $40

Passageway to Bermuda
Gosling’s Dark Rum, fresh lime and orange, Orgeat Syrup, finished with Stewart’s Ginger Beer and Soda
$12

Margarita Superiore
Tequila, Grand Marnier Cuvee Louis Alexandre, blue agave syrup, lime and orange juice, shaken with egg white
with El Jimador $12
with Patron Reposado $30
with 4 Copas Anejo $39

Apple Cilantro Sipper
Cilantro muddled with Giffard Manzana Liqueur, Plymouth Gin and fresh lime of lime
$10

The Ginger Rogers
Freshly grated ginger root, muddled with lime, fresh mint leaves and Plymouth Gin garnished with a sweet surprise!
$10

Le Nouveau Martini Francais
An old classic with a new twist. Vodka and Chambord, shaken with fresh pineapple juice, topped with Cordoniu Cava Rosé
with Stolichnaya $12
with 42 Below $15
with Chopin $18

Te Puke Rendezvous
Plymouth Gin and Giffard Manzana Liqueur with muddled kiwi fruit, shaken with lime juice and aromatized with elderflower syrup
$12

Americano Royale
Campari and Cinzano Rosso topped with Monmousseau sparkling wine and an orange twist
$13

Ritz Royale
Brandy, Maraschino Liqueur and Cointreau, topped with lemon juice and Monmousseau sparkling wine
$15

2007: A Sake Odyssey
Granville Island Unfiltered Sake, muddled with fresh basil, lemon juice and simple syrup, topped with Monmousseau sparkling wine
$15

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You can click on the image to view the PDF of the ADs.

55%
That’s how much more Canadians pay for wireless
than comparable American consumers.
In our view, that’s because a lack of competition in our protected market
allows the Big Three mobile phone companies to keep prices above the average prices elsewhere.
Wireless competition would give consumers a break.
Isn’t it time the government made that happen?

Are we
falling behind?
Want to download movies and music to your wireless device?
Watch live TV on it?
Pay for the subway with it?
Get concert and movies tickets on it?
Well… for full access to these services, you could move to Europe. Or the U.S… or Asia.
In our view, that’s because a lack of competition in our protected market results
in fewer new technologies being offered to consumers.
So, consumers in many other countries have advanced mobile phone services
virtually unknown in Canada.
Wireless competition would give consumers a break
Isn’t it time the government made that happen?

 CANADA!
We’re number… 29?
Canadians used to be number 1 in wireless use.
Now we’re 29th out of 30 OECD nations.
Why?
In our view, that’s because a lack of competition in our protected
market allows the Big Three mobile phone companies
to keep prices above other nations’ averages.
So now they’re number 1 in the world. In profits.
Wireless competition would give consumers a break.
Isn’t it time the government made that happen?

So what’s the meaning of all of this? Quebecor wants in on the lucrative wireless business. Maybe for a while, they might even be able to open up competition, right?

Doubtful.

Here’s a press release from the 17th of April in French, and English (translated via Google). On May 10th, Quebecor’s President Karl Peladeau announced Quebecor’s intent in a press conference – more HERE. CBC covered it HERE. Someone re-posted to StockHouse’s Bullboards, HERE.

In June, this is what the National Post reported on… something from the Canadian Telecom Summit. Frankly spoken, I would suspect such a summit to be about 10 – 12 people max, no?

Wireless players battling it out, Rogers chief says
CANADIAN TELECOM SUMMIT; Keynote speaker disputes competitors’ oligopoly charge
Peter Nowak, Financial Post
Published: Tuesday, June 12, 2007

The fireworks began early at the Canadian Telecom Summit yesterday, with Rogers Communications Inc. firing the first salvo in what was expected to be a three-day war of words over wireless.

Chief operating officer Nadir Mohamed took the offensive in his opening keynote address and rejected charges by rivals that the three national cellphone providers, Rogers, Bell Canada Inc. and Telus Corp., were operating an oligopoly that was stifling innovation and uptake with high prices.

“We battle it out to win share,” he said. “It is absurd to me that there’s a notion we’re all equal and we’re all sharing this pie.”
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Mr. Mohamed pointed to Rogers’ recent gains in share of the postpaid wireless market as proof of competition between the big three. Since Rogers bought rival Microcell in 2004, the company has seen its share rise to 45% from 20% while Bell has seen a corresponding loss, from 43% to 23%.

“That’s not an oligopoly,” he said.

Competitors such as MTS Allstream Inc., Quebecor Inc. and Shaw Communications Inc. want a piece of Canada’s $13-billion wireless market and are urging the government to prevent the big three from bidding on new airwaves in an auction next year. Encouraging new entrants in this way will spur competition and lower prices, they say.

Mr. Mohamed said Quebecor and Shaw had their chance to enter the national market years ago through buying Microcell, a company they were both investors in along with Rogers. Both companies pulled out, however, leaving Rogers to buy it for $1.4-billion.

“Guess who stayed in there?” he said. “Come on in and make investments like we did.”

Chris Peirce, chief regulatory officer for MTS, said it was unfair of Mr. Mohamed to judge any firm’s past business decisions by current conditions.

“I don’t think the marketplace has ever been viewed as a won-and-done environment,” he said. “The market keeps fluctuating.”

The real showdown over wireless is expected tomorrow, with heads of MTS, Quebecor’s Videotron cable unit and Bell giving speeches, followed by panel discussions on regulation and wireless competition. Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission chairman Konrad von Finckenstein, Competition Bureau commissioner Sheridan Scott and Minister of Industry Maxime Bernier are also speaking.

Today’s sessions will focus on the differences between consumer and business markets, anchored by a keynote address by Research In Motion Ltd. co-chief executive Jim Balsillie.

Wireless wasn’t the only market under attack yesterday with Ontario Progressive Conservative party leader John Tory, the former head of Rogers’ cable television unit, criticizing Canada’s deteriorating broadband performance.

Canada has fallen out of the top five to ninth among the 30 countries in the Organization for Economic Co-operation in uptake, so the government needs to do more to encourage broadband spread and adoption to rural areas and strengthen that early lead.

“Our failure to modernize and stay relevant on the regulatory side combined with our predisposition as Canadians to be too easily satisfied is causing us to squander our world leadership in communications at just the time we should be exploiting it,” he said. “Broadband is a basic table stake now – if a community doesn’t have it, it won’t be able to effectively compete for jobs.”

Andrea Messineo, vice-president of Canada, Caribbean and Latin America for AT&T Inc., said Canada is behind the curve in adopting so-called converged communications, or a merging of landline, wireless, video and computing services. Converged services, such as simple unified voice mail between landline and mobiles, allow businesses to cut costs and boost productivity, another measure in which Canada is lagging.

Brad Fisher, Bell’s vice-president of consumer Internet services, said Canada was behind because telecommunications providers were still working out the business models for converged services. Free local calling, for example, has created a unique market dynamic not found in regions with more advanced converged services, such as Europe and Asia.

“We’re looking and we’re learning,” he said.

pnowak@nationalpost.com

You can read this article on the FP website, HERE.

Thankfully the Moto Q in question was on Telus and they haven’t taken the time out to cripple the phones like Verizon and Sprint have. I seriously pity the owners of phones from those carriers.

Without going into a rant, here’s the quick and dirty which is probably more applicable than Microsoft’s KB article 841060 titled “How to add root certificates to Windows Mobile 2003 Smartphone and to Windows Mobile 2002 Smartphone.”

So you’ll need ActiveSync installed on a computer as well as a cable to connect the phone (or Moto Q) to that particular computer. After that, cancel any ActiveSync settings… you won’t need them,

1. Explore the phone, see if there is a folder called ‘STORAGE’ at the root of the phone. If not, create it.
2. Grab the CA Cert (I’ve included Starfield’ CA Certificate (in a zip file) since that’s the CA we use to issue certs), HERE.
3. Drop the (unzipped) file in the ‘STORAGE’ directory
4. Download SmartPhoneAddCert.exe from Microsoft HERE or from HERE.
5. Unzip or extract the SPAddCert.exe program from the archive (or self-extracting archive if you got it from Microsoft) and drop it into the ‘STORAGE’ directory you may have created earlier
6. Open up file manager on the handheld and launch SPAddCert
7. Choose the CA Cert that you initially intended to install and reboot the device after installation

Voila! You can now resume doing whatever you needed to do in the first place.

PS – no need to install intermediate certificates – just root certificates for the Moto Q.