Maemo based Nokia N900 phone

So the Maemo-based Nokia N900 is finally announced. We are finally free to tell everyone the cool stuff we have been cooking all this time. My work on this device was mostly with UPnP/DLNA and MAFW, not counting my work from n800 that was re-used. GUPnP will soon be in your pocket, so those out there who doubt the greatness of this library, time to face the facts. :)

So now is the time to ask all the questions you have on our soon-in-the-shelves mobile phone. :)

Comments

Anonymous said…
Question 1: Why don't I have money for this? :(
August 27, 2009 at 6:22 AM
Izio said…
Man, I can't wait for this phone, it's just a step above! Sure would like the price tag to come down a little.
August 27, 2009 at 8:37 AM
markos said…
Does it have a digital compass (magnetometer)?

If not, can I get a hint when to expect a maemo device that does? :)
August 27, 2009 at 9:28 AM
Unknown said…
1)Dose it support Skype video?
2)Does it have an FM receiver?
3)Will existing meamo aps. like open ssh be supported?
August 27, 2009 at 2:15 PM
Anonymous said…
It would be nice if the website mentioned Maemo is a Debian derivative. It would also be nice if the device ran pure Debian instead of a derivative distro.
August 27, 2009 at 8:24 PM
zeenix said…
guys! I cant tell more than what is already told on the website i refered to in the blog entry, except perhaps to explain a bit more. :)
August 28, 2009 at 2:31 AM
Lucio said…
Hi,
does this device have a UPNP control point application like Media Streamer?
This is very important because the NXXX devices are used by many people to remotely control UPNP media renders.
August 28, 2009 at 4:20 AM
zeenix said…
Lucio! Yes, it's even DLNA-compliant (i-e should work with most MediaServers out there). There are even good chances that you'll be able to get a UPnP MediaServer with a few clicks on the device, but no guarantees/promises on that one. :)
August 28, 2009 at 4:28 AM
Lucio said…
Yes, but is also possible to control a UPNP media render?
What I mean is streaming audio from an external media server (ie MediaTomb) to an external media render (ie Rhythmbox) using the N900 as control point.
The N900 would act only as UPNP control point in the same way N810 does using the Media Streamer application.
August 28, 2009 at 8:53 AM
Alex said…
Wheres the 3G for U.S. ATT, what tha ....
August 28, 2009 at 1:50 PM
zeenix said…
Lucio, Yes and no! If you are asking if this will work out of the box when you buy N900, no! OTOH MAFW (Media Application Framework) has this concept of renderer plugins and there is a half-baked upnp-renderer in their repository that most probably just works. I am sure someone will soon make a debian package out of it and put it on maemo extras for you to download and install with one click.

Having said that, two things to keep in mind:

1. Do a consumer really need this feature? I see a lot of (some even very nice) implementations of DMS and DMP out there but no DMR. Most DMR out there I've seen are pure crap.

2. Even if you get the mafw-upnp-renderer plugin working on the device, I dobut if Media Player is capable of working as just a control point. You'll also need mafw-test-gui then.
August 28, 2009 at 3:58 PM
daveb70 said…
Zeenix- I, like Lucio, am keen on using the N900 as a control point. I wanted and waited for this on the N800 to no avail. It was as if the Mediastreamer app and its fanfare was abandoned.

I picture sitting in front of the TV using the N900 to call up pics & video content which sits on my PC in the other room. A glorified remote of sorts. Another scenario being I want to be able to control audio/music playback being sent to my DMP which is then piped into my whole-house audio solution.

Thanks for all of your work on the new UPNP framework. I'm sure what isn't instantly available will be honed and expanded by someone if not yourself.
August 28, 2009 at 7:03 PM
zeenix said…
daveb70! the first scenerio you mentioned is the most typical one and will be setisfied by N900 very effectively. You must realize that the second scenerio you mentioned is not a very common one at all so you might understand why it wont be setisfied. Also I hope you do realize that I am not the one deciding product features here. :)
August 29, 2009 at 3:20 AM
Anonymous said…
With an N95-8GB + upnp NAS (TwonkyMedia) and a Streaming Device (Noxon) the remotecontrol works perfect!
August 29, 2009 at 5:11 AM
Luci0m said…
I think that in UPNP/DLNA world the control point devices are the most needed.
There is not much on the market and this device could be really suitable for this kind of usage, in the same way the N810 is.
The Linn high quality audio devices company use N810 and Media Streamer to stream audio to their high end UPNP media renders in their demos.
It would be a mess if this device will loss this ability.
August 29, 2009 at 3:35 PM
spaetz said…
I also use my n800 as an upnp control point for a remote media renderer (ip radio plugged into my hifi). I am surprised that there is hardly anything besides mediaastreamer and that cidero java app that can be used as control. i would also be surprised if this were a very uncommon scenario
August 30, 2009 at 3:06 PM
Jorge | Maemo Mobile Talk said…
Hello and how are you, my name is Jorge and I'm the webmaster of Maemo Mobile Talk.com, Nokia Mobile Talk.com, and Nokia-Tips.com and I would love to interview you via email or skype, whatever you want and post our interview on Maemo Mobile Talk. :)

Hope to hear from you,

Jorge aka Mobile Jorge
August 31, 2009 at 4:04 PM
zeenix said…
> Hello and how are you, my
> name is Jorge and I'm the
> webmaster of Maemo Mobile
> Talk.com, Nokia Mobile
> Talk.com, and Nokia-
> Tips.com and I would love
> to interview you via email
> or skype, whatever you
> want and post our
> interview on Maemo Mobile
> Talk. :)

Sure thing! Drop me a mail please.
August 31, 2009 at 4:27 PM
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