Do you  have a Nokia Symbian^3 device and you want to get into Podcasting? Of all the things I use my N8 for, Podcasting is probably in the top 5. This guide should help get started with the basics.

1.Get the App

Podcatcher is the application to get when comes to podcasting and started out as the UIQ program called Escarpod.  The application can be downloaded for free at the Forums Nokia projects, but you can also support the developers and buy through OVI Store, this is also a handy to way to re-install the app after you wiped your device clean.

2.Adding podcasts

Before you can listen to your podcasts you must know how to add them in the app. There 3 way to add them:

1.Entering Feed Address: Click the add podcast button (at the bottom  in the middle) and choose “Enter Address”

2.Search for podcast/feed: Click the add podcast button (at the bottom in the middle) and choose: “Search for feed”

3. Import feeds in the form of an OPML file: Option>Import/export feeds>Import feeds

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If you’ve followed our guide on How to properly setup and configure Nokia Messaging on the N900, you might have come across this problem. If try to add a Yahoo email to your Nokia Messaging account at http://email.nokia.com it will tell you: “This email address must be added on the phone.”

You can easily add Google Mail, Windows Live Hotmail, Ovi Mail, and POP/IMAP email accounts at http://email.nokia.com, but not a Yahoo account. The reason is simple, as a Nokia rep explains: “Yahoo is somewhat special for Nokia Messaging in that you aren’t allowed to add Yahoo email addresses on the email.nokia.com website.  That’s basically due to legal reasons–per our Yahoo contract we need to disable Yahoo support in a few countries (the list is small and includes US embargoed countries like Cuba) and we can’t really tell what country you are in unless you do it from the phone.”

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Another great feature introduced with the PR1.2 update for the N900 is Facebook Chat. A lot of people seem to have a bit of trouble login into the service due to the username. The service asks for your username in the form of x@chat.facebook.com. The problems comes from the fact that many think your suppose to use the email that you used to sign up with Facebook.

To get this to work, you should login into Facebook on your desktop and  go to Account>Account Settings>Username. The username given here is the one to be used to log into Facebook Chat on the N900 and NOT your email.

Skype Video calling is perhaps one of the coolest features of the N900 and is currently the only smartphone that can do this. This feature was introduced with the PR1.2 update. Here’s how to do it.

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OVI Sync can be a life saver, but Nokia has yet to add support for the N900. While PC Suite does support the N900, it is sometimes a hit-or-miss situation. Luckily the N900 does come with built-in backup for your contacts.

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The best deals on TV WALL BRACKETS

If you’re like me, you’ve subscribed to several podcasts and probably you own several devices. Entering the Feed URL of several Podcasts on device is a time consuming process, now imagine doing the same thing for several devices. Here’s a handy trick to keep your Podcasts subscriptions up in the clouds, so they’ll be available from just about anywhere.

Step 1: The best way to do this, is by using Google Reader. If you don’t have an account yet, what are you waiting for, it’s free!

Step 2: Once in Google Reader make sure you have a Feed URL. In our example we’ll use the Buzz Out Loud feed: http://feeds2.feedburner.com/cnet/buzzoutloud?format=xml

Go to “Add Subscription” at the top left part of the screen and paste the Feed and when you’re down click “Add”

Step 3: Click on the Feed you’ve just added, in our example “Buzz out Loud” and go to “Feed Settings” Now choose “New Folder” and call it anything you like Podcasts.

Step 4: Using the procedure described above you can add as many Podcasts as you like. But the key is to have them all in one folder, in our example the “Podcasts” folder. To do this go to “Manage Feeds” at the lower left corner of the screen. Once there you can add each individual feed to the Folder you like, in our example again the Podcasts Folder.

Step 5: When you entered all the feeds you want and when you’ve added ALL of them to the same folder, go to Import/Export and go to “Export Your subscriptions.” This will create an OPML that you put on your device and open up with the Podcasting app.

Best of all is the fact that if you loose your device, your subscriptions will be safe online. This is also handy if you have multiple devices and you would like all of them to have the same subscribed to the same Podcasts.

The best deals on TV BRACKETS

I had previously talked about how the Nseries could be used to play your old Nintendo classics like Super Mario Bros. and Donkey Kong Country, right here. Now here are the steps to get things up and running and how to optimally run the games which in fact are emulated.

1) First things first. The software needed for this to work is called vSsun, a Super Nintendo Emulator for S60 devices. Yes I know it’s not free, but once you have it; there are literally thousands of games to be had. All those bulky cartridges are replaced with your Nseries device with only the phone’s internal storage being the limiting factor.

2) Search for Super Nintendo SMC ROM files, thousands of these can be found online.

3) Once the program is installed and you have your SMC ROM files, connect your Nseries to your PC or Notebook using the USB cable in “PC Suite mode.” Launch PC Suite and open the File Manager and go to: Phone Memory>Data>Others>Vsun. Here you should see the preinstalled “Color Demo.” Copy as many .SMC ROM files as you like to this location. Alternatively any wireless connection such as Bluetooth can be used.

4) Fire up the vSun app and you will now see a list of all the detected games, select the desired game and click to launch.

5) One launched, the game might look odd or it might even take only half of the screen. Press either the left or right soft key until a menu pops up. Go to Graph and set Size to “Full” and Output to “Bitmap”. If you want audio go to Sound and Switch to “Full” and adjust the volume as needed. Press to right softkey to exit and go to Exit. Restart the game and your good to go.

You can save or load your game by pressing the right softkey and going to “Game” and selecting one of the appropriate slots from 1-5 to where you can save or load your saved game. And lastly if the mobile gaming is just not doing it for you with the small screen, play those classics using the usual way on your TV where the Nseries device is your controller. Or how about a more 2008-ish approach with a Bluetooth keyboard?

It takes a bit to get the whole thing going, but once you do chances are you’ll agree that it’s well worth it. Ah, Mario and Donkey Kong are back!

A big part of the Nseries is imaging. The process of capturing and sharing these images can be done in its entirety without the use of a single PC. Interesting how we dedicate so much time to capturing these images and digitally sharing them with others through email, blogging or online picture sharing sites like Flickr, yet we forget an important part of the chain: Printing. Sometimes I have to wonder if hard copies are dying a slow death and even if these are environmentally responsible, but I guess that will be the topic for some other occasion, but in the mean time I have to admit that there’s something special in actually receiving a hard copy of that Pulitzer Prize winning photo for Feature Photography or a picture of the kids for granny. Just like books, there’s something special about actually having a real hard copy of an image: you can rip it to pieces, draw a moustache on your boss’s picture or just stick it on the wall! In the case you decide to print your next masterpiece or just want to share a copy with others I found out that for something as simple as printing the Nseries devices offer a great deal of possibilities without ever having to touch that evil PC or notebook.

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Until Nokia’s adds Flash Lite 3 to the S60 browser or if you have an N800 or N810 internet tablet, you’ll have to wait a little bit more to full enjoy Youtube. Sure, currently there are many methods that work like Nokia’s own built-in Video Centre or m.vtap.com in your mobile browser, but most of them require streaming of the media which might not be a good thing when you don’t have coverage like in an airplane or some remote corner of the world. The best solution that works best for me right now is one that doesn’t require data usage and which allows me to keep the video and access it anytime from the gallery. Here are the steps in getting your vids on your Nserie and the great thing is that it’s completely FREE! Just the way we prefer things here at The Nokia Guide.

Step 1: Go to Youtube and get the link of the video you want. Youtube doesn’t allow you to right-click and save their videos so you’ll need a special service for this.

Step 2: Go here to the eRightSoft’s KeepVid service that allows you to extract the Flash video. When you enter the link, make sure to choose Youtube on the right. As you can see this service is very handy and can work with many flash-based sites. Press “Download” and after a few seconds a menu will pop-up with a link to download the video. Give the file an appropriate name followed by .flv. For example: Nokia.flv At this point you can actually playback this Flash Video on your PC with various software programs on the PC, I recommend FLV Player. But we don’t want to stop here, as we want the video to be playable with your Nseries built-in Real Player. When the full version of Flash Lite 3 becomes available you can actually play these FLV files without converting them, but because Real Player can’t play FLV files,  so we’ll have to convert them to something suitable.

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Ever since Nokia introduced its podcasting app I’ve been a fan, listening literally every day. The Podcasting app, the S60 browser and the Music player are probably the apps I use the most. If you’re unfamiliar with the term here’s a quick update: “Podcasts are regular digital audio or video broadcasts that can be downloaded and played on mobile devices and personal computers. News agencies and other sources offer podcasts on a wide range of topics. Often podcasts are regularly updated in a series of new episodes, so users often subscribe to their favorite shows.” The video podcasts are sometimes called Vodcasts or Vidcasts. Browsing various Nokia blogs is one way of keeping up to date with the latest Nokia and S60 news, but why not stay up to date through podcasting? Reading is good, but sometimes It’s just relaxing to sit (or lie down in my case) and listen to or watch a good pod or vidcast. Here are a few Nokia and S60 based podcast that I recommend.

1)The Smartphones Show: The Smartphones Show is probably one of the best vidcasts when it comes Nokia or Symbian based devices. It’s hosted by Allaboutsymbian writer Steve Litchfield, so the usual Allaboutsymbian goodness can be found here, but it isn’t updated as regular like some daily shows. It should provide a quick update as to what has been happening in the mobile world. While the show is available on Youtube or as a video download file, you can add the RSS Feed to your Nokia podcasting app. The Smartphones Show feed.

2)Allaboutsymbian Vidcast and Podcast: The Allaboutsymbian vidcast and podcasts are basically the regular site content in audio and video form with the usual interviews, news, updates and commentary by the Allaboutsymbian guys. While it isn’t updated daily, there’s new content more frequent then the Smartphone show. Allaboutsymbian Vidcast feed and Allaboutsymbian Podcast feed.

3)Voice of S60: The Voice of S60 podcasts is the official S60 podcast. Hosted by Phil, this bi-monthly podcast is all about interviewing people from the S60 community, both in and outside of the S60 team.Voice of S60 MP3 Feed or Voice of S60 AAC+ Feed.

4)The Nokia Cast: Nokia Cast is a podcast by AME Info that takes a look at all the latest Nokia activities and products across the Middle East. Not the most in-depth podcast as it’s pretty short, but it sometimes has some interesting content with recordings done live from a few Nokia events. There are also the usual interviews, info and news. The Nokia Cast feed.

5)Symbian-Guru’s chatting with the Guru: Chatting with the Guru is hosted by Ricky a.k.a the Symbian Guru. In each Episode he talks to a member of the Nokia or S60 community. He also has a Vidcast that consists of random videos, video tests and Drving with the Guru. Chatting with the Guru feed or Guru Vidcast feed.

Mobile Diva Darla Mack is also expected to have her first podcast by the end of Novemeber.

And lastly, here’s a quick tip that might be usefull in adding the feeds to the podcasting app. Just copy the feeds and SMS them to your phone using any online SMS service. When you receive the message, just do as if you’re going to forward the message: this will allow you to edit and copy it. You can go into the podcasting app and “Add a new podcast” and paste the appropriate feed. And voila, instant podcasting! Do you know any good podcasts or vidcasts that covers S60 or Nokia content, let me know.