I recently got my hands on a copy of Maps Booster from Skyhook Wireless and I must say that I ws impressed. Instead of using satellite signals like GPS, Maps Booster uses local Wi-Fi signals to determine your location. Maps Booster searches for Wi-Fi hotspots and compares signals to the Skyhook Wireless Wi-Fi database to triangulate your position.

Once installed you will see a new application icon for Maps Booster and if you go to "Location" / "Positioning" / "Positioning Methods" you will find a new item at the top of the list of Assisted GPS, Integrated GPS, Bluetooth GPS and Network Based positioning, namely Maps Booster providing Wi-Fi based positioning. The location manager/server then picks the best available positioning method based on some criteria defined by Nokia and switches between the positioning methods as conditions change. Worldwide there are about 150 million Wi-Fi access points mapped in the Skyhook Wireless positioning system and is receiving about 250 million new location requests per day.

The Maps Booster "application" enables the user to choose the network connection and verify that Wi-Fi positioning works. The app does not need to run for Maps Booster to be active, and you can go to "Location," "Positioning," "Positioning Methods" to enable/disable Maps Booster or GPS. Wi-Fi positioning is available in most built-up areas where GPS struggles, and in general, you get the best location available. If no app is requesting location then no power is consumed by the Wi-Fi positioning service.

Maps Booster does require a data connection, either via 3G/GPRS or a Wi-Fi access point. The reason is that the application scans Wi-Fi access points and their signal strengths, and then downloads a subset of the Skyhook Wireless' Wi-Fi access point location database to the device, so that no data has to be transmitted for subsequent location requests in the same general area. If you choose your carrier's data connection, then you do not have to be connected (or attached) to a local Wi-Fi network. As an aside, the time it takes to establish a data connection can be improved if you go to "packed data" in the Symbian settings and change the connection from "when requested" to "when available," and key in your access point.

The main thing I need location based information on my phone is Navigation, but you shouldn't forget geo-blogging, geo-tagging and other location-aware applications, like Gravity, OVI Lifecasting, Location Tagger, many of which you may want to use indoors.

Reading the initial blogs around the ether many have warned of possible battery issues based on the power drain you see from a constant WiFi connection or leaving WiFi searching on. The truth is that the power you use is related to the positioning method and the time it takes to acquire a fix. Wi-Fi positioning provides a very quick fix indoors, whereas, GPS keeps searching for GPS. GPS is relatively energy efficient when in "tracking mode", after aquiring a stable satellite fix, quite power intensive whilts trying to acquire a new fix.

If you are in an area that has poor GPS reception, the phone will keep trying to acquire a fix and consume power. In comparison, if you have an application that is looking for "a fix" indoors, or in "urban canyons," then Wi-Fi positioning is fantastic. If, in comparison, you have more sky visibility in more suburban areas with lower level buildings or in country side, then GPS is the best positioning method and it may be best to disable Wi-Fi positioning, as it isn't as useful in that scenario.

An interesting aside is that you can add Wi-Fi positioning to phones that don't have intgrated GPS, but do have built-in Wi-Fi built (e.g. the E51). This greatly improves the experience when compared to pure cell tower based positioning.

My conclusion on this app is that it is worth the small pricetag over at the OVI Store for indoor usage and positioning where GPS fix is not attainable.

Well after having used FExplorer for over a month now, I thought it was past time for me to write a review. To give a little background I have never been a lover of Lonely Cat Games' file manager app (X-plore), or the default Nokia file manager, for differing reasons, but prefer DR Jukka's Y-Browser and Alie Tan's Active File. With Active File taking the edge as aresult of it's user interface. Basically X-plore has the functional edge, but I dislike the UI, which to me is a little dated, with the font too small for large screen phones like the N97 and of course you've got to pay for it. When it comes to the default Nokia File Manager I like the UI, but it lacks way too much functionality. DR Jukka's offering has most of the functionality claimed by Lonely Cat Games' and a better UI, but is a little bulky, leaving Active File. For me this is the best of the file managers out there for S60, until SBSH Software joined the foray with FExplorer Pro.

Now FExplorer Pro is by no means perfect, but it's a step in the right direction, merging the standard functionality of a file manager with other a few additions missing from Nokia phones.

File Explorer

The file management is pretty standard, but the addition of an Image viewer is a nice touch speeding up image viewing. The Hidden folders support enables you to get to files and folders, hidden in the default Nokia file manager, which heavier users need to get to keep their phones behaving. The File editor is another usefull addition, but this is for the real power users, of course.

Tools

Screenshot

The Screenshot utility is one of my favourite tools, having used a few screenshot apps I have found this to be the best. This tool is, of course, only of real use for those user either testing, blogging or needing screenshots for support reasons.



Backlight

Next comes the backlight, which is really just a switch to over-ride the the auto-off timer on the backlight for users to see by this light, using the phone as a dim torch.

Bluetooth

The Bluetooth switch simply switches the default blootooth interface on and off. For me I do not see the value of this other than it's localisation into one place. I have the default Bluetooth Application as one of my homescreen shortcuts though.

Restart

Restart your phone with a single button click. No more turn-off, turn-on and re-enter passwords.

Compress Memory

Reclaim some of the very limited RAM which can be lost during prolonged phone operation and application crashes.

Developer/Advanced Tools

• Installed applications generates a list of all installed apps on the device, including their path and application UID and saves it as INSTAPP.txt on the C: drive
• Dump file list geneartes a text file listing all files and folders within the phone.

Info

Info contains five categories,

• Phone providing you system information about your phone, such as firmware version, IMEI number and more
• Network providing advanced network details. This brings details such as network area ID, connected cell ID, network information and more
• Media providing you with technical details and system information about the memory card currently used, when available.
• System providing advanced phone information including Operating System, CPU, Memory, MAC Address and running time.
• Fonts providing information on the current fonts being used on the device

This info is all very nice, but mainly aimed at advanced users and developers again.

Although FExplorer Pro is a very capable app for me when I limit my comparison to the UI I still prefer Active File but I have been advised by the developer that the UI is getting a look at and the larger appearance seen in Active File and the default Nokia file manager will be introduced to FExplorer Pro. I can't wait.

The Future

For me there are a few more things I'd love to see in future versions.

The first would be a real Task Manager, like that seen in Handy Taskman, Best Taskman and JBak Tasman (You need to use the selfsign BETA of this app), to replace the dissapointing default Task Manager. Another would be the introduction of a RAR extractor and one last thing I'd love someone to introduce is a Location Method Manager where the user can select which applications use which location methods.

Further to the video to Nokia, over at Tehkseven, we also put together a guide on how to de-brand your Nokia N97 and upgrade to V2.0 firmware.

While Nokia releasing v2.0 fimware is great news for some, many are still unable to upgrade their N97. Either you're in a country that the firmware isn't yet available for or you've got a branded handset.

In either case, all you have to do is trick Nokia Software updater in to thinking you have an unbranded N97 from a supported region. This is done by changing your N97's product code.

Over on the TehkSeven blog we've gone in to detail, simply follow our Nokia N97 De-branding Guide and you should be running an unbranded N97 with v2.0 firmware.