Nokia N70 and Madam Auring, Updated

My collection of T3 magazine dates back to 2002, their first year of publication here in the Philippines, so I guess that qualifies me as a gadget geek. I know the ups and downs of almost all new products and have been the official “go-to guy” of my officemates and close friends before they splurge for an iPod or the latest Nokia phones which can no longer be called latest once you have the unit in hand.

I love gadgets but I don’t really go and buy every new one as I see a teaser commercial on TV. Instead, I optimize the use of my existing tech toys.

I have a Nokia N70 that I use primarily to take photos, video, take notebook, keep track of my expenses, mobile e-mail, surf the web, store and play Power Points, watch Youtube, send IM, and practically anything the latest models could do except for the talking GPS thing.

Perhaps most of us don’t know that Cellphones running on Symbian Platform, a popular operating system for mobile devices, can be installed with the latest compatible Symbian softwares that would enable your semi-outdated phone to join its younger counterparts. It’s pretty much like Madam Auring going to Pie Calayan for an overhaul so she can play pretend with her boyfriends.

Softwares are free and there are lots of them available just by Googling “Free Symbian Software” I suggest you go for Quick Office to manage your Word, Excel and Power Point Documents; Calcium is also a good replacement for its on-board calculato; DivX Mobile Player comes handy due to the limitations of Nokia’s Real Player; Tetris and Pacman should be on your lists too in case you are stuck in traffic; don’t forget to install Opera Mini so you can browse regular web with your phone.

You don’t need to buy a new one every time you a new model comes out. Most gadget manufacturers use geeky mambo-jumbos for features that already exists in older models to sell you the new one. That OGG compatibility is useless since MP3 is much more popular.

If you feel the need to get the latest stuff, consider trading it in for a new one. There are lots of stores that accept this option. You can also give it as gifts to friends, or you can send it too me. I’ll pay for the shipment, don’t worry.

How many out-dated gadgets are stuck in your storage boxes right now? What are you planning to do with it?

Tags: cellphone, divx mobile player, gadgets, madam auring, n70, overhaul, Philippines, quick office, software, symbian, update, upgrade