Front camera - wondering...
 

...why did I pay money for this peace of hardware? Jobs did even get rid of the 3 USB port with his new MBP's. So I'm wondering what may be the idea of Nokia in releasing a new mobile with hardware not bing supported!? Don't get it.

Re: Front camera - wondering...
 

Try Google Talk. It is working.

Re: Front camera - wondering...
 

...wow - ok; I'll give it a try.
Edit: do you think this was the usecase the N900 PM had in mind?

Re: Front camera - wondering...
 

with the tablets, nokia has always thrown a lot of hardware in there and let devs hack in it by leaving it (somewhat) open.

Just like n810 took hacks for USBotg host mode, etc. N900 has infrared, fm transmitter, front camera, etc that most other phones on market do not have. Also like FM radio is there but someone had to write software for it.

unfortunately the front video camera integratnig with gstreamer and codecs has been kind of beyond much community effort because it borders on closed and/or undocumented parts.

It kind of works now, but is supposedly better soon

Re: Front camera - wondering...
 

Skype video calling will also work in the next firmware update (PR 1.2)

Re: Front camera - wondering...
 

...no, no, no - you didn't get; it's there - in my hands since 12/09 - with hardware I don't know why it's there.

Re: Front camera - wondering...
 

There is allready fm-radio software

Re: Front camera - wondering...
 

past tense

Re: Front camera - wondering...
 

Sorry, I'm not that great in english :)

Re: Front camera - wondering...
 

...but this fact didn't come as a surprise to PM I hope - I mean it's his dam job. He get's money for it - money they did ask me to pay - for a peace of hardware I can't realy use.

Re: Front camera - wondering...
 

I guess we as end users are entitled to have the general expectation that Nokia would make the best of a modernizing gadget like your phone, and that that includes having a vision about certain (future) needs of the end user.
You make it somewhat sound if you have been misled to paying for a front camera, but I have to ask then "but has that front camera been so much propagated/sold then?"
My vote goes not so much for Nokia making a front cam application as for an optimized hindcam app and for them to boost up audio functions (notably the possibility to record from external stereo mic) so I hope t h o s e interiors will be put in some spotlight. Anyway all is for Nokia to present to an important group of users, isn't it?

But hey who knows what surprises we may still expect, I'm convinced Nokia knows the N900 audience. Best would be that Nokia did its best not to block free developing.

Re: Front camera - wondering...
 

All of the tablets have had hardware easter eggs and extras from FM radio to IR ports to USB host modes etc.

The problem with most users here is that they don't realize the heritage of the Tablet devices. The N900 was probably designed by a team of engineers that included some who cut their teeth on the N810 and N800. The UI and maemo definitely was not from 'phone' developers either. Be happy that your N900 has a front facing camera that will have some use soon rather than complain about what it doesn't do now.

Re: Front camera - wondering...
 

With the amount of money i and other users have shelled , non of the excuses are justified.

Re: Front camera - wondering...
 

If you are looking for applications for the front camera, see my signature. ;)

Re: Front camera - wondering...
 

I paid the same amount of money that you did for my device (and full price for N810 and N800). There are no excuses here...would you rather have no front camera at all or a front camera that does Gtalk and Skype after a firmware update? Simple yes/no answer please. Would you rather have no IR port at all or awesome apps like QTirreco and raemote? Would you rather have no FM radio at all than applications like FMradio? I don't get your point?

You paid 'lots' of money and these hardware features are simply things that can enhance your use of the device. I simply don't get the angst on this forum sometimes...*apologies to all but here it comes* if you want another phone get an iPhone, oh right in order to get a front facing camera you will have to buy a 4G iphone not update a 3GS which shipped without one.

Every modern smartphone increases functionality with software updates, Android/iPhone/ Symbian all of them. We are lucky we have the most open device on the market by far and it happens to ship with awesome customizable hardware.

Re: Front camera - wondering...
 

I want it to recognise face gestures and tell what im thinking, so then i can think the damm number in...
Who wants to be part of my team of trained monkeys to make this, we can then stick a finger up to steve jobs.
Multi touch ? meh
Try no touch, hey ma NO HANDS

Re: Front camera - wondering...
 

Hello,

Not everyone has the same needs. The front cam was there in case a dev had an idea that required it . And look what jfk has managed to accomplish with it. I do wish the quality of the camera output was better, as it is, it looks like the cheapest camera in the world. So i guess you may have saved a few cents if Nokia didn't include it.

Re: Front camera - wondering...
 

Is it possible, that my german e-Mail (slightly.nerd) gave you a little inspiration for your second project - the 3d-johnny-lee-n900? :P

I sent the same idea a month ago or something like this :D


nearlyNERD

Re: Front camera - wondering...
 

Google Talk video chat doesn't work yet in the latest released firmware. how're you getting this to work?

Re: Front camera - wondering...
 

hey, hey, calm down people ! Think about , Whoever bought this phone have themselves and Nokia something in common . Nokia said "let give them something we think you will need in about 3 years and updare software". I Think i was sold to that and have always like Nokia . I speak for myslef I don't like the normal crap everyone else has. i have to have my fix of technology and nokia keeps on giving . Don't forget why you got the phone . For the ideas and tech . So enjoy and lets keep on hacking . cuz i dont like to pay for for anything . This phone has saved me so much money . it already paid for itself. Stop nagging. End sell the phone impatience basters and wait till the smart fellows in this fourm makes it happen. I say screw N900 . Haters !!

Re: Front camera - wondering...
 

so how am I getting video calls from my wife at work?

This has been said a thousand times before on this forum, but for clarity, video calling works through Gmail for incoming calls only.

Get someone to call you through Gmail and when you answer, you get the option to turn on the camera.

Re: Front camera - wondering...
 

Though you may want to note that with PR 1.2 you can start video calls from the N900 (basically they added a button for it)

Re: Front camera - wondering...
 

I wouldn't know as it's not officially out yet... :/ :D

Re: Front camera - wondering...
 

Probably everybody waiting for Mr. Almighty to come up with another "greatest idea" thats never seen before which is "video calling" :rolleyes:http://www.businessweek.com/magazine...7033176309.htm I wonder how long people will keep worshiping thing calling " I am an iphone "
I guess even Nokia waiting for that http://www.businessweek.com/magazine...7034180226.htm
Two article from Business Week magazine. One dedicated to big and promising Apple and another not that promising Nokia.

Re: Front camera - wondering...
 

i would like you to quote every single one of those "thousands of mentions" please.

Re: Front camera - wondering...
 

There are two issues w the N900 that I feel are so very descriptive of why Nokia is going down the drain (just check the share price). One is this; releasing a dual camera phone with Skype pre-installed, this could have been a **wow** thing. But.... half a year after the release... video conferencing still doesn't work as the front camera still doesn't function. My Asus eee worked right out of the box at half the price of the N900 two years ago.

The other thing? Well, try to open your typical email attachments... On the Nokia Flagship Device and without buying/installing extra software.

Whatever, the N900 is still pretty cool and I really like it.. Wish somebody else would make one.

Re: Front camera - wondering...
 

you are aware that the n900 is not and has in fact never been nokia's flagship device?

Re: Front camera - wondering...
 

you may very well argue that the N900 isn't a flagship device (and i would tend to agree with you) but the point still remains.

in fact, the Nokia flagship device, Nokia N97 (and you cannot deny that handset is a flagship device) still has a rather crap email client. On the Symbian platform, we're just grateful for ProfiMail - without which, we'd be stuck with Nokias extremely antiquated email solution.

again, the point still remains - Nokia make rather lacklustre and feature-less email clients.

Re: Front camera - wondering...
 

you have pretty weird criteria what you are paying for.....

Re: Front camera - wondering...
 

this "check share price, it confirms my argument" tells more than you could ever imagine about ones knowledge about things.

Re: Front camera - wondering...
 

I didn't try to say that it confirms my argument, but stated the fact that Nokia as a company is sinking fast (which the share price proves) and posted what I feel describes some of the reasons for that pretty well what comes to the one model discussed here. A subtle difference perhaps, but thats really besides the point of this thread. A response with a pure fanboy attitude flaming others knowledge without any arguments is just childish.

Hobbyists might be happy to play with features that are not working out of the box, but such features do not generate much sales of the product = money for the company. Not for profit, not for development of the next models. The front camera is (so far) a missed marketing opportunity. Maybe 1.2 fixes it, but the opportunity to create the splash with a new product is gone.

And still I wonder why this was ignored, Skype Video calls from Linux is nothing new.

Re: Front camera - wondering...
 

you are still doing it so wrong that I can't believe my eyes...

Re: Front camera - wondering...
 

hmmm, i have to agree. sure, i can wait for these things (as i have done for a lot of my years as a linux user) but the average customer gets frustrated and annoyed. the thing that really grabbed my attention (apart from it being a proper linux phone) was the idea that i could make skype video calls from a phone. i think the masses would have responded even better to that idea than me and i just know when 1.2 *finally* is released and i show people in the pub that feature, they will be wowed.

it could have been a must-have feature from the start and maybe even raised the bar as to what people expect from their phones...

Re: Front camera - wondering...
 

Google Talk video chat has been working since day one - I've posted on it several times. Initiating the video section of the call is the issue. I've had a number of video call talks with other members of this forum even over a 3.5G cell connection. It works fine to the N810 and N800 too.

Re: Front camera - wondering...
 

Look at my posts - done it several times myself and there is at least one thread on it - search box is up on the top right.

Re: Front camera - wondering...
 

N900 is NOT a flagship device - that would be the N97. N900 is merely a damm expensive device.

Re: Front camera - wondering...
 

Oh, so its not a flagship device, just one of the most expensive devices Nokia makes. Agreed.

...But its still absurd that you can't (out of the box)open the most common email attachments with it, you can do that with a many Nokia models that aren't flagship devices either.

Even more so when there has been a freeware app in extras- do not touch- devel (or wherever it was) developed by Nokia since many months.

Customer understanding aka marketing skills seems to be a real problem at Nokia.

Re: Front camera - wondering...
 

i got my phone as an upgrade with t mobile i paid £140 so not to bothered when i see another phone i want i will sell it, had it 3 weeks got to give it a chance,