Hacker’s Delight

Make the open-source Nokia 770 Internet tablet do anything

By November 13, 2006

Imagine a gadget that fits in your back pocket and lets you surf the Web anywhere, write documents, make VoIP calls, watch movies, and listen to your entire music library. That´s not exactly what Nokia had in mind when it released the 770 ($360; nokia.com), a PDA-size Internet tablet with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. But because the device has an open-source operating system, anyone can build new programs for it, endowing it with nearly endless functions (we´ve nicknamed it the HackBerry). To get started, check out our favorite apps (see gallery), then find them and over 100 more at maemo.org.

And if you missed opening night at PopSci’s Second Life Future Lounge, you’ve still got a chance to pick up a free virtual Nokia 770-it’ll change your avatar’s life for the better (seriously). Come on over!

Make Free Calls

Why rack up cell minutes? Download VoIP software from Gizmo Project and call any number in the U.S. for a penny a minute, or make international calls for a few cents more.

Keep It Online All the Time

Free yourself from Wi-Fi by pairing the 770 with any Bluetooth cellphone, and use the phone’s data connection to surf. The fastest available is the LG CU500 ($150; cingular.com), the first phone in the U.S. to use HSDPA, which gives you 10 megabits per second-better than home broadband.

Find the Way

Connect a 770 to a Bluetooth GPS receiver, and use it as a portable navigation device with Maemo Mapper. Download maps ahead of time, or set it to grab them automatically.

Control Your Home PC

VNC Viewer lets you remotely link to any computer over the Internet and creates a virtual desktop on your 770. Open and copy files just as if you were at home.
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