Nokia X and the Philippines

So it's been along time and I've done alot of thinking. The Refuge really hasn't taken off like I had hoped so I'm gonna just keep going more of self therapy then anything.

So last month my wife and I took our 4 year old son to the Philippines to meet his family. Great place I really love that country and it's people. I struggled for a couple weeks on what Nokia I would take with me. After a great deal of agonizing I opted for 2 Nokia Lumia 1020 1 black and 1 yellow (Go Team Yellow), A unlocked Nokia Lumia 925 (in case the 1020 didn't work there). Oh and I took my Grey Nokia N8.

As luck would have it the New Android Nokia X was going to be released in the Philippines while I was in country "WooHoo" bonus of all bonuses. So if you've never flown international Man its a long day you eat what you can, drink everything they offer on the plane and sleep if you can. After what seems like a week we  are there, Man I love that place.

 Anyway after a few days of family time we go to the SM mall in Cebu there is a whole section of the mall that's just electronics cell phone and tablets it's loud and and very busy WOW so much there. Gionee, Lenovo, Samsung, Cherry Mobile, Sony and YES Nokia. And provider stores Globe, Smart and O+ and then there are stores that sell a little of everything. Holy cow if I was just rich the damage I would do. I digress  

This is the only Nokia store I have ever been in let alone even seen Ashas and Lumias, Lumias and Ashas oh my!!!! They seem to have every thing. A young lady in a Nokia Mini skirt walks up (Man I love this country) and asks if I like Nokia "OO" pronounced Oh Oh that means yes I tell her, she says what one? I say all of them I tell her I'm looking for the X she says it not in Cebu yet which is fine it wasn't release day yet she took my Smart cell number said she would txt me when they get it WooHoo I got someone on the inside I think to myself on the way out my wife asks if they have any giveaway she goes in the back and brings out a blue and a grey wrist strap. Sweet this place Rocks.

My little sister in law got me the 2 pleather and the red one. I have the coolest sister in the world!!!! Speaking of my little sister she gave me this N70.

 So release day comes its the day Nokia X day I can hardly wait off the Nokia store we go. We turn the corner hmmm only one person in the store ok fine more for me. The young lady explains that it will be a few days before they get the phone in stock. Ok well I check out the Asha 503 start thinking I may get one of these also. So a few days later we go back to the mall and the Nokia still doesn't have Nokia X. So as not to let the whole trip be wasted I go to Junrex that is where my sister in law was working first time I ever went to the Philippines. So I am there and I say what the heck lets pull the trigger on the Nokia Asha 503. I've decided on yellow so while we are waiting the young lady that is attending to us asks " Do you like Android?" I say yes but really just looking for Nokia. She says "Yes Nokia" and points in the direction of a display case and in the bottom of the case is oh you guessed already.

Oh my Junrex you are my hero. They only have Black, White and Red I say ok Red so while she goes to get my Nokia X another brings the Asha and when they open the box it is also red in a yellow box I say no I wanted the yellow, OK and they are off again. The Nokia X girl brings me the box and Oh I am so excited it is Beautiful and............... Mine WOOHOO  I am one of the first people in the entire world to own a Nokia running android. So the other lady comes back with my yellow Asha and will you take my freakin money already MAN!!!!!!!! WHAT THE!!!!! 

So I pay and leave with goodies in tow we get back home and I pull the sim out of the 1020 and where does it go sim 1, sim 2 ahhhh Ok sim 1 replace the cover and power this ground breaking Nokia up for the first time. Loving it I know I know its way under powered and doesn't have much RAM screen isn't HiRez and the camera is lacking know what? Don't care. Its a Freakin Nokia with Freakin Android!!!!!!!!!! Hey Nokia give me a Nokia with Android with the Specs of oh lets just say the Galaxy S5 and the camera of the Lumia 1020 and they world would be yours! Promise!

So anyway I have something I need to get off my chest. While in the Philippines my Nokia Lumia 1020 failed me. I lost all faith in it. Don't know if it was hardware or software. Anyway first time it was at my sons birthday party with all his relatives and I didn't find out until later I was was trying to replay our sons indoctrination into the Catholic church and theres no sound are you kidding me I check other videos no sound Holy Freakin Cow that's two count them 2 once in a life time events NO SOUND I'm devastated I have no words heart broken. So looking for solututions to my problem I read 2 disheartening threads First reset the phone ok that sucks but it can be done pictures are saved to One Drive no worries so looking in One Drive not all my pictures have been uploaded WTF!!! Wouldn't be a problem if I had a computer to unload my pictures sadly I didn't bring one because my Lumia AUTOMATICALLY UPLOADS MY PICS TO ONE DRIVE so mad anyway Second thread says Nokia is aware of the microphone problem however AT&T is holding back the update with the fix for the microphone OH MY GOD. So anyway I have no faith in this 1020 now I was able to save all my pics and Videos minus sound when I got back to the US and resetting it did fix the microphone. Problem I have now is why did it fail is it going to fail again if it's not going to work 100% of the time whats the point of having it with me. Its a bad place to be. Don't know if I will ever use it again. 

Anyway I later found out that somehow I ended up with 2 Batteries for my Asha 503 score!!!

 Questions or comments please feel free to contact me. You can follow me on Twitter at @Nokia_Refuge or contact me at Nokia_Refuge@outlook.com.

 Again the purpose of this blog is to save as many neglected or forgotten Nokia as I can. So if you have any that are in a closet or a desk drawer somewhere collecting dust. If you hate it and want to get rid of it or you love it but have no use for it and want it to live on send it to me. I will make sure that its retirement is comfortable and safe on my 1/8 acre refuge. Again I may be able to chip in for shipping but unfortunately unable to buy them as my wife would FREAKING KILL ME.

And it doesn't need to be a phone if it says Nokia its welcome here.

Misfortune and Kirf

So this weekend I won a Nokia N95 8GB on eBay woohooo!!!!!!!!! My favorite Nokia I was so happy. The seller claims the screen does not work I think that is an easy $7 fix. At any rate I see he is only a few miles from the Refuge. Double bonus I can just go get it and save on shipping which makes this black beauty all mine for $15 what great fortune has befallen me. I txt him say I will be in the area do you want to meet somewhere? Side note Craigslist people and eBayers it is absolutly insane to invite people to your house. At any rate I find his house.

He is a fairly young guy he says he got it from Florida. he hands me the box I find it odd that there is no sticker on the side the one with the serial number and the IMEI. I open the box and its perfect no wear or terror. So on my merry way I go my wife wants to stop by the store so away we go. 

As my wife walks into the store I grab the box to ceress this beauty I realize hmmm this phone has an Micro sd card slot pretty sure the 8GB didn't have one of those. I start looking closer and I see the front facing camera is just a little bit off center. Under the battery no IMEI no made in and the verdict is fake fraud counterfeit. So now what to do return it, repair it or one twitter friend suggested and I quote "Take a Bat to it" 

 Its not my first fake Nokia I got this little one a few years ago. Its about half the size of a N95 real or other wise. Everything works slider goes both ways are controls has memory card slot for Micro SD and 2 sim card slots. I actually used this phone its not bad, its just a JAVA phone so nothing amazing but cool all the same.

Questions or comments please feel free to contact me. You can follow me on Twitter at @Nokia_Refuge or contact me at Nokia_Refuge@outlook.com.

 Again the purpose of this blog is to save as many neglected or forgotten Nokia as I can. So if you have any that are in a closet or a desk drawer somewhere collecting dust. If you hate it and want to get rid of it or you love it but have no use for it and want it to live on send it to me. I will make sure that its retirement is comfortable and safe on my 1/8 acre refuge. Again I may be able to chip in for shipping but unfortunately unable to buy them as my wife would FREAKING KILL ME.

And it doesn't need to be a phone if it says Nokia its welcome here.

The Nokia Shrine Project (Updated)

Update at Bottom

    Today out of boredom I decided I shall create a Nokia Shrine for the refuge. First it had to be big enough to house the populous of the current Refuge and provide extra room for any lost soldiers that my grace the humble abode that I have declared a Refuge. So with careful calculations and much thought about how much realestate I will need I said screw it and drew a picture. ehhh this should do it.  

  So off to one of the big box hardware store I go. I walk in with wide eyed amazement as 40,000 square feet of possibilities unfold before my purposeful eyes. The smell of paint and freshly sawn wood assaults me from every direction. I find the isle that I need and before me is a sea of every kind of would that a wood-be weekend carpenter could ever need.

I quickly find some beautiful exotic wood and as the dimensions and scope of the project start though my head I realize "Holy Crap this stuff is expensive" so cheaper wood then. I soon realize this wood sucks it warped full of knots or any variety of blemishes and scars. After a hour and a half I resign to the fact that this these pieces of wood are the best I am going to get on my limited budget and the stock on hand.

 As you can see in the pictures I have a less than stellar array of wood working tools. But I endevour on "I Shall not fail" humm no work blench garbage cans will do in a pinch.

Here is the back pieces with the cleats screwed on.

 First shelf,

Second,

And here it is fully assembled to paint or not to paint, that's the question, time will tell. So this was day one I will post again when I get it put on the wall and populated with me humble collection of the best Cel phones known to man. If you have blessed me with your time and read this far I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

So here it is final product. Hooray!!! So this is the first time I have performed a census here at the refuge and I'm embarrassed to say there are only 38 residents here at the Refuge. However I have some trinkets and novelties that I have also collected. AND I know there is more than Nokia on the shelves. My wife's old phones are there I really like small phones so there is a Xperia Mini Pro, a Palm Veer and a Modu T. There is some crappy phones that co-workers have given me because they heard I collect phones. The Refuge does not discriminate I embrace all that come here!

Questions or comments please feel free to contact me. You can follow me on Twitter at @Nokia_Refuge or contact me at Nokia_Refuge@outlook.com.

 Again the purpose of this blog is to save as many neglected or forgotten Nokia as I can. So if you have any that are in a closet or a desk drawer somewhere collecting dust. If you hate it and want to get rid of it or you love it but have no use for it and want it to live on send it to me. I will make sure that its retirement is comfortable and safe on my 1/8 acre refuge. Again I may be able to chip in for shipping but unfortunately unable to buy them as my wife would FREAKING KILL ME.

And it doesn't need to be a phone if it says Nokia its welcome here.