Lifeblog – How to …

Metadata -incl. descriptions, tags, timestamps, calendar entries, contact information , etc.- is what makes Nokia Lifeblog different. Sure, other applications use metadata as well. But in Lifeblog, most of the metadata comes “for free”. That means, I don’t have to spend weeks in order to tag and organize their tens of thousands of pictures. Hence, it is easy to get metadata “in”.

But how to get metadata “out”?

There are at least two options to access all -and I really mean: ALL- of your metadata from outside of Lifeblog:

1. Read the metadata directly from the SQLite 3 database of Nokia Lifeblog 2.X.The database is called \MyDocuments\NokiaLifeblogData\DataBase_2\NokiaLifeblogDataBase.db3.
   The savy ones can create their own scripts/applications in order to access this database, e.g., via php.
   If you want to take a glimpse only or if you want to deal with your metadata interactively, you can use existing SQLite tools, such as the SQLite Database Browser. Such a browser enables you to investigate the database schema, trigger queries interactively and even update the data. If you add or modify data, there is a chance that you corrupt your database and might not be able to start Lifeblog afterwards! If you read your data only, your data is quite safe, unless the tool that you are using is either buggy or malicious.
2. Export the metadata into an XML file and read the XML file.
   If you want to read the metadata only, that might be the recommended way. What you have to do is initiate a full, incremental or selective backup in Lifeblog: Menu Tools->Back Up.Afterwards you go to the Lifeblog backup directory that you selected and open the zip file there. In there, you will find only one file: the XML file that provides for a snapshot of your metadata.

Just in order to be complete: the data itself -images, videos, etc.- can be found in subdirectories of \My Documents\ NokiaLifeblogData\ DataStore\Files. There, it is organized according to months and data types.

What you will find on this blog in the upcoming days, weeks and months are hints related to Nokia Lifeblog.

These hints should help you to unleash the power of Nokia Lifeblog and especially of Nokia Lifeblog 2.X.

Taking these hints into use happens at your own risk! Therefore, make sure that you have backed up your data in order to cope with any mishaps. In no way, am I to be held responsible for any damages originating from the application of the hints on these pages. Sorry.

General information about Lifeblog can be found from the following sites:

• Nokia Lifeblog: official site; the applications, including the FREE application for PC can be downloaded from there
• Ivan Kuznetsov: very good and concise description of what Lifeblog is -and what it isn’t 😉
• Moving experiences: blog post by Christian Lindholm when Lifeblog 1.0 was published; historical, but it provides for a good description of Lifeblog’s DNA