Thursday, December 08, 2005
Top 5 of 2005: Mobile Phone Software
I've been trying to get the most out of my Nokia 6600. All the software in this list runs on a majority of Series 60 phones, not just fancy smartphones. In reverse order:
5. Guardian Mobile Crosswords: for a minimal fee you can download the current quick and cryptic crosswords to your phone. The software is intuitive to use, although not a real substitute for paper. It archives the previously attempted crosswords, and supplies the answers the day after publication. That's such a handy function for actually improving your solving abilities.
4. Mephisto Chess ME: I am admittedly a dreadful chess player; no better than kindergarten grade. Mephisto has a great interface, and a similar range of options to a regular chess computer. My favourite feature is that it shows you a graphic of the moves it's considering as it ponders, and then tells you what variety of opening it is playing: Sicilian, King's Indian etc etc. It's a shame it kicks my ass so comprehensively.
3. Geominder is a non-gps locational reminder tool. It learns the various places you visit in your daily life, by reading which cellphone cell it is in. You then set voice or text alerts when you vist that place. e.g. triggering an alarm to tell you to buy lightbulbs when you arrive at the supermarket. It's not fantastically useful, but the incredibly cute interface makes it rather moreish.
2. Opera Mobile is now the standard browser on new Nokia phones. It is streets ahead of the old Nokia browser. It has a preloaded google search box, like Firefox, and it streamlines pages so they load fast. It also displays complex pages in a fantastically clear way. It has absolutely revolutionised my mobile surfing, and it is definitely worth the $29 fee.
1. iSync is the most perfect piece of GTD software you could ever want. If you have a bluetooth enabled laptop it syncs your contacts, to do list, and iCal calendar. No need to back up your sim card data, no need to open your laptop to schedule an appointment, and the ability to have scheduled "to do" alarms when you are away from your computer. It's available for every phone under the sun, and it has become an essential part of my GTD plan. Fantastic.
Honourable Mention Nokia Sensor was a brillant idea. A little mobile blog and guestbook, hosted on your phone, and broadcast locally over bluetooth. It ought to have been a must-have killer social app. However it is extremely processor hungry, so it slowed down my 6600 unbearably. Plus no-one else seems to have downloaded it, so no-one has ever accessed the carefully crafted Sensor pages on my phone. A huge disappointment for something that could have been wonderful.
I've been trying to get the most out of my Nokia 6600. All the software in this list runs on a majority of Series 60 phones, not just fancy smartphones. In reverse order:
5. Guardian Mobile Crosswords: for a minimal fee you can download the current quick and cryptic crosswords to your phone. The software is intuitive to use, although not a real substitute for paper. It archives the previously attempted crosswords, and supplies the answers the day after publication. That's such a handy function for actually improving your solving abilities.
4. Mephisto Chess ME: I am admittedly a dreadful chess player; no better than kindergarten grade. Mephisto has a great interface, and a similar range of options to a regular chess computer. My favourite feature is that it shows you a graphic of the moves it's considering as it ponders, and then tells you what variety of opening it is playing: Sicilian, King's Indian etc etc. It's a shame it kicks my ass so comprehensively.
3. Geominder is a non-gps locational reminder tool. It learns the various places you visit in your daily life, by reading which cellphone cell it is in. You then set voice or text alerts when you vist that place. e.g. triggering an alarm to tell you to buy lightbulbs when you arrive at the supermarket. It's not fantastically useful, but the incredibly cute interface makes it rather moreish.
2. Opera Mobile is now the standard browser on new Nokia phones. It is streets ahead of the old Nokia browser. It has a preloaded google search box, like Firefox, and it streamlines pages so they load fast. It also displays complex pages in a fantastically clear way. It has absolutely revolutionised my mobile surfing, and it is definitely worth the $29 fee.
1. iSync is the most perfect piece of GTD software you could ever want. If you have a bluetooth enabled laptop it syncs your contacts, to do list, and iCal calendar. No need to back up your sim card data, no need to open your laptop to schedule an appointment, and the ability to have scheduled "to do" alarms when you are away from your computer. It's available for every phone under the sun, and it has become an essential part of my GTD plan. Fantastic.
Honourable Mention Nokia Sensor was a brillant idea. A little mobile blog and guestbook, hosted on your phone, and broadcast locally over bluetooth. It ought to have been a must-have killer social app. However it is extremely processor hungry, so it slowed down my 6600 unbearably. Plus no-one else seems to have downloaded it, so no-one has ever accessed the carefully crafted Sensor pages on my phone. A huge disappointment for something that could have been wonderful.
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