You'll remember that we've looked at Epocware's Handy Weather before, giving both the original S60 3rd Edition version and that for UIQ 3 well deserved AAS MegaApp awards. And now they've gone and improved it again, adding weather maps and streamlining the interface. Still a MegaApp? You bet, it's still one of the stars in the Symbian OS firmament - here's my review of Handy Weather version 5.01.
Oxygen Software have been plugging away at their Phone Manager product for years, and they've just announced a major revamp, rebrand and relaunch. OxyCube is released yesterday and is compatible with a wide range of handsets and provides syncing and file browsing functions. (via SymbianOne)
I reviewed Meteor almost three years ago but Krisse, in the run up to the next-gen N-Gage launch in 20072009 2008, has been revisiting many Symbian OS classics and here reviews Meteor again in QVGA form on a modern S60 3rd Edition device. Has the game changed in the intervening years - does Meteor still hold up? It's available for all versions of S60 and UIQ, plus Series 80, by the way.
Twelfth Night has come and gone so Xmas is well and truly over, but you can still get Snowed In 6: Deep Freeze for free if you hurry. Simply download the game from this page (click on the relevant "try" button), install it on your Symbian device, and then head on over to the unlock code page to get your free key. SI6 is available for all Symbian platforms, and the offer ends on the 15th of January.
Craig Loxton, the guy who guested in the latest Smartphones Show, has been busy - he's set up a Symbian Help group on Google Groups , presumably intending to run it much like the old, beloved EPOC Digest back in Psion days. It'll cover S60 and UIQ matters and is open to all.
All About Symbian would like to wish all its visitors a very happy Christmas. If you're hankering after some Xmas-related Symbian action while defrosting or digesting the turkey, don't forget to check out our recent features on Symbian Christmas Games and S60 3rd Edition Christmas Themes.
In the last Friday gaming spot before N-Gage launches (well, that's the theory anyway), I bring you Attila's review of Stolen in 60 Seconds, plus Krisse's review of Quartz 2, both top notch games with wide Symbian OS device compatibility. Have fun with them and let's hope we have even bigger fish to fry come next Friday and Christmas!
Ah yes, Krisse does like to roundup Christmas/wintery games each year, with a couple of new entrants this time round. There are games for all Symbian platforms, most of them are free, and at the very least they should keep you going until Nokia decides to throw the switch on their N-Gage store...
In the second part of a Friday game double-bill, Attila Katona reviews Robo, also for (nearly) every Symbian OS platform known to man. It's a level-based puzzler in isometric 3D and Robo is really rather good in its cute, pixellated way.
It's been around for a while for S60 and UIQ (in all varieties), but Krisse brings us a detailed review of scrolling shoot 'em up Blazar in the modern age. That'll be the 'we're all kicking our heels, seeing what else is out there, waiting for N-Gage to be properly available' age, then....
Forgive the (now) monthly plug, but I've added the Nokia N82, N95 8GB and (non Symbian) HTC Kaiser/TyTN II to my infamous 'choose your perfect smartphone' grid. And hey, the iPhone's in there too, comments welcome on any unusual winners!
