I've been revising and reworking my review of Virtual Pool Mobile and, after six months of daily playing, ask the question: with perfect gameplay, immersive graphics, accurate physics and game longevity - is the best S60 game ever?
The Nokia N93 is THE hot convergence smartphone of the moment and kudos to Nokia for loaning us a couple ahead of public availability. We'll have more on the N93 very shortly, but read on for a teaser to whet your appetite.
Steve and Rafe have been thinking about the reach of S60 smartphones, wondering if many users need to know about S60 itself and justifying the low sales of many third party applications, before concluding that the platform itself is more for operator and manufacturer benefit.
There is more to good photos than megapixels, you have to consider camera component quality and custom firmware too. Steve's been testing various smartphone cameras and in this feature he compares the photos produced by the Nokia N70, N80 and N90, along with the i-Mate K-Jam.
Steve Litchfield looks at the Nokia N80 and finds that cutting edge specifications do not automatically give the N80 the title of best S60 smartphone. Here's the review. Update: there's now a video review, too, as part of Smartphones Show programme 12.
Steve shows how easy it is to publish your thoughts to the world with this 'How to' on blogging from your smartphone, using nothing more than the built-in Contacts and Messaging applications.
Steve reviews TrafficTV, which claims to give any smartphone owner in the UK access to traffic hold-up information and exclusive roadside CCTV images from trouble spots. Summary: surprisingly useful and genuinely clever, but only within its coverage area.
The rise and rise in demand for memory cards for smartphones seems to have sparked a huge industry in fake 'brand name' memory cards, mainly originating from the Far East. if you're about to buy a card, it's worth reading my advice about this over on 3-Lib. Feel free to name drop reputable local suppliers in the comments below this item.
Bill Ray, over at El Reg, has penned a useful editorial on the problems facing Nokia and Sony Ericsson as new users pick up version 3 handsets and find that a large proportion of 'Series 60' and 'UIQ' software doesn't work. As ever, user education is the key here and both manufacturers and developers need to spell the third party software situation out for beginners, in my opinion.
