Another Qt-written game title from new boys Bluefir, Hotshot Pool takes the traditional pool table, cue and balls and then reinvents some of the premises. To be honest, there's a good idea here that might have worked really well, but Hotshot Pool lets itself down in the end by not getting the basics - playing shots - right.
"Can't read my, can't read my, no you can't read my, Poker Dice, Yahtzee's got to love somebody." Okay, that's enough of that. The question is not how good my singing is, but can Blue Particle's poker dice game, Yacht, make a better attempt at covering a classic than I can?
One of several casual games launched by Bluefir recently, Pinball Puzzle is more akin to traditional Bagatelle, or 'Pachinko', as the Japanese apparently call it. Yes, it involves firing balls into arrays of metal pins and trusting to luck as to which scoring 'bin' they'll end up in, but thankfully there's a bit more to it than that, as you'll see.
Symbian has long supported the use of custom folders to help organise content in the app launcher. They reduce the need for scrolling, thus allowing you to find and launch applications more quickly. However, every custom folder has the same icon, which can get confusing. This is where the Folder Icon application comes in; it allows you to customise the image used for each folder. It's an extra piece of the customisation puzzle, but, especially on the homescreen, will also help solve cases of mistaken identity.
Fresh from add-on application Camera Pro, we have another ambitious photographic add-on for Symbian^3 phones, this time not limited in effective applicability to the N8 and this time focussing(!) on stills only. ShutterPro Premium aims to extend the range of basic camera settings and then add a range of image processing effects, from tilt shift to 3D anaglyphs. There's quite a bit to take in, but I've put my thoughts down below. One thing's for sure though - ShutterPro Premium's for thoroughly planned shots and not for ad-hoc snaps.
There are huge applications, sprawling labyrinths of functions, coupled with perfect form (Steve will no doubt be along with one of those later today) but right now I want to show you a fast application, in the modern "single function app" mode that is so prevalent on smartphones. And it's for fast food. Yes, welcome to Symbian, the McDonalds Finder!
If there's anything that the Las Vegas hotels are good at, it's giving you a massive experience - because at some point they know they're going to get you sitting down at a gambling table where they have at least a 0.5% advantage. But as the attraction of Vegas expands to luxury resort, spectacular shows and fantastic food, the sooner they can get you into their... ecosystem the better. Which is why the Wynn Las Vegas application is a little bit interesting.
The idea of helping yourself to get to sleep with an ambient soundtrack isn't new, of course - you'll remember I reviewed Sleep Machine - Thunderstorms a while back? Sleep Maker has the same idea, but offers a full fifteen ambient sounds, ensuring there's something for everyone. It's written in Qt and is a tiny bit cartoonish, but the samples are good and the timer works as advertised and.... ZZzzzzzz.........
I'm always on the lookout for a good To-Do application, be it a standalone application on my mobile device, or one that ties in with a good Calendar app. Could 2Do be the application that makes my heart sing and allow me to run my life from inside my smartphone again?
In the preceding Nokia E6 review parts, Rafe has gone into extensive detail about the E6's hardware design, its software bundle and its enterprise credentials. He has alluded to the need for a modern enterprise device to also appeal to consumers - or at least to appeal to the business user who also wants a degree of media and entertainment along with his or her push email. It's here that the Nokia E6 is perhaps at its weakest, but it's not all bad news, as you'll see in this final part to our E6 review series. Plus I also present my overall opinion of this new device.
