Choice is never a bad thing and that's why we're glad to see another YouTube client for Symbian. FastTube is free of charge and provides Hi-Definition streams (where available) and downloads from YouTube to your Symbian device. Here we put FastTube under the microscope and see what else it offers and how it compares to the competition.
To be honest, I thought I'd seen the last of the big name game ports from other mobile platforms - yet Saving Private Sheep, a big hit on the iPhone and on Android, is now available for Symbian, (almost) immaculately converted and working impeccably. Its structure is almost identical to Angry Birds, it's just as physics-based and the addiction factor is just as high - but don't think that this is a rip-off title, once you get 'into' Saving Private Sheep, you'll find that there's greater variety and a higher degree of hand-eye coordination needed than in Angry Birds. Oh yes, and it's about sheep, not err..... birds!
If you're business minded, and you're the sort of gamer who likes resource management games like SIM City or Farm Frenzy, then you might like today's game, Little Big City. This spin on the city simulator genre tasks you with transforming a cosy back water into a bustling metropolis. With the inclusion of real-world micro-payments in exchange for more resources, does Little Big City have what it takes to part you from your money?
Keeping on with summer blockbuster tie-ins, we're looking at the game of Pixar's latest movie, Brave. The film is set in 10th Century Scotland and tells the tale of the teenage princess Merida, who is trying to win her freedom from the life that has been mapped out for her from before her birth. The game tie-in is a 2D sideways scrolling adventure that follows the events of the film – do you have what it takes to win your (or Merida's) freedom?
Calling all comic book fans – if your Spidey sense is tingling for a good old fashioned beat 'em up romp, then we might have a game for you. The Amazing Spiderman is the official game tie-in for the latest Spiderman reboot of the same name. Bucking the trend of modern 3D adventure games, as seen in Ultimate Spiderman: Total Mayhem HD, The Amazing Spiderman takes us back to the old days of consoles where arcane button sequences were used to access special combat moves and combinations. How well does it work on a 3.5" touchscreen phone?
The last time I formally reviewed a Zingmagic Backgammon game was five years ago, amazingly, an eternity in the mobile world. Since then we've had much higher resolution screens, touch interfaces, faster processors, and so on. The core game hasn't changed, of course, this being based on a board game that dates back thousands of years. Meaning that you probably already know how to play this - though how well you know is something that Backgammon Pro V aims to find out.
Even if you are not a member of Qype, it's likely that you'll have benefited from the European based service when searching the web for local customer reviews of shops, cafés, etc. With the mobile app, you can look up reviews of locations in your area, as well as checking in at, and reviewing, places you've just visited. Fortunately, Qype is available on all major mobile platforms, including Windows Phone 7 and Symbian.
Sometimes the old ones are the best ones; and a very old type of puzzle is the humble jigsaw, which hasn't seen much of a representation in the era of computer gaming. That's what Phuzzled is seeking to set right, while at the same time breathing new life into your old photos. Does it make for a fun game or a passing novelty?
In part 1, I looked at the Nokia 808's hardware, in part 2a, I showed how PureView works, in part 2b, I tested the 808 head to head with its predecessors, in part 2c, I looked at the new Camera interface and in part 2d, I looked at the 808's video capture capabilities, including the Rich Recording system. Most recently, in part 3, I looked at the 808's OS, performance and multimedia functionality. In this, the final part 4, I cover other applications, notes on updates and my summary of this landmark (in a number of senses of the word) device.
The batteries in Nokia's smartphone range continue to improve incrementally. First we have existing battery designs like the BL-5K getting 'upgraded' by another 100mAh, then we have the BV-4D on the Nokia 808 PureView, which proudly proclaims itself as providing '3.8V' rather than the familiar '3.7V'. All of which means that there's more power available per milliAmp hour. However, tracking how much battery power is left in your phone has never been more vague. The new version of PhoNetInfo can help slightly. But only slightly. And it may even add to the confusion!
