When you think about it, using a geeky smartphone and astronomy go together. They both require an enquiring mind, exploration, and deep thought about how things work together. It’s no surprise then that there are quite a few astronomical applications on Symbian. Some are 'all singing and dancing' augmented reality applications; others are simpler, just letting you identify the basics. SkyMap is one of the latter, and in our review we look at whether it’s best for a beginner or whether pro-amateur astronomers might be able to make use of it too.
Smartphones and e-book readers are one of those technological matches made in heaven. You can carry a vast library around in your pocket, and read as much or as little as you like when you have a few spare minutes. This is why the Kindle has been so popular on Android, iPhone, iPad, and Windows Phone 7. Unfortunately, Amazon didn’t include Symbian in that list, but all is not lost because Ionic is the latest e-book reader for Symbian, taking advantage of the open ePub format, and without a hint of DRM in sight.
Somewhat bizarrely being yet another application with two names (also filed as 'Unwanted Item Remover'), PhotoPatcher is the prolific Oleg Derevenetz's attempt at a photo retouching utility, cloning parts of a photo to replace unwanted detail somewhere else. The interface and general concept is beautifully realised, but ultimately PhotoPatcher cripples itself in terms of output resolution - and that's the only real reason why this application isn't a must-have.
If you like your birds to be less angry, then you might be interested in Slice Ice! In this cutesy and surreal puzzle, you are tasked with slicing up icebergs. The problem is that these icy platforms are home to troops of penguins that you are not allowed to split up. You’ll need fast reactions and strategic thinking. It’s unique and addictive, but is it cool enough to satisfy puzzle fans?
When writers dismiss the depth of the Symbian ecosystem (c.f. iOS), they're usually referring to 'branded' applications - there's certainly no shortage of utilitarian apps to suit most purposes. Scientific calculators being a prime example: there are dozens in the Nokia Store. I've picked a handful here from the latest new releases, but can any of them replace my 1977 Casio?
You know me, Mr Smartphone Photography - and you'll also know that my Nokia N8 takes pretty darned good photos already. But I couldn't resist having a look at Noise Autofix, claiming to process photos on the phone, reducing digital noise and correcting exposure problems. Is it worthwhile on the N8? Heck yes, the results can be stunning. [NB. Review text updated 10th March 2012]
Just because Quickoffice comes pre-installed on Symbian doesn’t automatically make it the best mobile office software. That’s the position taken by the Scottish software house, Picsel, with its Smart Office suite. It’s a favourite among many users for its impressive PDF rendering ability, but how does the rest of the suite stack up against Quickoffice’s free and paid for offerings? Find out in our review as we put not just one, but two versions of Smart Office to the test – version 1.8 for Symbian Anna, and version 2.0 for Nokia Belle!
Anyone who has studied maths will remember what it’s like trying to memorize formulas. Wouldn’t it be nice to have an app that can jog your memory for you? Well, that’s just what Cheat Sheet claims to do. Covering several areas of what should be advanced GCSE level maths, this app gives you an aide memoire. It lets you feed in numbers too, so that you can quickly crank out results. Will it get you through the exams, or does pen and paper still win out?
Portable Document Format (PDF) may not be an open standard, but it is a defacto standard. Being able to send a file which shows a page exactly as intended for print, and that cannot be edited (in most cases) is a must for those aspiring to have a paperless office. On Symbian, PDF readers are few and far between, and have not provided the best possible user experience. Today we have a review of Alt Reader for PDF and DejaVu files. Does it succeed where others have failed?
Symbian Bloggers are in for a treat – after having two options for WordPress, they now have a LiveJournal app too. LiveJournal is one of the original blogging platforms, and was a social network before there were social networks as we now know them. Users will be glad to hear this app is functionally equivalent to the WordPress apps, and supports specific features like LJ-Cut and other tags specific to the platform.
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