Saturday, January 19, 2008

Cell Phone Freeware

Today I will be talking about some sweet freeware you can get for your cell phone. Most of these programs were made for the s60 (Symbian operating system), but may also be made for other operating systems/phones. However, because I have an Nseries Nokia n93 running s60 v3, this operating system will be the version of these programs that I am referring to in my reviews below. Always check the website for your specific device. I know some of you reading this are probably lost, but come along for the ride and you will probably have fun. Who knows, you may want a new phone when you are finished reading this.

The programs that I will be looking at today are WidSets, Calcium, emTube, Call Filter, Google Maps, Mobile DivX Player, and DrJukka.com. Some of these programs will benefit from stronger phones like Nseries Nokia phones. Having high speed internet (that is not metered) on your cell phone is recommended, as many of these programs require or make use of the Internet. Here we go (in no particular order) with the list from above.

WidSets-https://www.widsets.com/
This program allows easy access to RSS feeds and similar applications on your cell phone. This application is a really good way to stay connected with the latest news and information. I do suggest, however, that if you like adding lots of WidSets, you may want to install it on your external card. I use it mostly to keep up with technology, with such feeds as Tech Crunch, UberGizmo, and others. WidSets is a must have program for any person in the know.

Calcium-http://www.mtvoid.com/calcium/index.html
This is a must have application that simplifies using your cell phone as a calculator. How many times have you tried to do some simple math on your phone only to find that the calculator that came with it really isn't your friend, just to end up pulling out a sheet of paper and doing it the old fashion way (a terrible thing for any techie)? This program makes calculating on your phone a breeze, with intuitive controls and nice functions. So thanks to mtvoid's Calcium you will never have to tax your brain again over simple math. Oh its also quite easy on the eyes.

emTube-http://www.emtube.yoyo.pl/
For some time cell phone users like myself have wanted to watch YouTube and other flv videos on our phones. Some of us had gone so far as to use developer tools and unreleased versions of programs to watch flv's on our phones. emTube has made it simpler than ever. All you do is install the program and its intuitive interface will lead you through the rest. Installing it to your phone memory is fine being that the latest version is still a meager 206 kB plus or minus a little. I still recommend keeping the videos on the memory card because you will have access to some reasonably big size videos. This program is amazing, allowing you to stream, download, save, and even includes a few other options. A phone with highspeed internet or wi-fi is recommended again due to the video sizes. In conclusion this program is much better than the mobile YouTube site and offers much better features.

Call Filter-http://anfymobile.com/callfilter/
Who would like to automatically discard phone calls that we don't want to answer? Whenever that telemarketer calls, or just someone you don't really want to talk to, Call Filter does that for you. No annoying ringing, no need to press the end key. The controls are very lean, and although they take a little time to understand, it works well once you have it setup. Reading the manual is a good idea, and their site features a forum to ask fellow users questions, should you not catch on to the program's control scheme right away. This program is a very capable and useful piece of freeware available for many phones, on the s60 and UIQ platforms. Check their site and see if it works for you.

Google Maps-
http://www.google.com/mobile/gmm/index.html
The people at Google just keep on learning and working on making things better. With the latest version of Google Maps they definitely have continued that trend. Not taking up a lot of space and being reasonably responsive. This latest version has added a sweet function that can usually narrow down where you are by the use of cell towers. Not your exact area but it will tell you in what general area you are located by a cool circle notated with how big of a diameter it has. (i.e. you are located somewhere in this 800M circle) Some other notable features include a traffic overlay, and being able to see and zoom in on a satellite view. These features are included with the normal features i.e. directions etc. An added treat for those you that have a GPS built into your phone or that you can connect to via Blue Tooth, both of which are now also supported.

Mobile DivX Player-http://www.divx.com/mobile/
This is really a very straightforward application, it allows you to play DivX on your cell phone. So grab your 2Gb Mini or MicroSd, throw your favorite Divx videos on there and watch them wherever you may be. With detailed options and a great compression and quality it is useful for both the casual and enthusiast user. It is available for Windows Mobile 2003 (or later) and Symbian OS 7.0 or later including UIQ. Check the website for your specific device.

DrJukka.com-http://drjukka.com
While this isn't actually a program itself, his website is a treasure chest of programs that he codes. There are way too many for me to review here today, however here are my personal favorites: Y-Browser, Y-Tasks, and Y-Alarm. Many of his programs have special plugins that allow you to only install the features that you need, saving space and allowing features to be added easily. These programs run very smoothly and give you some great tools at your fingertips.