Smartphones are much more than just a phoning and texting device nowadays.

As well as cameras, email devices and internet connections, a lot more people are starting to leave the separate MP3 player at home and use one built into their handset.

This has led to a plethora of applications hitting the Ovi store to help you enjoy your music even more but this latest one isn't about sound quality or special playlists, it is about making sure you can sing along with the right lyrics.

When you first open this free application you are made to register with an email address and password but this is very quick and you can get right on with listening to your tunes.

The initial screen has quite a futuristic feel with silver colourings and modern fonts. It offers you your usual music player menu of albums, artists, songs and playlists, so you can get right to the music you want.

There are also options to  go to online radio stations, YouTube videos and the site's community to pick songs to listen to.

Once you pick which tune you want to play, a picture comes up on the left-hand side of the album cover and the lyrics are then supposed to come up on the right-hand side as it plays.

This idea is great and would work amazingly well to find out what that singer is really talking about. Unfortunately, as TuneWiki is a Wikipedia-style community site, the library is pretty limited.

We tried a range of songs on it but most said the lyrics were not available on the site yet and suggested you go and add them.

If you are willing to put the time in and become part of this little community we think you could have some real fun with it. But until this idea really takes off its going to be a little pointless to use.

TuneWiki info

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Platform: Apple iPhone

Cost: Free

Developer: TuneWiki

Website/Demo: TuneWiki on Ovi store

We may all love our modern lifestyles of today, be it our 24 hour shopping culture, Wi-Fi in every coffee shop or, of course, our treasured smartphones, but it doesn't stop even the most up to date of people getting nostalgic at times.

Most of us like to take the opportunity to glance back at events of the past or be reminded of significant things that happened in our lifetimes, if not before that.

This simple little app is designed to help us do that but rather than trawling through the history books, all you have to do is download and install this free bit of kit to get going.

That initial process was quick and pain free, which we always finds gives the best first impression when playing with an application. The interface was a little disappointing as although the app may be full of rich information, all you get to look at is a dismal grey and white screen with plain black text.

To get to each different section – with a choice of Holidays and Observances, Births, Deaths and Events – you swiped across the screen to rotate the information. However the response to this was very lackluster and nearly always left you going backwards and forwards to find what you wanted.

The app sets itself to the current date but if you want to look up alternatives then you only have to simply click on the current date displayed at the top of the screen and then a calendar will pop up for you to chose from. Yet again the responsiveness of this was pretty terrible, leading you to often close the application or just bring up the information about developers rather than change the date.

The information given did seem a little random at times – such as the death of a Polish actor and a variety of remembrances solely for the catholic church – but  plenty of interesting facts emerged from this clever idea for an app.

However with its poor interface, lack of responsiveness and overall awkwardness, this nice idea for an application turned a bit nasty after it was turned into action.

Today info

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Platform: Symbian

Cost: Free

Developer: Offscreen Technologies

Website/Demo: Offscreen Technologies website

Although in an age of technology, with smartphones, laptops and netbooks coming out of our ears, many of us still like to make our notes or reminders with the traditional paper and pen method.

However application developers have leapt onto this process and are offering more and more ways to take down notes on mobile phones, making them easy both to write and to refer back to later on.

This is the latest attempt by Offscreen Technologies for the Symbian platform and it is nothing too exciting to write home about.

It is an incredibly simple screen with a plain white space for notes and a black toolbar down the side, offering the option to write a new one  or indeed exit the application and that's it.

You may not need more than this to write notes admittedly but it would have been good to see a bit of inventiveness to ensure the application stuck out from both competitors and the usual handwritten method.

When writing a new note, a onscreen keyboard emerges to use with very small and fiddly keys to operate, leading to many mistakes on our part. We were annoyed as we were using a phone with a slide-out Qwerty keyboard but typing on this would not be picked up by the application.

The listing of the notes was a positive as once you return to the main screen it shows you the last number of notes written with the time and date they were made, storing them in chronological order.

Admittedly this is the simplest of plans for an application so we weren't expecting fireworks and major excitement upon opening, or indeed using, the notes app.

However the awkwardness of typing the note in the first place and lack of attraction in the interface left us thinking we may well stick with the pen and post it when it comes to short notes like this.

Memo info

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Platform: Symbian

Cost: Free

Developer: Offscreen Technologies

Website/Demo: Offscreen Technologies website

We all spend a lot of time glued to the screens of our smartphones, be it watching videos, playing games or just searching through our messages and emails.

Quite often we want to share with friends and family what has engrossed us particularly so rather than all huddling round a tiny screen, why not take a snap and send it off to them through your network?

ScreenSnap is a very simple and easy way to take a screen shot on your mobile phone. The download and install was incredibly quick and we were ready to get snappy in a matter of minutes. An added bonus is the freebie price tag, which always tempts us to give an app a try.

The best place to use it is when taking screen grabs of your apps, so rather than having to describe everything in minute detail you could just send it off to a friend, either as a recommendation or a warning to keep clear.

On a more practical note however, this is also very handy if something goes wrong with your phone. It means you are able to take a picture of the particular problem and show it to an operator or retailer in a bid to get things fixed.

As well as being able to decide where your photos are stored after you have taken them, you can decide which button to use to take the initial snap (although we plumped for the phone’s actual camera button).

There are also options to put a delay on the camera, chose the image type and whether you want the image to be saved or sent.

It clearly depends on whether you think you will need this app whether it would be worth the download time but it is so simple, quick and easy we don’t think you could go far wrong downloading it and giving it a go.

ScreenSnap info

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Platform: Symbian

Cost: Free

Developer: Smartphoneware

Website/Demo: Smartphoneware website

Most of us take advantage of the extra features on our phones, be it the cameras, email capability or keeping track of our social networking profiles. The most commonly used added extra with most handsets however is the music player.

If you are loaded with your MP3s and CDs back at home it is easy to take advantage of this bit of your device but for some it can be a hassle to upload everything or they may not even have that much at home to put on.

Here is where the joy of radio stations come in. Nowadays there is a radio station for every taste and variety of tune and it is great to stream onto your mobile. However streaming directly through your mobile browser can be a bore and leave a jumpy sound when you are out on your travels.

Absolute Radio is an app giving you a choice of all three of its radio stations with one push of a button. As well as the usual Absolute Radio, you can chose from its 80’s music station or classic rock station with a lot of ease.

The display is brightly coloured and easy to use. By sliding across the screen you can change your station and a simple bar at the bottom allows you to play or pause what you are listening to.

Although it does stream from the internet, it seemed a lot more solid than when going straight through a browser and it made it much simpler clicking on an app button that going through all the different URLs.

The only negative was how reactive the app was as often it would take a while to register you were trying to change stations and then take quite some time to buffer the stream and get things going again.

It is a free app though and we quite enjoyed the variety of tunes and ease of use so if Absolute Radio is your thing, give this Symbian app a try.

Shopping list info

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Platform: Symbian

Cost: Free

Developer: Absolute Radio

Website/Demo: Absolute Radio website

We've all used many scraps of paper, backs of envelopes and whatever we can get our mitts on to make that ever needed shopping list.

Who knows how many pens we have left in shopping trollies across the countries and how many ink marks have ended up on the fruit and veg, but these shopping lists are an essential to make sure we don't spend hours in a supermarket just to forget the main thing we went for.

Now smartphones are starting to play their role in making sure we remember our produce, offering many note apps to jot things down on. This app has gone one step further though, being specifically designed to make a list for when you are out on the high street.

Obviously the app starts empty with just a black screen and the odd bit of orange and green to brighten up your view but as you start to add items to your products list, you end up with a database of all your usual products.

Once you have your products list, you add the particulars you want onto your homepage list which also gives the page a date, making sure you don't confuse it with previous shopping trips.

Then when you have added what you need to pick up to your dated page, you can head to the shops and simply press on the items to give it a tick and show you have got it. No fiddly bits of paper, no leaky pens, simple as that.

The key to this though is the database. Like when shopping online, it saves your favourites, so making a list a second or third time is even easier and everything is saved.

The app was quick and smooth to download and had the added benefit of being free. We used it regularly when reviewing it and plan on using it again in the future to prompt our forgetful minds.

Never again shall we forget our garlic!

Shopping list info

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Platform: Symbian

Cost: Free

Developer: Kilut Oy

Website/Demo: Shopping List on Ovi

The days of wandering down the high street and coming home laden with bags seems like almost a distant memory to many of us.

Be it Christmas shopping, picking up our spring wardrobe or just doing the weekly food shop, more and more people are doing their shopping in the online world.

Now however it seems mobile app developers are getting  in on the act by creating apps to do that online shopping via your Symbian handset.

One of the flagship e-tailers of our time is Amazon. Originally an online bookstore, it now caters for music, dvds, even clothes, paid for with a card online and delivered to your door.

Rather than having to log on through your PC or laptop, the Amazon app allows you to go straight to its catalogue of products through your smartphone.

When opening the app, it is very simple and clear to navigate. The homepage offers a search bar for you to type in the exact product you are looking for, or the option to pick from one of nine categories on the front page for its best sellers.

Once connected to the internet it provides simple lists, along with prices and ratings like one would get via its website. This makes it quite intuitive to use as it is just your usual destination on a smaller scale.

You can use your existing Amazon accounts to go through the buying process and it really is as simple as the online process, albeit a little more awkward with a mobile keypad than full Qwerty keyboard.

If you are a regular user of the online shopping site but fancy doing it more on the move, this is the app for you, although due to the more fiddly nature as we previously mentioned, it still may be easier to nip onto your PC do get the purchase done.

Yet when something is this simple to install, easy to use and free, why not give it a go as a new shopping method.

Amazon info

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Platform: Symbian

Cost: Free

Developer: Amazon

Website/Demo: I Need File website

It doesn't matter how long you live in the capital, you will always need to refer to the tube map from time to time, to seek out new tube stations, new routes and more often than not work out how to get round the 'planned engineering works' that close down the lines like clockwork.

So rather than clogging up the foyers of tube stations or carrying around awkward pieces of paper, developers decided a clever way to keep track of your journeys around town was to have an app on your Symbian phone meaning your travel details were there at what should be just the touch of a button.

Setting up Tube Map was a bit of a pain. After you get past the road travel alert adverts, you have to give information on yourself. Firstly gender, age group and next, the more suitable question of what your home station is.

However once all that is dealt with you have access to a clear, concise and easy to use map. On top of just being able to find the stations and routes yourself, there is a useful route planner to help with those new journeys as well as maps to show you the surrounding areas of the tube station you are aiming for.

It isn't the most responsive of apps and did get a little frustrating to move around, especially with the lack of multi-touch to zoom in and out on with our Symbian device, yet it makes up for this with the pure usefulness the app possesses as well as being entirely free for the user to download.

Be you a Londoner, a regular visitor to the city or even just popping down on a day trip, Tube Map is worth downloading to keep you in the know about your surroundings and the joys of public transport.

Tube Map info

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Platform: Symbian

Cost: Free

Developer: MX Data

Website/Demo: Tube Map on the Ovi Store

It seems our British obsession with the weather will never leave us. No longer just a conversation point when making small talk with a stranger, we are consumed with the need to know what we will be facing when we step out the front door.

Beforehand many of us may have relied on the TV weather girl before moving onto to the online five day forecasts, yet now the smartphone revolution has made us in the know whilst on the move.

This weather app, called Weather Touch, is a free offering from Nokia's Ovi store. It was a quick and simple download and installation and instantly doesn't bother you with complications.

When you launch the app it simply asks for a connection and permission for your positioning server, then everything you need is just on one screen.

Weather Touch offers a full on thermometer down one side, showing you an image of how warm or cold it may be as well as the figure itself.

It shows you a symbol on the right like one would see on a TV weather map, be it a rainy cloud or enticing looking sunshine and then offers both today's forecast and tomorrows, just with said symbols and predicted temperatures.

One of Weather's main functions is to detail the weather in your current location. Unfortunately it just never seemed to sync properly with the GPS and was always sticking us in Middlesex or at least a good 20 miles away from our real location.

Weather apps are a great idea, especially with incorporated GPS, but unfortunately this one just couldn't perform as it promised to.

Weather Touch info

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Platform: Symbian

Cost: Free

Developer: Ofscreen Technologies and Foreca

Website/Demo: Weather Touch on Ovi

We are often drowning in technology, whether we are reviewing it, working on it or playing with it in our downtime, the electronics are everywhere we look, yet one thing that never seems to have been forced out of our office is the trusty post-it pad.

Our screens are often surrounded in little reminders, staring at us constantly and giving us that little feeling of office nostalgia before the PC took hold.

Now this novelty has been brought to the Symbian platform with an app called Sticky Notes.

Unfortunately slow to download, it took a while to get this app going. Once you did though it was very fun. It offers you a cork board layout and a virtual post-it bad on the bottom left of the screen.

By tapping on the pad you can change the colour of the notes between pink, blue, green and the classic yellow before dragging them around the screen to where you want them to be.

Another touch on the screen enlarges the note and allows you to scribble what you will on it but it was a shame that this could only be done in an etch-a-sketch style, leaving anything to have tried to write looking incredibly untidy.

It would be have been much better to have offered the option of a keyboard to type the note you need to make but we don't think there was too much serious thought into what is essentially a bit of a giggle of an app.

The interface was clear, the movement of the notes was very responsive to both finger or stylus, and  it was quite a lot of fun to use.

For a free app to waste a bit of time on, perhaps even make a few notes, it is worth the slightly tedious download process.

Sticky Notes info

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Platform: Symbian

Cost: Free

Developer: Ofscreen Technologies

Website/Demo: Sticky Notes on the Ovi Store

How did we ever meet up before the invention of mobile phones? We do have a certain nostalgia for the old home phone where everyone would call each other days, even weeks before, organise a time to meet and where and then actually turn up on time.

However the mobile has become the perfect excuse for being late, dropping someone a text at the last minute to tell them you are stuck in traffic or just didn't get out of work on time.

The one thing we are finding harder these days is actually to decide where to meet and find each other in the first place. Thanks to the joy of applications like Google maps this is slightly easier if you're off to somewhere new but we still have to go through the shouted directions to a confused party on the phone to get them there.

The idea with SMS My Position is to simply be able to send a text to your friend, detailing not just the address you are at but sending a link to a Google Map as well, leading you in the right direction.

We were quite excited by this prospect and tested it out a lot. The set up itself is very simply, with pretty quick installation times and the biggest bonus is the app didn't cost anything.

Each time you enter the app, you need to give it certain permissions for location you with GPS and using your contract internet connection, but once this has gone through it quickly creates a text for you to send out to your friend to let them know where you are.

Great we thought, until we checked out where it said we were. Now it was never that far off, normally a matter of one or two streets away, but far enough that was somebody trying to meet you somewhere they didn't know it would be really confusing.

We tried it several times as we liked the idea so much and really gave it a chance but unfortunately it never seemed to hammer home exactly where we were.

So a great idea, but just that little bit far off to make the idea actually turn into practice.

SMS My Position info

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Platform: Symbian

Cost: Free

Developer: M2Mobi

Website/Demo: SMS My Position on Ovi Store

There are a host of calendars available for smartphones, but few that merge them with social networking.

The Facebook tab along the side of the news feed on the mobile site has been our saviour on more than one occasion, reminding us just a couple of days before to send a card or at least an affectionate message over the internet.

Now this power is being brought to your phone, allowing you to keep on top of birthdays with the accuracy of Facebook.

Simply called Friends Birthdays, the app itself took quite a while to download and install but we approved of the lack of cost - we do like a free app over here – so let this initial let down slide.

When you first open the app it is a little garish, with bright yellow leaping out at you, but it is very intuitive to get it going.

It offers you a calendar to view, obviously empty to start with, but with a click of the update birthdays option (and agreement to access your internet connection) it whisks you off to Facebook to sync all your friends birthdays with this calendar that lives on your phone.

Once you are signed in and agree to the terms it takes a matter of seconds to sync and update birthday, then offering you little pink squares on your calendar to let you know about the event.

There are two views of the calendar you can go for, either the general calendar view with pinks blocks as we initially saw or you can change the view to a list detailing whose birthday is when throughout the year.

Both were easy to read and the simplicity of this app is a real selling point.

All in all, a little bit in your face with the colour scheme, but a great idea to take the handy birthday reminders from the Facebook homepage and put them to good use and easily accessible on your Symbian handset.

Just don't forget to update it every now and again so you don't miss anybody off!

Friends' Birthdays info

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Platform: Symbian

Cost: Free

Developer: Marvellous

Website/Demo: Friends' Birthdays on Ovi Store

Now we're pretty forgetful, and therefore thankful for the inventions of email calenders popping up to reminds us of birthdays, meetings or even to take a lunch break.

But now the mobile phone offers us an option for on the move that isn't as heavy as a yearly planner nor needs an internet connection to pick it up and yes, we definitely abuse our mobile phone calendar.

The idea behind QV Calendar lite for Symbian is to simplify that task of checking the next few calendar entries on your mobile phone but we will tell you now, even for seasoned users of the built on applications on our handsets, this app seems a little pointless.

OK, so it takes a matter of seconds to install and thankfully the free price tag is very, very attractive, but past that there is not a lot more on offer.

On opening the app you are presented with a glaring white screen and nasty lime green bar at the top asking you what type of calendar entries you would like to view in one go, be it meetings, to-do lists, reminders, day events or even the dreaded anniversary.

It will then list just the five upcoming entries so you know what is happening in one place for your next few appointments. It patronisingly reminds you that this is only the “lite” version so can only offer you five rather than unlimited if you update to the “Pro” version and this obnoxious advertising wound us up.

We admit it is useful to see all your latest entries but it doesn't seem like that much of a difficulty to just go into your actual calendar and view them, does it? It truly is an app for the laziest of calendar users and if you don't use that function much, just stay away from it altogether, even if it is free.

QV Calendar Lite info

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Platform: Symbian

Cost: Free

Developer: Tilapia

Website/Demo: Tilapia website

If you're a car driver, it's pretty probable that you've mislaid your car at some point. Whether you've lost it in a multi-storey or perhaps in an airport carpark after two weeks on the Spanish Rivera, it's all too easy to do.

If you do have a forgetful streak and this has become a a regular issue for you, perhaps we have found the app to solve your woes.

IParkedHere is similar to other Staron developed apps for the Symbian platform, and pretty self- explanatory.

Lets start with the parking. It will mark by GPS exactly where your car is parked. As well as this it offers the option to put in which level and zone you are in if you happen to be in a concrete jungle of a multi-storey, as well as setting a timer as to how long your parking ticket will last for. For those unlucky ones who have suffered at the hands of a traffic warden, this is genius!

It then of course has a big button to press when you want to reverse the steps and find your car and gives you directions, distance and maps if required to find it.

It doesn't just stop there though as not only can you use these features separately from handy smaller buttons on the pleasing to the eye user interface, but also it has a car park locator. This is great for visiting a new town, perhaps on a shopping trip, or even visiting friends and needing that extra helping hand.

We cant deny that the app was responsive as well as being quick and easy to learn to use and install. However it did seem to get a little confused at times and would suddenly close or shut down at really inopportune moments. At the end of the day the car will still be there if you have lost it, it is just a minor frustration.

All in all though a very handy app for any driver out there.

IParkedHere info

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Platform: Symbian

Cost: Free

Developer: Staron

Website/Demo: Ovi store

It's January and most of us are trying to go on a health kick of some kind.

Be it cutting down the booze, hitting the diet clubs or even buying the latest celeb workout DVD, we often use the new year as an excuse to try and get ourselves back into shape after the indulgence of the festive season.

But the key to good exercise is a good cardio workout, getting the pulse racing and burning off those turkey sandwiches and selection boxes.

With the introduction of application stores across platforms. there's no need to worry about purchasing expensive monitors or working out complicated calculations. An app to monitor your heart rate is now available on the Symbian platform to give us a helping hand.

Heart Rate Monitor is free but took quite a long time to download and install. Once there it was easy to get into and had a grid medical style interface which made it feel trustworrthy and reassuring.

Instructions were clear on how to use the device but it's a slightly fiddly interface. You'll first have to find your pulse and then tap the screen each time you feel it. When checking your wrist with one had for a pulse on the other, it is really tough to do.

However, it only takes about five or six taps to give you a result of what your heart rate is. It all looks very ER with the heart rate monitor going across the screen but it came across as professional, accurate and a useful application,

So overall it is a simple app with nothing there to confuse you, however it may take a bit of time to be able to twist your arms around and tap out your pulse.

Heart Rate Monitor info

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Overall

Platform: Symbian

Cost: Free

Developer: Pico Brothers

Website/Demo: Ovi store

We live in a world now where we are more aware and careful with the energy we use. Be it using efficient light bulbs in our homes or making sure we turn off our computers when we leave work, electricity is being treated more as a precious commodity nowadays than it ever has been in an attempt to stop global warming.

One thing however we are all very guilty of is leaving the mobile charger plugged in and continuing to charge the phone way past it full capacity.

To this end app developer Impetus has designed GreenCharging, an app for the Symbian platform to make sure you don't leave the power running when it comes to your mobile phone.

Quick and simple to download and install, GreenCharging is also free so no harm in giving this one a try, leaving it to improve the environment, not damaging your wallet.

When you open the application it is just a simple black screen featuring a large light bulb telling you how fully charged your mobile phone is. The luminous green font is a bit uneasy on the eyes and the mantra of this application with “Stop Global Warming !!!” is not exactly attractive but its purpose is sincere.

The way however that the app solves global warming is as soon as your phone is 100 per cent charged, it advises you to unplug your phone, by sounding an obnoxious alarm and voice, however we guess it does make sure you don't ignore it and get that charger switched off.

It did make us leap with fear every time though and when stupidly leaving the phone to charge overnight we were shaken awake by the nasty noise.

Yet this is the point of the app, and maybe if we were all more conscious of the amount of electricity we waste on these devices it could make a real difference.

We suggest you get the app but just remember it is on there so it doesn't make you leap out of your skin!

GreenCharging info

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Platform: Symbian

Cost: Free

Developer: Impetus

Website/Demo: Ovi store

We put our hands up and plead guilty, we sneak onto YouTube all the time. Whether it sharing silly videos of ourselves with friends, checking out the latest viral to hit the net or just taking a lazy and sneaky five minutes off work, the internet video site is as popular as ever.

Yet as phones move onto to become portable entertainment devices YouTube has decided to get in on the act and offer its services onto a variety of mobile platforms. So how does the Symbian one shape up?

It is  free and rightly so as internet use of the site is the same. The install is pretty easy and not too time consuming but unfortunately when you try and launch the app it feels like an age, or being forced to sit through a ten minute Celine Dion video.

After choosing which connection you want to use it on, it takes a really long time to connect up which left us frustrated, especially when you are really keen to share something you have seen with a friend or colleague.

Things got a little easier here on in after agreeing to the lengthy terms and conditions, selecting which country you are from and a final warning about the amount of data this can take up which one should heed depending on your tariff's data plan.

The homepage looks exactly like the website, albeit a scaled down version, and it is very intuitive to navigate around.

Be sure of having a decent connection though if you want to use this and lots of data to splash out on else the videos become annoying and jumpy and the whole experience can just put you off.

Yes this happened to us a few times but overall you get what you ask for on this app, a slightly faster way to access YouTube without having to go through your mobile browser. Think we would prefer to stick to the full web version however.

YouTube info

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Platform: Symbian

Cost: Free

Developer: YouTube

Website/Demo: Google store

Many of us won't have used a dictionary since we were at school but it is a great loss if you don't have one. Expanding our use of language is a great bonus and none of us can say we never struggle for the perfect word to use.

As a result there are plenty of applications out there acorss the mobile platforms to give us a helping hand, whether it be finishing a sentence or grabbing that final crossword clue.

Unfortunately it seems Dictionary and Translation Pro on the Symbian platform makes the whole process a lot more difficult than it should be and is more likely to put people off the English language than help them expand it.

An arduous task to download the free application, it really did take a long time to install. To top this off, it takes an age to even get to the dictionary part of the app, having to give loads of internet permissions and hit OK many times before even typing a word.

When you do get to it the screen is ugly and cluttered, spending more of the space on offering free games and extra apps from the developer rather than the dictionary itself. The colours are also pretty ghastly and the whole thing is just painful on the eye.

When you do actually search the dictionary for the word, it works quite quickly and gives a very good and comprehensive list of definitions at it would appear in the dictionary.

This of course is the point of the app, so we were pleased it performed this properly but the rest of its usage was very painful and we would prefer to actually spend the money and carry a hefty book around with us than keep using this.

Dictionary and Translation Pro info

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Platform: Symbian

Cost: Free

Developer: Lunaforte

Website/Demo: Lunaforte website

For the adventurous amongst us, we don't just like to frequent the same haunts over and over again. Whether we are in a city we know and love or venturing somewhere new for the first time it can be difficult not only picking a place, but finding it.

Many apps have tried to serve this purpose but in this review we take a look at one of the latest to be launched for the Symbian platform called NearHere.

We cosider NearHere to be catchy name, and the app does exactly what it says on the tin. It's free, which is always a bonus and downloads quickly followed by speedy installation.

On first opening the app it gives you a long list of connections to pick from which is good to help you realise how much you may be spending if you don't have a free data plan.

From here you are left with a friendly home screen featuring options for finding near by food and drink, entertainment, travel, education, shopping, health, businesses, government and organisations.

This is a very comprehensive list if not a little overwhelming but it certainly gives off the impression of having everything you need in one app.

Travel was an incredibly useful part of the app. It offers you  a list of the types of travel you are looking for, from buses to aeroplanes, even bicycle paths, and then after you select your option, quickly gives you a list of nearby stations/airports/bus stops etc along with distance and even phone numbers.

From here you can ask it to show you on a map, either the built in one or Google Maps, to show a route or to call the operator.

Similarly on the food and drink option it lists a huge number of cuisines to chose from and again gives you distant, map options and phone numbers to get in contact.

We were really impressed with its speedy and accurate responses on all of the lists available. Perhaps the only thing it lacked was reviews and suggestions of the best places near you.

However for a free app that can be used so quickly and without a fuss we would recommend it highly.

NearHere info

Ease of use:
Value:
Features:
Overall

Platform: Symbian

Cost: Free

Developer: Staron

Website/Demo: Ovi store

As the internet grew it popularity with the consumer market it wasn't social networking sites that we initially used to contact one another and share our thoughts, feelings and files. Instead the last generation to grow up with the internet was all about the chat and rather than just strangers in chat rooms, we went for the messenger.

Be it Yahoo, AIM or ICQ we typed away to our friends for hours at a time but the undoubtedly most popular of these on our shores was MSN messenger from Microsoft, now known as Windows Live Messenger.

Even with the invent of the newer sites like Facebook and Twitter a lot of people have kept their messengers going and this app for the Symbian platform allows you to use your messenger on the move through your mobile device.

This app has a remarkable feel of using it on your computer. It has the same interface and once you go through the couple of quick steps to launch it synchronises both settings and contacts from your usual messenger. It even has that oh so familiar sound when a new message comes in that has caught many of us off guard.

You can easily hold conversations, switch between windows and keep an eye on your contacts from this full screen app as well as hiding it and running it in the background whilst you get on with other activities on your phone.

The one problem we did have is the connection seemed to regularly cut out, asking you to resynchronise your contacts which was pain when in the middle of a conversation. However thanks to its familiarity and ease of use you can kind of put up with it, unless it happens several times in one session which we seemed lucky to avoid.

The app is free and as previously mentioned was very easy to set up. If like us you still regularly use your messengers to keep in touch with people it is definitely worth the download and shows that there is still life in this now taken for granted technology that social networking sites may have put to the side for the past few years.

Windows Live info

Ease of use:
Value:
Features:
Overall

Platform: Symbian

Cost: Free

Developer: Microsoft

Website/Demo: Live website

There are some things that come s standard with a mobile device, a selection of ringtones, message alerts, alarms. But it seems we like more than just the sound with our notifications and the new standard is about feel.

This app has been designed to offer more than just your normal vibrate to alert you to your incoming communications and is great fun to have a play with.

Vibrate is a simple free application with a quick install time and easy to set up. When you open the app it offers you just one screen to adjust the different vinrations you get on your phone, be it on silent or to help when you are walking along with your headphones in.

It has seven options, from your general long vinrate to more jumpy, almost musical beats. They also vary in strength to help with those who get caught out and miss calls due to too light a motion.

To test them out you simply press the main power button in the middle of the screen and then scroll through the different options using a simple plus and minus interface.

As long as you have activated vibrate in your profiles, which the app does warn you to do, it is simple to change the vibration to your exact preference.

The screen itself is simple but quite sleek in colouring and design, almost making yoou feel that you get more from this app that simple vibrationg.

Ok, vibrations may not be the most important aspect of a hanndset but it is an extra that we take or granted now and it is nice to be able to adjust it to how you see fit.

Were it a pay for app we would be most likely to tell you to leave it alone but as a free feature, we suggest you give it a go and get the feel from your phone than you prefer.

Vibrate info

Ease of use:
Value:
Features:
Overall

Platform: Symbian

Cost: Free

Developer: Pico Brothers

Website/Demo: Pico Brothers website

It is impossible to have that many apps out there and all of them to serve a great purpose. However some just give you a bit of fun and a great excuse to mess about with the device you have that can become a bit of a bore after a while.

Banner is such an app. We take a look at this silly toy for your Symbian device that whilst not changing your life, offers you a great relief for the day to day doldrums.

We have all seen the electronic banners scaling across shop windows or train station platforms telling you the latest offers or next trains but this app offers you the opportunity to turn your phone into such a banner.

Free to download and easy to install, Banner has a very sleek user interface and is incredibly easy to use. By clicking on the keyboard simple you can type out a message of your choice that you want to see scan across the screen.

The obvious capitals or lower case are available as well as plenty of symbols but to add to this you can change the colour of your text to either red, green or blue by clicking the small coloured circle next to your text.

Once you are settled on your message click the tick and off the message goes, scrolling across your screen vibrantly and without any lag or delay.

Unfortunately there is no option to change the speed and a few more colour options would have been a bonus but this is a well designed good fun app which I am sure could be used to some business advantage if the right people got their hands on it.

Until then have a laugh sending messages to your friends or even across the office with this jovial app.

Banner info

Ease of use:
Value:
Features:
Overall

Platform: Symbian

Cost: Free

Developer: Offscreen Technologies

Website/Demo: Offscreen website

It may all be about wipeable white boards and projectors now in our schools but I would guess the majority of us grew up in the days of the blackboard.

Once you leave school however you are unlikely to see one again, break the chalk sticks or get covered in dust from the rubber.

This app may not give you the smells and dust of the classroom but we see how Blackboard Lite takes you back in a simple but entertaining way.

This app is free and it would be cheeky to charge for the simplicity. Download and installation is both quick and simple and then you are ready to have a play.

It truly is an effortless app. The display shows an old school green blackboard with just a few options along the top of the screen.

The main one to use of course is the chalk symbol which then allows you to doodle or write across the board. The second is the rubber to erase anything you have written.

The impressive thing about this app is the texture. Not only does the chalk itself look very realistic but when rubbing anything out you really have to put pressure on it as you drag it across the writing or drawing, going over and over it like you would have to on a real chalkboard. It even leaves marks where there has been writing and rubbing, again in a realistic way.

That really is all there is to this app. No it is not a necessary accessary or a must have for a Symbian device but this free and fun app keeps you entertained for a little while and takes you back to the school days. Its up to you though whether that is a good thing or not...

Blackboard Lite info

Ease of use:
Value:
Features:
Overall

Platform: Symbian

Cost: Free

Developer: Offscreen Technologies

Website/Demo: Offscreen Technologies website

It may be for business, it may be for pleasure but most of us have gone through the stress of flying, not knowing whether everything is going to plan or if you will turn up at the airport with everything running four hours late or even worse being cancelled.

Yes for such a modern travelling technology, there does seem to be something going wrong with the timing on a regular basis and although this app cannot change that, it can keep you in the know about what is going on.

Flight Information is simple as that, it tells you what is happening with your flight by taking some simple information from you.

It is a free app but the download took a little bit longer than we would have liked. However installation sped the process up and we were ready to go.

The interface is a little bit busy. The adverts for the developers and cartoon styled picture of an aeroplane are pointless and just get in the way but this doesn't totally take away from the ease of use.

You start by entering a destination date and it offers you a drop down menu allowing you to check flights up to three days in advance. After you have chosen this you then enter your flight operator information. There are two ways of doing this, you can either enter the Airline Code such as BA for British Airways or again there is a good drop down menu with a wide range of airlines provided for. Finally you type in your flight number and then you press go.

It retrieves the information and moves onto the next screen in a flash and then gives you all the details that you would have got from the airline's website. As well as departure dates, times and terminals it offers you the original and update flight times – unfortunately in our case 40 minutes late. It then continues to give you flight duration and the updated times of arrival in local time the other end, with the option of adding all this information to your phone calender.

This is such a handy tool for the regular flyer. As we said earlier it is not going to make the airlines run on time but it is still best to have all the information you can to hand and that little bit of knowledge makes you feel more in control of your flight.

Flight Information info

Ease of use:
Value:
Features:
Overall

Platform: Symbian

Cost: Free

Developer: ABIGMOB

Website/Demo: Flight Information on Ovi

Every handset has a technique for locking the phone, be it the old school menu hash or the more recent dedicated buttons on the device. However we have all been guilty of the accidental call in our pockets after forgetting to lock it properly and this app hopes to help in this area.

Comically named Mr Lock, with an equally funny cartoon logo, this app aims to put a stop to the muffled calls or the even worse possibility now of accessing paid for applications/websites that will cost you a bomb, by automatically locking after a period of your choice.

It's really very simple and also incredibly simple to use. Once you have downloaded the free app from the Ovi store it remains disabled until you go into it and decide on your settings.

As well as allowing you to enable the app, the options menu which opens as soon as you click on Mr Lock, lets you chose firstly which profiles you want to auto lock or indeed if you want to set it up for all of them.

Secondly comes the lock period. What is so good about this is it isn't a list you have to pick from, you simply type in thelock period. It came set with a standard of 40 seconds but whether you want less, more or a really obscure number of 11 minutes and 42 seconds, this can be done on Mr Lock.

But auto lock in every programme can be a chore, for example if you are working on something online or need to bring up the contacts list. If you want any of your programmes excluded from auto lock, the app can offer you that and you can decided which ones to keep the screen on for.

It is not an overcomplicated user interface, just the simple black and white offered on all menus on the device, which we thought was the right call. Silly logo aside this app does what it says on the tin and is a very handy tool to have if you are one of those forgetful phone lockers.

Mr Lock info

Ease of use:
Value:
Features:
Overall

Platform: Symbian

Cost: Free

Developer: MobiFun Soft

Website/Demo: Mr Lock website

The 140 character craze of Twitter has swept the world, from the average Joe tweeting about his day onto businesses trying to build up hype for its latest product, even the high profile celebrities are getting in on the act of giving us snippets of their more glamorous lifestyles.

The mobile app market had to respond to this move in social networking and as a result there are plenty of apps out there to satisfy your tweeting needs when you are on the move. This latest one called TwitBreeze is for the Symbian platform and we take a look at how well it works for your short social networking conversations.

It is free which is a bonus as many of the Twitter apps can cost a fair few pounds. The download was simple and fast and once your log in details are in you are ready to go.

Unfortunately when you load it everything goes from hopeful to disappointing. The interface is overcomplicated and we hardly new what each of the buttons was for after a long play.

It quickly uploads the latest tweets in a less than attractive list in the top half of the screen but they are easy to scroll through. Beneath this however is a key pad looking more like a games console controller. The four letters along the bottom appear to serve no function and it took us ages to figure our how to even get a menu up.

The menu itself has the usual offerings of replying, retweeting direct messages etc but the text is small and hard to select the right one due to lack of space.

This is where the control pad comes into play, letting you scroll up and down the list or press the central button to chose your option but it all seems like far too much.

One of the key points of Twitter and one of the reasons it got so popular was it simplicity, allowing anyone to get involved. If this was how the website worked it would have put millions off and fallen into the wilderness like the dotcom sites of the past.

Yes it is good to be able to quickly access your feed but that is all this app is good for. We preferred just using the browser on our device and heading straight for Twitter.com.

Look into getting a Twitter app by all means but this is certainly no breeze to use.

TwitBreeze info

Ease of use:
Value:
Features:
Overall

Platform: Symbian

Cost: Free

Developer: Cascada Mobile

Website/Demo: Cascada Mobile website

Mobile phones are about more than just making calls nowadays. They can be a fashion statement that you want to show off to your friends. However with some devices being so popular now it's hard to differentiate yours from everyone else's.

This is where apps have stepped in, offering to make little changes to your handsets to give them a bit more individuality. We take a look at this particular attempt known as FlipFont to see if it helps you out.

The premise of the app is very simple. Rather than being stuck with the same fonts that your device comes with you can change it and personalise it a bit more.

The app is free and quick to download. After the initial installation, open the app and it gives you the three easy steps to personalise your phone, albeit in a very tacky opening cartoon screen that could easily put a user off to even get to the fonts.

If you take that extra step though it is very simple. The app offers you four fonts to chose from as well as the ability to go online and find many more fonts for your phone. Both ways were simple and once you have made your decision you click to accept and then restart your phone.

We particularly liked the difference it made, nothing huge or too overt but a nice little touch. It warns you before you accept the font that not all applications will accept it and change as they may be built differently but you times, dates, provider name and menus all look that little bit new and it is a sweet and easy refresh for your handset.

Of course to go back to the default font it is as simple as returning to the list and selecting default and again restarting your phone.

No this isn't a ground breaking app but if you do fancy a bit of a change with your handset there is no harm in going for this small and clever app.

Flipfront info

Ease of use:
Value:
Features:
Overall

Platform: Symbian

Cost: Free

Developer: Monotype Imaging

Website/Demo: Monotype Imaging website

Technology has moved with us over the years and as we have become data hoarders, keeping hold of more texts, photos, videos and apps on our handsets, our memory capacity has had to move with us.

After going through a few menus you can reach the right option on your phone to discover how much both of your phone memory and external memory card you have lost but it tends to be rather long-winded and often just numbers that can be hard to read and comprehend.

Memory Status has been developed to tackle this problem and make it easier for all us data collectors to keep track of what we have stored on our Symbian-based devices.

The app is free, which considering with a bit more effort you can find the same information on your phone, this is only right. A speedy download and a nippy install increases the positive feelings towards the app and then you are ready to go and check how much room you are taking up on your device and what is left to fill.

When opening the app you are left with one screen with sleek and simple colouring. It offers you two bars, the top represents your phone memory and the bottom is for the memory card status.

Rather than just giving you numbers though it represents on the bar how much spaced is taken up on each type of memory as well as giving you three numbers; the size of the base memory, how much is being used and how much is free to fill.

It may only be a simple change but the difference between reading numbers and actually seeing a bar representing the capacity of memory makes it so much easier to see where you need to cut down and where you have space free.

If you are regularly finding yourself running out of room we suggest you get hold of this app and keep better track of what you are using. If not, it isn't really a necessity but just a handy thing to check once in a while.

Memory Status info

Ease of use:
Value:
Features:
Overall

Platform: Symbian

Cost: Free

Developer: Offscreen Technologies

Website/Demo: Offscreen Technologies website

News has made its move from the paper towards websites in recent years and now it is making its mark on the mobile world with almost every publication having an app for a variety of handsets.

The world famous Metro, given out to thousands of people in many cities around the world every work day morning, has jumped on the bandwagon, offering its own global news app on the Symbian platform.

It attracted us initially for its well-known name as well as a price tag of absolutely nothing but here the attraction seemed to turn to tolerance. The downloading and installing process was quite drawn out and even once you had done this the first time the app still took an age to open up.

There is the option to chose a language but rather than having English your choice was American. If you can get over this slight insult then it is good to see for more multilingual users there were languages ranging from Spanish to Swedish.

It at least showed they have thought about the audience the app will appeal to as news is a globally consumable and desirable media.

Once you are into the app though the visual is very disappointing with just a dull shade of green offering us anything pretty to look at. The categories of news, business, sports and entertainment are good choices but you only get one story link under most of those and hardly any of the pictures would load up.

The stories themselves were also quite strange choices, not giving you a great insight into what they were talking about but this is more a issue with the content writers than the development.

The options mention gives you the ability to refresh the page, change language and see the terms and policies but there is nothing of particular use here.

To bring this to a conclusion, if you are looking for a news app look further than Metro's offering. There are many more superior apps out there than this kind of drab and not particularly news worthy attempt.

Metro info

Ease of use:
Value:
Features:
Overall

Platform: Symbian

Cost: Free

Developer: Metro

Website/Demo: Metro website

We are obsessed with all the mod cons today and like to have the newest shiny devices to hand. But some of us hark back to older technologies, be it the ancient TV you have had since you first left home or the Spectrum collecting dust but you don’t have the heart to throw it away.

If you are one of these nostalgic types perhaps this little application to take you back in telephone history will bring a smile to your face.

The Rotary Dialer does what it says on the tin. After a simple download you can open up the application to give you an old style rotary dialler on your screen. You then simply drag the numbers round to put in who you want to call and the phone does the rest.

Although we say simple, it is instinctive to use but it is incredibly time consuming, as with a rotary dialer itself. You cannot access your phone book to check numbers either so it really does take you back to the first days of mobiles where you had to have a great memory to call anyone.

There is also no texting option which if you are going to go for the effort of making a call with this and start to enjoy the interface, perhaps adding in more functions would have been a bonus for such a simplified application.

The interface is stylish with a faux wooden background and smooth dialler design but excluding the dialling, the ability to refresh if you make a mistake and the exit button there is nothing more to it.

Of course, no-one dare charge for such a simple and often frustrating app so there is no harm it giving it a go. Download time and install were more than easy and who doesn’t appreciate an app with a missing price tag?

We admit it is kitsch and a nice thing to try once and we see the thinking behind creating something that almost feels like a retro fashionable device.

However the novelty fades and soon after downloading you curse the thing for taking so long.

The Rotary Dialer will probably fester away in your apps folder gathering dust like the previously mentioned Spectrum.

Rotary Dialer info

Ease of use:
Value:
Features:
Overall

Platform: Symbian

Cost: Free

Developer: Offscreen Technologies

Website/Demo: Rotary Dialer website