Nokia N96 app review – DivX Mobile Player

Name: DivX Mobile Player

Description: video player

Summary: The DivX Mobile Player has been around for a while now yet it is still one of the best movie players out. The key to this applications success is in the name “DivX”, as you probably know this is a very popular digital video format.

DivX is also very good quality and able to compress the file without much loss of quality. Since size doesn’t matter to us when we have 16GB laying around to play,  it also supports AVI and MPEG which in my case would be the majority of  video formats that I would work with it.

This application is very simple to use and it will automatically scan your phone for compatible videos. Many will argue that it doesn’t support that many formats but I think that they are missing the point of this application. The point is to watch movies which were designed for not all little recorded clips and received videos so why support them.

DivX Player’s party piece is that its able to organize your media by sorting files by name, file size and duration. There are loads of settings to mess around with, like the brightness, contrast, color saturation, and it allows you to play around with the soundtracks.

Overall: Well, personally I love it, it’s always one of the first applications I install. If you’re still not convinced, then how about this: It’s free, so give it ago!

Rating: 9/10

Nokia N96 App Review – ShakeSMS

Name: ShakeSMS v1.04

Description: Enables you to view a new text message by simply shaking your device, as opposed to pressing buttons.

Summary: ShakeSMS is another in the series of applications being made compatible for the N96 and other newer devices.

Its purpose is simple and effective, making it even quicker to view an incoming text message. Simply shaking the phone will unlock it and open the message. Another shake and the phone will go back to the previous screen and lock again.

Once you have read your message you can also set the application to reply or delete a message by tilting it in the selected direction. You can also set it to do nothing if you so wish.

Here are some of the options available:

• Sensitivity
• Shake-New SMS (view SMS & Unlock or View SMS only)
• Screen Left, Right, Forward & Back gives you the choice of – Reply SMS, Back & Lock, Delete SMS, SMS list, Do Nothing
• Autostart (Yes, No & Hide)

Quite a nifty application but I wouldn’t say it is a must-have.

ShakeSMS is freeware but does require signing.

Rating: 7/10

Download: ShakeSMS v1.04

Enjoy!

Nokia N96 App Review – FlipSilent

Name: FlipSilent v1.06

Description: Turns incoming sounds silent by turning the phone on its face.

Summary: Slowly, these older accelerometer-based applications are having their codes re-written for compatibility with the the new S60 sensor framework which is present in newer devices such as the N96.

FlipSilent is a popular application that mutes ring tones and alarms on your phone by simply turning it on its face.  There is no need to press any buttons or use the slider to make this work, simply turning it on its face will mute the ring tone or alarm. When you turn it back over, the previous profile will be returned, or not, depending on your set-up.

There are various settings to get it running for your preference, including:

• FlipOver-Profile (changes your profile to the selected once flipped)
• FlipOver-Call (either mutes or hangs up the call once flipped)
• FlipOver-Alarm (turns the alarm to snooze or stops it)
• FlipBack-Profile (selects the required profile once the phone is turned back over)
• AutoStart (important feature of selecting whether or not to have the application start automatically when the phone is booted up)

If you decide to have this on all the time you need to make sure you never place your phone face down or have it face down on your thigh in your pocket when sitting at your desk!  If you do, you will not hear any incoming calls or alarms!

FlipSilent is freeware but does require signing.

Rating: 8/10 – Very handy

Download: FlipSilent v1.06

Enjoy!

Nokia N96 App Review – Opera Mini

Name: Opera Mini Version: 4.2

Description: Mobile web browser

Summary: If you haven’t heard of Opera Mini or haven’t got round to installing a different browser on your handset, now is the time to do so. Opera Mini is, as their website puts it, built for speed. It increases speed by compressing web pages by up to 90% of its original size, making your mobile browsing a pleasure.

When compared to the built-in browser on the N96, the difference is easily recognised. The layout is simple and user friendly, offering a range of settings to tweak for your preference.

One of its best features is the way it automatically adjusts the screen to fit the text displayed on the web page, reducing the need for constant scrolling. Other features include speed dial, which assigns shortcuts, and Opera link, which allows you to synchronise your bookmarks if you have Opera running on your PC. This browser is completely free and is available for download from the Opera website.

  

Rating: 9/10

Download: http://www.opera.com/mini/