Perhaps we take it as a given now, but the amount of sensor technology in your phone opens a huge number of avenues for useful and 'smart' applications. Finding ways to use the GPS and that big fat data connection has been something developers have been exploring for the last few years, but sometimes the simplest solutions are the most attractive applications. Step forward Traveline Scotland, with a wealth of public transport information.
Nokia Trailers, available exclusively for Nokia's Lumia devices, is an app for easily streaming, downloading and sharing trailers for current and upcoming films. Thanks to a beautifully designed Metro interface and a well thought out feature set, it has the kind of great user experience that every app should aspire too.
Continuing in our series of in-depth reviews of all aspects of the Lumia 800, this time we're looking at the Picture Hub, which is universal to all Windows Phone 7 Mango device. The Picture Hub brings together all of the photos saved to, and captured by, your device. In addition, it brings all of the photographs and imagery in your social networks togeether in one cohesive user experience, along with affording you the ability to share your own photos, and more. This is our definitive, and universal, guide to this part of the operating system.
Feeling more like a web-based Flash game than a full blown commercial title, GameHouse's Droplitz Delight has the Xbox Live branding, the lowest pricing band in Windows Marketplace, and a bundle of bight colours and simple gameplay. It's also the ultimate snack game, missing any attempts at longevity.
Joining the ranks of news websites with their own Windows Phone applications is Time. While Time Mobile doesn't break any new ground in presentation, the strong content and ethos of the weekly news magazine shines through in the content of this application. The UI needs a bit of love and attention, but I can just about forgive that for a first release.
Following on from the success of the Xbox Live title geoDefense, geoDefense Swarm expands the concepts presented in the original title based around the 'tower defense' genre, and manages to improve on the original title without destroying the core concept.
In this part of our in-depth Nokia Lumia 800 review, we take a break from the device and look at the online services offered by Microsoft to all Windows Phone devices. Many people probably don't realise that when they log into WindowsPhone.com not only can they reinstall applications from a list of everything they've ever tried, but they can even find or remotely wipe a lost device. The marketing focus on live tiles tends to miss out the mundane but consummately useful features behind Windows Phone 7.
Burst balloons. That's all you have to do. It's not the most glamorous role for a ninja and his throwing stars, but when you have a job to do, that's what you do, because you are a ninja. If you can't immerse yourself in this game, then you're bursting bubbles on well designed levels with a fair amount of physics going on. And it's a good distraction.
We recently reported that Nokia Reading was finally rolling out to Lumia devices, and only a few days later we have it in our hands here at All About Windows Phone. Here's our in-depth review, exploring every detail of what this latest Nokia exclusive has to offer Lumia toting book worms. What we have here is painless purchasing, and a reading experience that is on par with competing products. The only fly in the ointment is the potential of lock-in for those using multiple device platforms.
Something a little different for a Friday. Frustrated that a lot of the Symbian and Windows phones I wanted to try day to day didn't have a built-in FM transmitter (I'll explain why that's important to me below), I opted to grab the Belkin In Car Tunecast 6 Universal FM Transmitter and try it out and about in the UK. Summary: it works brilliantly, far better (surprisingly) than the few phones which did have the functionality built-in.
