Summer's here.. and its raining. Time to check the budget airlines and consider our options. Lower roaming charges means that using your Nokia smartphone abroad is more appealing than ever and there are plenty of Symbian S60 apps to help get the most from your trip. So, whether you're packing a Nokia N97 or even the Nokia 5800, find out what are the best travel apps ever...
It's time to pack your beach towel, flip flops and lotion and hit the beach. But what are you going to do once the sun starts to burn? If you're any sense, go exploring and these latest apps for your Nokia 5800 and Nokia N97 smartphones will help you lead the way!
N97 Compass
Price: £Free
Size: 0.101 MB
Download: Nokia Ovi Store
N97Compass will tell you where you are and help you get your bearing even when there is no GPS signal available. The app exploits the N97's magnetometer compass and can be 'calibrated' by rotating the phone to ensure a more accurate reading.
World Traveler
Price: £Free
Size: 1.11 MB
Download: Nokia Ovi Store
World Traveller is bundled with some Nokia N97 but should work on most S60 phones. The app is an open platform for travel applets - downloading it now will get you a world map (with 3D globe) currency converter, weather forcast and world clock. Psiloc have opened the app up to other developers to create plugins that will do other things, although these add-ons may cost money.
Flashlight for Nokia 5800
Price: £Free
Size: 0.231 MB
Download: Nokia Ovi Store
Ever woken up in a strange bed and not had a clue where you are, or tried to find the toilet in a new hotel room only to walk face-first into the wall? Flashlight will light up your screen with an adjustable glow that should be enough see where you are going or even read the paper if your 3G connection is down.
One Beer Please Translator
Price: £1.00
Size: 0.039 MB
Download: Nokia Ovi Store
Possibly the ultimate travel app. One Beer Please will teach you how to order a pint in 60 languages with sound clips to ensure correct pronunciation.
Battery Extender
Price: £Free (14 day trial)
Size: 0.201 MB
Download: Nokia Ovi Store
Of course, using all those lovely apps is bound to put a dent in your phone's battery life - and there is nothing worse than being stranded in foreign land with no pips, or having to leave your phone in your room to charge. Battery Extender aims to streamline your Nokia's power usage by turning off inessential services and cleverly maging running apps. The makers reckon you can squeeze another 30 per cent of juice from your phone with some fine tuning.
Before you can download any of these apps you'll need to register your device with Ovi Store, which also entitles you to updates and message alerts from Nokia and is a great way of keeping abreast of what's going on at the Ovi Store.