From the GPS to the accelerometer, your Nokia N97 is stuffed with a surprising array of precision instruments and it only takes a little tinkering to get the very best out them. What's more, as it runs the Nokia N97 Mini runs the same OS, you'll find the same skills inside the new mini-marvel too. Here we bring you five apps that will let you measure angles, altitude, and so much more....
Here we look at the latest apps from the Nokia Ovi Store that make the most of measuring things with your Nokia N97 or Nokia N97 Mini.
Check out our Top Five Nokia N97 Mapping and Navigation Apps
Angle Meter Touch
Size: 0.379 MB
Price: £1.00
Make good use of the actually rather accurate tilt-sensor in your N97 with Angle Meter Touch. Tilt the phone to measure angles of up to 180 degrees. You can zero the meter to start measuring again from a fixed point, so don't worry about getting things absolutely flat from the outset.
G-Meter
Size: 0.203 MB
Price: £3.00
We were rather hoping this would have something to do with either '80s cartoon Battle of the Planets or Fiddy Cent's G-Unit. But no. G-Meter uses the accelerometer to measure the current value and direction of the G-force acting on the phone (and, presumably, on you). Try this the next time you go on a rollercoaster and 'impress' your friends with the full facts about your trip to Alton Towers.
Seismograph Touch
Size: 0.458 MB
Price: Free
Did the Earth move for you? No, seriously, did it move? With Seismograph Touch you can finally settle this tricky bedroom discussion once and for all. With a cute 'wobbly pencil' graphic just like a real earthquake detector (or at least the ones we have seen in films) you can plot any vibration detected by your N97's accelerometer. We're not sure we would trust this to warn of an imminent 'quake, mind.
Analogue Altimeter Touch
Size: 0.314 MB
Price: £1.00
Link: Analogue Altimeter Touch
The next time you find yourself falling from a plane, it's good to know you can rely on Analogue Altimeter Touch to tell you when to deploy your chute. This app uses your phone's GPS receiver to calculate your height relative to sea level and the makers claim it is accurate to one meter. Skydiving aside, this could be handy for hikers or even just giving a rough estimate of the height of a building.
Time Machine
Size: 0.054 MB
Price: £3.00
Time Machine is an app for measuring the passage of time. We know what you are thinking - you already have one of those and you call it a 'clock' in your house. Well, yes, but also no. What Time Machine does is let you see the time elapsed from significant moments, or the tim eleft before another moment occurs. You can instantly see your exact age - to the second if you know exactly when you were born - and see progress bars that illustrate how long until upcoming anniversaries or meetings. It is a genuinely useful and different way of visualising the passage of time and worth your, er, time.