12 must have Symbian apps : Review and download !!

Trying out different apps on a Symbian gadget is really fun. One finds useful and interesting apps being developed all the time. Now with Nokia's acquisition of the Symbian platform rest assured this is the platform of choice ( did somebody say Google Android ?, we'll see when it comes).

So , what are the must have apps on a S60 2nd edition device ( or even a 3rd edition one ) :

Browsers : Accessing internet on the go is one main reason of having a smartphone, isn't it? This is how we can get the most out of GPRS ( I just can't wait for the 3G launch for private players) :

• Opera Mini : This is one software I guess all smartphones must have, what with the java version also out there. Landscape browsing and zoom view are it's biggest plus.

• UCWeb Browser : This one comes in Chinese but there is the English translated version by Akushah. Tabbed browsing and in-built downloader with resume capability makes this one really special.

Downloader : What's the point in having an unlimited GPRS plan when you can't download files of larger size. These tools make downloading big files a piece of cake :

• Fget : The ability to resume downloads and work in background make it worth ahving on our device, even though the UCWeb browser with its in-built downloader has really made this one redundant.

• Symtorrent : I have already covered thisone in my earlier post. The only working torrent downloader on Symbian platform. Amazing software to have.

Audio/Video players : Multimedia is what mobile phones are all-about now a days. See how to get the most out of your Symbian gadget with these apps in this post :

• Divx Player : We need to install the xvid codec along with this and play files in avi format in addition to mp4 and 3gp.

• Smartmovie Player : Nothing to separate this from the previous one.

• Mp3 Players : There are quite a few mp3 players. Download these and find which one works for you.

Miscellaneous : Some softwares to make our life easy :

• SFManager : This is a file browser/explorer which makes it easy to browse through files on our memory cards. The native browsing system on these devices can be really frustrating at times.

• Adobe Reader : We know this must have app to go through our pdf files

• Pdf + (mBrain Software): A great lighter alternative to Adobe

• Screenshot ( http://www.rock-your-mobile.com product ): This one is for people like me who like to take a screenshot of their device screen for blogging or other posting purposes.

• Flashlight : A great tool for Nokia N70, to turn your camera flashlight into a torch. It's amazing to see what a powerful torch a N70 is !!

Direct Download most of these here....

If you have a terrific Symbian app in mind, do Disqus !!

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Simple2Learn Quarterly Review : It's pagerank 3 now.

Simple2learn is a Pagerank 3 blog now, after yesterday's Google Pagerank update. Last update in January saw the blog rise to pagerank 2 from 0 and I did a post to simplify the Google Pagerank technology and how important it is plus a list of my favourite sites to analyse our websites. Take a look.

A higher Google Pagerank simply means that the site has been linked to by a good number of sites and it helps a website to rank higher in Google searches done by people across the web.

I strictly believe an overkill of Pagerank and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) should be strictly avoided as it takes the focus off quality of CONTENT, but at the same time a few simple things done the right way never hurts !!

In this weekend post let's analyse the progress made by Simple2Learn this quarter :

1. Blogcatalog : Blogcatalog and Mybloglog are 2 of the best networking sites for bloggers. While I joined Mybloglog recently in February, I have been a member of Blogcatalog since November when I really started blogging. While my BC score/point has been around a meagre 25 ( primarily because I haven't started many discusions or groups ) I have benefitted a lot as the focus has been on making quality friends and trying to follow each others blogs.

2. Technorati : An amazing search engine for weblogs, tags and keywords. Keep checking what's hot in your niche and how we can discuss about them in our posts. A technorati fave or backlinks has a lot of weight , it seems. I guess Simple2Learn's Technorati authority (backlinks )was 7-8 during last pagerank update and currently it's 16.

3. Digg/Stumbleupon : While I joined the bookmarking and link submission giants Digg and StumbleUpon almost at the sametime when I resurrected my blog in November, I am still discovering them and have started exploring them only now. But I hear they are terrific ways to promote your posts and articles.

4. Google FriendConnect/Followers widget : The best way to show appreciation for a blogger/blogspot blog and connect with fellow bloggers.

5. Feedburner RSS feed : Most people use Google Reader and many other online feed readers or softwares to keep themselves updated on blogs/websites they like. A must for all frequently updated websites.

6. Directory Submission and Indexing: Simple2Learn features in many reputed link submission directories. Most importantly Simple2Learn was submitted to Google directory through Google Webmaster or Google Analytics ( for analysing traffic), in Yahoo's directory through Yahoo Site Explorer and to MSN for indexing.

7. Ping : With so many social networking sitesand other tools mentioned above it's important to let them know of our site's updates. Ping-o-matic is a great tool for pinging most of these at once. But I think it helps to keep logging in most of these wabsites manually and checking their updates and notifying them of ours.

Enjoy your weekend and review your progress.

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The Friday Movie Post : Al Pacino's 5 best flicks !!

I guess I had to write this one. Everytime I would think of doing a post on movies, I would get stuck on his name. Al Pacino is easily one of the finest actors off all time. In my book he is right up there. Here I would list his 5 performances I loved the most. Let's get started :

1. The Godfather II : Not much to say about this one. I read the book by the same name, a masterpiece by Mario Puzzo, before I saw the trilogy. Pacino as Michael Corleone delivers the performance of a lifetime and earned an Osacar nomination. If there has been a movie close to perfection, it's this one. Might sound exaggarated but tell me how many people haven't seen this one and how many disagree with me !!

2. Scent of A Woman : This one finally earned him an Oscar after 8 nominations. An older Al Pacino is absolutely brilliant in an otherwise low profile movie. Pacino plays the part of Lt. Colonel Frank Slade, a blind and retired army officer and delivers some of the most memorable dialogues. Another out and out Al Pacino flick, though Chris O' Donnell delivers a convincing performance in the role of a prep school student.

3. Dog Day Afternoon : This is one of his lesser known but for many one of his finest. This one will make anyone fall in love with Al Pacino's character Sonny Wortzik if not with the man himself. A comic situation ending on a tragic note, another Oscar nomination that he couldn't convert. John Cazale as Sal, Pacino's partner in crime delivers a performance of his lifetime.

4. ...And Justice For All : Another one that makes it impossible not to love Al Pacino. Pacino as an ethical defence lawyer Arthur Kirkland defending a Judge he despises , is absolutely brilliant in this movie which made a great statement on he American Judicial System of those days, in its own satirical way. Another Oscar nomination.

5. Scarface : No Oscar nominations and yet thiso ne is a legend and one of his most remembered performances. A dark and violent movie starring Al Pacino as Tony Montana, an illegal Cuban immigrant who takes the drug empire by storm. Movie has a lot of profanity, what with almost every dialogue having the forbidden f word, but one for the Al Pacino fans.

Those who have watched these are the fortunate ones and those who haven't are still fortunate as they would have the time of their lives when they watch the Pacino Classics.

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Pay for Antivirus Protection : You must be kidding !!

Protecting our PC's from virus, trojans, spyware, malware.... is top on most people's mind. I have seen people getting real paranoid, linking everything wrong with their PC's to a virus problem instead of identifying what's really wrong.

I believe we don't really need to pay for antivirus and antispyware. Not for our Personal Computers, though it makes sense for an organization to go for it. Just get the right combination of free antivirus and antispyware installed. We tend to think that free antivirus softwares are not that effective, but....

Believe me, they are really effective and they don't even take a toll on your computer's memory like some of the highly rated antivirus's that cost.

Following are the best free antivirus/ antispyware softwares : A Simple2Learn presentation.

Antivirus

1. AVG antivirus : I guess it needs no introduction and it's really effective. Just keep it updated.

2. Avira antivirus : Another one that works really well and is really free.

Antispyware

1. Spybot antispyware: A very effective spyware and absolutely light on your system.

2. Ad aware antispyware: Another top of the line free software. You can upgrade it if you want but the free edition is good enough.

Just install one antivirus and one antispyware each and stop fussing. I prefer AVG antivirus with Spybot. Just keep them updated and those of you who have been using the obvious highly rated antiviruses will finally get to feel what it is like to have softwares that don't take all your system's memory.

And yes please remember any antivrus protection is mostly preventive. So there is absolutely no point in cursing the software if we install it after the damage has been done. Install them beforehand : prevention is better than cure ( cliche but so true !! ) .

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