There is a new edition of JoikuSpot, the app that turns your Nokia smartphone into a local wifi hotspot wherever you are, and it looks slick. JoikuSpot Premium Edition 3.1 sports a new graphical 1-click interface. As with previous editions, there is a free version and a paid version. The free version does the trick, but is totally open and unencrypted. Since I don’t particularly want someone intercepting my passwords, financial information, user IDs or the content of my messages while I am out and about, I much prefer paying the $9.99 (USD) for the Premium version. The Premium version also gave me the ability to rename my JoikuSpot local area network, which made it easy to spot amongst the crowded airwaves in my city.

So, what was it like to install and use this sofware on my Nokia N8? The answer was very easy, once I knew a trick about my Nokia N8′s setup for Wifi access. The trick is this: If you are setting up your JoikuSpot network in a location where you have previously set a preferred Wifi access, then you need to switch off that Wifi access in order to start JoikuSpot. The device cannot process two wifi networks simultaneously.  In my case, simply walking far enough away from my home Wifi network also did the trick. After all, JoikuSpot is for places other than home, places where you do not already have a Wifi connection.

To test it out, I took my Nokia N8 and my PC laptop to a local park bench.  The app asked me for an access point, and I chose AT&T Internet from among the access points available through my AT&T account.

The next thing I knew, I was looking at the JoikuSpot Premium dashboard. I quickly renamed the network by clicking on Options and then just adding the word premium and my first name to the network name instead of the long string of numbers.

The software also showed me a network password (encryption key), which I changed into something that I could more easily remember on the road.

Next, it was time to connect my PC to the new wifi hotspot. I opened my wireless access application and saw this among the PC’s list of wireless networks detected.

I clicked on the “premiummartin” network, typed in the encryption key, and it immediately connected, as shown above.  The list also indicates that it is an encrypted network.  I double-clicked on the network listing  on my PC above, and got the screen listing below, which showed that the signal strength was excellent, as was the speed of the JoikuSpot Premium network.

On my Nokia N8, I clicked on the second tab on the dashboard, and it showed that the JoikuSpot Premium app was indeed aware that my HP laptop was a participant on the wifi network.

With the connection made, I started Web browsing on my laptop in the middle of the park. It quickly brought up the day’s news from the local newspaper, as shown below.

JoikuSpot Light, the free version of JoikuSpot, is available in Ovi Store.

My recommendation for security purposes, however, is the premium version, which is available in Ovi Store for $9.99 (USD).

Maybe it’s my engineer brain, or maybe it’s a character flaw, but I love to mess stuff up. Case in point: the camera in my N900 takes wonderful, crisp photos. 5 mega-pixel sensor. Carl Zeiss optics. Naturally, I look for ways to play with the pics. Grimace from François Agrech lets me mess with the photos and create fun images.

Grimace costs $4.99 (USD) in Ovi Store and is compatible with the Nokia N900.

Using Grimace is easy. Thinking about what you want to use it for is half the fun.

Let’s start with the easy. Grimace is perfect for distorting images of people.

The first screen in Grimace invites you to select an image on your N900:

Select image and grid resolution to begin.

When you select an image, Grimace presents visual tips that show exactly how to accomplish two basic steps:

First, drag the nodes of the grid to interesting edges in your image. For a face, place corners around the outline of the head and then define the mouth, eyes, and/or cheeks. At this point you are moving the grid independent of the underlying image :

Place grid corners in interesting places ...

Once you’re happy with the grid locations, click to the next step to distort the image. You are now moving the grid and the underlying image:

... then distort the grid and underlying image.

As you move the grid corners, you see the image morph in real time. The first few times I did this I wished I had placed the grid corners a bit differently. If that happens to you, don’t worry. Just click the back arrows, shift the grid, and try again.

Now that you understand the basics, let your imagination run wild. For example, I decided to play with an image I took of a sunset reflected in my car:

The image does not need to be a face.

I selected the rear window as the "face" to distort.

I distorted the main image, and also eliminated the car roof so the sky and the reflected sky touch.

When you like what you see, save the image. Now you can share it, use it as wall paper, or play with it any way you would with any other image.

Save, share, enjoy, and try it again!

Grimace offers distorted fun with your Nokia N900 mobile computer for only $4.99.

Did you forget your glow stick to your favorite concert ? Don’t worry! If you have Party Sprite on your phone, you are always ready for a rave party or a concert! Party Sprite is a cool application that turns your phone into a customizable glow stick. This app was built using the Qt framework by a single developer in his free time! Let’s dive right in to learn more.

The home screen layout is simple. To start the glow stick functionality, select the ‘Start’ option. To stop, simply tap the screen.

The ‘Settings’ option will help you change the mode and the frequency of the display screens. The different modes that are available are: ‘Color’, ‘Traffic Light’, ‘Rainbow’ and ‘Cartoon’. By moving the ‘Frequency’ slider control from left to right, you can speed up the display transitions.

In the ‘Color’ mode, your phone display glows with a single color. You can select the color of your choice (shown in the picture below) by clicking on the ‘Color’ button in the ‘Settings’ menu.

If you want your display to change colors, try the ‘Traffic Light’ mode. In this mode, the display circles between red, yellow and green colors. In this mode, my phone looked like a real traffic light but one that’s in a hurry!

If you prefer a multicolor glow screen, you can select the ‘Rainbow’ mode. In the ‘Rainbow Mode’, your display will have multiple colored sections as shown below. These colored sections fill your screen from top to bottom until they fill it. This cycle repeats based on your frequency settings.

If you feel a bit more adventurous, you can have a cartoon on display in the ‘Cartoon’ mode. You can select the cartoon of your choice from the available choice by clicking ‘Cartoon’ mode as shown below.

My favorite cartoon is the ‘Bear’. This mode will display a bear changing colors rapidly. If the image quality in this mode is improved, the app will look even better. Here’s a snapshot:

Party Sprite is available for $0.99 (USD) in the Ovi Store.

So, next time you are at a concert or a rave party, do give ‘Party Sprite’ a try!

Action Bowling brings the game of 10-pin bowling to advanced Nokia Symbian devices, complete with the realistic ability to bowl curves. Unlike a real-life bowling alley, this mobile game also lets you set up difficult shots – such as a split – and practice them to your heart’s content.

Unlike many other bowling games, Action Bowling by Kronos Games Online uses your Nokia device’s accelerometer. This means you can control the ball by swinging your device, much as you would swing a bowling ball. The big difference is, you don’t release the device! Instead, you grip the phone firmly in one hand; press the screen with your thumb; swing the device back and then forward; and finally, release your thumb. To curve the ball’s trajectory, turn your wrist to the right or left while swinging forward.

You can also bowl the ball by swiping the device’s screen. To do this, simply flick your index finger upward across the screen. Flicking in a straight line makes the ball follow a straight line. Flicking in a crescent shape, either to the right or left, causes the ball to curve as it rolls down the lane.

This short video demo by Camb078 from the French Blog N8 shows how the game looks on the Nokia N8:

You can also modify the ball’s position and path. To move it left or right from the centre position, drag the ball to your desired location along the baseline. To change the ball’s path, tap on the red line extending upward from the ball (see the screenshot below), then drag it right or left as desired.

Even before you play, Action Bowling gives you a heap of options. You can play alone or with others in what is called Pass & Play mode, which allows up to four players to compete on a single device. You can also select from any of a dozen colourful bowling balls:

Another option: Select any of a dozen alleys or formats, some rather elaborate, with equally elaborate names, including Biohazard, Sunny, Orbit, and Candy. For example, here is a screenshot of Dynasty:

Now it is time to play. You may need a few tries to get the bowling methods coordinated. But once you do, if you have ever bowled in a real alley and know how to keep score, then Action Bowling is straightforward. Just as you do with real-life bowling, you get 10 frames, two bowls per frame, strikes and spares, etc. Unlike the real-life version, Action Bowling does the scoring for you, then, at the end of each game, provides you with your statistics (as you can see, I am not a pro):

Another cool option: Practice mode. This puts the game offline – there is no scoring in Practice mode – and lets you select the pins you want to try knocking over. You can shoot in Practice mode as many times as you want, and if you want to repeat a shot several times, that’s fine, too.

For example, in the next screenshot, you can see me setting up a split in Practice mode. First, the pin configuration is shown, and you remove as many pins as you like by tapping on them. Below, to set up the split, I removed all but the 7 and 10 pins. When ready, tap Done; the pin configuration icon disappears, the actual pins are configured according to your setup, and you are ready to take your first practice bowl.

Tired of bowling? Action Bowling also offers a bowling trivia game. You are presented with multiple-choice questions about bowling and the game’s history. For example, ‘In bowling terms, what is the kingpin?’ The choices: a PBA (Professional Bowlers Association) champion; a perfect 300 game bowler; the number 5 pin; or Roy Munson, a fictional bowling champion from the movie Kingpin. (Spoiler alert: See the end of this review for the answer.)

The Action Bowling trivia game offers a total of 165 questions, but your game ends as soon as you get five answers wrong. You then receive your score; mine was a lowly seven correct answers.

Overall, I enjoyed playing Action Bowling, though there were some glitches. In my tests on a Nokia N8, touch commands could be sluggish. I sometimes had to tap a command multiple times before it responded. Ditto for the motion control. Sometimes it worked perfectly, but other times, the game confused my attempts to bowl the ball with trying to change the ball’s trajectory.

High on my wish list for Action Bowling: new options for the game’s background music. Currently, you have only one choice, and it is repetitive, tuneless and definitely not cool. Thankfully, the Settings page (or your device’s volume control) lets you set the music to low, or even off.

Action Bowling is available on Ovi Store, and it costs $1.99 (USD). The app runs on advanced Symbian touchscreen devices: Nokia N8, Nokia C7-00, Nokia C6-01, and Nokia E7-00. But note, Action Bowling is a large file at over 19.5 megabytes. So it is best to install this game on your device’s mass (as opposed to phone) memory.

Oh, and the answer to that bowling trivia question? The number 5 pin.

Yes, you may have seen that the new Angry Birds Seasons is available for other mobile platforms … but guess what? It is also available for download on your new Nokia Symbian device like the Nokia N8, too.

If you have not downloaded the Seasons game yet, it is available for $1.99 (USD) in Ovi Store, and in addition to content with a Valentine’s Day theme, you will also get the set for Halloween and Christmas/Winter, too.

Now, if you already have the game installed, don’t worry – you are not going to have to buy it again. The good folks at Rovio Mobile have added an in-app update, so you can get the latest version of the game online, and install it directly to your device.

How do you get it? When the game first loads up, you will see a symbol of a globe/earth with an arrow on it in the lower right-hand corner of the screen. Click on that icon, and your web browser will open. At which point, you will see an invitation to download the update, like this:

Follow the instructions provided to install the game. Now, to be honest, this might merit a little more explanation.

To open the “file manager” first open the Applications folder, and then open the folder labeled “Office”. From there, you will see a folder labeled “File mgr.” – open it, and you will see a list of locations for memory on the phone. Select “E: Mass memory” and then open the folder labeled “download”.

You still with me? You’re almost there! You will see an update file for “angrybirdseasons_v1.2.0_update” – as soon as you click on that file, the installation process will start automatically on your device. It will take a minute or two to complete, but then the new version of the game will be installed.

When you look  for the game in your list of Applications, it will still be labeled Angry Birds, and show the cute (yet tough looking) red bird in the Santa-style hat. Click to open the game, and suddenly, Angry Birds Seasons will have a lovely pink hue to the background as the game loads.

Click “Play” and away you go … Fifteen more levels of pig-smashing good fun, plus what appear to be three bonus levels, too. Remember, you must successfully complete a level before you can move on to the next one.

If you have trouble figuring out how to solve any of the levels, the team at Rovio Mobile have uploaded videos showing the game play of each level for this new version of Angry Birds Seasons. The video below shows you level 1 in action – and all I can tell you is: Aim High! You’ll have to figure out the rest of the game on your own. (We can’t be there to do it for you, now can we?)

The pigs may look all sweet and charming, and the pink trees and gently floating hearts make you think it is all lovey-dovey, but don’t be fooled. The pig’s construction prowess is better than ever! It will take lots of Angry Birds – and well-placed aim from your slingshot to defeat them!

Again, if you haven’t downloaded Angry Birds Seasons yet, you can pick up the full series for $1.99 (USD) in Ovi Store.

And, if you already have the earlier version of the game, you’re just a few clicks away from getting the newest “Season” as a free Valentine’s Day gift from Rovio Mobile to you!

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner … Are you ready? Do you have what it takes to make the day extra special for that someone special in your life?

Maybe a tip or two will do the trick. The developers at Nextwave Multimedia have created a quick reference app called Tips for Valentine’s Day that offers some practical guidance – as well as some color-based clues that might help you to interpret whether or not you’re on the right track in your pursuit of love.

But, before we begin, let’s review the “disclaimer” in the app … it seems only fair.

As they note, we should all hope for a day that is blunder-free this coming Monday!

The app is fairly straightforward. The home screen shows you the two main sections of the app. Pick a section, and the swipe to the left to move to the next screen.

The section of “Dressing Tips” is guidance about what different colors could mean when worn by that certain someone you are trying to impress.

The Do’s and Don’ts offer tips for things that are common sense guidance, but perhaps ideas you might not have thought about on your own.

I won’t share all of the advice contained in the app here – that would ruin the fun. But the two tips below did seem worth sharing to me. In particular, read the “Don’t” example! I think it’s a clever twist, and one that might score some points with you know who …

So, you might not need this app everyday, but for the next few days, Tips for Valentine’s Day might merit a homescreen shortcut on your Nokia smartphone.

Tip’s for Valentine’s Day is free to download from Ovi Store.

And, for fun, if you want more content with a Valentine’s theme, check out the 3 game pack available from Nextwave in Ovi Store:

Have a great weekend, and a Happy Valentine’s Day.

What can you buy for $1.00 today? Not much, we seem to re-discover almost daily. But 99 cents? That’ll buy you a whole truckload of fun if you choose to spend it at Ovi Store for a game called Aporkalypse – Pigs of Doom. This Java-based game from HandyGames is likely to make you, ahem, squeal with delight.

And we’re not just saying that. (Why would we?) Aporkalypse is a witty, well-designed side-scroller that constantly tests your logic skills in the most entertaining of ways. It really is a hoot and a half to play. See for yourself in this short video demo of the game:

The game’s porcine premise is that the gates of heaven and hell have opened prematurely and it’s now up to the four Pigs of Doom – Hunger Pig, War Pig, Pest Pig, and Death Pig, aka the “heroes of Ham”  - to find all the escaped angels and demons and return them to their rightful places in the cosmos.

This calls for puzzling your way across a landscape of up and down staircases, yawning gaps, sliding platforms, gates triggered by buttons, and more. There are gold coins sprinkled here and there to collect, as well, and lots of obstacles to avoid: spikes in the ground, icy surfaces, brittle pave stones, for instance.

All this means there’s a good deal of puzzle-solving to do – figuring out where to go next, and how to get there – and most certainly, you’ll have to keep your wits about you. At every turn, what‘s more, enemy pigs lurk to thwart your advance. The evil Angel and Devil pigs are out to steal your coins, and they often wield deadly weapons to help them do their dirty work.

Fortunately, the forces of good, as embodied in the hero pigs, have their own set of spig-tacular powers: War Pig, for instance, can shoot enemies from a distance – helpful to clear a section of the playing field so that you can reach more coins or proceed towards a gate you’ve just triggered to open. Pest Pig emits a horrible stink that immobilizes enemies and Death Pig can turn itself into a ghost who walks on clouds. In some cases, you’ll have control of more than one of these pigs at the same time, switching back and forth between them to coordinate their actions against the enemy.

Sounds wacky? You bet, but it’s all done with a great sense of humor, underscored by a on-going series of witty, tongue-in-cheek text panels that pop up every so often to keep you informed of the evolving storyline.

Game-play is accomplished simply by tapping a fingertip or stylus across your phone’s touchscreen. At each tap, a pig either changes the direction it’s facing or moves one square in that direction. With 30 game levels to get through, you’ll be tapping a good deal, so get used to it.

And remember, all this for just $0.99 (USD) in Ovi Store. Put your money down and get Aporkalypse – Pigs of Doom. You’ll be happier than a pig in . . . shame on you!

Visit HandyGames for additional information.