Truphone ring tone

The guys at Truphone have come up with a great idea to tell you whether your call is free.

WorldMate

WorldMate is a great smartphone application providing several utilities for travellers. World clocks, currency converter, local and world weather, weather announcer - and the great news is it's free. The Pro version adds realtime flight data and satellite imagery of the weather. It's worth installing for the local weather alone. Available for several platforms including Nokia Series 60 and BlackBerry.

Nokia Series 60 smartphones

A useful feature on Nokia Series 60 smartphones which isn't immediately obvious is the ability to task switch between running programmes. Press and hold the menu key (the one with the 'swirl' on) and a list pops up. Highlight to select the application or highlight and press 'clear' to exit the application.

Sat-Nav security

Satellite navigation devices, like TomTom, give you the option to set your home address in the device for easy destination selection. However if your device gets stolen then the thief knows where you live and if you're unlucky enough to have your keys stolen as well, you're in trouble! So, when you set the home destination, put in the details for the next street or perhaps a landmark in your street to keep your own address secret.

Recharge your battery on the move

The wide range of applications that smartphones (and other mobile devices) have to cope with these days puts a heavy strain on their batteries. It's clear that battery technology just hasn't kept pace with everything else. Proporta has come up with a brilliant idea that addresses this issue - the Proporta Mobile Survival Kit. This kit incorporates a battery that you charge via a PC USB port (or separate mains adaptor) which then holds enough power for multiple smartphone (or other mobile device) charges. Connectivity is via a selection of adaptors - some supplied & many others available. Although it means carrying around an additional device, you won't be left with a flat phone battery at a crucial moment.

Warning - new malware threat

If you get a message saying you've received an ecard from a friend - don't open it, delete it immediately. This is a real threat and not a spoof - I've received the emails myself. Further information from F-Secure.