Nokia N97 Widgets
Until relatively recently many people would have associated the word ‘widget’ with the small device used by breweries to make sure that a canned or bottled beverage generated a decent amount of head once opened to give the same results as a hand-pulled pint. However, that all changed when widgets became the buzzword associated with miniature programmes used on mobile phones and home computers to provide the user with a quick way of accessing information, launching a larger application or just customising the look and feel of their device’s interface. When the Nokia N97 was first released, it was its array of advanced widgets and the fully customisable homescreen that got people talking and these features remain its strongest asset even today.
The Nokia N97 widgets come in a variety of forms and whilst there are other mobile phones out there that offer a similarly diverse collection, most are just not as clever as those available on the N97. For example, the Facebook widget is not just a link that opens up the browser and takes you to the main Facebook page, it is a living, breathing widget that stays open on your homescreen and automatically keeps itself up to date with the latest status updates, picture uploads and messages that you receive.
Facebook is not the only one of the Nokia N97 widgets that can provide up to the minute information to your homescreen. There is an Accuweather widget that lets you know the forecast for your region with live updates, as well as an email widget to link you to your account without relying on you keeping the browser window open the whole time. The people who you keep in contact with most frequently can also be given a place on your homescreen in their own contacts widget, which is a great way to get in touch quickly, or get an instant alert when one tries to contact you. If you like the sound of these widgets, then you will certainly enjoy browsing through the many more miniature applications that you can download from the Ovi Store. This is Nokia’s download service and it can be accessed from the homescreen as well via its own little widget.
Organising the Nokia N97 Widgets on your homescreen couldn’t be simpler. It involves opening an options toolbar and choosing to organise your content. Because the homescreen works on a grid system, with each widget taking up a set proportion of the screen, everything looks nice and regimented and when you choose to organise your widgets you can slide them around and snap them into their new positions in a sort of gentle digital ballet.
Now the result of all this customisability can be a rather crowded homescreen. This is not exactly a problem, because the capabilities this creates are well worth a bit of clutter and many people will thrive on the proliferation of the Nokia N97 widgets. However, it is possible to quickly brush all of your widgets under the rug, so to speak, with the tap of a single portion of the touch screen. There is a small circular button located next to the name of your current operator at the top of the screen and by giving this a gentle tap you can hide all of the widgets that you have lined up on the homescreen, with only the date, time and profile that you have the phone set to visible. This little idea could be one of the strongest and without it the N97 would still be great, but when you are looking to take a break from the often hectic world which the widgets present you with there is no better way to do so.
