SPB Mobile Shell 3.0

Few days after getting my Samsung Omnia Windows Mobile phone I almost sold it back on eBay because of the horrible user interface. I’m glad I came across this software because it made my phone usable.

Windows Live

Windows live helps keep my contacts in sync. Most business users will probably use Outlook. But if you’re like me and use a non Microsoft office package you will find Windows Live very useful in keeping contact information in Sync. On the PC side contact information can be updated using Windows Live Messenger or using Windows Live Mail Desktop (Contacts). On your Windows  Mobile you can perform a ‘sync’ operation which will download all your contacts to your mobile and also sync any information.  I tend to test a lot of software and that in turn means I reset my phone quite often. This application makes life a lot easy.

MyMobiler

This software works on Windows and Windows Mobile. It allows you to control your windows mobile using your PC. You can view the contents of the Windows Mobile Screen in a PC window or you can configure it to use your windows mobile screen as an additional screen for your computer.

Poket HPH Server

This is a simple php server with SQLite support. This allows me to run little applications on my phone. I like the php web server because of I can write little applications for my phone. 

Opera browser

Comes with the phone and is one of the most useful applications. Web browsing isn’t as good as Safari on the Iphone. But then  again, I think this has more to do with the capacitive touch screen of the iphone than the browser software. 

Shubaroo.com ContactFix

One thing I couldn’t stand about Windows Mobile was the Last Name, First Name format. I use Windows Live to keep all my contacts in sync, but all new contacts are converted in to Outlook format. This little application converts all my contacts in to First Name Last Name format.

ISkoot for Skype

iSkoot uses data over GSM to enable Skype calls from your mobile phone. Iskoot has a local number that is dialled when making a call over Skype. Free minutes from your contract mobile plan are used to make calls. I save a lot of money on international calls using Skype rates.

Remember these settings will only work if used through a 3 network connection (Your mobile phone or Three broadband. So you can’t access your voicemail through your ISP’s connection.

email address :
YourPhoneNumber@3mail.com

Incoming mail server :
imap.three.co.uk

Account type :
IMAP4

username:
YourPhoneNumber

Password:
Your 3 Voice mail pin number

Outgoing (SMTP) mail server:
smtp.three.co.uk

Looks like I’ve picked the rainy season to visit the sunniest island in the Indian ocean. It rained for almost 2 days now. But I missed rain like this, thunderstorms that lasts hours.

It was nice to finally eat food cooked by my mom after about one and a half years.

  
Lunch - Kiri Kos (Jack fruit), Rice, Dhal, Sri Lankan Chicken Curry and a salad.

 
Dinner – Biththara Apper (Egg hoppers) and pork.

Hoppers a very popular item of food in Sri Lanka; they are thin and crispy pancakes which are made from rice flour. The bowl like shape is due to the deep bowl like frying pan where they are fried for few seconds. Egg hoppers have an egg at the centre hence the name.

I give this the no 1 spot mainly because of the amount of time I spend playing it. The Graphics are great. The sound track is OK. Few songs I like to hear while racing –> Disturbed – Stricken and The Crystal Method - Keep Hope Alive along with a song I generally like Kaiser Chiefs - Ruby.

Gears of War

The best graphics I’ve seen in a game. I can’t believe at the time of writing this I still haven’t gone out and got the sequel to this game. This game was mostly fun when playing with other both against other players and when collaborating with them in finishing the story. I’ve finished the game from beginning to end a few times on my own, with my girlfriend and with my brother. This game was most fun when me and my girlfriend played against my flatmate and his friend on a Xbox system link. This game has a good story line, almost as if its an interactive movie. I could easily watch someone else play the story mode. The characters’ behaviour and speech is very believable given the context of the game. Online game play on Xbox live gives this game the edge over Halo 3. Only thing it lacks is good accompanying soundtrack.

Halo 3

By far the best single player first person shooter ever made. (At least from what I’ve tried). While Gears of War is great when playing with people, Halo 3 is one of the best game to play alone. The story is beautiful, the music is absolutely fantastic making the Halo Experience worth every penny. I give this game a lot of points because of the Halo universe (well thought out) and the sound track is probably the best found for any video game.

Descent 2

Very old game, probably available a free download now. This is the first game I played online. By online I mean a modem link when I dialled a friend’s computer using my modem to connect to his pc running this game as a host. The attached video doesn’t make it look very good, its like watching a old cartoon from when you were young. It is one of the first games to ever use six degrees of freedom. (Wikipedia Link)

Portal

Simply mind blowing. One of the better games ever made. This game is a work of art. The developer has a good sense of humour which I enjoyed along with the crazy portals. I won’t go in to words to explain the game. Watch the trailer.

Zuma

This title is in the 10 because of my girlfriend who seems to be addicted to this. This is the first Xbox 360 Arcade game that I bought using Microsoft Points. Considering the amount of hours we’ve spent playing this game I’d say it has been worth every point’.

Guitar Hero

I never owned this game. My old flatmate had this game and I used to play this game quite a lot. While I never became as good as he was, I enjoyed this game quite a lot. I still listen to songs from the game playlist.

Need for Speed 4

I never liked the later versions of Need for Speed, but as you can see from my list, I like racing games. From the Need for speed franchise I believe 4 is what I’ve played the most.  Up until Need for Speed 4 the Need for Speed series had a good soundtrack often including work by Crystal Method.

Call of Duty 3

I never got the hang of Call of Duty 4, but I really liked this game. Good story line. Online game play wasn’t that good though.

Burnout Revenge

One of the best games to play when your mates come around. Even expert drivers can easily fail. This game doesn’t even attempt to be realistic. It is a lot of fun. Xbox Live makes it even better. One German cheering me on while a Japanese guy is shouting for crashing his car while driving around at 300kmph.

Others

Mortal Combat 4

Good old button mashing game where your character beats the crap out of the other. Easy to play. Was easy to set up on any computer at the time and I remember countless hours of fun thanks to this game. I don’t want to ever see this game again. It would be like watching Thunder Cats. You’d remember exciting story lines. But if you watch it now it will be boring as hell and a complete letdown.

Zelda

Sim City 3000

Rise of Nations

PGR 3

Half Life

Red Alert 2

Need for Speed 2,3

Fifa 98

The only game based on a sport that’s mentioned in this list. The intro to this game may have played a huge part in it too. As a Sri Lankan who grew up in Colombo, the only two sports that gained any interest were Cricket and Rugby. Football (Soccer) was only known as a game that’s popular in Europe. This game truly introduced the sport to me. Truly the wrong way around but it helped me gain an interest in football. Didn’t like any of the sequels of this game.

Quake 3 Arena

I watched some youtube videos while writing this. I think I remember every single map that comes with this game.

0 frags left

John Williams

This guys has produced almost every memorable movie soundtrack there is. The attached video has few of these, but not all. Seems to have missed out Jurassic Park, Harry Potter (the old ones), Superman, Minority Report, Jane Eyre, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Schindler’s List and Saving Private Ryan amongst many many others.

3. Matchbox Twenty

4. Third Eye Blind

5. Bryan Adams

6. Enya

7. Goo Goo Dolls

8. Linkin Park

9. Sarah McLachlan

World on Fire <- Best music video ever made! + I love her angel like voice.

10. Collective Soul

The World I Know –> First music video I watched on MTV. Up to this day this song shares the number one spot on my all time favourite songs list.

Others

Alanis Morissette

Disturbed

Stained

Schindler’s  List

Oskar Schindler (Nazi) uses Jews to start a factory in Poland during the war. He witnesses the horrors endured by the Jews, and starts to save them.

La vita é bella – Life is beautiful

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118799/

Jewish dad (Guido) married to an Italian princess tries protects his son son in a Nazi death camp. Italian movie in my top 10? It was that good!!

Shawshank Redemption

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111161/ Best feel-good movie of all time?

Star Trek First Contact

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117731/

Capt. Picard and his crew pursue the Borg back in time to stop them from preventing Earth from initiating first contact with alien life. More importantly, you get to see the vision of first contact with an Alien race that pushed humanity to stop violence against each other and embrace and accept that they are only a tiny part in a vast universe. I’m a huge Star Trek fan because of the vision and principles that humanity is governed by  in the fictional time frame. While other star trek movies made the effort of packing as much action in to two hours, this movie has a balance between shooting aliens and a good storyline.

History of the World Part 1

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082517/ 

The only comedy in my top 10. I’ve watched this movie with so many people, so many times. Its not well known. I have a feeling it may have been banned and became too old for people bother watching it. It starts with the human civilization starting in North America! and ends with the French revolution. This will be less funny if you know nothing about history.

Beautiful Mind

Braveheart

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112573/

Léon

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110413/

The Rock

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117500/

When you have Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage in the same movie you can end up with a masterpiece or a major flop. Judging by the 7.2/10 on IMDB I guess people agree with my view that this is a great movie.

Garden State

The soundtrack (nothing new, just a good collection well suited for this movie), Zack Braff and Natalie Portman pushed this in to my top 10. Long journey of a troubled man. Paced well without being too slow or too fast. Some people I know fell asleep to this movie though!