How to get the most from your Nokia N95’s motion sensor

The Nokia N95 is a phone of many talents, but one skill that’s often overlooked is its accelerometer. Yep, even if you own an N95 you may not have realised that it packs a motion sensor – here are a few applications that make good use of it.

FlipSilent
Simple but effective, this app lets you mute your N95’s ringer or silence its alarm by flipping the handset over – there’s no need to press a single button!

Inclinometer
Off-roaders can use this app to give them an indication of their 4×4’s angle – making sure they don’t push it too far. Just fire it up and fix the N95 to your dashboard.

Activity Monitor
Transforming your N95 into a step-counter, this tool can be used to display real time charts and statistics about your movements, whether you’re walking or running. Summaries are stored away in a diary, allowing you to compare your daily activity over an extended period.

Nokmote
This makes your N95 come over all Nintendo Wii by incorporating motion sensing into game controls: now you can steer Snake simply by tilting the handset in the direction you want to turn.

Accelerinvaders
There aren’t too many accelerometer-based games around yet, but this Space Invaders-inspired shooter lets you steer your gun platform by tipping the N95 this way and that. Firing is done automatically, so all you need to do is keep the gun pointing at some alien scum!

Lightsaber
May the Force be with your N95! Yes, this app transforms your humble smartphone into a deadly lightsaber – or at least into something that makes genuine lightsaber noises when you fire it up and swing it about. Not the most practical of apps, perhaps, but undeniably great fun!