Being a relatively new platform in terms of software offerings, users of the Nokia N97, may be looking for the latest and greatest apps to use on their device or to show off its features. The Series 60 5th Edition Symbian operating system is shared with the Nokia 5800 as well as several other handsets from other manufacturers but unlike Apple’s iPhone and Android based mobiles, the enthusiast/developer community doesn’t seem as active. To help get the word out about cool apps for those new to the device, I present a list of what I found interesting…to get you started:
Dr Jukka’s Key Lock Clock
Excellent app which displays a large digital clock on the standby screen when a button is pressed. The newer build of this app activates the clock by pressing the menu button only so you may wish to get the older version. I prefer to use the volume keys; being left handed, getting the thumb to the Menu key is like trying to lick my elbow.
http://drjukka.com/KeyLockClock.html
Dr Jukka’s Y-Browser
If you mess around with files, file locations and would like to see the drives and folders hidden by the standard Nokia File Manager, grab this app. You won’t get to see the protected directories but it’s better than the standard offering. Don’t forget to check out the plugins such as the Mail Folder plugin which lets you save files from the SMS inbox and back them up to any drive/folder.
http://drjukka.com/YBrowser.html
Time Machine 2.0 
For some reason the N97, does not have a stop watch or timer. Time Machine, now on version 2 provides a basic countdown timer and uptimer as well as a new clock mode which can be left on and used as a desk clock. The app looks like something you would see on Apple’s App Store, from the interface you wouldn’t know it was a Symbian app. I’ve been wondering who wrote this great app and think I have tracked the author down to a poster named Sheludkov at the DailyMobile.se forums.
http://dailymobile.se/2009/07/13/symbian-time-machine-for-nokia-n97-and-nokia-5800-updated-to-v2/
Mobbler 
If you use last.fm to stream music based on your preferences and like to ‘scrobble’ your music (I think this is where music you listen to is logged by last.fm as a measure of your tastes! Last.fm, Parlez vous Anglais?), then this app will come in handy as it lets you scrobble and listen to a music stream based on your chosen artist or tag. Warning: requires an Internet connection.
http://code.google.com/p/mobbler/
Nokia Sports Tracker
An essential app when I had a Nokia N95. When coupled with the built-in or external GPS receiver, you can record your journeys, see how fast you were going or just upload to sportstracker.nokia.com as a record of your runs or cycling trips. Your journeys can be saved to a file compatible with Google Earth and overlaid to show your route!
http://sportstracker.nokia.com
CoolIRC
If you want to jump into IRC and chat, this is an essential app. With the N97’s qwerty keyboard, there’s no excuse! There is also phIRC which I haven’t tried.
http://www.coolirc.za.net/
Compass Touch
Since the N97 has a magnetometer, it is a shame that outside of Nokia maps there isn’t an app that uses it extensively, like Layar for Android handsets. Even in Nokia Maps, there isn’t a dedicated compass, if that is all you want, grab Compass Touch, it is a nice looking compass that doesn’t do much else but is cool nonetheless.
If the link below doesn’t work, go to http://store.ovi.com and sign in or set your phone to the N97.
http://store.ovi.com/content/6E48B6D01950F915E040050A85323E71
Google Maps 
Being out and about with Internet access means you have a wealth of information at your fingertips, if only it was easy to extract. If you are in need of a restaurant, cinema, bar or shop in an unfamiliar area, a quick search in the Google Maps app can pinpoint locations matching your search term.
Coupled with Google Maps is the ability to see where your friends are or to report your own location, if you are comfortable, with Latitude. The recent addition of ‘Layers’ means that the London Underground maps can be seen in non-topological format over the map of London. If you want to know where you are heading before you get there, satellite and street views are available options.
http://m.google.com and select Maps
Fring
The N97 seems to have been crippled when it comes to VOIP/SIP capability, but this doesn’t mean the proprietary Skype is out of bounds. Despite there not being an official Skype client that doesn’t use a phone call to make the first hop, there isn’t a shortage of other apps offering Skype support. One of these is Fring which also includes support for MSN/Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo Messenger and posting to Twitter. I have read a number of times that Skype ‘is due later in the year’ or ‘due in the big update in Autumn’ but not from an official source other than word of a big update in the Autumn.
http://fring.com
Palringo
Like Fring, Palringo provides access to your friends on multiple messaging networks. The one field where Palringo excels is in allowing you to send a picture from the camera or audio recording to friends. It also supports location reporting using GPS.
http://Palringo.com
Digia’s @Web 
If like me you find the current S60 browser to cause a minor annoyance everytime the interface pops up and juts into the page you are viewing forcing it to move down abruptly, and then move up when the bars disappear, or hate the large buttons taking up valuable display area in landscape and portrait modes, you might want to try @Web. Like other thought out browsers, bars slide over the existing page, while they do obscure content slightly, if you are reading something when the interface features appear/disappear, at least you wont lose your reading point, as the page doesn’t move. Supporting the standards and minimal Flash the standard browser supports, this app is still in beta so it is functional but problems may be experienced.
http://www.digia.com/C2256FEF0043E9C1/0/405001847
Skyfire – I would recommend this for viewing sites with Flash video or any other media the standard browser can’t handle but there is no sign of a version for the 5th edition and 3rd edition doesn’t work correctly. I also contacted Skyfire for comment and they couldn’t be bothered to reply back…yes I checked my spam folder.
If you have any free apps to recommend, please post them in the comments!