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Nokia has been making great handsets for many years now. Most of the time, these sit in people’s pockets and are brought out in times of need to communicate. Sometimes, though, these beautifully crafted devices are given the spotlight they deserve and appear on TV in show series, movies or music videos.

We’ve investigated this topic and the list of appearances made by Nokia phones is extensive and we’re sure there are more out there that we don’t know about. It would be practically impossible for us to list them all.

However, let’s remind ourselves of some of the classic Nokia movie-moments, and then look at some of the newer ones.

The first Nokia smartphone that we know of to appear in a movie was the Nokia Communicator 9000 back in 1997. Val “The Saint” Kilmer uses it stop the enemy.

Then two years later, in 1999, Keanu Reeves whips out a Nokia 8110 from an envelope in The Matrix. Its (modified) spring-loaded slide springs into action and Neo has his first conversation with Morpheus.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

It continued to be used as Neo’s communication device with the rebellion from “the real world” and made several appearances throughout the movie.

In 2008, The Dark Knight – most commonly knows as Christian Bale when he’s not playing Batman – sports the Nokia 5800 Xpress music and uses it to disrupt that bad guy’s security systems.

And a year later in 2009, an adolescent James T. Kirk – Star Trek – answers a carphone that rings with the familiar sound of the Nokia tune. A concept Nokia phone is glimpsed as the camera quickly flicks away during the high-speed car chase.

The hit US series Dexter shows a Nokia phone in series one. It’s a flip phone, and we believe it to be the Nokia 6101. However, if you know otherwise, we’ll be glad to hear your suggestions.

That’s not the only phone to make an appearance in Dexter. This time it’s a smartphone and it shows its face in series 5. The protruding 12-megapixel camera undeniably belongs to the Nokia N8.

In 2010 TRON: Legacy hit the cinemas, and along with it, the Nokia N8 made another wide-screen debut. With some clever software installed on his Nokia N8, Sam Flynn hacked a door entry-system and was downloaded to The Grid moments later.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Just last month, the Nokia Lumia 900 in cyan appeared on season finale of Tim Kring’s (creator and writer of Heroes) Touch in the US, managing to stay on screen for quite a long period of time. A young boy is seen with it and is getting stuck into some apps.

Moving away from movies slightly and into music videos is the Nokia Lumia 710; as seen in Flo Rida’s Wild Ones ft. Sia video.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Swedish electronic rock band, Gravitonas three-minute video of Call Your Name shows a cyan Nokia Lumia 800 being used with the Nokia Music service.

In what is a rather cool sic-fi music video, M83′s ‘Reunion’ features a white Nokia Lumia 800. Nokia Drive is used to navigate the government officials to some telekinetic alien children.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

And just a couple of days ago we saw a magenta Lumia 800 in British television soap opera series, Hollyoaks.

Have you seen a Nokia phone pop up on your TV or on the movie-screen lately? Let us know, in the comments below and we’ll add it to our list.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

If you’re looking to travel across town, but don’t own a car, public transport is probably going to be the best way to get there. The latest version of Nokia Transport that we introduced last month has now moved from beta to commercial release. Grab it today.

Download Nokia Transport now

1. Press the Search button on your Nokia Lumia and then tap Vision
2. Scan the barcode
3. Tap on the link when it appears on the screen
4. Install the application from the Windows Phone Marketplace

For anybody frequenting the public transport, you’ll know that standing at the bus stop waiting for the next bus to arrive is a real bore. As is trying to find your destination once you get off the bus.

With Nokia Transport you can search for public transport routes from your current location to anywhere within the same city. The visual guide that follows will show you when it’s best to leave your house, how long it will take you to walk to the bus or train stop, the details of the journey itself and even give you an arrival time for your planned destination.

As you can see from the video above, once you’ve got off the bus Nokia Maps can guide you the rest of the journey if you don’t know how to get there. Plus, you can add all your favourite destinations to start screen if you want to travel back again any time soon.

If you decide to wander off the beaten path, the transport nearby option will show where the nearest transport link is.

Nokia Transport currently plans the best routes and departure times in over 100 cities and urban areas. While estimated route options are available in 450+ cities without timetables. There are plans to extend this further.

Nokia Transport runs on the Nokia Lumia 610, Nokia Lumia 710, Nokia Lumia 800 and the Nokia Lumia 900. Download it today, for free.

Important notice: there might be a publishing delay (1-2 days) on Windows Phone Marketplace in your country or region. The new version of Nokia Transport is labeled as 2.1.0.0, check for that version when you launch Windows Phone Marketplace and try to download. If you see 1.2.0.0, then it’s the old version of Nokia Transport. Just wait a bit until the Windows Phone Marketplace page updates. Thanks for your patience.

Jak wiecie, a raczej możecie usłyszeć w sieci Play działa już funkcjonalność HD Voice – od razu słychać różnicę Zauważyłem na naszym forum kilka pytań dotyczących HD Voice. Co to jest HD Voice? To tzw. dźwięk szerokopasmowy – standard audio pozwalający na przesyłanie dwukrotnie szerszego zakresu dźwięku w porównaniu ze standardową transmisją. Jakie korzyści [...]

Jak wiecie, a raczej możecie usłyszeć w sieci Play działa już funkcjonalność HD Voice – od razu słychać różnicę Zauważyłem na naszym forum kilka pytań dotyczących HD Voice. Co to jest HD Voice? To tzw. dźwięk szerokopasmowy – standard audio pozwalający na przesyłanie dwukrotnie szerszego zakresu dźwięku w porównaniu ze standardową transmisją. Jakie korzyści [...]

For our fourth weekly app promotion tip together with our friends at App Promo, we explore the topic of press and blogger outreach. If you want to generate some publicity around your app, you should definitely take advantage of the power of media. Not a strong writer? No need to worry! This article guides you through the steps for starting your own publicity campaign, including how to write a press release, using search engine optimisation, news distribution, and more. Read more after the jump.

An important part of getting the word out for an application is the use of press. Whether you take a formal route of writing and distributing a press release, or informally reach out to your favourite blogs, the value of being featured online is both immediate and long term.

Short-term readers of blogs, news sites and traditional publications where your release was picked up will read your story. Longer term, however, those stories that were published online will be an important part of your search engine marketing, since they will be available as results when users search for keywords related to your product.

Writing a press release

Before writing any press release, make sure you clearly understand what message you want to convey to your audience. Ask yourself:

• What is the news?
• Why is this important to my audience?

Launch announcements, success stories, use of new software features or technology or how your app may be advancing efforts in your industry are all great ideas for a press release. But really, anything is release-worthy as long as you clarify the benefit for users to read your story.

Press releases are best when kept short and to the point. Usually between 400-600 words is effective. It is also wise to organise your release into small paragraphs so readers can quickly and easily digest your story. Keeping your release short will help you focus on only the most important information, as well as having it all ready for republishing online, especially as a blog post.

The two most important elements of your press release are your headline and your first paragraph. Your headline needs to be catchy, descriptive and illustrate what the news is and why it’s a benefit to the audience. It should always include your app name. If your headline provides the what and why, your first paragraph will focus on the who, where and when. Your first paragraph continues to flush out details related to your headline and should always include your call to action, which, most always will be to download your app.

Your press release should be written so that it provides all of the salient points of your story. For your app, you will want to make sure it’s clear:

• What your app does?
•  Why is this app needed?
• Who is your target audience?
• What platforms is it available on? And where is it available?
• What are the features of your application?

You will want to make sure that you have all the necessary elements in your release for bloggers and the media to use to create a story. This should also include a quote from you, a brand owner or C-Level executive that can easily be lifted to include in any story. Lastly, be sure to include a valid and available contact at the end of your press release that can answer questions, provide more information or arrange for an interview. Above all else, make sure your news is interesting, spelled correctly and is accurate.

Your release & search engine optimisation

A significant benefit of your press release is that it will exist on the internet as a search result. This is why writing your release with keywords in mind is extremely important. When it comes to optimising your release for search, focus on your headline and your first paragraph (especially the first few lines of your press release).

Leverage the keywords you have confirmed that work through paid media campaigns and your website if they are available. Lean on available online tools like Google’s keyword tool to help identify what words provide the most results. Using your keywords will take some creativity. You will want to make sure that these words aren’t just listed randomly. And especially, you do not want to risk diluting optimisation results with poorly chosen keywords.

Distributing your press release

The most effective way to distribute your press release is through the use of online PR sites, such as PR Newswire. News distribution sites are especially useful if you don’t have connections with the press or have a press list created. These sites not only distribute your release to their network. They will also provide analytics and reporting which will illustrate the number of impressions your release has been read, the number of media deliveries as well as the number and names of publications that have picked your story up.

Bloggers & you

PR websites are great for distribution, but their networks often don’t focus on the independent blogger. Gaining blog attention is critical when it comes to today’s press. The intimate, independent and niched nature of blogs has made them an essential information online source for all audiences. Identify blogs that are related to your app. Mobile blogs, technology blogs and blogs by platform are a great place to start before looking to industry and subject matter verticals.

Start building relationships with those bloggers by reading, commenting, following and liking their site. The better your relationship with a blogger, the more likely they will pay attention to an email from you when you have some news to share.

When contacting bloggers with news, don’t just send them your press release. Do some of the work for them, but also provide a synopsis in your email focusing on the five W’s: who, what, why, when and where questions any story needs. Include screenshots, links to videos, links to your app store product page, and most importantly, promo codes or actual binaries to test and try out your app.

Maintaining a list of bloggers that you have reached out and noting your success or interaction with them will come in handy for future stories you will want to run. Over time, this will become your own press list you can use for ongoing press for your app.

Prepare for interviews

With the word out to the media and bloggers, you will need to be prepared for interviews. Interviews can come in many forms: over the phone, via webcam, in person or by email. In order to prepare for interviews, get yourself organised. Know who you’re talking to, know all the details of your app, look nice for the camera (if you’ll be seen), avoid potential distractions (turn off your mobile phone, for example) and stay relaxed!

A great interview tip is to minimise the amount of talking you are doing and let the interviewer guide you through the process. Stick to answering the questions. Keep it simple and to the point. Requests for interviews happen most often after your press release or outreach, so make sure that you are accessible and are on top of your emails and answer unknown numbers on your phone.

Utilise review sites

Beyond blogs, great online resources for app discovery are app review sites. Most app review destinations have a link on their site to submit your app. Don’t forget to include promo codes if your app is premium. Most often, your press release won’t come in handy for these types of sites, but the elements in your press release – app purpose, audience, benefits and features – will be useful, so be sure to leverage this information when you submit your app.

Although most of these sites are free, many of them have started using an advertising model where you pay to be featured or reviewed on their site. Prices are usually less than paid media but do your research before paying for placement. You will want to know the traffic and the audience of the site before sending the funds.

We asked Android developer, Ifor Powell, creator of IpBike and several other cycling and orienteering, ANT+-related mobile apps, to share his experiences with doing press and blogger outreach.

- I spent a good deal of time crafting a press release and aimed it at the various cycling fitness publications and websites. The work also included putting together an artwork package with screenshots and logos. I had minor success with a major sports technology blogger that gave me a small mention in an ANT+ story. With these new tips from App Promo, I expect to have better results with promoting my apps.

Ifor Powell, Android Developer

Okay, developers, how do you feel about doing press and blogger outreach? What type of outreach works for you, and what doesn’t? Let us know in the comments field below!

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App Promo is a leading app marketing and strategy firm whose goal is to assist developers and app owners in succeeding in the business of applications. App Promo provides services geared towards increasing discovery, optimising revenue and ensuring better positioning of applications to set them up for success. 

Feature image courtesy of Ladyheart @ Morguefile.

More information

• Read our previous App Promo developer tip on how to market yourself in app stores.
• Check out all the app promotion tips (we’ll be adding more weekly).
• Learn more about App Promo services for app developers and app owners.
• Follow @Apppromo on Twitter.
• Check out our other helpful tutorials for mobile developers.

The new, free Twitter for Nokia app is now available for Series 40 feature phones. This brings instant news and updates from your friends, industry experts and favourite celebrities right to your Series 40 phone.

With the new Twitter app, you will experience some of the richest functionality an app can bring to your Series 40 device, delivering much of the same functionality found on smartphones.

With Twitter for Nokia you can post your own Tweets and follow others’ Tweets. There’s also the @Connect feature to see your mentions and new followers and you can browse the most interesting Tweets from around the world using the #Discover feature.

This new app brings most of the features you’d expect to see from a Twitter client on a smartphone to hundreds of millions of feature phones around the world.

Twitter for Nokia is available for download today wherever Twitter is accessible around the world. Future built Series 40 phones will have the app preinstalled.

Download Twitter for Nokia from Nokia Store today and tell us what you think of it, using the comments section below.

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Nokia Maps is an amazing tool. It helps you get from A-to-B whether it be on your Nokia smartphone or while you’re at maps.nokia.com on your computer. Did you know you could have Nokia Maps on your very own website, too? Well, you can, thanks to the Nokia Maps & Places plugin.

The Nokia Maps & Places plugin enables all self-hosted and premium WordPress blog owners to embed an interactive Nokia Map into any of their posts or pages.

Why would you want to put a map on your own website? There could be a few reasons:

• To show people where an event is planned.
• Make it easy for people to find your business premises.
• To simply show people your favourite place in the world.

Here’s an example of a Nokia Maps embed. Play around with it.
IFRAMES not supported

Whatever your reason for wanting a map on your own website, Nokia Maps is really the best choice when it comes to meeting your readers needs.

If you’ve got Nokia Maps on your site your readers will be able to; see a place in Nokia Maps, get directions, and share that location via Facebook, Twitter or with a direct link.

So, that’s the front end of the plugin, let’s now explain a bit about the back end. Here’s a video shows how to add a map to your website. It’s demoed on an older version but the process is still the same.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

If you’re the site owner, you must first download the latest version of Nokia Maps & Places plugin from the WordPress plugin directory – there’s a clear how-to guide over at WordPress if you’re not sure how to do this.

When it comes to inserting a map into a page, you’ll now see a little location icon above the body text field and below the headline entry field.

This launches the Nokia Maps & Places window and is where you can search for any location in the world. If the place you want to look for doesn’t exist, like a particular spot in a park, for example, right clicking on a part of the map will allow you to select that place.

Once you’ve selected the location to insert into your page, there are now some customisable options available to you. You can change the size of the embedded map, what information to leave in or out of the map, such as map controls, contact info, or actions.

With a variety of layout options, you can find the best way of showing your map to your audience. If there’s a nice photo attached to the specific location, it’s probably a good idea to use the layout that really brings the map to life.

With all the customisations complete, press finish and your map is ready to use.

If you’re a self-hosted or premium WordPress blog owner, download the Nokia Maps & Places plugin today for free.

Are you using Nokia Maps on your site? Let us know in the comments below.

Before the rise of the Internet, people turned to books for information, and in particular an encyclopaedia. Now, with access to the Net, it’s all much simpler. It’s made much easier still with the abundant supply of apps on our smartphones, two of which are Wikipedia and Encyclopædia Britannica. We’ve decided to put them side by side to see how they compare to each other.

We’ve searched for the same random subject on both apps to make for a fair comparison.

Wikipedia £Free

Wikipedia is a multilingual, web-based, free-content encyclopaedia that enlists the help of good-willed people around the world to add and edit the content, without pay. There are currently 77,000 active contributors adding information.

That means that there’s very little that Wikipedia doesn’t have information on. However, the sheer number of contributors who can add information at a moment’s notice means that there can be mistakes and what you read may not be true.

With this aside, it’s worth noting that Wikipedia has become the go-to site when you’re looking for anything remotely factual.

The Wikipedia app offers a very simple function: to search for information and have it displayed. The first screen you’ll see will be a black window with a text box at the top. It’s here that you’ll type in what you want to learn about.

As you type, Wikipedia will offer you some suggestions based on the letters you’ve typed to make it easier to find what you’re looking for. Once you’ve selected an item, you’ll be taken its page.

The subject pages look a lot like the Wikipedia pages you’ll see if you use the web version – white background with standard black font.

To navigate the page you scroll up and down the page, flicking left and right occasionally when a piece of text doesn’t fit the screen. To take a closer look at an image, just select it and you’ll be shown a larger version.

As is often the case with Wikipedia, you’ll see numerous words that have been hyperlinked. Clicking on any of these will take you away from your current page and to that words’ own Wikipedia page. This encourages people to explore and learn more.

The Wikipedia app supports 24 languages and is available to download from the Windows Phone Marketplace for free.

Check out the new Nokia Lumia 900

All about our biggest, thinnest smartphone.

Soon available worldwide

Encyclopædia Britannica £3.99 / $4.99 / €4,99

The Encyclopædia Britannica is the oldest English-language encyclopaedia that began publication in 1768 and is still being produced today.

It’s known for producing large sets of encyclopaedias that would sit proudly on people’s bookcases at home and would show any visitors how learned you are – or in the very least, pretend to be.

The Encyclopædia Britannica produced its final (32-volume set) print edition in 2010 to focus on an online version; Encyclopædia Britannica Online.

With content from over 4,000 contributors, there’s a wealth of information to be learned from all aspects of life.

This app follows the same Metro design language that is based on the classic Swiss graphics design principles.

The Encyclopædia Britannica app welcomes you with a featured article in case you’re looking for something new to learn about. The large image fills the screen and the brief text below invites you to read more.

By looking at the information on the screen it’s obvious how you discover more content. The next page peeks shyly at you from the right side of the screen, encouraging you to slide it across.

The browse section has several options. A-Z is where you can limitlessly scroll through topics alphabetically, Top Articles shows you a long list of popular articles, and On This Day:.

The On This Day: function is a really interesting one. It shows you what happened in history on any particular day. By default, you’ll see what happened years ago on the current date you happen to be looking at the page. This is can be changed, if you’re looking for something more specific.

Then, there’s the Search feature. It does exactly what you’d expect. Just type in something and the app will find you some results.

There you have it, our comparison of two encyclopaedia apps. If I had to choose my favourite, I’d choose Encyclopædia Britannica.

Yes, it costs more than the free app provided by Wikipedia, but its quality is better. It’s right in tune with the Windows Phone design. You can tell that somebody has taken his or her time to create the app.

Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the Wikipedia app. It looks bland, like a mobile version of what I’d see on the Web. There doesn’t seem to have been any substantial thought on how to design best for mobile users or this particular platform.

That raises a question for me. Is a free app better than a paid one? It obviously depends on a number of things, all of which would probably be best saved for another article.

Wikipedia and Encyclopædia Britannica is available on the Nokia Lumia 610, Nokia Lumia 710, Nokia Lumia 800 and the Nokia Lumia 900.

Have you tried both of these apps? Which do you prefer? I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on the matter. Leave them below.

Image credit: Alex E. Proimos

For the overworked and easily distracted person, a smartphone can be your best friend or your worst enemy in the quest for perfect productivity.

In the wrong hands, the always-on connectivity that brings work-related emails at all hours and those addictive and ever-updating social networking updates can turn your handset into a brain-depleting ball and chain, restricting your opportunity to properly focus during the day or truly switch-off during your downtime.

But before you switch off and vow never look again at that wireless tether to the office, remember that in the right hands, the Nokia Lumia 900, Lumia 800, or Lumia 710 can be a personal assistant, a means channeling your focus, maximizing your uptime and downtime, so when the evening rolls around, you can focus on the more important things in life.

Social networkers anonymous
Facebook and Twitter are Kryptonite to your focus. Thankfully, the one-step plan (who needs twelve?) to conquering the addiction is Windows Phone’s Me Hub. It collates notifications from all of your accounts and lets you post to all at once. A dynamic Live Tile will let you know when attention is required; meaning a simple glance at your Start screen should suffice.

Your mobile Office
Your Nokia Lumia 900 wants that tedious wait for the bus to become the most productive part of the day. Microsoft Office Mobile lets you to distribute important documents to or fine-tune a presentation before you reach your desk. Any changes will be synced back to SkyDrive.

Taskmasters
A solid task management app with a prudent reminders system can be the perfect nag-free motivational tool. There are few more satisfying feelings than knocking down those to-do items before relaxing with a cold one. And, unlike a boss, it won’t yell at you when you miss something. Office has One Note, but we also like Tasks for its color-coded goodness.

Back to work, slacker!
You don’t whip out a newspaper during the middle of the workday and put your feet up, do you? So why are you reading about the Kardashians online when you’ve got an important meeting in half an hour? If you can’t resist the temptation to cyber-loaf, Sync articles back to offline reading apps like Burn After Reading for perusal on your break or on the way home.

One news app to rule them all
On some mornings, by the time we’ve caught up on all the news, the little hand has nudged past the 10 and we’re already swimming against the tide. Pulse Reader brings in feeds from handpicked sources and boasts a great interface. Get it done in one app on your way to work.

“Just one look, that’s all it took yeah…
The glance and go nature of the Metro UI brings an end to time-sapping app-hopping thanks to immediately visible calendar events, email, social notifications, sports scores, missed calls, eBay auctions…whatever you need. 

Block out the cacophony
Your workmates are gossiping, Flo Rida is polluting the radio, the latte machine is driving you nuts and the intern needs babysitting. Did you know headphones are office code for “LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE”? Channel your focus with music apps like Spotify or 7Digital.

Home time is your time
Your boss may think giving out smartphones is a license to extend the working day by 16 hours. Shut him down by changing email settings to manual refresh, so you don’t automatically receive those, ahem, “URGENT.” emails at 9pm. Bossman should know that a well-rested worker is a productive worker. Besides, it’s American Idol finals night.

Follow us on Twitter @NokiaUS and on Facebook as well!

If you were stuck alone on a desert island, which eight records would you choose to have with you and why?

This is the simple premise behind the BBC’s long-running and much-loved radio series, Desert Island Discs.

Each ‘castaway’ selects eight songs or pieces of music that holds great personal and emotional significance for them.

It’s a great show that has served the BBC well since 1942, but what if we were to replace the word ‘discs’ for ‘apps’?

Yes, you can pick holes in the scenario if you wish.

If I were stranded on an island, I would prioritise food and shelter above my Nokia Lumia 800. There would also be problems with battery life and data reception.

Remember though, this isn’t about survival – that’s been done here. These are the apps that, for various reasons, I would always want to have on my Lumia.

Have a listen to ‘By The Sleepy Lagoon’ in the video below, let your mind drift away and suspend your disbelief for just a few minutes…

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Here are my eight desert island apps and why.

BBC Podcast Lounge, £1.49

Seeing as this article has been ‘inspired’ by one of their programmes it’s only fair that we start with this. Actually, this is not an official BBC app but don’t let that put you off. The interface is a delight to use.

The BBC Podcast Lounge gives you easy access to all of the BBC’s podcasts from its national, local and digital stations. That is an awful lot of content on everything from news, sport, movie reviews, documentaries and comedy.

Having worked for ‘the Beeb’ in various guises for the best part of 10 years, I will always retain a fondness for the corporation and this app is testimony to its terrific radio output.

Soccer Livescores, FREE

When I was young, I only wanted to be a professional footballer. So did all my friends. As an adult, the beautiful game has retained its vice-like grip on me.

As I wrote in this post, I was hesitant about mobile phones for a long time and even then I never thought I would do anything other than call and text.

The tipping point came when one of my friends got a smartphone and they were using it to tell me live football scores. It was a revelatory moment and I knew my life would never the same.

To this day, it is the app I use the most and much to the chagrin of my partner, I will check it constantly whenever there is a match on.

All for Fan – Liverpool, FREE

Supporting a football team goes beyond being a mere fan of football.

It is tribal, illogical, emotionally draining and permeates into practically all aspects of my life. It is like an addiction that can’t be shaken off.

This app helps to feed my passion with the latest news, fixture lists, league standings and even integrates tweets.

Fans of lesser teams may be interested to know that there are similar apps for their clubs too. But the Liverpool one is the best.

Domino’s Pizza, FREE

I can’t cook and I love pizza, so this app, which allows you to order a delivery using your Lumia, could have been made especially for me.

I order from Domino’s so often that if I ever have a fatal accident in my own house, it won’t be a neighbour finding me but Domino’s alerting the police that they haven’t heard from me for weeks.

Perhaps, I could have chosen a recipe app like Epicurious, but then there’s the problem of scavenging for ingredients, whereas I am sure Domino’s have got delivery boats, right?

Nokia Music, FREE

Like football, life without music is barely worth contemplating. Reading the NME, saving up for CDs and going to gigs was a massive part of my teenage years when the Britpop scene was kicking off.

Nokia Music is less an app and more a central feature of my Lumia 800.

As well as playing music that’s been synced from my computer, there is also Mix Radio that streams specially compiled playlists.

There are other apps available in the Windows Phone Marketplace, such as Spotify, but Nokia Music is the one for me.

Learn Chinese, FREE

Being stuck on a desert island would actually be the perfect time to do something I should have done a long time ago: Learn to speak my native language.

The older I get, the more I regret not being able to speak Chinese.

This is partly due to China’s meteoric rise as a global superpower and I know my CV would look considerably better if I could speak fluent mandarin.

This app breaks the language into useful topics, such as numbers, people, eating, travelling and so on.

HistoryPin, Free

This is a beautiful and endlessly fascinating app that is both fun and informative.

Use your current location, explore themed collections or search on the worldwide map for classic photos that have been uploaded and tagged by individuals and local community groups.

This is a great way of finding out about the place where you live and the places you are travelling to. Whether stuck on a desert island or not, HistoryPin is a great way of exploring the world.

Next Bus UK, £1.49

This gives you live bus information from over 370,000 bus stops in England, Wales and Scotland. You can see when the next bus is due, find the nearest stop from your location and search for bus stops by postcode or place names.

What good is an app like this on a desert island? Useless, of course.

However, as someone who is reliant on public transport in London, apps like this have become invaluable.

Having great tools that make daily life go just a little smoother is one reason why smartphones have become indispensable to so many of us.

I couldn’t imagine my life without it, even on a desert island. In fact, it would give me great comfort, sitting on a rock, watching the waves, knowing that the 261 to the Lewisham was running late, yet again.

For those of you outside the UK, you could give also give Nokia Transport a whirl.

Which apps would you take with you on a desert island?

Image credit: Gerry & Bonni