Mobile Productivity the Mario Way - With A Nintendo DS!
With a toddler and a 6 hour drive to the nearest major center to consider, purchasing an iPod touch wasn't really one of my options. However, because my little guy loves Mario it was easy for me to justify buying a shared Nintendo DS for "the family."Now - thanks to an ambitious homebrew community - my favorite gaming addiction has become an incredibly useful productivity tool. With a $35 transflash adapter and a $40 4gb SDHC card you'll be amazed at what you can do with your DS.
What can you do with it?
- Twitter - Yes, the first stop on our list is everyone's favorite (and simultaneously most hated) microblog. Still, it's everywhere, and that now includes your DS. The developer of DSTwitter is Spanish, so at least a cursory knowledge of the language is helpful. It's easy enough to get set up and it works very well.
- Get Organized - There's a touchpad. There's just as much screen area as most PocketPC and Palm devices. Why can't the DS be a PIM, too? DragonMinded's DSOrganize is an incredible suite, combining a calendar, address book, to-do list, scratch pad, calculator, file browser and reader, media player, audio recorder, IRC client, and web browser. I've only really ever used basic functions in apps like this, but DSOrganize works just as well for me as anything on my PocketPC did.
- Chat - AIM users can stay in touch with their buddies using DSAim. It's not the prettiest interface, but it gets the job done. MSN devotees will have to be patient, as the BeUp client is currently out of comission.
- Read POP Email and RSS - What device would be truly useful without access to your feeds or GMail inbox? NDS Mail has you covered, and supports SSL connections to help keep your data secure. Attachment saving support is in the works, which should mesh nicely with DSOragnize when implemented.
- Remote Control Your PC - No, tiny screens aren't ideal for VNC use, but they'll work in a pinch and DSVNC will give you wireless command over your desktop.
- Check the Weather - It's hard to be fully productive on the go if you don't even know the weather forecast. Fire up DS Weather Report, and you're good to go.
- Read eBooks - I suppose you may go blind in the process, but I suppose it's no worse than my pocket copies of The Art of War and Tao Te Ching. Check out DSReader here, as I've yet to find an "official" homepage.
- Run Linux - Knowing what can be done with minimalist Linux distros, why not get one working on your DS? DSLinux is a great project, and the list of available applications is impressive - the presence of the TinTin++ mud client creally caught my eye.
- Enjoy Your Media - Moonshell is one of the most popular DS homebrew apps, and with good reason. It'll play back MP3 and OGG files and display images. It can play video as well, though only in DPG format, so check the tutorial on Mininova's forums.
- Pretend to be an iPod - Maybe Moonshell just doesn't do it for you. Maybe you just like the way the iPod looks. Whatever your reasons, LMP-ng crams a virtual iPod - complete with wheel - into your DS.
