Spb Software House has released a significant update to Mobile Shell. Version 3 offers different modes for work and for play, along with integration of picture contacts with Facebook, account-sensitive email indicators, widgets, responsive kinetic scrolling and other enhancements. If you have used Shell before, you will almost not recognize version 3, it’s that different!
If you have read any of my commentary before (such as this one), you know that I am all about Mobile Shell, so to say that I was excited to check out version 3 is an understatement! So, at long last, a review copy arrived last week, and I was most pleased.
Here are my initial thoughts, after having played with the app/interface for about a week:
Professional and Lifestyle desktops
Mobile Shell 3 gives you the ability to have two different modes (for what was previously known as the Now screen). You can switch between work (Professional) and play (Lifestyle) desktops. The Professional desktop contains everything you would need in a work scenario, and is not customizable (other than perhaps background color), but the Lifestyle desktop is highly customizable. The possibilities are endless for the Lifestyle mode - you can add all sorts of widgets (shortcuts, contacts, indicators) to your heart’s content, and you can change the background image (which can be of desktop resolution!). The Lifestyle desktop is actually three times as wide as the Professional one, allowing you to scroll left or right and add even more content (more on that shortly).
Below are my Professional and Lifestyle desktops. You can switch from one to the other with an upward or downward flick of the finger:

I’ve been having fun configuring the Lifestyle mode, as you can see. I actually made a contact for each of my pets, and added their contact widgets along with my wife’s contact widget - making it a family affair! The only other widget I added to the “main” page of the Lifestyle mode was the notification indicator. I like this concept - it’s nice to switch to a non-cluttered look during “off-time”, so I can enjoy seeing the family when I turn on my device. I can always see other pertinent info with a tap or a flick if I need… (more…)