Adrian's Technology Blog

Panoramic Calc Pro 3.5.1 now available for iPhone/iPod Touch

2011-06-12T14:40:00.000-07:00

Panoramic Software Inc. has released its first update for the iPhone version of Panoramic Calc Pro.

This version corrects several bugs, drastically improves support for non-english languages and adds some additional unit conversions.

I've been personally using it on my iPhone 3Gs with the device set to French and its been working perfectly.

For more information, screen shots and video you can go here:

http://www.panoramicsoft.com/iphone/calcpro/CalcPro.php

Or head directly to the app store:

http://itunes.apple.com/app/calc-pro-the-top-mobile-calculator/id438580059?mt=8

At the time of writing its still on sale for the introductory price of 99 cents US but it will likely be going to $9.99 soon.

Panoramic Software Inc. launches Calc Pro 3.5 for iPhone / iPod Touch

2011-06-02T17:07:00.000-07:00

Panoramic Software Inc. has just released Calc Pro for the iPhone and iPod Touch - I know a lot of people have been waiting for this.

Its very similar to the Windows Phone 7 version but contains a few improvements - most noticeably is the updated Date and Time calculator which has been redesigned and now shows the moon phase for the from and to dates.

It also of course makes use of the native Apple controls. It's normally $9.99 but its launching at 99 cents so its definitely worth grabbing now.

You can see it on the website here:

http://www.panoramicsoft.com/iphone/calcpro/CalcPro.php

Calc Pro HD coming soon for the iPad

Samsung Focus Unlocked

2011-05-28T21:08:00.000-07:00

I recently unlocked my Samsung Focus from Rogers Wireless so I can use it with my pay-as-you-go T-Mobile SIM while travelling in the states.

You can find lots of information on unlocking but since I had such an easy experience I wanted to let others know that I got an unlock code in less than 8 hours from www.Cellunlocker.net and it only cost me $8.

I haven't tried any other services but this one was cheap and simple. They also provide really straight forward instructions.

I was also able to use the t-mobile sim and access data without entering any additional settings. I also came across a forum post the stated a hard-reset was required after unlocking - that definitely wasn't the case for my phone.

Panoramic Software updates Calc Pro and Converter Pro

2011-05-28T21:01:00.000-07:00

Panoramic Software Inc. has updated Panoramic Calc Pro to version 3.4.0 ... this is a big update from 3.3.0:

New Icon

Added Tax+/Tax- buttons to standard calculator

Added Flow Rate to Unit Converter

Added Feet of Water and Inches of Water to Pressure Conversions

Added Tangents to graph screen

Added message box response when saving constants

Added email menu icon to View Tape

Added additional flag images for new currencies

Improved stability

Improved performance

Improved calculator accuracy

Fixed %T button when using RPN

Updated labels in several worksheets

Improved constants calculator button labels

Mortgage worksheet properly loads in payment terms

Worksheet regression calculation bugs fixed

TVM worksheet properly loads settings

Conversion buffer setting is properly loaded in options

Flags update when switching currencies

You'll definitely want to update if you're still running an older version.

Converter Pro was also updated to 3.6.0 which has equivalent updates to Calc Pro 3.4.0.

If you're looking to purchase these applications for your Windows Phone 7 device you can find them on the marketplace, in Zune or linked directly from the Panoramic website:

http://www.panoramicsoft.com/mobileproducts.php

Proud owner of a Samsung Focus

2011-02-28T14:57:00.001-08:00

And clearly I like it as it's kept away from my blog.

For those that are curious I bought the Samsung Focus in mid December from the Best Buy in Vancouver, Canada. I'm sure supply is no longer an issue and it should be quite easy to buy them on or off contract North of the boarder.

It seems that its not as easy in the US; Microsoft is addressing that issue by working with Zones.com to provide carrier locked but off contract Windows Phone 7 handsets. It's worth checking out if you're looking for a phone with no strings attached. Be prepared to pay between $500 and $700 depending on the model.

Back on topic - I wanted to write a few quick notes on my impressions of the Samsung Focus after using it for 2 months.

Its a great phone and I wouldn't trade it for anything currently available but there's still a little room for improvement.

What I like:

Amazing, bright 4" OLED screen

VERY responsive touch

VERY thin

VERY light

Ability to add additional storage via micro-SD

It runs my Windows Phone 7 applications

In a sea of smart phones you can still show this one off

What I don't like:

16 bit display - meaning you will see color banding on occasion but its not a big issue

Plastic shell - mine has collected a few chips already. Not even close to the durability of an iPhone or even my old Palm Treo Pro

Physical buttons are to sensitive. You only have to swipe over them to activate but because they're close to the screen they're often accidentally hit

Adding a micro-SD card requires a hard reset

Overall its a great phone and its probably the best Windows Phone 7 device currently available in North America. The Samsung Omnia 7 is nearly an identical phone but I've been told its more durable but unfortunately its only officially available in Europe.

And if you're looking for software head over to www.PanoramicSoft.com. I've fallen behind on reporting releases so here's the catch up - Calc Pro, Converter Pro, Scientific Calc, Guitar Suite, FreeCell, Blackjack and Ultimate Sudoku are all available now and moTweets should be for sale before the end of the week.

The Samsung Focus is finally available in Vancouver, Canada

2010-12-05T19:06:00.000-08:00

I just stopped by my local Futureshop and discovered they finally have the Samsung focus in stock. They received one (1). And they wouldn't sell it to me "off contract" but if you're looking to become a new Rogers Wirelss customer you're in luck.

However I did discover that the BestBuy website is now showing them as in stock at the Cambie store - so it looks like the wait is finally over.

Now the question is - is it worth waiting until boxing day to see if they'll offer any discounts? FYI - the Focus retails for $499 US so we're definitely over paying north of the border.

Strangely, the HTC Surround is actually $50 less in Canada. This might be the one and only time I wish I was a Telus customer.

Continuing the search for a Windows Phone 7 device

2010-12-01T15:37:00.000-08:00

After reading several reviews and first impressions of the retail Windows Phone 7 handsets I decided that I wanted to get my hands of a couple of the devices before shelling out $500 for a new phone.

Yesterday (being the last day of December) I decided to check in again with Future Shop, Best Buy and a Rogers Wireless retail store to see if anyone had any stock of the Samsung focus in Vancouver - still nothing. I did notice that Futureshop is now selling the LG Quantum with a slide out keyboard for Bell customers. Its a start but it still doesn't help me.

Today I took a trip down to Redmond to see if could get my hands on a phone south of the border. The Microsoft retail store in Bellevue Square is currently selling 5 phones for various carriers - and all of them are turned on and setup for display.

Samsung Focus: Thin, light and responsive. The color accuracy and brightness seems a little off but that could have been from the overly bright lights in the MS Store

LG Quantum: Looks like a good device but I'd like a larger screen and I'd prefer a thinner phone without a slide out keyboard. The display and responsiveness seemed good.

HTC Surround: I've used one of these devices before and its good (although a little thick) but I do notice just a bit of ghosting when scrolling through menus.

HTC HD7: A beautiful and thin device but substantially heavier than the Focus (its closest competitor feature-wise). I also has VERY vi sable ghosting on scrolling text, so much that I wouldn't buy the device which is unfortunate because it was my favorite of the phones on paper.

Dell Venue Pro: Another good phone but the weight and thickness make it uninteresting and I personally don't like the bottom slide out keyboard. The keys are smaller than the onscreen keyboard so I don't see the need for it.

After deciding that the phone I wanted to buy was the Samsung Focus I quickly discovered that the Microsoft store doesn't sell any phones unlocked nor will they provide any assistance with unlocking the phone. I was told that if I used AT&T service for 3 months they would then provide an unlock code.

I walked over to the AT&T retail store to see if I could get a different answer and they claimed complete ignorance and simply stated they don't sell unlocked phones.

It also looks like expansys.ca is no longer selling the Samsung Focus so I think my next step is to try ordering one online from Rogers.com for the inflated price of $599.99 Canadian ...

Panoramic Software Windows Phone 7 Applications

2010-11-23T09:44:00.000-08:00

Panoramic Software Inc has released several products for the new Microsoft Windows Phone 7.

All the software is fully translated English, French, German, Italian and Spanish (all of the languages the wp7 marketplace currently supports).

Rather than list off all of the features your best bet is to go to the website (or take a look on the Zune Marketplace):
http://www.panoramicsoft.com/mobileproducts.php

The currently released and certified applications so far are:

Calc Pro
Guitar Suite
Ultimate Sudoku
Converter Pro
Scientific Calc

FreeCell and Blackjack are also very close to being ready and there's more coming for Windows Phone 7 before the end of the year.

Searching for a Samsung Focus in Vancouver, Canada

2010-11-20T17:59:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to get my hands on a Samsung Focus for the Rogers network since the Windows Phone 7 launch.

On the first day I called my local Rogers Wireless to see if they had any stock. I was promptly told they wouldn't have any until the end of the month but I could order them online. I tried calling to order one but I was told by the call center that they were only available through the website and not via a live person (no idea why).

So after 3 attempts to order through the website I got tired of seeing the "unable to process credit card" message and I decided to wait.

Last week I saw a Best Buy flyer listing the focus so I promptly headed into the closest location - no luck - although they're advertising they have no stock. I called a second location just to be sure. Best of all, no one seems to know when they'll be in stock.

Just for fun I dropped into Futureshop where I saw a well placed advertisement for the focus on the Rogers Wireless display table but again I was told they wouldn't have them until next week (they hope ... ).

So it looks like Samsung hasn't been able to meet demand which I'm hoping is a reflection on the popularity of the phone and not a production issue.

As soon as I'm able to get my hands on a device I'll post some pictures a quick comparison to a couple of other phones. I've already tried a colleague's HTC Surround and from what I've seen the WP7 phones are worth the wait. I can't wait to upgrade from my Palm Treo Pro.

Atom Netbook Processor Comparisons

2010-11-14T18:57:00.000-08:00

I started shopping for a netbook PC as a gift and I quickly realized that the price and processor models vary quite a bit without providing any useful information. So here's a quick list of the common Intel netbook processors and their specs:

Atom N270 - 1,6Ghz, single core, 512k cache
Atom N280 - 1.66Ghz, single core, 512k cache
Atom N450 - 1.66Ghz, single core, 512k cache
Atom N455 - 1.66Ghz, single core, 512k cache
Atom N475 - 1.83Ghz, single core, 512k cache
Atom N550 - 1.5Ghz, dual core, 1024k cache

So the simple quick analysis is, the higher the number, the quicker the processor. Even though the 280, 450, & 455 look identical, the underlying chip sets do get progressively better and the higher models with perform slightly better (although I suspect you won't notice).

I would recommend paying a little more if you can move up to an N475 or an N550. If those aren't available I would make my purchasing decision based on other factors (size, price, hard drive size, etc).

The N550 is the best choice as its dual core, but if performance is your main concern I'd suggest looking at either a Core2 Duo processor or a Core i3 which are both available in Ultra Lower Power versions in netbooks. Either one at 1.3Ghz will greatly outperform any of the above mentioned atoms processors.

I personally have an Asus 1810T with a 1.3Ghz Core2 Duo and its more than capable of handling all of my work needs when I travel.

You can checkout Intel's master Atom processor list here:
http://www.intel.com/products/processor/atom/specifications.htm

Windows Phone 7 Development

2010-07-19T23:49:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to write a quick post to let any readers know that I haven't stopped updating my blog. I'm currently in the process of learning Silverlight and trying to master C# to prepare for Windows Phone 7 development.

If you read this blog for Windows Mobile software updates, check back soon as there are updates for Panoramic Calc Pro, Guitar Suite, and Ultimate Sudoku in the works.

And for any developers out there, the transition from C++ to C# isn't quite as simple as you may be lead to believe but C# is a great programming lanugage and it will reduce your development time.

Cheers

How to emulate the HTC HD Mini in Visual Studio

2010-05-31T12:29:00.000-07:00

(Windows Mobile 6.1 & 6.5)

With the release of HTC's HD Mini, Windows Mobile developers now have another resolution to worry about. And its not unreasonable to assume that HTC will be able to move a large number of these devices with the popularity of the HD and HD2.

You can take a look at the specifications here:
http://www.htc.com/www/product/hdmini/specification.html

What's important to note is the screen resolution of 320x480 - this is the only Windows Mobile device that I know of that uses this resolution. What's also important is the screen DPI - which is most likely 128. QVGA devices like the Touch are 96dpi and VGA and WVGA devices are 192dpi.

Its also worth noting that this device has a height to width ratio of 3 to 2 where normal devices are 4:3 and the wide devices are 5:3 so you may need to make some minor alternations to your GUI code when supporting the mini.

Now I haven't been able to find an emulator for this device but fortunately we can fake it using the Windows Mobile 6 SDK. I had a clever friend that works in Redmond help me out with this so I big thanks to her.

Fortunately we can use the Microsoft Device Emulator to launch a recompiled emulator image and change the display properties. Now remember I mentioned 128dpi? There is only one emulator image that supports this and that is the 320x320 Square QVGA emulator image. You can try other images but the resources will be incorrect and the sizes of menus, icons, etc will be either too big or too small.

So lets cut to the chase, assuming you have Visual Studio 2005 or 2008 installed and the Windows Mobile 6.1 SDK you can launch the emulator from the command line or by using a Batch file with the following command:

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Device Emulator\1.0\DeviceEmulator.exe" "C:\Program Files\Windows Mobile 6 SDK\PocketPC\DeviceemulationV610\0409\PPC_USA_GSM_QVGA_VR.BIN" /memsize 256 /hostkey Left-Alt /video 320x480x16

or for 64 bit systems:
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Device Emulator\1.0\DeviceEmulator.exe" "C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Mobile 6 SDK\PocketPC\DeviceemulationV610\0409\PPC_USA_GSM_QVGA_VR.BIN" /memsize 256 /hostkey Left-Alt /video 320x480x16

(Launching the emulator at 320x480 - Windows Mobile 6.1)

You can also try the 6.5 image but I wasn't able to get the start menu working, presumably there are additional resources needed for the 480 high screen:

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Device Emulator\1.0\DeviceEmulator.exe" "C:\Program Files\Windows Mobile 6 SDK\PocketPC\DeviceemulationV650\0409\PPC_USA_GSM_320x320_VR.BIN" /memsize 256 /hostkey Left-Alt /video 320x480x16

Once you have it up and running, you can cradle it just like any other emulator, it will show up in the Device Manager at the bottom with an ID string in the "Others" section.

(Custom emulator shown in the Device Manager)

(Debugging Calc Pro with the custom launched emulator)

Good luck and feel free to post questions

Further reading:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb630224.aspx

Panoramic Guitar Suite updated to verion 1.3.0

2010-05-26T14:51:00.000-07:00

Panoramic Software Inc has just released a new version of Guitar Suite for Windows Mobile.

The big news is Guitar Suite now supports Dutch, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Japanese.

If you haven't checked out Guitar Suite in a while it supports more than just Guitars now, you can also select Bass Guitar, Banjo, Lute or Ukulele tunings.

Check it out here:

http://www.panoramicsoft.com/mobileapps/guitarsuite/GuitarSuite.php

Panoramic Software is now on Facebook

2010-05-15T10:10:00.000-07:00

If you want an easy way to keep up to date with Panoramic Software products and features you just might want to become a fan of the new facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/panoramicsoft.com

Its also a great way to interact with the developers. A user recently requested KenKen for Sudoku and it made it into the latest release so don't be afraid to post.

Panoramic Ultimate Sudoku updated

2010-05-14T10:05:00.000-07:00

Panoramic Ultimate Sudoku has been updated to version 1.1.0

Along with a number of minor tweaks and improvements it now contains "Genius" level puzzles for regular Sudoku, a new game mode called KenKen, and support for five new languages: Dutch, French, German, Spanish, & Portuguese.

It supports all Windows Mobile touch screen devices (5.0 and up including 6.5.3).

Take a look here:

http://www.panoramicsoft.com/mobilegames/sudoku/Sudoku.php

And while you're there enter the contest to win a free copy.

Panoramic Calc Pro for Windows XP/Vista/7

2010-02-16T14:10:00.000-08:00

Panoramic Software has finally brought Calc Pro to desktop PCs. It has been carefully developed to work on desktop PCs, laptops, net books and tablets.

Along with all of the features of the Windows Mobile version:

Standard calculator

Scientific

Financial with 10 worksheets

130+ daily updated currency conversions

Thousands of Unit conversions

Thousands of scientific constants

Graphing

Multiple skins

Highly configurable calculator settings including RPN

Much more

The Windows version also allows for 4 size selections which allows it to work great on 1080p displays and tiny net book displays as small as 640x480.

For more information, purchasing or a free trial go here:

http://www.panoramicsoft.com/desktop/calcpro/CalcproDesktop.php

How to get support for your mobile applications and games

2010-02-15T13:20:00.000-08:00

This sounds like a pretty straight forward topic but after being in the industry for almost a decade I know that some people could use some assistance.

Step One - Ensure there really is a problem:
Read on screen messages, take a quick look if you received an email with your purchase with further instructions, etc.

Step Two - Make sure its not your phone:
If you know how, perform a soft reset and try again. If you're trying to install software and you have the option, download it again. Occasionally the download can get corrupted.

Step Three - Prepare your support question:
No one likes software that doesn't work we all want it fixed as quickly as possible so gather the following information:
- Application name
- Make a model of your phone
- Sales transaction ID, reference number, etc
- Description of the problem (be concise)
- Description of any error messages (be precise)
You'll almost always be asked for this information anyways so you might as well save some back and forth.

Sending "software doesn't work" isn't going to get you to a quick resolution.

Step Four - decide who to contact:
If your problem is downloading the software you'll need to contact the company/website that sold you the software. There's no point calling Sony for support if Best Buy hasn't delivered TV. Contact the software development company for everything else, it'll be faster.

Step Five - send the email:
This part is easy if you've done the above, I just have one more bit of advice - "Be Polite". As a developer I avoid support as much as possible but it still falls in my lap. We've always maintained a policy of being polite and helpful to everyone. However its much more pleasant for us to deal with polite customers and we're more likely go out of our way to help them (for example, over the weekend) than a belligerent customer. You may at times be dealing with a big corporation but there's always a person on the other end that has to read your message.

Also be realistic about your expectations, you're not likely to find companies are willing to call you long distance and spend hours on the phone with you for a product that costs 99 cents.

Step Six - follow up:
Hopefully this isn't necessary but don't be afraid to follow up a couple of times. If you're not getting a response try sending from another email account and don't use excessive smiley face images. Do your part to ensure your message isn't getting caught in a SPAM filter and make sure your filters aren't blocking the response. Be polite but let them know your previous email has gone unanswered.

If you're not getting the help you need contact the sales website and request a refund. You deserve to have a working product and most of these companies will issue you a refund without much hassle assuming you've already attempted to solve the problem.

Good Luck!

Windows Mobile powered Blackberry? BlackGrape i9000

2010-02-13T12:33:00.001-08:00

We recently dealt with a support issue for one our games and the user was reporting very odd behavior (random screen orientation changes, touch screen not working, etc). I finally asked what device they were using and they curtly responded "BlackGrape 9000". Wow.

A quick google search and I was able to find some basic information. It appears to be running Windows Mobile 6.1 and the device is a poor copy of the Blackberry Bold.

I DO NOT recommend buying these devices, this is an obvious infringement on RIM's intellectual property and I am confident that Microsoft would not give permission to create this device so it most likely means that the operating system (Windows Mobile) and any software installed on the device are not being legally obtained or distributed (ie pirated).

And if you morally don't have an issue with it, remember that this device will not run software designed for the Blackberry Bold and it sounds like it won't even run Windows Mobile software correctly either.

That being said I find the concept quite entertaining.

You can read more here and buy what appears to be a LOT of other bootleg phones running Windows Mobile .... just terrible.
http://www.fastcardtech.com/goods-3671-BlackGrape+i9000+ARM9+524MHZ+CPUBuilt+in+GPSQWERT+Full+Keyboardorbit+ball.html

Panoramic Guitar Suite released for Windows Mobile Phones

2010-02-05T09:25:00.001-08:00

Panoramic Software Inc has just released Guitar Suite for Windows Phones with touch screens.

Guitar Suite includes a comprehensive guitar chord look up engine capable of displaying over 25,000 chords in any of the included 20 tunings. Its also able to play any displayed chord.

It also includes a Play mode allowing you to tap on the screen and play any note at any onscreen fret. You also have the option to overlay 50 different scales in any of the included tunings.

Guitar Suite also helps you tune your guitar with a high accuracy digital tuner. And if you phone's microphone isn't sensitive enough for tuning, you can also tune by ear.

Finally, Guitar Suite wouldn't be complete without a precise Metronome with a range of 30 to 240 BPM.

For more information or to purchase go to:
http://www.panoramicsoft.com/mobileapps/guitarsuite/GuitarSuite.php

Updating Windows Mobile

2010-02-04T09:29:00.001-08:00

Having your phone look "cool" is really half of the enjoyment of owning a smartphone. If you read my blog at all its obvious that my current phone of choice is a Palm Treo Pro which I think is still quite a good looking device.

However the operating system on it has been looking dated for quite some time. If you own a Treo Pro or another HTC made Windows Mobile phone you could always head over to XDA developers and install a "cooked" version 6.5 ROM but its risky and I'm sure violates at least once of your license agreements. Besides, Windows Mobile 6.1 works great and now I can dress it up a bit.

1st - Panoramic Launch Pad 1.6 (currently beta)
Its receiving a major visual update along with some usability improvements and the option to add contacts to favorites. The retail version should be released very soon but the beta is fast and stable.
http://www.panoramicsoft.com/mobileapps/launchpad/LaunchPad.php

2nd - iSS Battery Monitor
It was recently updated to version 1.5 and includes a few new features but most importantly it has 5 new skins including that great blue color.
http://www.implicitsoftware.com/mobile_battery.html

3rd - Pocket Digital Clock
Another gem in the world of free Windows Mobile applications that a colleague of mine came across. Its pretty, its customizable (color, size, display, etc) and it works great: I love it.
http://www.freewarepocketpc.net/ppc-download-pocket-digital-clock.html

4th - iSS Task Switcher
Its also been updated to version 1.5 which includes visual enhancements but the new colors really make the application more appealing and allows it to match most color schemes on your phone.
http://www.implicitsoftware.com/mobile_taskswitch.html

Background:
The background is from http://www.digitalblasphemy.com, definitely go check it out if you haven't done so already. They have a great free section which is where this image is from and you can subscribe to access the paid section. I've been using the backgrounds for years, fantastic work. I used Paint.net on my desktop PC to crop and re size the background image.

Worth Mentioning:
I also have Fizz Traveler and customized version of Calendar+ and Live Search installed on the today screen. And I use Illium Software Screen Capture to create the screen shots.

For just over $10 you can give the same visual treatment to any touchscreen Windows Mobile device (5.0 or newer).

OLX - a new free classifieds website

2010-01-28T17:30:00.001-08:00

I was recently contacted by a representative of OLX asking if I was interested in making a post abouttheir website. Normally I would would make a face at this type of marketing but first off, I don't really think enough people read this blog to consider it an imposition, two, I was curious about the site, and three, I was somewhat flattered they thought I was worth contacting.

So first things first, if you haven't heard of OLX its a free classifieds website and they're looking to improve on the model craigslist established. They allow videos, high resolution pictures, and include several "web 2.0" features.

I haven't used the site enough to form a strong opinion but I will admit that I am happy to see the better quality images. The only downside I saw was the expected spam left in the comments of some listings.

When it comes right down to it if you're looking to buy or sell something it never hurts to have another site to use. I didn't have too much luck finding things in my area but since its free to post I'd still use it as sales channel if the need ever arose.

You can get their full rundown on features here:
http://www.olx-releases.com/

Should you install the 32bit or 64bit version of Windows 7?

2010-01-18T09:12:00.000-08:00

www.w7forums.com has a great article to help you decide which version of Windows 7 to install.

To cut to the point, if you have more than 3gig of ram and don't need to run old software or install old peripherals 64 bit is the way to go.

Take a look here:
http://www.w7forums.com/windows-7-64-bit-vs-32-bit-t484.html

I personally have Windows 7 x64 installed on my main development system which has 4 gig of RAM installed. However I end up using my laptop with the 32bit version installed because I have a number tools I need that don't work in the 64 bit version. But I should be honest, I also still use my 5 year old Dell laptop with Windows XP for those really picky applications.

PocketMusic - a must have free music player for Windows Mobile

2009-12-04T10:02:00.000-08:00

This application is by no means new, but its new to me. If you ever listen to MP3s on your Windows Mobile and you don't already have a 3rd party player - get PocketMinds PocketMusic.

It looks great, its intuitive to use, and its quality exceeds many commercial applications - and did I mention it was free?

http://www.pocketmind.com/pocketmusic.htm

Also worth noting, it supports Winamp 2.x skins free available online (although I haven't tried this feature yet).

Panoramic Software releases Ultimate Sudoku for Windows Mobile

2009-12-04T09:49:00.000-08:00

First - why another Sudoku game?

Two reasons: its more than just Sudoku, it also includes full implementations of Killer Sudoku (or Samunamupure) and Kakuro, making Panoramic Ultimate Sudoku 3 games in one.

Second, Panoramic felt there wasn't a Sudoku game available for Windows Mobile that took full advantage of the platforms features. This game includes 10 skins, customizable backgrounds, a and responsive, finger friendly interface. Overall its an excellent gaming experience.

And its only $2.99 US

Check it out here: http://www.panoramicsoft.com/mobilegames/sudoku/Sudoku.php

moTweets for Windows Mobile now supports Lists

2009-12-02T14:50:00.001-08:00

Panoramic Software Inc is about to release version 1.5.0 of moTweets, its popular twitter client for Windows Mobile 5.0 and newer devices (including 6.5).

Along with a handful of improvements and fixes, performance has also been improved. However, this version contains two major improvements:

Support for Lists - although they can't be created from your device you can easily select and view lists

Translations - moTweets is now able to translate posts into your currently selected language. Language detection is automatic so you don't need to know what you're translating from.

Also worth noting, moTweets now supports Korean and Italian languages. And by popular demand, yFrog support has been added for posting and viewing images.

Get it from Panoramic's website or the Windows Mobile marketplace. If you already have an ealier version of moTweets installed it will prompt you to upgrade next time you launch moTweets.

http://www.panoramicsoft.com/

FreeISOBurner.com

2009-11-29T19:11:00.000-08:00

As I've mentioned before, as a software developer I'm always happy to pay for good software, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate finding good free tools.

My Dell Laptop didn't come with any 3rd party CD burning software and I wanted to burn an ISO image ... a quick google search brought me to http://www.freeisoburner.com/.

I downloaded the app, checked it for viruses and started it up. It was simple, didn't install unnecessary files to my computer, and successfully burned my Slax CD image.

5 stars for doing exactly what I needed and nothing more. If you're looking for a free application to burn ISO files - Free ISO burner is perfect.

Panoramic Software releases Video Poker for Windows Mobile

2009-11-07T11:35:00.000-08:00

I'm a little slow on this as it was released last week but Panoramic Software Inc has released Video Poker for Windows Mobile 5.0 and new touch screen devices.

Why is this interesting? Besides being a visually impressive application with excellent sound effects, Panoramic Video Poker is more than just game. It includes six Video Poker variants, multi-hand play, and casino accurate payout tables which makes it an ideal tool for testing out Video Poker play strategies. It also includes highly accurate statistics tracking for each game mode allowing for deeper analysis of your playing style. Its also a lot fun.

You can get it here:

http://www.panoramicsoft.com/mobilegames/videopoker/VideoPoker.php

or find it on the Microsoft Windows Mobile Marketplace

Panoramic Software releases FreeCell for Windows Mobile Professional & Standard

2009-10-18T18:19:00.000-07:00

Panoramic Software Inc has released FreeCell for Windows Mobile Touch devices (5.0 and newer).

Its an excellent implementation with great graphics, touch friendly drag-able cards and over 2,000,000 games.

And just in case you're on the fence - it only costs $1.99

Get it here: http://www.panoramicsoft.com/mobilegames/freecell/Freecell.php

Panoramic Software releases titles on the Marketplace for Windows Mobile

2009-10-18T18:13:00.000-07:00

Panoramic Software Inc has released most of its Windows Mobile library on the Marketplace for Windows Mobile. This means you'll have quick access to Panoramic products when you buy a new Windows Mobile 6.5 device.

And for those of you that are resourceful and already have a Windows Mobile 6.x device - you can probably find a version of the Marketplace to download to your existing phone (it works well on the Palm Treo Pro and HTC Touch Diamond .... so I've heard ... ).

Troubleshooting an unreliable smartphone phone

2009-10-18T13:12:00.000-07:00

As a software developer who uses his personal phone for testing and debugging software I've had plenty of practice crashing and locking up my phone.

Instability is usually fixed by removing the offending program and doing a soft reset (or a hard reset if I've really messed things up).

More recently I've had problems with my Palm Treo Pro - it would frequently lock up, sometimes 2-3 times a day. I'll save the long story but I wasn't able to find a cause for the problems and eventually concluded I had physically damaged the phone.

Two nights ago my phone locked up and when I rebooted it refused to read my 8gig memory card. After a bit of troubleshooting I discovered the card itself was bad - and its now completely unreadable. I swapped in a new one and my phone behaving perfectly.

Boring story? Yes ... but I've never had a memory card go south on me and I certainly never thought it would cause my phone to crash. Hopefully this saves someone some frustration.

Cheers

Windows 7 Move Window Tip

2009-10-15T15:03:00.000-07:00

I've been running Windows 7 for several weeks now and I love it. However there has been an adjustment period as several features and functions have been changed.

One thing I rely on quite a bit is moving windows by right clicking on them in the task bar. The "Move Window" option no longer shows up in Windows 7.

However you can get the old style context menu by holding down shift while right clicking on the task bar.

If you use multiple monitors and/or remote desktop you'll likely find this useful.

Cheers

Calc Pro and moTweets updates released today

2009-09-24T13:46:00.000-07:00

Panoramic Software's Calc Pro has been updated to version 2.8.1

This release fixes the recently used currencies bug
Improves the display of values when shown as degrees/minutes/seconds

It also adds 10 payment schedule options for calculating mortgages and adds support for Binary Coded Decimal values (available from the Base Conversion Calculator screen).

Grab it here: http://www.windowsmobilecalculator.com/

As well, Panoramic moTweets has been updated to version 1.2.0:

This version contains a number of minor bug fixes and should correct any connection issues.

It also adds several major features:
Ability to view trends
Ability to view conversions
Color coding of Posts to help you easily identify conversions and your own posts
Ability to view pictures from TwitPic without loading a web browser
Dutch translations added

And don't forget, moTweets can be downloaded free of charge, get it here:
http://www.panoramicsoft.com/mobileapps/motweets/moTweets.php

Panoramic Software wins awards for Hexegems and Contacts Genius

2009-09-15T12:28:00.000-07:00

Handster has given Best Software of 2009 awards to Panoramic Hexegems and Panoramic Contacts Genius.

Hexegems won in the Arcade category and Contacts Genius won in the Communications category. These awards are quite an honour as there are some excellent arcade titles for Windows Mobile. As well, there have been several new communications applications released this year which can make it difficult to stand out. Contacts Genius was designed to be the best Contact Management application for Windows Mobile and it would seem that Handster would suggest the Panoramic Software Inc has met that goal.

To view the awards you can visit Handster here:

http://handster.com/awards_2009_windows_mobile.php

And for more information on either title please visit:

http://www.panoramicsoft.com/

Its also worth noting the iSS Polyminoes won in the Arcade category in 2008.

http://www.implicitsoftware.com/mobile_polyminoes.html

Panoramic Software releases Blackjack for the iPhone

2009-09-09T16:32:00.000-07:00

Panoramic Software Inc releases its first product for the iPhone market: Blackjack.

The iPhone version has all of the great features that made the Windows Mobile version popular but it gets all new graphics and controls to take full advantage of the iPhone and iPod Touch.

Check it out here:
http://www.panoramicsoft.com/iphone/blackjack/Blackjack.php

Panoramic Software Releases moTweets - a great Twitter client for Windows Mobile

2009-09-03T13:36:00.000-07:00

Panoramic Software Inc has released moTweets for Windows Mobile phones.

If you use Twitter and own a Windows phone this is the application to use - and the best part - its free! moTweets is add supported, meaning you will get non-invasive advertisements when viewing twitter posts. However, you also have the option of purchasing moTweets for a nominal fee. The paid version doesn't display any advertisements.

Some key features include: TinyURL integration, TwitPic integration, ability to post and preview your current location, support for multiple twitter accounts, and much much more.

Head over to Panoramic's website to try it out - you'll be glad you did:

http://www.panoramicsoft.com/mobileapps/motweets/moTweets.php

Pioneer AVIC automotive in-dash GPS

2009-07-27T14:19:00.000-07:00

AVIC F700BT

I recently purchased a Pioneer AVIC F700BT double din in-dash car stereo with GPS. Which is exciting for me but probably not that interesting to you.

What is interesting is that shortly after installation I did some searching to see if anyone has done any hacks or mods to this particular unit. It turns out that all of the F & X series Pioneer GPS units are running Windows CE 5.0 under the hood. And what's even more interesting, there are freely available tools out there that allow you to easily boot directly into the CE environment.
As these devices have 2gig of internal storage, ARM processors and 256meg or RAM, this is pretty ideal platform to experiment with if you have dreams of making custom car computer software. The F700 comes with a CD drive and the F90 & F900 both come with DVD drives and MSN Direct hardware.

If nothing else you could easily create an SD card that boots into the CE environment and provides a web browser. With a quick tether to your cell phone you'd have Internet access on your in dash car computer.

As I experiment with my new CE toy I'll post updates. In the meantime head over to http://www.avic411.com/ if you want to learn more about hacking Pioneer GPS devices.

First Impressions

I'll also share my initial thoughts on using the F700BT and how it compares to my old Eclipse 3424.

First off, the F700 has a fan so instantly it has background noise, although its not noticeable in my Acura once the car is running. If you have a really high-end car you might notice it, but then you'd probably also already have GPS from the factory.

The sound quality is good but I had to re-tune my system as the Eclipse has 4V pre-outs vs the F700's 2 Volt. I also seem to be getting background hiss on AM radio, but its minor.

The interface is good but you'll definitely want to upgrade to the 3.0 version of the software as it greatly improves performance. Once you learn the layout you can get to everything quickly, although its still not quite as easy to use as a dedicated audio player. That being said its more intuitive than my old Eclipse.

Its performed great loadings CDs and MP3s from CDs, SD cards and USB sticks and the GPS works really well. It also pairs almost instantly with my Palm Tro Pro via Bluetooth and transferring contacts to the deck was easy.

Overall I'm very happy with the purchase for the money and with the ability to access the CE environment I'm thrilled.

Worth noting:

It doesn't come with a remote control and the F700 does not have an IR port so you won't be able to add one. (I never used mine in the past anyways).

You'll need to purchase an additional cable to use your iPod and you might as well buy it before you have the deck installed as it plugs into the back.

Panoramic Phone Genius updated to 1.8.6

2009-07-17T14:22:00.001-07:00

Panoramic Phone Genius has had a number of updates in the past few weeks and with every version its getting better.

Version 1.8.6 should be released later today, if you haven't updated Phone Genius for a while you'll want the new version.

Panoramic has been working hard to improve the software from top to bottom, there have been many recent changes that improve speed and reduce memory usage. If you've had any problems in the past you owe it to yourself to get the latest version.

And the big news, as of 1.8.5, it now fully supports regional calling codes for Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. More countries coming soon.

Grab it here:
http://www.panoramicsoft.com/mobileapps/phonegenius/PhoneGenius.php

Save Office 2007 documents as PDFs

2009-06-04T22:34:00.000-07:00

Ok this isn't even close to being new but its new to me ... I recently discovered that you can download a free add in for Office 2007 that allows you to save documents as PDFs - a great feature and it might just save you the cost of Adobe Acrobat.

Grab it here:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=4D951911-3E7E-4AE6-B059-A2E79ED87041&displaylang=en

10 Things you should know to develop Windows Mobile 6.5 applications

2009-06-03T22:11:00.000-07:00

1. The 6.5 Developer Tool Kits has been released: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=20686a1d-97a8-4f80-bc6a-ae010e085a6e
(don't forget to install the WM 6 SDK(s) first)

2. You need to include gesture.h, GesturePhysicsEngine.h & WindowsAutoGesture.h to handle gestures in your apps and games (touch screen devices only)

3. Gesture samples projects get installed with the 6.5 Dev Tool Kits - C:\Program Files\Windows Mobile 6 SDK\Windows Mobile 6.5 Developer Tool Kit\Samples\PocketPC\CPP\win32 by default

4. WM 6.5 Supports Widgets - since its already explained here I won't re-write it:
http://blogs.msdn.com/windowsmobile/archive/2009/06/04/getting-started-with-widgets-on-windows-mobile-6-5.aspx

5. New Start Menu icons are 45x45 pixel PNGs (90x90 for hi res and 60x60 for 128dpi). 32 bit images and transparencies are supported.

6. PNG "icons" can be placed anywhere as long as you have the appropriate registry key: "HKLM\Security\Shell\StartInfo\Start\MyCoolApp.lnk" In that key create a string value named "Icon" that points to your png (ie \Windows\MyCoolApp.png). You'll need to be clever about supporting multiple resolutions during installation.

7. The only professional square emulator provided is a 128dpi 320x320 resolution. So hopefully no more 240x240 touch screen devices.

8. The new Today Screen is just a plugin so it can be turned off if you're trying to make today screen plugs (although this might upset your customers).

9. Windows Mobile 6.5 is still built on CE 5 so you can use the WM 5 SDKs to develop if you don't need the new features. (and honestly you can still use the 2002 & 2003 SDKs if you want but its a hassle if you need to debug on newer devices).

10. If you're feeling brave and don't mind bending the law you might be able to upgrade your current WM phone to 6.5 by searching on http://www.xdadevelopers.com/ (at your own risk)

** Update **
There was a mention of 36x36 and 64x64 png icons needed for 96dpi devices and some of the other sizes will be used on multiple devices. I'll post further details as I find them.

Redfly Mobile Viewer Beta

2009-06-03T19:42:00.000-07:00

RedFly by Celio Corp has recently released a 60 day trial of their Mobile Viewer software. This essentially gives you the same functionality as their RedFly Mobile Companion without the custom hardware.

In a nutshell, the Mobile Viewer application connects to your Windows Mobile device, turns off your device's screen and shows the screen content on your PC. Now the interesting part: you're not limited to your devices screen size, you can choose from four resolutions (800x480, 800x600, 1024x600, & 1024x768).

The website warns that display resolutions may be limited by the amount of memory available on your phone. I tested the software with a Palm Treo Pro and it worked very well.

Installation:

To get up and running you'll need to download and install the desktop component. You'll also need to download their "firmware" and the "driver" that go on your device. Its not exactly clear what the firmware is needed for but it may be emulating their Mobile Companion hardware.

Installation is straight forward and once everything is installed you can easily connect your device by syncing to your desktop PC and pressing the "Connect" button on the PC software.

Performance:

Is "ok", its much like using a remote desktop connection over the Internet. Its good enough to work on but animations and videos are best avoided. My Palm Treo Pro was also much more responsive when using the lower resolutions.

Compatibility:

Now because there are no Windows Mobile devices yet available with screens larger than 800x 480, some of your favorite applications may not work. The good news is, most, if not all of the default applications work quite well including Pocket Word, Pocket Excel, and the File Explorer. Your millage will vary with 3rd party apps.

I am happy to report that the software I tested from Panoramic Software Inc and Implicit Software Solutions Inc all worked very well. There was a minor menu issue with Calc Pro and the background doesn't scale for Panoramic Blackjack but everything was stable and usable.

Final Thoughts:

I love the technology but I personally don't have a big need for this software. I think it would be ideal for road warriors that do a lot of emailing on their mobile devices. However its free to try and I'd recommend experienced users give it a try. Final warning though - it is beta software so you'll be installing at your own risk. There is always a chance something will go wrong so you're best off backing up everything on your device before installing the Mobile Viewer.

http://www.celiocorp.com/viewer

Panoramic Launch Pad updated to 1.2.0

2009-05-28T12:54:00.000-07:00

Panoramic has been almost flooded with feature requests for this new product and some of them have made it into the new version of Launch Pad.

Version 1.2.0 has a few new key features:

proper keyboard support on the Programs and Settings view
keyboard support when adding Programs or Settings to the Favorites view
"Bounce" effect added to all of the scrolling menus (just for fun)
minor memory optimizations

Go to http://www.panoramicsoft.com/ for more information and to get the latest version

Panoramic Phone Genius and Contacts Genius updated to v 1.6.0

2009-05-27T14:00:00.000-07:00

Both of these titles from Panoramic Software have been updated to version 1.6.0

Several minor bug fixes were made to Contacts Genius (which is included in Phone Genius). The big fix is the ability to display contacts without names that only have a business name defined.

A "Bounce" effect has also been added to the scrolling menus and lists.

Go to www.panoramicsoft.com for more information

Calc Pro updated to 2.7.6

2009-05-27T12:49:00.000-07:00

Yes, yet another update to Panoramic Calc Pro. There have been quite a few updates recently, and that is mostly due to user feedback.

A small bug was spotted when entering constants in RPN mode, it would add the previous value to stack twice - that has now been fixed.

Two new conversions have been added to the Torque Unit converter "km cm" and "g cm".

And a bug has been fixed that corrects some currency symbols not showing up in the Currency Converter on traditional Chinese devices.

This new version probably doesn't contain anything for the average user but if you're like me you want to have the latest version installed anyways - so head over to www.panoramicsoft.com

Trivial Pursuit Digital Choice

2009-05-26T12:20:00.000-07:00

I've been playing Trivial Pursuit off and on for a few years now and I finally got tired of trying to answer questions that were all at least 10 years old. I went to the store and the only new version of game I could find was "Trivial Pursuit Digital Choice". And I'll be honest, had there been the normal version I still probably would have bought the one with the electronic gizmo.

The game comes with a full size board, and all of the usual player pieces, the only difference is the electronic device that you use in place of the trivia cards (which you can see sitting above the PSP 1001).

The device comes with 12 sets of 50 questions that cover the basic Trivial Pursuit categories. You can also go to their website and download other question packs - which are well organized and spread across a huge range of interests/categories.

The bad:

the device is cheaply made
is not intuitive to use - it'll take some time before you're comfortable with it
its cumbersome to set up custom games
the back light turns off very quickly

The good:

it holds 2000 questions across multiple categories
its very easy to add new questions from the website
battery life is excellent
it tells you when you've used up all of the questions in a category
allows for quick games where the question packs are randomly selected

I personally still prefer playing with the standard cards - there's just something strange about passing around the bulky, plastic device. And its far easier to flip over a card than press several buttons to get to a question.

Overall though I'd still recommend it simply for the huge selection and variety of questions.

http://www.hasbro.com/trivialpursuit/

Panoramic Launch Pad and Calc Pro updates released today

2009-05-21T12:04:00.000-07:00

Calc Pro has been updated to 2.7.5 - this is a very minor update. It corrects the display bug when entering 0s after a decimal (they weren't showing up in previous versions). Please note, this bug only affected the display and not the accuracy of Calc Pro.

The bigger news is the update to Launch Pad. Panoramic had a great response to the release of Launch Pad as well as a flood of user suggestions. This version addresses some of those:

Launch Pad minimizes when shown if you tap the Start Menu Icon
Launch Pad minimizes when shown if Launch Pad is mapped to a hardware button
Favorites have been improved when switching between landscape and portrait
Loading time has been improved on first use
Added option to remove section headings on the Settings list
Minor optimizations to use less space and memory

Grab them both from http://www.panoramicsoft.com

Panoramic Launch Pad updated to 1.1.2

2009-05-18T12:16:00.000-07:00

Another minor update to Panoramic Launch Pad

This version contains several bug fixes:

Programs list properly updates when applications are installed or removed
Improved behavior when un-installing Launch Pad

As well, several new "Favorites" labels have been added to compliment the ability to add files and folders to the Favorites screen.

Go to www.panoramicsoft.com for more information

Panoramic Phone Genius updated to 1.5.1 and gets a new low price

2009-05-17T13:23:00.000-07:00

Panoramic Phone Genius has been updated to version 1.5.1 and this is the version to get. Almost all aspects of the software have been reviewed and tweaked and as a result, the new version is even more responsive and very stable.

But the big news is the 20% price drop. As well, Panoramic Contacts Genius and Area Code Genius are both going on sale.

Head to www.panoramicsoft.com for more information.

Panoramic Calc Pro 2.7.4 released

2009-05-16T13:00:00.000-07:00

Calc Pro has received yet another update. Most of the updates came from user requests - thank you again to everyone that has taken the time to e-mail.

Changes/Updates in 2.7.4:

One big change in this version for R.P.N. users. Calc Pro will now change all appropriate calculators to R.P.N. labelling for buttons (ie "Enter" instead of "="). It will also replace the left and right brackets with stack manipulation buttons.

added the ability to update the currencies from the file menu

added Reaumur to temperature conversions

fixed "Quiet" sound setting for the worksheets

fixed text spacing on wide screen devices (specifically "Reset" in the worksheets)

fixed the Menu selector for the Scientific calculator when in RPN mode

increased the size of the Menu text for 320x320 (128 dpi) devices

increased the size of the button text in the converters for square screen devices

other minor layout adjustments

For updates, purchasing, or further information, please visit http://www.windowsmobilecalculator.com/

Panoramic Software releases 3 new Calculators

2009-05-15T12:46:00.000-07:00

Realizing that not everyone needs the "Swiss army knife" like feature set of Calc Pro, Panoramic has released three lower priced calculator applications.

Panoramic Converter Pro contains the same powerful unit and currency conversions of Calc Pro for about 1/3 of the cost of Calc Pro.

http://www.panoramicsoft.com/mobileapps/converterpro/ConverterPro.php

Panoramic Scientific Calc contains the Scientific, Graphing, Base Conversion and Constants calculators from Calc Pro for about 1/2 of the price.

http://www.panoramicsoft.com/mobileapps/scicalc/SciCalc.php

And finally, Panoramic Financial Calc contains the Financial and Statistics calculators, again at about 1/2 of the cost.

http://www.panoramicsoft.com/mobileapps/financialcalc/FinancialCalc.php

All of the products in the Panoramic calculator family share a common code base, meaning the any updates or fixes will be applied to all five calculator products.

Also worth noting, if you buy the three newly released calculators individually, Panoramic will allow you to upgrade to Calc Pro free of charge. Simply request the upgrade at http://www.panoramicsoft.com/

Which is also an excellent place to find additional information or to purchase any of the Panoramic calculators.

Panoramic Software releases Launch Pad for Windows Mobile Professional & Standard

2009-05-14T15:13:00.001-07:00

Panoramic Launch Pad started its life as a companion application for Panoramic Phone Manager. It was eventually decided that although it matched nicely with the look and feel, it didn't really fit with what we wanted to acheive with Phone Manager. So it was used interally for a while until we realized it was a really useful utility all on its own.

So it was polished up, giving a catchy title and Launch Pad 1.0.0 was released. Shortly afterwards, it became apparent that it could be improved, and Launch Pad 1.1.1 was released earlier today.

Description:

"Panoramic LaunchPad allows you the freedom to easily access your Windows Mobile applications, settings, files and folders with your finger tips. Flip between two customizable favorite screens for quick access to your most frequently used items. An easy to use touch kinetic scroll menu allows you to find the Program or device Setting you are looking for in seconds. "

Improvements in 1.1.1:

Ability to add files or folders to the favorites
Ability to change the titles of the two favorites sections
Improved labels on the favorites
Cleaner uninstallation
Better support for 320x320 devices
A few other minor tweaks

You can grab the latest version here:
http://www.panoramicsoft.com/mobileapps/launchpad/LaunchPad.php

I am a Windows Mobile Specialist

2009-05-13T12:54:00.000-07:00

I came across a certification that Microsoft gives out called a "Windows Mobile Specialist".

It sounded like the type of certification I should have so I looked into it further. The entire course it available online and can be completed in a couple of hours. If you know the material before hand it can be done in less (during your lunch break for example).

It does require you to know Windows Mobile fairly well but its not difficult. The course is really aimed at retailers to ensure they know the products but any good mobile junkie might as well get the certification. If nothing else it gives you a small amount of credibility when giving advice on your blog ;)

Start here:

http://www.windowsmobiletraining.com/

Update* I'm now also a "Windows Mobile Small Business Retail Specialist". Perhaps I switch retail.

Calc Pro 2.7.2 & 2.7.3 Released

2009-05-08T12:41:00.000-07:00

We have new releases of Panoramic Calc Pro. 2.7.3 was releases immediately after 2.7.2 and fixes a bug with Calc Pro's application icon. Its not an essential update but you'll probably want it for ascetic reasons.

2.7.2 contains some major updates, however these new features and updates probably won't be used by most of our users (my self included).

Better handling of inputting and calculating values in Degrees/Minutes/Seconds. As you can see in the screenshot, Calc Pro will now properly format and handle values in DMS. Numbers can easily be converted between decimal and degrees from the Scientific calculator.

Multi line display for the R.P.N. calculator mode. As you can see in the screenshot we now show two lines of the stack instead of one. For owners of wide screen devices - you'll see 3 lines of the stack when your calculator is in portrait mode.

Better viewing of the RPN stack. You can tap on the low right area of the display to show the values currently in the stack. Its now displayed in a finger friendly list instead of simple message window.

Added Base3, 4, 5, & 12 support the Base Conversions calculator. This is mostly of academic interest but it doesn't take away from any of the other features so we felt it was a worthy addition.

Added the ability to save images of the graph from the graph screen (2.7.1). Also added the ability to chose the name and location of the bitmap to be saved.

Increased the spacing on the menus for wide screen devices in portrait mode to make them easier to use with your fingers.

And as usual we've continued to make minor improvements in the calculator logic and with the button layouts.

Grab the latest version here:
http://www.windowsmobilecalculator.com/

Panoramic Calc Pro updated to v2.7.0

2009-04-13T21:43:00.000-07:00

Panoramic Calc Pro 2.7.0 has now been released. It contains a number of minor tweaks and adjustments. If you own a square screen Windows Mobile phone you'll likely notice the improved button spacing.

The new version also includes several additions to the Unit Converter which now includes an "Acceleration" section. Anyone that's needed to converter feet per second squared to meters per second squared in a physics class will appreciate the addition.

This version also includes a new skin which you can see in the screenshots.

As usual you can get it from http://www.windowsmobilecalculator.com/

We're already working on version 2.7.1. Expect some RPN display improvements as well as layout upgrades for "wide" devices in portrait mode such as the Sony Xperia, the Samsung Omnia and the HTC Touch HD.

iSS Software updates: CalcSuite, Essentials, & SciCalc

2009-04-10T11:22:00.000-07:00

Implicit Software Solutions Inc has made several updates to several of its Windows Mobile products.

iSS SciCalc has been updated to version 3.0.4 and contains a number of minor bug fixes. As a result, Calc Suite has been updated to 5.0.1 and includes the new version of iSS SciCalc.

iSS Essentials also gets the new version of SciCalc but also receives updates to iSS Notepad & iSS Explorer Pro.

For more information please visit http://www.implicitsoftware.com/

To purchase, visit http://www.implicitsoftware.com/ or http://www.wireless-apps.net/

Panoramic Software on Twitter

2009-04-09T11:14:00.000-07:00

Panoramic Software Inc is now using Twitter to make it easier to keep track of Panoramic related news and product releases.

This is a great way to ensure you always know when updates are made to any of our products.

Follow Panoramic here:
https://twitter.com/PanoramicSoft

Panoramic BlackJack Review at TreoCentral.com

2009-04-08T15:22:00.000-07:00

Jennifer Chappel, a reviewer and Palm enthusiast at http://www.treocentral.com/ has taken the time to review Panoramic BlackJack 1.0.1.

You can read the review here:
http://treocentral.com/content/Stories/2514-1.htm

The review is very favorable which of course puts smiles on our faces but my favorite quote from the review is:

"I've learned a lot about playing Blackjack playing Panoramic BlackJack" which was a major focus when creating this game.

Head over to http://www.wireless-gaming.com/ or http://www.panoramicsoft.com/ to get your own copy.

Panoramic BlackJack is available for all Windows Mobile 5.0 and newer devices and supports all screen sizes. The latest version is 1.0.5 at the time of writing this post.

Panoramic Calc Pro gets some graphing improvements

2009-04-06T23:51:00.000-07:00

I was helping a friend with a few grade 12 math problems and I thought it was the perfect opportunity to put the graphing abilities of Calc Pro to use.

I'm happy to report that it worked great but I also realized there was some room for improvement for both entering graph equations and navigating the graph display.

With that in mind we made the following improvements to Calc Pro in version 2.6.8

onscreen zoom buttons for the graph (see screenshot)
reduced minimum bounding box when in zoom mode - ie - you can drag out a smaller rectangle it will still zoom
smarter equation entry - the text size automatically reduces and the equations will now scroll to the right if the equation won't fit in the display.

As usual - grab the latest version from www.windowsmobilecalculator.com

And you can always upgrade your paid version by installing the latest trial overtop.

Treo Pro done right

2009-03-28T20:17:00.000-07:00

I just thought I'd show everyone how I have my Treo setup just in case anyone is looking for ideas, suggestions or recommendations.

I'll start at the top and work my way down:

iSS Battery Meter: that's the rainbow colored bar at the top. It takes up almost no system resources and never gets in the way: battery monitoring made easy.

Panoramic Phone Genius: this configurable today screen plugin works really well. Starting from the top left the icons are:

phone profile (to control ringing on incoming calls)
e-mail
missed calls
SMS
voicemail
today screen settings
communication settings
favorite contacts (Panoramic Contacts Genius)
Panoramic Launcher (beta - not yet released)
camera
Panoramic Calc Pro
clock & alarm settings

Next is Calendar+. This is an open source project I found a few years ago that I've updated to properly support 128 DPI devices. Let me know if you'd like a copy of this version. It's a great plugin that behaves like the default calendar plugin but allows you to show multiple appointments. Its also very configurable it terms of layout and appearance.

And finally, Fizz Traveller. This layout is a custom one I created to properly fit 4 days of weather on the 320x320 screen. Again, I'll be happy to provide it upon request.

Not seen:

I have iSS Task Switcher running and avaliable by tap & hold on the top right-hand corner of the screen. Also launchable by pressing shift-ok.

I also have iSS Explorer Pro set up as a quick launch by pressing shift and the windows button.

All of the retail applications are available at http://www.wireless-apps.net/

And I highly recommend the Palm Treo Pro - this is the best Windows Mobile touch-screen device I've ever owned.

Panoramic Calc Pro updated to 2.6.6 for Windows Mobile Pro/Classic

2009-03-23T09:50:00.000-07:00

Panoramic Software has just released Calc Pro 2.6.5 and hot on its heals is version 2.6.6.

No there wasn't a problem with 2.6.5, we just continued to make improvements.

So first - version 2.6.5 brings the follow changes & fixes:

now displays "retail", "trial" or "expired" in the about screen
added a softer 'tap' sound in the options (user requested feature)
forces 'normal' number formatting on worksheets as SCI & ENG formatting could cause issues
improved memory and performance on scrollable menus/lists
some minor interface alignment improvements
fixed the reset button on some of the worksheets - they should all be 100% now
updated the installer to allow upgrading by installing the latest trial version over a retail version. You'll need to install the retail version of 2.6.5 for this to work
Fixed the worksheet bug where changing cells using the stylus could result in bad values (this should solve any confusion with the worksheets)
BIG improvement to the Date & Time Calculator - it should handle dates beyond the year 7000 now and handle intervals up to 999,999 days

Now for version 2.6.6:

fixed the graphing bug on equations with leading '-'
the installer will no longer ask you twice about keeping your user settings when upgrading
improved the random function (you'll never notice it but its more 'random')
improved displaying equations using "Expression mode" for entries wider than the screen
improved accuracy of Unit Converter results (actually just shows more significant figures - internally its the same)
fixed Unit Converter and Currency Converter behavior on numbers requiring exponents. Values should never be cut off now
NEW FEATURE - added an equation buffer to the "Expression calc" mode. It will now store up to20 equations/answers and allow you to scroll through them using up and down on your directional pad. Stylus support coming soon

Buy it now at http://www.windowsmobilecalculator.com/ or download the latest version from your software vendor. If you're not able to get the latest version please contact support through at Panoramic's website and we'll be happy to send it to you free of charge: http://www.panoramicsoft.com/

Panoramic Phone Genius updated to 1.3.0

2009-03-19T16:23:00.001-07:00

Panoramic Software is constantly improving Phone Genius.

Some of the latest features include:

adding custom pictures to contacts from your phone
taking pictures of contacts using the built in camera
easily adding ring tones from the contact details screen
expanded contact details including birthdays and addresses

And we've got some new, exciting features coming soon.

You can get the latest version of Panoramic Phone Genius for your Windows Mobile Professional Phone here:

http://www.panoramicsoft.com/mobileapps/phonegenius/PhoneGenius.php

Panoramic Software releases Phone Genius for Windows Mobile

2009-03-17T09:11:00.000-07:00

Another release from Panoramic Software Inc.

Phone Genius is now available for Windows Mobile Professional (5, 6, 6.1 & 6.5).

Simply put - Phone Genius is designed to make your Windows Mobile device a better phone.

It has a lot of depth and a lot of features so I'm just going to list off my favorites:

automatic area code look up for incoming and outgoing calls so you know their location and local time
smart profiles that will prevent your phone from ringing during busy appointments or specific times of day
smart rules that will allow priority contacts to always reach you
block lists! block unwanted numbers, contacts or area codes (no more 1-800 calls)
great looking interface for finger friendly browsing of contacts, sms, missed calls, etc
favorites screen that shows pictures of your favorite contacts (and again, finger pressable)

This application has been in development for over a year and we're quite proud of the finished product. We're also happy to say that in our testing it beats the competition both in performance and features.

Grab it here:

http://www.panoramicsoft.com/mobileapps/phonegenius/PhoneGenius.php

How to add a second email address to your gmail account

2009-03-13T17:29:00.000-07:00

Here's a handy tip I discovered - you can associate non-Gmail email addresses with your google account. What this means is, you'll be able to accept invitations to google services like google sites and google docs to non-Gmail email addresses.

Simply go here and add as many addresses as you like:
https://www.google.com/accounts/AddNonGmailAlternate

You can also send emails from Gmail that appear to originate from these addresses - simply check the Gmail settings for further information.

w h m and other letters beside your phone numbers

2009-02-28T20:44:00.000-08:00

Ever wondered what those letters mean beside the phone numbers in your phone history of your windows mobile device? Some of them are obvious but here's the complete list for Windows Mobile 6.x compatible contacts. There are 12 total:

w - work
wfx - work fax
m - mobile
h - home
pgr - pager
car - car
hfx - home fax
co - company telephone
w2 - work2
h2 - home2
rdo - radio
ast - assistant

iSS Video Poker and GamePack 1 updates

2009-02-23T17:48:00.000-08:00

iSS Video Poker has been updated to version 3.5.3 with a recent bug fix to the scoring calculations.

This also means iSS GamePack 1 gets updated to 4.4.2

You can grab the Windows Mobile Professional/Classic version here:
http://wireless-gaming.com/desc.php?d=d1&id=62768

And the Windows Mobile Standard version here:
http://wireless-gaming.com/desc.php?d=d2&id=120653

For more information, please visit:
http://www.implicitsoftware.com/mobile_videopoker.html

SMS time stamp bug on Windows Mobile

2009-02-20T16:10:00.000-08:00

When I got my new Palm Treo Pro I thought the phone was just about perfect - except for one little issue - the SMS time stamp was always out by several hours.

I finally got around to doing a little research and discovered this bug isn't unique to the Treo Pro, but may many of the new windows mobile phones on the market. The good news is, there is a very easy fix.

Grab your favorite registry editing program (mine is of course iSS Registry Editor) and add the following DWORD

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\OEM\PhoneSetting\TrustTimeZoneField

set the value to 0 and perform a soft reset.

This will not fix the time stamps on messages you've already received but all future SMS messages should display the correct time.

If its still not working double check the location, spelling, case of the registry key and of course make sure your regional setting and clock are set right.

Panoramic Calc Pro Lite for Windows Mobile

2009-02-19T20:46:00.000-08:00

Panoramic Software has released Calc Pro Lite.

Calc Pro Lite is based on the same great technology as the original Calc Pro however it only includes the standard calculator and a simplified currency converter (European currencies only).

However it still contains most of the options and all 4 of the original Calc Pro skins. Its a great way to get a better looking and more functional calculator for your Windows Mobile phone - and it costs less than $3.00.

Grab it here:

http://www.panoramicsoft.com/mobileapps/calcpro/Calcprolite.php

And of course don't forget to take a look at the original Calc Pro if you need more power and features:

http://www.panoramicsoft.com/mobileapps/calcpro/Calcpro.php

An updated version of the full Calc Pro should be released some time in March.

iSS Minesweeper updated for Windows Mobile

2009-02-04T08:54:00.000-08:00

I was playing iSS Minesweeper the other day and although I enjoy the game I couldn't help thinking it could be better. I wanted better use of the screen, more levels, and I wanted to see my best time while I played. I then realized that I have access to the source code - so I pulled it up the next day and made the changes I wanted. It may be selfish but I think they make it a better game.

The new version - 1.5 - should be released later this week. You can purchase it here: http://www.implicitsoftware.com/mobile_minesweeper.html

The changes include:

3 new skill levels

Learn to Play (I wanted a level easy enough for my young relatives)
Easy (board size and skill between Beginner and Intermediate)
Advanced (board size and skill between Intermediate and Expert)

Game board improvements - I reduced the boarders around the game field as much as possible which in effect increases the size of the game board, images and numbers.

Best Time is now displayed during the game.

If you want the updated version right away please just send us an email.

And don't forget, iSS Minesweeper is also included in iSS Essentials and iSS GamePack 2 available from http://www.wireless-apps.net/ & http://www.wireless-gaming.com/ respectively.

Panoramic Calc Pro updated to 2.6.0

2009-02-03T12:30:00.000-08:00

Panoramic Software Inc is just about to release the latest version of Calc Pro as they prepare it for Microsoft's Mobile2Market certification.

The new version contains a number of fixes and improvements:

Fixed bug when toggling between normal and advanced memory buttons

Improved the logic for saving settings

Minor optimizations for speed and memory

Added option for fast graphing (reduced accuracy)

Added option to graph points only (only shows calculated co-ordinates)

Added option to toggle between Beginning and End of Term payments for the TVM worksheet

Calc Pro now replaces the default Calculator - handy if using applications like Mobile Shell

And the big change in 2.6.0 is the new finger friendly options screen.

You can grab the latest version here:
http://www.windowsmobilecalculator.com/

Also worthy of mention is the new F.A.Q. for Calc Pro - take a look here: http://www.windowsmobilecalculator.com/faq.php

A handful of new Windows Mobile phones worth noticing

2009-02-03T09:53:00.000-08:00

Over the past few months there have been a lot of new Windows Mobile phones, of course devices like the HTC Diamond, Palm Treo Pro and Samsung Omnias are getting lots of attention.

But there are several less prominent phones worthy of a second look:

The Asus P565 looks to compete with the HTC Touch except it comes with a VGA screen:

http://www.asus.com/news_show.aspx?id=13428

The HP IPAQ Data Messenger looks boring a first glance but it hides a full feature set and a full qwerty keyboard

http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/uk/en/ho/WF06a/215348-215348-64929-3352590-3352590-3806501.html

Another cool device is the O2 Xda Zest - also similar is design to the HTC Touch

http://www.trustedreviews.com/mobile-devices/review/2008/11/26/O2-Xda-Zest-Smartphone/p1

Also its interesting to see there are a still a lot of companies creating Windows Mobile Standard phones - with touch being all the rage these phones get very little media attention but keep your eyes open:

HTC s740

HTC Shadow 2

Samsung i7110

Motorola Q11 & Napoleon

Panoramic WiFi Hero released for Windows Mobile Pro/Classic

2009-01-09T22:32:00.000-08:00

Panoramic Software has quietly released v1 of WiFi Hero.

This tool was created to solve the problem of lost WiFi settings on Windows Mobile 6 & 6.1.

Microsoft implemented a "feature - not a bug" that will erase settings for WiFi access points if the connection fails. What this means is - if attempt to access a WiFi network that requires a pre-shared key and it ever fails for any reason (and anyone that uses WiFi knows it does happen from time to time), a Windows Mobile 6 or newer device will detect the failure and decide that the current settings must me to blame. It will then promptly erase settings for that WiFi access point along with the preshared key. This becomes a huge hassle for users - and an even bigger hassle for IT departments.

WiFi Hero will back up all settings upon first use and will prompt the user for passwords of access points that require network keys (don't worry - you'll only be asked once).

After that - simply load WiFi Hero whenever your settings are erased and you'll be able to restore them in one click.

Corporate versions are also available that remove the need for user intervention and allow for network keys to be pre-installed and encrypted for additional security. Contact Panoramic Software for more information: www.panoramicsoft.com

And you can buy it here for $1.99:
http://www.panoramicsoft.com/mobileapps/wifihero/WiFiHero.php

Panoramic Calc Pro 2.5 released for all Windows Mobile phones

2009-01-08T18:25:00.000-08:00

Panoramic Software has just released Calc Pro 2.5.0. The big news with this release is support for Windows Mobile Standard devices. Its now 100% compatible with all Windows Mobile 5.0, 6.0 & 6.1 devices.

That's not the only big change in 2.5

The interface has been improved top to bottom improving appearance, speed and button layouts. Also the Paperless Tape feature has been improved for performance and stability.

For the technical people the Base Converter calculator has been pumped up with two more operators: NAND & XNOR.

The Graph screen has been improved and includes a new feature to center the view on data sets when performing regression - very useful.

The Statistics Calculator has been upgraded to now include a highly accurate Exponential Regression Worksheet. And both Linear Regression and Exponential Regression worksheets can now open and save CSV (comma separated value) files that are compatible with Excel and Pocket Excel.

As well there have been numerous fixes and improvements in all aspects of the product - you'll definitely want to download the latest version if you've purchased a previous version.

Grab it here: http://www.windowsmobilecalculator.com/

Windows Mobile 6.1.4 Emulator images available

2009-01-02T14:24:00.000-08:00

This one slipped by me in late November. Microsoft has released updated Emulator Images for Windows Mobile 6.1.

It looks like the big change is the inclusion of the Internet Explorer Mobile 6 which is based off of the desktop Internet Explorer's HTML engine. This would be more exciting if I could install it on my real device but its a great opportunity to test out the new mobile browser.

I'm also hoping this release fixes the DPI bug on the WVGA Windows Mobile Professional emulator.

Grab them here:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=1A7A6B52-F89E-4354-84CE-5D19C204498A&displaylang=en

** Update **

So I'm happy to report that the WVGA emulator works. Aswell, the new Pocket Internet Explorer is fantastic! It even supports flash with no addtional downloads. Performance was slow on the emulator so I'd still be very interested to try it on a real device.

A BIG step in the right direction.

Implicit Software Solutions Inc updates GamePack1, Logic Squares and Blackjack

2008-12-30T18:06:00.000-08:00

Implicit Software Solutions Inc has updated:

iSS GamePack1 to version 4.4.0

iSS Blackjack to version 3.6.0

and iSS Logic Squares to version 4.0.0

iSS Blackjack contains a number of bug fixes and game logic improvement. iSS Logic Squares receives the most attention with a complete re-write. Version 4.0.0 is now compatible will all new Windows Mobile devices including my Palm Treo Pro. It also now includes 5 game modes, more game styles, and more difficult puzzles.

iSS GamePack1 has been updated to include new versions of both Blackjack and Logic Squares.

For more information visit:

http://www.implicitsoftware.com/

To purchase go to:

http://www.wireless-gaming.com/

ActiveSync encountered a problem on the desktop error code 0x86000107

2008-12-23T17:58:00.000-08:00

As I've now joined the ranks of people that have gotten this error code I thought I would document my attempts to fix it and hopefully this will save people some searching.

First off - it appears the cause of my problem was creating a partnership with a second PC. And the solution was posted here:
https://connect.microsoft.com/feedback/Workaround.aspx?FeedbackID=354634&SiteID=502

It sounds like this bug is specific to Windows Mobile 6.1. It also sounds like there is a fix available to phone manufactures but it is up to them to provide an update for your phone.

If the above doesn't do the trick try the steps below one at a time - hopefully one of them works. For each step, disconnect your device, follow the step and then retry synchronizing. This are collected from various posts online (most of which I tried).

1. Delete the 2nd partnership from your phone
Launch Active Sync on your phone while you're not connected to your PC, open the options and delete the second partnership if you have one.

2. Disable Advanced Networking
Start / Settings / Connections / USB to PC and unselect "Enable advanced network functionality". This worked for some, didn't help me.

3. Change Sync Settings from your desktop
Try unselecting Tasks, e-mail, etc and see if one of them is causing the problem. Note - if you unselect Contacts, e-mail, or Calendar it will remove all information of that type so uncheck the least important ones first. One user reported the problem went away when he created a new task on his phone - if you have no tasks and they're sycnronizing - give it a try.

4. Check Outlook on your desktop
Fully close Outlook and then open the Task Manager. See if there are any rogue instances of Outlook.exe running - if so - remove them.

5. Repair your PST file(s)
This is built into Outlook 2003 - for Outlook 2007 you'll need to run SCANPST.EXE which should be located in C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12. You'll likely have to manually select your PST file. Reboot and resync.

If none of these work we're getting into more drastic steps

6. Re-install Windows Mobile Device Center or ActiveSync
Find the latest version and re-install

7. Delete your Partnership
From both your device and from your sync software - delete the partnership. This likely means you'll lose any changes you've made from your device.

8. Create a new PST file in Outlook
Requires some working knowledge of outlook. Create a new PST file, set it as default and then try importing all of the data from your previous PST file. This should have the same effect as running SCANPST.EXE but some reported this worked. Reboot and re-sync.

9. Re-install Outlook
Shouldn't be necessary if you've followed the above steps but now we're trying to remove all possible culprits.

10. Hard Reset your phone
When all else fails - start over. Not a pleasant option. Check your manual for instructions on how to hard reset your phone. And please note, a hard reset will remove all installed data and applications - your phone with be returned to an "out of the box" state.

Good Luck!

Palm Treo Pro on CSI New York

2008-12-20T18:13:00.000-08:00

Its as simple as the title says - it looks like the detectives on CSI New York are using the new Palm Treo Pro in the latest season.

I believe they used older Palm Treos in previous seasons so this isn't to surprising but its always good for the market to see Windows Mobile devices associated with pop culture.

And to set the record straight - I bought my Treo Pro before I saw it on TV.

Pandora Open source handheld gaming platform

2008-12-19T12:49:00.000-08:00

A company by the name of Pandora is creating a Linux based handheld device targeted for open source gaming. (translation: emulating older consoles).

It looks to be fairly powerful with a 600Mhz processor and an OpenGL ES 2.0 compliant PowerVR graphing accelerator matched to an 800x480 screen.

Unfortunately the device itself doesn't look to the least bit ergonomic and I'm going to guess, somewhat cumbersome to use to play games. However I must admit, I still want one.

The company has been taking pre-orders as of September, 2008 for a price of $330 US. Unfortunately the release date has not yet been set.

More information here:

http://openpandora.org/

and here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandora_(console)

WindowsMobileCalculator.com launched

2008-12-19T10:59:00.000-08:00

Panoramic Software has launched a new website to provide detailed information on Calc Pro for Windows Mobile devices.

The launch corresponds with the release of Calc Pro 2.0.7 which contains a number of fixes and improvements including:

improved layout for the graphing calculator
fixed "feet" conversion bug
improved Paper Tape functionality
fixed rare crash when using M+ & M- buttons

Take a look at Calc Pro and the new website here:

http://www.windowsmobilecalculator.com

Panoramic Calc Pro updated to 2.0.6 for Windows Mobile Professional

2008-12-16T23:48:00.000-08:00

Calc Pro 2.0.6 has been released. This version fixes the menu bug seen on some newer HTC devices. If 2.0.5 works correctly there is no need to update (but it won't cause problems either).

Also worth noting - Panoramic Calc Pro for Windows Mobile Standard will be ready for release in less than 1 week. The interface has been completely reworked to get the most of out of WM Smartphone controls - but all of the same power and features will be available the for non-touch screen phones.

More information on Calc Pro is available here:
http://www.panoramicsoft.com/mobileapps/calcpro/Calcpro.php

How to get Microsoft eBook reader to open lit files from the file explorer

2008-12-15T19:53:00.000-08:00

I keep seeing posts and comments online stating that Microsoft's eBook reader for the Pocket PC is only able to open lit files (ebooks) from within the application.

This is only partially true - whoever created the installer for Microsoft Reader make a mistake when registering the file associations for .lit files.

Fortunately there is a straight forward fix and it makes life much easier if you frequently read eBooks.

First off, make sure you have the latest version installed. Grab it here:
http://www.microsoft.com/reader/downloads/ppc.mspx

*note that latest version drops support for Pocket PC 2002

Next you'll need a registry editor for your Pocket PC. If you don't have one I recommend iSS Registry Editor (I know it works because I helped develop it). You can use the trial version for 4 days if you don't think you'll need it in the future.

Grab it here:

http://www.wireless-apps.net/desc.php?d=d1&id=220720

Install iSS Registry Editor and open it on your Pocket PC.

Navigate to

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\eBook\Shell\Open\Command

There should only be the default key - now this key is almost right - Microsoft just forgot the quotation marks

Depending on where you installed it the key will look something like
\Program Files\Microsoft Reader\msdreader.exe %1

Change it to
"\Program Files\Microsoft Reader\msdreader.exe" %1

(note the second quote goes before the %1)

Save and you're done. Microsoft eBook reader will now automatically open correctly when you launch an ebook from the File Explorer (or iSS Explorer Pro).

Panoramic BlackJack YouTube Video

2008-12-14T11:10:00.000-08:00

A great way to check out Panoramic BlackJack for Windows Mobile Classic, Standard, & Professional.

Have a look at the video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8S5AyN3FBo

For more information on BlackJack, go here:
http://www.panoramicsoft.com/mobilegames/blackjack/Blackjack.php

Panoramic Hexegems for Windows Mobile Stanard Released

2008-12-13T09:00:00.000-08:00

Hot on the heals of BlackJack - Panoramic software has updated Panoramic Hexegems to version 1.0.1. This version fixes a handful of minor bugs but more importantly - it marks the release of Hexegems for Windows Mobile Standard.

For more information or to purchase Hexegems, go here:

http://www.panoramicsoft.com/mobilegames/hexegems/HexeGems.php

Panoramic BlackJack released for Windows Mobile

2008-12-12T22:39:00.000-08:00

The first title from Panoramic that is compatible with both Windows Mobile Professional/Classic devices and Windows Mobile Standard phones.

Its a really great BlackJack game - we aimed to make it the best looking BlackJack game on the market as well as packing in the most features.

It supports the usual split, double, insurance and surrender options, but it also includes card counting. This of course isn't something you should do in gambling establishments but its a great way to get the edge on your buddies in a casual game.

Panoramic also goes one step further and includes a "Learn to Play" mode. After extensive research (and lots of BlackJack playing) we created an optimized strategy of play and the learn to play mode will suggest the best move based on the current player and dealer hand. Its a really great way to improve your BlackJack game. Combine it with a simple card counting routine and you can easily beat the house.

More info can be found here:

http://www.panoramicsoft.com/mobilegames/blackjack/Blackjack.php

And you can purchase BlackJack for Windows Mobile Professional or Classic here:

http://www.wireless-gaming.com/desc.php?d=d1&id=242992

And for Windows Mobile Standard (Smartphone) here:

http://www.wireless-gaming.com/desc.php?d=d2&id=243489

Calc Pro 2.0.5 for Windows Mobile Professional

2008-12-04T16:00:00.000-08:00

Another update as we work towards releasing Calc Pro for Windows Mobile Standard devices.

This version ended up with a lot of fixes and improvements:

Reduced memory usage
Fixed bug in the Loan worksheet found on some devices
No longer saves Tape files if the save tape option is set to off
Menu works correctly on 320x320 screens (Palm Treo Pro)

It should be updated and online by the end of the day

http://www.panoramicsoft.com/
http://windowsmobilecalculator.com/

HTC Touch Diamond and its DDR Memory

2008-12-01T22:59:00.000-08:00

Recently I was looking over the hardware specifications of the new HTC Touch Diamond and noticed that HTC is claiming the use of DDR memory.

Over the weekend I had a little free time so I created a Windows Mobile benchmark application so I could do some comparison testing. It just so happened that a colleague of mine had a Diamond on order.

I thought a fair comparison would be the Dell Axim x51v as its just about the only really usable VGA Windows Mobile device I've used.

I'll provide some benchmark numbers later this week but I'll let you know the summary now. Not surprisingly, the Dell x51v was a fair bit faster on integer and floating point calculations when compared to the HTC Touch Diamond. However, when testing memory performance the Diamond was almost twice as fast - so it appears that the HTC is making good use of the DDR memory. Now the big number - the HTC posted frame rates for normal drawing operations that were almost 3 times faster than the speedy Dell.

I should get a chance to put the Diamond through its paces but I think its fair to say it this is an excellent choice for gaming and multimedia.

Coming soon: benchmarks with the new Palm Treo Pro as well as several other windows mobile phones.

Panoramic Calc Pro updated to 2.0.4 for Windows Mobile Professional

2008-11-27T13:11:00.000-08:00

Yes another update: this version continues on the improvements made in 2.0.3

Fixed:

Square screen support (drawing issue on the unit converter and currency converter)

New/Updated:

Improved button text display on square screen devices

Added ability to scale X & Y independently while graphing

It should be avaliable on http://www.panoramicsoft.com/ and http://www.wireless-apps.net/ by the end of the day.

Redfly Video Preview

2008-11-26T22:13:00.001-08:00

As I mentioned a few days ago - Redfly is making a smartphone companion device which plugs into your Windows Mobile device and gives you a large 800x480 with an onscreen cursor and a touchpad.

Here's a Youtube video giving you a preview of how the device works, its a little dry but still interesting if this product is on your radar.

Enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5HtetqGumU

Panoramic Calc Pro updated to v2.0.3 for Windows Mobile Professional

2008-11-26T14:37:00.001-08:00

Calc Pro has been updated to version 2.0.3

The new version contains a handful of minor bug fixes and improvements. If 2.0.2 is running nicely you don't have to rush to grab the latest.

Fixed:

No longer always starts in the standard calculator mode
Now instantly changes calculator modes when leaving the options screen
Fixed worksheets when the Expression calculator mode is selected

Improvements:

Dynamically positions the "Point on Graph" text so its always on screen when graphing
"Point on Graph" text now drawn using ClearType (you'll hardly notice)
Changed Point on Graph text to say graph instead of function
Improved appearance on some devices (iMate JAQ3)

Grab it here:
ttp://www.wireless-apps.net/desc.php?d=d1&id=238782

or here:
http://www.panoramicsoft.com/mobileapps/calcpro/Calcpro.php

Experia, Touch HD, Diamond and Diamond Pro Video

2008-11-25T22:10:00.000-08:00

I think the title says it all. I'm personally in the market for a new Windows Mobile phone and this video covered the four phones that I'm interested in.

The video is about 8 minutes long and gives you a pretty good feel for the sizes of the devices.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAfrsZ1INV8

All four phones are Windows Mobile Professional Devices and all four have high resolution screens. The Touch HD and the Experia have a screen resolution of 480x800, the Diamond and Diamond Pro have a resolution of 480x640.

If you're shopping for these phones you may want to keep in mind that there is better software support for VGA devices (480x640) than the WVGA devices.

Also a key feature (or lack of) on the HTC HD is the lack of a directional pad. This means you're going to be controlling everything using the screen, it also means many games will be unplayable. However for a device this cool you may be willing to overlook it.

I'm currently leaning towards the HTC Touch Diamond - I'm ready for a small and "cool" phone.

As always, if you're looking for software for any of these phones check out
http://www.wireless-gaming.com & http://www.wireless-apps.net in the Windows Mobile Touch section.

Zune players in a nutshell

2008-11-24T00:14:00.000-08:00

After playing with XNA I quickly learned I would need an actual Zune device (and likely a premium membership) to test and debug games and applications for the Zune.

After a quick search I confirmed that there currently is no Zune emulator. So the next trick is to learn the various models. My local retailers are selling; 4, 8, 16, 80 & 120 gig models and there appeared to be 2 form factors.

More searching and I discovered the following:

There is an older Zune 30 device which doesn't appear to be on the market
Also known as Zune V1
The Zune 4, 8, 16 are all based on the same hardware
Zune V2
The Zune 80 & 120 are based on the same hardware
Zune V3

So - 3 types of Zune so far.

All Zunes have 240x320 res screens
4, 8 & 16 are solid state drives - larger models have hard drives

Zune V1 has a 60Hz refresh rate, V2 & V3 are set to 30Hz (for battery life)
Zune V1 runs at 524Mhz
Zune V2 runs at 399Mhz
Zune V3 runs at 399Mhz

Time to go take one home

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zune

Developing XBOX 360 Games for the Live Marketplace

2008-11-23T23:59:00.000-08:00

"Once you’re ready to begin developing Xbox 360 games, you will need to sign up for an XNA Creators Club Premium membership.

A Premium membership enables you to create and debug your games on Xbox 360. Also, it allows you to submit your creations for distribution on Xbox LIVE Marketplace.

If you want to create games for Xbox 360, you will also need a computer running XNA Game Studio, an Xbox 360 console with hard drive, and an Xbox LIVE Gold or Silver account. The computer and the Xbox 360 console must be on the same network.

Once you sign in to the XNA Creators Club Online Web site, browse to the Membership page to sign up for a Premium membership, and, if necessary, an Xbox LIVE membership. You will be prompted to sign up for either a four-month Premium membership (49 USD) or annual (99 USD) membership. "

nuff said

http://creators.xna.com/en-US/create_detail#tour_three

Migrating to Visual Studio 2008

2008-11-23T22:45:00.000-08:00

I wanted to take a look at the XNA Game Studio 3.0 - and it turns out it requires Visual Studio 2008. Since all of my current code is based on 2005 projects I've been avoiding the upgrade - no it looks like its time to take the plunge.

There is good news, apparently you can run multiple versions of Visual Studio side beside:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms246609.aspx

And more good news - XNA also works with C# 2008 Express. It looks like Microsoft has made things easy this time around.

Visual Studio 2008 Express: http://www.microsoft.com/express/download/#webInstall
XNA Game Studio 3.0: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=7D70D6ED-1EDD-4852-9883-9A33C0AD8FEE&displaylang=en

Happy Coding

Redfly Smartphone Terminal

2008-11-22T13:42:00.000-08:00

This is an interesting idea. Essentially its a bigger, hires screen and keyboard for your Windows Mobile device.
http://www.celiocorp.com/

You connect it to your smartphone and it displays your smartphone screen on the Redfly's WVGA screen and allows accessing programs and documents through the Redfly. The first thing to wonder with this device is - will your applications scale correctly to 800x480? Fortunately there are a few WVGA devices already on the market so the answer: with most newer applications should be "yes".

This is a very similar idea to the Foleo for Palm devices. The Foleo never made it to market - likely due to the decline in Palm market share and the high price point of $499. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Foleo

As someone that enters a lot of data into my phone I could see the use in this. But really - I think I'd rather get a mini-notebook like the Asus Eee PC and use Dashwire's software (athough that requires an active internet connection).

I imagine the Redfly is a product you'll have to try before passing judgement. If its extremely easy to use it might justify the $200 US for the entry model. But at that price I'm not quite interested enough to find out.

I do love products like this and I hope they have a market. Less tech savy road warriors might find this indispenable (again - if its dead simple to use).

And finally a link to back to My Today Screen who posted the first article I had read on the Redfly.

Panoramic Calc Pro 2.0.2 released today.

2008-11-18T14:21:00.000-08:00

Calc Pro 2.0.2 contains a few minor bug fixes and improves compatibility with WVGA devices like the HTC Touch HD, Sony Experia and the Toshiba G900.

Grab it from the Panoramic Software Inc website here:
http://www.panoramicsoft.com/

This version is compatible with all Windows Mobile 5, 6 & 6.1 Professional and Classic devices (ie Pocket PC).

Intel Core i7 Processors now for sale

2008-11-18T12:49:00.000-08:00

I haven't been following the PC hardware market as closely as I used to now that my Xbox 360 has taken the gaming duties away from my PC.

So when I saw NCIX announce they had Core i7s for sale I did a little research.

Here's a little information for those of you that don't want to wade through pages and pages of tech reviews.

Intel Core i7 is a Quad core processor similar to the previous Core 2 Quads. The big change is it also supports SMT (Symmetric Multi Threading) - it was that quirky feature Intel brought to the Pentium 4s that made your computer think it had 2 processors (but rarely improved performance).

Well now your system is going to think it has 8 (yes eight) processors and SMT might be a whole lot more useful now that a lot of processor intensive applications and games are being designed for multi core and multi-processor systems.

The new processor from Intel also has some other tech improvements including a 3rd level of cache and support for SSE4. The final big improvement is the integrated memory controller that should greatly improve memory bandwidth.

Too bad it still won't help me get my work done any faster.

Google for more information.

iSS Essentials Update

2008-11-16T20:52:00.000-08:00

It was time for an update to iSS Essentials. This brings it to version 2.0.0.

The updates are:

iSS SciCalc 3.0:

This is the biggest update. Calc Pro 1.0 and SciCalc 2.3 have been merged and will now be known as SciCalc 3.0. This adds constants, unit conversions and graphing along with the easy to use interface of Calc Pro. The Calc Pro name will now be carried on by Panoramic Software which has done an impressive job of improving the look at feel of Calc Pro as well as adding a ton of features.

iSS Notepad 1.1.0:

Fixed the italic font bug
Added Document Info showing the word count, character count and full file name and path

iSS Task Manager 1.1.0:

Added "Smart Shut Down" and "Smart Soft Reset". These two features are almost the same and I've wanted them ever since we released Essentials. If you reset or turn off your device using these options in the menu - Task Manager will try to gracefully close all running applications first. What this means is - you won't lose changes to documents or settings of programs you left open. A much nicer way to reset your phone.

iSS Task Switcher 1.1.0:

I noticed a drawing error on my iMate JAQ3 on the menu. I couldn't reproduce it on any other devices but I thought it was worth fixing anyways.

I also added the above mentioned "Smart Soft Reset" to iSS Task Switcher on the quick launch bar (its the pretty new blue icon).

As always - you can buy iSS Essentials or any of the individual applications from Wireless-Apps: http://www.wireless-apps.net/

If you already have the full version and would like to upgrade - simply download the most recent trial version and re-install the software. It will retain the "full version" status along with your current settings.

Grab the latest demo from http://www.wireless-apps.net/ or http://www.implicitsoftware.com/

Panoramic Hexegems for Windows Mobile Pro/Classic finally released

2008-11-14T22:21:00.000-08:00

Panoramic Software Inc has finally released Hexegems for Windows Mobile Professional / Classic devices.

Hexegems will work on all Pocket PC 2003 devices, Windows Mobile 5 Pocket PC devices, and Windows Mobile 6 & 6.1 Professional and Classic devices.

A smartphone (non-touch version) should be released before Christmas 2008.

Its currently selling for $9.95 and you can buy it from the Panoramic Software website here:

http://www.panoramicsoft.com/mobilegames/hexegems/HexeGems.php

Dashwire for Windows Mobile

2008-11-14T16:01:00.000-08:00

Dashwire is a great concept for Windows Mobile devices (well its a great concept for any phone really) but currently only works on WM and Symbian powered Nokia devices.

The short description is: Dashwire gives you access to your phone through a web browser.

It works by installing a client application on your phone which then uses whatever data connection it has available to send and receive information to the DashWire servers.

Once you're synced you can view all of you contacts, pictures, sms messages, etc that are on your phone right from the web interface - and it works great. You can also respond to SMS messages from your web browser and they'll be sent out from your phone without any additional steps.

Its a product I haven't used enough but I've recently become a fan again since I've set up my phone to use WiFi at home. I've also heard from one of the company's founders that they've got some killer new features coming out soon so keep an eye on the website.

Take a look and sign up here:

http://www.dashwire.com/

Windows Mobile Calc Pro Youtube Video

2008-11-13T19:51:00.000-08:00

The Panoramic Software Marketing Team has put together a great looking preview video for Panoramic Calc Pro.

Take a look here:
http://www.panoramicsoft.com/mobileapps/calcpro/Calcpro.php
Its a good way to get a feel for some of the features before downloading and installing it to your phone.

Cheers

Panoramic Calc Pro 2.0 for Windows Mobile Released

2008-11-12T15:42:00.000-08:00

Panoramic Software Inc has given the green light on Calc Pro and it is no avaliable for purchase.

If you've tried any of the beta's you'll want to take another look. Every section has been reworked and the graphics have been improved. We've also of course added more features.

The cost is $24.95 and you can buy it or download the trial version here:
http://www.wireless-apps.net/desc.php?d=d1&id=238782

For detailed information check out the Panoramic Software site here:
http://www.panoramicsoft.com/mobileapps/calcpro/Calcpro.php

Supported devices:
All Windows Mobile 5, 6, & 6.1 Professional and Classic devices (aka Pocket PCs).

We'll have a Windows Mobile Standard (non-touchscreen Smartphone) version ready soon.

HTC Touch used on CSI

2008-11-05T20:26:00.000-08:00

This may not be big news but its is a good sign for windows mobile. I was just watching an episode of CSI that I saved from a couple of weeks ago. The CSI team tracked down a victim's phone and it was quite clearly an HTC Touch.

I have to be honest - it was quite surprising to me. Living in Canada its rare to see people using Windows Mobile devices that don't work in hi-tech. As a software developer I would love to see the average cell phone buyer taking an interest is these phones.