Panoramic Calc Pro Lite for Windows Mobile

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.