Pocket PC magazine, October/November 2004
Page 6
Word Mojo (B+)
Astraware’s Word Mojo is a bit like Scrabble but plays more like a game show. Every time you create a word from your pool of seven letters, it counts as a "set," and six sets count as a "round." As you make your way through the sets, letters that you place on highlighted spots on the board are added to a special pool called "Mega Mojo Letters." If you have enough letters at the end of a round to form any valid words, you’re taken to a bonus round called the "Mega Mojo Round." Two difficulty modes and a "timed" mode allow more challenges.Bright, flashy colors and Vegas-style sound effects make Word Mojo more engaging than other word games. The game doesn’t quite have the complexity of Scrabble, but it’s not a bad way to pass the time.
(above) Word Mojo has a lot of flash.
For more information on this game, visit the Astraware Web site (http://www.astraware.com/ppc/word/wordmojo?skucode=0075-085-0085). Word Mojo supports all Pocket PCs. A demo is available, and the full version can be purchased for $9.95.
Other New Games
RollerPPC (A-)
A tricky and unique puzzle game involving sliding rows and columns. Your goal is to remove all balls from the board by aligning three or more of the same colors. "Roll" a line horizontally or vertically to move the balls over the board.
(above) RollerPPC is a good brainteaser.
For more information on this game, visit Guglielmo Calligaro’s Web site (http://web.tiscali.it/rollerppc). RollerPPC supports all Pocket PCs and is a free download.
Draughts (B+)
Draughts offers checkers four different ways, with an "undo" feature, in a likable package.
(above) Draughts is a decent version of checkers.
For more information on this game, visit the Intorine Web site (http://ppc.intorine.com/draughts/index.htm). Draughts supports Pocket PC 2002 and newer devices. A demo is available, and the full version can be purchased for $9.95
Lejjo (B+)
In Lejjo you get the ball to the end of the maze by rotating the maze itself, then let gravity do the work. Level difficulty is inconsistent (some are too hard, others are too easy), but it’s still a unique effort.
(above) Lejjo is a maze game that uses physics and gravity.
For more information on this game, visit the JLE Software Web site: (http://lejjo.4t.com). Lejjo supports all Pocket PC 2002 and newer devices. A demo is available, and the full version can be purchased for $3.99.
Pool Challenge (B-)
A difficult interface makes this game a "challenge," while the graphics and animation work well enough.
(above) If you can overlook the poor interface, Pool Challenge has a lot going for it.
For more information on this game, visit the AIM Productions Web site (http://www.aimproductions.be/ppc_catalogue_title.asp?Product_ID=127). Pool Challenge supports all Pocket PCs. A demo is available, and the full version can be purchased for $5.99.
* * *
Gaming News
Microsoft released several games a few years ago to help support the platform (emulated versions of Pac-Man, Dig Dug, and ports of some of Rapturetech’s arcade games), but then seemed to back off. Recently, Microsoft announced that a version of Direct3D (an API designed to make game development easier and exploit hardware acceleration technology) would be developed for mobile devices. MS also just announced that 13 of its popular PC games would be ported over to the Pocket PC platform and released within the year. These won’t be just simple arcade and puzzle games—we’ll see the likes of Midtown Madness, RallySport, and other games appearing on our Pocket PCs. We already have the popular strategy game Age of Empires courtesy of Zio Interactive. Nothing against Zio, but I’m hoping MS will port their games in-house to ensure the best quality and performance. Personally, I’m really looking forward to playing Midtown Madness on my Pocket PC. You can read the full article here:
http://star-techcentral.com/tech/story.asp?file=/2004/4/29/itfeature/7852099&sec=itfeature.
* * *
Where to Get These Games
Unless otherwise noted, games mentioned in this column are available at the following Web sites:
Handango (http://www.handango.com)
PocketGear (http://www.pocketgear.com)
Many games are also available at the developer’s Web site (check the end of each review for developer information, supported devices, and prices).
* * *
Allen Gall is from the Central Illinois area and holds a Master of Arts in English from Bradley University. He has worked as a Web content writer, a developer of e-learning courses, and a technical editor for one of the world’s largest insurance companies. His interests range from classic literature to computer hardware and videogame consoles. His main interests in PDAs include gaming (of course), e-books, and wireless connectivity. Allen is always interested in reviewing and testing new games and products for the Pocket PC platform. You can reach him at allen@PocketPCmag.com.
Keep Track of All Your Financial Transactions
by John Ottini
Ilium Software, the company that gave us such award-winning software as eWallet and ListPro, has released a new, upgraded version of their bill-tracking and financial-transaction software, Keep Track (2.1) for the Pocket and desktop PC. Keep Track assists you in keeping tabs on things such as bill payments, receipts, loan payments, telephone or online transactions, and, of course, in reconciling your bank accounts. I’ve been using this software for many years, initially on a Handheld PC and more recently on my Pocket PC, to track all my credit card transactions, loan payments, and, most importantly, to keep track of the "vast wealth" flowing in and out of my checking and savings accounts.
Its beauty is its simplicity
The beauty of Keep Track has always been its simplicity. You begin by setting up the accounts you want to track (checking, savings, credit card, car loan, etc.) and entering a starting balance for each account. Then you use the Transaction Entry screen (Fig. 1) to record all deductions from or additions to each account. This data can be entered right on your Pocket PC, or entered on the desktop PC version of the program and then synchronized with the Pocket PC. All transactions can be viewed on the Transaction List screen (Fig. 2) and can be displayed either by individual accounts or with all accounts combined into one. If you have reoccurring payments or charges that you record on a monthly basis, you can use the nifty One-Touch screen buttons (Fig. 3) and save yourself some typing.
(above) Fig. 1: The Transaction Entry screen is where you enter all debits and credits.
(above) Fig. 2: The Transaction List screen is where you can view all entries and see account balances and running totals.
(above) Fig. 3: You can set up as many as 12 One -Touch buttons for recurring monthly transactions.
In a nutshell, you enter all the data and Keep Track does the nasty math and displays accurate running totals of all your accounts. The software is very easy to master—no long learning curve is required. If you love to browse through user guides then you will really enjoy the well written, completely revamped 49-page manual, provided in Acrobat PDF format.
What’s new in version 2.1?
Here is a list of upgraded features that might be of interest to current Keep Track users.
Two new account types: Cash and Loan have been added to the pull-down list.
Totals can be displayed by Account and Category.
You can now add, delete, or rearrange the display columns in the Transaction List (Fig. 4).
(above) Fig. 4: You can customize columns to suit your needs for individual accounts or for all accounts.
A much needed Find/Find Next function was added, allowing you to search your accounts for specific entries (e.g., all Wal-Mart transactions).
You can set font style and size for the Transaction List and the One-Touch buttons text.
A Running Total column was added to the Transaction List
Options are available for displaying alternate-row coloring and for setting Transaction List text to re
d and black (for debits and credits) (Fig. 2).
New lock-setting functions improve security by locking Keep Track after a user-specified number of minutes of inactivity or incorrect password entry attempts.
Cosmetic changes were made to many of the data entry screens.
Where can I get my copy?
Still not sure? Then try it yourself for free. Go to Ilium Software’s Web site (http://www.iliumsoft.com) and download a trial version of the software and the Acrobat version of the user’s guide. Once you check it out for yourself, I think you’ll like what Keep Track has to offer.
The stand-alone Pocket PC version sells for $14.95. The Professional Edition, which includes Pocket PC and desktop PC versions of the program, sells for $24.95. It’s easier to enter data in the desktop PC version since you can use the larger keyboard. You can also view the Pocket PC data on the desktop PC once you’ve synced. All things considered, the desktop version is well worth the extra $10.
Ilium will be offering free upgrades of version 2.1 to all registered users of Keep Track. You can buy and download the program at the Ilium Software Web site or from Handango (http://www.handango.com).
* * *
John Ottini is employed with the City of Orlando, Public Works Dept. as a GIS Technician. He has over 20 years experience in the cartographic field working in various capacities for large and small private mapping firms (most notably eight years with Rand McNally). He is a history buff who enjoys reading, bicycling, skiing, traveling, and, of course, handheld computers. John was born in Italy and raised and educated in Canada. He has resided in Florida since 1982. John can be reached at jdo55fl@lycos.com.
View MS Reader eBooks on Your Smartphone with Tiny eBook Reader!
by Diane Dumas
Windows Mobile Smartphones are wonderful devices that allow us to carry fewer things around and be more productive in an increasingly convergent world. From this single device we can not only make phone calls, we can send instant messages and e-mails, browse the Internet, make and view appointments, keep track of our contacts, and much more. However, Smartphones have always lacked one feature that helped make the Pocket PC a success—an eBook reader. But those days are gone forever with the introduction of a tiny program with a big set of features.
Fast page load for great reading enjoyment!
Golden Crater Software (http://www.goldencrater.com) has introduced Tiny eBook Reader, an amazing program that "reads" (i.e. lets you read) MS Reader-formatted (LIT) files as well as HTML and plain-text documents. You can even view plain-text documents that have been zipped.(Note: Tiny eBook Reader is also available for the Pocket PC, but this review focuses on the Smartphone version of the program.)
Tiny eBook Reader (TBR) is not only powerful, it’s fast! The pages fly by on the screen thanks to a pre-pagination process that takes place when you open an eBook for the first time. Pagination, last page read, and other information are stored in a TBR data file, which the program creates for each book it reads. This information is used to speed things up so you don’t have to wait for each page to load.
View images and link to Web pages
The way the program handles embedded images also helps speed things up. Images aren’t automatically displayed in the text of an eBook as they are in MS Reader. Instead, a bracketed numbered link, highlighted in green, is displayed for each image (Fig. 1). To view the image, you merely press the corresponding number on the keypad. When you do, the image is displayed using Pocket Internet Explorer (Fig. 2). When you’re done viewing, press the "back" button to return to the page you were on.
(above) Fig. 1 (top): Color-coded links let you view images, send e-mails, and view Web sites by pressing the number on the phone’s key pad that corresponds to the link. Fig. 2 (center): Images are displayed using Pocket Internet Explorer. Fig. 3 (bottom): Pick from a list of articles for easy navigation!
Links to Web and e-mail addresses embedded in a document are also displayed. Press the corresponding number on the keypad for a Web link and the Web page pops up in Internet Explorer. Press the corresponding number on the keypad for the e-mail link and the Inbox new message screen pops up, with the e-mail address already entered. Of course, your Smartphone will need to be connected to the Internet to use these features. (These features were added to the program to support the eBook version of Pocket PC magazine.)
You’ll also find links to phone numbers in some documents. Press the corresponding number on the keypad and your phone will automatically dial the number for you.
Excellent navigation within a document
The ability to navigate within an eBook quickly and easily is an absolute necessity when reading a magazine, since you don’t normally read it from beginning to the end like you do a novel. Tiny eBook Reader provides quick access to a document’s table of contents by simply pressing the "0" (zero) key on your phone’s dial pad (Fig. 3). You just scroll down and select the article you want to read and press the "action" button. It opens right to the article you selected. This makes it convenient to read or skip articles as you desire! You can also press the # key to move to the next article or the * key to move to the previous one. In the MS Reader version of Pocket PC magazine, you’ll also find a link to the next story right after the title of the one you are reading. It will look something like: <
Need to locate something you’ve read but can’t remember what page it was on? There’s a feature that lets you search for a word or phrase from wherever you are in the document. You can search forwards or backwards to find the page it appears in. Another navigational aid is the GoTo feature, which lets you move quickly to the beginning of the document; to 25%, 50%, or 75% of the way through the document; or to the end of the document—all with a single key press. There’s also a Previous/Next feature that takes you to the preceding or subsequent article or chapter in the document. Finally, Tiny eBook Reader lets you set bookmarks within a document. These are useful when you want to refer back to specific passages of the text.
The program is highly customizable, allowing you to change the font size, make all text bold, add full justification, and enable Clear Type (if your device supports it). You can also change the paragraph spacing, leading, tab size, and show or hide HTML or TXT files from within a ZIP file. You can even enable the Nighttime scheme, which displays white letters on a black background to make it easer to read in low-light conditions.
The Last Page
Tiny eBook Reader runs on Smartphone 2002 and 2003 devices. The full version, is priced at only $12, and a free trial version can be downloaded from Golden Crater Software (http://www.goldencrater.com). The full version lets you read TXT files, TXT files stored in ZIP format, HTML and unlocked/unencrypted LIT format eBooks. The trial version only lets you read TXT files and the LIT formatted version of Pocket PC magazine. (You can download a free eBook copy of Pocket PC magazine at http://PocketPCmag.com/msreadertrial/form.asp and try it out with the Tiny eBook Reader!)
With thousands of free eBooks available for download, your unused minutes can be put to good use with your Smartphone and Tiny eBook Reader.
Conversions In Hand
Converting the Unconverted
by John Ottini
Burr Oak Software has just released Version 3.0 of Conversions In Hand (CIH), the perennial winner of Pocket PC Magazine’s Best Software award. Conversions In Hand is a comprehensive unit converter that lets you translate between metric and standard units for area, length, energy, fluid, force, fuel, power, pressure, speed, temperature, volume, weight, and more. CIH sports a clean, easy to read and well-organized graphical user interface (Fig. 1). The type of conversion can be selected from the tabs along the top of the screen, or from a pop-up conversion list accessed from the menu bar along the bottom. The program includes an currency converter, which allows you to edit relative currency values, or download updates from the Web. You can even use CIH to convert between US, UK, European, and Japanese clothing sizes, or create a "custom" conversio
n of your own. I especially like the fact that all of the program functions can be accessed from the opening screen.
(above) Fig. 1: Colorful, new GUI with VAT support.
What new in 3.0
Along with the newly design GUI, Burr Oak Software has added the following new functions to CIH.
Area and country codes: You now have the ability to locate any area code or country code, by number or name. (Fig. 2)
(above) Fig. 2: Area Code and Country Code Locator.
Roman numeral conversions: Convert Roman to Arabic (Fig.3) or Arabic to Roman numerals.
(above) Fig. 3: Convert to and from Roman or Arabic numbers.
Tip calculator: Enter your meal total, select a tip percentage and the number of people in your party and CIH gives you the bill total and the person total (in case you are splitting the bill). (Fig. 4)