When the game was originally released on 30th September 1996, no-one could have forseen that the game would still be receiving rave reviews a full decade later. 'Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars' has been released on several platforms including PC, PlayStation(R), GameBoy Advance(R), and most recently for Palm OS(R) and Windows Mobile(R). Broken Sword is now an award-winning franchise with three sequels. The most recent, 'Broken Sword 4: The Angel of Death', has just been released and is currently number 1 in the charts.
"We always dreamed of writing the game on a device that would reach beyond hardcore gamers; with the emphasis on intelligent, cerebral gameplay, rather than the requirement for manual dexterity, the game was always intended to have a broad appeal. Writing the game on Palm OS(R)and Windows Mobile(R) platforms has finally allowed us to achieve this goal", said Charles Cecil, Managing Director and co-founder of Revolution Software.
"We are really proud of how the game has turned out on Palm OS(R) and Windows Mobile(R).", said Tony Warriner, co-founder of Revolution Software, "The PC version was praised for its beauty and subtlety, and this has translated perfectly".
To celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the release of 'Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars', Astraware is making the game available at a very special discount price. From Friday 29th September to Sunday 1st October 2006 ONLY, 'Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars' for Palm OS(R) and Windows Mobile(R) for Pocket PC will be available with an Anniversary-only discount. This offer is available from the Astraware website for this limited period only. Visit the site at http://www.astraware.com/promo/brokensword1 for more details.
10 Years of Broken Sword
Lunar Lander Sim 2.1LS Review
A superb Moon landing simulation recently updated to support Landscape capable PalmOS5 devices, it's Lunar Lander Sim 2.1LS.
The Game
Lunar Lander Sim was created by developer Mohamed Bennouf of SimToGo, who was also recently interviewed at PalmInfocenter. You do not need a Landscape capable device to play Lunar Lander Sim. The application requires ~900KB of memory and you must be using PalmOS5.2 or better.
In the latest version, much has been done to help novice pilots to train themselves. A new Demo Flight Mission is now included that shows on-screen text of when to use the controls, and why, during a optimal landing. This is a great primer for getting used to to the flight mechanics of the game. As further help with all aspects of the game, a Manual and Quick Start Guide (PDF) are included as well.
It wasn't entirely easy to pilot the Lander for the real NASA astronauts, and Lunar Lander Sim is true to that fact, as the controls are possibly the biggest challenge in the game. It's not that they don't work, far from it. It's just a little complicated for a novice pilot (read: most people), but considering what your attempting, it's surprising how little you really have to do to just land on the Moon. With it's realistic flight mechanics, and a steep learning curve that pays off with a true sense of accomplishment, it feels good to finally touch-down safely in Lunar Lander Sim.
Controls
As previously mentioned, the controls are a very challenging aspect of the game, so I'm going to cover that first. Your lander has a Main Engine under the Lander which provides upward thrust, and which serves to maintain the Landers Rate Of Descent (ROD), also known as the Descent Velocity (DesV). The Main Engine can either be manually controlled, which isn't easy even for a real astronauts, or more easily managed by the Landers Descent Propulsion System (DPS) computer, which can adjust the main Engine automatically, maintaining your desired ROD. The Reaction Control System (RCS) thrusters give you full pitch and roll control of the Lander, so it's entirely possible to land upside-down or sideways, though both would be a crash. Get used to them. It's okay, you need to crash in order to learn how not to crash.
Since the latest update for Landscape devices, the devices 5-way navigator switches the axises when running in Landscape mode. The only hiccup I found, and it's a small one, is that if you do not switch to Landscape mode before starting a New Mission, the graphics will be cut off, or in other words the game doesn't yet switch to Landscape mode for you. I raised this issue with the developer, and he has assured me he is looking into adding this feature.
Graphics and Sound
The game graphics and sound effects are very authentic. There is a definite "information over-load" when you play it the first time. Once your aware of each HUD elements specific function, you begin to appreciate the complexity. You need this on-screen information! Still, you can't pay attention to all of it at once, and in reality you would have another astronaut next to you, so just as in real NASA Missions, some things are spoken aloud to you, such as altitude and fuel percentages. The ambiance created by the sound and voice effects is great, and helps a lot to complete the feeling of landing on the Moon, especially when you hear "Houstan, Tranquility base here. The Eagle has landed."
Gameplay
As a "Rookie Pilot" your goal is to land softly and level on the surface of the Moon, while as close to the intended landing destination as possible. When you eventually feel confident enough doing that, you might then try the more advanced "LM Pilot" and yet even more difficult "LM Commander" Game Levels. Both start you with different (random) initial landing conditions, such as your starting altitude, and allow for sub-systems in the Lander to fail, adding yet another level of difficulty. This is similar to how astronauts trained in actual simulators, minus a full-scale working Lunar Lander to sit in!
Aside from the three Game Levels (difficulties) for Landing Missions, you also can specify to begin at the approach phase of the Landing Mission, which starts you earlier in the descent. The third Mission type is a very robust "My Flight" Mission mode, which not only lets you specify your Initial Conditions for the landing, but which Planet in the Solar System you want to land on instead. You don't have to land on the Moon!
Bottomline
The more I play, the more I love this game. It's addictive because you never land absolutely perfectly and always know you could do just a little better. You try again, and you do.
Give Lunar Lander Sim a try for yourself, click here for more information and to download a 7-day trial.
Lunar Lander Sim is Shareware and costs $14.95 USD.
Freeware Application Speedy Updated
From PalmGear:
Speedy is the award winning benchmark utility for PalmOS based devices (on October 26th 2005, Speedy was listed number 21 in TrackerDog's all time Top 100 Popular Palm Softwares).
Speedy performs three resource taking routines to measure the real CPU speed of your device and benchmark it with other PalmOS based devices.
Speedy is especially useful in different cases :
- to check that your PalmOS based device behaves and performs like it should;
- to see the impact of CPU down/over-clocking upon your device's performance;
- to see how a specific software or hardware modifies your device's performance;
- to really compare different devices and benchmark them.
Your device's performance is ranked on several charts against baseline measurements of other common PalmOS compatible devices.
Speedy reports both a CPU frequency and a relative index (100% is for the Palm Vx at 20 MHz).
Updated Description:
6.2 (09/18/06)
- added benchmark values for the Palm Treo 700p and Aceeca Meazura devices
For more information and to download Speedy click here.
What's Your Pirate Name?
Just a reminder that today is: International Talk Like A Pirate Day...
Arrrrr! Celebrate Talk Like A Pirate Day with Astraware!
Avast me hearties!!! Today is International Talk Like a Pirate Day and the Astraware Team is celebratin' once again! ARRR!
We're dressin' and talkin' like a pirate the whole day and when the workday is done we be bowlin' like pirates too!
If ye want to join us in a bit of pirate fun, why not get your PDA or Smartphone shipshape with a copy of Tradewinds or Seven Seas. You can even get a few dubloons off the price! Visit our special piratey promo page for more information.
So... in that spirit, and with a little help from this SlashDot article, I have posted my pirate name both here and in our forums.
My pirate name is:
Dirty Tom Flint
You're the pirate everyone else wants to throw in the ocean -- not to get rid of you, you understand; just to get rid of the smell. Like the rock flint, you're hard and sharp. But, also like flint, you're easily chipped, and sparky. Arr!
Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
part of the fidius.org network
Why not jump over to PirateQuiz.com and then you can post your pirate name on our forums.
International Talk Like a Pirate Day
The following is a press release we just received from Astraware.
Arrrrr! Celebrate Talk Like A Pirate Day with Astraware!
THE MIDLANDS, UK - 18th September 2006 - Avast me hearties!!! Tuesday 19th September is International Talk Like a Pirate Day and the Astraware Team is celebratin' once again! ARRR!
We're dressin' and talkin' like a pirate the whole day and when the workday is done we be bowlin' like pirates too (photographic evidence will be here soon)!
A word from our fine captain, Redbeard Tomlinson: "Arrr, now's yer chance to get a bit piratey - and if we don't get at least an Arrr out of ye, it'll be twelve strokes of the cat and no internet access for the rest of the day! A-harrr."
If ye want to join us in a bit of pirate fun, why not get your PDA or Smartphone shipshape with a copy of Tradewinds or Seven Seas. You can even get a few dubloons off the price! Visit our special piratey promo page for more information here: http://www.astraware.com/promo/pirate2006/
The fine shipmates at Marie Curie Cancer Care are also joining the pirate fun for the day, and in cooperation with Popcap Games and Sandlot Games we'll be donating the booty from both games to them at the end of the month.
This press release isn't really drastically different from most others... it has a product, the location to find the product and a reason why you would want to get the product, but... it's got a different enough twist to make it stand out from the ordinary... and I have to admit - it made me smile! That probably explains why I was in such a hurry to post it!
StarPopTM - a new and unique kids game
Astraware is delighted to announce StarPopTM, the perfect game for the big kid in all of us that just likes make stuff go "pop!"
StarPopTM can be simply described as fun, absorbing, stress busting, and even poptastic! If you enjoy popping bubblewrap (and who doesn't?) then you'll love StarPopTM. Pop stars, burst balloons, splat fruit and a whole lot more against all kinds of cartoon backgrounds. Trigger the popping bonuses for extra points and unlock special onscreen prizes.
"Games should be all about fun." said Howard Tomlinson, CEO of Astraware "We designed StarPop to be all about fun, with satisfying effects so that you just can't help playing, and nothing to worry about. StarPop is literally a game that you can't lose!"
StarPopTM was designed for everyone but also with younger children in mind, and is perfect for keeping everyone entertained - on long journeys, in meetings, between appointments - and it's so addictive you can play it over and over trying to beat your own highest score!
StarPopTM is available now for all Palm OS(R) 5.0 devices and Windows Mobile(R) for Pocket PC 2003, 2003SE and 5.0. More information on the game, including a full feature on how the game was developed from early concept to release, can be found at http://www.starpopgame.com
Binary Clock version 3.1 Released
Binary Clock 3.1 for Palm OS frees you from the dictatorship of clocks. People have used analog watches. Then came watches with digital displays - and now comes the Binary Clock! Free yourself from the dictatorship of normal clocks!
Tamoggemon Binary Clock 3.1 for Palm OS transforms all OS4 and OS5 handhelds into binary clocks with an adjustable display.
Binary Clock's text module can use literally millions of TrueType fonts thanks to FontBucket support - finally kill the Palm OS fonts...
The WristPDA support can replace the default watch face of a WristPDA with an optimized binary watch face using the same settings as the 'pda mode version'.
Binary Clock contains an alarm clock - all bugs introduced in version 3.0 were fixed in version 3.1!
Tamoggemon Software is a Vienna, Austria-based software house that develops Palm OS programs and manages a news source called TamsPalm. We currently have two products on the market, but plan additional releases soon!
I've been running Binary Clock for Palm OS version 3.1 for quite a few days now with no problems or glitches at all. This update is definitely worth installing.
Palm releases the Treo 750v
"The new Treo 750v smartphone -- made available first in Europe -- on the Vodafone 3G/UMTS network is Palm's latest salvo to reach more customers in more regions with an ever-expanding line of compelling Treo smartphones," said Ed Colligan, president and chief executive officer from Palm. "Expanding the Treo footprint globally is a key focus for Palm, and with collaborative marketing investments in Europe from Palm, Vodafone and Microsoft, we are confident we can captivate mobile professionals and businesses and help them be more productive in the office and on the go."
The Treo 750v combines the hallmark Palm experience of a multifeatured mobile phone with email, messaging, web browsing and organization software all in a new compact design.(1) The new smartphone comes with Microsoft's Messaging and Security Feature Pack (MSFP) for Windows Mobile 5.0, which includes Direct Push Technology and enhanced security features free and out of the box.(2) It is also fully compatible with Vodafone Business Email, giving remote access to enterprise and Internet-based email accounts. These business-ready solutions address the need for a robust push-email solution that can be deployed easily by small businesses to global enterprises.
Unique to the Treo smartphone on Windows Mobile 5.0 is a suite of software enhancements developed by Palm that underscores its brand promise of fast access, ease of use and simplicity. Examples include the following:
-- Today Screen enhancements, which feature the ability to "dial by name" with a few keystrokes on the keyboard, perform a web search directly from the Today Screen and perform one-touch dialing with personalized photo speed dials;
-- Ability to manage a call directly from the Today Screen and stay on top of voicemail with on-screen, VCR-like icons, such as rewind, delete and fast-forward controls for easy navigation;
-- Ability to ignore a call and quickly compose a text message, such as "In a meeting" or "Can't talk"; and
-- Dedicated messaging application for SMS/MMS that is organized in a "chat thread" so users can reference prior messages and use emoticons for a personal touch.
"The new Treo 750v smartphone, when combined with our high-speed 3G/UMTS network and push email, makes an invaluable tool for our business customers," said Oliver Mauss, global director of Business Marketing, Vodafone. "Our commitment to help customers increase their productivity and make the most of their business and personal time will be further enhanced by the addition of this new innovative device to our range of business solutions."
"We're excited to team up with Palm and Vodafone to launch a Windows Mobile-based Treo in Europe. We're seeing significant adoption of mobile applications among business users in the region, and the Treo is an attractive proposition for organizations considering mobile deployments," said Nick Barley, business and marketing officer, Microsoft U.K. Limited. "The Treo 750v builds on the power and flexibility of Windows Mobile, Palm's unique design and user experience, and service through one of the world's leading mobile operators to deliver a winning solution that connects professionals to their critical information while on the go."
Benefits of Windows Mobile 5.0 Pocket PC Phone Edition
The Windows Mobile-based Treo smartphones from Palm provide customers with a compelling combination of powerful software, an award-winning form factor, and the ease of use long associated with the Palm experience. Windows Mobile 5.0 Pocket PC Phone Edition provides many user benefits:
-- Touch screen: Makes surfing websites, gathering data and navigating forms and applications much easier;
-- Copy and paste: Additional functionality provides added productivity;
-- Built-in viewers and editors: Ability to view and edit Microsoft Word and Excel(R) files and "roundtrip" those edits back to original files on the user's desktop, and view PowerPoint(R) presentations and PDF files;
-- Breadth of applications: More than 18,000 commercial applications available for Windows Mobile; and
-- Saving: Ability to save images and sounds from a website.
Treo 750v Features and Benefits
-- Powerful Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 with Palm enhancements;
-- Integrated SMS/MMS with chat view and dedicated inbox;
-- Mobile access to multiple business and personal email accounts;
-- 3G/UMTS network for fast data access;
-- 1.3-megapixel digital camera that also captures video;
-- Windows Media(R) Player 10 Mobile for music and video;
-- Built-in Bluetooth(R) wireless technology enhanced to support Bluetooth enabled stereo headsets;
-- Mini-SD expansion slot; and
-- 240x240 transflective (TFT) touch screen.
More information - http://www.palm.com
Samsung introduces working PRAM
Here are some excerpts from an EE Times article posted today (11 Sept 2006 5:02 AM EDT) by Sean Shim.
Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. announced Monday (Sept. 11) it has completed the industry's first fully working prototype of a 512-Mbit Phase-change Random Access Memory (PRAM), what the company claims is expected to become the main memory device to replace high-density NOR flash memories within the next decade. The PRAM has the smallest cell size of any working memory that is free of inter-cell noise, allowing virtually unlimited scalability.
The PRAM features the fast processing speed of RAM for its operating functions combined with the nonvolatile features of flash memory for storage, giving it the nickname of "Perfect RAM", Samsung said. As the PRAM can rewrite data without having to first erase data previously accumulated, it is effectively 30-times faster than conventional flash memory. It is also expected to have at least 10-times the endurance of the conventional flash memory, Samsung added.
Adoption of PRAM is expected to be more popular in the future designs of multi-function handsets and for other mobile applications, where faster speeds translate into immediately noticeable boosts in performance.
This looks to me like it may be the start of a significant change in both the size and speed of the memory we use for our PDAs, MP3 players and just about everything else too. You can read the complete EETimes article here. I also found a SlashDot post here.
Palm Blogging Software
I am currently evaluating Palm OS Blogging software and have had a few surprises. So far I've only had a chance to try out two of the freeware offerings. Funny thing though, is that so far, emailing my post has provided better results than either of the actual blogging software programs.
Oh well... time to go back to testing...
Cleaning Electronics with Sugar!?!?!
I stumbled upon a Slashdot article that points to an interesting and unusual post on Instructables.com that shows “How to remove Logos from your PDA / cell phone with sugar” cubes. There's even a short movie showing the author actually using a sugar cube on one of his electronic devices. Unfortunately, the links to the larger photos don't work, so you have to make do with the tiny thumbnails in the "all steps" page.
I must admit that I never would have thought of using a sugar cube for this. I have used quite a few of the other methods that you will find in the Slashdot responses, like lighter fluid, heat gun, the still sticky part of the removed label itself, etc. Whatever your decision, it’s certainly an interesting read.
Palm Introduces the Treo 700wx
From Palm:
"SUNNYVALE, Calif., Sep 05, 2006 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Building on the Treo(TM) 700 family, Palm, Inc. (Nasdaq:PALM) today announced the availability of the Palm(R) Treo 700wx smartphone running Windows Mobile 5.0 Pocket PC Phone Edition, adding another Palm EvDO product to Sprint's (NYSE:S) product offerings.
The Treo 700wx combines a great mobile phone, comprising all the functionality and ease of use for which Treo smartphones are known, with the power and security of Windows Mobile favored by many businesses. Today's announcement marks the availability of Sprint's first Windows Mobile Treo smartphone on the Sprint Power Vision(SM) Network, giving its customer base more choices and complementing the Treo 700p smartphone running on the Palm OS(R) platform." [read more]
NS Basic Contest - Deadline Extended!
The 7th NS BASIC Programming Contest has been extended. The original deadline for entries was September 01, but it has been extended now until September 15 at 12:00 midnite EST.
You can read our original post on the contest, or go directly to the 7th NS BASIC Programming Contest information page.
NS BASIC Corporation Announces Programming Contest!
Top prize is a Samsung Q1 UMPC!
NS BASIC Corporation is pleased to announce our 7th Programming Contest. We're expecting some cool entries which take advantage of the new capabilities of devices and NS Basic. In the past contests we have seen great improvement of entries in quality, performance and sophistication: we expect to see more this time.
We have three categories: Windows CE, Palm OS and Desktop. All registered NS Basic users are welcome to participate in the contest. Prizes are $100 USD in each category, plus a special prize in the NS Basic/Desktop category.
You may enter more than one program. Judging will be by NS Basic's experts. All judging is arbitrary and final. We will be looking for quality, performance, ease of use, sophistication and overall coolness. Apps can be whatever you use NS Basic for: Enterprise, business, commercial, education, games or even something whimsical.
All programs must be written using NS Basic/CE, NS Basic/Desktop or NS Basic/Palm. Entries may be commercial, shareware or freeware. Please indicate with your entry whether we can share your program or screenshots with the public.
Send your questions and entries to contest@nsbasic.com.
NS BASIC Corporation, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, has been a leading creator of development tools for handheld devices since 1993. More than 15,000 developers in over 60 countries have licensed NS BASIC's tools for Palm OS, Windows CE, XP and 2000, and Newton.
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