Windows Mobile News as of 11/02/2007

[Menneisyys]

As you may have noticed, I’ve started working on the Multimedia Bible, the premier resource of all info on multimedia playback, streaming etc. I don’t know when I get it ready. I’ll announce when the first chart versions are ready for public scrutiny.

After some 13-14 months of the 2.x -> 3.x series jump, the excellent S-K folks have just announced they will release a brand new, 4.0 version of SKTools, the, IMHO, best (albeit a bit overwhelming and, because of its capabilities and complexity, hard-to-discover) all-in-one systems management tool available for Windows Mobile. The new version will have the following new features:

- Cab Manager: SKTools can show all CAB,CPF,TSK files on device, show content (with full names, installation path, registry keys, shortcuts, _setup.xml), extract with full names, install to ANY location (full installation made by SKTools) for WM5/ WM6; SKTools can be associated with CAB files

- Replaced ROM Files: show which ROM files have been replaced by another version, show version and date of these files; the user can see if the "newest" file (the file having the latest time stamp) is, in reality, older than others and, therefore, remove it.

- Move Data: move application, folders, files to any location with automatic (!) registry and shortcut modification (and other data about files and their path)

- Storage Analyzer: show what files and folders (by types, attributes, ...) are stored on the device

The open beta starts next week (I already have a pre-beta); I’ll let you know when it becomes ready.

I’ve reported (http://www.pocketpcmag.com/blogs/index.php?blog=3&title=logmein_rescue_mobile_preview_available&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1) on LogMeIn Rescue Mobile more than two months ago. Now, a similar product, LogMeIn Hamachi (https://secure.logmein.com/products/hamachi/list.asp) has also been released, which – as opposed to ALL the other, similar tools – even the otherwise BEST Pocket Controller by SOTI – uses HTTP(S) tunneling for remotely controlling your Windows Mobile handheld from a remote desktop PC. This means any Windows Mobile device can be accessed, even ones behind firewalls and/or in NAT’ed networks (like about 60-70% of current mobile networks). See THIS (http://www.modaco.com/content/forum/261230/View-Topic/) and THIS (http://www.modaco.com/content/Pocket-PC-Software/260590/RemoteCE-Conrol-your-PPC-from-desktop/) MoDaCo threads for more info.


Spb has just released an updated version of their flagship, brand new product, Spb Pocket Plus 4.0, of which I’ve reviewed some modules HERE (http://www.pocketpcmag.com/blogs/index.php?blog=3&p=2250&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1) and HERE (http://www.pocketpcmag.com/blogs/index.php?blog=3&p=2246&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1).


The dialup-sharing-over-Wi-Fi (which is of extreme importance with non-BT DUN and/or non-BT PAN-capable devices like, for example, Symbian smartphones (neither of them) or other Windows Mobile PDA’s based on the MS BT stack (no PAN support)) method (see THIS (http://www.pocketpcmag.com/blogs/index.php?blog=3&p=2207&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1)) has been GREATLY enhanced and automatized. See XDA-Dev forum member TalynOne’s excellent tutorial and tools HERE (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=341398).


Moving to dialup and DUN (http://www.pocketpcmag.com/blogs/index.php?blog=3&p=2121&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1): XDA-Dev forum member Technology has come up with a decent tool (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=340762) for making it work on the T-Mobile Dash.


CrazySoft released another puzzle adventure game

Their last “adventure”, “Lost in the Pyramid”, was a complete disaster. The new game is certainly MUCH better, albeit I’ve found some of the steps similarly illogical and/or plain stupid (for example, dying right away if you smash a tile; getting caught by the guards if you, for example, exit your prison through the window etc.). It’s still a far cry away from “real” (even emulated – see my emulation-related roundups and Bibles HERE (http://www.pocketpcmag.com/blogs/index.php?cat=353)) adventures like those of Legend Entertainment or Fade Team (Fade / Acedior), but you may want to give it a try nonetheless. Be warned: the trial can be played through in 10-15 minutes and I’m not really sure whether the full game is really worth the money. I’ll wait for either Eric (http://www.pocketpcmag.com/blogs/index.php?blog=29)’s or Ben (http://www.pocketpcmag.com/blogs/index.php?blog=27)’s reviews; I definitely won’t request a review copy (because I don’t really like biting the feeding hand, which, I think, may happen this time too.)

Therefore, just some remarks: The game is multiplatform and supports both VGA and QVGA on the Pocket PC. I’ve tested it on both VGA and QVGA Pocket PC’s, QVGA Smartphones and the Symbian S60v3 Nokia N95. With the latter two platforms, it’s pretty hard to control because of the lack of the touchscreen (and a sophisticated control system). At least you can use the 3…0 buttons to quickly access the inventory items.

[Menneisyys]

UPDATE (11/03/2007): Oops, I’ve forgotten to tell you the name of CrazySoft game (see the last bullet above): Final Battle. It’s available HERE (http://crazysoft.gr/all/Final-Battle.asp). You can already read a review of it for example HERE (http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/reviews/item/The_Final_Battle_for_S60_3rd_Edition_Review.php). Note that it’s a Symbian-related review. As Symbian has even less games (not taking Java MIDlets into account, where it’s much-much stronger, let alone the forthcoming N-Gage Platform, which, as of now, is slated for a December release (http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/news/item/6187_Next_Gen_N-Gage_platform_delay.php)) than Windows Mobile, the review is pretty much positive. I’m not absolutely sure it’d stand so well against the Windows Mobile competition, particularly if you take into account the platform’s (compared to Symbian, much better) ability to emulate platforms with tons of high-quality adventure games (for example, MS-DOS (http://www.pocketpcmag.com/blogs/index.php?blog=3&p=1969&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1)) and having native adventure engines like ScummVM (http://www.pocketpcmag.com/blogs/index.php?blog=3&p=2060&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1) (ok, Symbian (including even S60v3) also has it) and other interpreters like those of Magnetic Scrolls (http://www.pocketpcmag.com/blogs/index.php?blog=3&p=1911&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1).

Some (VGA) screenshots:

http://www.winmobiletech.com/102007BTPANServer/FinalBattleMain.png

An example of the guard’s catching you (http://www.winmobiletech.com/102007BTPANServer/FinalBattleGuard.png)

Smashing your hand 1 (http://www.winmobiletech.com/102007BTPANServer/FinalBattleSmashHand1.png) 2 (http://www.winmobiletech.com/102007BTPANServer/FinalBattleSmashHand2.png)

End of demo (http://www.winmobiletech.com/102007BTPANServer/FinalBattleEndOfDemo.png) (again, the demo of the game is VERY short: I've managed to reach it in about 4-5 minutes after starting to play!)

Finally, as with their previous title “Lost in the Pyramid”, this game is also suffering from the same problem: it takes the operating system a lot of time to find the icon of the game. The CrazySoft folks should fix this issue as soon as possible.

[Menneisyys]

UPDATE (later on 11/03/2007): Because of the insignificance of the release, I don’t devote a separate post/threads to the next game. Exosyphen Studios has released Hacker Evolution for the Pocket PC (http://www.exosyphenstudios.com/page_pocketpchackerevolution.html) (no Smartphone version is available), following the May release of the desktop original (http://www.exosyphenstudios.com/page_hacker-evolution.html).

http://www.winmobiletech.com/102007BTPANServer/HackerEvolutionMain.png
(VGA screenshot; as can be seen, there’s no hi-res support)

Unfortunately, I’ve found the game almost exactly the same as their much older, but VERY similar title, BS Hacker Mobile Console, reviewed HERE (http://www.pocketpcmag.com/blogs/index.php?blog=3&p=1292&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1). If you don’t believe they’re almost exactly the same game (except for the different colors and the slightly more on-screen buttons) just compare, in addition to the GUI, the built-in help (http://www.winmobiletech.com/102007BTPANServer/HackerEvolutionHelp.png) to that of BS Hacker Mobile Console (http://www.winmobiletech.com/kuvat/BSHackerHelp.jpg). See? It's, gaming-wise, is exactly the same as the older title. In addition, it is, as with BS Hacker Mobile Console, a much-much worse, much less interesting version of the original desktop Windows version - this is how a desktop conversion should NOT be done.

All in all, I in no way recommend this game, particularly not if you’ve already purchased the very similar BS Hacker Mobile Console.

More info / discussion in THIS (http://www.pocketgamer.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7229) PG.org thread.