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| Review: THIEVES AND KINGS |
| 11.09.05 (4:52 am) [edit] |
 Anyone who has followed my posts since I’ve written for Palm Addict knows that I love to play games on my PDAs. I go through phases of being hooked on different games, but there are a few that are always at the top of my list of favorites. The one that has most consistently been on every list is the great solitaire game Thieves, from thievesandkings.com. I found this game early on in my Palm Addict days thanks to Sammy’s recommendation. Thieves “stole” my attention from the first time I played it, and no solitaire game has ever come close to capturing my interest as completely as Thieves has done.
A few weeks ago, as I was happily playing a game of Thieves, it dawned on me that though I have mentioned it many times, I have never done an official review of my fave game! I contacted the author Paul DeWolf, to ask if he would mind if I reviewed the game for Palm Addict. It has been a pleasure to meet him, and he has been extremely helpful in answering my questions. And, the good news is, as if my favorite game weren’t already perfect, he has just completed developing an awesome new improved high-resolution Palm version! The new high-res graphics are outstanding, and this new version also keeps track of all time, monthly and weekly scores.
Thieves is simple but highly addictive. It is a version of Golf solitaire, though one of the distinctive features of Thieves is that it includes wild cards. The object is to empty the 35 card table by building on the waste pile. Cards may be removed from the bottom row, and can be of any suit as long as they are one value greater or lower than the card on the waste pile. Unlike some versions of Golf, Aces are low, and Kings are high, and there is no circular building on either. The wild cards, or jokers, add just the right touch to make the game even more fun. They can be saved for the right moment, or used to get a long run of cards off the table. My favorite situation is to have a joker on the top row. This I save, no matter what, hoping I get down to one card. In that situation, it is a certain key to moving to the next level.
Another unique element of this game is that once a table is cleared, you keep your accumulating score, and a new table appears as you advance to the next level. This is evident by the different color of each new background. The new level has the same setup as the prior table, however with each successive level advancement, there is one less wild card in play. I have made it as far as the 4th level, though even getting to the 3rd, is an accomplishment. Strategy is essential, and it is important to not only get long runs of cards, but it is also critical to try to remove the cards from each row fairly equally. It requires careful judgment when deciding which to remove when there are 2 possible choices. Often it is clear that one choice will set up a possible future run, or another might even up the numbers in the rows.
I love this game because it is the perfect mix of luck and strategy. It is a great game to pick up when you have just a few minutes to play a game. The Palm version is helpful here, in that if you are interrupted, it remains where you left off, and you can resume play at a later time. But, if you are like me, if time permits, you will spend far longer than a few minutes playing “just one more hand.” Somehow when a hand ends, win or lose, you are sure that the next one will be a winner! I think part of the addictiveness comes from the quick gameplay. It’s easy to start another round knowing that it will only take “a minute,” though in my case, the “minutes” soon turn into many. There is also an excellent PC version of this game (which comes with Kings Corners, Fortitude, and Klondike.) Here I should mention that I am also addicted to the PC version of Thieves. If I’m on my computer waiting for an email or instant message, I will start a game and play it between emails or chat responses.
If I had to choose only one solitaire game for my Palm (or my PC,) it would be an easy choice. Thieves is by far my favorite solitaire game. It is challenging, yet not taxing, and I never tire of playing it. The Palm version used to be $15, but Paul informed me that to correspond with the release of his improved games and his newly redesigned website, he has reduced the price to $10! And for just $5 more, ($15 total) you can add both of the other great Palm games, Kings Corners and Fortitude. Add the PC version of all four games for just $10 more. ($25 total, for all 7 games!) I am being completely sincere when I say that I think these games are worth every penny!
By the way, I just played Fortitude on my T/C for the first time the other day, and I was enthralled. It is the first solitaire game I’ve played that might actually have a chance to chase Thieves out of the #1 spot! Time will tell, but I highly recommend that you seize this awesome trio of Palm games, and let Thieves capture your attention, as it has completely stolen mine!
- Jan, Deputy Editor US, (Alpine, UT, USA)
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| Enfora WiFi Sled for the Treo 650 Review |
| 11.09.05 (4:50 am) [edit] |
 Andrew Carlton has done a great job at reviewing the Enfora WiFi Sled for the Treo 650. It's well written and very detailed. "A couple of months have gone by since Enfora’s WiFi Adapter for our Treo 650 was released and I’ve now had enough time to play around with it to venture into writing a review. First though I’d like to look into why one might need or prefer a WiFi adapter as opposed to either an SD or internal solution. Having played around with both of Palm’s LifeDrive and new T|X handhelds which have WiFi built-in there is no doubt that it’s extremely convenient but the main drawback is enormous and rapid battery drain on the devices." Read on...
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| Review of Proporta’s Crystal Case for the Lifedrive |
| 11.09.05 (4:48 am) [edit] |
Over the past few days, I have had the opportunity to try out Proporta’s Crystal Case for the Lifedrive. I left my OEM leather case at my computer desk and gave this case a trial by fire if you will. Here are my thoughts.
Durability- will it protect?
For my durability test (and the last time I perform this test), I placed my Lifedrive in the Crystal Case and dropped it from a height of a little more than half a foot to my kitchen floor (it is carpeted, but it is not the high plush pile carpet) and the Lifedrive was falling on its side. I wanted to see if the case would stay together or not and it did. My Lifedrive didn’t like it, because I had to reset it for the device to turn back on again! So the case’s staying power is good (although a harder fall might jar the case apart), protected my Lifedrive from a slight drop which would probably be equivalent to dropping it onto a desk or in the car.
Design- is it ugly looking?
In defense of any case crafted for the Lifedrive, one must remember that a case plus the Lifedrive means it will be thicker. So, I’m not going to focus on that, however, the Crystal Case did not add anymore thickness than the OEM leather case that came with my Lifedrive, in case you are wondering.
As I showed people the case, everyone of them looked at it and were quite impressed. They used words like cool, sharp, nice, etc. to describe the case. I must admit that I too liked the look of seeing my entire Lifedrive revealed and not covered up. It makes great eye candy as anyone could easily see your Lifedrive and see it is not your typically handheld.
Here also in the design is my biggest complaint about this case. On the back side of the case, there are no rubber feet to stop the case from sliding off a smooth surface. This could spell trouble if one made an inadvertent elbow to the Lifedrive. I could even make my Lifedrive do 360s on my kitchen table (people wonder why my first Lifedrive died). Oh, it did turn on right away after that test, too, in case you are wondering.
Functionality- Is this even a word?
With this case you have a clear protective lid that covers the screen as well and provides more protection. In order to tap on the screen, you must lift the lid; it’s kind of like a Star Trek communicator. “Beam me up, Scotty. There is no perfect PDA down here!” Anyways… I really liked that my Lifedrive didn’t have to be removed from the case as everything was easily accessible. My hotsync cable had no problems fitting in the slot, headphones set in just right, the stylus was easy to get to, sound recorder and portrait/landscape button is accessible, and getting my SD card out was no trouble either. Nothing you normally do with a caseless Lifedrive is impeded. You could also use this case in conjunction with Proporta’s Magnetic Vehicle Docking Mount if you had a Bluetooth GPS device or something like that.
Conclusion- Avoid extreme PDA tests when reviewing accessories!
Overall Proporta’s Crystal Case is first-class in its feel and functionality. If you want to show off your Lifedrive, you need to check out Proporta’s Crystal Clear case as it is the best type of case for showing off your device and keeping it protected at the same time. Proporta makes Crystal cases for other devices as well in case you don’t have a lifedrive. The Lifedrive Crystal Case sells for $19.95 and comes with a belt clip attachment as well.
Joshua Burdick – Associate Writer (Buffalo, NY, USA)
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| REVIEW: Proporta Alu-Leather T5 and T/x case |
| 11.09.05 (4:46 am) [edit] |
 I am happy that I have had the opportunity to test drive a Proporta aluminum-lined leather T5/Tx case. If you\\\'re short on time, let me say that the case is highly recommended, two stylii up.
I have a history of avoiding PDA cases. Perhaps this stubborness was formed because my first \\\"PDA,\\\" a 64kb Casio BOSS, was a battle- (and backpack-) ready hard clamshell.
In any case (pun not intended), It took a lot of convincing to get me to trade in my Palm Vx\\\'s flip cover for something more substantial. After all, part of its appeal came from how much power it packed into that sleek and small package. Any case added bulk and, like a sweatshirt over a toned torso, hid more than it did.
I confess to having similar thoughts about my T5. It isn\\\'t as small as the Vx, not by a long shot. But it looks as beautiful. Think of it as Crawford to the Vx\\\'s Kate Moss (The irony of the Crawford Vx is not lost on me). I was loathe to put a case on the T5 and worried that it would shift out of the \\\"pocketable\\\" category and into \\\"bulky.\\\"
Which is why I am so happy that Proporta sent me this case. It is an ideal companion to the T5, protecting it from daily risks to its welfare and, as an added bonus, enhancing the T5\\\'s looks. All that while taking nothing away from its usability or function.
Before I discuss the case itself, I want to mention the delivery. The case arrived, with its packaging, in hand addressed envelope from the UK. Even though I am in New Jersey, USA, the package arrived within several days of having been shipped. For those who might be worried about an oversea purchase, set your worries aside - the world really has grown smaller. Within the envelope, two foil-wrapped bags of Earl Grey Tea. How British is that!
Now, to the case: I originally misunderstood which case Proporta was sending me to review, and resigned myself to getting used to an aluminum case -- solid and very modern, but perhaps too modern for elegance. When I opened the package, I discovered that Proporta had sent me their leather and aluminum case--The best of both worlds, combining the strength and security of metal with the warmth and style contrast-stitched leather. I should also mention that my wife, who is generally unimpressed with anything PDA related, conceded that this case looks really good.
The case is well designed and surprised me by working perfectly even when I used the T5 with my Palm IR keyboard. By utilizing the same slot as the original flipcover, Proporta has provided a full-coverage case that still flips out of the way when the Palm is placed on the keyboard holder in both landscape and upright positions. If Palm had thought to include a dock with the T5, I would be able to tell you whether the case maintains compatibility. As it stands, I can only conjecture that it does. The case shuts securely with a magnetic stap closure, my current favorite for devices that need to be opened and closed frequently. It took about a day for the leather strap to ease just enough for the case to open and close perfectly each time -- the same way a pair of fine shoes takes a little time to get \\\"broken in.\\\" My one caveat is that the T5 is not as comfortable to hold in one hand, as when reading on the morning subway (or Tube), with this case. Holding the additional flap is ever so slightly fatiguing in that position. Having a future version of this case fold flat against itself when open might help the morning commuter.
When closed, the case adds a little bulk, but it\\\'s very little for the amount of protection that\\\'s afforded. Imagine having one additional flip cover on the back -- that\\\'s about the additional thickness added. There\\\'s also about a milimeter of width on one side, so that the case can provide additional bump protection. The case does not actually cover the sides and is not designed to completely cushion the PDA in the even of an actual fall. The case protects against the usual bumps and crunches of life with a PDA and should be especially useful to the PDA that finds itself inside its owner\\\'s bag, purse, or briefcase. With its style and high usability, it will be even more welcome when the PDA emerges and takes center stage.
I\\\'ve just noticed that my fellow associate writer Kevin Agot reviewed a similar case for his Zire 72 and came to the same conclusion: Visit Proporta.com and check out their line of cases -- we especially recommend the alu-leather ones!
-Dov, Associate Writer (NY/NJ, USA)
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| My Review of My Little Tank |
| 11.09.05 (4:42 am) [edit] |
How do they do it? How is it that Astraware continues to develop addictive games for mobile devices? In their latest release, My Little Tank is a sure as shooting to please Palm Addicts everywhere and will roll over all the competition for game of the year! This has been the most addictive game I have reviewed thus far and one of the most fun games I have played, too.
Options, options, and more options
First off, you have the option to have a great tutorial that will help you learn the ins and outs of controlling your “little tank.” Being the man that I was, I immediately skipped the tutorial and went straight to the game play, but I’m sure it was a well written and quite informative piece of work and one that I will probably read later when I’m stuck on some future level wondering what do I do now. Not only can you control the game with the D-pad on your handheld, but also by using your stylus you can control your “little tank.” And if your little tank doesn’t look right you have the option to choose a different color for your little tank, making it even more your “little tank.” If you must know, I chose orange as my tank’s color! ;)
Game Play
I have only had a short time in playing the game, but from the very start I found the game easy to understand and amazing challenging as well. The higher levels bring on bigger and badder enemy tanks and will have you scrambling for cover! On each level (keep in mind there are 60 levels for you to conquer), you have different missions to complete some are destroying a certain amount of tanks or destroying specific targets or protecting your base from other tanks. Each tank battlefield is full of obstacles to make the game that much more enjoyable as you attempt to blow up the enemy’s tanks. Along the way you can get power-ups for your tank, invincibility, speed bonuses, smart bombs which blow up any tanks with in the bomb’s range, health bonuses, mini tanks which will give you an extra life, and freeze weapons which freeze all the enemy tanks. Again it was very addictive and fun to play. I found myself blowing thru walls and blowing up buildings in no time at all.
Graphics and sounds
The graphics are very sweet and high quality which is to be expected from Astraware. I especially loved the opening main menu background as it is one of the sharpest game menus I have seen. It really foretells what you’re going to get later on in the game. The music on my Lifedrive really blew me away and was very military-type sounding. It fit the game perfectly and I think that maybe Astraware should make a soundtrack of all their all game’s music as My Little Tanks music is really catchy.
Conclusion
I had been looking for sometime for a handheld tank game, because I use to play the Atari version of Tank pong or something like that a very long time ago and I missed it. Well, I think My Little Tank will fill that void for me. It was fun and challenging and I have an orange tank. I’m still amazed at how Astraware continues to put out such great games and this one is no exception. It’s just another great game from Astraware and a game that will be worth the money to put down for it! Check it out at Astraware. It’s currently on sale now for $14.95.
Joshua Burdick – Associate Writer (Buffalo, NY, USA)
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