Category Archives: Windows

10 new levels for Starbeams

IMG_00000051Starbeams has been updated to version 1.2 in BlackBerry World and the Windows 8 Store. This new version adds 10 new levels and the BlackBerry 10 version also gets a swipe-down menu.

About Starbeams

The object of the game is to assign colors to each star in order to ensure that none of the stars are connected to another star of the same color. The game starts off easy, but quickly gets more complex, adding more colors and seven pointed stars that can not be changed.IMG_00000052

New in Version 1.2

This versions adds levels 111-120 to the game. Additionally there is now a swipe-down menu that allows you to restart the current level or view the how to play information. Users of the Q10 or Q5 can also restart the current level by using the ‘R’ shortcut key.

Links & Information

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BlackBerry, BlackBerry10, Starbeams, Windows

Another 10 levels for Xploding Boxes

IMG_00000017Xploding Boxes has been updated to version 4.5 with an additional 10 levels. This brings the total number of levels in the game up to 390. This update also brings a few other improvements to the app as well. On Android devices (including the Nook) improvements were made to the fonts used in various parts of the app. On Windows the live tile for the game was improved, while the active frame on the Q10 also got an overhaul.

About Xploding Boxes

Xploding Boxes is a strategy game for BlackBerry, Android, Nook, Windows 8, and BlackBerry 10 where the goal of the game is to start a chain reaction that will explode all of the boxes on the screen. Each level gives you a different number of touches, and requires a different strategy to solve.

The game itself, and the first 25 levels are available for free, while an in-app purchase can be used to access the rest of the levels for just $2.99 while maintaining your progress from the free levels.

Links & Information

Android, BlackBerry, BlackBerry10, Nook, Windows, Xploding Boxes

Pixelated updated to version 3.4 for Windows 8 and Windows Phone

GameInProgressPixelated has been updated to version 3.4 for Windows Phone and for Windows 8. The changes in this update mostly relate to supporting better screen transitions in the Windows Phone version of the app, and supporting more languages in the Windows 8 version of the app.

About Pixelated

Pixelated is an addictive puzzle based strategy game that requires a mixture of skill and luck in order to accomplish. The object of the game is to change the colour of the squares until the entire screen is a single solid colour. Starting with the square in the upper left corner you can change the colour of the blocks in order to match that of the surrounding squares. This is done repeatedly until the entire screen is a single colour. The object of the game is to clear the screen in as few moves as possible. Under the default settings you must do so in under 22 moves in order to win. The game is controlled by the large colored blocks on the side of the screen.

Links & Information

YouHaveWon

Pixelated, Windows

Minor update for Stuff I Need app

IMG_00000092The Stuff I Need checklist app has been updated to version 1.2 in BlackBerry World and the Windows Phone store. This new version includes some additional optimizations for the Q10, as well as adding the ability to delete all checked items from the options page.

About the app

Originally conceived as a grocery list app, this minimalistic checklist can be used to keep track of the stuff you need to get, or the stuff that you need to do. Items on the list can be edited (or deleted) by giving them a long press.

Links & Information

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BlackBerry, BlackBerry10, Stuff I Need, Windows

First update for Starbeams

Level21The strategy game Starbeams now sits at version 1.1 after its first update. The update (available for both BlackBerry 10 and Windows 8) adds ten new levels as well as better support for the app in its minimized state.

About Starbeams

The object of the game is to assign colors to each star in order to ensure that none of the stars are connected to another star of the same color. The game starts off easy, but quickly gets more complex, adding more colors and seven pointed stars that can not be changed.

New in Version 1.1

IMG_00000001In addition to the ten new levels that this version brings, most of the other new features revolve around how the app handles itself when it is minimized. On Windows 8 the app now uses a live tile in both the wide and square versions of the icon that shows the number of levels that have been beaten so far. The BlackBerry 10 version of the game does the same thing with an Active Frame when it is minimized, showing an icon, and an update on your game progress rather than just a shrunken view of the current screen.

Links & Information

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BlackBerry, BlackBerry10, Starbeams, Windows

Xploding Boxes gets even more levels

IMG_00000064Xploding Boxes has been updated to version 4.4 in BlackBerry World, Google Play, the Amazon AppStore, the Nook Bookstore, and the Windows 8 store. This new version adds an additional 10 levels to the game, as well as improving the sharing options on BlackBerry 10, and improving the in-app payment system for the Google Play store.

About Xploding Boxes

Xploding Boxes is a strategy game for BlackBerry, Android, Nook, Windows 8, and BlackBerry 10 where the goal of the game is to start a chain reaction that will explode all of the boxes on the screen. Each level gives you a different number of touches, and requires a different strategy to solve.

The game itself, and the first 25 levels are available for free, while an in-app purchase can be used to access the rest of the levels for just $2.99 while maintaining your progress from the free levels.

Links & Information

Android, BlackBerry, BlackBerry10, Nook, PlayBook, Windows, Xploding Boxes

Starbeams released for Windows 8

Level58After being released for BlackBerry 10 a month ago, Starbeams is now also available on Windows 8. The game has 100 levels, and requires you to assign colors to each star in order to ensure that none of the stars are connected to another star of the same color. The game starts off easy, but quickly gets more complex, adding more colors and seven pointed stars that can not be changed.

Level21

As with the BlackBerry 10 version of the game, the first 25 levels of the game are free, while the full game can be purchased through a one time in-app purchase of $2.99USD. Currently Starbeams boasts 100 levels, but that number is sure to grow as the game is updated in the coming months.

Links & Information

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Starbeams, Windows

Stuff I Need app released for Windows Phone

MainThe Stuff I Need checklist app has now been released for free on Windows Phones. This is a minimalistic app that allows you to either list the stuff that you need to buy, or the stuff that you need to do. Previously, this app has already been very well received on BlackBerry 10, where it has thousands of downloads and an average rating of four and a half stars.

This app was originally designed as a grocery list app, but is flexible enough to be used for any purpose. Existing items can be edited or deleted after giving them a long press.

Links & Information

Stuff I Need, Windows

Xploding Boxes adds 10 new levels

indexXploding Boxes has been updated to version 4.3, adding ten new levels bringing the total up to 370. This update also improves the app’s handling of square displays, adding support for the soon to be released BlackBerry Q10, and providing better support for the Windows 8 version when in three-quarters snapped mode. The menu icons for the app were also refreshed on Android, Nook, and Playbook versions of the app, in order to match the style that was recently revealed on the BlackBerry 10 version of the app.

About Xploding Boxes

Xploding Boxes is a strategy game for BlackBerry, Android, Nook, Windows 8, and BlackBerry 10 where the goal of the game is to start a chain reaction that will explode all of the boxes on the screen. Each level gives you a different number of touches, and requires a different strategy to solve.

The game itself, and the first 25 levels are available for free, while an in-app purchase can be used to access the rest of the levels for just $2.99 while maintaining your progress from the free levels.

Links & Information

Android, BlackBerry, BlackBerry10, Nook, Windows, Xploding Boxes

Second anniversary of Xploding Boxes

IMG_00000064It has now been two years since Xploding Boxes was originally launched for BlackBerry phones in 2011. The app has grown much since then, and in the past year alone has added an additional 90 levels, as well as adding support for Android, Windows 8, and BlackBerry 10.

About Xploding Boxes

Xploding Boxes is a strategy game for BlackBerry, Nook, Android, and Windows 8, in which the goal of the game is to start a chain reaction that will explode all of the boxes on the screen. Each level gives you a different number of touches, and requires a different strategy to solve. The first 25 levels are free, while the full 360 levels can be accessed by making an in-application payment and requiring no further downloads. This game is available for the BlackBerry PlayBook, most BlackBerry phones running OS 5.0 or higher, BlackBerry 10 phones, the Nook Color and Nook Tablet, most Android phones running OS 2.2 or higher, as well as Windows 8 tablets and laptops.

Links & Information

Android, BlackBerry, Nook, Windows, Xploding Boxes

Pixelated updated to version 3.3

IMG_00000080Pixelated has been updated to version 3.3 across all platforms. Notably, this update adds support for BlackBerry 10 which is being launched on Wednesday.

New in version 3.3

A new colour scheme option has been added to Pixelated Plus for all platforms. The PlayBook version of the app has had a visual update to give it a look more in line with the Windows 8 version. The game has also gotten a thicker highlight colour for the selector on non-touchscreen versions of the game on BlackBerry Phones. The new BB10 version of the game includes a leader board that is powered by Scoreloop for both the free and paid versions of the game. This update also includes a number of bug fixes.

About Pixelated

IMG_00000083Pixelated is an addictive puzzle based strategy game that requires a mixture of skill and luck in order to accomplish. The object of the game is to change the colour of the squares until the entire screen is a single solid colour. Starting with the square in the upper left corner you can change the colour of the blocks in order to match that of the surrounding squares. This is done repeatedly until the entire screen is a single colour. The object of the game is to clear the screen in as few moves as possible. Under the default settings you must do so in under 22 moves in order to win. The game is controlled by the large colored blocks on the side of the screen.

Links & Information

BlackBerry, BlackBerry10, Nook, Pixelated, PlayBook, Windows

A 27″ tablet is not as stupid as it sounds

At CES Lenovo has announced that they are planning on launching a 27 inch, 17 pound Windows 8 tablet this summer. At first glance this seems ridiculous, and the product has already received it’s fair share of mockery. But the truth is that it really isn’t that terrible of an idea, at least once you stop thinking of it as a tablet.

The image to the right is from Lenovo’s promo video, and shows how incredibly awkward it would be to carry it around like a traditional tablet. And while I can fit my PlayBook into my pocket, this beast would not even fit into a backpack, and is truly not ‘mobile’ in any sense of the word.

But it doesn’t have to be.

If you consider it less as a tablet, and more as a nice 27″ all-in-one desktop PC that happens to have a touchscreen, then it is actually pretty nice. The Verge recently wrote about how touch screens can be useful on non-tablets, and I think we can eventually expect all screens to support touch. While the $1,700 that Lenovo is asking for is a bit much, prices will come down. In a few years, it probably will not be possible to buy a monitor that doesn’t support touch input.

Windows

Version 4.2 of Xploding Boxes

Xploding Boxes has been updated to version 4.2 across all platforms. This version adds ten new levels as well as adding sharing options to the Windows 8 and BlackBerry 10 versions of the game.

About Xploding Boxes

Xploding Boxes is a strategy game for BlackBerry, Android, Nook, Windows 8, and BlackBerry 10 where the goal of the game is to start a chain reaction that will explode all of the boxes on the screen. Each level gives you a different number of touches, and requires a different strategy to solve.

The game itself, and the first 25 levels are available for free, while an in-app purchase can be used to access the rest of the levels for just $2.99 while maintaining your progress from the free levels.

New in Version 4.2

IMG_00000063In addition to the ten new levels, version 4.2 of Xploding Boxes adds some sharing options and fixes some bugs. While the BlackBerry version of the game has included BBM sharing options since version 2.1 this update allows Windows 8 users to easily share their in-game progress through the share charm, and BlackBerry 10 users can share their game progress through an option on the menu.

The BlackBerry 10 version of the game also has a redesigned icon set.

Links & Information

Android, BlackBerry, BlackBerry10, Nook, Windows, Xploding Boxes

Microsoft’s Windows 8 problem

Like most geeks, I spent my Christmas fixing my parent’s computer. Replacing the hard drive was easy, choosing what OS to instal onto the machine was not. My Dad wanted the Windows 8, just so he wouldn’t get left behind, while my Mom wanted nothing to change (although reinstalling Vista was never my plan).

In the end I decided to give them Windows 7. While I have a Windows 8 Tablet, and use both Win7 and Win8 on my laptop, my day to day desktop is still Windows 7. While Windows 8 is a huge improvement on tablets (at least when you don’t have the desktop open), there is no need for then Windows 8 start menu on a standard PC.

As a developer I love Windows 8. It is easy to develop for, and even more importantly it is easy to distribute and sell my apps on. However, most traditional PC users have little need for Microsoft’s app store, and are not looking for the apps I am selling. My true market is not Windows 8 users, but Windows 8 users with touchscreens.

This is a much smaller market.

For those looking to use their Windows 8 device as a tablet, and use it in a similar manner as you would a PlayBook or an iPad, the Windows Store is the perfect place to look for apps, but for everyone else I can expect my apps to be ignored anyhow. The number of Windows 8 licenses sold should not matter to developers, unless they are for a touch screen device.

Windows