Yesterday we announced the coming of v3.5 of iDuelpro – yu-gi-oh! lifepoints calculator for iPhone. Now we can also announce that a drastic improvement of the Mac version is on its way. But that’s not all! Yesterday someone asked for a Blackberry version of Duelpro, and I started thinking.

We acquired material to build applications for Windows Mobile earlier this year, which means that we will start developing a Duelpro version for Windows Mobile anytime soon. This version will have about the same features as the Windows version and will show a donation button in the bottom.

But there’s more, another platform for which we could start to build apps is Google’s Android OS. We will use the same tactic there. People will simply be able to make a donation.

After Android OS, all nokia platforms with Qt framework will follow (including symbian).

So within the coming year, we will have a Duelpro version available for 6 platforms namely :

-Windows
-Mac OSX
-iPhone OS (also iPod Touch)
-Windows Mobile
-Android OS
-Symbian/Qt

Linux and Haiku (BeOS) executables may follow as well in this time. This only leaves the Java platform of some mobile phones and Blackberry OS to be. We can’t develop a Duelpro version for every cellphone available and Blackberry development is too expensive. Otherwise nearly any OS would be covered.

Since a few days we are working hard to make a new version of our Yu-gi-oh! calculator iDuelpro available to our users. This version will include a few interesting changes therefore we skip one version from v3.3 to v3.5 to point at its importance.

For the first time in-App pop-up windows will be used to expand iDuelpro. This may not interest you a lot, but it enables the use of settings panes, easier dialog boxes and of course the Spell Counter/token tool you have all been requesting for so long.

And that’s probably one of the 2 biggest changes in iDuelpro 3.5, Token/Spell Counter support. I added it exactly as “Masteranza” suggested in his iTunes App Store review as you will see in the screenshots of the current development version.
Most people suggested a token counter, but I made a hybrid also adding spell counter support. You can put more than just 1 or 0 in the token table, also enabling the use of spell counters. (up to 999) The counter’s state is also saved when the application is quit and is reset when starting a new game.

So this version of iDuelpro actually comes with 19.980 virtual coins included which you can to keep track of spell counters or as a replacement for tokens.

Other things that will be implemented will be eg. a settings pane in which you can set both player’s names and initial lifepoints and where you can view your amounts of wins/losses/draws. An extra icon which enables you to follow us on twitter. An updated help file and of course various bug fixes and added confirmation message to prevent false touches.

iDuelpro v3.5 will be completed somewhere next week but the current version can already be downloaded here>

Here’s how v3.5 looks so far :

iDuelpro 3.5 Dev-preview - Main Window

iDuelpro 3.5 dev-preview - Token/Spell Counter window

As everybody knows Windows 7 has arrived, this brings some problems for certain applications. But luckily most of our apps aren’t experiencing issues.

Here’s a list :

• 36-image converter 4.7a : Not fully compatible – issues with filters. Conversion + other features work. Issues will be fixed in the Beta version of v4.7.

• 36-image express 1.0 : Compatible

• ROC 1.0 : Compatible

• Duelpro 2009 : Compatible

• SpeedShut 4.x : Compatible

• FileTorment 4.x : Compatible (further testing required)

• CachePhix 1.x : incompatible (Possible update coming next year)

• LoadDown 2.0 : Compatible

• LockPhix 1.x : incompatible (further testing required) (No intention to update – end of support coming in 2010)

• FileTorment Suite 2006/2007 : incompatible – end of support (since 2009)

• infoBlaster IN4 : incompatible – end of support (since 2008)

• Mphix 1.0 : incompatible – end of support (since 2007)

• PhBrowser 1.0 : incompatible – end of support (since 2006)

So most apps are compatible, the few apps which were incompatible with vista are still incompatible with windows 7 and 36-image converter will be fixed in an update.

And of course I have to add my opinion about Windows 7. I have only one sentence for Windows 7 : “Microsoft is back!”. Enthusiasts of other operating systems have been claiming that people just use windows because it’s on their PC, with Windows 7 they are proven wrong. People are actually looking for Windows 7. Users of other operating systems are cheering for Windows 7, about 90% of all Mac Fans (including me) thinks Windows 7 is great and will run it as a second OS without whining. The same with half the Linux population. So is Windows 7 a success? It’s probably the most wanted operating system of the decade.

Microsoft has finally delivered a product which is fun to use and can compare to Mac OSX. Microsoft increased the productivity with a set of new features which can compare to Mac OSX exposé (although I still prefer exposé, because I’m used to it) and they brought small changes which are enjoyable. They put a great deal of care and effort in this operating system contacting all developers for a compatibility check of their apps, gathering all drivers and testing your configuration for compatibility. They actually did something with the Windows Vista complaints.

So I don’t think alternative operating system’s usage will grow now. It grew thanks to Windows Vista, but with Windows 7 everyone is happy again and the need for an alternative is gone. So I expect a drop in the Linux marketshare and a growth stop of Mac OSX and in long term a minor decrease in marketshare.

I also expect Chrome OS to be born dead, people don’t need another OS. If google released it a few months after the Vista release they would’ve scored a big hit, but the normal people have a working Windows install, Mac people have Mac OSX and the mac people that are interested in Windows 7 will not be interested in Chrome OS, the ones which aren’t interested in Win7 aren’t interested in anything other than Mac OSX so there goes another fail for Google. And the last one the opensource advocates and the common linux users don’t want a semi-opensource OS which sends data to an evil corporation, so they will stick with the normal Linux distros. So I think the fear which microsoft had to endure for a few years about other treding operating systems is gone now.

Anyway, brilliant move, brilliant OS.

As you all know, the development of 36-image converter is almost at end with the Beta coming at the beginning of November. But that’s not the only thing that’s coming. We have started development for 36-image converter 5.0, which comes with a new engine, a new interface and a completely new set of features.

We are also going to renew all our iPhone apps. GrayPhix, FlashPhix and MonoPhix are getting an engine update to support all image formats, iPhix will hit version 2.0 with support for large resolution images, transformations, more effects and a new interface. iDuelpro and iDuelpro Lite will hit version 4.0. And iDuelpro for Mac OSX will hit iDuelpro 2010 and will be a direct port from the iPhone.

Maybe the biggest change will be that our site will be completely revamped and pushed to the edge of design and browser standards. Remember the old 3 year old site and its ads, frames and flaws as it will disappear somewhere next month. If you want to see how progress is coming along with the new site you can go to http://www.phoenxsoftware.com/mainsite_new/

After this everything will be as it should have been from the beginning, a 36-image converter with no flaws (except for flaws people are creating of course), a whole bunch of worthy iPhone apps, a Duelpro on each platform which takes a huge leap forward from many other yugioh LPC’s and a site which has the design our users are used to.

After this, the road is open for completely new apps and features.

I’ve been getting a lot of complaints lately <sarcasm>always from nice people who don’t insult me or anything</sarcasm> that 36-image converter is hard to work with and that they can’t find any info on how to convert an image or even open one. So I created a tutorial on how to open images in 36-image converter and convert them. In the tutorial we’re going to convert a DNG raw camera image to PNG in 2 minutes.

A few remarks :
-The version used in the video is a development version of 36-image converter 4.7 Beta which hasn’t been released yet. So you won’t be able to filter filetypes in the open-dialog.
-In versions older than the newest alpha version of 36-image converter 4.7 you won’t be able to open and convert DNG or other raw filetypes. You can download 36-image converter 4.7 here>
-My voice is no opera baritone so I still suggest reading the help file instead of listen to me for 2 whole minutes

I hope everything is clear now and that I don’t have to hear another. “It can’t convert images, this is stupid!” in my whole life.

Our famous multiplatform Yu-gi-oh! LPC iDuelpro is now available for free as iDuelpro Lite. iDuelpro Lite has enough features to overpower other free LPC’s and the ones who are interested can upgrade to full iDuelpro with a small ad in the App for just 0.99$.

iDuelpro Lite is based on iDuelpro v3.3 which means that it has added functionality to the current full version v3.2 in the form of the auto-save feature.

iDuelpro Lite has the following features :
-Lifepoints tracking for both players
-Progress bars to visually represent a player’s lifepoints
-Quick Subtract and add buttons for amounts like 1000, 100 and 5.
-Ability to subtract and add a custom amount of lifepoints
-Ability to declare a draw
-Superfast calculating speeds
-Can also be used for magic the gathering
-The easiest interface for a lifepoints calculator ever
-Automatic game state save at quit (This is even new to iDuelpro as it will only be available in full iDuelpro 3.3)
-Notification who has won
-Online Help file

iDuelpro Lite is available at : http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=332619298&mt=8

The full iDuelpro is available at : http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=299220306&mt=8

iDuelpro Lite Screenshot

Yes, that was the event we were planning. A free version of our Yu-gi-oh! lifepoints calculator for iPhone, iDuelpro.

And yes, we admit. The competition in the Yu-gi-oh! section of the iTunes Store went up the last couple of weeks. We started fishing with 12 people in a puddle with only a few fish in it and this raises competition of course. Many MTG application developers are switching to yu-gi-oh! as well to gain some extra bucks.

Therefore we have to raise focus on iDuelpro Mobile. Our iDuelpro Mobile 3.2 was approved this week and now a free version of iDuelpro will appear as iDuelpro Lite. In this way we can destroy competition by providing our free version in the free apps segment and there are also in-App ads so people can decide to upgrade to the normal iDuelpro if they want more features. iDuelpro Lite has more features than the only free Yu-Gi-Oh! LPC currently available and will not cannibalize the iDuelpro Marketshare because it’s in a different pricing segment. But if people decide not to pay for an App they might as well decide to not pay for an App provided by us. In this way we can provide people with a decent yugioh LPC without the need of a credit card or without having to pay anything.

The full iDuelpro will also get a whole bunch of extra features in a while with version 3.3 and version 4.0 in October.

So this is another step in getting a unified version yu-gi-oh! LPC on every operating system and device.

We expect iDuelpro Lite to hit the App Store within a few hours, so keep an eye out. We will also tweet and post another blogpostwhen it is online.

Today our iDuelpro Mobile (Yu-gi-oh! TCG lifepoints aid) was free because it was my birthday. All and all it was a success with over 200 downloads, we’ll know the final amount tomorrow.

We’ll probably do this for other apps in the future, but there’s only one problem. Free apps attract the wrong kind of people.
Many iPhone/iPod Touch users download anything that’s free only to find out that they don’t need it and to rate it 1/5. So this is a major drawback. Hence, our promotion stunt increased our amount of 1/5 ratings by 2, but still someone who was really interested rated iDuelpro Mobile at 5/5.

You can still find it here (it’s still cheap at only 0.99$) : http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=299220306&mt=8

The newest version of our iPhix image editor for iPhone is released to the iTunes Store. This newest version is one of the last versions of a resizing and cropping iPhix, the next version (2.0) will support full resolution images.

The changes include :
-New icon
-Added Brighten/Darken Filter (comparable to flash-simulator apps)
-Added ability to adjust the color gamma
-Added slider to control “Egalize”-filter
-Added Ability to select more than one filter
-Added ability to remove filters
-Added Solarize filter
-Improved reliability
-New Help file

Screenshot iPhix

We are currently developing the newest version of our image editor for the iPhone iPhix. The biggest issue was that it didn’t support full resolution pictures, everything was resized. And since many people think they are professional photographers operating the iPhone’s cam, this was absolutely necessary. An iPhone image editor must support 1.600×1.200 pixels images or it is useless apparently. So now iPhix will trade the advanced filter system, where you can select and test images before applying, for the ability to edit images at full resolution.

We weren’t able to maintain the advanced filter manager together with full resolution images since the filter system stored cache copies of the image in the memory and since there is only 16Mb of video memory available this was an issue. So we are going to do what all other image editors do in the App Store, make a crappy app with full resolution instead of an advanced photo editor which is suitable for a smartphone.

From this evolution in version 2.0 we will continue development to bring back a few of the lost features. Avoiding memory issues.