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Ever wondered what the Infant Mortality Rate of Norway is? How about the history of Diego Garcia? If you are a research
INTRODUCTION
analyst frequently looking for data on specific counties, plus need access to this information on the fly, then this program is for you.
WorldWyse, from the creators of the popular CityTime application, claims to be an extremely detailed resource covering a large number of different statistics relating to various countries around the
world. Is this software for everyone? Today we’ll take a closer look at this piece of software. Read on as I put this application through its paces…
Setup was not as linear as I anticipated, but I guess I am used to "click and forget" installers. The 19 mb zip file found
SETUP
directly on Code City’s website contains the self extracting executable and is bundled with a .htm file that details the installation
process. I proceeded to download and run the .exe file, at which point I received the usual prompts when installing software on a Windows Mobile
Device. Here’s where things deviated… after an installation of the program files, I received the following no-go screen:
After the last file was installed, I received the above error.
Realizing this is probably a compatibility issue relating to WM 5.0, I opened File Explorer to see what damage had been
done to my device. I noticed four new cab files bearing a striking resemblance to those transferred to my device during installation:
This is the File Explorer view of the WorldWyse Cab files placed in the default directory after the executable install.
Clicking on these files one at a time produced the usual result and the program was installed, placing a
shortcut icon in the WindowsStart MenuPrograms folder. A round-about way to go, but it still worked. Of the four cab files, WorldWysePPC, WorldWysePPCImages and WorldWysePPCFiles must be installed in the same location (card or internal), the SQL file can go to either place.
Here is a view of the WorldWyse shortcut icon after a complete cab file install.
As mentioned earlier, Microsoft’s Compact Framework (1.0 SP3 or greater) is required to run this software.
Cab files for the latest release, CF2 Service Pack 1, can be found here. Note: you may need to rename the file in order
for it to default to a cab after download (i.e. CF2.cab). This will stop windows
interpreting the file as a Windows Media file.
The WorldWyse application has a home page that contains a narrow-deep menu. This basically means that although there only a few options in the
PRODUCT FEATURES
menu tree, each option can be expanded to view a large number of entries. There are four menu options: History, Profile, Map and Stats, which can be accessed
from the home page after choosing the desired country. Also available on the home page, the user can view day, night, or political maps of the world we live in:
This is a day and Night view of the world; desired view can be selected from the home page.
Here is a political view of the world with the Options menu expanded.
As mentioned above, this programs is centered around the 4-option menu. This menu can be accessed by linked to the hardware key on WM 5.0 devices. Here’s a description of what you find in each
pressing one of the onscreen buttons, or using the "Options" button in the lower taskbar. Note, the options
button is
not
menu option:
This tab contains a textual history relating to the selected country. It is quite comprehensive,
History:
however, some of the smaller countries do not contain this feature.
A brief history of New Zealand, history is available for most countries.
The profile tab contains the following entries:
Profile:
- Profile – a brief snapshot of country information
- Environment – Information about geological and topographical data
- Economical – GDP, Inflation, CPI, etc.
- Society and State – Social demographic
- Health and Education – Life expectancy, IMR, daily calorie supply, school enrollment, etc.
- Communications and Energy – Radio/Newspaper/TV/Telephone lines and total energy consumption
- In focus – Social problems, initiatives, noteworthy points
This is the profile tab within the WorldWyse "Profiles" menu, the first tab of many.
Next comes the map tab. Self explanatory, it contains a map image which can be zoomed. Note:
Map:
zooming does not actually generate more detail, it merely enlarges the image. Map image can be clicked and dragged:
Here we see a map of New Zealand at 60% zoom.
Lastly, we have the stats option. This menu allows a user to quickly view and compare all countries
Stats:
side-by-side. This can be a little difficult though, as it may require scrolling since they are all on the same page. Visible columns can be set, allowing the user to add/remove unnecessary information:
The summary stats view, plus the Options page used to remove columns.
As you can see from the "display column" screen, there is a wealth of information on the stats page. Obviously,
some of this information can be found on the profile page, however, the stats is more of a "quick reference"
for those who just need to glance at the data without having to select a country, etc.
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The executable file is bundled with a .htm file containing installation instructions. These instructions
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HELP
SUPPORT
are pretty lite, and did not help after I received the initial unsuccessful install warning. The FAQ section on
their site was also not much use, however, tech support is available via email if required. An onboard help file is available on the device, which explains what you can expect to find on each page of the program.
SYSTEM
REQUIREMENTS
I believe it may not be completely WM 5.0 compatible. Older operating systems may have better luck. The FAQ section references all operating systems, but does not
specify any particular preference. The program needs about 18 mb during installation, and has a footprint of around 17 mb once installed. I ran the program with as little
as 9 mb of program storage, however, instability may be encountered if program memory is lower. Also required is the Compact Framework (~5 mb).
BUGS AND WISHES
online and/or ActiveSync conduit for updating country information.
PURCHASING
Purchases are handled via PayPal, so security can be guaranteed.
PROS
Comprehensive data
Simple to use, intuitive
An invaluable resource for those who need quick access to country statistics
CONS
Large memory requirement
Inconvenient installation process on WM 5.0
No WM 5.0 soft key support
- No apparent way to update data
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This is a specialized tool for those who need large amounts of data about specific countries. The installation problem is not a deal-breaker; if you need this tool, then I would look past any issues discussed
OVERALL
IMPRESSION
here and give it a try. You will not be disappointed. Flashy graphics are omitted, allowing the program to focus
on what it was designed to do: provide in-depth country data. If you’re after travel information, however, I would take a look at WorldMate which is specifically tailored toward the traveler. My only reservation regarding WorldWyse is data reliability; without an online or activesync conduit, the user must wait for updates from the publisher.
Given the dynamic world we live in, real-time statistics are constantly changing, but those on the device remain static. I would,
therefore, cross refer the information with the CIA World Fact Book before distributing anything formal, using WorldWyse for informational purposes only.
Despite the cons, Code City have done an excellent job bringing this resource to the Mobile Community. Well done.
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