Crossword Solver 0.5 released

February 20th, 2011

Crossword Puzzle Solver
Supernifty is pleased to announce version 0.5 of Crossword Puzzle Solver.

We’ve added some requested new functionality.

Custom Word Lists

It is now possible to add your own word lists to the crossword solver. Useful if you want to

  • add a new language,
  • have a particular niche set of words, or
  • just want to add something that you think is missing.

To add a word list, you just need to create a file, where each line is in the format “word,definition”.

Then click Definitions->Add… to add your definitions. It’s then easy to enable and disable the word lists you wish to include in your search.

If you happen to create a word list that you think might be useful to others, please let Supernifty know and we can publish your word list.

Ignore Spaces

Sometimes you might want to search for words and ignore any spaces. There’s now an option to do this.

Crossword Solver and all updates are free. Next time you run the software you should be prompted to update. If not, click Help->Check for Updates.

Feedback is always welcome.

Getting started with PayPal on Django

January 27th, 2011

DjangoIf you’re a Django (or Python) developer, and want to integrate a payment solution into your web app, check out this tutorial by Supernifty: Getting started with PayPal on Django.

It covers the steps involved in getting set up with PayPal and building a simple online store with Django.

The sample code is also available from GitHub.

In summary:

Play Speed Scrabble on your iPad

November 12th, 2010

Exciting news! Speed Scrabble is now compatible with the iPad. Yeeha!

Speed Scrabble iPad

To play Speed Scrabble on the iPad, just drag the letters around with your fingers to form words. Too easy!

Your iPad might just give you the competitive advantage over your mouse-based opponents… or simply a more enjoyable way to brush up on your word skills.

If you have an iPad, please try out the updated Speed Scrabble game.

As always, feedback is welcome… we are aware that the background grid can get a little messed up during play on the iPad, this shouldn’t interfere with the game play.

We hope to tweak the iPad experience in future releases – and potentially release an iPad app.

Now, go try it out! Happiness is word games

Ultra Simple PHP Profiling – Hack it #8

November 9th, 2010

We wanted to profile a few PHP scripts, so we tried xdebug, but there were a few issues:

  • Not suitable for a production server
  • Difficult to turn on/off for specific scripts and requests
  • Difficult to profile MySQL queries, without also attracting a mass of other data

xdebug is better for offline application profiling.

If you just want to track down a bottleneck, or see what your script is spending all its time doing, here’s a simple alternative.

To profile your SQL, replace mysql_query with mysql_queryx.

This generates a CSV file at /tmp/profile.1 for easy analysis.

Now create the file profile.php:

Too easy!

To stop profiling a page, set $profile = false.

If you’re concerned about performance, do something like $profile = rand(0, 100) > 99.

Jouez à Speed Scrabble (scrabble rapide) en français

November 7th, 2010

FranceSupernifty a le plaisir d’annoncer que Speed Scrabble est maintenant accessible en français.

Si votre langue maternelle est le français, ou si vous voulez travailler vos réflexes en français, alors essayez French Speed Scrabble!


To play in French:

  • Visit Speed Scrabble
  • Click “Refresh” on your browser to get the latest version of the game
  • Login
  • Click “Play”
  • Click the pencil next to “English”, to change to “French”
  • Click “Start game”
  • Make words in French!

Feedback on the French incarnation is welcomed.

Thanks Sylviane for the French translationHappy

Server Upgrade

November 6th, 2010

Server upgrade
Supernifty’s servers have recently been upgraded.

Our old server was barely coping with the load, particularly that generated by Speed Scrabble, so Supernifty is now on a faster, more powerful server.

This means a zippy, more reliable experience for everyone. If you do encounter problems, please get in touch. You may have encountered a few timeouts during the migration, but now everything appears to be great.

Finally, if you’re interested in the technical details, main components of the Supernifty architecture include:

New game options for Speed Scrabble

October 10th, 2010

Some interesting game options have been added to Speed Scrabble.

Same Letters
An often requested feature has been for all players to receive the same letters, thus allowing a competition of pure skill. Well, it’s here. Find out for sure who is the best Speed Scrabble player!

Private
If you don’t feel like playing against anyone else, be it so you can pursue that ridiculously long word, or are just learning the game, select the Private option, and nobody else can join your game. No more stressing about some guru coming in and ending your game.

3-letters+
Feel like a challenge? This option disallows 2-letter words, which makes for a surprisingly difficult game requiring planning and forethought.

If you’re tired of ultra fast Speed Scrabble, this will slow you down, and as a reward, winning with this option scores you many more points.

Further details about the new game options are at Speed Scrabble Help.

To access the new options, you will probably need to hit “Reload” on your browser, while on the Speed Scrabble page.

We’re hoping these will make for some interesting variations on the game. Feedback, problems or ideas regarding these new options (or anything else) are welcomed – do not hesitate to contact us with your thoughts.

Why not try out the new game options right now?

Audio Tuner 2.0 for Android

July 26th, 2010

Android UpdateAudio Tuner for Android is a mobile application that enables you to tune a wide range of musical instruments, using spectrum analysis and pitch generation.

Audio Tuner for Android has, at last, been updated to version 2.0. Some major updates in this new release:

  • Spectrum Analysis! This is the big one. Play your musical instrument into your Android handset, and it will tell you the pitch that it’s at.
  • More instruments – a number of new instruments, and alternate tunings have been added. Alternate guitar, banjo and ukulele tunings have been added, along with a number of new instruments, such as Viola, Autoharp and Dulcimer.
  • Better power management – this version takes advantage of Android’s power management and backgrounding capabilities to ensure that Android can properly optimize battery life.
  • More accurate tone generation – the app generates tones at the most accurate possible pitch, using the full capabilities of your handset.

Audio Tuner 2.0 Screenshot

The list of available instruments now includes the autoharp, banjo, bass guitar, cello, Chapman stick, guitar, mandolin, mountain dulcimer, piano, ukulele, viola and the violin! Phew!

To try out Audio Tuner, find it on Android Market. For further information, contact us!

Audio Tuner on Android Market

Speed Scrabble Safari Extension

July 18th, 2010

Speed Scrabble Safari ExtensionIf you’re using Safari as your web browser (Apple users, this means you!) you may be interested in the Speed Scrabble Safari Extension.

Speed Scrabble is a fast, fun word game, suitable for single player, but often more fun as multiplayer.

This Safari extension enables you to see when there are players waiting to play on the Speed Scrabble server, so you can join them for a game.

Speed Scrabble Safari Extension Screen Shot

If you use the extension, remember to play the occasional game – otherwise anyone else waiting for a game through the extension won’t know that you are available!

50 Songs on Playalong

July 12th, 2010

Play along to 50 songs!
Supernifty’s Playalong has reached the milestone of 50 songs.

Playalong started out as a way to play along to Elvis on your ukulele. Nowadays, Playalong offers quite a bit more.

We now support

  • chords for the guitar,
  • chords for the banjo,
  • an iPhone app, and
  • 50 songs!

Supernifty’s Playalong has songs from each of the last seven decades.

Here’s a selection of tag counts from Supernifty’s first fifty songs.

Play along songs by tag

Thanks to everyone who has contributed to Playalong… it’s fitting that the 50th song to be added is Israel Kamakawiwoʻole’s ukulele classic Over the rainbowEnjoy!