It's been 5000 visits and nine months since the last blog post, and many of you may have been wondering what I've been doing. Well, you won't have to wait much longer! I'm currently working on a new blog, which will be made public on February 3rd, so be sure to mark that date on your calendars.


So what will this new blog be about? Well, I've always wanted to expand this blog to explore topics other than just calculators, but I've never really had the time. This new blog will give me the chance to do exactly that. After all, my interests are not only limited to calculators, as presented below in this collage that I quickly made in 30 minutes in Google Drawings.




Explanation


Hopefully, with this new blog, I'll be able to explain the backstory behind each and every one of those pictures. Right now, I'm mostly working on completely rewriting a new CSS for the new blog, but it should be up and running on February 3rd.


You can also check out my Github for some of the other things I'm working on.

See https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c726379h1708491_ndless_jailbreak_your_tinspire for a full tutorial on installing Ndless, a TI-Nspire jailbreaking software.


Q: Help! I tried installing Ndless, but my calculator restarted and the "Ndless installed!" thing in the top left didn't come!

A: First check your OS to make sure you are installing the right version of Ndless. To check your operating system version, press [ON] - [5] - [4]. When you transfer the Ndless files to your calculator, make sure you send the correct files for your calculator's OS!
Also make sure that "ndless" is a top level folder.




Q: Darn! I bricked my calculator while using Ndless! My parents will be so mad!

A: You should first try restarting your calculator by pressing the restart button on the back. If that doesn't work, try reinstalling your calculator's OS using the TI-Nspire Computer Link.


Q: My calculator's feeling a bit slow. Should I get Nover 3?

A: Get Nover 3 at your own risk. According to the readme.txt file:
Q: Oh no! I accidentally corrupted my calculator's memory! What should I do?

A: This sounds like a job for the maintenance menu. To access the TI-Nspire CX's maintenance menu, first turn your calculator off. Then, press [DOC][EE][ENTER], and while holding these keys, use a pen to press the (Reset) button on the back of your calculator.

You will have then be given four choices:
- Cancel: This option makes no changes except to reboot the handheld. This is the safest option.
- Delete Operating System: If you choose this, you will have to install your OS again using the TI-Nspire Computer Link.
- Delete Document Folder contents: This is exactly like pressing (Reset) on the back of the calculator. All documents are deleted, but you don't need to reinstall your OS.
- Complete format: This is the most powerful reset available on the TI-Nspire. All documents are deleted and you will need to reinstall your OS.


Q: Does Ndless void my warranty?

A: Yes. Be very careful with Ndless. It shouldn't be dangerous, but you can still corrupt your system memory or something. According to the TI-Nspire warranty:
Q: I don't want to risk it anymore! How do I uninstall Ndless?

A: Open the ndless_resources.tns file on your calculator. Your calculator should then reboot. If the green text in the corner of the home screen is gone, then Ndless should be uninstalled.


Q: I reset my calculator, and for some reason, I don't see the green text anymore!

A: Ndless has been uninstalls everytime you restart your calculator. You can reinstall it by opening the ndless_installer.tns file.

The TI-Nspire CX II has been announced, and it’s a disappointment. While it does include a faster processor and an updated case and user interface, very little has changed since the release of the first Nspire CX eight years ago. It’s basically the old CX with a new processor and OS in a new case. Much of the specifications page is just a direct copy and paste from the first model. Even worse, the RAM in this new model is 10 MB less than the original CX. While few users would need so much RAM, introducing a model with more RAM would have paved the way for more resource-intensive emulators. While TI could have spent eight years developing a new, innovative calculator, instead, they chose to upgrade a few features of the CX and package it in a new case. TI's monopoly on the graphing calculator market allows it to make innovations at a snail's pace while making huge profits. Overall, the TI-Nspire CX II is really just a modest upgrade of the CX.




Specifications



Comments:
Different sources disagree about the screen size, the official announcement page gives it as 3.5", although it’s more likely to be 3.2”
90 MB storage memory: A downgrade from the CX
396 MHz processor speed: 2.5x faster than the CX, may go up to 500 MHz with overclocking


Performance benchmark: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFq5rc-vCgs (Note that the TI-Nspire CX II-T is the European version)

Sources: https://education.ti.com/en/bulletinboard/nspire, https://education.ti.com/en/products/calculators/graphing-calculators/ti-nspire-cx-ii-cx-ii-cas

No comment.

This fractal zoomer for the TI-Nspire CX outshines any other fractal zoomer. It utilizes the 320x240 color LCD screen to provide a meticulous level of detail. This fractal zoomer supports the Mandelbrot set, the Julia set, and even your own custom fractal function! The rendering is relatively fast, at least for a calculator, and the program supports eight colorings and various other settings to provide a unique experience unrivaled by practically any other fractal zoomer. Perhaps the only downside may be the unresponsive cursor of the TI-Nspire, but that’s the hardware’s fault. Fortunately, no Ndless is required!



Design: 9/10
Nice graphics!

Functionality: 10/10
Tons of configuration settings to mess around with!

Practicality: 9/10
A great source of entertainment during math class

Performance: 8/10
Even though the rendering is quite fast, it can’t compete with a computer

Overall: 9/10
Probably the best fractal zoomer on any calculator!


Controls

Click - zoom in or zoom out
[+] / [-] - set the zoom mode
[del] - reset view
[enter] - re-render the fractal
[esc] - stop rendering
[menu] - access settings
[1], [2], … [9] - change the color mode


Source: https://www.ticalc.org/archives/files/fileinfo/463/46381.html

This blog has been long overdue for another post, and you're all probably wondering, what's next for this blog?

- More reviews of games and applications: I have a backlog of unfinished reviews that I'll post over the next few days.
- A review of the newly announced TI-Nspire CX II
- An analysis of why exactly graphing calculators are so expensive
- Other topics?

Please comment if you have any other suggestions!

Recently, chess has seen a resurgence in my school. But what if you want to play chess during math class? Well, ChessCE for your TI-84 Plus CE is the answer. In addition to playing against your friends, you can also play against ChessCE's own built-in AI, or even watch the AI play against itself! And of course, games can be saved and loaded. With ChessCE, will you beat your TI-84 at chess? Download ChessCE, and may the best player win!



Design: 10/10
Beautiful graphics!

Functionality: 9/10
The AI provides a challenging opponent to play against

Practicality: 9/10
Intuitive controls

Performance: 9/10
Quite fast for a calculator

Overall: 9/10
A great game for the TI-84 Plus CE!


Installation

(1) Download and install TI Connect CE on your computer if you don’t already have it

(2) Transfer these C libraries to your calculator using TI Connect CE

(3) Transfer the CHESSCE file in the zip folder to your calculator

(4) Now, select CHESSCE from the program menu and hit [enter]. If that doesn't work, you may need to first select the Asm( token in the catalog ([2nd] - [0]), then select CHESSCE. You should see a level pack select screen. Enjoy!

Asm(prgmCHESSCE

Controls

[2nd/enter] - Select
[alpha] - Deselect
[clear] - Back
[del] - Exit


Source: https://www.ticalc.org/archives/files/fileinfo/468/46800.html

Based on the competitive browser soccer game, Slime Volleyball is a simple game for your TI-Nspire! With the power of playing volleyball, guide your slime to beat the opposing slime five times, and win the match! On the way, you’ll find different colored slimes, more different colored slimes, and even more different colored slimes! Though the design and idea is quite simple, this is a straightforward, and relatively fun game to add to your Nspire.



Design: 7/10
Simple, a bit boring.

Functionality: 8/10
Plain old volleyball.
Though, you can change color by pressing [TAB](Player 1) or [DEL](Player 2).

Practicality: 6/10
One player controls are easy to use, two player controls are really hard to use.
Keep in mind that you cannot hold a button to continuously move, you have to spam it.

Performance: 8/10
Between borderline and acceptable. (27-33 FPS)

Overall: 7/10
Your average Lua game. Not as good as Super Slime Soccer but decent enough if you’re bored in math.


Installation

(1) Download and install TI Connect CE on your computer if you don’t already have it.

(2) Download slime.zip

(2) Unzip the folder and transfer the Slime Volleyball v.1.0.tns file to your calculator using TI Connect CE.

(3) Now, select "Slime Volleyball" from your documents

(4) Press 1 or 2 to play one player or two player respectively. Or, press 3 to view controls.

(5) Play!




Controls
General:
Reset: [ENTER]
Pause/Quit: [ESC]
Player 1:
Left: Left Arrow [<] or 4
Right: Right Arrow [>] or 6
Jump/Up: Up Arrow [^] or 8
Change Color: [TAB]
Player 2:
Left: +
Right: -
Jump: / (Division Symbol)


Source: https://www.ticalc.org/archives/files/fileinfo/459/45942.html