Calcutta, Oct. 27: Former journalist and novelist C.Y. Gopinath today launched a calculator app known as Calcuta which would make it easier for the "smartphone" generation to use the old-fashioned calculator.

"I made a list of everyday difficulties I face with my calculator and have decided to re-invent the app from the ground-up," said Gopinath.

Calcuta has a radial keypad, which replaces the manual keypad. It has an editable history page, which can be accessed by swiping the screen to the left. The whole calculation can be shared via email as a formatted table through spreadsheet or word processor.

"In a calculator, one can lose the entire calculation if he is interrupted while typing. However, in this app the calculation is saved instantly," he said.

The calculator interface has remained unchanged since 1960 and the 63-year-old wanted to give it a twist. "It took about five months to develop the app," he said.