Epocdigest V1 # 260

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Epoc Digest Sat, 24 May 2003 Volume 01 : Number 260

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Sent to: 777 subscribers

In today's Epoc Digest 13 messages:

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- http://www.psion.hu

- Re: Malaybook OPL Toolbar Battery Indicator Fix

- Bunch of Fives

- Re: GPRS and Psion wap browser

- CF cards

- OT:What camera?

- JavaPsionLink for MacOsX

- mail2web.com, Palmtop Money,

- Re: Emulation

- Re: TubeRoute

- Epoc SDK

- Space invaders (a mis-spent youth)

- Re: Withdrawal Symptoms/Emulator

*++++++++++&

Date: 23 May 2003 09:43:01 +0100

From: Philip S. Adkins Potter

Subject: http://www.psion.hu

Hi,

Thomas F. Van Der Zijden makes a cogent point (not exclusive of mine). I don't read Hungarian so the website *may* be illicit - but I rather doubt it. I think that if it were Psion would easily have found it before now (look at the URL) and, failing to stop it, shouted loudly that it was illicit. Ditto Zenobyte.

Which doesn't mean no-one should check - but equally no-one should assume it is illicit unless it's proven to be illicit. And if it is illicit then FileSaveAs should be told too. Actually I suspect FileSaveAs have checked for themselves.

But I really have trouble believing Psion when they say they pay enough to be worried about for something they supply free! And sued too? I still think the issue is one of (legitimate) control, not of Psion being sued for other's wrongdoings.

Take care,

Phil.

"I cannot agree that mountain climbing is merely one

manifestation of man's spiritual aspirations. I think

instead it is a hysterical paroxysm of his infantile vanity."

*++++++++++&

Date: 23 May 2003 10:08:56 +0100

From: Andrew Gregory

Subject: Re: Malaybook OPL Toolbar Battery Indicator Fix

Thanks to those people who confirmed for me that the Series 7 does *not* have the Toolbar battery indicator problem.

I'm now considering developing a 'cross-platform' OPL toolbar replacement - a single file that works on all machines. To that end, I'd like a

collection of different Toolbar source code files from the various models of EPOC machines out there. The source file is "Z:\System\Opl\Toolbar".

I'll also need to know the type of the machine. To get the machine type press Shift+Ctrl+Q on the System/Desktop screen.

I already have:

1. "netBook" (MalayBook)

2. "Ericsson MC 218"

So I still need Toolbar source/machine types for: Series 5, 5mx, Revo, Revo+, Series 7, Mako.

Thanks to anyone who can assist.

Andrew Gregory,

<URL:http://www.scsoftware.com.au/family/andrew/>

*++++++++++&

Date: 23 May 2003 11:11:55 +0100

From: Keith Clarke

Subject: Bunch of Fives

Following the trauma of being without my 5mx for a couple of days, I am wondering whether to get the old Series 5 fixed as a fall-back. Is there anything to stop me putting a 5mx back-up on to the Series 5, providing I don’t bust the 8Mb?

Keith Clarke

*++++++++++&

Date: 23 May 2003 11:46:24 +0100

From: Kevin Collins

Subject: Re: GPRS and Psion wap browser

Hi folks...

Mark Deppe wrote (>):

>compared the GSM with the GPRS and they are almost >identical except for one option which is in GPRS settings >which does not exist in GSM which reads:

<<<GPRS >access point wap.vodafone.co.uk>>>.

Mark, I wonder if it might be worth a try just to enter the word "internet" instead of "wap.vodafone.co.uk", and see if that makes any difference?

Regards,

Kevin [Cork, Ireland]

*++++++++++&

Date: 23 May 2003 11:56:45 +0100

From: Chris S Handley

Subject: CF cards

Itamar,

> Last month I bought 2x 1Gb CF-cards for Gbp 399.

May I ask where you bought a 1Gb CF card for Gbp 200? That's as cheap as a Microdrive, and the only justification for getting a Microdrive was that is was much cheaper.

---

Chris Handley

*++++++++++&

Date: 23 May 2003 12:08:38 +0100

From: Timothy H.D. Williams

Subject: OT:What camera?

A good site for camera bargains is http://www.morgancomputers.co.uk/

If you're in London, it's at the bottom of Tottenham Ct Road.

If you want a thing well done, get a couple of old broads to do it.

–Bette Davis

*++++++++++&

Date: 23 May 2003 12:47:08 +0100

From: Timothy H.D. Williams

Subject: JavaPsionLink for MacOsX

I have installed JavaPsionLink.jar and got it to work.

It is pretty and it is free - but it is very unstable on my eMac and it

disappears as soon as I try to send a file from one machine to the

other.

Trafic costs €20 euros but it is very stable now.

ps: how do Mac users convert spreadsheet files into Excel format? Other

than buying nConvert.

---

Too bad that all the people who know how to run the country are busy

driving taxicabs and cutting hair.

GEORGE BURNS, quoted in Life

*++++++++++&

Date: 23 May 2003 14:40:15 +0100

From: Itamar Engelsman

Subject: mail2web.com, Palmtop Money,

Answer to: Mark Bridge

Re.: mail2web.com - Thanks for this info, a great service. However, when I tried it and entered my mailbox and password (I tried both Freeserve and Compuserve) I get a whole lot of html language but no list of emails. Any idea what is wrong ? Do I need to change a setting somewhere ?

Answer to: Kevin Collins

Re. Palmtop Money - Ah, what you are really saying that it is not just a bank account program but an almost full fledged bookkeeping program. Hmmmm, might have another look at it just for that reason for my photography business. Is it sitll for sale at Palmtop (or TomTom as they are called now) ?

To All:

My presence at a possible London meeting this week-end has been pre-advised, but I would only be able to attend if it would be during the course of the afternoon. Otherwise I wish the meeting well.

Best regards,

Itamar Engelsman

London, UK

*++++++++++&

Date: 23 May 2003 15:35:15 +0100

From: Keith Giles

Subject: Re: Emulation

Keith Clarke wrote:

> But I'm interested in Keith Giles' advice: "If you have a PC you > could access them with the Emulator". Could you tell me more?

I certainly don't claim to be any sort of expert, but you could take a look at the Psion Emulator page on my web site for starters. With all the moving around and deletion of downloadable zips of the emulator, parts of my downloadable "notes" are out of date. If you can get hold of the elusive rascal, maybe info from my site will help you set it up on your PC. I'm sure there are others who have more elegant solutions, but I've simply told, step-by-step, what I, a plodder, did.

If you can't find the emulator to download, perhaps you'd like to try the file splitter thing I wrote about in Digest #258.

Happy Cycling,

Keith

Sunnyvale, CA

http://home.attbi.com/~ohsix827/

Thought For The Day: For every action, there's an equal and opposite government program.

All my outgoing e-mails have been checked by Norton Anti-virus.

*++++++++++&

Date: 23 May 2003 16:21:24 +0100

From: Rolf Brunsting

Subject: Re: TubeRoute

Dear Chris,

<< I am TubeRoute's author, and I subscribed to EPOC Digest 3 days ago, so that I am not aware of any previous conversations regarding my program. Emailing me first might have been a good idea ;-) >>

I wasn't aware of the existence of TubeRoute till it was mentioned on the digest. I downloaded the application, installed it on my Series 7 and asked it to plan a route I'm very familiar with to see what TubeRoute would propose. What I found was reported to the digest simply to give my first impression of the application and to see whether other digest subscribers had come across the same thing. After all, what I got could be due to inexperience with the application. I'd rather not contact the author of an application till I'm quite sure not to have made a mistake or to have overlooked something.

<< This is not totally surprising, if you read the "Bugs & the future" section of the Help file (see below)! >>

Take it from an old hand in technical support that the Help file and other documentation isn't read until it's really, really needed. Besides, what you mention in the "Bugs & the future" section didn't ring a bell. I'm familiar with the railway terms Main Line and Branch Line, not with "lines that are not straight, but split-up/join". This could refer to the map display, refer to the internals of the algorithm or to something else completely.

<< To be perfectly honest, I hadn't even consider this was a problem! >>

It's understandable that you're thinking more of the application, specially the route planning algorithm, when you receive a comment like mine. What you should keep in mind though is that a user looks at TubeRoute in a different fashion than you do. TubeRoute is the ideal tool for people who visit London for the very first time. People who aren't familiar with London's underground system and like to use TubeRoute as their travel guide. Specially those who have never travelled on an underground system before. These people are on unfamiliar territory and will treat the directions TubeRoute comes up with as gospel.

What you describe as a minor issue is a major one for them. They're the people who will step out at Turnham Green (struggling with their luggage) looking for the other Piccadilly Line train that will bring them to Green Park. Because that's what TubeRoute says they have to do when travelling from Heathrow to Finchley Road. What's more, they'll panic when the train doesn't stop at Turnham Green because the train only stops there early mornings and late evenings Mondays to Saturdays.

I'm very familiar with the London Underground network because there was a time when I visited London once or twice a month on business. I'm thus not going to make the mistake of changing trains at Turnham Green. Still, saying there's no route with one line change while there is such a route is, in my judgement, a major issue for an (underground) railway route planner. And when I plan a route from Heathrow to Earls Court, and find that I have to change at Turnham Green to make the switch to the District Line, I think I'm justified in saying that the route planning algorithm needs an overhaul.

<< I find this a bit puzzling, since for *me* TubeRoute gives the latter route for all *4* route options >>

The error is repeatable.

<< 1. Your database is different to mine (did you edit it?) >>

No, I haven't.

Note that I'm a *user* who expects you to have translated the London Underground network into a format that's easy for TubeRoute to work with. Whether that's in the form of a database, multiple databases, ASCII text file(s) or whatever.

<< 2. You are using a different map to me (I use the default one) >>

I don't use a map at all.

<< I guess the reason is number 2, in which case I can explain why: Probably this is due to a known bug, where lines that curve (and Piccadilly does so between South Kensington & Kings Cross) are favoured more than they should (please see the "Bugs & the future" section of the Help file) >>

I think you need to have a good look at the algorithm you're using because you're dealing with a lattice and want to know how to get from one node on the lattice to another. It doesn't matter whether the connections between nodes are straight lines or curved lines. Nor does the spatial information of the nodes matter as you can freely move the nodes around. You'll get a completely different visual map but the Piccadilly and other lines will still follow the same path along the same nodes.

What counts is that you come up with the route of least complexity. For metro systems the primary indicator of a route's complexity is the number of line changes and the secondary indicator the number of stops. Spatial information and how nodes are linked is only important when you want to indicate the route you've found on the map of the underground system.

<< Fairly heavy testing on my part during development means I am confident that TubeRoute's route-finding algorithm is correct within it's design limitations (which are mostly rather small) >>

I've had a look at the "Creating a new database" and "Improving a new database" sections of the help file and think I've found the error. In the "Improving..." section you mention:

[Quote]

What is *very* important is that you choose one particular station to be the junction (the place where you change to get on another segment), and that this station has all the segments listed.

[Unquote]

That you have to change segment during the route planning process is clear. But it doesn't follow that you have to change trains at the segment junction. The algorithm apparently thinks you have to change trains, which explains the 'Turnham Green Problem'. Besides, I don't understand why TubeRoute picks Turnham Green as a quick look at the London Underground map shows that Acton Town is the actual junction station. Nor do I understand why the District line is chosen as the second section on the Heathrow to Earls Court route.

<< And I have had no reports by other people of any problems. Infact, I have had few reports at all - make of that what you may >>

What I make of it is twofold:

1) I've only planned two routes (Heathrow to Finchley Road and Heathrow to Earls Court) and have found three major errors. This makes me conclude that your "Fairly heavy testing" did contain procedural blindspots. Sorry, but I can't make anything else out of it.

2) I'm making the case for having the algorithm changed so that it doesn't make the errors I'm reporting.

That I appear to be more critical is because I've done alpha, beta and final acceptance testing as part of my job. When TubeRoute would be company software I would have flagged the errors I've found as Category 1 (Must be fixed before customer release) because they're at the core of the application.

<< BTW, development of TubeRoute has currently stalled while I am writing my GPS MovingMap program >>

I think you should temporarily stop developing your moving map application because the errors I've found can't be considered as minor errors. Also because there's no equivalent to TubeRoute available - you're currently a monopoly supplier. This means that you're expected to meet higher than average standards of product support.

Kind Regards,

Rolf Brunsting - On a long weekend break in London

*++++++++++&

Date: 23 May 2003 20:13:14 +0100

From: Christian Roth

Subject: Epoc SDK

Dear Psioneers,

Thank you for your good information regarding EPOC emulators, thanks, Keith,

for your offer to send it via email, but in the meantime a list member

helped me out off list.

Really, this community is something special. I'd like to invite you all to

my place for a nice Psion convent ;-).

To: j. Hamwee

Searching Google was of course the first place I looked for the emulator,

but as I stated in my original post, none of the results linked to a

downloadable file itself but references to the download site (formerly

Symbian, now Psion Teklogix - netpad SDK).

Greetings,

Chris.

*++++++++++&

Date: 23 May 2003 22:30:10 +0100

From: Kevin Thorne

Subject: Space invaders (a mis-spent youth)

Reply to Martin Guthrie:

<Hmmm... Maybe it's time to resurect this one...>

Yes pleeeese! Martin, I've visited your site and the page relating to your Space Invaders game using Web on my S7. This is probably gonna make me sound VERY stupid but I can see the part that says "download" but not the actual link, so I can't see where the actual link is to click and download the SIS file. Do I need new glasses or has the link really disappeared or does Web not show it for some reason? I can't wait to relive my mis-spent youth ;-)

Regards

Kevin Thorne

*++++++++++&

Date: 23 May 2003 23:10:06 +0100

From: Alan Morris

Subject: Re: Withdrawal Symptoms/Emulator

Keith Giles wrote:-

<< why can't I have the original zip file available for anyone on my web site? >>

A solution would be to have an extra folder on your web site with an odd name like "ahuty5nt8f". Place the file there and only give the full URL to those that ask. ie: