Epocdigest V1 # 286

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Epoc Digest Sun, 22 Jun 2003 Volume 01 : Number 286

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Sent to: 790 subscribers

In today's Epoc Digest 18 messages:

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- Epoc News

- RE Email Crashing

- Psion in ZA

- RE: Einstein Theory

- Re: Re: eMail crashes

- Re : convert to PowerPoint?

- Re: GPS in US

- netbook deals

- Re: GPS in US

- Email msgserve 23 error

- Email corrupted

- Korbinian's Contacts

- Re: IR on the EPOC Emulator?

- differences between builds (273 and 319)# 284 (2)

- Solution to Route/Street changeover crashes.

- Re: GSM + ISP in Spain

- Presentation Manager

- GPS In US, 1st netBook PRO, eMail crashes,

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Date: 22 June 2003 10:35:35 +0100

From: Michael Degn

Subject: Epoc News

Message to: David Powell

Since Digest #283 your email address returns "access denied" and we had no other option but to unsubscribe you for 1 week. We hope you will read this from another source and get your address fixed.

Best regards,

Michael Degn

The Epoc Digest Team

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Date: 20 Jun 2003 18:50:55 +0100

From: John Wetton

Subject: RE Email Crashing

Hi Everyone,

Thanks to Owen for passing on details of the problems I was having with email.

I tried a soft reset with no joy. Then, a day ago, finally got around to getting email set up on my new laptop and managed to clear out the vast majority of the 140 or so messages that were waiting. Then I copied all of my C drive onto CF before doing a hard reset.

Once I had retransferred the C drive contents back to their original places, I tried again and lo and behold it was all back to normal.

I had backed up both drives the day before, but reckoned moving things to the D drive would be quicker.

Now that everything is working again, I can start catching up on the back log of emails, though I must admit now that I have rediscovered my key for The Bat, I am tending to use the laptop a bit more.

All the best,

John Wetton

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Date: 20 Jun 2003 21:40:06 +0100

From: Timothy H.D. Williams

Subject: Psion in ZA

On Friday, June 20, 2003, at 04:04 PM, Jorge Ramos wrote:

> I recently purchased a 5mx Pro with English OS in South Africa, and

> more are periodically available from the local distribuR5250 (=

> Euro 525).

Jorge, does your Psion dealer have a website?

Best

---

There are two versions of every story, twelve versions of every song

and twenty two exceptions to every grammar rule.

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Date: 20 Jun 2003 22:36:11 +0100

From: Michael Degn

Subject: RE: Einstein Theory

Answer to Antony

> I assume you are referring to the Physicist Albert Einstein? If so, which of his many theories are you referring to? E=mc2 perhaps? Is it simple? It states that energy = mass * square of the speed of light. If it is simple, would you please explain why the speed of light is related to the energy within a mass? If you know the answer to this, what causes gravity; an even simpler question? <

Dear Antony,

Come on, Owen was just playing with the words and you know that.

I guess when people are talking about Einstein or the Relativity theory in general they mean the Special Relativity theory.

It is not easy or simple to answer your question, but here goes in a short version.

Nothing can travel faster than light speed, regardless if it has a mass or not. Any object with a mass that is moving near light speed would experience an increase in its mass. That mass would approach infinity as it reached light speed and would, therefore, require an infinite amount of energy to accelerate it to light speed.

Gravity is caused in two ways.

1) when an object has a high concentration of mass, ranging from an asteroid to a planet, a star and a black hole as the ultimate gravity force. It is not the size of the object that matters, but the mass.

2) when an object accelerates the gravity increases proportional with the speed.

BTW, in general people calculate the light speed to 300.000 km/s, but the correct speed is 299.792,458 km/s.

Best regards,

Michael Degn

Esbjerg, Denmark

www.degn.esenet.dk

www.pdanmark.dk

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

Date: 21 Jun 2003 02:22:35 +0100

From: Jack

Subject: Re: Re: eMail crashes

To Korbinian Subject: Re: eMail crashes

>>>... nobody has ever found a way to rebuild it [Mail/Index]

......... everbody knew that already or is it really a totally new trick??<<<<

I read about this "trick" on english fori (might be psionplace) two or three years ago... and even using an Agenda! file should do.

Rebuilding their Index file could be useful for people syncing with EpocSync their Mail folder without having it first renamed on the machine that was being updated.

While rebuilding itself, Index use the existing Mail/ directory

structure... and its alterations if any; so if crashes continue after a hardware reset I suggest to delete the entire Mail not only its Index.

Jack

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

Date: 21 Jun 2003 02:43:32 +0100

From: Jack

Subject: Re : convert to PowerPoint?

To Russell Hutson Subject: Presentation Maker - convert to PowerPoint?

>>>>...The PM Help mentions a convertor. Anyone know about this. If I install PsiWin, can I convert the file bypassing the serial link transmission?<<<

RE Quote from PM Help :

""Transferring to a PC

You can transfer a presentation you've made on your Series 5 to a PC to use with Microsoft PowerPoint. To do this:

1. Ensure that Microsoft Powerpoint and the file converters supplied with Presentation Maker are installed on the PC.

2. Select More|Export from the File menu.

3. Select the folder you want to export the file to, and type the name you want to use.

4. Transfer the file to the PC using PsiWin. Remember to use 'Copy here and Convert' (see PsiWin's on-line help for details).

Tip: Pictures, graphs and other graphical objects will be converted to images in the PC file""

HTH

Jack

Finish, good lady; the bright day is done, And we are for the dark. W. Shakespeare. (Ant. & Cleop.V,ii,192).

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Date: 21 Jun 2003 05:06:32 +0100

From: Andrew Gregory

Subject: Re: GPS in US

> Date: 19 Jun 2003 17:08:30 +0100

> From: Woody B

> Subject: GPS In US

> Need GPS suggestions.

> I'm in the US and at least once a year take an extensive coast to coast > road trip. Currently have 5MX and MBook. Have a 6V autoplug for the 5MX, > would need to get one for the MBook if I used that and some sort of cable > to connect a GPS and Psion, correct?. I've tried to follow the recent GPS > discussion but wanted to know if anyone in the US has had success with a > GPS and a Psion for long trips. I fear to get decent US/Canada maps I

> will need to use Windows programs, and then I'm looking at purchasing a > MS laptop, inverter. Blah!

> To avoid buying a laptop I have considered the Garmin Street Pilot

> Deluxe, but appears I might still need a laptop to load various maps when > I move to different areas of the country. Or would have to buy a bunch of > memory cards and load the area maps before I left. ??

> I'm looking for experiences, advice, suggestions.

> WoodyB

I'm sure you're going to get a lot of feedback! Here's my $0.02.

You *will* need a special power supply for your MBook which requires 15VDC or 3V more than a car can provide. I found a Radio Shack product #273-1827 that looks like it might do the job. You'd need to make sure the plugs fit. If you're handy with a soldering iron, there's a kit available from Australia that would do the job for AUD$50. You'd still need to find the right plug for the MBook. Email me if you want more details on the kit.

To connect your Psion to a GPS you'll need a special lead. Ready-to-go leads are available. Normally I would recommend you look at

<URL:http://www.serialleads.co.uk> or

<URL:http://www.psionleads.freeserve.co.uk/> but they weren't working for me when I just checked. Again, if you can use a soldering iron there are several options. You can get yourself a regular Psion serial cable, cut the DB9 off and solder on a GPS connector from <URL:http://pfranc.com/>. Or instead of cutting the end off, you also get a regular GPS lead from the

GPS manufacturer and build yourself a 'null-modem' adapter to connect the two cables together. See my webpage

<URL:http://www.scsoftware.com.au/family/andrew/epoc/myprogs/qvremote.shtml#cable>

for the wiring of such an adapter.

The usual recommendation for mapping software is RealMaps

<URL:http://www.realmaps.co.uk/>. You need to supply your own map images. I

don't know what's available for the US. I've heard that Tiger maps

<URL:http://tiger.census.gov/> are free.

Digitised maps tend to be big. Obviously, smaller scale maps are more

detailed but cover a smaller area - you'd need more of them. You'll need to balance detail and storage space. Then again, you could always get a 1GB

microdrive for your MBook :-)

HTH,

Andrew Gregory,

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

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

Date: 21 Jun 2003 07:22:31 +0100

From: ian chapple

Subject: netbook deals

Tim wrote:

>> Apart from the Malaysian Sitashop,

> http://www.sitashop.com/shopping/hardware.asp

who else is selling Netbooks at a reasonable price?

I like the Psion too much to want to move on to anything else, so am looking for good deals before ER5 machines disappear for ever. <<

Tim,

I bought my netbook from David Lowe; I think it a Mbook which has had a "normal" netbook personality module fitted. It was a very reasonable price, £330 + £110 for the 32MB DIMM + p and p. I think he is still advertising on eBay.co.uk, and I saw an advert by him on the PDAGeek message board.

Hope this is of interest, Ian.

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

Date: 21 Jun 2003 07:43:56 +0100

From: Victor Marchand

Subject: Re: GPS in US

I´ve used my GPS with Series7 in the US last spring. I have all the

US/Canada maps and a Tomtom GPS receiver. Worked great ! Too bad there´s no

Streetplanner version for the US.

Victor

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

Date: 21 Jun 2003 07:49:01 +0100

From: Victor Marchand

Subject: Email msgserve 23 error

I have this happening too. I use the IMAP extension with PSio<s email. I get

this error as soon as I try to receive an email with ´too many´ addressees.

Somehow email runs out of memory while trying to retrieve such a message.

I´m not sure yet how many recipients are needed to cause this error. The

only solution I have is to get online with another email client (a PC) and

remove the one email from the server....

Victor

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

Date: 21 Jun 2003 09:15:55 +0100

From: Christopher Marwood

Subject: Email corrupted

For Vlad, re. corrupt Email

Owen's suggestion to rebuild the Index file sounds like good sense - I wish I'd thought of that when the same thing happened to me a while back. If it doesn't work, however, and if you have information in stored email messages you need to retrieve, the program MailArc will extract it all, and then if necessary you can delete the entire Mail folder (losing all stored messages, obviously) and start again.

Best wishes, Chris

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Date: 21 Jun 2003 10:18:13 +0100

From: Philip S. Adkins Potter

Subject: Korbinian's Contacts

Hi All,

I don't know what Korbinian wants to do with Contacts but I assume it's to do with "compartmentalising" contacts ("Contact Loader" may be what was meant). Some such utilities work by using extra Contacts files and renaming them as necessary.

But I use iContacts which uses it's own file to *enhance* the ER5 Contacts file and has immense flexibility. There can be as many categories as you are likely to want, and there are many. perhaps too many, other options including photos! It completely replaces the built-in Contacts application. One advantage is that the Contacts.cdb file still has the same structure and so if you don't like the program you will only lose it's enhancements, not any added contacts.

Of course there are integrated suites which include a contacts function and I don't know anything more about them or any other Contacts applications. Most such programs seem to be shareware though I seem to remember that one of the "swapping" utilities is free.

I found iContacts early in my search and bought it as soon ass I realised it would suit me both then and in the future. So far I've been right. I've not heard of any better Contacts program for ER5 by my standards. iContacts was shareware from Xetta (really nice people - no connection) but when I tried to find them on the 'Net they seemed to have vanished.

Take care,

Phil.

"Fanaticism consists in redoubling your efforts

when you have forgotten your aim."

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

Date: 21 Jun 2003 10:47:15 +0100

From: Chris S Handley

Subject: Re: IR on the EPOC Emulator?

Help!

It does indeed seem that the emulator can use InfraRed (if it is available as COM1 on Windows), but I have not been able to get my Netbook to actually talk to the emulator.

If I run Comms on the "Infrared" port of both Netbook & Emulator, the Netbook sees some garbage with "$Symbian EPOC" in it whenever I try to send something from the Emulator. So I know it is sending *something* but apparently not in the right format for my Netbook to understand :(((((

Maybe there is some option I need to tweak, but for the life of me I do not know what.

This is really frustrating, as my touch-screen laptop could make a really nice Netbook alternative, and is MUCH better than the aweful Windows XP.

Chris wrote on 7 Jun 2003 12:03:00 +0000...

> I have even installed

> IrCOMM2k-2.0.0-alpha7 on Windows XP (Tablet PC Edition:).

> I have the intention of swapping my Microdrive between my laptop & my > Netbook as I need to. This leaves the problem of accessing files on > my Netbook's C drive, and the obvious answer seems to be using

> EpocSync over InfraRed. But if InfraRed does not work, then I am

> severly stuck :-(

---

Chris Handley

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

Date: 21 Jun 2003 10:57:39 +0100

From: vlad a

Subject: differences between builds (273 and 319)# 284 (2)

> Epoc Digest wrote:

> I have to versions at home (273 and 319). I don't know the exact differences. > The thing I mentioned is that in the older version the eMail- and Web-App was > both english including their help-files.

I am not sure I remember correctly, but the update concerned some Java implementation or update, communication with phones and attended to a crash

in Web. Psion recommended it.

best,

vlad a

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

Date: 21 Jun 2003 13:52:02 +0100

From: Greg Monney

Subject: Solution to Route/Street changeover crashes.

Re: RoutePlanner - Street Switching

I too had noticed that switching between Route and Street could cause crashes if the GPS was not disabled first.

An earlier contributor to the digest said he uses two macros to use with Macro5; one to swap from Route to Street and the other for Street to Route, switching off the GPS before each swap is done and on again afterwards.

I tried this, but couldn't get on with having two macros - and choosing the right one for each swap - so I have written the following macro to toggle between them. Hope it might be of use to others!

You do have to have the GPS on in the active program before running the macro - which is the normal state of affairs. I've tried to detect whether the GPS is on or off before doing the switch, but can not find a command for GPS ON or GPS OFF - only GPS toggle. If anyone knows how to do this, I'd like to hear from you!

With best wishes

Greg Monney

REM Macro c:\Macros\RouteStreet.opl

REM Recorded June 2003

REM By Greg Monney.

REM Crashless switching between Route and Street

REM This macro first turns off the GPS,

REM swaps program from Route to Street or vice versa

REM and turns the GPS on in the new program

REM To be used with Macro5

REM Set User Hotkey Fn S in macro5 to Swap easily between programs

REM (Should not, of course, be used when driving)

PROC SwapMacro:

IF TaskApp$:="Route" REM If current is Route

SendKey:("g") REM GPS off

IF FgApp%:("c:\Documents\Street") REM Load Street

Pause 90

Endif

SendKey:("g") REM GPS on

ELSE

IF TaskApp$:="Street" REM If current is Street

SendKey:("g") REM GPS off

IF FgApp%:("c:\Documents\Route") REM Load Route

Pause 90

Endif

SendKey:("g") REM GPS on Endif

ENDP

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

Date: 21 Jun 2003 22:52:45 +0100

From: Owen H. Morgan

Subject: Re: GSM + ISP in Spain

Howdy!

Mark James Dougan wrote (> ):

> As a Psion-using resident in Spain I'd recommend

> that you go for a Movistar pay-as-you-go SIM.

> Their PAYG cards are called 'Activa'. They have

> one big advantage for internet users, which is the

> provision of a direct internet dial-up number.

Thanks for this very useful information. Can I assume it works with the same settings in the Canaries? Does anyone have any information on GSM providers and ISP's in Portugal?

Owen

Thought for the day:

Schizophrenia beats being alone.

Owen H. Morgan, Yacht "Naomi J.", LD-953°27.22'N 6°09.05'W

Malahide, Ireland

http://home.no.net/naomij

Phone and SMS:

In Ireland: +353 (0)87 7474173

In Norway: +47 92053097

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

Date: 22 Jun 2003 00:44:58 +0100

From: Kate Head

Subject: Presentation Manager

>>Date: 20 Jun 2003 15:34:01 +0100

>>From: Russell Hutson

>>Subject: Presentation Maker - convert to PowerPoint?

Hi there Russell,

As the Help in Presentation Manager says

"Transferring to a PC

You can transfer a presentation you've made on your Psion to a PC to use with Microsoft PowerPoint. To do this:

1. Ensure that Microsoft Powerpoint

**and the file converters supplied with Presentation Maker**

are installed on the PC.

2. Select More|Export from the File menu.

3. Select the folder you want to export the file to, and type the name you want to use.

4. Transfer the file to the PC using PsiWin.

**Remember to use 'Copy here and Convert'**"

You should be able to copy the file(s) to the PC via your CF card, but you'll need to have the original disk that came with PM with the converters on to install on your PC and you'll probably need PsiWin to convert the files into Powerpoint format. It might be worth seeing if Powerpoint recognises the PM file format, but I suspect the PsiWin "Copy here and Convert" is the key.

Good luck.

All the best,

Kate!!

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

Date: 22 Jun 2003 01:42:47 +0100

From: Itamar Engelsman

Subject: GPS In US, 1st netBook PRO, eMail crashes,

Answer to: Woody B

Re.: GPS In US - Yes, you would need a cable between your nB or 5Mx and a GPS. I use a Garmin eTrex which works very well with the Psion. Have a look at www.tomtom.com, go to the EPOC page and look for Route Planner USA. It might well be what you need, although you would still need a PC to install the program and maps to your Psion, but once installed that's it. Yes, I used the same program with maps of Europe extensively for my business traveling from the UK to Germany via Belgium, to The Netherlands and France. It works very well and in Europe I also use it with Streetplanner for in strange towns. I can wholeheartedly advice you to use this system.

Answer to: Gianluca Gallino

RE. 1st netBook PRO - Thanks for that address. Unfortunately I don't think that even 10,000 signatures would change their decision to abandon the EPOC software. I suppose that they don't have the softare people to rewrite the EPOC OS to the new machine and I suppose further they believe that Windows CE will give them additional sales. A pitty. [Yes, I did sign the petition]. By the way, is the netPad underneath it also running WindowsCE ?

Answer to: Korbinian

Re. eMail crashes - No, I have no further info for you as requested. However, just wanted to say it might be worthwhile to use SaveMail to keep your emails and leave the email folder(s) as empty as possible. I never have more than in total 20 to 30 emails in my various folders and never encountered any problems with crashing the program.