Epocdigest V1 # 519

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Epoc Digest Fri, 07 May 2004 Volume 01 : Number 519

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Sent to: 771 subscribers

In today's Epoc Digest 24 messages:

==============================

- Zip file ready

- WiFi Broadband

- Play time

- calling T-online Germany from abroad

- RE: Mobile access in Texas - the solution

- 517 screen calibration

- wLAN Cards

- Safer backup # 518

- Re: Epoc Digest V1 # 518

- Re: Safer backup method

- Alarm+

- Fwd: Re: Epoc Digest V1 # 518

- Freezing 5MX

- Program quality|Cellphone curiosity|Mobiles in Texas|Cisco AironetWireless

- Apple

- Re: Kate Head's mBook calibration

- Re: Thomas F. VAN DER ZIJDEN

- Macro Question, Registration of programs, Cisco card, Phone curiosity,

- Mobile access in Texas

- Mac / Mac again / Killtasks / Half a sixpence is better than ... /CFs

- RE: Epoc Digest V1 # 518

- Problems with Presentation Maker

- again: print on BJC 2100?

- Problems with Presentation Maker

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

Date: 6 May 2004 21:44:23 -0500

From: Kevin Thorne

Subject: Zip file ready

Reply to Phil Aypee:

Subject: FAO Kevin Thorne!

<Hi Kevin,

I have had your zip file ready for some time. Where should I send it?>

Thanks Phil - looks as though our postings arrived simultaenously on the last Digest! As you now know, the freezing got so bad I couldn't stay on-line anywhere near long enough to pick up your file; meanwhile, I found out someone I knew already had it so I'm sorted now. Thanks very much for offering to send it to another PC. I no longer have any trouble :-)

Kind regards

Kevin Thorne

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Date: 6 May 2004 21:53:42 -0500

From: Andy Hayes

Subject: WiFi Broadband

Thanks to those that answered my question regarding a WiFi solution for the forthcoming broadband. I would really like a one box solution if at all possible. I understand that there is no ethernet on the BT ADSL modems, thus limiting you to one PC on the broadband connection. No good to me as I dont want to leave a PC on all of the time.

Thanks also for the advice on trying to connect to Freeserve. Unforunately I do not even have admin rights at the desktop at work. Now, where is that copy of L0pht?!

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

Date: 6 May 2004 21:53:44 -0500

From: Andy Hayes

Subject: Play time

I finally bit the bullet and bought a laptop. Trying to use the net on a netbook has got worse over the months, slower, with more complex sites, slower and more difficulty accessing certain secure sites, slowing to a crawl due to worms/viruses etc (Sink2 reporting attempts to connect to port 445 every 7 seconds), crashing Opera when certain animated graphics pop up on sites. The netBook is a fantastic tool, but a serious web machine it was never designed to be.

In the end I decided that I couldn't cope with Windows and its constant security updates and viruses/worms so I bought a Mac Powerbook 12" screen. I liked the idea of the instant on when woken from its sleep mode and the fact that the Office suite is "free". I know very little about Macs, the only one that I have ever owned was a Mac Classic, and that was as a novelty. I rang up a friend and asked if I should get anti-virus and a firewall. He gave a yes to both answers, which was a tad discouraging! He has filled the job in IT support that I used to have and he said that the OS X Macs they have just dont go wrong :-)

My son is selling his Psion 7 and getting a HP iPaq 4150 for the wifi and bluetooth. Its a shame as he didn't exactly use it a lot. I will advertise the 7 here for him as soon as he gives me an up to date description of what he has got to go with it.

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

Date: 7 May 2004 00:42:05 -0500

From: Armin Podtschaske

Subject: calling T-online Germany from abroad

Hi all,

I promised to prove, if dialup internet access with the german provider t-online from abroad works. During my holiday in turkey I used several times successful the Number +49 191011 to connect to the internet to download my mail via Ericcson Ti68 and a 5maPRO. There were times (or areas?) when it did'nt work, but mostley it worked.

In fact, I did't change any of my normal mobile settings at all.

I know it is the expensivest way, but it is a lot more easyer than joining a foreign ISP from abroad for just zwo weeks.

Psee you

Armin, Munich, Germany

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

Date: 7 May 2004 01:57:43 -0500

From: Bob

Subject: RE: Mobile access in Texas - the solution

Hi Thomas,

You are right. I lived in England for many years and my wife is from England and the last couple times we visited everyone had mobile phones. We were just there in November and everyone was either on the phones talking or walking down the street text messaging, or we were out eating and every few minutes our cousin had to stop eating to read text messages or go outside to smoke and text some more. Whewwwwwwwwwwwwww, I never saw so much texting.

I hope things go well for you in Texas.

Thanks,

Bob

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

Date: 7 May 2004 02:45:43 -0500

From: Donald

Subject: 517 screen calibration

I too, have the same diffuculties with this netbook screen drift - and Ithink I'm comming to a conclusion that it has all to do with the change intemperature - I don't believe it really has much to do with the age of thenetbook because in the beginging I had to return a few netbooks because ofscreen drifting - I've even had one sent in for a new screen once and neverhad a problem again until I left it in my car baking away in the sun, onlyto come back now and have to calibrate the screen for the first time in twoyears. I hope this won't be a continous thing, because from my pastexperiences it only gotten worse. - Therefore it might be the HEAT thatloosen the seal of whatever it is that needs to be connected.

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

Date: 7 May 2004 07:54:00 -0500

From: Mike Woodward

Subject: wLAN Cards

Reply to those people trying to get various wLAN cards to work with the

Netbook, suggest that you look at

http://www.isbg00598.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/faqNetworks.htm#LANcompat it has

a list of cards that will or will not work with the Netbook & 7book, it also

includes other PCMCIA cards such as modems.

You may also want to look at www.silvester.org.uk & www.mikemcc.org.uk for

other Psion related FAQs, both sites keep it simple to minimise connection

time for Psion users, using mobile phones.

Mike

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

Date: 7 May 2004 08:44:40 -0500

From: vlad a

Subject: Safer backup # 518

> Moshe Nahir wrote on 7.5.2004 3:54 Uhr:

> complete 'restore'

... is the safest imo, whether from CF or PC. A backup from CF however is much faster. Manual copying is a risky and lentgy procedure.

best,

vlad a

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

Date: 7 May 2004 09:26:54 -0500

From: Richard

Subject: Re: Epoc Digest V1 # 518

Itamar/Vlad:

The touch screen thing with multiple pointers and/or fingers was merely out of interest.

The Psion does seem to take a mid-point average, regardless of how many points of pressure there are on the screen.

Has anyone got the same results as me? I *really* must try and find a place to upload an image of what I get. It is a thousand times clearer than trying to describe it.

(A picture is worth a thousand words, but takes up a thousand times the memory, as well.)

Ricky

I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it.

-- Groucho Marx

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

Date: 7 May 2004 09:27:52 -0500

From: Jack

Subject: Re: Safer backup method

Hi All,

Moshe asked :

>>>... which is a safer method of backing up ........

- a traditional backup to the PC or copying Drive A to a CF....<<<

Re:

I chose CFs to get rid of PC names, formats (& viruses) problems.

I use incremental, automatised, registered "Backup" every day or so,

and back up C(41Mo) & D(256Mo) to "2" CFs (1 & 2Go in E drive);

no bum note for years.

I tried Crontab + Nighty.opo, but do not rely on it.

So I free myself from Psiwin, nasties, adspyblasters, antiviruses, firewalls, security updates, warnings, patches, blue windows and electic shocks... by using EPOC only.

Jack

PS what is Drive A?

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

Date: 7 May 2004 09:38:46 -0500

From: Phil Aypee

Subject: Alarm+

Hi Folks,

Itamar, as you say, there are other programs - but Alarm+ runs automatically if I reset my Psion. It starts the several programs I always have running (Email, Agenda, Merlin. etc.) and restores my system settings.

As I'm a recovering stroke victim (sympathy accepted but not at all required) I cannot easily remember what programs I need to keep running. Agenda is one - it reminds me to take my pills. So a system utility like Alarm+ or PsiLoc+ is invaluable to me.

Also, as I cannot yet use my right-hand properly I use the StickyKeys program or the PsiLoc+ facility.

Guess who's right-handed!

Happy days,

Phil.

"Adults are obsolete children."

Try http://www.aypee2.net if you dare.

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

Date: 7 May 2004 09:39:05 -0500

From: Richard

Subject: Fwd: Re: Epoc Digest V1 # 518

Double oooops!

1) I didn't mean to attach the digest to the end of the message and

2) I meant to add the subject line "More screen touching".

R...

RiCo wrote:

Date: Fri, 7 May 2004 10:26:54 +0100 (BST)

From: RiCo

Subject: Re: Epoc Digest V1 # 518

To: Epoc Digest

Itamar/Vlad:

The touch screen thing with multiple pointers and/or fingers was merely out of interest.

The Psion does seem to take a mid-point average, regardless of how many points of pressure there are on the screen.

Has anyone got the same results as me? I *really* must try and find a place to upload an image of what I get. It is a thousand times clearer than trying to describe it.

(A picture is worth a thousand words, but takes up a thousand times the memory, as well.)

Ricky

I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it.

-- Groucho Marx

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

Date: 7 May 2004 10:00:23 -0500

From: Gordon Thompson

Subject: Freezing 5MX

Thank you for all your replies and attachments.

Installing the TCP/IP update file did the trick.

The digest works so well when members help each other and have something useful to add . It is also a reason to stay on it!

Sour grapes simply should be left to wither and not picked. Now before anyone gets prickly, I won't be responding to anyone that I may have inadvertedly offended, simply accept my apologies!

Gordon Thompson

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

Date: 7 May 2004 10:40:59 -0500

From: Antony Booth

Subject: Program quality|Cellphone curiosity|Mobiles in Texas|Cisco AironetWireless

To: Dick Chatjaval

Program quality

-----------------

I'm glad you found my (long) post insightful. I was trying to explain why it takes more than just making a program work, for it to be a well written program. As for your laptop, I use XP and find it by far the most stable MS O/S and having feature like suspend, really does make laptops more practica, especially with the short battery lifes, most have. This is the main reason I have a netBook. The fact that it is 'solid state' and therefore does not need to keep a hard disk spinning, both makes its battery have greater longevity and makes the data on it safer, because it is less susceptible to damage. This is why the netbook pro has some appeal to me, but I do prefer the EPOC os. I think Microsoft have a long, long way to go before they reach the stability of EPOC. Linux would be next preference and with Redhat releasing desktop versions, combining Gnome and KDE X-windows applications and Open Office.org it is a highly featured, stable, low-cost solution.

To: Bob + Loris Hancock

Cellphone curiosity

---------------------

The fact your mobiles both chose different service providers is probably just down to signal strength and how busy each network was at the time. Your mobile should have an option to choose which service provider you wish to use. I'd suggest you buy a pay-as-you go sim card whilst in the UK, so you don't incur international call charges by making UK - UK calls. This would equally apply to data calls as you could connect to a UK ISP via your mobiles.

To: Thomas van der Zijden

Mobiles in Texas

-------------------

One thing you should be aware of with some mobiles in the U.S. is the mobile number is not easily distinguishable from local telephone numbers. This is because the mobile phone owner pays the additional cost of someone phoning it, not the person making the call. That way, it is unimportant to the person initiating the call whether it is a mobile or not. This makes telesales especially annoying as not only are they wasting your time, but it is costing you money to let them do it.

To: Bob

Cisco Aironet Wireless

--------------------------

The configuration settings are in the ethernet section of the control panel. If you cannot find any settings in there that work, chances are, your card will not be compatible. Checkout this site for more detailed assistance: -

http://www.isbg00598.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/faqNetworks.htm#wireless

Antony Booth

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

Date: 7 May 2004 11:19:59 -0500

From: Timothy H.D. Williams

Subject: Apple

On 6 May 2004, at 21:wrote:

> I tried to go the Apple way a few years back, buying both a blue G3 > tower

> for myself and iBook for my wife. We had so many problems with screen > hangs,

A screen hang is extremely rare in Mac OS X.

Have you ever had a worm or a virus or a Trojan Horse in Windows? Apparently security is a problem for MS and they are putting Longhorn off until 2006.

----

The race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, but that's the way to bet.

Damon Runyon

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

Date: 7 May 2004 13:20:34 -0500

From: Christopher Holly

Subject: Re: Kate Head's mBook calibration

Kate, as you have undoubtedly heard by now, screen drift is a defect in the Series 7 and netBook. The temporary solution is to press on the area above the keyboard where the badge would be in a netBook (There is sort of an oval area with an exposed screw in a recess) Press just above this. On one of my mBooks I get a satisfying(?) crunch and the calibration returns to where it belongs. If I open and close the screen, I often have to do it again. There is some speculation that the screen cable is loose. I have threatened to disassemble it to see if there is anything I can do to fix it more permanently, but as soon as I made the threat, it stopped doing it for a while. Now I am too busy. However, lately the screen has occasionally gone dark. I had to wiggle it open and close a little to restore it to visibility. I suspect an operation is my future.

Chris Holly

830 S. Fess Ave.

Bloomington, IN 47401-4946

812-339-0938

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

Date: 7 May 2004 13:27:07 -0500

From: Christopher Holly

Subject: Re: Thomas F. VAN DER ZIJDEN

> It seems by the way that a mobile phone is still a luxury product in America. There are far less Americans with cell phones than Europeans.

It must REALLY be annoying in Europe then! ;-) I thought I was the only American without a cell phone. It seems like everywhere I go people are on the phone "interacting" with the people that are not around them. Like last night, I saw two guys at the ice cream shop. They were clearly hanging out with each other, but one was on his cell phone carrying on a lengthy conversation with someone god knows where. It is not uncommon to see people at a restaurant where everyone at the table is on a cell phone talking to someone else. Strange!

Chris Holly

830 S. Fess Ave.

Bloomington, IN 47401-4946

812-339-0938

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

Date: 7 May 2004 13:51:11 -0500

From: Itamar Engelsman

Subject: Macro Question, Registration of programs, Cisco card, Phone curiosity,

Answer to: Jack

Re.: Macro Question - A Kill macro does exist, but not one that when activated f.e. with Macro5 it will close ALL other applications but not MAcro5 itself.

Answer to: Anders Henriksen & others

Re.: Registration of programs - Due to the slowly disappearance of the Psions and the programs for it I would advice you all first to contact the author of a program and make sure he is still active and accepting registrations BEFORE registering a program. Some people just disappear and leave their website up and running and their payment arrangements intact instead of properly closing down. Sorry Anders, I have no idea what you should do now.

Answer to: Bob

Re.: Cisco card - I think it was me. Yes, the Cisco card appears in the list on my mBook and it worked out of the box. You should be able to do the same with a D-link card as well and I suppose it is a matter of finding the right settings. I don't have the knowledge to help you but maybe someone else can ? Is Rolf still around for example ?

Answer to: Bob Hancock

Re.: Phone curiosity - Welcome to the UK. I noticed the same while traveling in Belgium and Germany. If your provider has a cheaper agreement with a particular provider in a different country it is best to set y our phone to manual and connect to that provider only. I don't know why this happens.

Best regards,

Itamar Engelsman

London, UK

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

Date: 7 May 2004 16:02:54 -0500

From: Carlos Rodriguez

Subject: Mobile access in Texas

>Date: 6 May 2004 13:44:50 -0500

From: Thomas F. VAN DER ZIJDEN Subject: Mobile access in Texas - the solution

>Hello group,

>Well, I took the plunge and I went into a T-Mobile shop. Weird. A SIM card costs $ 50 to activate and you can get either a Nokia and 60 minutes included in the deal or no phone, but 120 minutes airtime. I took the latter. Booh, hisss... but I already got the R380, so airtime minutes are more useful now. :-)

>I needed to have a prepaid, because I do not yet have a fixed address, nor a bank account.

$ 50 is disgusting, but my Dutch chip was also quite expensive.

What I also don't like is that -even in my home area- I get charged when someone calls *me*.

"Airtime" they call it.

>It seems by the way that a mobile phone is still a luxury product in America. There are far less Americans with cell phones than Europeans.

I can imagine this, because this "airtime" principle makes cell phones a very expensive alternative to normal phones.

Actually, this is the result of one of the very few cases where a free market works less well than planning. In Europe, a decision was taken that all countries would go with GSM. A godsend, since this established ONE standard, and a huge market with it. In the US, there are *several* standards, which makes for a fragmented and inefficient market.

Have you actually worked out what you're paying per minute, and compared it to European prices? The normal plans seem to come up with quite similar prices per minute.

Another thing to consider, of course, is that in most places, local fixed line calls are free. That's major competition.

Texas joke:

Three cowboys were hanging out in the bunkhouse.

"I know that smart-alec Tex," said the first. "He's going to start bragging about that new foreign car he bought as soon as he gets back."

"Not Tex," said the second. "He'll always be just a good ol' boy. When he walks in, I'm sure all he'll say is hello."

"I know Tex better than any of you," said the third. "He's so smart, he'll figure out a way to do both. Here he comes now!"

Tex swung open the bunkhouse door and shouted, "Audi, partners!"

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

Date: 7 May 2004 18:31:36 -0500

From: Andy Hayes

Subject: Mac / Mac again / Killtasks / Half a sixpence is better than ... /CFs

I read with interest Dick's words on going the Mac route and then reverting back to PCs. After a brief and expensive dalliance with RISCOS, I happened to be in PC World near Gatwick airport. They have a huge range of computers that customers go in to play on. The comment from a friend that Mac's almost never crash was still ringing in my ears, as I noticed that the Mac aisle, with 4 or 5 shiney new iMacs on display, were being totally ignored by everyone. On closer inspection I found that every one of them had locked up! Being Macs, most people had no idea how to reboot them so had gone off to play with the PCs which EVERYONE knows how to reboot after a crash. My hope is that OS X will be different!

After ordering the Mac Powerbook from Dabs it went down in price by 70 ukp + VAT. It was a lovely feeling to be able to cancel the order and re-order it whilst I awaited stock arriving in!

Thanks for the heads up on Killtasks macro Jack. I will head off for a look once I have posted this.

I only got half(?) of the digest. Halfway(?) through the iBattery story came the end of the digest :-(

Thanks to the kind soul who scandisked and reformatted my 256mb CF in their Win 9x machine, I now have a working CF card again.

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

Date: 7 May 2004 20:50:52 -0500

From: David Steer $Plus$

Subject: RE: Epoc Digest V1 # 518

Date: 5 May 2004 10:57:54 -0500

From: vlad a

Subject: Richy's Sketch Uncertainty Principle

Vlav,

> "then wavers a bit somewhere in the middle. The same applies to Doodler and

> other draw programmes.

> I always said: the Psion lives ;-)"

The wavering is caused by the unsteadiness principle of hand - i.e. you are moving! The effect is more marked when using the finger. That's the science.

Really Psions are ticklish!

David

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

Date: 7 May 2004 20:50:56 -0500

From: David Steer $Plus$

Subject: Problems with Presentation Maker

I have been playing with Presentation make, especially now I can get it to work in colour! The problem is that I can convert a MS PowerPoint presentation through PsiWin 2.3.3 and view it in Presentation maker. However, I cannot convert an exported presentation back to MS PowerPoint. Is there any one else who has experienced this and has some suggestions?

One on my thoughts was that the converter file I have is the problem, though I have tried two sources for the converters and both have given the same results.

Regards

David

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

Date: 7 May 2004 08:44:40 -0500

From: vlad a

Subject: again: print on BJC 2100?

Kindly help with:

5MXpro NOT printing w. Infrared Printer Link on Canon BJC2100

In the printer panel: I tried all drivers I had. Paper: A4, print using: infrared. MX Communication is set to off, IPL 9V battery is at 8,5V.

The 5MX doc in any program I tried shows the printing progress bar, the IPL blinks, but the BJC doesn't stir.

1- Anyone knows the trick?

2- I have tried many times. Are there any temp-print spools I should delete manually?

Many thanks!

best,

vlad a

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

Date: 7 May 2004 20:50:56 -0500

From: David Steer $Plus$

Subject: Problems with Presentation Maker

One on my thoughts was that the converter file I have is the problem, though I have tried two sources for the converters and both have given the same results.