- Connection between Symbian phones series60 and PC with PlugIn for Total Commander

- RE: Psion Backups

- Navigating Without SilkScreen, Navigating in Control Panel

- Re: Various Ramblings.

- Re: q about batteries

- Re: Psion backups

- Re: DataContact91

- Palmtop renewal

- dead touchscreen, slow backups, batteries

- EpocBoulevard

- For Norbert: 7710 touch screen

- Sandisk Extreme 3 1GB CF Card for Psion 5mx

- Color Icons

- modem for using GPRS, Handy Expense - cont., a self-recharging 5mx?,

- Re: a self-recharging 5mx?

- Copying Contacts from EPOC to Symbian

Date: 7 Nov 2004 19:37:27 +0000
From: Karel Skalicky <address truncated>
Subject: Connection between Symbian phones series60 and PC with PlugIn for Total Commander

has anybody of digesteers any experience with freeware plugin for Total Commander?
It is new to be found on

http://www.geocities.com/rs0319/

http://my-symbian.com/7650/applications/applications.php?fldAuto=1084&faq=15

and its autor writes about it:
"The plugin allows Total Commander to access the file system of Symbian based mobile devices. This provides a convenient way of transferring files (e.g. JPGs, application files in the software development cycle) between desktop PC and mobile device.
At the time of writing this the plugin has only been tested against a Nokia 6600 phone but in theory it should be working on all Symbian based Nokia phones or maybe even all Symbian based phones."

May I expect something like "PsiWin for Symbian Phones" here?

K.Skalicky

Date: 7 Nov 2004 21:22:23 +0000
From: Bob <address truncated>
Subject: RE: Psion Backups

Hi Julie,
Thanks for your reply.  I have just recently changed the time because of the time change and didn't think of it, but that could be a reason.  But, sometimes during other times, if I wait for a longer period between backing up they will do that also.  So, I try to do it each week and for the most part that works ok, but my 7Book kind of faked me out this time. I was just wondering if that is a Psion thing that happens to everyone because its not just one of them, it's all of them and it doesn't matter what OS I have on my Laptop or PC on those odd occasions it happens.

Thanks,
Bob

Date: 7 Nov 2004 22:19:23 +0000
From: Neville Smith <address truncated>
Subject: Navigating Without SilkScreen, Navigating in Control Panel

NAVIGATING
Many thanks to those who responded, including Keith Giles, Jack and Alan Morris. My machine is a 5mx, and I can now do almost anything except open Time! I have not yet seen a code that will open Time on the 5mx although it obviously exists for other machines, and the other codes work for other apps.

And for some reason, although I can get to the TimeW.ini file in the System\Apps folder,  I get the message "cannot find program" when I try to open it.

Navigating in Control Panel
Apart from that, I'd also like to know how to navigate within the Control Panel. I can set the Time, but can't figure out how to get to the currency tab so I can display dollars instead of pounds. It's not a major problem.

Incidentally, like many others I have looked at the alternative devices available. Such pretty colours, such games, even cameras! Basic business functionality is still lacking though - for instance, I search my Contacts database for phone numbers and notes etc, not just by name, and none of the fancy toys do this (according to the retailers). The killer, of course, is the lack of a useable keyboard.

I think an ailing 5mx is still a more useful tool than the new devices I have seen.

Regards,

Date: 7 Nov 2004 23:27:02 +0000
From: Alan Morris <address truncated>
Subject: Re: Various Ramblings.

Mike Dyer <address truncated> wrote:-

> Incidentally 'Mailwasher' flagged up the digest as probable
> Spam for the first time ever, weird.

I used Mailwasher to unblock my nB when a mailbox had one of those mails that hangs Email.  But I found it so slow and clumsy, compared with just using Email, and I stopped using it as bouncing spam did not reduce more spam.

> I'd never criticise anyone for continuing to use an old
> palmtop, heck this Libretto I'm typing on is 7 years old now,
> yet has *full* Office 2000 compatibility, because it's
> running Office 2000  :o)       , can browse *any* website,
> handle HTML emails, secure connnections etc. Mike Dyer
> on a Toshiba Libretto 70ct.

Why is it that the best devices are discontinued and not replaced by an even more successful newer product?  I never had one as they stopped making them as I wanted to buy.

--
Alan R Morris, G4ENS.
Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, UK.
Using a Psion netBook & Nokia 6210e.

Date: 7 Nov 2004 23:27:11 +0000
From: Alan Morris <address truncated>
Subject: Re: q about batteries

Vlad A <address truncated> wrote:-

> ...normal AA cells: when new, the have about 1,5 V. What is
> the minimum voltage they are any use at? At 1,09 they seem to
> be of no use at all, but at 1,22 (this is when my Olympus
> digital camera tells me they are ampty) or so can I still use
> them in the Psion? In a Maglite? For how long? Is there a
> "compleat guide to batteries usage" out there?

Vlad it's another, how long is a bit of string q.

When batteries become partly discharged they are not able to supply as much current as when new.  Current is more important than voltage here.

It depends on the current and voltage requirements of each device as to when a battery is 'empty'.

Ever since getting my first 3a, I've always keep the old batteries for use in Carol's pocket radio, which gives about a month or two longer battery usage.  Sometimes they get finished off in our Maglites.

--
Alan R Morris, G4ENS.
Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, UK.
Using a Psion netBook & Nokia 6210e.

Date: 7 Nov 2004 23:27:20 +0000
From: Alan Morris <address truncated>
Subject: Re: Psion backups

"Bob Rudolph" <address truncated> wrote:-

> I have always wondered this and it happens on all the Psions
> that I have had.  I will perform a backup which I usually do
> about once a week.  Usually it takes a few minutes.
> Sometimes like now, it tells me it will take 248 minutes.
> Does anyone know why every once in awhile it does what looks
> like a complete fresh backup.

It happens twice every year Bob.  Psions are computers that were designed for folk to travel with and change the clock to local time anywhere.

So Psions are 'smart' in the way they handle file date/time info.  But Windows is in many respects 'behind the times'.  It has an inferior OS in many ways.

As an example, within the last two hours, I connected my GPS to an XP (eXPensive) laptop using a so called 4 port USB hub (it actually only adds 3 ports, as it uses up 1 itself!) for the first time.  I've connected many times without the hub.  But this time the 'Plug & Pray' did not work, leaving a yellow blob.  So I removed the hub and the GPS would still not connect.  A reboot later and still no joy; so I had to reinstall the GPS twice - once with hub and once without hub.  I wasted about half an hour.  Talk about a 9 bob note short of a bob!

Windows can't cope with Bloody Stupid Time (I don't use the auto feature as reboots after windows errors keeps changing the clock and it does not keep track of boots with multiple partitions).

So Psiwin finds that every file date/time has changed after a BST/GMT hour change.

I backed up my 3mx, 5mx, Revo+, 7 and nB before changing the clocks.  I'll do another when I know I can spare the time.  Incidentally I use FastBackup to keep all my Drive C: files backed up at least once a day.  Consider keeping your clocks at GMT as I do with many devices.  My GPSes, car clock, central heating, and clocks in radio shack, etc are  kept on GMT, but then as a radio ham, I always use GMT for my radio logbook.  When travelling in Europe, I also keep my watch at UK time and I'm now considering keeping all clocks and watches at GMT.

Psions allow you to edit files while travelling and when changing local time, keep the most recent version with the latest time.  You could find that with windows an older version has a later time.

--
Alan R Morris, G4ENS.
Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, UK.
Using a Psion netBook & Nokia 6210e.

Date: 7 Nov 2004 23:39:24 +0000
From: Jack <address truncated>
Subject: Re: DataContact91

Hi  Keith,
who wrote in #631:
.....> Jack [ I ] wrote:
>> but http://pnicolas.EpocBoulevard.com is down! >> Hello! Martin G., please do something ;-)

   and replyed:

> He did something some time ago. Check his website, www.psience5.net


Re:
Martin's psience5 (macros and Lostandfound pages) does a great job backing some of Pascal Nicolas wanished pages...
but the DataContact91.zip download is still to be searched elsewere

Jack

Date: 8 Nov 2004 05:13:03 +0000
From: Eric Lindsay <address truncated>
Subject: Palmtop renewal

>   The Digest    Thu, 04 Nov 2004    Volume 01  :  Number 628

> From: Bob <address truncated>
> Subject: RE: latest Palmtop issue
> I have already decided not to renew my subscription to Palmtop as it > has less and less items of interest to me.  Especially if they, and I > am not surprised, don't have any more Psion stuff.

I also have my Palmtop renewal to hand from Steve Clack, and by default suspect I won't renew.  I think Steve is still doing a good job, but he has to move with the times, and I just don't see a psion replacement
out there.

For the past decade or more I've been using Psion as my portable computer, and Windows for tasks I couldn't conveniently do on a Psion. 
The Psion was often faster at the tasks it could do, and I found it particularly good for quick and dirty notes, much more so than Windows.
    I did however find Windows far superior to the Psion for internet access, and especially for web browsing.  However after my most recent run in with an IBM Thinkpad and Windows XP Home (which nearly got defenestrated), I've now dumped Windows in favour of an Apple Macintosh.

I'd never considered a Macintosh before, and hadn't used an Apple since the Apple ][. Indeed, because Apple didn't support Psion, I basically didn't look at Apple until Psion stopped supporting Psion.  A Macintosh Powerbook isn't as convenient as a Psion for PDA use, but it does share with the Psion a nice instant on feature that works flawlessly and quickly (unlike the unreliable equivalent on my Windows laptops).  It also seems pretty stable. Uptime 32 days 17 hours, which is the time since I last did an install of something that actually untypically demanded a reboot, which I think was a system update. Most programs
just install, with only a little more trouble than a Psion .sis file. 
As a PDA, the Macintosh is too large to replace a Psion, and the alarms are not loud enough, and iCal hasn't all the features of Agenda (I must admit it does have other good points). The BSD Unix like system underneath the pretty GUI seems very powerful, and you get a lot of access to it.  Heaps of utilities, tools and applications I recalled from when I used Sun and SGI were already installed, along with a fair number I didn't know.  Like the Psion, it came with a free SDK, or actually several.  Applescript, Perl, PHP, C++ with an IDE.  Looks nice for writing your own programs. It also came with iLife software that brought a lot of fun back into my computing.  I can't believe I've put +5000 photos onto it (and indexed them all). And 2238 pieces of music (that is only 8.7 days non-stop) again all indexed and able to play wirelessly via my stereo.  As soon as I get a bit better with the midi keyboard ...  It has been fun, where Windows was just a struggle.

> From: Itamar Engelsman <address truncated>
> Subject: Palmtop Issue  9

> interesting items in the magazine however :
> - laser beam keyboard now available (www.simplesolutions-uk.com)

Interesting, but not surprisingly, Psion isn't listed as a supported device. This is what I generally find with Palmtop.  Interesting material, but not particularly relevant to me.

> From: Steve Litchfield <address truncated>
> Subject: Palmtop
> And I can't believe that ANY Psion owner will keep using it once the > Nokia 9500 and 7710 become available in volume. They do everything the > Psion could do and more besides.

Is it true that the Nokia 9500 and 7710 do everything the Psion could do?  What I keep seeking (at least in the past) is announcements or newer and better phones, but when they finally arrive, they don't seem better at all.  Display size and keyboard input have been weaknesses on all I've seen.  Not that I see many.  Dealers don't stock them, so you have to work on what is said about them.  I have to admit that the 9500 and 7710 are sounding interesting, but they are by no means the first
to sound interesting.  But is it worth my while keeping a subscription to Palmtop for the sake of potential reviews of two phone models?

The other reason I'm not leaping into phones is that my landline phone connection is relatively economical the way I use it.  Cell phones here seem excessively expensive.  Now I don't need one for business, I only turn my cell phone on when I'm expecting a call, and wouldn't make more than two calls a month.  Replacing my Ericksson SH888 is pretty much a dead issue. As far as I can tell, it would handle my portable needs until it and my last Psion die.

Eric Lindsay lists at ericlindsay dot com
http://www.ericlindsay.com

Date: 8 Nov 2004 05:45:12 +0000
From: Eric Lindsay <address truncated>
Subject: dead touchscreen, slow backups, batteries

On 07/11/2004, at 7:37 AM, The Digest wrote:
>   The Digest    Sat, 06 Nov 2004    Volume 01  :  Number 630 > Does this vary with the machine? They don't work on my netBook. > Press Ctrl, keep it down, type the numbers, release Ctrl.

The touchscreen commands do indeed vary from machine to machine.  I have a little list of all versions I know of at
http://www.ericlindsay.com/epoc/mkeys5.htm

> From: McCorquodale David <address truncated>
> Subject: netBook screen calibration errors
>
> Gentlemen. Please can someone explain why my netBook (Version
> 1.05(450) English (UK) - ASCII (Release 158)) every now and then > looses its accuracy of the touch screen.

A poor ribbon cable connection can be involved.  Also, I have a memory of hearing of a software problem, but seem to have misplaced the note about what to do.  It may involve something like making sure all recognisers (and or other system components) are on C drive and not on a removeable CF card.

> From: "Bob Rudolph" <address truncated>
> Subject: Psion backups
>
> I have always wondered this and it happens on all the Psions that I > have had.  I will perform a backup which I usually do about once a
> week.  Usually it takes a few minutes.  Sometimes like now, it tells > me it will take 248 minutes.

This sometimes occurs on the changeover to or from  Daylight Saving Time.  The Psion and Windows are unable to reconcile their times, so a full backup is done.  Can't tell you more, as I live in a state that doesn't use daylight saving.

> From: Vlad A <address truncated>
> Subject: q about batteries
>
> ...normal AA cells: when new, the have about 1,5 V. What is the
> minimum voltage they are any use at? At 1,09 they seem to be of no use > at all, but at 1,22 (this is when my Olympus digital camera tells me
> they are ampty) or so can I still use them in the Psion? In a Maglite?

Digital cameras typically pull a lot of current, and typically (at
least for Kodak and Pentax that I've used) work 5 times longer on NiMH rechargeable AAs than they do on alkaline AA.  I get 200 photos on a Pentax from rechargeable, and only 40 for alkaline.  Psion can use an
AA after a camera is through with it, as the lower drain from the Psion lets the battery recover some voltage.  But I'd only expect a few
hours, since the Psion gives a low battery warning somewhere around 1.1 volts anyway.  If you really want to screw the last of the power from a standard AA, you need to make up a special boost circuit, and use them
in an LED flashlight.  You can then pull them down to 0.6 volts or lower, and will still get a lot of hours of use from even nominally
dead batteries.

Eric Lindsay lists at ericlindsay dot com
http://www.ericlindsay.com

Date: 8 Nov 2004 07:17:35 +0000
From: Martin Guthrie <address truncated>
Subject: EpocBoulevard

Keith and Jack wrote:

>> but http://pnicolas.EpocBoulevard.com is down!
>> Hello! Martin G., please do something ;-)
>
> He did something some time ago. Check his website, www.psience5.net

Well, yes I did - but not exactly what Jack was asking for Keith (which was for DataContact to be made available again).  Give me a couple of days to get this fixed...

Best regards,
Martin Guthrie
---------
www.pscience5.net
www.freepoc.org
www.foxpop.co.uk

Date: 8 Nov 2004 10:23:00 +0000
From: Steve Litchfield <address truncated>
Subject: For Norbert: 7710 touch screen

Err.... the Nokia 7710 DOES have a touch-screen! Please go back and check the specs! 8-)

BTW, in preparation for the arrival of a Nokia 9500 here in the near future, I've migrated all my info back to my trusty 9210i. Hopefully it'll then be trivial to get everything from one to the other.

Biggest thing so far is how nice the proper multi-tasking is on the 9210i. As with the Psion, apps stay 'where you left them' and don't close themselves or revert to home screens in the background 8-) ____________________________________________________________________
Steve Litchfield, 3-Lib, http://3lib.ukonline.co.uk/
Software and features for Psion/Symbian handhelds and smartphones
Also PocketInfo, useful files - http://3lib.ukonline.co.uk/pocketinfo Journalism: sub-editor and/or senior contributor to:
Palmtop User - http://www.palmtop.co.uk/
PDA Essentials - http://www.paragon.co.uk/mags/pdaessentials.html
PC Basics - http://www.paragon.co.uk/mags/pcbasics.html
Reviews editor, AllAboutSymbian - http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/

Date: 8 Nov 2004 14:13:08 +0000
From: Nicholas Bloch <address truncated>
Subject: Sandisk Extreme 3 1GB CF Card for Psion 5mx

Hi all,

1. I read with interest comments from David Steer in Epoc Digest in July 2004 (can't remember which Digest No. it was!).
He said that he'd installed a Sandisk Ultra 2 1GB CF card on his Psion 5mx and had noticed considerable speed improvements over the standard CF cards.
He purchased it from a company called GMK Batteries on: 01625 511 583 or http://www.gmkbatteries.co.uk at a cost of ££86.95.
They also sell a Sandisk Extreme 3 1GB CF Card for not much more at £94.95.
I'm tempted to purchase the latter.
Has anyone had any experience with it? Would there be any compatibility issues with the 5mx?
Feedback would be much appreciated.

2. For reasons that I won't go into here, I have lost a large number of Digest messages (nos. 426 to 625 inclusive).
What would be the quickest and most efficient way of copying all these messages onto my PC? Either onto a word file or preferably into a special folder named Epoc Digest in my Inbox?
Comments!

3. Please note that my email address has recently changed from: nicholas_bloc<address truncated>to: nbloc<address truncated>style="color:#0000FF">

Date: 8 Nov 2004 15:16:25 +0000
From: Keith Giles <address truncated>
Subject: Color Icons

Do any of you folks who are able to make color icons have the app Merlin? I've never seen it listed in the grand collection of color icons Martin Guthrie has on his site. Can somebody make one and send it to Martin? Merlin is one of the last B&W icons on my Mbooks' Extras bar.

Happy Cycling,
Keith
Sunnyvale, CA
http://ohsix827.home.comcast.net

Thought For The Day: No problem is so formidable that you can't just walk away from it.

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

Date: 8 Nov 2004 16:43:32 +0000
From: Itamar Engelsman <address truncated>
Subject: modem for using GPRS, Handy Expense - cont., a self-recharging 5mx?,

Answer to: Rolf Brunsting

Re.: modem for using GPRS - Thanks for the explanation. Are you able to help me with this init string so the phone will know I want to use the internet connection or do you know who is able to help me with that ?

Re. Handy Expense - cont. - Yes, of course. I entered the data in the program called "Handy Expense Desktop". It gives a total at the bottom in the "Home" currency but no sub totals per type of expense or per category.

Answer to: Christopher Holly

Re.: a self-recharging 5mx? - No, I don't think that is the case although it might add just a tiny bit of life to them. On the other hand I seem to remember that it can also be dangerous as it might overheat the batteries, but not sure about that.

Best regards,
Itamar Engelsman
London, UK

Date: 8 Nov 2004 23:17:07 +0000
From: Alan Morris <address truncated>
Subject: Re: a self-recharging 5mx?

Christopher Holly <address truncated> wrote:-

> Is it my imagination or is it possible my 5mx is recharging
> the rechargeable batteries when it sits in the cradle for
> long periods of time? (I've been lucky so far and had no
> problem using rechargeables.

Chris I generally do not use rechargeable in my 5mx.  However you are correct, the 5mx does slightly recharge.

I use PSLight and can see the increase in voltage of the Duracell primary cells.  The charge is so low that I've never had a problem.

Primary cells can be charged if you know how, and the charging in a 5mx is OK.

--
Alan R Morris, G4ENS.
Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, UK.
Using a Psion netBook & Nokia 6210e.

Date: 9 Nov 2004 00:18:45 +0000
From: Itamar Engelsman <address truncated>
Subject: Copying Contacts from EPOC to Symbian

Well, I tried my best to copy the DATA files I had to my P910. I downloaded ConvertData.opo and one by one transfered all my contacts in the DATA files into the Contacts program on my mBook. I went over all of them and changed and corrected whatever needed to be corrected, over 250 contacts in total. I exported the Contacts in vcf format and emailed it to myself in order to download it on my P910 as I don't have pIBeam installed. I imported the file from the email program into the Contacts on the P910 ...and there were data missing. Upon checking more carefully the home city, home postcode and home country were missing in ALL the contacts. I thought it was a problem of importing and tried it again, no success. So I downloaded the program Smartvcard and copied the Contacts.vcf by hand onto the P910, still no success.

At this stage I started to get suspicious and returned to my mBook and decided to export the data from Contacts as a .csv file and to open it in Sheet (with nConvert) and have a closer look.  What did I find ?  When exporting data from the contacts file to a .vcf or .csv file these 3 fields are NOT copied over. Period, just not copied. Is this an old and known bug or did I stumble on a specific problem on my mBook ?

So I tried to synchronise my Contact with Outlook and you know what ... the same thing again, these 3 fields are not copied over. I am at a loss why this happens and now I have to add these details one by one by hand, what a PAIN in the you know what.

Best regards,
Itamar Engelsman
London, UK