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Epoc Digest Thu, 12 Dec 2002 Volume 01 : Number 125

************************************************************************

Sent to: 710 subscribers

In today's Epoc Digest 19 messages:

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

- S7 "E" drive and scanning using a digital camera

- Terminal / Telnet Emulation

- Re: Satellite tracking software.

- Morality & Shareware

-- Psion 5mx Pro - £225 (£264.38 inc. VAT)

- RMRNews

- Web in ROM, scanner,

- After the Psion, What?, MBMView author,

- Open source OPL, XTM, Configuring networking boxes, OPL CDROM, Missing SPAM...

- Re: Perl on EPOC

- macro for opening any file in an Editor

- Link to Desktop Problem

- Re: Satellite tracking software.

- Re: RMRNews

- Re: CityMaps/TomTom

- EplayM mp3 player

- The long standing argument on shareware

- Re: CityMaps/TomTom

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

Date: 10 Dec 2002 21:45:39 +0000

From: Kevin Thorne

Subject: S7 "E" drive and scanning using a digital camera

Reply to Cyril Catt:

Subject: S7 "E" drive (more wishes)

<Several manufacturers make portable scanners that store images on CF cards. = They are called 'digital cameras' <g>. A 2 megapixel camera will capture an = A4 page of print as small as 4 point. Unfortunately, it will probably be = some 250 kB to 1 MB in size, but if you use an OCR app on a PC you may be = able to convert the graphics file to a text file of only a few kB with the = added advantage that you can edit the text.>

I've never thought of that! I'll give it a try. An OCR app would not be of any use to me as I need to store documents complete with signatures, banners, graphics etc (many of them are completely graphical). I'm not sure whether my 1.3 megapixal Pentax E100 would have enough resolution though? Perhaps someone with good knowledge of photography could kindly advise me on the best lighting, settings etc (off-digest perhaps as this is not really EPOC related) so I could make sure I'm getting the best results?

I'm thinking of making a simple clipboard mounting vertically and then just putting the camera on a tripod.

Reply to Trygve Henriksen:

<What's it called that pen-shaped scanner thingie?>

I think it was called a C-Pen. But it's an OCR scanner which isn't much use to me.

Alan Morris:

Subject: Re: Series 7: ideas for using the"E"drive ?

<Well my IBM 1Gb drive works in my Psion 7, although so far It's not had much use. Snag is that I found it wont fix into the E: drive slot, so It has to be slot D:.

Don't install apps on it as it delays the <Ctrl + Tab> directory display.>

The netBook however will support it in "E" as it can deliver the required power to the PCMCIA slot to operate it. I do actually store apps on the Microdrive but as you correctly pointed out, it will take an age for the built-in Psion directory tree to display (the same with any large capacity CF too). However, this is not such a problem using Purple's Navigator (unless you search for files on the Microdrive).

Regards

Kevin Thorne

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

Date: 10 Dec 2002 22:05:27 +0000

From: "Steve Hodgson"

Subject: Terminal / Telnet Emulation

One very quick question. What do you guys recommend for terminal

emulation on the netBook or any other Psion. I was using Hermes for

this mostly but wondered if there were any other applications and

perhaps more importantly what people most recommend.

One very specific question is whether there is anything that will allow

SPACE as a parity option?

Cheers,

Steve

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

Date: 10 Dec 2002 22:17:49 +0000

From: Alan Morris

Subject: Re: Satellite tracking software.

Owen H. Morgan wrote:-

<< Does anyone know if there is satellite tracking software available for Epoc? >>

Are the three WorldSpace radio satellites AfriStar, AmeriStar and AsiaStar geostationary?

I would guess thay are, so a small program I have to calculate where to point a Sat TV dish may be suitable. It's simple BASIC that runs on a DOS/windows PC, but I have intentions of converting it to OPL.

Alan R Morris, G4ENS.

Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, UK.

Using a Psion & Nokia 6210e.

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

Date: 11 Dec 2002 02:11:33 +0000

From: "Gary Y Reyes"

Subject: Morality & Shareware

>Date: 9 Dec 2002 10:54:41 +0000

>From: "Alan Jones" >Subject: Re: EPOC DIGEST V1 # 123

>Dear Rolf,

>Pleeeease stop banging on at quite such length about these issues... you = >may well be right. But 90% of digest subscribers just want to read about = >useful Psion stuff not listen to you ranting...

>Thanks

>AJ

After all the lengthy but informative (sometimes entertaining) emails on this subject, only one thing is clear:

Each country has its own laws about copyright and software ownership

Each individual interprets these laws in his own way (not necessarily right or wrong)

Each one has his own moral values relative to copyright and software ownership.

Since most, if not none, of us are lawyers, merely Psion fun-natics, this is an issue not resolvable in one single manner that will satisfy everyone.

Hence, let's all go our own way and do our own thing - unless someone in the group wants to take someone else to court on this.

Gary

_______________________________________

EDSAMAIL. Internet the way YOU WANT IT.

www.edsamail.com.ph

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

Date: 11 Dec 2002 08:22:48 +0000

From: "EpocDigest"

Subject:

Dear Subscriber

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

Date: 11 Dec 2002 09:13:03 +0000

From: "Jason Garbutt"

Subject: Psion 5mx Pro - £225 (£264.38 inc. VAT)

Hi Digestives,

Clove Technology are apparently getting some 5mx Pro's in about 2 weeks, I'm sure some of you will be interested, the following link should take you straight there:

http://www.clove-tech.co.uk/products.asp?product=PS5MX-16MB

otherwise go to their homepage:

www.clove-tech.co.uk

Happy Psioneering !

Regards,

Jason

________________________________________________

&nb________________________________________________

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

Date: 11 Dec 2002 09:21:36 +0000

From: "Rick Gillyon"

Subject: RMRNews

> From: Colin Messer

> Subject: Repeated message body with MochaPPP, RMRNews and Broadband

> can connect to a news server and download at an astonishing

> speed. When I look at the newsgroups all the message headers

> have been downloaded. The message body is another matter. I

> get one or two messages that are repeated for all the message

> headers for that newsgroup. I have been unable to determine

> a pattern, except that all newsgroups behave the same.

...

> Is anyone familiar with this problem and how to correct it?

I am familiar with the problem, but I'm afraid there is no way to correct it. Some News servers create their messages out of order, in a different way to most. Effective Newreaders take account of this and have no problem. Sadly, RMRNews does not and exhibits the problem you are experiencing. So RMRNews coped fine with BT's server but not with UK Online's.

There is no solution. I reported the problem to RMR when I encountered it, and they initially said that a fix would be released. Sadly the author then decided it was too difficult, so I requested and received a refund. This problem also affects Telewest/Blueyonder's News Server.

Your only option is to find an alternate news server, but I suspect that that will be difficult. You could talk to RMR, but it has been an awful long time since this program was updated...

Bye,

Rick http://www.gillyon.com/

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

Date: 11 Dec 2002 11:09:14 +0000

From: Eric Lindsay

Subject: Web in ROM, scanner,

>Epoc Digest Mon, 02 Dec 2002 Volume 01 : Number 118 >From: Peter Keene

>Subject: TCP/IP COMPONENTS

>First a comment - Web is part of the S5mx ROM so it should not be neccesary to

>reinstall it after a hard reset. I'm assuming therefore that you're using an S5mx

>Pro, which I again assume can install the standard apps as required by the user?

Perhaps that is country specific. My 5mx doesn't include Web, only

Email. My Series 7 does include Web in ROM.

>From: Kevin Thorne

>Subject: S7 "E" drive (more wishes)

>1 A way of importing scanned documents without the need to go near a PC.

I wish someone would make a scanner where you could simply slot in a CF and load the image onto that, then just pop the CF into the S7 and load it in. Or even a scanner with a cable that slots into a PC card slot (with ER5 drivers of course) to allow direct importing of scans.

I suggest that you have a look at the Canon BJC80 printer, for which

you can get an optional scanner head. You basically drive the printer

head movement via the parallel port, and read the scan head output.

The problem is, I don't know if it assumes a bidirectional parallel

port, or whether it uses the various printer return lines. Of course, you still have to write the software, even if the hardware will work.

For photos, I use a Kodak DC240 digital camera, as it saves to

CF as JPG photos in MS-DOS FAT format. I wish everything

were as easy.

Eric Lind www.avalook.com

Airlie Beach, Nth Qld, Australia ph +61 7 4948 0450

http://www.ericlindsay.com NEW Airlie-SF-Psion-Epoc

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

Date: 11 Dec 2002 15:15:14 +0000

From: Itamar Engelsman

Subject: After the Psion, What?, MBMView author,

Answer to: Gary Y Reyes

Re: After the Psion, What? - I start to believe (again) that my purchase of the S7 was a good move after all, even though it is not carried around easily. Personally I am still quite far from switching, maybe I'll be "the last one to switch off the light" ... ? <BG>

Answer to : Philip Adkins Potter

Re. MBMView author - As I wrote, I already did that and received an answer recently that my message would be passed on to the family.

Best regards,

Itamar Engelsman

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

Date: 11 Dec 2002 15:49:21 +0000

From: Trygve Henriksen

Subject: Open source OPL, XTM, Configuring networking boxes, OPL CDROM, Missing SPAM...

Greetings!

Rafe Blandford wrote:

>> Trygve wrote:

>> And even more exiting, OPL for newer models, is to be open source if one

> > can believe The Register (www.theregister.co.uk) and 'All About Symbian'

>> It will supposedly be handled in a 'sourceforge like' manner by 'All About

>> Symbian'.

> Thats not quite right. All About Symbian will be involved in some of the

> discussions (mainly via Ewan Spence of FreEPOC fame).

Ooops...

Sorry. I'll try to not let my enthusiasm get the best of me the next time...

----

Woody B wrote:

>I'm trying to test XTM on my 5MX. Several things I need help with.

> Can XTM be installed on the D drive?

No problem. and you certainly want the \xtm folder with the disk image on D:

> Any help with getting a proper boot disk from DrDOS or otherwise

> would be appreciated.

Read your posting on the news, and replied with a mail already...

(The zipped disk image ended up at about 260KB)

Anyone else want a 720KB disk image just mail me at trygve.henriksen(a)vegvesen.no

(I won't send it from my usual address because I'm using a GSM phone :-)

----

Andy Hayes wrote:

> Has anyone on the list any experience of configuring Baystack or 3Com

> hubs / switches using comms and the Psion? I am using 9600 8-N-1

> No handshaking and can't get into either a Baystack 101 10BaseT hub

> or a 3Com 3C16950 Superstack2 Switch 1100. The former has a 9

> pin dsub comms port as well as a utp management port. I have tried

> both ports as I have one of www.serialleads.co.uk special PsiWin

> cables that is terminated in both dsub and utp.

I haven't tried any of those, but I have configured ACC Nile/Amazon/Danube routers, ACC AccessStax hubs, UB Networks 701 supervisors/800 Routers, Compaq Netelligent Switch(only one), Cisco 2950 and 3550XL Switches with my Psions.

(First with my S3a, then the S5 and now my netBook)

What i've learned is that I ALWAYS use the supplied 'console cable' for the piece that I'm working on, together with the Psiwin lead and a null-modem cable.

If the speed settings match those in the manual, I would think the problem is with the cables.

some manufacturers use really weird pinouts on the connectors...

(Open them and look. Also, some manufacturers write the details somewhere in the back of the manuals)

----

Itamar Engelsman wrote:

> Answer to: Trygve Henriksen

> Re. netBook and cost... - Did you not see the <G> sign after

> my answer, meaning I was joking ?

Sure I did.

---

Simon Jeffree asked:

><< ...EMCC have released their 'Programming Psion Computers'

> book on the web as a .PDF file for free download...>>

> Does anyone have a copy of the programs on the CD which

> acompanies the book?

On the page where you download the book they tell you to email them to get it shipped for free. (Well, OK, you'll have to pay a quid or so in postage)

----

Itamar Engelsman wrote:

> Lately I started to delete the SPAM messages straight from the

> external mailbox and don't download them anymore (this is possible

> with a Psion). i noticed that since I started doing this the number

> of SPAM message has reduced significantly. I have no idea whether

> there is a link between the two, i.e. that SPAM senders somehow

> measure whether their messages are read or deleted, or that it

> is shear coincidence or a reuslt of other forces working against

> SPAM. Any ideas or info anyone ?

Probably sheer coincidence.

Unless you used to read the mail with M$ don'tLook, that is...

Some spam mails have an image that's a link to their website.

Don'tLook will display this image if it's possible(your internet connection is up)

By logging the exact url you used and matching it with their database they can see who read their SPAM messages, thereby filtering out those email addresses that's not in use. (or have the good sense to filter them )

A good precaution for M$ Don'tLook users is to turn off the preview function in the inbox. (Also helps against a lot of VB worms and viruses)

:-)

Trygve

Who's now messing with a Phillips Videowriter 250...

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

Date: 11 Dec 2002 17:46:41 +0000

From: "U. Hornstein"

Subject: Re: Perl on EPOC

From: Simon Jeffree >

<From what I gather, the main purpose of PerlStart is to allow you to execute a perl script by tapping on it's icon in the system screen - just like any document.

Provided you name your Perl scripts with a ".pl" extension, they are recognised by PerlStart & the system screen gives them the same icon as PerlStart (the Perl camel). They can be placed in any folder you like. They are effectively 'documents' of the PerlStart application.>

Thanks for this detailed info, but this part I am using already.

< The 'Start' & 'Command line' menu options within PerlStart allow you to start scripts in the more traditional way (like under UNIX) & to select the various options which are available.>

This is where I am searching. Some scripts use additional parameters which cannot be transferred by double tapping the camel icon of .pl scripts.

In the meantime I have found the system folder for .pl scripts by myself. However, it is in D:\system\programs. This has one disadvantage: The Symbian Text editor cannot open files in the system directories from its menu. This leads me to another question which I write with a fresh subject.

Any more hints on "How can one change the folder in which epoc perl scripts must reside, so that one can omit the path in the perlstart command line?

Are there any other perl freaks with workable scripts for EPOC machines?

With greetings from Germany

Ulrich Hornstein

sent by MC218 (EPOC palmtop)

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

Date: 11 Dec 2002 17:46:48 +0000

From: U Hornstein

Subject: macro for opening any file in an Editor

Hi List,

since a long time I have been pondering about this question:

I (and many of you too) have need for a Macro5 that acts like this:

1) On system screen, being in any directory of any drive, mark the file of interest.

2) Call the macro (or as an app, I do not care).

3) The marked file is opened in the Symbian Text editor or in another (Hex) editor.

This would save us tapping through the directory trees of the editor open commands, we could have a quick look into any file like ini, txt, htm etc. Very good also for cleanups etc.

And: Files residing in x:\system and below cannot be opened with the text editor's open command. With this macro (or app) they could be opened easily.

I have tried to write that macro by myself long ago. As I recall, I failed because I could not pass the current dir correctly into the macro:

Include "Macro.oph"

PROC EditThis:

alert("CurrentFolder$="+Currentfolder$:, "CurrentFile$="+currentfile$:) rem only for test purposes

UseDoc%:("D:\system\apps\Editor\Editor.app", CurrentFile$:, 0)

rem does not work

ENDP

Currentfolder$: is wrong. Execution of this macro tries to rename the marked file.

Where go I wrong? Any hints? Other solutions?

With greetings from Germany

Ulrich Hornstein

sent by MC218 (EPOC palmtop)

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

Date: 11 Dec 2002 19:37:08 +0000

From: "Tim Johnson"

Subject: Link to Desktop Problem

Hi All,

New problem! I have build 158 on my netbook and have recently had some nasty corruption problems transferring sis files from 2 different PCs (a notebook running Win2K and a desktop running XP) to CF cards using a card reader. After reformatting using a Canon camera and restoring all my (registered ;-)) apps, I have been experiencing a problem when I select "Link to desktop" on the Tools menu. The netbook system freezes.

Although a hard reset clears the problem for a while, 3 or 4 attempts later, hell freezes over again.

The extras bars are still accessible, as are all apps on them, but I can do nothing on the system screen including the silkscreen keys.

Having spoken to Peter Keene tonight, he has suggested possible "leftovers" after the CF disasters, some clashes between plBeam or CBeam (both of which I have used very successfully previously and subsequently removed after the problem), or even a heat-related cause (it's been hitting the high 30's in Cape Town recently).

Any sympathy, suggestions or especially solutions will be most welcome!

Cheers

Tim

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

Date: 11 Dec 2002 22:06:46 +0000

From: Alan Morris

Subject: Re: Satellite tracking software.

Owen H. Morgan wrote:-

<< Does anyone know if there is satellite tracking software available for Epoc? >>

Are the three WorldSpace radio satellites AfriStar, AmeriStar and AsiaStar geostationary?

I would guess that are, so a small program I have to calculate where to point a Sat TV dish may be suitable. It's simple BASIC that runs on a DOS/windows PC, but I have intentions of converting it to OPL.

Alan R Morris, G4ENS.

Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, UK.

Using a Psion & Nokia 6210e.

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

Date: 11 Dec 2002 22:06:57 +0000

From: Alan Morris

Subject: Re: RMRNews

Colin Messer wrote:-

<< For over a year I have been using .... RMRNews .... When I look at the newsgroups all the message headers have been downloaded. The message body is another matter. I get one or two messages that are repeated for all the message headers for that newsgroup. I have been unable to determine a pattern, except that all newsgroups behave the same. >>

I had exactly the same problem on my Psion 5mx when I first used RMRNews and was unable to solve it, so RMRNews remains unused.

I use my Psions for all e-mails and would like to add newsgroups, but can't find an app that works.

Alan R Morris, G4ENS.

Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, UK.

Using a Psion & Nokia 6210e.

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

Date: 11 Dec 2002 22:07:07 +0000

From: Alan Morris

Subject: Re: CityMaps/TomTom

vlad arghir wrote:-

<< Afer having had no reply to my email I just called. The nice lady told me that there are definitely no .sys docs on the new CDs. .... She did not know if .sys-es can be extracted from .exe for use on the Psion. Well - CAN THEY? Does anyone know? >>

I was told that as Windows installs the new style, zip like files, (which are .APK) the .SIS file is put in the '.../temp' folder. It is then deleted at the end of the install. I was told that by pausing the install (when an input is waiting) and looking in the temp folder, you could copy the .SIS file.

But I found that I got an in use error message. It has been done, so I'm told, with the previous (3.0) version, but I've had no luck.

Now as this file is only being read, it could be accessed by another process if sharing was active. This may be the clue for solving the problem - but no Windows PC here at work!

The file containing the .SIS file is (in 3.0) not a .EXE file but a file with a format very similar to a PKZip .ZIP file. But the new 2003 version my be different.

The files are .APK and this suggested to me a PKWARE product.

(now at home)

I used good old DOS and DEBUG and the first bytes of a PKzip .ZIP file are $50 and $4B which are 'P' and 'K', followed by some pointers and then a list of the files in the .ZIP file.

A TomTom .APK file starts with 'ARPK ..... TOM ....', yes the 'P' and 'K' are also there. The file table that follows for the 'Luton.apk' file shows:-

Luton.cab

Luton.ini

Luton.sis

palm\4fu3aai.pdb = Palm DataBase ?????

So it confirms that a .SIS map file is there.

PKZFIX does not solve the problem.

So far I've not had time to investigate more.

My hypothe.sis is that TomTom have a customised version of PKzip to produce their own zip files for use on Windows based screen PDAs. They only use it for the maps and not the apps. Probably because they consider Psions dead, but keeping their maps installable on Psions allows them to still take an income for very little cost as the app probably does not change with each new version. The released CD covers all platforms.

Alan R Morris, G4ENS.

Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, UK.

Using a Psion & Nokia 6210e.

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

Date: 11 Dec 2002 23:49:40 +0000

From: Kevin Thorne

Subject: EplayM mp3 player

Someone mentioned this mp3 player for EPOC (I do apologize as I can't remember who it was). I aleady have it installed on my S7 - it's got a very basic interface and of course the S7's tinny speaker doesn't do the mp3 justice but I find it's great for music on the move despite the hardware limitations imposed on it and I think it's a wonderful app for Psion owning music lovers. The only problem I have is you really need a PC to convert a regular mp3 into the specs required for playback within EplayM. To quote from the Help file:

No problem if you have easy access to a PC but I don't. Does anyone know where I might obtain mp3 files that are available already in this required specification?

Regards

Kevin Thorne

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

Date: 11 Dec 2002 23:50:09 +0000

From: Kevin Thorne

Subject: The long standing argument on shareware

Reply to Alan Jones:

<Dear Rolf,

Pleeeease stop banging on at quite such length about these issues... you may well be right. But 90% of digest subscribers just want to read about useful Psion stuff not listen to you ranting...>

I'm glad you're not the only one getting a little fed up with this never ending subject. Let's all move on - we must have covered every angle of this argument twice by now - and let's get talking about other Psion issues again ;-) I would much rather read about Rolf's expertise on technical issues as he is very knowledgeable and good at explaining them to the less initiated but the perpetual shareware argument is beginning to send me to sleep now....enough is enough. All agreed?

Regards

Kevin Thorne

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

Date: 12 Dec 2002 09:46:46 +0000

From: Stephan Block

Subject: Re: CityMaps/TomTom

In EPOC DIGEST V1 # 124 , vlad arghir wrote on 10 Dec 2002 15:24:19:

> She did not know if .sys-es can be extracted from .exe for use on the

> Psion. Well - CAN THEY? Does anyone know? I only have a Mac,

If the exe is a self-extraxting ZIP, you could try renaming the .EXE file and give it a .ZIP extension, and then run an unzip program on it. This has sometimes worked for me in the past for different software distribution packages (don't have TomTom CityMaps, so I can't verify if this trick will work here).

Sincerely

Stephan

Stephan Block, Lyon, Fra

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

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