... to the April edition of our user and developer PDA tips newsletter.
In the past, we have covered topics on Palm, Pocket PC and Phone PDA issues. We have also included information that is meant specifically for developers, and separate information meant specifically for users.
As part of this issue, we will ask you for your comments on the direction of this newsletter.
Please lend us a hand, a complete our simple survey below -- which will be used to help to steer our (your) newsletter in the future.
As always, please feel free to submit requests or ideas through the links
at the bottom of this page. This is also where you will find
subscription and removal information.
This issue has a focus on freeware tools, for users and developers. There are also several online news and tip sites listed as well.
Palm related items in our newsletters are marked with this icon . Pocket PC/WinCE items are marked with this one. Phone-related PDA tips show a icon.
Please note: This newsletter contains tips and tools that can alter your PDA.
These items are offered here "as is" and without any warranty or support from FO. Please
consider them carefully before using or trying them (and as always ... backup, backup, Backup! first before making any changes).
Thank you,
Bill Shadish, Principal
User Tips and Tools
User Tools
Progect v.25 http://progect.sf.net
A mini-project manager. Includes project tasks, sub-tasks, % complete, priority, due dates, categories. Notes that can be attached to tasks to communicate more information to other users. A very nice little tool -- and free.
Converts between MANY different units of measure, such as Angle, Area, Density, Energy, Flow, Force, Fuel Consumption, Length, Power, Pressure and more. Also a very nice little tool -- and also free.
WIN CE (and Pocket PC) Web Ring http://www.windowscewebring.com/
This is the hub (the main) site for the Win CE web ring. There are links to 500 Pocket PC sites found in the indices of this page.
International Palm Users Group http://www.interpug.com
An international site that contains information on many (most?) of the Palm user groups spread around the world.
Brighthand Forums http://discussion.brighthand.com/palmhandhelds/
A large discussion area on a WIDE variety of Palm-related topics, both technical (hardware, software, utilities, tips) and vertical markets (construction, sales, military, healthcare, and many more). A good place to go to ask questions, or stay abreast of your industry's interest in PDAs.
Here's an example:
"You can read an email, but when you reply, the Palm just beeps at you. The built-in Mail App can read 32K messages, but send only 10K messages. Start deleting unneeded text of the original message in your reply. Once you get below 10K you can start typing. (Any PalmOS)"
Wired CEO http://www.wiredceo.com
Another interesting find, this page focuses on selecting and having sent to you various wireless issues affecting management. Topics covered here include business, daily news, travel, reference tools, technology news and more. The site is truly geared towards the wireless user, as the information that is delivered is inaccessible from a PC.
Development Tips and Tools
Sites with real content for Developers
Pilot-DB is freeware. This is a Palm OS flat-file database manager that handles the following field types: String, Integer, Float, Boolean, Date, Time, Note, List & Link. Pilot-DB has versions for English, German, Portuguese, Italian, and French languages and includes Handera/Clie HiRes screens. Best of all, there is a desktop version available as well!
This version (March 21st ) adds keypad support for the Tungsten T.
If you like Pilot-DB, make sure to check out this tool, which is a desktop editor for the Pilot-DB database. Freeware.
DB-Editor
Wyrd Dev v1.7 http://www.wyrdsoftware.co.uk
Provides information about your PDA, such as battery life, button setup, color and font information, hardware information (memory/palm/screen/sound), etc. Freeware.
When you delete an application, frequently the supporting files and data are left behind. LeftOvers provides an interface to get rid of these "left over" files. This is particularly useful if you are working with several versions of your application on the same Palm.
Note: There is NO VFS support. Freeware.
QED http://www.qland.de/qed/pafpage.htm
QED is a nice editor for use on a Palm device. This version of the software adds support for the Sony Clie and OS 5 devices. QED has been available on different platforms for 10 years. This one does cost some money -- but a shareware version is available to try it with first.
Developer Software Web Sites
Emulator Commandshttp://www.palmos.com/dev/support/docs/emulator/EmulatorTOC.html This page contains a large number of flags that you can use when you start the Palm OS emulator. There are ways to start gremlins, set gremlin flags -- such as how many times to run the test, load apps, load sessions (PSF) files, choose the device type (Pilot,Pilot1000, Pilot5000, PalmPilot, PalmPilotPersonal, PalmPilotProfessional, PalmIII, PalmIIIc, PalmIIIe, PalmIIIx, PalmV, PalmVx, PalmVII, PalmVIIEZ, PalmVIIx, PalmM100, m100, PalmM105, m105, PalmM125, m125, PalmM130, m130, PalmM500, m500, PalmM505, m505, PalmM515, m515, PalmI705, i705, Symbol1500, Symbol1700, Symbol1740, TRGpro, HandEra330, Visor, VisorPlatinum, VisorPrism, VisorEdge), etc.
An up to date list of many topics related to the emulator is included.
Ron Nicholson's Palm OS programming FAQ http://www.nicholson.com/rhn/palm/
A number of updates have been made to this programming FAQ, including
things such as pin out diagrams for the various Palm cradles and the "universal interface". e.g.:
Palm m500/505 Universal Interface
When viewing front of unit, pins are numbered left to right.
1 GND (power)
2 USB D+
3 USB D-
4 USB VBUS
5 HotSync IRQ (+3.3 V for button push)
6 reserved (N/C)
7 GND (signal) (to DE-9 pin 5)
8 ID (pheripheral type detect: 7.5KOhms to GND for serial)
9 Vout ~ 3.3V @ 100 mA max
10 Rxd (input) (to DE-9 pin 2)
11 Txd (output) (to DE-9 pin 3)
12 Attach Detect (gnd)
13 CTS (input) (to DE-9 pin 7)
14 RTS (output) (to DE-9 pin 8)
15 DTR (output) (to DE-9 pin 6)
16 charge Vin (+5.0 VDC 5% @ 1.0 A )
Chris De Herrera's Programming Languages http://www.cewindows.net/developer/languages.htm
A nice list, including tools for C, C++, Basic, Forth, Java, Lisp, Python, Perl, Smalltalk (remember Smalltalk?) and even
PocketASP 2.1 (ASP and HTML on a Pocket PC) and running IIS (Internet Information Server on the Pocket PC).
Reader Tips
After each issue, we receive a number of reader comments, questions and tips regarding handheld development. We would like to share these tips with all of our readers as well.
If you are designing an application that you particularly expect will be used in an airplane (or vehicle), make it forgiving of shaking hands. (an old tip from Apple HI people for laptop design).
This may imply:
a) larger target (tap) areas,
b) extra Undo or more acknowledgement dialogs,
c) more tolerance of sudden jerks of the stylus if there
is a drawing aspect, effectively running a smoothing
algorithm.
Maybe even a special (moving) mode is needed?
Seconding the tip about using thumbs ("Thou Shalt allow Chubby Fingers to Operate a Touchscreen") -- remember the poor soul who just lost their stylus and don't trap them without being at least able to finish an operation without one (ie: if there are important buttons to press make them fingerable).
Tip #1 ("Thou Shalt use only a Couple of Fonts") applies even more so if your target audience is aging or people with illness affecting motor control.
FO Newsletter Survey
Help us to improve this newsletter to better meet your needs!
Click the Image to Answer
Click the survey graphic above or click here to answer the 4 questions. These questions are largely meant to rate your current interest in the platforms of PalmOS, Pocket PC and Phone applications; as well as to see if your current interests are user or developer oriented.
Only registered newsletter users answers are saved, as these are the folks who are affected.
If you would like to suggest topics
for us to focus on, we will strive to add content in the direction
of the most interest. Choose from the following categories, or
add your own, and include this in your email:
Palm Development
Palm User Interface topics (look &
feel issues),
Palm User-oriented topics (tips!),
Palm vs. Pocket PC issues
<other>
If you have other comments or suggestions,
please send us an email with your thoughts by clicking
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. Pocket PC/WinCE items are marked with this 
one. Phone-related PDA tips show a 
icon.
