Mobile Lifestyle

Justice League on Android and iOS

2011-10-21T13:52:00.002+08:00

Saw this on Facebook. Dr Sheldon Cooper will not be pleased with iPhone.

Howto add alternative keyboard to rooted Nook Color

2011-10-17T19:55:00.001+08:00

We shall install Gingerbread Keyboard for this example. This is especially for those using Manualnooter from xda-developers but should apply to any replacement ROM.
1. Download Gingerbread Keyboard apk.
2. Install File Expert from Android Market.
3. Run File Expert
3a. Go Menu>More>Settings>File Explorer Settings, enable "Root Explorer".
3b. Mount \data\app with Menu>More>Mount>Mount As Read Write
3c. Copy apk to \data\app (Use copy and paste icons from "Oper" in bottom toolbar)
3d. Mount \system\app with Menu>More>Mount>Mount As Read Write
3e. Copy apk to \system\app (Use copy and paste icons from "Oper" in bottom toolbar)
4. Restart / Off and On Nook Color
5. Run NookColor Tools and Choose Keyboard. The keyboard should be there.

Tip: Always perform mount operation before writing to system memory as root alone does not allow writing. File Expert can do that, there is no need to buy Root explorer to do that. This also applies to deleting locked apps installed by the mobile carrier.

Download iTunes movie trailers to your PC without Quicktime or iTunes

2011-03-06T10:48:00.002+08:00

I hate Quicktime and iTunes. Fortunately its possible to download iTune movie trailers without these bloated programs.

Save Apple movie trailers to your PC without Quicktime or iTunes - Rusty Lime

The guide using wget still works. Alternatively an easier method as mentioned in users' comments, use Firefox with agent switcher extension and set to "iTunes 6.5".

Android's email app is broken...

2010-09-16T09:40:00.002+08:00

Android's own email app can't move emails in IMAP. The only workaround is to use a third party app like K-9 Mail which is open source.

Issue 1128 - android - Email app should allow moving messages between folders - Project Hosting on Google Code

From Symbian to Windows Mobile to Android

2010-06-14T16:15:00.003+08:00

I have switched from Symbian (Nokia 6120) to Windows Mobile (HTC Touch2) in December 2009 and now using the Android based Motorola Milestone since April 2010. I am happy to say this is by far the best smartphone I've used. Hence this blog will be geared more towards the Android platform. Symbian is already old and busted while Windows Mobile is rubbish. Hopefully the soon to come Symbian/Meego or whachamacallit and Windows Mobile 7 will come up with something new and exciting. For now Android is the platform to go to. And the iPhone/iOS? You got to be kidding me.

Get more space on SugarSync

2009-06-18T14:46:00.006+08:00

SugarSync is an online data storage service with backup and sync features and has good support for mobile devices.

SugarSync is currently having a referral program where you can get an additional 500MB for every free service referral. Go here to signup.

Every time you refer a friend that isn’t yet signed up on SugarSync, we’ll give you and your friend bonus storage space. And for the next 30 days, the bonus amounts are double the size, with no limits on how many people you can refer.

* If you refer a friend that signs up for a Free account, you will earn 500 MB of free bonus storage.
* If you refer a friend that signs up for a Paid account, you can earn 10 GB of free bonus storage (requires that your friend completes the 30-day trial and becomes a paid user).
* When your friend signs up using your referral, he/she will also get a signup bonus of 500 MB or 10GB, depending on whether they sign up for a free vs. paid account.

After July 15th, the bonuses will drop down to 250 MB for a free referral and 5GB for a paid referral, so act fast.

For more details about this referral program, check here.

"Gnubox in use" error

2009-05-17T05:16:00.004+08:00

Gnubox corrupted and stuck in BT/Auto mode.

Solution: "Delete records" under Install option from Gnubox. Create new Access point named "Bt". Run Gnubox and change mode.

Moved to Dropbox

2009-04-25T12:15:00.007+08:00

Google announced the termination of their Google Pages service to all users recently and provided an option to migrate to its Google Sites. I store most of the file downloads found on this blog and it is most unfortunate since I loved its simplicity. Google Sites is a Wiki and not exactly a good place for general file storage. I have looked at other similar free storage offerings and eventually decided on Dropbox (get an addional 250MB space with this link!). I have an account with them since its beta days and finally there is a reason to use them.

Get Dropbox!

PS: I have no affiliation with the Dropbox service. The referral link gives new account holders additional 250MB over the free 2GB and also gives me an additional 250MB.

FreeCaller - a free full screen caller photo app

2009-04-01T19:09:00.004+08:00

A good free app to make incoming calls display a full photo of the caller.

FreeCaller is an open source symbian application for Nokia S60 3rd Edition phones, that displays a full screen caller photo on incoming calls. It uses pre-attached photos, and its own incoming call screen, that replaces the native nokia "bubble". The screen displays a full scale photo of the caller, its name and phone number.

Get it from freecaller.wiki.sourceforge.net This is one more addition to my freeware for S60 collection.

Youtube goes native for S60

2009-03-21T04:45:00.005+08:00

Youtube has released a new Youtube app which is now a native S60 app and is 90% faster than its previous Java version. Use your phone and download from http://m.youtube.com. You may also download the SIS file from here.

Never get lost in Singapore

2009-01-23T17:14:00.006+08:00

This is a collection of sites for information to help you get around Singapore such as street maps and public transport info.

SinGeo: Collection of location tools and services for Singapore

Street maps

www.map.gov.sg/: Singapore maps by Singapore Land Authority
streetdb.com
streetdirectory.com
mylifestylemap.com (formerly can.com.sg)

Google Maps Mashups

Skypigeon
Gothere.sg

Public transport

publictransport.sg

Palm reboots itself with WebOS and Pre

2009-01-09T16:52:00.007+08:00

Palm has finally returned to its roots with a spanking new OS and device after almost half a decade of mediocre smartphone offerings and even embracing Windows Mobile. I think can hear all the Palm loyalists give a sigh of relieve that this was not another Foleo tragedy.

Palm's new multi-tasking OS named WebOS powers the new slick Palm Pre smartphone. The gorgeous new user interface is intuitive and provides the user with a natural way of navigating through gestures using swipes and flicks reminiscent of iPhone. The Pre is smooth and rounded on all sides like a cute pebble you can hold snugly in the hand. It slides out to display the famed Treo style full QWERTY keyboard and is curved to fit the curvature of your face. This is truly a work of love and Palm really deserves all the praise. Great work Palm, you are finally back!

Palm Pre Press Release | Palm Pre website

Opera Mini 4.2 released

2008-11-28T15:47:00.002+08:00

Opera Mini 4.2 is out of beta and released with new features such skin, improved speed and notes. Update your Opera mini today. www.operamini.com

Opera Mini 4.2 beta released

2008-11-12T04:00:00.003+08:00

Opera has released the next version of its popular free mobile browser, Opera Mini version 4.2. New features include skins, faster proxy server, video support and notes.

Download it from http://www.operamini.com/beta/

Gmail 2.0

2008-10-24T11:17:00.002+08:00

The Gmail mobile client now has support for easy access to multiple accounts and offline email composition. Also other improvements you can read here: Gmail blog: Gmail for mobile: faster, smoother, and now in more languages

Point your phone's browser to m.google.com/mail to download.

Sony Ericsson Xperia's "Who is Johnny X?"

2008-10-02T01:19:00.007+08:00

Sony Ericsson has created a viral ad campaign with an episodic movie to promote its upcoming Xperia X1 mobile phone.

Watch the video at www.whoisjohnny-x.com. or find out more about the Xperia X1.

Microsoft Phone Data Manager Beta

2008-09-30T13:04:00.003+08:00

Microsoft India has released a beta version of a synchronisation software for your mobile phone. It will backup your contacts to Windows Live Contacts online so you can access your contacts anywhere. It works with a range of phone models from Motorola, Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson.

Microsoft® Phone Data Manager Beta is an application that is designed to take away the worry of losing data on your phone - specifically contacts, music, pictures and videos. It does that by synchronizing your phone contacts with Microsoft's Windows Live Contacts store in the cloud, or by helping you download files from the phone to your local computer.

Personally I would rather store my stuff on my PC instead of the cloud since you are literally trapping yourself.

Download the software from Microsoft Phone Data Manager Beta website.

Free English Dictionary for eReader

2008-09-25T22:52:00.005+08:00

I found a free dictionary via PalmAddicts which can be used within eReader. It is converted from the WordNet lexical database so there shouldn't be any license issues on free distribution.

Download WordNet English-English Dictionary for eReader

No more missed calls and messages

2008-09-15T14:56:00.006+08:00

I have lost count on the number times I have missed calls or SMSes on my Nokia phone. I finally found a free missed call/message alert app called Total Patrol via Symbian Guru. The app needs to be Symbian Signed to work which is easily done with the old developer's method of signing or with Open Signed online.

With Total Patrol, you can set the time interval, the sound to use for the alert as well as the choice to enable the vibrator. It also includes a low battery warning alert option which you can set to alert you when your battery level reaches a certain percentage. This is a must have app for all Nokia S60 3rd Ed users since Nokia totally forgot to include such an important feature.

You can download the latest version from the Russian site here [betep.allnokia.ru].

Nextbus consolidated

2008-09-05T23:12:00.004+08:00

For those using SBS Transit's iris NextBus, there is now a better all-in-one solution.

I have always thought of making something like this and finally I don't have to since somebody did it. Go to sbsnextbus.appspot.com and you are presented with one entry box. You only need to enter the bus stop number and you can get the full Nextbus schedule of all bus services for that bus stop. Bookmark that result page in your phone's browser and you don't even need to enter anything anymore when you need to lookup that same bus stop. Neat!

Taken from Sounds From The Dungeon via mrbrown.com.

Nokia Beta Labs' enhanced calculator for S60

2008-08-20T17:55:00.004+08:00

Nokia Beta Labs has released an Enhanced Calculator for S60. This is ported from the old S40 calculator which users have found being more intuitive than the current version on S60 devices. Its standard calculator is similar to Calcium by using the direction pad to input operation. It also includes a scientific calculator and a loan calculator by switching modes via the menu.

Sadly this port is a java app and startup on S60 takes four seconds to start. I'll stick with the default S60 calculator, Calcium and cCalc for now.

Google Maps for mobile devices

2008-08-01T00:07:00.004+08:00

Google recently updated their Google Maps for mobile devices on Symbian S60 and Windows Mobile to version 2.2. For those no using such platforms, the Java version is also updated. One major new features is Transit which is available to around 50 cities at the moment.

The preferred way to download download the app is with your phone directed at google.com/gmm. It will check your web browser useragent and serve the corresponding page for download. There is no direct page to download with your desktop browser. For those who prefer to download to their PCs then transferring it to the phone, you can easily bypass this with the User Agent Switcher Firefox extension with the appropriate useragent info (search google for it) and download it with Firefox. The following are some of the links for the major mobile platforms.

Download Google Maps for: Symbian S60, Java Micro Edition, Windows Mobile
The Palm version is version 2.0.2.0: Palm OS devices

Quickoffice Premier 5 for S60 @ $1!

2008-07-23T12:19:00.004+08:00

Update: Offer over, seemed too short.

For a limited time of 24 hours, the good folks at Quickoffice are offering Quickoffice Premier 5 for S60 at ONE DOLLAR! I've been wanting to get this for some time to replace the default view only version that came with my phone but never wanted to pay the steep price of over $50. $1 fits my budget just right. Non-US customers may have problem purchasing with their credit cards, paypal works well.

Get Quickoffice Premier 5 for S60

Singapore street map in your pocket

2008-07-05T10:45:00.002+08:00

Street map services seem to be the rage these days and ever since Virtual Maps (owners of streetdirectory.com) got burnt by SLA (Singapore Land Authority) in the courts, a number of map services have surfaced. Even SLA launched its own free online map service.

Now SLA makes their maps mobile by partnering with Mapking to release a free Singapore street map for Windows Mobile devices.

SLA StreetMap Mobile

Singapore Land Authority (SLA) and MapKing (Singapore) Pte Ltd have jointly launched a mobile version of the online StreetMap@Singapore, named SLA StreetMap Mobile. It can be downloaded for free onto mobile devices running on Windows Mobile OS and can now be viewed on PDAs and PDA phones.

However it lacks features such as routing navigation and GPS support. I suppose that will be in a pay version marketed by Mapking.

Symbian does an Android

2008-06-27T07:15:00.007+08:00

Nokia recently announced its offer to acquire the shares of Symbian from its partners. Nokia intends to consolidate the various iterations of Symbian, namely S60, UIQ and MOAP, into one single platform under a newly established Symbian Foundation and to open source Symbian in the next 2 years.

This is not too dissimilar to Google's Android initiative which many would view as the reason for Nokia's bold direction. The rise of open source Linux on smartphone devices like Android poses a serious challenge down the road.

As a major shareholder of Symbian, Nokia has all this while been the main purveyor of Symbian OS even though it started out as a partnership with a few other well-known mobile phone manufacturers such as Sony Ericsson and Motorola. Symbian has made little impact in terms of being a smartphone OS brand unlike RIM, Windows Mobile and iPhone which dominate the enterprise space; Symbian is generally treated as a mainstream proprietary OS for low to mid range phones with little to no emphasis on smartphone features. By making this strategic move, Nokia will prevent Symbian from becoming obsolete and evolve into an accessible platform for all mobile device manufacturers to incorporate into their hardware.

Oh, and also Happy 10th Birthday to Symbian.

Firefox Mobile browser Concept UI

2008-06-12T13:47:00.008+08:00

The Mozilla Labs team working on the Firefox Mobile browser has released a video introducing an interesting concept UI that uses a desktop type space to create and arrange webpage tabs for a touch interface device.

Firefox Mobile Concept Video

I like how the page view is presented without any UI object clutter like toolbars or scrollbars while viewing the content. This is very important on a small screen devices where every bit of space is precious. The navigation functions like forward and back buttons can be easily called up by moving over to the left edge. The way you can "throw" the page by flicking it to any of the edges of the page to return to the main desktop view is quite clever.

Read more about it here and even download the mock-up to test it out in your desktop browser. Test drive it here in your browser.

Apple announces iPhone 3G

2008-06-10T03:20:00.007+08:00

The new iPhone 3G was announced at the WWDC08 with enterprise ready software support, worldwide availability and new hardware features such as 3G and GPS. Unfortunately the front cam with iChat rumour was a fake else this would have been the ultimate smartphone killer.

At US$199 for the 8GB unit and US$299 for the 16GB unit with respective carrier contracts under Apple's exclusive list of mobile carriers, iPhone 3G will be widely available in many countries. Nokia, Samsung, Palm, Motorola and other smartphone makers will be watching this venerable competitor and hopefully consumers will get even better phones down the road.

See the new iPhone 3G.

Watch the new iPhone 3G Ad.

Firefox 3 Download Day

2008-05-29T12:34:00.002+08:00

Let's set Guinness World Record for most software downloads in 24 hours.

Pledge your support!

The Pen Is Mighty

2008-04-19T18:00:00.010+08:00

The first time I tried out the LeapPad by Leapfrog at a department store(I was bored...), I was intrigued. Little wonder that this educational toy sold millions in the US. But I thought it was quite cumbersome as you had to place the book on the large pad to work and the pen is tethered to it.

Leapfrog finally has a new product called Tag coming soon ~~next month~~ in the form of a chubby digital pen. The technology behind this seemingly simple looking pen is actually quite fascinating which is based on pen-based reading technology created by a Swedish company called Anoto.

It works on books whose pages are imprinted with invisible dots that allow a small infrared camera at the tip of the Tag to recognize words or images on the page.

LeapFrog Hopes for Next Hit With Interactive Reading Toy | The Innovator’s Dilemma of a Toy Maker

There's also something for adults with the Livescribe's Pulse smartpen also releasing in the coming months. It is a note-taking pen that allows handwriting on special paper printed with invisible dots to be captured to a PC.

Take Note: Computing Takes Up Pen, Again

It will be interesting to watch how successful these digital pen products will be in the near future.

Tag by Leapfrog | Pulse smartpen by Livescribe

A tip for storing numbers

2008-04-09T20:45:00.005+08:00

This is a neat yet obvious tip over at S60.com that's possible on any phone that records dialed numbers.

A tip for storing numbers: hotel room, taxi order etc. When ordering a taxi, the operator gives me a number (usually three digits) so that know which taxi is for me. It's essential information but needed only for max 10-15 minutes. As I have a bad memory, I make a call to that number and immediately hang-up. This way, the number is available in my made calls should I need it. No need for pen and paper. Works also for storing hotel room numbers etc. Any other tips for doing this?

I never found the need to use this since I can easily access the notes app. But this method is possibly the simplest and fastest way to store adhoc numbers on almost any phone.

Alternatively, you can use the camera like the guy in this ad to break the language barrier.

Opera Mini on your PC

2008-04-04T21:27:00.005+08:00

There's a guide over at Opera community on how to run Opera Mini on your PC.

For those with slow connections this might make surfing the Web a whole new experience.

Imagine you're in a place where you can only connect to a 56k connection (or worse), but you really need to check out some stuff on the Internet... Well, one option is to use Opera Mini on your mobile phone, but it might be a hassle since text input can be a pain (and you're in a hurry), so what do you do?

This is similar to the Opera Mini Simulator on the Opera Mini website except that you run the Java app directly from a program window instead of using the web browser. This allows you to try out the latest Opera Mini 4.1. You can also use it to test out your wehpages formatted for mobile viewing.

Motorola /2

2008-03-27T01:55:00.005+08:00

Motorola announces that the company will split into two separate companies.

Motorola Commences Process to Create Two Independent, Industry-Leading Companies Separate Publicly-Traded Mobile Devices Business and Broadband & Mobility Solutions Business Anticipated Company to Host Conference Call Today at 8:30 am ET SCHAUMBURG, IL – March 26, 2008 – Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) today announced that the Company’s Board of Directors has commenced a process to create two independent, publicly-traded companies. Today’s decision follows the Company’s January 31, 2008 announced evaluation of the structural and strategic realignment of its businesses and represents affirmative steps to position its Mobile Devices and Broadband & Mobility Solutions businesses for success, while creating value for all Motorola shareholders.

Full Press Release

Nokia Morph concept device

2008-02-26T02:41:00.006+08:00

Featured in The Museum of Modern Art “Design and The Elastic Mind” exhibition, the Morph concept device is a bridge between highly advanced technologies and their potential benefits to end-users. This device concept showcases some revolutionary leaps being explored by Nokia Research Center (NRC) in collaboration with the Cambridge Nanoscience Centre (United Kingdom) – nanoscale technologies that will potentially create a world of radically different devices that open up an entirely new spectrum of possibilities.

Morph concept technologies might create fantastic opportunities for mobile devices:
* Newly-enabled flexible and transparent materials blend more seamlessly with the way we live
* Devices become self-cleaning and self-preserving
* Transparent electronics offering an entirely new aesthetic dimension
* Built-in solar absorption might charge a device, whilst batteries become smaller, longer lasting and faster to charge
* Integrated sensors might allow us to learn more about the environment around us, empowering us to make better choices

In addition to the advances above, the integrated electronics shown in the Morph concept could cost less and include more functionality in a much smaller space, even as interfaces are simplified and usability is enhanced. All of these new capabilities will unleash new applications and services that will allow us to communicate and interact in unprecedented ways.

MP3Editor for Python S60

2008-01-19T21:47:00.008+08:00

I found this Russian MP3 Editor that's based on Python S60. It can trim and join MP3 files and even edit some info of the ID tag. I found it very useful when trying to trim music already in the phone to create ringtones. The great thing about it is that it always saves the edited copy without overwriting the original file. I poked around and found the source packaged within so I decided to translate it from Russian into English with some help from Altavista's Babel Fish translator and removed the time wasting splash screen on load.

Things to do if I have the time: Translate the original manual from Russian to English.

Update: (21/1/2008) I have repackaged the files to include the icon. Due to my previous poor handling of the program's UID, please remove all prior versions before installing the latest else you will have duplicate copies of the installed app.

Install BOTH of the following .sis files:

MP3Editor 0.3 English localisation

Python S60 interpreter. Download and install the file PythonForS60_1_4_3_X.SIS where X corresponds to the version of your Symbian OS.

You need to place the MP3 files for editing in E:\Sounds directory in your memory card prior to running the program; the program will quit if it is unable to locate the directory.

The basic keys to crop files are as follows:

Use left soft key for menus and right key to cancel or exit. 1/3: Move start point to right
2: Reset start position
4/6: Move end point to left/right
5: Mark end point at current position
7/8: Adjust timing steps
Up, down keys: Volume control
Left, right keys: Move position mark

Test out the keys and it should be quite obvious what they do. For questions or feedback, post them in the comments of this entry.

After trying this app on some MP3 files, I found that it has some accuracy issues when handling sound files at certain bitrates on my phone. It happens on my Nokia 6120 so I am not sure if this occurs on other Symbian phones. The bug is prevalent when saving a cropped file; it will offset ending mark of the track by a few seconds. The workaround is to manually offset the crop by the amount missing from the track.

Singapore Bus Guide for iPhone and iPod touch

2008-01-15T18:00:00.005+08:00

Update: Transit is available in modmyifone installer repository and in the installer repository at potty.peeinmypantz.com. (New site seems to be offline for now)

There is now a free Singapore Bus Guide app for iPhone or iPod touch based on the Singapore Bus Guide data.

Transit is an iPhone native application that functions as Singapore Bus Guide. http://code.google.com/p/iphone-transit/

There is also a Singapore MRT guide for iPhone or iPod Touch.

Unfortunately I don't have an iPhone or iPod Touch to test them out.

Check out the app in this blurry and shaky video:

Symbian programming doodle

2008-01-15T01:28:00.001+08:00

I decided to play around with the Carbide.c++ IDE from Nokia during the weekend to mod a few open source apps I found. I used the basic Express version since its free.

Having absolutely no prior programming experience with C++ though I did dabble with very simple C programming stuff, I found that it was quite easy to use the Carbide IDE which is based on the Eclipse IDE. The included tutorials are pretty useless and I think I learnt most of it through trial and error. I never did get far with Palm programming even though it was using the same IDE though.

The first program source I tried out was CMans SaySMS. This is a Flash SMS app where the SMS message will display immediately on the recipient's phone like a nag screen. I had two major nagging problems with this app that need some changing.

First is a cropped icon when viewed in the task manager which I had to compare the SVG graphic file with a Carbide sample app. It took a while before I found it was missing the viewBox attribute. This wouldn't be considered as changing the code since I could have extracted the original sis package and done it without the source. The other irritating thing is that it loads "Hi" as default in the input area and I have to clear it every time. I only had to search for the "Hi" string and remove it. I also tried to find a way to increase the font size for the SMS input text since they were ridiculously small but I couldn't locate the appropriate settings for these.

The next app I tried was horlogeParlante or simply a talking clock. It speaks the time when you press the volume key but the app is in French. This too was quite straightforward as variables used by the author were very clear which made localising it to English an easy task.

You can download my versions here:
Say SMS
Talking Clock
Both are S60 3rd Edition programs.

Note that you will have to sign them with your developer certs in order to install successfully. Since the codes are released freely by the original authors and one is even licensed under GPL, you may request for my source code of the changes by posting your request in the comments. All requests in the comments are moderated and will not be published so you do not need to worry about exposing your email address to spam harvesters.

Using SIM Directory Contacts by default on a Nokia S60 smartphone

2008-01-03T02:01:00.001+08:00

SIMply troublesome

It has been a convenience to store my contacts on the SIM card since this allows me to swap phones without worrying about maintaining consistency of contacts on any make of phone. The way the contact list is stored on the SIM card is standard and any phone is able to access it readily. Having used phones from Motorla, Samsung and Sony Ericsson, I have never encountered any problem with my contacts until I switched to a new Nokia S60 smartphone.

SIM versus Phone contacts

It is good that Nokia have included some basic copy features so you can manage the contacts between the SIM card and phone memory and even backup to the memory card. However they have also deliberately made accessing the phone's memory the default and tucked away the SIM directory access in one of the menus. There is no option to choose whether you want to use the phone or SIM card memory by default; you MUST use phone memory. Nokia probably thinks that forcing us to use the phone's memory to store our contacts is the only way to take advantage of the PIM features of a smartphone which is quite true since it allows more fields to store PIM related data such as addresses, birthday and more phone numbers.

I have searched through a number of Symbian forums and the general consensus is that you cannot run SIM directory as default. There are workarounds which generally requires you to either copy all your contacts over to the phone memory and updating the SIM card's contact list every time you add or delete contacts or go through the menus to reach the SIM directory every time you need to make a call. Other then that, I guess the obvious least troublesome solution is to force yourself to use the phone memory. But there is actually one other way; write a program to load the SIM directory. And that's what I did.

A SIMple solution

Having spent some time playing around with Python for S60, I happened to find out from the developer forums a way to access the Sim directory. The SIM directory is actually a native executable app that can be launched except that there is no icon to load it directly. The code is so trivial and contains only 2 short lines that I am a bit embarrassed to post it here. :P

I have included the SIS which you can install. Python for S60 interpreter is mandatory.

Download Sim Contacts SIS (for S60 3rd Ed)
Download Python for S60 interpreter.
Choose "PythonForS60_1_4_1_3rdEd.SIS" assuming you are using a Symbian S60 3rd Edition phone.

Install both SIS files into your phone memory using PC Suite or other means. After installing, you should see the Sim Contact app in your phone where new apps usually reside. You can then set it to your softbutton or Active standby buttons for quick access.

The drawback to using this is that the SIM directory is only able to perform voice and video calls. There is no direct access to send SMS or messages. This is yet another feature Nokia conveniently omitted.

The storage cost to get this working is quite heavy considering the required Python for S60 package itself is almost one megabyte in size. Somebody with Symbian C++ programming skills would be able to do this more efficiently.

Anyway I hope this app will be useful to somebody.

Freeware for Symbian S60 3rd Ed

2008-01-02T17:27:00.010+08:00

Being spoilt for choice with thousands of apps available for the Palm OS platform, its quite a chore to find equally fascinating titles on the Symbian S60 platform. I am a cheapskate who prefers not to spend a dime on software and especially not on a "throwaway" device like a phone. So it was quite frustrating in the beginning when I didn't know what exactly is available and wasted a lot of time searching the web.

After taking a while to become accustomed with my Nokia 6120 Classic and testing a wide selection of free programs, I've decided to make this list which I hope can serve as a starting point for new users of a S60 smartphone device. All the apps listed are legal freeware and native S60 apps. I have personally tried out each one and most have a permanent place in my phone. I have also included it with links so you can easily download the programs and even discover other apps on the respective sites.

Nokia software
Nokia has its own Symbian apps which may not be included on their phones.

Nokia Maps
Free vector maps on your phone with satnav capabilities using GPS. It works well even without GPS.

Nokia Search
Search your phone for almost anything using any keyword.

Nokia Energy Profiler
This program is meant for software development purposes but it can be useful to see if you have any rogue power hungry app installed.

Nokia Beta Lab
Nokia has its own beta lab where it lets users try out some apps they are developing for its phones.

Nokia Device Status
A self-diagnosis tool that allows you to collect detailed system information both from your PC and your S60 device. Your device configuration and phone settings are presented in a neat detailed summary. Available as PC and phone versions.

Nokia Audiobooks
Carry your audiobooks while on the go. The package includes a highly efficient audio compression technology optimized for voice (AMR-WB), a player application for S60 (Nokia Audiobook Player), and an audio converter tool for PC (Nokia Audiobook Manager). Whereas traditional music player applications are optimized for music, Nokia Audiobook Player is optimized for audiobooks, enabling you to browse chapters, set bookmarks, and automatically continue from where you last time stopped listening.

Wellness Diary
Monitor and track a range of everyday well-being parameters, including weight, eating habits, exercise, blood pressure and others. Works as a health journal for you to take an active role in the daily and/or long-term management of your health.
This is not really useful to me since I am not a very fitness conscious person. :P

Conversation
Enables grouping of messages in a threaded messaging view. I find that it doesn't display the sender names for SMSes received that have the country code prefix.

Third Party Freeware

Multimedia

Divxplayer
Playback your DivX or Xvid videos. This is however a limited time version. It has decent playback but still not as polished as Coreplayer. A signup is required at Divx site before you can download but you may be able to find the file hosted elsewhere.

emTube
Stream and save Youtube video or play your Flash video (.flv) files stored on your phone. The playback of stored flv video is very smooth and can only get better as the author has been actively improving this app. Now you can watch any lame Youtube video over and over while on that dull commute.

Mobitubia

Like emtube that can stream and playback Youtube videos but with nice eyecandy UI like a revolving menu. I prefer emtube to this since I like a simpler no-frills menu and I am not forced to turn my phone sideways just to use the menu. Some N95 users might prefer this though.

Phone tools

Call Filter or CallFilter
Filter your calls with blacklist or whitelists. There happens to be two apps with the same name. The first one you can get free from S60.com after you sign-up and the other one. I have yet to test both out but the former looks a bit more polished and does not have ugly icons.

FreeCaller
FreeCaller is an open source symbian application that displays a full screen caller photo on incoming calls. The screen displays a pre-attached full scale photo of the caller, its name and phone number.

Kaywa reader
Read those mobile barcodes with this app. It supports decoding and showing the text directly on the screen without connecting to the Net. This is one of the better readers since it can decode QR codes.

Screenshot
Capture screenshots of your phone. This app supports hotkey activation with the "C" or camera button so works well on my 6120c.

SaySMS
Send Flash SMS, an SMS message that pops up on your recipient's phone immediately. It is good for that one off blasts to a friend. It lacks integration with the built-in SMS app and loads with the word "Hi," which is quite annoying since you'll need to clear it every time you don't want to start out with that salutation.

SMS Export
Export your SMS to text files on your phone. Good for creating backups if you hate to sync with Nokia PC Suite.

Theme Scheduler and Profile Scheduler
From the developer of the excellent free file manager Y-browser comes these two scheduler apps for theme and profiles. You can now change themes and profiles as often as you like automatically.

Total Patrol

Nokia left out the missed call/sms alert feature. Now you never have to miss another call/message with this app.

Programming
Python for S60

Develop programs with the efficient Python programming language. This is an excellent rapid application development environment to create working apps with little effort.

Ebooks

BibleReader
I am not a religious fanatic but its nice to see a Bible on a phone. As usual, the more mainstream Bible versions like NIV and NKJV are not free but there are free ones available.

Biblereader, Mobipocket & Pydict

Mobipocket Reader and Qreader
Mobipocker reader is an elegant ebook reader and has better support especially ebooks purchased from its site. But Qreader offers more configurable options and find features. Install and use both if in doubt.

PyDict
A dictionary running on Python for S60. So far free dictionaries on the S60 are quite hard to find.

Internet

Flash Lite 3
This version is a beta release. I hardly use it since I have no need for Flash apps. However I find this is very neat as Palm OS doesn't even have that capability.

GnuBox
GnuBox is useful if you don't have unlimited 3G/GPRS or a free Wifi enabled phone but want to surf the web via BT to your PC's internet connect sharing. The setup is quite a challenge but worthwhile once it works.

Gnubox & Flash Lite 3

Tools and Utilities

cClock
Display a nice big clock when your phone goes into screensaver or powersaver mode. Very configurable and low power footprint. I never wear a watch; this is my watch.

cCalc
Add a bit more calculation function with this simple scientific calculator with basic programmable conversion functions. Now you can log and root your digits.

cCam
Some Nokia phones do not allow you to shut off the shutter sound for the camera for discrete photo taking. This camera app allows you to do that.

Calcium
A calculator with a gorgeous UI with simple and easy input. It is similar to the calculator found in Motorola phones where the four main operators are entered with the D-pad. If you need to perform fast calculations without a running list like the default Nokia calculator, you will love this.

Active notes
Create notes and embed objects like photos, audio and videos.

Y-Browser plus all plugins
This is by far the best explorer app to manage your files on your phone.

Games

Frozen Bubble
A Puzzle Bubble clone. 100 levels of gameplay. Its a great time waster and is quite easy to complete.

Snakes

An old Nokia classic game revamped in gorgeous 3D gameplay. Hours of fun to complete 42 puzzle levels in great music and sound.

The Snakes is a whole new level based world of gameplay, containing over 40 stages of complex mazes with colorful and brilliant 3D graphics, not to mention the impressive gameplay generated soundscapes. Quick reflexes are needed in making those sharp turns and collecting scattered power-ups, shields, teleporters, and other specialities.

Final notes

This is a non exhaustive list of freeware I have found. I may omit and include more apps in future as I discover them. If you have any good freeware to share, do post a comment.

First outing with Nokia 6120 Classic and Symbian

2007-12-26T22:55:00.000+08:00

I got a $0 Nokia 6120 Classic for half a month now and so far its the most fun I have had with a phone packed with so many features. Powered by the Symbian S60 3rd Edition OS, it is essentially a smartphone since it can perform communications as well as PIM (Personal Information Manager) capabilities. The phone's processor running just above 300Mhz is snappy and responsive, almost as good as running apps on Palm OS. Multitasking is as straightforward as leaving an app without properly exiting, ie. by pressing the menu button when running the app, and switching apps by triggering the tasklist by holding down the menu button.

The included apps that come with the phone don't do justice to such a powerful device as there are quite a number of S60 apps, both free and pay, found on the web. It took me quite a while and some help through forums to finally find some good sites for good starting points to find apps. I will cover this in a later post.

Generally most of the more functional apps are payware since Symbian has this draconian DRM-ish developer signing process to access its more security critical APIs. Simple stuff like themes and basic apps like calculator or games do not require this hence are mostly free. To work around this signing barrier and to release apps fast, independent developers would release their code unsigned and users need to acquire a developer cert from symbiansigned.com to sign the apps themselves, ie. the user has to become a developer. Although there are abundant guides on developer signing, this may still turn off the less persistent and adventurous users who hate to dabble with such complications. Fortunately this is not a common practice and so far only those very experimental apps such as rotateme and gnubox require this. Developers who want to release production freeware have the option to release it via the proper freeware channel.

I have been a Palm OS user for quite a long time and I am delighted to say that Symbian S60 OS is as robust and feature rich operating system especially for the mobile platform as Palm OS have always been. Up till now, I have not had any crashes that require any battery removal.

Backed by a strong companies like Nokia and Sony Ericsson, Symbian has matured into something that Palm Inc. failed to accomplish. With competition heating up with the smartphone platforms like Google's open platform Android, Apple's cool iPhone, Microsoft's ubiquitous Windows mobile and Palm's update to Palm Linux, it will be an interesting time to see improvements in smartphone platforms.

Google and friends reveal Android

2007-11-06T02:32:00.000+08:00

Google and partners announce the Open Handset Alliance and introduce the mobile Linux platform named Android that will be the foundation for these new mobile phones. With some of the top names in mobile equipment like phone manufacturers HTC, LG, Motorola and Samsung supporting this alliance, this may be the next thing to shake the mobile phone scene.

Google's cutesy intro video on Android Official Google Blog: Where's my Gphone?

Hotsync and internet connection with Palm OS device to Linux via Bluetooth

2007-10-12T19:48:00.008+08:00

After much persistence, I am finally hotsyncing and surfing the Net on my Zodiac through Ubuntu Linux via bluetooth. The main references I followed are the following:

Howto: Internet on your palm via bluetooth from scratch
bluetooth and Linux
Surf the Web with Bluetooth

These settings worked for me: Run scan for bluetooth:

$ hciconfig
hci0: Type: USB
BD Address: 00:10:60:A7:27:5F ACL MTU: 192:8 SCO MTU: 64:8
UP RUNNING PSCAN ISCAN
RX bytes:41356 acl:533 sco:0 events:1462 errors:0
TX bytes:277041 acl:2258 sco:0 commands:108 errors:0
$ hcitool scan

Create /etc/ppp/peers/dun:

debug
57600
noipdefault
proxyarp
# IP address of PC : IP address to be assigned to Palm
172.31.64.12:172.31.130.67
# My DNS server
ms-dns YOUR_DNS_ADDRESS
ktune
noauth
local
nodefaultroute
noipx

Use ifconfig to check for the IP address currently used. If possible, set it to a static IP. Substitute the IP address of your DNS server for YOUR_DNS_ADDRESS. You can find it out by looking into the file /etc/resolv.conf (look for 'server aaa.bbb.ccc.ddd' and write ms-dns aaa.bbb.ccc.ddd into the above file.)

Run test for connection:

dund --nodetach --listen --persist --msdun call dun

Set the bluetooth device to connect to internet. If test successful, insert line into /etc/default/bluetooth

DUND_OPTIONS="--listen --persist --msdun call dun"

If it connects but there's no data, check that firewall tools like moblock/blockcontrol are not blocking it. Disable to confirm.

J-pilot is a good replacement for Palm Desktop on Linux. Pilot-link is one solid program for transferring files between the Palm and PC though it needs to run from the terminal. Now its really good riddance to Windows. There's one minor quirk on my Zod though -- I need to get it connected to the network before I can hotsync or else it will crash.

Mobile Daily Devotions on your mobile

2007-09-21T02:10:00.000+08:00

Mobile Daily Devotions is a collection of Christian devotional materials available as Java midlets (both jar and jad files) which can be installed onto your Java enabled phone.

Mobile Daily Devotions is dedicated to create Christian daily devotions for the cell phone, mobile phone and handphone. Most of us with a cell phone, carry it with us all the time, so it is a very convenient device for reading daily devotions. Our Daily Bread, Streams in the Desert, Daily in Christ and Global Prayer Digest are popular daily devotionals that you can now read on your cell phone. These mobile devotions will run on most cell phones that support Java applications.

Mobile Daily Devotions Downloads

How to install Java midlets on Samsung phone

2007-08-19T18:13:00.002+08:00

I just got a Samsung D830 and was wondering why I could not install Java midlets. Its great that Howard Forums has the answer.

From Howard Forums:

1) Type in the code *#9998*52824678255# (which reads *#9998*JAVAINSTALL# )
2) Your phone should return with 'Activated'
3) Now using Bluetooth or USB cable, connect to your phone (IR probably works too)
4) If you have a game as .jar, but don't have a .jad file, use JadMaker to create one (draw the .jar file to it and it will generate a .jad file for you).
5) Copy the .jar AND .jad file of the game into the map called "Other Documents" on your phone.
6) Now on your phone under 'My Files' browse to the 'Other Documents' map and doubleclick on the just copied .jad file.
7) The phone will ask you if you want to Install the game.
8) After Install you will find the game under Games on your phone.
9) You can now remove the just copied .jar and .jad file again (they were only there to install the game onto your phone).

PS: If it doesn't work on your Samsung phone even if its same as mine, either you did it wrongly or its telco locked. All I know is it worked on mine and a few others

Cheap Nokia 770

2007-07-19T20:27:00.002+08:00

From a tip at SPUG forums, Expansys is selling the Nokia 770 Internet Tablet at an attractive price of S$199.22 (~US$130). I reckon Nokia is clearing our their inventory of this product hence the low price. Also Nokia has apparently dropped support for this product since the introduction of the much improved Nokia 800 that supersedes the 770.

The Nokia 770 is a decent Linux based device for mobile internet surfing especially if you are in a Wifi hotspot. This device has been on the market for quite awhile so there's already quite a substantial user base for support and hacks on the internet to enhance its capabilities. The main issue I find is that 770 only accepts the less ubiquitous RS-MMS card which might be a bit harder to find and cost more than the usual SD cards.

Nonetheless it is still a good deal at S$200 if you like something affordable with a good looking screen to surf the Net when on the move.

Maths on your phone

2007-07-13T22:17:00.000+08:00

Math4mobile has some interesting maths midlets for use on your Java-based phone. Currently they offer five different midlets for various graphing and learning purposes.

Graph2Go is a special-purpose graphing calculator that operates for given sets of function expressions. Solve2Go supports solving equations and inequalities conjectures based on visual thinking. Conjectures can be refuted or supported by examples provided by the tool, and should be proved using symbolic manipulations on paper. Sketch2Go is a qualitative graphing tool. Graphs are sketched using seven icons representing constant, increasing, and decreasing functions that change at constant, increasing, or decreasing rates. Fit2Go is a linear and quadratic function graphing tool and curve fitter. Students can view a phenomenon, identify variables, conduct experiments and take measurements in order to construct models of the phenomena. Quad2Go is a handy tool for learning about quadrilaterals by generating examples, observing, and experimenting with examples with a view toward forming generalized conjectures.

They include Java emulators so you can test them out in your browser before you decide to download to use on your phone. http://www.math4mobile.com/

Save your ears

2007-07-12T19:29:00.000+08:00

During my recent trip to Japan, I bought myself a pair of Sony MCR-NC22 Noise Cancellation earphones to improve my in-flight entertainment experience. The low drones of the plane engines were really getting on my nerves on the flight over especially when I was unable to listen to the conversations in the movies clearly. So I thought these earphones would help, and they did amazingly well.

Now that I am back home, I realise that I can still use these noise cancellation earphones during the commute on public transport such as bus and trains. No doubt the noise is not as substantial as on the plane, it helped by making listening to music on the commute more enjoyable and comfortable.

I usually use a Creative Muvo MP3 with a pair of Sony in-ear earphones and the volume turned to level 10 which tends to sound quite soft on the MRT and bus. I was always tempted to up it a few notches to drown out the background noise but I know it would cause irrepairable damage to my ears in the long run.

Now with the noise cancellation earphones, I find that I can turn it all the way down to level one without any loss in clarity. In fact the sound is even louder and clearer than I had originally experienced with my old earphones. Now not only am I enjoying my music better, I am saving my hearing by not blasting the volume to drown the background noise.

Singtel MobileM@il: Free mobile email access

2007-06-23T00:25:00.000+08:00

Singtel Mobile is offering its push-email for free with ad support. You need to subscribe to the service and download the Java midlet to access emails. Accessing the WAP portal to subscribe to the service will incur standard GPRS charges but after that GPRS access via the email app is free - this is the attractive part of this service.

The setup is pretty painless if your device is supported. I tried it on my Motorola E398 which is not on the supported devices list but it works well although its a bit slow which is due to my phone's poor processor.

You can access emails from SingNet, GMail, Yahoo and a few other supported accounts for up to 5 email accounts. You can perform the usual simple email tasks such as composing and checking emails. A major annoyance would be the ad space takes up almost half of the screen space when in email view which is a bit of a pain when reading emails. Alas there's little to complain since its free.

You can subscribe to the Singtel MobileM@il service here.

Opera Mini Vs iPhone

2007-06-19T20:09:00.000+08:00

Cheeky take on the Apple iMac ads with Opera Mini versus the iPhone.

Opera Mini 4 beta

2007-06-19T19:08:00.000+08:00

The next version of Opera Mini is big in features such as zoom-in and virtual mouse control. It is currently in beta and your feedback to the Opera development team will help make it even greater.

Check it out now : www.operamini.com/beta/

You may download the jad and jar files here:

JAR: http://mini.opera.com/global/opera-mini-4.0.8462-advanced-int.jar

JAD: http://mini.opera.com/global/opera-mini-4.0.8462-advanced-int.jad

Opera Mini Dimension

2007-06-15T20:48:00.000+08:00

Opera Mini Dimension is set to release on Tuesday, June 19th

http://www.operamini.com/beta/

Here comes the NextBus

2007-04-11T12:04:00.000+08:00

Last Sunday, I decided to try out the SBSTransit's IRIS NextBus service. Those who don't already know what this NextBus is, it is SBSTransit's online bus information system which provides live tracking of bus arrival times.

The first test for the day was in the morning when my family and I just arrived at the bus stop. I started by logging on to the mobile version of NextBus on my phone. As my phone is over 2 years old, it took some time just to load the browser. I keyed in the URL manually since I had not bookmarked it on my phone prior. Before I even reached the site, mum had flagged down a cab as we were already quite late.

Lesson learnt, Part 1 - if you are late, you won't even bother using NextBus.

Later on in the afternoon after having lunch, we were heading to the temple and columbarium for our Ching Ming visitations. This time there wasn't even an opportunity to use NextBus, our bus came just within minutes of waiting.

Lesson learnt, Part 2 - You don't need NextBus when you can see your bus coming.

After we had completed our visitations, it was time to take a bus to go Cold Storage Jelita for some grocery shopping for dinner. While walking to the bus stop, I proceeded to log on to the NextBus page and then keyed in the bus service number.

Upon reaching the bus stop, I referred to the bus stop number on the bus stop's info board to key into the remaining field on the site. I submitted it and looked at the screen eagerly awaiting the results. The page refreshed and showed that the next bus will arrive in 15 minutes. I then looked up away from my phone and within a stone's throw away my bus was approaching. In usual situations, I think I would have really waited 15 minutes if I missed this bus while text messaging a friend.

Lesson learnt, Part 3 - NextBus works when the situation allows it.

Overall, I find the NextBus is not practical since you will be waiting at the bus stop regardless of how long the bus will take to arrive. It may or may not test one's patience since it will either show how soon or late your bus will come. This is not to say its a totally useless service but it just doesn't work for me.

Palm announce Linux-based platform

2007-04-11T11:52:00.000+08:00

This is more good news for Palm OS fans. Your favourite mobile OS is getting an overhaul and to be powered by a Linux core. I hope it delivers on time this time round and not become another Cobalt vapourware.

Today at Palm Inc's Analyst Day, Palm CEO Ed Colligan officially announced that Palm will deliver a new Linux and open source based mobile computing platform combined with Palm OS Garnet technology on new products later this year. The new platform was just announced at the Palm Analyst meeting and details are light at this point and still coming in. Read on for some slides and more information from the presentation.

The platform is described as a "new foundation for Palm." It will combine aspects of Palm OS Garnet and a Linux core. Palm plans to "evolve" the Palm Developer community to the new platform.

Colligan highlighted and stressed a few points about the new platform. He continually stressed the importance of the user experience citing the ability to have an instant on, highly portable device with great battery life. Other highlights included greater hardware flexibility and the ability to handle simultaneous voice and data, two key ares which have hampered the traditional Palm OS in recent years.

Another key aspect would be the device's web browsing experience. Colligan said Palm is focusing highly on connected web applications and web services built around mobile devices. He cited the ability to easily backup and restore over the web, delivering software and device updates over the internet and wireless software distribution. The recent Opera brower licensing agreement is likely tied to this new platform.

Colligan also revealed that this was a new platform that Palm has been working on, in house for a number of years. He stated that Palm would not license this new OS to outside hardware companies, meaning this will be a Palm exclusive platform.

This is a separate project from Palm Inc and is not related to the ACCESS Linux Platform, which is being developed by ACCESS, formerly PalmSource. Many of the technical software and hardware details have yet to be announced.

Jeff Hawkins and his Treo

2007-03-15T15:54:00.000+08:00

Jeff Hawkins, founder of Palm Inc, tells PalmAddicts about his Treo 700p and how he uses it.

Here's the extract 'link-ified':

Sammy, I have a Treo 700p on Sprint. My usage is probably typical. Major applications for me are Palm email via Palm’s VersaMail and push EAS, Numenta email via Snapper Mail IMAP, of course I use our SMS app constantly, and I am a big web user on my Treo. I browse everywhere but check news (Yahoo, BBC, and International Herald Tribute mobile which is pretty much the New York Times) and Google often.

Some less typical apps are TomTom navigator while driving, AcidImage for image viewer, TideTool a very cool app for tides and currents (I sail), Google Maps, On Demand for weather, Leonard Maltin Movie Guide, Klondike solitaire, TCPMP for movies, pTunes for audio Spanish lessons, plus a few other apps.

My typical day starts in bed checking my calendar, a quick scan of email to see if something important needs attention, and quick read of news.

Throughout the day I use my Treo for email, voice calling, sms, and other miscellaneous things. I often watch movies on my Treo while traveling on a plane. I have a 4G SD card which can hold 6 full length movies. With a stereo headset and a pair of reading glasses it is quite good. My family often take pictures and we email them to each other as a way to stay in touch. As you might expect, I use my Treo all the time.

Source: PalmAddicts

When is the bus coming?

2007-03-12T14:26:00.000+08:00

SBS Transit has an online information service known as iris (Intelligent Route Information System) which can help you plan your bus trips. One of these services is the NextBus, which the name itself describes, estimates the time the next bus will take to arrive at a particular bus stop. This is especially useful for mobile users as this can be easily accessed on a mobile phone that has a web browser.

iris NextBus is our latest iris service and it offers bus arrival time estimation on a real time basis. You now have the convenience of knowing how many minutes away your bus is from your bus stop or how long more before the next bus departs from the bus interchange. iris NextBus is on trial at the moment and we would like to invite you to be among the first to try out the service and give us your feedback. This will help us enhance iris NextBus to serve you better.

Overview of iris (Intelligent Route Information System) | iris NextBus @ mobile devices

You can easily access the mobile page at www.sbstransit.com.sg/mobileiris. You enter the bus service and the bus stop number which can be found on the bus stop pole. It will then display the number of minutes expected for the bus to arrive.

Unfortunately the information is limited to SBS Transit's fleet of buses so SMRT bus users will have to continue to wait patiently at the bus stop.

iPhone UI for Windows Mobile

2007-03-01T22:28:00.000+08:00

We have seen the mock-up program launchers mimicking the iPhone for Palm and Windows Mobile. Now a Malaysian programmer has gone one step further and made the slide lock and flick scroll features seen on the iPhone.

From the developer's (tzywen.com):

For a few days before Chinese New Year, I've actually been quite busy developing my very own iPhone interface for the PocketPC. After looking at the functions and interface on the iPhone, I was keen on bringing it over to my Eten M600 PPC. The iPhone interface was pratical, looked neat and it was way cooler than any wm5 theme. And it was unique as well. "Slide to Unlock" The iPhone home screen. The iPhone iPod scrolling effect. Watch the video below to see it in action. Everything is written using PPL1.20. PPL can be downloaded for free from http://arianesoft.ca Although this looks like an iPhone, it will never be an iPhone. But until it is released in July this year, all we can do is to try and imitate. I posted the video on youtube.

See it in action: iPhone UI for Windows Mobile I can hear Apple's lawyers knocking on his door... :D

Let Google make your website mobile-friendly

2007-02-22T21:57:00.000+08:00

I suppose this is old news but I found an entry over at PalmAddict where a Palm user had an app called Moxy which is a proxy launcher based on Google's mobile to access the web on his Treo 680. Intrigued, I decided to check it out. One link led to another and I found out you don't even need this app. The Moxy site even has its web version.

The URL is http://www.google.com/gwt/n and bookmark the page since its not a straighforward URL. The page loads a form with a space for your URL to load, a checkbox option to omit images and of course a "Go" submit button. It will then load a mobile-friendly version of your website and all the links on the page are appended with the proxy redirects. Actually it does exactly what Skweezer does but I prefer the Google's no-frills start page.

Move to new Blogger template complete

2007-02-14T18:57:00.000+08:00

After much hesitation, I have migrated the old template to the new Blogger. The change is not drastic since I have retained the theme and most of it is in the back-end with the use of layout elements. Most obvious change would be the use of labels and collapsible archive list which are prominent features in new Blogger.

Motorola to axe 3,500 jobs

2007-01-20T03:40:00.000+08:00

The result of Razr thin profits? Hope their Scpl can cut through the bleeding margins. :P

Motorola, the world's number two mobile phone maker, will shed 3,500 jobs in an effort to stem falling profits. The fall in profits reflects price cuts in mobile phone prices and tougher competition among premium products. Motorola blamed "an unfavourable geographical and product-tier mix" for the decline in profits.

Going mobile with Opera Mini and GMail

2007-01-19T04:22:00.000+08:00

It is getting easier to get on the web with your mobile phone thanks to great connectivity software that will allow you to surf the web and check email on your Java-enabled phone. You don't need any fancy high-end expensive smartphone to do it as most new phones come with Java support out-of-the-box. Now all you need is to install Opera Mini by Opera and GMail app by Google by simply loading the following URLs into your phone's webbrowser. It will check your phone's make and prompt you to download the correct version for your phone.

Best thing of all, the apps are free.

Opera Mini by Opera - http://www.operamini.com/
The default phone browser on your cheap phone is usually horrid. It is slow and navigation is a pain. Opera mini is an excellent browser for viewing on the tiny screen of your mobile phone as it reformats the webpages via its server. It also cuts down the unnecessary bits of code usually required to render on a standard web browser on your PC and this can save you time and money if you are on a data plan that charges by time or volume.

GMail app by Google - http://gmail.com/app
It is actually not necessary to have the GMail app but it is especially useful if you have a GMail account(Everybody should have one. :) ). The Opera mini browser is still able to access the GMail Mobile site or any of your favourite web emails easily.

Apple iPhone revealed

2007-01-10T04:22:00.000+08:00

Apple Inc CEO Steve Jobs unveils its highly anticipated mobile phone named iPhone at MacWorld Expo 2007. It incorporates a 3.5" wide touchscreen with multi-touch capability, auto-rotation for screen orientation, built-in iPod features for music and videos, widget integration and running on the robust OSX architecture which are among its many features with over 200 patents filed for it.

MACWORLD SAN FRANCISCO—January 9, 2007—Apple® today introduced iPhone, combining three products—a revolutionary mobile phone, a widescreen iPod® with touch controls, and a breakthrough Internet communications device with desktop-class email, web browsing, searching and maps—into one small and lightweight handheld device. iPhone introduces an entirely new user interface based on a large multi-touch display and pioneering new software, letting users control iPhone with just their fingers. iPhone also ushers in an era of software power and sophistication never before seen in a mobile device, which completely redefines what users can do on their mobile phones. “iPhone is a revolutionary and magical product that is literally five years ahead of any other mobile phone,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We are all born with the ultimate pointing device—our fingers—and iPhone uses them to create the most revolutionary user interface since the mouse.”

Press Release Apple iPhone Product site

Availability is expected in June 2007 for the US and 2008 for Asia.

It looks like Apple sets a new benchmark for other the major phone makers to strive for, especially for those with smartphone products.

ACCESS Licenses Palm OS Garnet Source Code to Palm

2006-12-08T00:50:00.000+08:00

ACCESS has entered into a non-exclusive agreement with Palm, Inc., to license the Palm OS® Garnet® source code to Palm, Inc. ACCESS continues to license and support Palm OS. ACCESS and Palm have also agreed to an expansion of the two companies existing patent license. Under terms of the agreement, ACCESS has granted Palm specific rights to modify the code base of Palm OS Garnet for use in its devices such as the Palm Treo smartphone family and the company's other handheld computers. The agreement also grants Palm the right to use Palm OS Garnet in whole or in part in any product from Palm and together with any other system technologies.

Press Release

This is a rather surprising turn for Palm to get more freedom and control on Garnet. Its a win-win situation for both companies and may help bolster confidence in the future of Palm OS. This might also confirm Palm's stance on not licensing the upcoming ALP while developing its own version of Palm Linux.

Back to basics

2006-10-26T15:03:00.000+08:00

Mobile Lifestyle is now changed to the Minimal template from blogger.com to facilitate gradual improvements. I didn't quite like the previous template anyway and it was kind of messy after my meek attempts at improving it. I hope this new template will allow me to build on something basic and improve it along the way.

SPUG down again...

2006-10-20T01:31:00.000+08:00

This is the second time this year. Duh... just when I thought it was chugging along fine. Hope the server is not wiped out or anything drastic.

Update: Finally there's a notice on the site. But its on spug.sg, not spug.net.

Dear SPUG members, Due to a hardware failure, our site is offline until we get this fixed. - SPUG Comm - 27 Oct 2006

Spout (Zodiac game)

2006-10-05T03:47:00.000+08:00

From the developer of Noiz2sa for the Zodiac comes a new game called Spout ported from the PC. It is a simple yet fun game which is hard to put down once you get the hang of it.

Although the graphics are in greyscale using basic blocks, you will look pass it once you are comfortable with the mechanics of the game. You control a moving square object with the joystick using the left and right directions to turn it. Pressing the fire button allows you to spray a stream of dots which serve two purposes; to propel your square in the opposing direction and to blast through walls. The objective of the game is to move up the screen and not crash into the objects or the left and right edges of the screen.

The only glaring issue with this game is that it is an endless game so the only main target is to beat your previous score. There are no bosses to kill or variations in gameplay other then increasing difficulty in penetrating ultra thick walls. However if you look pass this, it is a very addictive and challenging game to pass the time.

The game gets progressively harder as you need to break through sparse areas with little or no empty space.

As seen on TV

2006-09-24T19:15:00.000+08:00

Continuing with my monitoring of gadgets used on TV series, the Tapwave Zodiac is still a favourite on Stargate SG-1 episode 10. Its definitely the preferred enviroment scanner used on all off world missions.

Colonel Carter scanning the invisible field

Closeup of Tapwave Zodiac

We also have a first sighting of Palm Treo used by Doctor Weir on Stargate Atlantis episode 10. Nice splash of "NORAD" across it.

Urgent call from SGC.

Make a donation

2006-09-04T17:39:00.000+08:00

Yes, it had to happen. Now I am a cyber-beggar. See the

button and send me $$$ if you would like to show your appreciation for the stuff offered on my site or if you feel generous.

If you would rather not send cash, you may gift me something from my Amazon Wishlist(send email with subject "Molife Gifting" to fluid_motion _AT_ hotmail _DOT_ com for more details).

For the rest of you, you may use the "sponsored links". You never know, there *might* be something you want. If you have blocked them in Firefox or other browser, why not take a moment to enable them.

Bible-on-the-Go

2006-08-18T16:34:00.000+08:00

Now you can carry your Bible in your phone wherever you go and leave that bulky hardcopy at home! This may not be a big deal to Palm and WinMob OS device users since they've had this for many years but this is specifically for those who use general purpose mobile phones that have Java support.

Go Bible is Free Bible viewer application which is a great addition to any Java enabled phone (for J2ME MIDP 1.0 and MIDP 2.0). It comes only in King James version due to licensing issues since its good and free.

Go Bible website

Zodiac-spotting

2006-08-18T16:23:00.000+08:00

The Stargate SG-1 team rely heavily on the Zodiac for their inter-world expeditions. This time they use it to locate an irradiated creature.

tejpwriter, text editor for Palm

2006-07-10T16:44:00.001+08:00

tejpwriter is a nifty text editor and viewer for your general plaintext document needs. If you work with text documents often, this is an excellent program to add to your Palm.

I have tried a few other similar apps but they are either too basic(Cardtext) or too confusing(like Palmfiction). tejpwriter has a simple yet attractive UI with almost everything you need to edit your text documents. It can supposedly even read Word docs albeit with some mangled codes but I have yet to test it out. It even has a built-in thumbboard for those who prefer thumb typing. Best of all its GPLed and FREE! Highly recommended.

http://twriter.atspace.com

Singapore Bus Guide in HTML

2006-07-02T16:46:00.000+08:00

UPDATE: This is now a placeholder page, please redirect to Bus Guide for Isilo and Plucker for all updates. Thanks!

Following the popularity of the Bus Guide for Isilo and Plucker, there were some requests to support other formats. It is not practical for me to convert for every format so I have decided to provide the HTML files used to convert for the Isilo format.

Disclaimer: The data for Singapore Bus Guide is presented as-is. The author does not warrant the accuracy of the data provided or any failure resulting from its use. Use at your own risk.

Download Singapore Bus Guide for HTML

You may use it on any reader that supports HTML or convert to any other format you desire. The HTML will be updated according to when the isilo and pluckers versions are updated, usually on a quarterly basis. You may refer to Bus Guide for Isilo and Plucker page to find out about all future revision information.

My Sitescooper Guide

2006-06-30T21:13:00.000+08:00

I have republished my old Sitescooper guide on Google Pages for those interested in Sitescooper. For those who don't know what is Sitecooper, here is a quick blurb.

Sitescooper automatically retrieves the stories from several news websites, trims off extraneous HTML, and converts them into formats you can read on your Palm computing device for later reading on-the-move. It maintains a cache, and will avoid stories you've already read. It can handle 1-page sites, 1-page with diffing, 2-level and 3-level sites, and it's very easy to add a new site to its list. -- Sitescooper.org

I have done some minor editing to update it to meet current software changes for Plucker and Isilo.

Sitescooper Guide

As seen on Stargate (again)

2006-06-27T23:32:00.000+08:00

The Tapwave Zodiac is still the PDA of choice on Stargate; at least for the latest SG-1 promo where Colonel Samantha Carter makes a quick calculation on the Zodiac to determine the coordinates to create a gravitational field to bump a packet of chips.

With a little Stargate, anything is possible

Previous post here.

World Cup 2006 in your Palm

2006-06-11T15:56:00.000+08:00

Keep track of all World Cup 2006 match schedules and scores on your Palm with these apps. I have briefly tried the following apps.

Football 2006 by Tinystocks
Good and free. Simple yet attractive UI includes basic info like venue and team history. Includes easy match score updates via hotsync conduit or appropriate internet connection.

World Cup 2006 Guide & Schedule Almost the same as Football 2006 with an attractive UI and stats like Teams and Referees. Also includes data syncing to update latest scores. Unfortunately the score update system is glaringly troublesome where it downloads a .prc file and quits the app the moment you complete it. After which you have to run the downloaded prc file and then return to the app. It has some rather irritating reflash problem when changing pages.

Worldcup by Thomas Pundt
This is mainly for people who prefer manually updating scores. It does not have updates via sync.

World Cup 2006 Planner
Almost the same as Worldcup but with a slightly nicer UI with coloured flags and includes data syncing.

World Cup Mobile 2006 by Resco
Very slick GUI design with lots of soccer news, trivia and info. Unfortunately its not exactly worthwhile unless you are willing to pay a whopping US$20+ for an app specifically for this World Cup.

Converting your videos for the PDA

2006-06-05T10:28:00.000+08:00

There are presently quite a number of good and free programs that allow you to convert your DVD or videos into suitable formats for your PDA. These should get you started in a jiffy.

Video converters:
SUPER
Vemode

Video conversion tutorials:
How to Encode High Quality Video to Play on a Palm Handheld
Videohelp Tutorials

Generally you would convert to DivX or Xvid video format since these are easily supported in your player app like TCPMP and offer good compression and quality.

How to find Avantgo channel links

2006-04-26T02:34:00.000+08:00

Avantgo channels are mobile-friendly and we like to use them in our offline readers like Isilo or Plucker. There is no direct way to see the URLs from the channels since they are called from within the Avantgo system.

A way to find these URLs is to use a search engine like Google. In Google, you use the "allinurl:" operator to find keywords within the url. Let's say you are looking for the Time Asia channel. You will type "allinurl: Time Asia Avantgo". The links may use "avantgo", "mobile", "palm" or other keywords within the url so you should try any possible ones until you get the right hit.

--- Help adapted from MobileRead Forums

Palm building their own [Linux] OS

2006-03-30T17:21:00.000+08:00

Software developer David Beers has revealed inside information that Palm may indeed be building its own Linux OS.

It's confirmed: Palm is building their own OS

Meanwhile Palm, dominant in the US smartphone market, has been conspicuously quiet about the announcement of the ACCESS Linux Platform in February. Now we know why.

This is great news since Palm has been patching Garnet for their PDAs and Treo range all this while and better control of the OS is definitely a plus. Now Palm can continue building its Linux OS (compatible with Palm?) based devices without PalmSource.

Happy 10th Birthday Palm!

2006-03-27T22:01:00.000+08:00

Palm Inc is now a decade old. Long live Palm. :P http://www.palm.com/anniversary

SPUG.net up, sort of.

2006-03-16T21:21:00.000+08:00

SPUG.net is up. If you can't access it, use spug.sg or worst case access with IP address 203.123.8.125.

What's in a name?

2006-03-07T17:11:00.000+08:00

Have some pleasure with ButtonSex. Amazing what a change in caps can do.

Mace on ALP and future of Palm OS

2006-03-02T14:40:00.000+08:00

Former VP of PalmSource Michael Mace shreds some light on the Access Linux Platform and the future of Palm OS.

My take in a nutshell: Access has deep pockets. ALP will likely appear on devices beyond 2008. Palm OS on ALP is generally for backward support of your favourite Palm apps: Expect developers to migrate to Linux platform. Future of ALP looks promising.

And the lively comments below the article are also very informative, do check them out.

Access Linux Platform and the future of Palm OS

SPUG.net down

2006-03-01T23:04:00.000+08:00

SPUG.net is down. Now you folks can have a more productive work week. LOL

Showtimes script for Singapore Cinemas

2006-02-24T17:12:00.001+08:00

This is a perl script to grab movie schedules and info for use with the Showtimes application for Palm OS. This has been modified to handle the new Yahoo! Movies layout.

Download the latest sgyahoo perl script now.

Installation

You may follow the install instructions for Showtimes found here.

Configuration

Use the following URLs for this script when setting up Showtimes in Hotsync Manager:

Today's info - http://sg.movies.yahoo.com/showtimes
Tomorrow - http://sg.movies.yahoo.com/showtimes?d=1
The day after - http://sg.movies.yahoo.com/showtimes?d=2

Use all 3 urls for all three days' data.

Movie Info & Plots

This has been enabled by default. To disable plots, open sgyahoo.pm with notepad or any ASCII text editor and change "my $mplot = 0"; to "my $mplot = 1"; then save the file (ignore all quotes). Note that plots will take a longer time to complete.

Open getdata.cfg in Showtimes folder and check that the line "EXTRAMOVIEINFO 1" is present. If its "EXTRAMOVIEINFO 0", change to 1. (Ignore all quotes)

Copy errors after running getdata.exe

The Showtimes hotsync conduit may have problems with latest versions of the Palm Hotsync Manager in Palm Desktop. The common issue is failure to copy to the install folder. In such a case, you will need to perform it manually or follow the directions found here.

You will need to disable the showtimes conduit from within hotsync manager (note to check the default box) and do the following changes to the getdata.cfg:

1. Change "flipreg 1" to "flipreg 0"
2. Change "DESTDIR" following the instructions there, ie. "DESTDIR c:\palm\[your username]\install"
3. Use your Windows task scheduler or startup batch to autorun the program.

As seen on Stargate

2006-01-23T12:19:00.000+08:00

I am a fan of Sci-fi series Stargate SG-1 and Atlantis and they use some pretty cool gadgets that are actual consumer computing products. The Dell desktop and laptops are a common sight as well as other more futuristic gadgets. The Tapwave Zodiac featured on a few of the series was one reason I got one. The latest SG-1 episode even has a pair of Zodiacs used to store the cure for the Prior plague (see screen cap).

Another neat product is Motion Computing's Tablet PCs. I have yet to see any of these in the local retail shops and they look gorgeous. Its featured in Stargate Atlantis and is often seen used by Dr McKay in tablet form within a bump case. Its also found in its desktop dock with keyboard in Dr Weir's office.

Got Tomorrow-ed

2006-01-04T18:44:00.000+08:00

Hmm... I was wondering why there was a sudden surge in the number of hits to this blog. Upon checking my StatsCounter, I realised it was tomorrow-ed. No wonder... LOL

Talking Moose

2006-01-04T01:03:00.000+08:00

I found this recommendation for a text-to-speech synthesis app called 'Moose' which is free.

Its based on a similar application from the old Macintosh called Talking Moose. Once installed, you may choose to make it speak the text from its app or highlighting your text from other apps and running it from the command bar. It can also be set to occasionally spew random quotes and even tell the time. Though the voice used is a robotic one, it is surprisingly clear. It can even read numbers as "thousand" or "millions" and even "billion" instead of individual digits.

It doesn't seem to work very well on my Zodiac 2, it keeps switching off after telling the time when I power it up and even randomly powers up and tells the time. I should say this is quite useful since my under-utilised Zod is now a talking clock, I press power and it tells me the time.

Singapore Parking Info on your Palm

2005-12-26T00:53:00.011+08:00

The following parking database contains car park rates for most of the major buildings in Singapore. It can be used as a quick reference prior to plunging your car [and wallet] into the devastating fate of exorbitant parking charges.

Don't blow a hole in your wallet like this driver. Abstract from SPUG:

I went to one of those underground carparks where the charges are not displayed at the entrance but right at the gantry. When I reached the gantry and read the charges, I found it to be rather exorbitant($5/entry) and decided that I will not park inside. As there were already other vehicles behind (and even if there weren't, I don't think I am capable to reverse drive 10~20m along several bends), I decided that I shall just go in and drive-out. Surely I will be out within the grace period and will therefore not incur any charges. Well that u-turn in the carpark which took me around 1 min cost me $5.

Parking List files
Download List app for Palm OS, and
Download Parking PDB for List (includes CSV used to create .pdb)

Install the .prc and .pdb files according to standard Palm installation procedures. All files are provided by the respective owners and are FREE.

Why List app?

Its a simple and free Palm OS database app which has a built-in search feature. I find that it suits this parking data well instead of building an app specifically for it. It supports multiple databases so the user is not limited to using only the parking rates database and can create other databases if desired.

Why not use [fill in your favourite app]?

You can use any app you desire since the CSV text file for the data is included. The CSV data is the raw data used to create the database for the List app so there should not be any difference when you view the data for your own app. The List app merely provides a way to arrange and present the data for easier access.

For non Palm OS device users:

The CSV (comma separated value) text file is included in the ZIP file with the List PDB file. You can view and edit the CSV in spreadsheet software such as Microsoft Office Excel and OpenOffice Calc or any text editor. Some minor editing may be required as it was created specifically for the List app.

For Treo users:

Some Treo users may experience auto-resets when using the latest version of List app. It is recommended that you use an older version, preferably 1.01, if you encounter such a problem. If the problem persists, it is recommended that you stop using List app. You can recompile the included CSV into other formats supported by other Palm apps.

Disclaimer

Every reasonable care was taken to reproduce the data, however the accuracy of the database to the actual parking rates may be questionable. Hence there is no warranty for its use and all users should use at their own risk.

Revisions

24 June 2010: Data updated. 697 entries.
23 December 2008: Data updated. 655 entries.
6 July 2008: Data updated. 619 entries.
10 March 2008: Data updated. 537 entries.
2 December 2007: Data updated. 501 entries.
9 July 2007: Data updated. 461 entries.
21 July 2006: Data updated

Singapore Public Holidays for Palm

2005-12-24T23:12:00.005+08:00

This will be the permalink for all future updates.

I have created DBA files for use in Palm Desktop with the public holidays for every year. You will find DBA files for public holidays and school holidays (phXXXX.dba and shXXXX.dba respectively where XXXX denotes the calendar year for that file).

Public Holidays 2012 with School Holidays

Public Holidays 2011 with School Holidays

Public Holidays 2010 with School Holidays

Public Holidays 2009 with School Holidays

Public Holidays 2008 with School Holidays

Launch Palm Desktop and import the file into your Datebook/Calendar. Data obtained from www.sg and MOE website.

To keep updated on future updates, just visit here by year's end to see if the following year's files are added. If not then just leave a comment to remind me. :)

Ebooks on your java-enabled phone

2005-12-04T15:37:00.000+08:00

Readmaniac is an ebook java midlet for java-enabled phones. It is extremely small in size (below 100kb) yet big in features supporting standard text files, Palm doc files (.pdb) and even zipped files among other popular portable formats. It comes default with some clear looking fonts of various sizes. It supports bookmarks, search and other powerful features that make this app a great addition to java phones instead of just having games.

ReadManiac - Electronic book reader for java-enabled phones

PDF on Palm Too

2005-11-05T01:59:00.000+08:00

Following up our review of native PDF readers, there is now a good working PDF reader for Palm known as PalmPDF. Best of all its free and open source! PalmPDF is based on Xpdf and the latest version 0.5 is by far close to an ideal PDF reader even though its still in alpha test phase.

There are resolution settings that allow you to configure the best performance based on your Palm device's available memory resources. I have tested it on my Zodiac 2 in Black and White and Grey scale mode which are stable after running it on a few PDF of over 60 pages without problems. Dragging, scrolling, zooming the page is smooth though it tends to take a while when loading up subsequent pages. Landscape and Portrait modes work well. Colour mode tends to force a reset even though it shows sufficient heap memory available.

This is by far a very good PDF software and I expect it to improve and become a fine work like what TCPMP did for media.

PDF on Palm

2005-10-28T08:53:00.000+08:00

You could say native support for PDF files is sorely lacking for Palm OS devices. You can certainly use great document viewers like Repligo to convert and view but that requires one extra step to reach your PDF content. There is however a way to get that feature back on your Palm.

Some time back when Sony was a Palm OS licensee with their Clie line, they provided a software called Picsel Browser that enables one to view native PDF including a few other document formats like Word. With Sony Clie no more in the picture and the company behind the Picsel Browser, Picsel Technologies, providing the software in specific devices, Palm users are left in the cold.

Now some Palm enthusiasts managed to extract that software and make it functional on other Palm OS devices. And couple with the aid of a software called CodeDiver, Picsel Browser can now be used in fullscreen mode. Here's a screen capture of my Zodiac with an opened PDF in fullscreen glory.

PS: Due to copyright issues, do not request for the files here. Remember, Google is your friend.

Controlling your desktop with Palm

2005-10-15T22:07:00.000+08:00

I have been looking around for Palm software that can allow me to control the PC desktop via bluetooth using the Palm, somewhat like a remote controller. Many would recommend VNC like PalmVNC but the speed over BT is terrible. A WIFI connection and a fast processor is highly recommended since it literally projects your PC screen on your Palm. Falling short of these requirements will result in a less than desirable experience. There has to be a better remote control softaare.

Recently Salling Clicker, which has been available for the Mac, released its Windows version. You can use PDA devices like Palm or WM and even certain models of mobile phones. It includes three controls for iTunes, Windows Media Player and PowerPoint within the standard install which work very well. Also included are mouse control and a few system controls like shutdown and volume mute. Its possible to extend it to work on other applications but some level of Jscript or Vbscript is required so most consumers will just have to wait for more scripts to be released to support their favourite software. At the price tag of US$23.95 its too pricey for its limited control support. But its simplicity and usability is excellent for no fuss operation.

Finally we come to a good free Palm software that can literally do what your mouse and keyboard can by using the Palm. Pebbles Remote Commander transmits to the PC the movements and taps of the stylus and characters entered into the PDA. It includes access to a full map QWERTY keyboard which include access to keys like key modifiers (Ctrl, Alt, Shift) and the directional control keys.

Overall I would use both Salling Clicker and Remote Commander depending on the PC software I wish to control.

Scheduled Hotsync on Palm

2005-07-02T21:59:00.000+08:00

I have been looking around for some solution to perform proper scheduled hotsync on my Palm for quite some time and finally found the answer after listening to the latest 1src.com Podcast about scheduled VFS backup. It uses a free app called Crony which can schedule simple tasks like playing back alarm or executing your apps at predetermined times. And best of all its FREE! :)

Once you have installed Crony, you setup a new task. Set the checkbox to start app and select Hotsync as the app, click button and use 1003 for ID(I took some time to trial and error just to find that ID). Set the times accordingly and set it to "ON" in the main screen. You may like to test it at least once by enabling "ALL" for the times to see if it works properly. Remember to reset the time after you have successfully tested it.

There are probably other dedicated apps out there that work just a well but so far this is one of the best apps I have found. You really can't beat FREE. ;)

Power to the end

2005-06-11T11:52:00.000+08:00

Palm devices have a system protection to disable SD card slot and other peripherals when it reaches a critical battery level. This critical level is quite high since its meant to prevent your RAM contents from wipeout due to complete battery drain.

The Fullpower for OS5 devices will squeeze the last ounce of power from your Palm.

Fullpower download | Some discussion at 1src.com

Singapore CableTV Schedules

2005-04-20T02:49:00.000+08:00

I have made a page which self-updates with direct links to the Starhub CableTV channels for quick access. All links point direct to the respective programme schedules on Starhub's website so nothing is stored on server. This was initially created to provide easy access to pages for offline viewing on PDAs. It may also be used to quickly access all relevant channels which the user has subscribed to.

You may access the links with this if you only need the basic package channels. You may access the additional channels here. The numbers (ie. 1234567) at the end of the URL denote the additional channels and you may omit the channels you do not require, ie. 123 or 3567 or 357 etc. Play around with the numbers and it should be obvious to you. You are advised to select the channels you need to reduce the time for retrieving them.

There are also parameter options that include showing schedules for 2 days and a week by appending &period=2days or &period=wk at the end. See the following:

Schedules for 2 days

Schedules for the week

NOTE: Please be gentle with Starhub's server by not downloading all channels for the entire week if you are using for an offline reader. Limit yourself to a 2 days option since the more channels means a longer time to download.

Do leave comments and feedback with the "Post comment" with this blog entry if you notice any updates or errors not reflected in the channel schedules.

Mobile Selections

2005-04-15T00:05:00.000+08:00

Update (19 Jan 2007): The latest update list can be accessed from http://snipurl.com/molife.

Here's a shot list of links to sites which formatted for mobile devices. I will add on to it when I got time. :)

News
BBC Interactive
Business Times Online
Channel NewsAsia
Straits Times Interactive

Portal
Google
Yahoo! Mobile

Information
Changi Airport Arrival/Departure
Singapore Lottery
Singapore Street Directory
CNA TV Guide
MediaCorp TV

Graffiti 1 for palmOne T5 & Treo 650

2005-04-12T22:22:00.000+08:00

From 1Src forums, someone has managed to patch the Graffiti Library files to work on the palmOne T5 and Treo 650.

Download

Follow the instructions for installing the files here.

The Core Pocket Media Player for PalmOS

2005-04-12T15:24:00.000+08:00

Finally there is a mediaplayer on the PalmOS that actually works well on a Palm OS5 PDA. Under the open source development at CoreCodec, The Core Pocket Media Player for PalmOS is currently in pre-alpha testing phase but the feedback from users have been a unanimous thumbs-up. Now you can playback most major media formats like DivX, Xvid, AVI, MPEG, OGM, MKV. It also supports sounds formats like MP3 and OGG. And best of all its open-source and free! The Core Pocket Media Player for PalmOS

Singapore Transport Guide for Palm

2005-04-02T04:22:00.000+08:00

I really want this! :)

Singapore Bus Guide for ListDB

2005-03-27T01:10:00.000+08:00

I have converted the data for the Bus Guide to ListDB format after a request from a fellow Palm user. I didn't intend to do it at first but since I had the data I decided to try it out and found that it was very simple to convert using the listpc program.

The database only shows you the road names with the respective bus services. This is good for those who require something simple instead of the more comprehensive Isilo and Plucker versions I had released.

Download Bus Guide for ListDB

Updates (4 January 2006): Data updated.

Convert Graffiti 2 to Graffiti 1 on Palm device

2005-02-15T22:06:00.000+08:00

Background

Ever since Xerox's lawsuit against PalmSource over its Unistrokes patent, PalmSource has replaced good old Graffiti with Graffiti 2 which is based on CIC's Jot input method. Although Graffiti 2 works close towards natural handwriting, majority of veteran users of Palm devices find Graffiti 2 to be less efficient and prefer to stick with original Graffiti which they have grown to love over the years.

This fix is only a temporary measure to prolong Graffiti use on existing devices and is not expected to be available for the next generation Palm OS (version 6 or officially called "Cobalt"). PalmSource ~~will never~~ is unlikely to revert to the original Graffiti and it would be best to re-train to use Graffiti 2 or get a third party software like TealScript or get a device with a thumbboard. In the extreme case if you choose to, get a PPC instead since Graffiti method of entry is available on it.

DISCLAIMER: This is a non-official modification and its use is at your sole discretion.

This is a Graffiti 1 conversion for Palm Zire 71, Tungsten C and Tungsten E/T2/T3 users. The files were taken from the Tungsten T.

DOWNLOAD HERE

For those with more recent Palm PDA like LifeDrive and TX, you may need to use this version:

Igor's modified Graffiti 1 Libraries - G14OS54.zip

Procedure to install:

1. Beam or copy the 2 database .pdb files (Graffiti_Library.pdb & Graffiti_Library_enUS.pdb) to the target handheld you want to install original Graffiti on. You should copy to the SD or MMC card first, then use normal copy to transfer over to your Palm. DO NOT HOTSYNC DIRECT TO THE PALM'S RAM.

Additional step for Tapwave Zodiac users:

1a. Using Filez on the Zodiac, look at the Details of 'Graffiti Library' and change the VersionID: to a value greater than 524 and Save.

2. Perform a soft reset (simply press the device's reset hole on the back), and you're set to start enjoying original Graffiti again.

Why this works: The OS loads RAM as first priority if files of the same name exist in both RAM and ROM.

Procedure to uninstall without a hard reset.

1. In FileZ, go to the Details form for each database(Graffiti_Library.pdb & Graffiti_Library_enUS.pdb). Change both the name and creator code of the two databases.

2. Soft reset your device.

3. Return to Filez again and delete the two databases.

Why this works: Palm OS does not allow the files currently utilised by the system to be deleted however it will allow changes to attributes or info. After a soft reset, the system will be unable to load the modified database files so it will instead use the ones within the ROM.

MiddleCaps Hack replacement

For those who are used to MiddleCaps Hack for uppercase entry by writing across the boundary between the alpha/non-alpha region of the silkscreen, the solution is to install the freeware called CrossingOver.