LJP 1.0 rc9, the never-ending story of a release candidate

What the heck, another release candidate of LJP 1.0. I’m sure, next year I will release a real 1.0 just to stop this stupid rcX-stuff. Ok, but this is now rc9, which was released as a preview before and not much changed since then but 1st there was a question about a Christmas release at yoyofr’s board and 2nd a bug-report some days later on nexave. The result was some testing, coding etc. and now here is the rc9-release with a bug fixed GB-module: .zip or .tar.gz

Do you want to support me? Go and donate. Donation links are on www.metaviewsoft.de on the lower left side.

Regards and check out 2Cool4u,
Henk

Dezember 28, 2007 · admin · One Comment
Posted in: Allgemein, Developing, Palm

Decent Browser-experience on Palm OS

Starting from the comments of a PalmInfoCenter.com entry about 2Cool4U I think I should write some thoughts about how few efforts it might take for Palm to bring a decent browser experience to there devices.

What are the options:

A new NetFront from Access. They currently released something about a new version for Windows Mobile. The only existing version for Palm OS was released for Sony Clié. The Clié version is known as a nice and decent browser and there are successful attempts to have it work on other Palm OS 5 devices. But this is an hack and not everyone wants to do. I’m not sure how well the relations are between Access and Palm nowadays, but some money from Palm could convince Access to make a version running on all current Palm OS devices. But looks like Palm isn’t interested…
A native Opera. Rumors are Opera 9 might come native to Palm OS. But looking on the descending market it might be just wishful thinking.
A port of the Gecko engine (Firefox, Mozilla, Netscape). The engine is known for taking much memory, but there are versions for mobile Nokia devices. Based on them, one could try to port a Gecko-based browser to Palm OS.
Finally, a port of the WebKit project. This is something Donald C. Kirker wants to do and I’m supposed to help him. But honestly, I lost the track of the activities as I had other things to do. As far as I know also Donald has to earn money for daily living – you can imagine how much time is left for such a big project.

You see, there are 4 options. Option 1 and 2 might cost Palm a lot of money for licenses. Option 3 and 4 just need work and time. In my opinion, Palm could profit from the iPhone hype and benefit from a WebKit port with a similar interface to Safari on iPhone or iPod Touch.

Will it be possible at all?

I’m very positive.

Will it cost much?

Not at all. Palm could use it for free on there devices, as it is open source. Palm could or better should force this development by taking some money in there hand and support the porting project.

How much money we are talking about?

Well, let’s look back to the PalmPDF project I did over a year ago: 4 weeks until you get it compiled and linked, 4 weeks until you removed the obvious bugs and crashes. Then you release a beta and let it test from users. Now you will need to fine tune the GUI and catch the remaining bugs. This might be another month work but over a bigger time frame. Now we have 3 month work for a decent browser compatible with the growing list of web-apps compatible with Safari on iPhone. 3 month, well I would do it for 20000 US-$. Palm this is an offer! If you think about the number of devices sold each year and the list of devices already sold – this are a few cents per device.

Well, as we speak about such projects: Ever thought about having WiFi on your Treo smartphone? Well, if you don’t have WiFi directly, it might be an option to have a BT-to-WiFi-bridge in your pocket which you can enable if necessary and connect from your Treo -> to the bridge and the bridge connects to the WiFi-network. Cool stuff isn’t it? Palm sells the TX. Nice device, not too expensive with WiFi and BT. One would say, an ideal device for such a bridge. I made some test and could create the correct service on the TX, but unfortunately the Treo didn’t recognized my TX as network/modem device. Here I probably need some insides. Palm? Can you help me?

Nice holidays,
Henk

Dezember 25, 2007 · admin · One Comment
Posted in: Allgemein, Developing, Palm

2Cool4U, 0.95

Just a short note before Christmas break: Merry Christmas to all and as a kind of small gift, there is 0.95 of 2Cool4U online now.

Changes are:

Private records can be shown or hidden depending on the security options
Colors can be adjusted and the result is saved on the device. Look for “Color_2C4M” database and if you think you have something cool, don’t hesitate to publish it.
The call log has a lot of features to make it a dynamic favorite list.
You can use the 5-way left to bring up the call log and right to go back to the contacts.

I hope you like it.

Regards
Henk

Update: There was a bug preventing the color definition to be saved correctly. It’s fixed now (2007/12/24).

Update2: There is a new screenshot from 2Cool4U 0.95 made by DickieD from http://www.mytreo.net

Dezember 23, 2007 · admin · 2 Comments
Posted in: Allgemein

2Cool4U, 0.94

2Cool4U has now reached version 0.94!

What’s new:

Contact pictures are displayed on the right, if included
Access to Call log is possible (just drag the screen to the left to switch, drag to the right to go back to contacts list)
Bugfixes

See this nice screenshot from 2Cool4U 0.93 made by DickieD from http://www.mytreo.net

Now the video embedded thanks to Video Plugin

Stay tuned for some more bugfixes and features soon!

Dezember 17, 2007 · admin · 3 Comments
Posted in: Allgemein

2Cool4U, 2nd preview

After I made the first preview public I received a couple of great ideas and comments. Based on this I’ve added things and made another preview: 0.93.

Change Log:

Bigger entries, easier to hit.
Entries divided, large left part for fast dialing (uses the first stored number for the contact), smaller part on the right to open the window with all numbers, email and web access.
Wrap-around scrolling, when reaching the end it starts right from the beginning
Different sort options: name, first name, company
Status bar with battery, bluetooth and signal gadget, current provider and own phone number
Reduced memory usage
Bug fixes, bug fixes, bug fixes

This time I made a short video to give you an impression what it is:

Video
Sorry, the video isn’t embedded anymore, it destroys the layout…

Dezember 10, 2007 · admin · 3 Comments
Posted in: Developing, Palm

2Cool4U

What is 2Cool4U at the moment?

A new way to access your contact list.

How will it mature?

In future it will also include a launcher part.

How cool is this?

Wipe through your contacts list with your thumb.
Press a key and have it jump directly to the first matching contact.
Tap the contact entry and have all numbers easily to chose with your thumb.
Have special buttons to call up the browser, email or message app.
Anyone with a fax application? One tap will send a fax to the stored fax number.

Wanna watch it?

Coming soon on YouTube…

Wanna try it on your own Palm device?

Download a preview here.

Dezember 8, 2007 · admin · One Comment
Posted in: Developing, Palm

Jumping on the iPhone train

“Jumping on the iPhone train” (no, I don’t have an iPhone yet and surely won’t buy one in its current locked state) is at the moment mainly writing mobile web-apps using Javascript, HTML and CSS. Things which when done carefully also work on real smartphones. Look for example my first mobile web-app: Henk’s Consumption Calculator which works on Safari, on Seamonkey (I love the connection of an email application and a browser) and on Palm’s Blazer. I didn’t make tests with Internet Explorer, but I’m sure it isn’t more limited than good old Blazer.

Blazer btw. doesn’t work well with table-based layouts (which I’m normally use) and ‘Optimized Mode’. Switching to ‘Wide Page Mode’ helps here. Means when you wanna try my Consumption Calculator on Blazer, open the menu and switch to ‘Wide Page Mode’.

Soon, I will start browsing Apple’s web-apps directory for applications which work on Blazer and create a list on my new page for mobile web-apps. The screen-size on the TX fits well with the iPhone’s screen-size. In the meantime just let me a note how well or not the Consumption Calculator works for you. Could you imagine to pay a yearly fee (few US-$) to have a login with a list which stores your results?

Leave a message,
Henk

November 23, 2007 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Allgemein, Developing

News on updates

A couple of interesting updates were released lately:

WintecTool is now at version 2.1 and the change list is huge. The whole conversion stuff is redesigned and it’s now a powerful converter from the .tk1 format into GPX, PathAway and Google Maps (.html). Use this link to check it out.

PhoneDisconnect was updated to 2.5 mainly for Treo Centro support but also to add a “reenable keylock when call ends”-feature. You can get it here.

ZDoomZ, ZHexen, ZHeretic and ZQuake got an updates to support the new Treo Centro and which also fixes some small issues here and there. For example cheating in ZHexen works as well as the Run-key in ZHeretic. Look on my main page for the download links: http://www.metaviewsoft.de/

That’s all for today,

Henk

November 19, 2007 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Allgemein

Updates released

Updates to WintecTool and 2LaunchMe (with traffic counter) are released. Check here for WintecTool and here for 2LaunchMe.

Oktober 8, 2007 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Allgemein

Using a Dual-SIM in my Treo 680

This time I want to give you some advise how to use a Dual-SIM adapter in your Treo 680:

After reading several successful stories about the analog-Dual-SIM adapter in Treo phone from www.2-phones-in-1.com I decided to buy one for my Treo 680.

The adapter consists of a connector in shape of a standard SIM-card which goes into the SIM slot. Then you have bigger part where you can insert your two SIM cards.

The adapter is around 1.5 mm thick.

All you need now are your SIM cards, your Treo 680 and this adapter.

I use 2PlayMe to switch off my phone at night and switch it back on in the morning and also to switch it on after a reset. 2PlayMe has also the PIN code stored and enters it when switching on the phone. The adapter toggles between both card on every phone off/on. Therefore it was necessary to alter the PIN on one card to match the PIN of the other card. You can use the Treo to do it: go to the Phone-App, open the menu and select Phone Lock. Here you will have “Change PIN”.

To have the cable fit into the SIM slot, I had to modify it a bit. A sharp knife is sufficient and you might even remove more of the plastic to have it even better fit. It will still be enough plastic to hold a single SIM, as you have it still on the other site.

The SIM-adapter fits now tight but firm into the slot and the remaining part can be put under the battery. You will see that the lid will also be a bit tight. But everything fits and for me it worked without a problem.

I adjusted 2LaunchMe to have

a) a toggle phone option (without PIN entering at the moment)

and

b) display 2 different colors for given and a different provider. This allows me very fast to see which SIM is currently active and the toggle phone option (I mapped it to a longer “z”-press) makes the switch very easy and fast. Also does 2LaunchMe count the traffic using the real network preference name as reference to distinguish between the ppp0-connection from one or the other card.