Extended Opera Mini

Software News, Uncategorized 7 Responses »
Jul 312006

On opera.wapland.org you can download an extended version of Opera Mini with new features. We have the Palm version here, it needs of course the IBM Java VM like the original Opera Mini:

http://www.tamoggemon.com/blog/contents/2006/July/operaext/Opera Mini 1.2.prc

New features are:

  • no title or foot bar – more space for site contents (tap the screen in the lower left corner to open the menu)
  • copying text – but this shouldn’t be relevant on a Palm
  • importing and exporting bookmarks (from / to a VFS device)
  • downloading files to a VFS device
  • opening links in the system’s browser (e. g. Blazer)
  • saving page to card (and loading it of course)
  • getting plain text of a page, saving it to card
  • auto reloading page
  • file manager (VFS)
  • statistics
  • shortcuts / customation

There are even newer versions with much more interesting features like tabbed browsing and so on, but they don’t work on a Palm – at least not with the IBM Virtual Machine.

I don’t know if this is an original version, an extended or “hacked” version because I don’t talk Russian, but it shows how much you can do with J2ME. So let’s hope that some of this features (tabbed browsing, real downloading) will appear in the next “official” release!

Posted by Alexander Gratz at 10:23 pm

Palm takes over the handheld top ten at CNET’s

Uncategorized 1 Response »
Jul 312006

Our comrades ad CNET seem to be very fond of all kinds of top-lists. Think of them as you wish, but their PDA toplist looks motivating for Palm OS lovers.

The first place is occupied by a Palm TX, the second one is controlled by the ique3600, and this box is followed by the LifeDrive(altough I have heard reliable rumours that the LifeDrive line may be EOL soon). Only at #4, the first PocketPC arrives, followed by two more Palm OS handhelds.

Obviously, there are way more PocketPC’s than Palm OS handhelds, so this list has very little practical value(IMHO, as more available devices tend to spread user attention) – but it’s funky to see nevertheless!

Posted by Tam Hanna, Site Founder at 2:10 pm

Simple market research pays out…big

Development No Responses »
Jul 312006

For a “workaholic” like me, the summer holidays are the hardest time of the year. No “seconard schedule” that prevents insomnia, no “secondary” tasks to keep your brain spinning, you probably understand what I am trying to say. Anyways, when a Palm OS coder is on insomnia, he has mad ideas for Palm powered projects.

My idea was creating a Palm OS app that lets you use a hardkey to go back to the application you used last. So, for example, you run AutoSync, change into Binary Clock and press the button afterwards – back to AutoSync you go!

Due to mental diligence, I decided to post a little thread at 1src asking if anyone:

  • Knew a program that did that
  • Anyone wanted a program that did that

The response was simple and came within 12h. Such a program exists(in many varieties, some even free) – so, entering this “market” with a simple 4$ program won’t pay out.

Consider this: 10 minutes saved me a day of worthless coding! If that isn’t a very good time investment, what is?

Posted by Tam Hanna, Site Founder at 10:20 am

Handmark Express 3.0 – today freeware!

Software News 1 Response »
Jul 312006

Mytreo.net has Handmark Express 3.0 today as a freeware software title:

“The new Handmark® Pocket Express™ for Palm OS delivers fast, free access to news, sports, and weather. Download your free copy today!”

You can download it here:
http://mytreo.net/store/product.php?xProd=743

Posted by Alexander Gratz at 10:17 am

Self improving API documentation

PalmSource 2 Responses »
Jul 312006

PalmSource was once known for their next-to-perfect API documentation. Failures, bugs, hints and other useful stuff were contained right in the Palm OS API documentation. However, as PalmSource staff got less, the quality of the documentation decreased according to developer’s oppinion(I still consider it useful btw – so this is no rant).

Anyways, while coding a little PHP script, I needed help about a call and looked at the official PHP documentation:

http://at.php.net/str_split

I quickly found out that the function I needed wasn’t available in the PHP version that our current host(HostLoco) runs. However, the comments contained like 15 ready-to-use replacement functions and hints on usage!

The PHP API documentation system has two parts – the first part is ‘fixed’; and the second part consists of comments like we have it at TamsPalm’s. So, vandals cant change the core documentation, but users can add hints easily.

IMHO, PalmSource should convert its Developer’s API Reference to this format if they somehow can…developers would greatly benefit from the extra amount of knowledge available!

What do you think?

Posted by Tam Hanna, Site Founder at 4:53 am

The new Pocket Tunes skin of the Treo 700p

Software News 2 Responses »
Jul 302006

When we wrote about the software of the Treo 700p many of you asked us how to get the new “Palm Skin” for Pocket Tunes out of the simulator, because it always crashed when you tried to copy it. But it seems as someone in a German Palm forum has it running on his Palm, and he attached it to his post so that you all can download it. And indeed it works:

palmskin The new Pocket Tunes skin of the Treo 700p

You can download it here:
http://www.nexave.de/forum/thread.php?postid=196228#post196228

Do you like it?

Posted by Alexander Gratz at 9:14 pm

On the power of stereotypes

Public Relations 2 Responses »
Jul 302006

Where do these images come from(may be difficult for non-austrians):
On the power of stereotypes On the power of stereotypes
On the power of stereotypes On the power of stereotypes
On the power of stereotypes On the power of stereotypes
Guessed it? Yeah, a Chinese restaurant – good ol’ fast-food eating Tam was at a restaurant and lost an hour of his life eating slowly(=)). But that’s not the point I want to make – instead, look at the pictures given above once again.

Every chinese restaurant I visited so far has had at least half of the stuff pictured above – the picture seems to be an especially ‘hot’ seller. However, none of the chinese people I met so far(not many, please comment) had all that decor at home.

The reason why chinese restaurants abide to this ‘insane’ standard is simple; people expect it exactly like that. For them, seeing the picture makes them think about chinese restaurants…

Fighting a stereotype is difficult and expensive; the only ‘asian’ restaurant that does it successfully is the Yu-Me(extremely famous, expensive restaurant). They paid an incredible price though – the modern architecture costed xyz times more than a ‘standard’ one.

Overall, for a small company, sticking to a stereotype usually works best. So, before launching a product, look at existing stereotypes in the market and adjust to them – you’ll have a much easier time selling your stuff. Beeing extraordinary can pay out big – but since the emphasis is on can, you may want to start out small…

What do you think?

Posted by Tam Hanna, Site Founder at 9:10 pm

FreaQs Leathercases – protection and style at its best

Cases 2 Responses »
Jul 302006

Chosing the right case for your PDA isn’t always easy, there are already too many different models (ranging from ugly to beautyful, from “zero-protection” to “built like a tank” – and almost everything inbetween) available.
If you’re looking for an exclusive and protective case for your expensive toy, you should have a look at the FreaQs-Collection:

bookstyle case Snugfit case 

Handmade from a constantly changing range of leather and fabric, mostly no two cases are alike. You can alway rest assured that no-one else owns a case just like yours.

There are three different styles available:

Saugschmatz - a snug-fit case called “Saugschmatz”
Oki- a holster-like case for smartphones calles “Oki”
bookstyle klein FreaQs Leathercases protection and style at its best- a flipcase called “Bookstyle”

 

The design, additional features and customizations are at your choice, Smutje – the guy who makes these cases – is a real artist (You can see a lot of pictures of his work here [Thread at Nexave.de]). Even entirely custom made cases for devices not listed on his homepage are possible. Just ask him and he’ll see what he can do for you. (Prices are reasonable: 45 USD for a standard case - a bit more if you want a custom design)

 As you can see from the following pictures, he puts a lot of love and dedication in making these cases. Even the wrapping is simple but elegant :-)

My FreaQs 1 My FreaQs 2 My FreaQs 3 My FreaQs 4 My FreaQs 5 My FreaQs 6

The quality of the cases is outstanding. The inside of the cases is lined with super soft microfibre, all seams are done several times with heavy-duty yarn and the front is reinforced to protect your screen. I use my case every day and (after a few months) it still looks like I’ve never used it :-)

 

I never liked leather cases for my palms since they weren’t useful for me, or to bulky, or just too ugly. Now, finally, I found a case that fits my needs and my Palm like a glove.

If you want to have a unique and stylish case made exactly the way you like it, theres only one choice: FreaQs…. and don’t wait too long, or the leather you just fell in love with is gone forever!

 

 

Update: There’s a new line available for the LifeDrive, called BlunQ (shown here in a special custom made design):

BlunQ 1 BlunQ 2

Posted by Oliver Leibenguth - retired at 12:44 am

On classic design

Editorials 6 Responses »
Jul 292006

A fairly new set of Cross pens just passed into my possession. People who know me for a long time know that I am an absolute writing instrument freak, and as such, I already had aquired an old Cross set. To my astonishment, both of them look very, very similar:
stickt On classic design

Compare that to a few recent Palm OS devices. Hmm… . What would the Palm Tungsten T3 have been if it would have been in thre case of the Palm IIIc? The battery would have been much, much larger, there would have been enough space for two SD slots, and so on. Of course, this example has a lame foot – the Palm Tungsten T3′s slider design has its merits and definitely was cool.

Nevertheless, I wonder what forces people to permanentely radically redo their well-working designs… Are we really off better with the new, ultra-slim lava lamps? Are the latest, pink mobile phones really neccecary? Was it really necceccary to append a My to every product a few years ago?

IMHO, if companies would start to look at radical improvement more and would step away from the “throw-all-away-and-rebuild”, who would really be off worse? OK, a few industrial designers will loose their jobs, but overall? Would we – as whole – be off worse?

Don’t just think of the “3lit3 ppl” who want to always have the lastest stuff; think of people like my father for whom moving an icon on the desktop equals changing its function. Look at people who aren’t technology freaks and take time to learn new stuff. Look at freaks who loose their habits(like pressing the center button to see the clock, doesnt work on my Palm Tungsten E2).

This post shouldn’t discouage development or research – but IMHO, we should start to question if stuff needs to “look different” at every version. The m515 IMHO sold well altough it looked like the m505 – inner values count, too(IMHO).

What do you think?

Posted by Tam Hanna, Site Founder at 12:13 am

Ads without contact information are useless

Public Relations 6 Responses »
Jul 282006

I spotted this ad at a wall in Vomp, Tyrol:
stinkerad2t Ads without contact information are useless

Yikes! What does Luce mean? Whats it selling? Where’s that store? WTF?

Well, since I live in Vomp for many years, I know that Luce is an “in” bar in the city centre – about 5 km away from this ad. However, someone who has no idea can’t do anything with the ad…

So, when creating print ads, you should try to include contact information and information about what you want to sell. An ad like the one above is useless IMHO – what do you think?

Posted by Tam Hanna, Site Founder at 9:16 pm

Using the environment to help you in strange ways

Development No Responses »
Jul 282006

This post is motivated by an article on Daily WTF. There, a professor teaching data structures reccommended that pupils use a ListBox to implement a sorted list data structure in Visual Basic 6. To be honest, I was a Visual Basic 6 programmer before I got to the Palm OS – and I think that this is a creative idea(altough it obviously misses the point here).

Basically, what we all want to do is get something that works out the front door as son and as cheap as possible. And why create a difficult thingy if it can be done the cheap way…

Posted by Tam Hanna, Site Founder at 2:21 pm

Gotcha – a game for people who hate small children getting hold of their PDA

Games No Responses »
Jul 282006

This problem is as old as the Palm PDA-small kids love handhelds, but their owners don’t want kids to get them… . Usually, parents get angry if you protect your property – Gotcha puts you back in charge!

The basic objective of Gotcha is simple – drag the handheld across the screen with the stylus to keep it away from the kid:
kid Gotcha a game for people who hate small children getting hold of their PDA
Sounds simple – until the kid starts to teleport across the screen:
w1 Gotcha a game for people who hate small children getting hold of their PDA w2 Gotcha a game for people who hate small children getting hold of their PDA
A Gotcha game ends when the kid touches the handheld:
end Gotcha a game for people who hate small children getting hold of their PDA
Gotcha includes a highscore module:
hsc Gotcha a game for people who hate small children getting hold of their PDA
This review covered 1.0 of the program. Gotcha has no web site, so we archived the 60k freeware on Tamoggemon.com.

Overall, Gotcha is a fun way to kill time on the go – if you can live with the theme, get it by all means!

Posted by Tam Hanna, Site Founder at 7:12 am

Perceived speed versus real speed

Editorials, Uncategorized No Responses »
Jul 272006

Employees are fascinating – I could write a book about them every day and still wouldn’t have said everything about them at the end of my life. Anyways, everybody loves fast and reliable employees – but the question is: whats fast.

Some employees appear to be buzzing and sweating all day, while others behave phlegmatic all day. Now, I pose the question: who performs better?

The obvious solution would be choosing person a – but is this really the case? I experienced this many times, and in fact, people who work extremely fast tend to make more mistakes than the slower but more thorough ones.

Employees are paid for what they create under the line – and this metric is what counts the most imho. IMHO, if an employee works better while hanging legs-up on a gallow and swinging; let him. If an employee ants to come to work dressed pink and codes well, let him.

After all: whats the difference betwen a sweating and a non-sweating coder creating a working module…

What do you think?

Posted by Tam Hanna, Site Founder at 11:06 pm

PalmWiki Newsflash

Web sites 2 Responses »
Jul 272006

First we have to thank our excellent authors that keep our PalmWiki alive. Without authors we would have to close the wiki. So thank you, TungstenEguy, thank you, Guysoft! I hope that we’ll find more authors (and readers of course) for our wiki. This is your chance: http://wiki.tamoggemon.com.

The second thing is that we need to specify under which license the Wiki is. On the German PalmWiki the editors could choose between CreativeCommons, GFDL and GPL. So we started a thread on 1src concerning this: http://www.1src.com/forums/showthread.php?p=937609#post937609

Now we need your oppinion. So please write at PalmWiki, vote at 1src and, of course, write your comment here at TamsPalm!

Posted by Alexander Gratz at 11:07 am
Older Entries
© 2012 TamsPalm - the Palm OS / web OS Blog Suffusion theme by Sayontan Sinha