TamsPalm – the Palm OS / web OS Blog

The Bluetooth File Transfer protocol is a very handy thing to have for everyone who has more than one bluetooth-enabled device. It essentially creates a FTP-like server that can be accessed from other handhelds. Palm OS handhelds could act as ‘servers’ quite some time…and Softick’s Commander allows your Palm to act as client, too!

Commander’s interface is based around a set of tabs. Each tab can show local files, card files or the contents of a remote device:

When in Bluetooth mode, opening a folder takes a bit of time(a progress dialog like the one below is shown):

Dragging around files(you can select more than one) is innovative but simple. You simply open the path where the files should go to, open the next tab and move them over. The copying process takes some time due to the limited speed of the bluetooth transmitters involved:

Softick Commander shows a progress dialog, transfers can be canceled reliably with the cancel button. When copying folders, the folder structure is preserved. Copying directly from device to device seems to be possible too, altough it is extremely slow.

Softick Commander was tested with a hp rx4240 and a Nokia N71. The HP rx4240′s implementation of Bluetooth File Transfer protocol is excellent – the Palm TX could read from and write to the machine easily:

With the Nokia N71, things look different. Some folders cannot be opened, and the phone sometimes refuses to cooperate. If it works, the TX can write files out…but it cannot read them remotely.

Last but not least, the product also offers basic file manager functionality. However, its capabilities do not significantly exceed those of FileZ…and if anyone really needs a file manager, he probably already knows about Resco Explorer!

This review looked at version 1.02.200 of Softick Commander on a Palm TX. The program needs about 350k of RAM and supports HiRes+ screens!

Overall, Softick Commander will never be a good tool for moving your MP3 collection around-its transfer medium simply is too slow. However, transferring small files up to a few MB in size definitely is possible(albeit slowly)…IF your other device is supported. Luckily, a trial version is available for free – if it works and you transfer small files often, the price of $23.95 is justified as it protects your memory card slots!

Please tell us with which devices Softick Commander works for you!

SplashMoney discount code: Get 20% off this product in the TamsShop with the code SPLASHFORCHEAP

When personal finances are concerned, the belief that big, onetime expenses are the killer is widespread. I personally think that it’s the frequent little things that get ya – but in the end, if you can’t track your cashflow, all discussion is moot! SplashMoney promises to bring your finances under control(and do online banking – ignored here) – but can it cope with the harsh realities of the everyday life of a person like me(many income and outcome streams)?

SplashMoney is centered around accounts. A SplashMoney account can be a credit card, a bank account or a cash stack – it essentially doesn’t matter one bit. Each account can have an unique icon assigned; a list of all accounts is shown in overview mode:

Each one of the accounts contains transactions. A transaction is a move of cash – either into or out of the account. Transactions can be arranged in categories in order to simplify budgeting.

I especially liked the feature to note down unpaid income – handy for all those partners who don’t pay their bills quickly(you know who you are?). However, there is no way to handle transactions from one account to another – this is the number one feature I want to see in SplashMoney 5:


Frequently occurring payments can be processed automatically, too.

Each category can be assigned a “monthly budget”. This way, you can easily keep in check how much you spent on what:

Last but not least, the program can also render charts:

SplashMoney can protect itself with a password. This means that a password is required whenever SplashMoney is opened – while this increases privacy, it also is a major nuisance. A faster authentication method(e.g. tap on image) would have been better…

This review looked at version 4.09 of SplashMoney on a Palm TX. The program was stable in the reviewing period, it needs approx 800k of RAM!

Overall, SplashMoney CAN do what it promises – the emphasis is on CAN. Finance manager programs can only work if you don’t allow to yourself to cut some slack – every centime must be tracked. If you have the discipline necessary for that, SplashMoney will prove to be an invaluable assistant even with its current multi-account quirk – the price of 30$ is a bit high at first, but will pay out eventually!