-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tips for Posting to the Digest and how to unsubscribe
at the end of the Digest
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Epoc Digest Sat, 14 Feb 2004 Volume 01 : Number 446
************************************************************************
Sent to: 794 subscribers
In today's Epoc Digest 23 messages:
==============================
- Series 5 Word: inserting carriage returns in Find and Replace functions
- PSION Leaving Symbian
- Trojans on EPOC (EOF?)
- third pin, Spam replacement, Recording Macros, TimeLog vs. 5Time, PSION & Symbia
- Stylus | current v's voltage
- Re: Euro symbol
- Re: The security loophole
- Re: Spam replacement for n-Dream?
- RE: Epoc Digest V1 # 445 (2)
- PSION Leaving Symbian
- TimeLog / Free Software /
- Psion looks past Windows to Linux?
- Re: The security loophole
- Re: Trojans on EPOC (EOF?)
- Re: CronTab fix
- mBook
- mBook - II
- RE Virus
- Merlin/Netpad
- Psion/PDA meet on Feb 26th
- RE SD Disks....
- We live in hope
- Opera refuses to run on netBook
*++++++++++&
Date: 12 Feb 2004 12:13:13 +0000
From: chris-cooper
Subject: Series 5 Word: inserting carriage returns in Find and Replace functions
Hi,
When cleaning up the formatting of downloaded documents, I often use the Find or Replace function to locate stray carriage returns and remove or replace them. That's easy enough: if I select the return at the end of a line, then it appears in the 'Search For' field when the Find/Replace dialogue window opens.
But I also often want to insert carriage returns using Find/Replace. Does anyone know of any way to get a carriage return into the 'Replace with' field of the dialogue window?
Thanks,
Chris
*++++++++++&
Date: 12 Feb 2004 14:54:16 +0000
From: Tony Cabot
Subject: PSION Leaving Symbian
More at:
http://www.kewney.com/articles/040209-psion.html Tony
***Original Message****
Date: 10 Feb 2004 13:14:49 +0100
From: Caspar Lam
Subject: PSION Leaving Symbian
Hello all-
I'm not sure if this was already posted but I think it warrants attention.
http://www.symbian.com/press-office/2004/pr040209c.html
PSION has decided to its shares of Symbian to Nokia.
There's more at: http://ww6.investorrelations.co.uk/psion/ListPress.shtml
(Psion's Press Centre)
So finally PSION has decided to divorce itself completely with the last remaining relative of EPOC machines.
*++++++++++&
Date: 12 Feb 2004 16:02:29 +0000
From: Philip S. Adkins Potter
Subject: Trojans on EPOC (EOF?)
Hi Folks,
When Owen (Howdy Owen) wrote "But a soft reset would not clear it." about Trojans on EPOC I sort of agree . . . but . . . for a Trojan to work it needs to be embedded in a document opened by an application that can run it, and preferably run it unseen.
Is there an EPOC application that can do that?
I'm not being funny when I say that I don't know of any (I'm obviously not including macro launchers here).
Trygve's (Howdy Trygve) example of an any-platform nasty is quite as silly as he says! Malevolent it is and stupid too. Also those taken in by it are either gullible or stupid - but I think the malefactor should be hung by his balls from the Christmas tree (à la Waltons).
I honestly believe that ER5 and earlier are effectively going to stay free of real nasties now. As OSs they're obsolete and have a small declining userbase.
Whoopee!
Happy days,
Phil.
"I know you believe you understand what you thought
I said but I'm not sure you realise that what you heard
was not what I meant."
*++++++++++&
Date: 12 Feb 2004 16:19:17 +0000
From: Itamar Engelsman
Subject: third pin, Spam replacement, Recording Macros, TimeLog vs. 5Time, PSION & Symbia
Answer to: Trygve Henriksen
Re.: the third pin - "and the electric fences he used were rated at 5000V, and I'm still alive..." Alive yes, but sane ..... ?? <BG>
Answer to: Jan R Gustafsson
Re. Spam replacement - I also just now suscribed to Spamache after running two trial periods. After the first one you could only pay with Paypal which I don't have but now they take credit cards as well. Suddenly my email address is manageable again and you can protect multiple email addresses with it (share it between friends). Of course theoretically you could each week start a new trial period and not pay, but that is not my way of doing things.
Answer to: Marcus von Cube
Re. Recording Macros - I have got Assistant on my S7 and looked at the option but do not see it. Can you enlighten me ?
Answer to: ketil, Michael Asteriou & others
Re. TimeLog vs. 5Time - Is it not possible to do this in a spreadsheet and create a separate sheet for each client ? The formulae for time calculations were discussed extensively about a year ago or so.
Answer to: Caspar Lam
Re. PSION Leaving Symbian - It shows that the symbian platform will be further developed only for the mobile phone application, yes or no with PDA in it or not. I suppose it is a smart move for Psion who will now reap the benefits of their efforts in creating and developing Symbian. Now they will be basically left with Teklogix which they will further develop direction Microsoft platform. I suppose Psion as a separate system was dead already some time, now it is only the final nail on the coffin of Epoc/ Symbian run PDA's.
Best regards,
Itamar Engelsman
London, UK
*++++++++++&
Date: 12 Feb 2004 16:40:14 +0000
From: Antony
Subject: Stylus | current v's voltage
To: A. Bernard Olij
>Can somebody please (once again) tell me where and how to tickle my Psion, to repair the mechanism that keeps the stylus in place? Thanks, Bernard Olij,<
If your Psion is a Series 5 / 5MX, you apply gentle force as if to seperate the case near the Serial port. At one point, my Psion had a more serious problem where the spring was dislodged. I had to open the case and carefully reseat the spring.
To: Martin Guthrie
> ... The voltage certainly DOES matter! ... <
I was always tought that "current kills".
It is possible to survive an electric shock of both high current and potential difference. For example: People being struck by lightning. The important factor is the route the circuit takes. The most common cause of death due to electric shock is when current flows across the chest, damaging the heart or inducing a heart attack. If you are shocked through your right arm and the current exits via your right leg, you may suffer severe burns, but not necessarily die.
RF burns, now they're scary. A friend of mine circuit tests high powered military equipment and occasionally gets an RF shock. The wierd thing about these is they treat you as a capacitor like a normal electric shock, except you do not need to establish a circuit, just be in proximity. You store massive charge as you get shocked on it's way in and at some other time, it discharges from a random location. A colleague of his lost an eye! Ouch.
Antony Booth
Thought for the day: Why would anyone be interested in anyones thoughts for the day?
*++++++++++&
Date: 12 Feb 2004 16:44:03 +0000
From: Owen H. Morgan
Subject: Re: Euro symbol
Howdy!
Karsten Liebmann wrote (> ):
> One way to find out: anyone with a Psion5, I can
> mail you a non-converted Psion Word file from my
> 5mx and you can see whether the Euro character
> shows on a Psion5.
It won't work! The character isn't there. The 5ive classic was manufactured before the Euro symbol existed. There are only two possible ways of displaying it on a 5ive. Either as a graphic or by installing extra fonts. However, I don't know whether the 5ive supports adding extra fonts like you can do on the mx.
Owen
Thought for the day:
Anthony's Law of force:
Don't force it, get a larger hammer.
--
Owen H. Morgan, Yacht "Naomi J.", LD-928°14.86'N 16°50.54'W
Santa Cruz de La Palma, Canary Islands
http://home.no.net/naomij
Phone and SMS:
In Spain: +34 620520079
In Norway: +47 92053097
*++++++++++&
Date: 12 Feb 2004 16:44:17 +0000
From: Owen H. Morgan
Subject: Re: The security loophole
Howdy!
Trygve Henriksen wrote (> ):
> So, to break in all you had to do was to place a
> hacked copy of a system file, having to do with
> password protection on a CF, insert it and reset
> the machine, and when it booted it loaded the
> hacked version instead of the one in the ROM.
> The 'fix', I believe was a similar file, but
> placed on C: so that it would be loaded instead.
> (No, you can't copy the file from Z: as they are
> built to 'execute in place' while files on C: and
> D: aren't, so the format is different)
> This is AC we're talking about!
> Grab hold of any one of them, then a grounded
> object like a water pipe.
I believe the neutral wire is in fact neutral in the UK. It the live one oscillates +/- 240V in relation to the neutral and ground. In Norway, and possibly other countries, both wires oscillate, so as you say, both are live and there would be no point in using a plug that can only be inserted one way. To the applicance it doesn't matter.
Owen
Thought for the day:
People who think they know it all are especially annoying to us who do.
--
Owen H. Morgan, Yacht "Naomi J.", LD-928°14.86'N 16°50.54'W
Santa Cruz de La Palma, Canary Islands
http://home.no.net/naomij
Phone and SMS:
In Spain: +34 620520079
In Norway: +47 92053097
*++++++++++&
Date: 12 Feb 2004 16:44:36 +0000
From: Owen H. Morgan
Subject: Re: Spam replacement for n-Dream?
Howdy!
Kevin Collins wrote (> ):
> Re changing e-mail address, I
> agree: I couldn't be bothered to keep changing,
> with all that it would entail; I think I would
> then feel that the spammers had won!
I've been using the same address for years. Apart from a few around the time Itamar started the current digest and the archive was being put on the web with intact e-mail addresses, I hardly ever receive any Spam.
Owen
Thought for the day:
Don't ever slam a door; you might want to go back.
--
Owen H. Morgan, Yacht "Naomi J.", LD-928°14.86'N 16°50.54'W
Santa Cruz de La Palma, Canary Islands
http://home.no.net/naomij
Phone and SMS:
In Spain: +34 620520079
In Norway: +47 92053097
*++++++++++&
Date: 12 Feb 2004 17:51:09 +0000
From: Philip Crookes
Subject: RE: Epoc Digest V1 # 445 (2)
>Alan Morris said: >Or is Psion going back into portable computers now that PDA sales are falling. Probably wishful thinking. As far as I coould see Psion is going back to its PDA roots: handhelds for specific industrial applications. OK, they started as a software provider to the Sinclair Spectrum, but that's even more ancient history. What is to me a shame is that a product like the 5mx was good for its time, and could with current technology be excellent, but nobody will ever do it. As it stands the screen sucks and it lacks proper connectivity. With those problems corrected (colour screen, add-on self-powered USB, something better than quirky PsiWin for connection to PCs and something to work properly with Mac and Linux, it would still be a winner. But I wonder if Psion even still owns EPOC after the latest sale? ------------ Antony Booth wrote: Subject: PSION Leaving Symbian >Isn't Psion Leaving Psion? (snip much relevant comment) >It's not a company I'd invest in for the long term. At best I would consider making a short term profit if there's takeover speculation (like finding out palmOne is buying Psion stock). Maybe a takeover >would revamp the company to realise the potential of some of the markets it is retracting from. There's more chance of an upgraded 5MX from new management, that's for sure. I this the first question has to be who now owns the rigfhts to the 5mx soft- and hardware? And what their view would be of further future development, either in a user group under something like the GPL, or as a commercial possibility? --------------------- Chris S Handley wrote: Subject: CronTab fix
>This is just a quick update until I can release the fix for CronTab: Chris, may I congratulate you on offering such an elegant solution. A round of applause for that man! Philip Philip Crook
*++++++++++&
Date: 12 Feb 2004 18:18:37 +0000
From: AndyM
Subject: PSION Leaving Symbian
After many months of lurking, this is my first post - so apologies up front if this doesn't work...
TO : Alan Morris
> My first thoughts: what business! Or is Psion going back into portable computers now that PDA sales are falling. Probably wishful thinking. Alan - have you read the following article in the Register ? - it might give you some hope ;-)
"Psion Looks Past Windows to Linux"
at http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/68/35504.html
Andy
*++++++++++&
Date: 12 Feb 2004 18:54:59 +0000
From: Andy Hayes
Subject: TimeLog / Free Software /
Hi All
Jo kindly installed PDFPrinter and advised me of the results of TimeLog printing. Thanks a lot for this and for the info on registering it. It sounds as though this will not suffice either. I just retested 5Time and found that printing overlaps when you print to PDF. Whether this is an issue with 5Time or PDFPrinter I don't know. I couldn't test it to the printer hanging off the PC at work as PassThru was giving me problems and we are not allowed to install software on our PCs.
I really don't want to use a spreadsheet if I can avoid it, but no-one has come up with a solution thus far to my calculation problem in Powerbase, meaning that it might not have a solution at all or no-one knows what the solution is.
I would like to produce a database of applications **that were commercial or shareware and have later become freeware**. This will be in the form of: -
ApplicationName <TAB> ApplicationPurpose <TAB> DownloadURL
The following come to mind: -
PsiMapper Mapping http://3lib.ukonline.co.uk/mapper.htm
PassThru Comms and Printing http://www.millican.info/passthru.htm
Dcalc RPN Calculator http://sedumi.freeshell.org/psion/download.html
Does anyone know any more? If so why not send them to me in the form: -
ApplicationName <TAB> ApplicationPurpose <TAB> DownloadURL
My reason for doing this is to highlight some really good apps of the past, many of which I have registered, that might be useful to EPOC users of the present. I will produce a Data file if there is enough interest.
Thanks
Andy Hayes
*++++++++++&
Date: 12 Feb 2004 21:19:04 +0000
From: Ajai Khattri
Subject: Psion looks past Windows to Linux?
Psion to do Linux portables now? Sounds very intriguing - been wanting to do something like this on my S7 for years:
<http://theregister.co.uk/content/68/35504.html>
--
Aj.
Systems Administrator / Developer
*++++++++++&
Date: 12 Feb 2004 21:41:02 +0000
From: Owen H. Morgan
Subject: Re: The security loophole
Oops!
I intended to reply to this in my previous e-mail, but only quoted it.
Trygve Henriksen wrote (> ):
> So, to break in all you had to do was to place a
> hacked copy of a system file, having to do with
> password protection on a CF, insert it and reset
> the machine, and when it booted it loaded the
> hacked version instead of the one in the ROM.
> The 'fix', I believe was a similar file, but
> placed on C: so that it would be loaded instead.
> (No, you can't copy the file from Z: as they are
> built to 'execute in place' while files on C: and
> D: aren't, so the format is different)
Of course, there is nothing preventing anyone from reading anything that's on the CF disk, either by inserting it into another computer or hard resetting the Psion to disable the password.
Owen
Thought for the day:
People who think they know it all are especially annoying to us who do.
--
Owen H. Morgan, Yacht "Naomi J.", LD-928°14.86'N 16°50.54'W
Santa Cruz de La Palma, Canary Islands
http://home.no.net/naomij
Phone and SMS:
In Spain: +34 620520079
In Norway: +47 9205309
*++++++++++&
Date: 12 Feb 2004 21:41:10 +0000
From: Owen H. Morgan
Subject: Re: Trojans on EPOC (EOF?)
Howdy!
Philip S. Adkins Potter wrote (> ):
> When Owen (Howdy Owen) wrote "But a soft reset
> would not clear it." about Trojans on EPOC I sort
> of agree . . . but . . . for a Trojan to work it
> needs to be embedded in a document opened by an
> application that can run it, and preferably run it
> unseen.
> Is there an EPOC application that can do that?
Did you read the dictionary and encyclopaedia definitions of a Trojan which I included in my reply? A Trojan is _NOT_ necessarily embedded in a document. It can be embedded in an application, and in fact, this is much more common. Trojans have been around since long before it was possible to embed executable code in a document.
I'm not much of a programmer, but I do have the skills to write an EPOC Trojan. The trick is to write a host application that is useful or entertaining enough that it would spread far and wide in the EPOC community to hit the maximum number of systems. The other option would be to hack an already popular application and spread malicious versions of that. I don't have the skills to do that though, at least not if the original author has locked the application so it can't be RevTran-ed.
Hmm... I just had an idea. Yes, that should work...
Owen
Thought for the day:
Lucky is he for whom the belle toils.
--
28°14.86'N 16°50.54'W
Santa Cruz de La Palma, Canary Islands
Owen H. Morgan, Yacht "Naomi J.", LD-9311
c/o Idrettsveien 6, 3188 HORTEN, Norway
Phone and SMS:
In Spain: +34 620520079
In Norway: +47 92053097
*++++++++++&
Date: 12 Feb 2004 21:41:19 +0000
From: Owen H. Morgan
Subject: Re: CronTab fix
Howdy!
Chris S Handley wrote (> ):
> Secondly I
> have written a program which will take this "patch
> file", and automatically make the needed changes
> to Pascal's original version of CronTab.
You're a champ!
> What I have described is all written, working &
> easy to use, but I have hit a snag which will
> delay it's release: I wish to allow the user to
> remove my fix, and it is proving difficult to make
> this occur automatically when my SIS file is
> Removed as usual (via the Control Panel).
The only way I could suggest is that installing the patch would make renamed copy of the original executable and that the patched version included a menu option to launch a small program that removed the patch by deleting the patched version and renaming the copy of the original. This would have the disadvantage that you would have two versions of the CronTab executable on disk, taking twice the space. I don't have CronTab installed at the moment, so I don't know how big it is.
I can't really see the need for this though. If the user wants to remove the patch (why would anyone want to do that?) they can simply re-install CronTab from the original SIS file..
Owen
Thought for the day:
A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small package.
--
Owen H. Morgan, Yacht "Naomi J.", LD-928°14.86'N 16°50.54'W
Santa Cruz de La Palma, Canary Islands
http://home.no.net/naomij
Phone and SMS:
In Spain: +34 620520079
In Norway: +47 92053097
*++++++++++&
Date: 13 Feb 2004 00:45:59 +0000
From: Itamar Engelsman
Subject: mBook
I took the step and received my all new mBook today from Sita shop. The import costs were little and the VAT I can claim back via the office so it was considerably cheaper than other sources.
Sofar it looks like a nice machine for me. It is definitely faster and the screen looks better than the S7. I copied all the folders over but for the System folder which I did carefully folder by folder and/or file by file to avoid copying the wrong files. The Cisco wireless card worked upon entering it into the netBook, however just found out that if you type with the card in the machine it again skips every so often two letters, just like I had with the modemcard on my S7.
The machine came with the system preloaded. My main question is what file(s) should I have with me at all times to be able to re-install the system in case of a crash or hard reset ?
Every now and than the back-up battery replacement notice flashes up and disappears again. I suppose a piece of cardboard is the answer to that.
My partner still uses his S7 so together we now have 3 machines, 1 spare between us (and my old 5MX gathering dust in the draw).
Best regards,
Itamar Engelsman
London, UK
*++++++++++&
Date: 13 Feb 2004 00:58:22 +0000
From: Itamar Engelsman
Subject: mBook - II
Another question. I note that Opera is an evaluation edition only and that it takes a tremendous amount of disk space while the Web program takes up little space in comparison. Can I delete Opera and install Web on the mBook instead, saving over 1 Mb of disk space ?
Best regards,
Itamar Engelsman
London, UK
*++++++++++&
Date: 13 Feb 2004 02:19:56 +0000
From: Martin Maxwell
Subject: RE Virus
Reply To: Philip S. Adkins Potter
Subject: Re: I've nothing later than a 5mx.
Hi Philip,
The differences between ER5 and ER6/7 are far, far smaller than is often assumed. Anyway, I totally agree with your points.
>>>But I doubt there'll be any flowback from ER6/7 simply because virus writers are usually unable to make their viruses work, or work properly, on even the designed platforms. A well-written virus (not quite a contradiction in terms this time) is very rare. The main reason very poorly-written viruses never appear is that they *are* so poorly written - they can't propagate.<<<
Completely agree. I doubt it too. But wasn't there recently a virus which could propagate on Windows XP and SCO at the same time?
>>>For the foreseeable future I think most viruses will target Micro$oft Windows (all then current flavours) for many reasons including that platform's vulnerability, recently emphasised by Micros**t themselves, and the widespread perception of Bill Gates as a megalomaniac. And I think no other OS has had courts consider complaints against it under US antitrust law.<<<
Exactly, that was my point too! "Bill Gates is Darth Vader or Sauron, ensnaring the world of men".
Again, thank you for some very good postings on this matter.
All the best
Martin Maxwell
Frankfurt - Germany
*++++++++++&
Date: 13 Feb 2004 02:48:56 +0000
From: Timothy H.D. Williams
Subject: Merlin/Netpad
Merlin and NSwitcher are actually making life with the Netpad fun.
With Merlin, I have been able to make screen shortcuts for save, select all, copy, cut, paste, find and exit. I also have buttons for menu, space, tab, delete and escape.
I am also able to call up macros without having to go through Macro5.
There is one thing, though, that I can't get Merlin to do. Macro5 allows text clippings which it then interprets as dates. They start and finish with %%, eg %%date DN DDth of MN, YY.%%
When I copy and paste these clippings into Merlin they don't work. Is there any way with Merlin that I can insert customized dates?
Best
T
*++++++++++&
Date: 13 Feb 2004 08:56:00 +0000
From: Steve Litchfield
Subject: Psion/PDA meet on Feb 26th
3-Lib and various sponsors (below) are proud to announce the next PDA user meeting, in Reading, Berks, from 6.30pm to
9pm on February 26th 2004.
[No, don't switch off just because it's not London, please. The Sun Inn is only five minutes walk from the main line Reading railway station, which itself is just about the centre of the UK rail network and only 20 minutes from Paddington. By car, the Sun Inn is easy to get to along the M4.]
It's all free. FREE DRINKS all evening, free door prizes, free admission and masses of good chat, gadgets, demonstrations and expertise. Open to all, whether you use a Psion, Palm, Pocket PC or Symbian smartphone.
Full details of the meeting, including a map, are at
http://3lib.ukonline.co.uk/meetings.htm
Sponsors of the meeting so far:
Palm, RMR Software and Handango. Handango are also donating some £30 vouchers to spend on their web site.
Thanks to each sponsor! If your company would like to join the sponsor list (animated banner ads on the meetings page, public thanks on night, etc.), please get in touch!
See you there. Please email me if you plan to attend so that I have a rough idea of numbers.
Steve Litchfi
*++++++++++&
Date: 13 Feb 2004 08:57:27 +0000
From: Michael Kennedy
Subject: RE SD Disks....
Tim
I've found that cards not using "quality" controllers (by quality I mean not branded like SanDisk, Lexar) often cause this issue. In trying to solve this problem I have performed some tests on a card made by DaneElec which had the same problems you appear to be having, but when used in a pc the card is fine.
There is a program called DiskBench that dumps 1Mb to the card and times how long to read & write. Using program I found that the DaneElec card was much slower than a SanDisk card (I've not kept the results I'm afraid) - that was when the 5MX recognised it!
I currently use a 1Gb SanDisk card in my 5MX with no issues.
It should be remembered that you may have a faulty card. So it would be a good idea to test this in another machine with a reader if possible.
*++++++++++&
Date: 13 Feb 2004 11:28:35 +0000
From: Timothy H.D. Williams
Subject: We live in hope
"But Psion won't - actually, can't - compete with Symbian in phones. Instead, it sees the value of Linux as giving the world a smaller, more reliable and more portable personal computer. "
> http://theregister.co.uk/content/68/35504.html
This looks a bit like Macintosh's moving over to Unix when Apple introduced MacOS X.
Of course, we know that the Psion has always been small, reliable and portable.
Tim
*++++++++++&
Date: 13 Feb 2004 12:41:12 +0000
From: Christopher Holly
Subject: Opera refuses to run on netBook
I was doing a little surfing on my netBook. It seemed to be hanging so I tried shutting it down. When that did not work I killed it (Ctrl Shft Fn K). Now it won't load at all. I just get a blank screen. Do I need to back up and do a hard reset? or is there another way?
--
Chris Holly
830 S. Fess Ave.
Bloomington, IN 47401-4946
*++++++++++&
To reply or to send your own messages,
subscribe by sending an email to
with SUBSCRIBE in the subject.