- Re: Various P910

- Re: Handy Expense - cont.

- Re: The Digest V1 # 628

- Psion Can't Source Black & White Screens

- a self-recharging 5mx?

- Re. netBook screen calibration errors, SPAM filters

- Re: Palmtop

- Re: Navigating Without Touchscreen

- Re: Psion backups

- 9300 vs 9500 price

- Silkscreens/DataContacts/Backups

- Psion can't source B&W screens

- Transfering of DATA files to CONTACTS;p910, netBook screen calibration errors,

- Re; netBook screen calibration errors

- Shareware Upgrades

- Psion backups,

Date: 5 Nov 2004 22:22:24 +0000
From: Rolf Brunsting <address truncated>
Subject: Re: Various P910

Dear Itamar,

<< Yes, I do have 'power afe' enabled after 5 minutes. I just changed it from the clock to blank, maybe that will make a difference ? ... >>

One of the things you have to reckon with is that the power consumption of the GSM radio inside the P910 depends on the distance between P910 and cell tower. The larger the distance the more power is used in order to remain (well) above minimal signal strength. A car dampens the
signal so that a car mounted P910 will use more power to stay connected. Drive around and the phone's moving in and out of cell tower range so that the P910 is almost continuously adjusting its radio power and handling cell tower hand-overs. Needless to say that this results
in a higher power consumption and a lower time on batteries.

<< I can download email on my P910 without problems now but I can't use it as a modem for using GPRS from my mBook. I noticed that the P910 has an extra setting called "address" where I had to enter the word "internet" for Vodaphone, but my mBook does not have this option. Maybe it is time for SmtpAuth ? >>

The key-word "Internet" is used to indicate the type of GPRS connection you want to make, similar to the three types of GSM connection. With
GSM voice calls you're dealing with digital voice encoding while you don't want any voice encoding for data and fax calls. This means that a voice call needs to travel via a 'voice gateway' when it has to go via
a landline to the subscriber you're calling as your digital voice needs to be decoded to analog. While a data call needs to travel via 'modem gateway' in order to connect to the modem of your ISP's dial-up node. GPRS needs a similar distinction between connection types. Use GPRS and the phone is connected to the mobile network operator's GPRS digital data network. Which is fine when you want to connect to one of the operator's own services. In case you want to go outside you need to indicate where you want to go to. For WAP the network operator needs to route the connection via one of its WAP gateways. When you want to browse WEB pages rather than WAP pages the connection needs to be
routed via an Internet gateway. Hence the key-word "Internet".

That the P910 has an entry field for this key-word but not the Psion is because the latter is a general purpose device. It has the facilities
to enter initialisation strings by which you can control modems, GSM phones, GPRS phones, dedicated radio modems, etc. Use the Psion in combination with a GPRS phone and you need to use the right initialistation string. It can be a string which includes the key-word "Internet" but you can also use a string which refers to a pre-set GPRS configuration inside the phone.

<< Now _IF_ someone would write a program to allow for multiple Contacts files just like "Contact loader" on the EPOC machines, that would be an interesting program >>

The reason why there was a need for an application like Contacts Loader was because (a) EPOC Contacts didn't support categories and (b) could perform searches on a single key-word only. There's no longer a need
for such an application as the P910's Contacts application supports categories so that you can search on a key-word within a category.

<< It would also moean that with synchronisation all my personal addresses will appear in the business one on the PC, shared by other users as well >>

This is true when you give other networked PC users the same access rights you have. When you don't want that you can restrict their access rights to your business contacts only. The MS-Outlook set-up we used at Van Essen Instruments was that we couldn't access each other's contacts by default. However, each of us could give proxy rights to others on an individual basis. And we could decide for each proxy which categories the person in question could access and whether (s)he was allowed to make changes.

<< I understand your point very well and I suppose one of these days I will have to switch and put it all in the Contacts on my phone. The
main problem is that it will take a lot of time to do the synchronising and than go over the contacts file and edit each entry to put it in the right folder and edit the contents >>

Well ... what you normally do is to synchronise the empty contacts database of a new P910 with the office contacts database. As each and every contact on the PC has no equivalent on the P910 it means that the first synchronisation is in effect a straight copy/transfer. The first synchronisation will, indeed, take time. However, once completed the synchroniser needs only to take account of the changes made in either database. Subsequent synchronisations will therefore be very much quicker as what needs to be transferred are the changes. You don't need to mess with files and folders nor do you need to edit contacts in
order to make them fit as synchronisation is a bidirectional transfer between databases that have the same structure field wise.

---
Kind Regards,
Rolf Brunsting - Darp - Netherlands

Date: 5 Nov 2004 22:43:40 +0000
From: Rolf Brunsting <address truncated>
Subject: Re: Handy Expense - cont.

Dear Itamar,

<< It works and with some knowledge of excel you can easily transform the data in a workable report, but my feeling is that they could have made this part a lot nicer with some nice reporting and totals for different currencies and total in the home currency >>

Well ... have you thought about importing the .CSV file in a PC expense account application rather than a spreadsheet like Excel? Once you have the data in the expense account application it's this application which will calculate the totals per currency, per expense category, etc. and can be reconciled with data you've entered directly into it.

---
Kind Regards,
Rolf Brunsting - Darp - Netherlands

Date: 5 Nov 2004 22:50:56 +0000
From: Rolf Brunsting <address truncated>
Subject: Re: The Digest V1 # 628

Dear Itamar,

<< laser beam keyboard now available >>

At the airport:

Security Officer : What's this you're carrying, Sir? Traveller : It's my laser beam keyboard, Officer. Security Officer : Ah! ... Well! ... You're hereby arrested for attempting to smuggle an offensive weapon onboard an airplane.

---
Kind Regards,
Rolf Brunsting - Darp - Netherlands

Date: 6 Nov 2004 18:26:51 +0000
From: Mike Dyer <address truncated>
Subject: Psion Can't Source Black & White Screens

Check out,

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=19505

Regards,
Mike Dyer,
who has recieved no digest for two days  :o/

Date: 6 Nov 2004 20:45:54 +0000
From: Christopher Holly <address truncated>
Subject: a self-recharging 5mx?

Is it my imagination or is it possible my 5mx is recharging the rechargeable batteries when it sits in the cradle for long periods of time? (I've been lucky so far and had no problem using rechargeables. I am using PowerEx 2300 mAh NiMH right now.)

--
Chris Holly
830 S. Fess Ave.
Bloomington, IN  47401-4946

Date: 6 Nov 2004 22:24:38 +0000
From: Ian Chapple <address truncated>
Subject: Re. netBook screen calibration errors, SPAM filters

David,

>>Gentlemen. Please can someone explain why my netBook (Version 1.05(450) English (UK) - ASCII (Release 158)) every now and then looses its accuracy of the touch screen. I have to recalibrate the screen with my pen for it to work properly again (a real bore when in the sheet program). All batteries seem fine (even the backup). Any ideas?<<

Both my netbook and Series 7 have done this from time  to time. It has been stated several times that pressing on the logo above the keyboard causes the screen cable to re-sit in its socket on the motherboard. I have never observed this to have a particularly obvious effect, but the problem does eventually disappear after a while, so who knows... My suspicion is that atmospherics (ie. humidity) may play a part, which might explain why the problem is so spasmodic.

Owen,

>>Badly implemented SPAM blockers cause a lot of problems and I don't accept that we should all have to pussyfoot around them. If people accept that the problem is in the Spam blocker rather than a perfectly normal e-mail, then maybe the pressure will be on the ISP's to improve their software rather than on users to play a guessing game as to which words are OK or not.<<

I suspect the ISPs are not that bothered for a variety of reasons:

1. Most users are happy not to be inundated by SPAM.

2. ISPs are happy just to bounce emails containing certain words, as this saves them a lot of trouble and keeps mail server overheads down.

3. The fact is, most users are not aware of what really goes on when email is bounced by their ISP, and probably never know that they haven't received something that was sent to them.

At work, we have three separate spam filters, and still I get some spam; the only solution I have to this is to either just delete it when I get it, or to set up rules in Lotus Notes to deal with it; this usually means just deleting or rejecting email containing certain words (and their variants).

The really bizarre thing about spam is that most of it actually makes no sense at all; by the time all of the offending terms have been re-spelled to avoid spam filters, the resulting email is impossible to read, which rather defeats the object you would think.

There is one other problem that I have come across, which makes keeping your email address off spammer lists quite tricky. I recently bought a domain, and started getting spam to my new email address, even before I had started using it. I contacted the company from whom I'd bought the domain, and was told that spammers actually look at the lists of recently purchased domains, and then work out what a likely email address might be from the details of the domain owner. ie. If John Smith buys the Smith.name domain, and John Smith is listed as the owner, spammers will (correctly) guess that the email address Joh<address truncated>is a good target.

Cheers, Ian.

Date: 6 Nov 2004 22:40:01 +0000
From: Alan Morris <address truncated>
Subject: Re: Palmtop

Steve Litchfield <address truncated> wrote:-

> And I can't believe that ANY Psion owner will keep using it
> once the Nokia 9500 and 7710 become available in volume. They
> do everything the Psion could do and more besides.

Steve how good are their keyboards?  Are they as good as the 5mx or nB?

What are the screen sizes in pixels and inches or cm?

Will my Palmtop GPS navigation apps still work as now TomTom they have stopped doing their Psion versions.

Is one as small as my Revo+ and the other as big as my 7 or nB?

Can I Ir link between both?

I could ask many more questions, but I doubt that you can give satisfactory answers to the above.

I've just bought a PDA magazine so that I can keep up with what's available and was most surprised to read that they are still recommending the Psion 5mx from Clove, the only product in the magazine, which included smart phones, that I would consider buying.

I don't want GPRS, a toy camera, mp3 or 6 hundred ring tones etc, just a very capable computer.

I bought my first cellphone 17 years ago in 1987 and regularly upgraded.  However the 6210 has been kept longer than any other, because it does _everything_ I need from a cellphone.

Yes I would like to buy a new portable computer that would run my existing wide range of Psion software and have a few updates like a USB host for my 3rd GPS and on the nB size of screen the ability to display my digital photos taken on my Canon & Nikon proper CF card cameras.  Then I wont need a laptop anymore.  Retention of a serial port is mandatory for connection with my ham radios.

On yes another question do the 9500 and 7710 have CF Type II slots?  As I inter exchange a dozen or so CF cards between my 5mx, nB, both cameras, GPS and my laptop used only for photography and GPS work.

When my spare 5mx fails and both 7 & nB fail, then I'll have to rely on the EPOC emulator and buy a 10% capable PDA screen to replace my Revo+.

--
Alan R Morris, G4ENS.
Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, UK.
Using a Psion netBook & Nokia 6210e.

Date: 6 Nov 2004 22:40:12 +0000
From: Alan Morris <address truncated>
Subject: Re: Navigating Without Touchscreen

Neville Smith <address truncated> wrote:-

> I am without the touchscreen but still need to launch apps
> like Time, and the only way I know to do that is from the
> extras bar. I can't launch it from the System\Apps\TimeW
> directory.
>
> Can any kind soul enlighten me?

Use Macro5 and type <Fn + N> then the selected letter, number or <space>.

First setup a Program and call from C:, system\apps\timew, TimeW.ini

Just tested it on my nB.


--
Alan R Morris, G4ENS.
Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, UK.
Using a Psion netBook & Nokia 6210e.

Date: 6 Nov 2004 22:54:33 +0000
From: Julie A Campbell <address truncated>
Subject: Re: Psion backups

Answer to Bob Rudolph:

Bob

Does your backup problem occur after a seasonal time change?  Normal backups are incremental, saving only what has changed since last time. 
The spring or autumn time change creates confusion, causing a complete backup to be made.

Julie

--
____________________________________
Administrator at EpocChat (Sundays at 7pm UK)
http://www.epocchat.com

Moderator at PDA Street - Psion Place/Symbian Forums
http://www.pdastreet.com/forums

Date: 6 Nov 2004 23:26:18 +0000
From: Kevin Thorne <address truncated>
Subject: 9300 vs 9500 price

Chris Handley wrote:

<What I don't understand is why the Nokia 9300 will *apparently* be only 10 percent cheaper than the 9500, for the contract-less price, despite loosing both WiFi & the camera.  With such a small price difference, I'd probably be quite keen on getting the 9500!>

Yes, I thought this small difference quite strange too - a mere £50 difference.  However, as well as losing the camera and WiFi the 9300 also loses around 55 grams in weight, which makes quite a difference.  Personally I'd be quite happy to lose the camera myself but definitely not the WiFi so I'll be stumping up the small extra for the 9500.  I just hope I'll be able to connect it to my WiFi enabled ADSL modem!

Has anyone on the Digest actually got hold of one of these two Nokias yet? I've heard the 9300 is just about available now and the 9500 will be available in December.  I'm hoping someone will actually be able to review one on here soon - if they can cover it as thoroughly as Itamar with his P910 then so much the better :-)

Regards
Kevin Thorne

Date: 6 Nov 2004 23:53:33 +0000
From: Keith Giles <address truncated>
Subject: Silkscreens/DataContacts/Backups

Bernard Hill wrote re the use of Ctrl+(numbers) to access silkscreen apps:

> Does this vary with the machine?

As I wrote in a Digest a couple of days ago - it does. I have a Sheet file which I did to show for each machine the silkscreen app and the numbers needed to go with Ctrl. I'd be happy to send the file to anyone who wants it. I don't know if Neville Smith, the original asker, ever got it as I haven't had a reply from him.

Jack wrote:

> but http://pnicolas.EpocBoulevard.com is down!
> Hello! Martin G., please do something ;-)

He did something some time ago. Check his website, www.psience5.net

David McCorquodale wrote:

> Please can someone explain why my netBook (Version 1.05(450) English > (UK) - ASCII (Release 158)) every now and then looses its accuracy of the touch > screen.

It I recall, it has something to do with a plug which is under the
logo just above the 6 & 7 keys. Giving it a slight push whenever you
lose screen accuracy seems to work. I have a macro which I came across
on the PDA Street forum which was written to call up the screen
calibration window. I could send it to you if you want it.

Bob Rudolph wrote:

> I will perform a backup which I usually do about once a week.
> Usually it takes a few minutes. Sometimes like now, it tells me it
> will take 248 minutes.

I don't know if this applies to you or not, but usually twice a year
when we change from Standard to Daylight, Psion does a complete backup
because the file times are now different. I have found not letting
PsiWin backup my D drive (uncheck the D drive in Properties) but using
a CF card reader for backups is much faster.

P.S. Don't be one of those people writing to the Digest asking how to
recover info because something happened to their Psion and their
backup is old. I learned the hard way. I now backup each day. :-)

Happy Cycling,
Keith
Sunnyvale, CA
http://ohsix827.home.comcast.net

Thought For The Day: No noise is so emphatic as one you are trying not
to listen to.

All my outgoing e-mails have been checked by Norton Anti-virus.

Date: 7 Nov 2004 01:29:26 +0000
From: Manuel Campos Galvan <address truncated>
Subject: Psion can't source B&W screens

Some news about Psion:

Psion can't source B&W screens

Difficulties described as teething problems


By Tony Dennis: Saturday 06 November 2004, 10:17

  FORMER PDA KING Psion has been forced to admit it's having problems rolling out its latest range of ruggedised computers. Chief executive Alistair Crawford has dismissed Psion's difficulties as the kind of "minor teething troubles" commonly associated with rolling out new products. Having flogged off its share in Symbian and its software division, the rump of Psion is basically left with only the Psion Teklogix division. This basically makes ruggedised machines which are used for warehousing and logistical purposes.

In fact, Teklogix has only just won an award in Canada for helping the clothing supplier, Adidas-Salomon, streamline its warehousing operation.

Psion was forced to admit, however, that although it offered customers the option to purchase machines with cheaper black and white screens, it had been unable to source such components. So it's had to offer colour screens instead.

Teklogix isn't very popular for choosing the Beast Of Redmond's OS for its latest machines. There's an online petition urging Psion to introduce a Symbian version of its Netbook Pro product. over 2,600 people have now signed it.

Although Teklogix has useful experience in the RFID arena, it could run in to big trouble as a small fish playing in a small pond if a larger rival decided to move into the logistics arena.

Date: 7 Nov 2004 01:41:22 +0000
From: Itamar Engelsman <address truncated>
Subject: Transfering of DATA files to CONTACTS;p910, netBook screen calibration errors,

Answer to: Victor Marchand

Re.: Transfering of DATA files to CONTACTS;p910 - Thanks for that thread but it deals with the transfer from CONTACTS to the contacts on the P910 and not DATA files to CONTACTS on the P910. You had your details in the "Contacts" program on the Psion, I have got mine in DATA files.

Answer to: Jack

Re. Same subject - Thanks, will try the second one.

Answer to: McCorquodale David

Re.: netBook screen calibration errors - It helps to push quite hard on the netBook embleme at the top of the keyboard and than calibrate the screen again. It will hold a lot longer. Apparently there is a connection underneath it which is pushed into place by pushing down (or something like that).

Best regards,
Itamar Engelsman
London, UK

Date: 7 Nov 2004 08:50:15 +0000
From: Kate Head <address truncated>
Subject: Re; netBook screen calibration errors

>>Date:  5 Nov 2004 12:08:19 +0000
>>From: McCorquodale David <address truncated> >>Subject: netBook screen calibration errors
>>Gentlemen. Please can someone explain why my netBook (Version 1.05(450) English (UK) - ASCII (Release 158)) every now and >>then looses its accuracy of the touch screen. I have to recalibrate the screen with my pen for it to work properly again (a real bore >>when in the sheet program). All batteries seem fine (even the backup). Any ideas?
>>David

Hi there David,
I have to admit to being no gentleman, but I think you'll find that it's to do with how carefully you open the lid - a bit like the 5's screen cable problem; my netBook is a bit damaged, but if I open the lid quickly and the leather hinge "creaks", my touch screen tends to go away from the true position (I have been thinking about using some leather replenisher or something similar to put some life back into the hinge).
All the best,
      Kate!!

Date: 7 Nov 2004 12:47:32 +0000
From: Mike Dyer <address truncated>
Subject: Shareware Upgrades

Hi all,

Itamar I was saddened to read about your recent experience with Epocware, I bought the competitor 'Active Desk' instead but this is only one program ( a 'Today' screen) rather than trying to be a suite of programs.

Alas 'eZiTap' predictive word software and 'QuickOffice' have both been upgraded since I purchased them in August with no offer to existing users.

I also am dismayed that most developers issue a licence based on your phones imei number, what happens if the phone gets stolen, or damaged, or malfunctions?, I've spent about £160 on Shareware (yes I know), is this investment only going to be valid for the life of this phone?

Good luck with the car bracket, it comes with two different 'arms' to fit the range of SE phones, it's very secure and a piece of cake to insert and release the phone.

Regards,
Mike Dyer.

Date: 7 Nov 2004 01:41:22 +0000
From: Itamar Engelsman <address truncated>
Subject: Psion backups,

Answer to: Bob Rudolph

Re.: Psion backups - The Psion / Psiwin combination is affected by the switch in summertime to wintertime and back and that causes the date/time on the files to be misinterpreted which causes the backing up of all the files on your Psion which takes something like 248 minutes.

Best regards,
Itamar Engelsman
London, UK