The Digest Thu, 12 May 2005 Volume02 : Number 741
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Sent to: 747 subscribers
In today's The Digest 12 messages
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- OPL at Nokia 9500
- Re: The Digest V1 # 740
- Re: GMAIL & POP3
- Self-contradictory?
- CF card partitioning (re: Phil Aypee,dig#740)
- Evolution of the Universe - easy as ABC!
- Engineering level of the 9500
- it's about morality, SmtpAuth, Comment , Evolution,
- Psion Software For Sale
- hardware needs, GMT, EU directives, Hebrewetc
- P910i software update
- Re: Nokia 9500 keyboard
Date: 10 May 2005 00:57:40 +0000
From: Rolf Vonau <address truncated>
Subject: OPL at Nokia 9500
Hi,
may be there is a programmer able to help me...
Each time I run a translated OPL program - even the simplest one (PROC A:: PRINT "HI" : GET : ENDP) - the Nokia boots fromscratch, it means it shuts down, shows the pictures "NOKIA" ANDplays the starting melody. After that no application is running. What Iinstalled wrong??
--
BR
Rolf
Date: 10 May 2005 08:08:31 +0000
From: Bernard Hill <address truncated>
Subject: Re: The Digest V1 # 740
For Phil Aypee:
>Trygve, when I partitioned my CF card it was under Windoze 98. The >Fdisk program would only let me make one primary partition and one >extended partition. They are both FAT 12.
But that's not the number of possible logical drives on a hard drive. The extended partition can contain more than one. The point is that the primary partition is the only one that the system can boot from, at least in W98. I run 6 drives in the extended partition on my W98 system.
[Aside: you don't even have to have a primary partition. I partition spare HDs for a backup drive on a removable caddy: they are partitioned as no primary and multiple extended so that when inserted and the system started they add on to the end of my usual C: D: E: F: G: H: I: drives rather than the primary partition on the other drive inserting itself as drive D.]
>
>Though I've downloaded a couple of partitioning programs I'm loth to >try them as they're shareware and I think buying them would be >uneconomic. I only want one big CF partitioned and that's far from vital. >
>Happy days,
>Phil.
>
>"Freedom is the handle on the bucket of your soul."
>
>http://www.philaypee.co.uk/index.html
>
>
>Date: 8 May 2005 10:54:34 +0000
>From: Phil Aypee <address truncated>
>Subject: Skip this if you want - it's about morality
>
>Hi Folks,
>
>Itamar, the only thing in your reply to me (about copyright) I disagree >with is that anything is "clearly immoral". Though there are deeds that >I, and apparently you, consider immoral we *might* be wrong, mightn't >we?
>
>But to extend my opinion, I still think that copyright law will have to >be changed to cope with the ephemeral nature of computer software. It >seems odd to me that breach of copyright in Britain ceases to be a
>(civil) offence 1 day after 70 years have passed. The previous day it >was an offence!
>
>I don't see how that can be moral. Where literature is concerned it may >be defensible if a little silly - but software? The word I would use is >"stupid".
Maybe that's because you don't make your living writing software. Obviously for software that means "always" but I find no problem with that.
--
Bernard Hill
Braeburn Software
Author of Music Publisher system
Music Software written by musicians for musicians
http://www.braeburn.co.uk
Selkirk, Scotland
Date: 10 May 2005 08:42:19 +0000
From: Marcus von Cube <address truncated>
Subject: Re: GMAIL & POP3
Simon,
> I know gmail is encrypted,
That's the problem, you need a SSL connection to get to your mail. This is not supported on EPOC and not (yet?) implemented in SmtpAuth. I don't even know if it is possible at all (for me) to implement SSL ("Secure Socket Layer") in SmtpAuth. There might be Java libraries out there for the purpose, but
I doubt they are suited for the old fashioned version 1.1 JVM built into EPOC.
Marcus
http://www.mvcsys.de
Date: 10 May 2005 10:43:25 +0000
From: Phil Aypee <address truncated>
Subject: Self-contradictory?
Hi Folks,
Rolf (Brunsting), why is it self-contradictory to believe in qualified freedom? Does it have to be total regulation (by whom?) or total anarchy? Personally I think it's nonsense to insist that freedom cannot be qualified as you seem to think.
I am free to walk wherever I will provided I do not commit trespass (and I do not become a criminal for committing civil trespass though I do for committing criminal trespass - copyright is a civil matter). Does something have to be illegal, civilly or criminally, to be *wrong*? Was insider trading right when it was legal? Did it then become wrong when it became illegal?
Isn't that nonsense?
Nowhere did I say, or even imply, the "EC directive" concerned wasn't part of law or that British equivalent wasn't subsidiary to it - so why do you devote so much space to emphasising that it is?
Your extended treatise on UN and other international law nowhere addresses the point I made, that you quote, that the "UN declaration" might be wrong according to some people, that other yardsticks may apply. All you have done, at length, is explain that the law is the law!
I knew that.
I am very clear as to my responsibilities as a software user, otherwise I would not have started, and continued, this thread. Of course, I expect you to disagree with my assessment of those responsibilities - but they're my *opinions*. Your *opinion* seem to be rather Panglossian to me. Do you remember Professor Pangloss? But your opinions, like my opinions, are *just* opinions - not unarguable facts.
As I said, "I think that the rules of copyright will have to be amended in the case of software ". Though you haven't addressed that point I assume you disagree. If you cling to the belief that current copyright rules are quite adequate, fine. That's your *belief*. It isn't mine.
Finally, to address your point about morality, why is it wrong to consider the morality involved? As far as I'm concerned morality matters. It's more important than mere law. If an author, whilst keeping the copyright, releases something freely that is broken I think that may well be immoral - possibly legal but probably immoral.
I could be wrong - just like anyone, even you.
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."
http://www.philaypee.co.uk/index.html
Date: 10 May 2005 15:01:28 +0000
From: Marek Oswiecimski <address truncated>
Subject: CF card partitioning (re: Phil Aypee, dig#740)
Dear Phil,
About two years ago I have made three primary FAT16 partitions on my Transcend 256MB CF. Like you, I plugged my card, via adapter, into the pcimcia slot of a laptop -- although instead of fdisk I have used Ranish Partition Manager v. 2.40, a freeware utility to be downloaded from <http://www.ranish.com/part/>.
The tool was launched "in DOS mode" of the Win ME laptop. At first I erased the existing Partition Table in the Master Boot Record, then used the RPM "wizard" to define new partitons according to my needs (approx. 54 MB + 69 MB
+ 126 MB), as well as to format them. Initially, I wanted to re-format the new partitions with Atelier EDU, since RPM is only able to use the default formatting parameters (number of sectors per cluster, number of root entries). Luckily, it turned out that those defaults are rather prudent -- so I didn't need to tinker with the disk structures any more.
Since then I've been happily using the re-partitioned card with my EPOC devices (netBook, MC218)-- though I am quite aware that some other Psion users have been less lucky with their cards. Don't ask me why.
> when I partitioned my CF card it was under Windoze 98. The Fdisk program would only let me make one primary partition and one extended
partition.
Normally, you should be able to define up to four primary partitions in the standard partition table -- cf. for instance
<http://www.ranish.com/part/primer.htm>. (You are limited to only one primary prtition if you aim to install Microsoft OS on the disk -- but this is not
your case.)
Best wishes
Marek
Date: 10 May 2005 16:15:42 +0000
From: Phil Aypee <address truncated>
Subject: Evolution of the Universe - easy as ABC!
Hi Folks,
George Gamov's surname is usually spelt Gamow. In 1948 he, with Ralph Asher Alpher and Hans Bethe proposed a theory about the early universe. This was the 'alpha, beta, gamma' theory by Alpher, Bethe and Gamow.
Did anyone say physicists had no sense of humour?
Happy days,
Phil.
"Who are we?
We find that we live on an insignificant planet
of a humdrum star lost in a galaxy
tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe
in which there are far more galaxies than people."
http://www.philaypee.co.uk/index.html
Date: 10 May 2005 16:32:49 +0000
From: Simon Jeffree <address truncated>
Subject: Engineering level of the 9500
Answer to: Thomas van der Zijden
Re: Engineering level of the 9500
I think part of the problem is that the shareware/freeware authors have realised that it's just not worth the effort to produce these kind of specialist programs. The software market has matured since then, to the point that the expected quality of such programs is exremely high & the gains are too low, as the audience for them has been scattered between all the platforms (Psion ER3, ER5, Symbian S60,S80,S90, UIQ, Palm, PocketPC).
Also, even sticking with Psion/Symbian it's a case of 'once bitten, twice shy'. A lot of these type of programs were written for the series 3. Then when the series 5 & ER5 came out, they were not completely compatible & had to be re-engineered. Now, with the various flavours of Symbian,incompatibilities arise again but this time they are multiplied by all the different permutations of the various variables (OS version/manufacturer/UI).
In the days of the Psions running ER5, you could write an application for one of them & then with minimal fiddling, could adapt it so that the same version could also run on the other ER5 devices (5/5mx/7/netBook/Revo). Now, with Symbian, you have several different UIs to contend with (S60/S80/S90/UIQ). This means extra thought when designing the app & more work in porting to the other UIs & the need to maintain several versions. Its all just too much effort.
Also, on the original Psions, OPL was an integrated feature of the device & it looked like it was going to be developed & supported by Psion. Then with the switch to Symbian, it was just dropped, dead. It was then resurrected & valiantly taken up by people like Ewan Spence - an all too small band of enthusiasts.
I know it's sad, but I'm beginning to realise that particular window in time has now closed, never to be re-opened.
Question to: Nokia 9500 users
Re: Data loss on MMC card
I have had a 9500 for about a month now & I am gradually migrating everything I can, over from my 5mx, with the eventual aim of using only the 9500.
I will give my views on its usability later. However, the other day I opened it up to find that all the files on the 128Mb MMC card, which came with the phone had gone! Fortunately there weren't many, as I've not got very far in migrating from the 5mx.
There were two files which were open at the time. These were saved with names of the form 'TMP{5-digit hex no}.$$$' in the 'D:\System\Temp' folder, but apart from these, all the other files & folders had gone.
Has anyone had a similar experience?
Regards,
Simon Jeffree
Date: 10 May 2005 17:07:32 +0000
From: Itamar Engelsman <address truncated>
Subject: it's about morality, SmtpAuth, Comment , Evolution,
Answer to: Phil Aypee
Re.: it's about morality - I think there are some things that are beyond doubt immoral as they stand out with head and shoulders above anything else like for example the Holocaust or the concentration camps in Bosnia area in the nineties. The murders committed by Idi Amin are another example. I would add to that the on purpose starvation of vast majorities of a population while food is available for the few that support you like Mugabe. On a personal level I think rape can be classified as immoral too ? Sure, all these occur but I believe that the people acting these ways know deep down inside them that it is wrong. An entire different question is what does and does not give the right to the res of the World to intervene or not. Clearly killing with weapons we tend to intervene, but killing through starvation we stand on the sidelines. Just a few thoughts.
Answer to: Marcus von Cube & Mark
Re.: SmtpAuth - We use SmtpAuth actually to send the html version of the digest out from our Psions (mine is a mBoo, works just tlike the S7) ... don't give up !
Answer to: U Hornstein
Re.: Comment - Ah, but there is a colour version available that works the same as the MC218 / 5MX, the S7 / mB / nB. True, it is not as portable as the smaller machine, but with my P910 as phone / diary / database etc. I don't need it with me all the time.
Answer to: Rolf Brunsting
Re.: Evolution - Scientists can measure what happened after the "big bang" and can try and explain the big bang with these measurements, but they can't be sure as the actual bang can''t be measured. Furthermore, science cannot explain what was present before the big bang, why there was a point (no mass, no time) that exploded the way it did and continues to expand, why it did not explode earlier or later, where it came from, etc.
Even if we human beings develop the self-conciousness only after some months or more, we still develop it while the other animals (imho clearly) do not. The real question in my mind is however, that if evolution is try, why are there no other group of animals that developed the same self-conciousness as the human beings did ? We went within 6,000 years from the stone age to reaching the moon, computers, wireless communications, etc. The monkeys using the stick or other tool in that period still uses the same tools. In my mind there is a clear distinction in the development that cannot be explained with the Darwin theory.
Best regards,
Itamar Engelsman
London, UK
Date: 10 May 2005 18:41:42 +0000
From: Roger Chisnall <address truncated>
Subject: Psion Software For Sale
Hope this is OK?
Am seeling a few bits of software if anyone is interested?
Timebase 6.0 which is a time-logging and charging programme for series 3 - on floppy disc with manual.
Street Planner '99
Boxed CD and all info GB version.
Boxed CD and all info Europe version.
regards
Roger
Date: 10 May 2005 22:00:24 +0000
From: Axel Moberg <address truncated>
Subject: hardware needs, GMT, EU directives, Hebrew etc
To Cyril Catt
1) In #736 Cyril wrote. à propos my comment on our very different needs, and the need for writing long pieces some of us have:
"I wonder how much of that text-based world really needs colour and graphics, and,... would settle for longer battery life...just to be able to get on with their core activities whenever and wherever they need to?"
Good question. If I understand you correctly, you are dreaming of a bright black-white screen, which is quite sufficient on the road (even colour makes the world more beautiful), probably a larger screen and a somewhat larger keyboard (which at least I would like). In other words a black-white netBook, with rechargeable AA batteries (which would probably make it even smaller and lighter). I would add a built in GSM, or at least a built-in modem and/or chance to connect to a mobile phone by cable (or bluetooth). If should come across one, please let me know.
2) To Trygve Henriksen #739
"Why I'm doing this?...I want a simple text entry computer with a full keyboard with Norwegian keys...And if the screen is readable in sunlight, well, that's just a bonus. (the netBook screen definitely isn't)"
I have been thinking of the possibility of getting a German version of netBook. Then you have öä in exactly the right spot, and you only have to changes places for z and y, and substitute å for ü, which can be done with e.g. KeybLayout. Fortunately, we don't have that much sunshine in Scandinavia. Which brings me to the next subject.
3) To Jim Watson-Gove #736, Philip Carlisle, Alan Morris, and others.
"What is the relationship between GMT...and local time"
You have got several replies, but I'm afraid they are not quite exhaustive. Isn't there a competent astronomer among the subscribers?
Anyway, my understanding of it.
GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) is an astronomical definition. Time as measured at the Greenwhich observatory in southeast London. Taken as standard sometime in the 18th century, or was it the 17th? (Stupid choice. If they had chosen a place in, say, Western Ireland we would have had all of Europe on the same side of the line, which would have been more practical. Iceland is half on the American shelf.)
The term GMT lingers on, but I think it has been replaced in scientific circles by UMT (Universal Time Coordinated) which is basically the same thing.
Now, both these things are theoretical concepts that in principle have nothing to do with the clocks in Britain. It is constant, does not change with summertime, and is the same wherever you are. UTC is used for giving exact time i.a. for air traffic all over the world. So when a pilot is filing his flight plan he does so in UTC, no matter whether he/she starts from Heathrow, Irkutsk, Mexico or Manila. When I was a Sunday pilot for a short time I had to use UTC/GMT also for flights out of the small grass strip in the remote Swedish countryside. (They probably also use it at sea, in astronomy and for space travels.)
BST (British Standard Time) is rather a an administrative or political definition. Or simply a decision about the time to be used in UK. Nowadays, it coincides with GMT/UTC during winter time. But not necessarily so. In the sixties the UK actually applied Central European Time (CET) the whole year. Ironically this ended at the same time as the UK joined the EC/EU. I believe that it was called BST also at that time, but stand to be corrected.
Summertime is now, according to an EU decision or recommendation (I forget which), applied by all EU countries, regardless of which of the three European time zones
they are in. Understandably, the EU countries wanted to have a uniform period for the changes. The decision was from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October. The end of the period is too late for many countries, since the sun rises far too late in the morning. All countries but one wanted to end by late September. But the British insisted on October. And the only way to get a uniform solution in EU was to do it the way the British wanted. Which means that we are wandering around in the dark, just to keep the British happy. Please remember this when the British (sometimes rightly) are complaining of all the stupid things the EU has forced upon them.
Corrections, anyone?
Yes, Jim , this was a bit off-topic.
4) To Rolf Brunsting #740
"That EC law stands above, and thereby overrules, national law of the EC member states "
Well, I'm not a legal expert either. Basically true, but not quite correct in the details. Regulations are binding on each and everyone, decision on whom they are directed to. Directives are binding on Member States that are to conform to the objectives in the directive, but should have a certain latitude about how they do it nationally. It can, according to Court rulings, only be directly binding if member states have failed to fulfill their obligations, and clear and unequivocal obligations or rights can be derived from the directive.
This is the beautiful theory. In practice the directives often contain too many details that give member states very little leeway. This blame should not always be put on the "bureaucrats in Brussels". As always, it is often member states themselves that have insisted on all the details.
5) To Itamar,
Your Hebrew thing, where did you find it? Are there other languages were it came from? Or did you write it yourself?
6) To Franco Cozzani - vox clamans in deserto.
Thought for the day (although I have had it for a long time.)
"Market forces are like bacteria. Sometimes they do a lot of good, like when you are making penicillin or beer. Sometimes they cause a lot of damage. But they are always there. You can never ignore them."
Axel Moberg
Stockholm, Sweden
Date: 11 May 2005 15:47:24 +0000
From: Itamar Engelsman <address truncated>
Subject: P910i software update
Hi All,
I checked the Sony Ericsson website and it says that I should update my software from version R1A30 to version R4A01. As said before however, they don't give any details what will be updated and why. Did anyone do the update, did it work and what was added (or deducted) to (from) the software on the phone ?
Best regards,
Itamar Engelsman
London, UK
Date: 11 May 2005 17:13:05 +0000
From: Arne Christensen <address truncated>
Subject: Re: Nokia 9500 keyboard
Answer to Martin O'Neill:
> I tried out a Nokia 9500 dummy in a mobile phone store yesterday. > [....] Does anyone know if the keyboard on the dummy is the same as on > the real phone?
In the store I visited I was told the keyboard was not the same, however they did not have a 9500 so I could try it. On the 9300 (of which they had one) there was a noticable difference between the keyboards of the dummy and the real phone - the latter was better :-)
-- Arne Christensen
You've Been Reading The Digest
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