gmail invite

with the advent of yahoo's 100mb email space, and spymac's freely available 1gb email plus plus, gmail invites have become less and less popular and sought after. ive asked my friends if they wanted one but most of them just replied with a why-would-i-need-that-much-space-shrug..

ah well, if anybody out there wants a gmail invite, ive got one free, just drop me a postcard from wherever you are =) (email me privately for the postal address)

oh by the way, here are other sites that offer 1gb free email accounts:

www.spymac.com
www.walla.com
www.gawab.com
www.rediff.com

so there are a lot of choices really aside from gmail =) its just the psychologically of being a member of the chosen few that urges people to do stupid things for a gmail invite =p

happy weekend everyone!

japanese speaking palm

i was in a da (desk accessory) downloading frenzy a while ago when i chanced upon this very interesting utility: VJoaDA, not a very descriptive name really, but maybe it stands for something else that my mind cannot decipher yet right now =p the readme includes the following text:

There are two mode in VJoaDA.

"Joa" mode
Translates from "ROMAJI" to "HIRAGANA"
Reads selected "ROMAJI" words out.

In order to use this mode, your Palm has to be able to show Japanese characters. Some programs, "J-OS" or "Yomeru", are available for you.

"V" mode
Reads selected "ROMAJI", "HIRAGANA" and "KATAKANA" words out.
You don't need to special environment to use this mode.
I recommend this mode, if you don't have Japanese environment.

If this software could be helpful for people who has handicap on eyes or who wants to learn/teach Japanese, I would be very happy.

how very thoughtful of the developer =)

this app supports devices running palm os 3.5 and up, well that would have made me happy since this could be the test to speech program i've been looking for but unfortunately, it doesnt support my clie!!! it doesnt support clies with dcpm so that includes the nr70 series too tsk tsk =/

secure thy handheld

yep i know a hard reset will still render all those installed locking apps useless but hey, they look cool for now for paranoid pda junkies not unlike me =p

anyways, i got tired of gridlock and decided to switch to something with more visual appeal. i found this old app from four years ago to fit the bill nicely =)

matrix would have been better if it were colored but the developer seems to have abandoned it already, hmmm, now if i can only ask permission to decompile this and redevelop so it can have more colors..

on the other hand, if i would have time to decompile an app, i might as well develop an entirely new one..

yeah yeah, that's if the lazy bug dont get me =)

gridlock and matrix can be found at my favorite palm freeware depot: www.freewarepalm.com

speak

if there was ever a time i wanted a palm os 5 device more, it would be now =)

"Speak is a very small program which allows a Palm OS5 device to speak-out the contents of the clipboard using PSpeak, the text-to-speech engine developed by pSpeak Inc"

- palm boulevard -

id love to test this program but unfortunately my device doesnt support it, =/

esoftinteractive

"eSoft Interactive is a Philippines-based software company specializing in game development for various handheld platforms, the first one in our country"

Traffic Jam is their current top of the line palm os offering which is very similar to one of my all time favorite games: Traffic, the only difference is the improved graphics and additional levels. Try it out and see if pinoy developers have a chance in the handheld gaming arena =)

cliedumpster reorganization

my free image host decided to revamp its server so most of my pictures arent working, ill be fixing them soon when i have some free time, meanwhile in the pda world, there are no exciting news as of the moment,
two days ago i saw the pictures of the soon to be released sony ericsosn s700, hmmm, looks like that is going to be my next mobile phone this year hehe =)

you may view the complete technical details at esato

pc keyboard + pda = ?

mobilityware just developed a way to use your pc keyboard with your handheld, try keylink

***updates

ive just tested this software with my work pc running on win2k pro jap edition and my clie, it works fine with the basic pim apps like notepad, address book, memo pad, and date book, it also works well with quick office,

i still wish that they'll make some sort of cradle for my pda than can directly connect to a usb pc keyboard and then develop some drivers for the palm to support the key mappings. or how about a wireless pc keyboard that can communicate with the pda thru bluetooth or IR? major battery drain!

ah heck, with all that trouble, why not get a notebook or a tablet pc intead, or why dont palm release an os for the desktop and not just the handheld =p *wishful thinking*

on another note handshare from the developer mentioned above, looks more useful to me =) at last real time access to my palm apps through my pc, its like that desktop software they ship with the pocket pc

learn alphabets

in case you'd like to learn thai, katakana, hiragana, kanji, hebrew or greek alphabets, this is a handy tool =)

work tools

they say a handheld's primary function, aside from PIM, is productivity. here are some apps in my clie that are helpful in project development:

• idea pad flow chart maker


• project punch project management program


• progect manager project management and outline tool


• uml pad use case diagram modeling tool


• time sheet time tracker

filez

i just downloaded the latest version of filez (5.3.2) its one of the best freeware file managers out there. i can set the copy protect bit on and off so that i can beam files, and i can set the backup bit on so that every app will have a backup on my pc whenever i hotsync. but i still use it in conjunction with mcfile, which is very useful in file transfers to external memory card =)

recommended sites

here are some reliable sources of palm news and applications:

• freewarepalm freeware apps for palm


• palmopensource opensource apps for palm


• palmgamingworld games, games, games


• palmgear palm apps store


• palminfocenter all about palm articles


• cliesource news about clie stuffs


• brighthand news about handhelds in general

uptime

when im testing an application, id like to keep track of the number of times it crashed my palm, this little utility does just that. aside from that function, it also reminds me of the date when i last synced my clie.

desk accessory

the os version on my clie can only run one application at a time, so it gets quite annoying if you want to view the date or convert a certain unit while you are running a certain program. you will have to exit your app and open the other. a desk accessory or DA can run over the application while preserving its current state, when it quits, the application continues to run. this concept was developed by hacker dude san

the following are some of the installed DAs on my clie:

• AudioControlDA access your audio player on top of other programs


• Call Lookup DA find contacts from your address book


• clipboard viewer DA well like the name says, view the clipboard


• ezConv DA conversion tool


• hr-shot DA capture the screen and save it as bmp on your external storage device

not another datebook replacement

ok, so there are lots of apps out there to replace the built in datebook, but with the advent of the new clie organizer software bundled with the th55 and the other datebook improvements made for os5 palm devices, why would anyone bother to replace their built in datebooks? i dont know, but i did use a datebook enhancement app called A5, i like the way it displays my appointments. best of all its freeware.

there is another application called takosche from a japanese developer that im currently test running on my clie right now. unfortunately, its all in japanese. although there is an unofficial english version, registration is not possible outside japan. so i guess this will have to go to the trashbin after the 60 day trial period =)

pdastreet once picked the top 5 datebook replacements for palm os. this article may be viewed here.

clie gear

sometimes the bundled stuffs are not enough, so i dressed up my clie with things that would make it ready for travel. my clie always comes with the following:

proporta　aluminum hardcase
i had mine ordered from uk by post. it set me back 32 euro plus tax, its sold locally at a much cheaper price now

usb hotsync charger cable
when im lugging around with a laptop, the cradle is just too bulky to bring,

innopocket 3-in-1 stylus
i got this one as a thank you gift from one of the people ive helped in japan. he was looking for a perfect pda and i helped him buy one in akihabara

clie travel charger
most of the times, all i need is a wall socket charger like the one i use for my cellphone, so i opted to buy this travel charger. i got it from a friend for 2000 yen

memory stick
i have two 128mb memory stick, one is a sony branded and the other is from hagiwara sys. the latter is also a developer of wifi and bluetooth modules in memory stick and sd format =)

4 in 1 pc card adapter
a friend gave me a spare laptop two months ago. since it didnt have cd rom drive. i had quite a difficulty transferring files, good thing it has two pc card slots. so for file handling, i use ms import to transfer apps from my work pc to my pda, then this 4 in 1 pc card adapter to transfer the contents of my memory stick to the notebook. i bought this pcmcia card for Php1500 at greenhills

memory stick carrying case
ok, so my clie is vain hehe =) i got this memory stick carrying case in tenjin when i was in fukuoka for technical training. bic camera store offered this loyalty card which accumulates points for every purchase, so i got this for free using that point card =)

sad news

last week, my clie just turned into a collector's item. sony will no longer produce palm os handhelds. here's a link to that article at palminfocenter. they'll probably be concentrating on their symbian os powered smart phones. any which way, its been fun working with clies. i still havent found the perfect handheld to trade it with, i'll probably buy the sony ericsson k700 when it arrives though =)

phone backup

finally, before i go home (because they're turning off the lights and pushing me from my chair hehe), here`s an app you might need in case you want to backup the numbers on your phone or sim memory. wish list: the records should be editable and can be exported to the palm's built in address book =)

fitness guide

ok, so im a fitness freak =p despite the fact that im hopelessly overweight hehehe, anyways, this app is useful for calculating BMI and all that stuff. it also suggests a diet plan in case you want to increase/decrease you weight. now if only i can follow that to the letter...

file handling

sometimes i need to transfer non palm native files like pictures or mp3s from another pda or cellphone to my clie. i found mcfile to be the most useful app for doing that.

here are the steps for transferring files:

1. align and turn on IR of both devices, or bluetooth if you have it.


2. open mcfile on the receiving handheld


3. transfer the file from the source handheld using BT or IR.


4. a file transfer dialog will appear, wait till the process is finished


5. mcfile will prompt the receiving handheld to specify a location where the received file should be stored.


6. choose a location from the file browser menu, be sure to choose a folder in the external memory card if you are receiving a non palm os native file type.


7. writing complete! you have just succesfully transferred the file to your handheld

hacks

hacks are usually very small applications that change the way you interact
with your palm. here are some of the essential hacks for my clie:

• calc button hack divides the calc button into 4 regions and you can assign apps to launch


• find button hack divides the find button into 4 regions and you can assign apps to launch


• mcphling for easy switching between apps, this function is built in for palm os 5 devices


• mi:d dictionary pop up dictionary


• alert hack change the color of aler boxes depending on their message


• jog daily jog dial utility for clie handhelds


• jog launcher use the jog dial of your clie in launching apps


• no lines hack remove the lines in applications


• CAPSVP hack clie audioplayer stylus volume and position hack


• clie jog mp3 playback hack use your jogdial to control the playback of your audio player

and of course, these hacks cant run on their own. they need a hack manager, and in my opinion, xmaster is the best freeware application that does just that

my clie

before i go on and on about apps and games that i need or want for my pda. let me first introduce my palm: its a sony clie t665c. for specs, just google it =)

stabu

i bought a reversi board game for andrei last year, i thought him how to play and now he always beats me!!! i should practice more on my palm =p

big two

i've always loved playing pusoy dos with papa and kuya in bulacan back when my brother and i were kids. we would buy packs of miniature chocolate bars and m&m's then treat them as bets for every card game, talk about learning gambling at a young age =p

traffic

one of my favorite puzzle games, ive completed all the levels, but not all of my solution uses the minimum number of moves =)