TreoCan

Initiate Contest

2005-08-25T14:48:00.000-04:00

I've already written a review of Initiate.

Now there's a contest from Hobbyist Software, the author if Initiate, Butler and Phone Technician - what will it take to make you switch to Initiate?

http://mytreo.net/archives/2005/08/win_free_software_for_your_treo.php

Treo 650 DUN via Bluetooth

2005-08-25T14:31:00.000-04:00

Treo 650 DUN via Bluetooth on Rogers – SUCCESS!!

Thanks to Christopher, the very helpful tech at Rogers, I was able to get DUN working over Bluetooth.

My initial problem was getting my D-Link DBT-120 working. After a round of install, uninstall, install, (you know the drill), I found an article on the Microsoft Knowledgebase and was able to get Bluetooth working. A helpful hint - restart after every remove/install. The manual for my BT adapter says it isn't necessary, but I found it helps.

Next step was Bluetooth Hotsync which was straightforward once I actually read the dialog boxes and followed the instructions.

So on to Dial Up Networking.

I won’t bore you with the details of my many trials, but jump straight to the solution. Here’s what you have to do.

1) Pair BT connection with laptop/desktop
2) Click on Device Manager
3) Click on Modem
4) Click on Advanced Tab
5) In Extra Initialization String

+cgdcont=1,"IP","internet.com"

6) create new dialup connection using BT Standard Modem
7) Phone Number : *99***1#
8) Username : wapuser1
9) Password : wap

And that’s it!

ActiveWords and ClearContext for Windows

2005-08-23T12:23:00.000-04:00

ActiveWords and ClearContext

I haven’t forgotten my promise to blog more on text entry apps, but I would be remiss if I did not plug my two favourite Windows utilities.

The first is ActiveWords (www.activewords.com). It’s a tool to let you assign keyboard shortcuts to just about everything in Windows. It’s a huge productivity tool if you are a keyboard-oriented person.

Check it out. Tell Buzz (buzz@activewords.com) that Rick sent you.

The second is ClearContext (www.clearcontext.com) It is an add-in for MS Outlook that helps to organize and file e-mail. When I get back from vacation it’s the only way to get through my overflowing inbox and get my life back in control. Even better, there is an ActiveWords agent for ClearContext now in beta! (http://www.clearcontext.com/activewords/)

I'm back (again)

2005-08-23T12:17:00.000-04:00

I’m back (again)

So it’s been a while since I posted. Don’t you hate it when life gets in the way of blogging?

Actually, coaching both my daughters soccer teams have been consuming my evenings, and I never complain about that.

A Bad Treo Day

2005-08-12T10:05:00.000-04:00

So, yesterday was a bad Treo day.

Two days ago, my Treo battery was down to 0. I couldn't figure out what happened as I thought I had charged it. So I let it charge all night, and I was using it while it was charging, so all was fine, or so I thought.

Yesterday, I was on the train to Montreal for a meeting and went to make a call. Dead battery!! I pulled the battery out, and let it restart and was able to get a couple of seconds of use. Later in the day, nothing. I called Palm and they suggested the chrager was the problem.

Last night I plugged the charger direcly into the Treo (not through the hotsync cable) and everything was fine this monring.

I will do some more experimenting.

DUN with Rogers??

2005-08-07T21:56:00.000-04:00

Has anyone been able to make DUN work with Bluetooth on Rogers (Canada)?

I did some playing, but no luck so far.

I'm back

2005-08-07T21:48:00.000-04:00

Just back from vacation. Too much driving.

My text entry tool search continues. A few have been dropped immediately for various reasons. I'll post more in the future.

I've also acquired a Cardo Scala 500 bluetooth headset on eBay. So far I'm very pleased. It's small (doesn't make me look like a Borg) and the sound quality is excellent.

I've also purchased Voice Dialer Pro. (Yes, I knew it does not work with bluetooth headsets before I purchased it.) I've got mixed feelings so far on VDP. It seems to work, but I'm getting lots of resets. I will keep playing.

More to come.

...Rick

Text Entry Apps on the 650

2005-07-25T23:14:00.000-04:00

Before getting my Treo 650, I briefly contemplated gettting a Blackberry 7100. That's the one with the keyboard with two letters per key. It uses a smart entry algorithm to suggest words based on the initial letters you've typed.

Years ago I used WordComplete to do the same thing on my Palm.

I've since gone looking for similar apps for the Treo. It appears WordComplete hasn't been touched in years, the web site was last updated in 2001.

Here's the list of apps I've found so far

QuickWrite 5 - www.mobi-systems.com

TextComplete 2.6 - http://www.mobi-systems.com/product-info.asp?ID=139

InstantText - http://www.textware.com/itmobile/itmobiledemo.htm

TapWords 1.01 - http://www.l3solutions.com/L3Prod_L3TC_POS.htm

TextPlus - http://www.smartcell.com/textplus.html

Does anyone know of any others?

I'm going to investigate these and I'll post my comments over the coming weeks.

Gmail addresses available

2005-07-22T11:22:00.000-04:00

If anyone wants a gmail address, I have lots to give away.

email me rick dot blaiklock at gmail

My first application review - Initiate

2005-07-21T08:24:00.000-04:00

Over the many years of using Palm-powered devices, I'm sure I've tried every launcher created, including the really dumb ones that used a Start button to make the palm look like a Pocket PC (sorry - just too many taps to get anything done)

Eventually I settled on ZLauncher for both ease of use as well as it flexibiltiy and customization options.

When I got my 650, one launcher I read about was Initiate by Hobbyist Software (www.hobyistsoftware.com).

It's a different style of launcher, but I find I'm using it regularly.

It has one unique feature, and even the developer doesn't make a big deal about that feature. What it has got is the ability to do (almost) everything from the keyboard.

So instead of using the stylus, I can type letters and if does a search. So I type M E M and it finds the memo app. I press Select, and we're away.

While that's fine, the power is that it also does that for contacts. As a result, I don't need a contacts manager, so good-bye to Contacts 5.

I can enter a contact name, either by first or last name, then select a phone number or e-mail and make a call/send a message.

The best part is a feature called "SmartSearch". As long as I type the first letter correctly, I don't have to type every letter. Initiate matches the letters I type will all entries with those lettes in the same order, as if I had typed a wild-card search between every letter.

For example, to search for Tomaszewski, all I type is T Z and it finds entries as if I used a search string of T * Z *, which matches Tomaszewski, Tzar and Tenzing.

Beyond this, it's got all the stuff you'd expect from a launcher - skins, wallpaper, SD card support, etc. It also has a built in MP3 player, and yes using the same search can find your MP3s.

There's even an Easter Egg, but that's a challenge for you to find.

In summary, a great app, but you need to spend time with it to realize the power it gives you.

Lesson 2 - Load apps one at a time

2005-07-19T10:03:00.000-04:00

So now that I had the ROM update, and SD card accessible, I started reloading all my apps.

I synced and all was well.

Later in the day whe I was out of the office, I noticed my phone was not connected. (I subsequenlty learned that the phone gets turned off after a reset and has to be turned on.)

I turned the phone on. My 650 does a soft reset. Strange, I think. All the apps are working fine.

I try it again. Same thing. Once more, just to prove I'm not imagining it.

My only solution was to do a hard reset. That brought the phone back.

I have since reloaded my apps one at a time. (More on my apps in a future post)

So far so good, and I can't reproduce the problem

Very strange.

Lesson 1 - Update ROM first!

2005-07-15T23:20:00.000-04:00

Since I've been a long time palm user, I just jumped right in.

Installed the software, did a hotsync and thigns went fairly well.

Some programs did not sync, but there were clearly identified. But my SD card was not visible.
It still worked in my Tungsten|T and I could plug it into a card reader, but no luck in the 650.

I found there was a ROM upgrade, but it said it required 15M free RAM to work.

So I started deleting to get down to 15M.

I ran the installer - no luck, not enough memory. Delete some more, up to 17M free. Still no luck.

Next step - hard reset, establish a temp user and install the ROM. Ah, that works. Hard reset and back to my original user id. Now I can read my SD card. Mission accomplished.

Lesson - apply the ROM updates before installing anything!!

...Rick

Welcome!

2005-07-14T15:55:00.000-04:00

Hello!

My name is Rick Blaiklock, and I'm the proud new owner of a PalmOne Treo 650. Here in Canada, the only service provider supporting the 650 is Rogers Wireless, so that's who I'm with.

I'll be blogging about my experiences, good and bad, as well as software and other gadgets I've stumbled across.

I am a long, long time Palm user. I started with a PalmPilot when the first came out (1996?) and since then I've owned a collection including a Palm III, Palm V, Handspring Visor and Tungsten T.

Please feel free to leave me your comments.

I can be reached at rick dot blaiklock at gmail dot com.