The PDA of tungsten

Today it has surprised, rather cheered to me, to read the opinion of fportillo, expert in all type of pocket computers that collaborate in blog of Serantes. The chance has made him use an equipment with PalmOS again, in particular a TX. And its opinion is this one:

Whenever I return to PalmOS I give to account of the enormous advantages of this operating system and the complete tools that incorporate. The incredible continuous Doc2Go being of the best tools to work with Office documents and to visionar is them nothing like the Picsel Proview, that together with the Picsel Browser turns the Palm into a tremendously productive tool, without forgetting its superb possibilities synchronization with any system, even by WIFI, although Microsoft says that it does not incorporate it in his uncertain ActiveSync for being.

Simple, productive and effective programs. Stable and functional systems. After all, efficiency. That is we must ask to him to a PDA of work and that is those that PalmOS gives. That is what I admire of this system and that profit not to find in the others, perhaps so that we are animal costumary.

Existing software for PalmOS, result of years and years of existence of this excellent platform, is of a quality and shattering amount, as we can see every day in this blog. It would be a pity, and a bad decision, to throw to the sweepings all these programs. And he is something that the ACCESS people know very well: like developer of ACCESS Linux Platform (ALP), the new operating system that will replace PalmOS, incorporates in him a virtual machine that will be able to execute the applications created for the very old but effective operating system. The newness, nevertheless, is that they have not remained there.

A Nokia N810 executing the virtual machine Palm Garnet OS

In alliance with Nokia (thanks for the commentary chusquete), they have created a version of this virtual machine for products of series N, that is to say, Nokia N810, Nokia N800 and Nokia N770. Nokia needs to populate with the good software its equipment to have the welcome of the necessary public, and ALP needs that the public makes contact with enemy with GarnetOS, PalmOS, or as we want to call it, so that its platform ALP has necessary the critical mass at the time of the launching. And it is that although I at the outset do not doubt that will appear much software for ALP, the majority of software that we will be able to install in the new equipment of Palm will be the existing one for PalmOS.

Garnet VM enables Nokia Nseries users to run thousands of Garnet OS (formerly Palm OS®) applications. Popular Garnet VM supports some of the most applications in the mobile market including, Google Maps™, Snappermail®, popular DateBk5 and perennially games like Bejeweled®, PacMan and Sudoku. Choose from to wide variety of application types including, document processors, database managers, messaging, enhanced PIMs, life management tools, and dwells.

In the page of ACCESS dedicated to this virtual machine Garnet OS for Nseries we can see more information on the matter, like a list with some of the applications already totally supported:

• Web/E-Mail: Google Maps, Snappermail.
• Networks: WiFile Pro, EzFTP.
• Multimedia: Pocket Tunes, Kinoma.
• Productivity: DateBk5, Encyclopedia Briton.
• Games: Bejeweled, PacMan, Raging Thunder, Village SIM.

Bejeweled, the famous game of Palm OS, in a Nokia N810

The characteristics of this virtual machine are the following:

• Integrated applications: Address, Dates Book, Memo DAP, Calculator.
• Requirements: 3.5MB of ram for feasible and 16MB of ram for storage (configuration between 1MB and 32MB).
• The thrower allows: installation/desinstalación of applications, configuration of compatibility by application (memory, resolution, model of equipment to emulate), configuration of space of storage available to emulate, configuration of screen (rotation of screen, basic image).
• General characteristics: inlet area with recognition of writing Graffitti 1, networks (TCP/IP), synchronization by hotsync, multilanguage (English, French, Italian, German and Spanish).

Forming the size of the memory and the bottom of screen

Also the memory can be chosen heap and model to emulate

There is more information available on the matter of this virtual machine in white to paper that ACCESS has published, as well as some notes on its use in this page of frequent questions.

The very good news for which we lamented every day the disappearance of PalmOS and fear that ALP is only in an attempt of something great. I hope that ACCESS continues establishing alliances to be able to plant face to Microsoft and its Windows Mobile, since the competition is something that always is going to us to benificiar, the users.

By: New features
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The development of the versions of Linux for the Palm advances to good rate. For example, a distribution for Palm with good state of maturity is Angstrom, cradle in Gentoo Linux and with versions for Palm TX and Tungsten T5. As graphical surroundings use Opie, fork of Qtopia focused to the PDAs.

Opie executing itself in a Palm TX

If you have used Linux sometimes, surely you have proven the graphical surroundings KDE and Gnome. For example Ubuntu uses Gnome, and Kubuntu KDE. Then, Qtopia is the base of graphical surroundings KDE, reason why Opie and KDE are we say “brother”. Although it is not used in Angstrom, is worthy to mention the other graphical surroundings for PDAs being run Linux, call GPE, that use bookstores GTK, the base of Gnome, another well-known graphical surroundings for Linux. So if in the PC with Linux we counted on the main options of KDE and Gnome like graphical surroundings, in the PDA it happens same com Opie and GPE.

GPE executing itself in a Palm TX

Then, our friend I read has published in his blog a video and screen captures of Opie/Armstrong running in its TX. Part of the time of load of the operating system, around a minute because it is being read of the SD, not of the main memory, me it has surprised the express that takes the applications, considering the complexity of Linux like compared operating system for example with PalmOS. It makes me think that when one is developed vesión of Linux for the Palm optimized for these devices, for example the ALP of Inc. Palm, the result can more be than satisfactory.

New stable version but of Linux for Palm TX, in a single package yet the necessary thing, is only necessary to decompress the content in the Root of card SD, to execute the Cocoboot that will appear in the card of the ready Palm and to be used

The Linux Angstrom of the video can be unloaded of the page of Linux for Palm. the instructions are simple:

• To unload the complete package (for example “Palm TX (all)”).
• To decompress the file and to copy it to the root directory of card SD of the Palm.
• To do backup of the information of our Palm just in case.
• To execute the program “Cocoboot” that will appear installed in our Palm, and to make APT in the option “Boot”. This program will reseteará the Palm loading the Linux that we have installed instead of the PalmOS that brings the Palm of factory.
• Linux will start. To enjoy it. In PDAExpertos we can read the opinion of they have been which it trying.

In order to be abreast of the advances of this Linux for the TX, I recommend to follow blog of its creator.

How our TX with Angstrom/Opie would be seen executing itself instead of PalmOS

For that they want to prove Linux in his Palm, I read has compiled a list of Questions More frequent than, abusing its amiability, I am going to include here also, for which they have doubts when trying Linux in his Palm:

• He is safe to load Linux: Totally, it only runs as a program but and with a Reset Soft leaves him.
• I can return to PalmOS: If, you only must reinitiate the Palm.
• I do not lose information: , None only reseteas and you return to as you were. NEVERTHELESS I ADVISE TO MAKE AN ENDORSEMENT BEFORE TRYING.
• I can use in “X” device the archives that posteaste for “and” device: NO, each package is for a specific device TX, T5…).
• Of where unloading the present version but of Linux for my Palm: Of Hack&Dev.
• Applications in Linux can be installed: No, but it brings a good Seth of Apps so that you entertain yourself.
• It is possible only to be worked with Linux in the Palm: Yes, the package of Apps that it includes is quite complete.
• When resetear the Palm to where the changes go that I did in Linux, is lost: NO, they keep in the image of the card, and when bootear Linux it will be your information there again.
• If my Palm is damaged your me the payments: Jejeje, I am afraid that no, úsalo under your own risk
• He is useful to change the operating system of my Palm: It really depends on your point of view.
• It is east system which presented/displayed east Acces year, the Acces Linux Platform: NO, this it is an alternating project to carry Linux to the Palm devices.

Happy hacking!

By: New features
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Some Palm like the Treo, the LifeDrive, or even the T5 or the TX with an external microphone, can record audio without greater problem, using the program of recorder of sounds that Palm provides, Notes of Voice. Nevertheless, this program is thought to only record voice, and so that in addition the resulting file occupies less possible: it uses a frequency of sampling of telephone conversation (that is to say, very low quality) and a format of lossy compression.

The Palm can make the function very well of sound recorder

However, the quality of the microphone of the Palm is quite good at level hardware, reason why it is a pain to fail to take advantage of it when we want to record something with more fidelity, for example to do podcast or an interview. And the programs available to record audio with the Palm to more quality are all of payment, and in addition expensive. This is what the creator of Better Recorder thought, a free and gratuitous program to record audio by means of the integrated microphone of the Palm.

Better Recorder records the audio one in format RAW, without no compression. That is to say, PCM of 16 bits to 44100 Hertz, like a CD. Like the CDs, that stores 74 minutes in 650Mb, the resulting file will be very great. In fact great half of which in a CD, since it records in monkey instead of stere (hardware does not allow to recording stere). The speed of sampling can be reduced if we needed to generate archives smaller or simply our PDA is not sufficiently fast to store the data of the recording according to are generated (the solution can be to buy a card SD of high speed).

The program is very simple to use: simply we chose the frequency of sampling of a list, and initiated and deserts the recording beating a button that appears in the window of the program, or pressing anyone of the physical bellboys of the Palm. During the recording they will appear two graphs where the form of the wave will be drawn. Fixing us to these drawings we will be able to know when we are saturating the microphone and therefore we must move away the Palm of the origin of the sound to avoid degradation of the quality: the sound is saturating the microphone when the wave touches to the part superior of the graph, that is to say, is more intense than the maximum value that the microphone is able to register, reason why the wave will be trimmed by above, and new frequencies will take place then that will distort the sound.

Overdrive is an utility in music techno but not in a recorder

The recordings are saved in format WAV in the /records/ folder of card SD. Whenever a recording begins, a new file is created. The program does not include a reproducer of WAV by simplicity, but any reproducer of audio that we have installed will be able to reproduce it without problems, for example TCPMP.

Since I have said before, Better Recorder is free and gratuitous, reason why the program in himself can be unloaded as much of its page in SourceForge as the source code.

By: Analysis
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The first realised survey to know what type of gadget you use the visitors of the PDA of tungsten has been everything a success thanks to your participation. With about thousand entered votes, the result is already representative:

• A 65% you use a Palm Tungsten, which makes me think that, although Palm is concentrating lately almost of exclusive way in smartphones, would not have to forget the lovers the tradiconales PDA.
• Nevertheless, the Treo monopolizes a 12% of the votes, a far from negligible number considering the specific market of these apparatuses, very reduced until recently time, and the price of these apparatuses.
• Thirdly, with a 11% the LifeDrive is placed, to be a single product enough, and not of a family of them as it happens with the Tungsten or the Treo. Perhaps Palm has hurried too much descatalogando it, although we cannot discard a future LifeDrive 2, mainly with the next appearance of iTouch of Apple.
• He is surprising to be to the Zire with only a 9%, concerning equipment of smaller price than in theory they can arrive at a sector of the amplest market.
• Another models with PalmOS as the Clié or the Zodiac takes small percentage, because a long time ago they were stopped commercializing, and the exitentes equipment they will have been spoiled with time. Enhorabuena to which they still maintain in operation those excellent apparatuses.
• And it has cheered much to me to see that the readers also you own other equipment with Windows Mobile, or of Nokia, etc. That gives more value to this community that we are forming, since there is to know the alternatives to be able to establish an objective criterion of the equipment with Palm OS.

What conclusions you draw from these results? Simultaneously, you can leave to your vote in this second survey that today begins: what programs you use to manage your agenda? the IMP by defect of PalmOS, simple but useful? Agendus by its functionalities? Contadnos to all the demamás why of your election.

I hope that this one is not the program that you use to manage your time

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By: generally
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The cables continue being a pending subject of the designers of ours gadgets. Although bluetooth tried to make them disappear, still it will spend long time before we are able not to have no cable that to coil, mainly due to electrical cables of feeding and recharges.

But where to put as much cable

Until that moment arrives, we will have to be a little careful in doing it of the less traumatic way for our apparatuses. In Urobótico they teach a method to us to coil our cables of a way ordinate and that does not damage the helmets, connectors, etc.

Another original way to coil the cables, is using this peculiar key ring that they analyze in TamsPalm, the Tetran Winder Cable.

An funny way to conserve the cable of earpieces

Until the recent efforts are perfected to transmit electrical energy wirelessly we will have to continue coexisting with our friendly cables. On the other hand, due to the physical limitation that imposes the radioelectric phantom to us, perhaps and the danger to be exposed to electromagnetic radiations, is not so bad idea not to leave them of side completely.

By: generally
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