The Tungsten PDA

In the blog Kimniekan we explain the origin of the symbol @ (at), and why they started to use to separate the server name in the e-mail addresses.

By: Mark Gonzalez Troyes in General
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I have in mind to build a media center using Linux and MythTV. But today I found a very curious: GiantDisc: Audio Jukebox. This is a computer monitor from the Palm, as if a machine disk (jukebox) concerned. It consists of the program that is installed on the Palm, and some scripts that are installed on your computer (yes, running Linux), which store all the songs. There is no need therefore to be connected a screen or keyboard or mouse, so you can build something really small, and that does not appear that a computer, or make so much noise. Everything is controlled from the Palm as if from a remote question. This is free software and free.

Example of the team that wants to control

To connect the Palm and a PC can be used RS232 (serial port) or TCP / IP over Bluetooth, IRDA (infrared), USB, WLAN (WiFi, wireless local area network), GSM (to control it from your mobile phone, etc.).

In the project page there is detailed information on everything that allows, with animated demos that show what we practically. These are the characteristics which I found most interesting:

• Find songs by the track name, album of or artist. Searches return information with all details such as year, language, gender, personal assessment, and so on. Lets change this information from the Palm. Of course, defining playlists, shuffle, control volume, etc.





Looking for songs in our collection

• Import tracks from a CD-audio, or a CD with MP3 files.
• Client server structure: there may be several GiantDisk servers running on the same computer, controlled by a Palm or a single server controlled by several Palm (or web clients, if you are connected by network to other computers).
• The databases with information on the songs, can be synchronized between multiple servers GiantDisk
• You can save your home from each album, and will come into play when our Palm.





Managing a playlist

• The sound can be played from the speakers connected to your PC, or sent through the network by streaming (such as music from radio stations over the Internet.
• For the more hands, you can connect a PC to pantallita LCD, which displays the currently playing track, the artist, or whatever we want.

It also explains how to use, instead of a Palm, a laptop or a bluetooth-enabled phone to control the computer. Taking it to extremes, has tried to make the portable server, using an MP3 player instead of a PC.

Such as using an old radio cabinet

In conclusion, commenting that the project documentation is available on the web, and it is very detailed. It is a very interesting project, which can be done with very little money (all software is free, and computer hardware may be a barebones that it costs very little money). All a geek to show off in front of the visits.

By: Mark Gonzalez Troyes in Analysis
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To enjoy the small physical in all of us, I propose this post about the effect it has moved to near the speed of sound, taken from the blog Strange But Worthless. It is all very well explained, with animated diagrams and pictures very appealing. I can not read until today this problem with Bloglines.

Plane breaking the sound barrier

Also, do not miss a few videos on the same topic in another post this blog.

By: Mark Gonzalez Troyes in General
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A few weeks ago we talked about that ScummVM, the program allows us to play classic adventure games, have a version for PalmOS. However, although the process for installing the software and games are explained in README.PALMOS file that comes with the program, is not very clear, so I will spell out how it would install the ScummVM and play Monkey Island as for example.

• We install the files ScummVM-Frontend.prc and skin.pdb in the Palm as usual.
• By some method to access the SD card, copy the file scumm.engine on the path "/ Palm / Programs / ScummVM / Mods /". If not, the created us.
• We already have the program ready. Now we have to install the games. To know what we have to copy files, consult this page. In our case, this is Secret of Monkey Island, The (PC CD VGA), because the files that have (ie, those in my CD of Monkey Island), are MONKEY.000 and MONKEY.001 .
• The archives of the games are copied in the directory / Palm / Programs / ScummVM / Games /. For example, in our case the two of the game in the copy / Palm / Programs / ScummVM / Games / Monkey.
• All files are in place. It is important to know that games are not going to appear alone on the list to start the ScummVM. We need to add them. So we ran in the Palm ScummVM and click the Add button. It opens a window where we were calling the game data. In this case we put:

• Entry name: Monkey Island (the name you want to appear in the list)
• Path: monkey (which we created the directory in / Palm / Programs / ScummVM / Games /
• Game: monkey (which I suppose is the name that gives it internally ScummVM to each game. The list is here).
  
• Engine: Scumm Games (it is very important to choose this engine)
• We can also choose custom options for the game, as if we want subtitles, load a saved game to start automatically, and so on.

• Click on OK and you will see the game on the list. Now we can turn the sound entering the menu of the program, Music & sound option. Activate Enable Mixer AdLib and audio / MIDI mode. Native Driver chose as MIDI.

And you're all ready. Seeing all the steps, I realize that this explanation was necessary. I strongly recommend that naveguéis by the very page of ScummVM, as there is a lot more interesting information about this program, for example FAQ. As always, if a step has not been clear, or there is any error, you have the comments to you.

By: Mark Gonzalez Troyes in Analysis
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When you purchase a Palm, its first Palm, realizes the amount of things you can do, and how useful it will be. It's so nice that calendar, task list, calculator, calendar ... but soon discovers that apart from the programs that brings pre-installed, there are many more to the internet which more interesting. Thus begins a cycle that ends, inevitably, in a huge amount of installed programs.

And the number is increasing with the passage of time. Some applications are cleared, but others remain. Many are used every day, others occasionally. And then there is a problem: updates. The developers of these programs are still working on them, and every so often a new version that fixes a problem, or add any new functionality. But we are not going to be visiting your page every day to learn. Some programs are updated every month, every other year. And this is not Linux (yet?), So an apt-get dist upgrade will not work.

The solution is TrackerDog. This free program is installed on our Palm, and up a database with all the software we have installed. Subsequently, both within individual hotsync, and through the internet (even if our connection goes through a proxy), connects to a server that stores the new versions that appear in all programs available for PalmOS (25,678 programs, the time of writing this post) and compares the data with those collected in our Palm.

TrackerDog searches all installed applications

Once you've finished compiling the information, tell us if there is a new version of any of them. If we can even automatically download and install this new version. In addition, the list of programs that had gathered, highlighting the status of each program with a different color to distinguish rapid developments. Finally, we can write a text note associated with each program, where we can save the registration number, date of purchase, and so on.

I've been using it a few months, and the result has been very good. In some cases there may be a slight delay between the onset of the new version of a program, and its appearance on the server, or have had problems to find the version of a program. But generally complies fully with its purpose. No need to give a round periodically through the pages of software for Palm, checking for updates to our programs.

By: Mark Gonzalez Troyes in Analysis
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