It took a while, but all 1100 (or near enough) posts on this blog have now had new (mostly additional) categories assigned to them, where appropriate. If you check the category list on the left hand side, you will see the new additions. Although I could have added more, I wanted to try and keep to some sort of order, and I did not want a large collection of categories with only one or two posts. There are of course some exceptions, but mainly in areas that I intend to blog on more in the future.
Speaking of future posts, I really need to finish off the series of book reviews, as I only have another 3 or 4 left to read on my PDA. That said, I do have a few more lying around on one of the hard drives somewhere, and Oleg kindly put me in touch with a couple of sites that should be able to provide a few more. So, as we have just passed the 20,000 visits, in a little over a year, many thanks to those of you who visit. For new comers, please do check through the older posts when you get a chance, and feel free to leave comments if you have something to add or ask…
Aug 12 2007
FINALLY Finished The Recategorization
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Aug 12 2007
ActiveSync Woes Have Ended
Today was a good day for sorting out the various technical issues that have ganged up on this poor PC, this week just ending. ActiveSync now works again, meaning I do not have to re-type all the events on our calendar, nor re-enter all the contact details for friends and family (Most of that data was lost when my hard drive went belly up). I had spent a while trying to resolve the issue, and eventually came across point 17 at this page on ActiveSync 4.x Troubleshooting. The problem beforehand was that ActiveSync refused to sync with the PDA or either SmartPhone, and the UI itself gave an error message referring to MAPI32.DLL. Other sites suggested fixes, though none worked, especially as I was unable to install ActiveSync4.5 to attempt to downgrade or reinstall it. Anyway, if you ever have the same problems, do check the site out. NOT a sponsored post, just hope that someone finds the info as useful as I did today.
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Aug 10 2007
Slowly Returning To A State Of Normality
I was not online yesterday, other than via my PDA, as the main hard drive, with Windows and programs stored on it, decided to die. This is the second 300Gb Seagate hard drive in less than a year to have passed on to silicon heaven. However the first one was due to me inadvertently reversing the polarity on some case lighting, and this time was due to a faulty UPS (uninterruptable power supply). After 1 month of the warranty running out, our UPS no longer holds it’s charge at all, so when the sadly no infrequent power cuts kick in, you sometimes have no warning at all before the PC just turns off. This appears to have caused some sort of physical damage to the hard drive concerned (rather than a ‘simple’ logical fault with 0 and 1 being in the wrong place). Anyway, I eventually managed to nurse the drive back to enough response to extract the few documents stored on this drive, and then struggled to install Windows on a new hard drive. Even though there are 5 other drives to choose from, for a while none of them wanted to play ball.
Anyway, enough of the moaning, I haven’t lost much, other than time and sleep, and all my research for Amsterdam was eventually recovered, so back to normal activity from now on 🙂
Aug 08 2007
Excuse Me While I Scream…
I am writing this post or my PDA as my main hard drive is brohen
i hope to fix it soon
Aug 03 2007
PDA App #5 – GPS Tuner
So, now we are moving onto the software with navigational uses. Although I have an old version of TomTom, I was interested just what would be possible to achieve, focusing on walking around, rather than being in a car. Of course a walker could use TomTom to get from A to B, but as I will be testing this in Amsterdam, crossing canals on a pedestrian bridge, one way streets, and entire pedestrianized zone would definitely throw a spanner in the works, if I were to rely on TomTom entirely.
I am currently collating information on the places that Alex, ChrisD and I want to visit, mainly their Latitude and Longitude. Combined with map I am creating, I hope to have at the very least a good indication of which direction we should walk, and roughly how far away the next stop is. Actually I need to check previous posts re. the map, I’ll post more on it later if I haven’t already bored you 🙂
Anyway, there are a lot of configuration options, enough to make me think I should probably even read the GPS Tuner manual before the trip!
Aug 02 2007
PDA App #4 – Port Splitter
Later in the week I will start reviewing some of the GPS applications, however today I would like to focus on a related utility.
One of the problems with Bluetooth GPS units is that they require a serial port connection (though obviously not of the wired variety 😉 ), which is then locked exclusively to the program that initiated the connection. If you want to use your GPS with more than one program, you need to dis-connect and re-connect, which can cause stability and slow response times in either of the programs. Whilst you could theoretically have a utility rapidly switch between the two applications, I believe this would cause too much of a processing overhead. Another approach is that taken by Port Splitter (You’ll need to click the Port Splitter link when the page loads). The program makes a connection with your GPS unit in the usual manner, but then proceeds to create two (or however many free you have on your PDA) new serial ports, which it then duplicates the GPS data through to. All you then need to do is setup your other GPS programs to use one of these serial ports each. Quite a simple, but effective solution to a problem. With this program, you could use some route finding software to get to your destination, and use WiFiFoFum to accurately map WiFi hotspots on your trip.
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Aug 02 2007
PDA App #3 – PocketNav
When my iPaq had to be hard reset last week, I took the opportunity to try out some alternative applications that I’d previously downloaded, but not got around to testing just yet. One of these was PocketNav. Unlike the two previous pieces of software I mentioned, this has nothing to do with travel, WiFI or GPS; instead it is a task switcher/ender replacement system. One of the problems with my 2210 is there is not much memory left for day to day usage, after the bare minimum has been installed to the internal storage section. (Unlike more recent Windows Mobile 5 powered PDAs, one block of RAM is dynamically split between storage and system.) I install as much as possible to the SD card, however some utilities are required before the OS can access external memory cards, and others are simply too slow to be stored anywhere other than the faster internal memory. Newer models have non-volatile memory specifically for program storage, which has the added benefit of the PDA not losing all its configuration if the battery should completely die.
Anyway I digress, apologies; one problem with closing programs on a PDA is that although they dissappear from the screen, they still reside in the memory. The reason for this approach is that when you next need to use the program, it is already present in memory, and therefore is almost instantaneously presented to the user. As is often the case with my digital accessories, I prefer to retain a little more control (if something works, it only proves you haven’t tweaked it enough 😉 ) over how they operate. PocketNav provides a way to permanently close applications that you do not want to stay resident; you then have more memory instantly available for the other programs you do want to keep or start running. PocketNav places a shortcut icon next to the clock in the top right corner, from which you can access a list of the programs/windows currently in memory. This also provides a simple task switcher. If my hardware buttons were not already re-assigned to directional duties (my d-pad no longer works) I could simply use the iTask app that Hewlett Packard install as standard to switch apps, however, previous to installing PcoketNav I had to return to the desired program’s shortcut to bring it to the foreground again.
One thing I noticed is that the shortcut icon disappeared when some programs covered it, however selecting the Windows Mobile 2002 style of shortcut icon bypassed this issue.
Anyway, I’ll report back on how things went after Amsterdam, when I will get a chance to test this program ‘in the field’ in more real life like conditions.
Once more this post is not sponsored, nor are there any affiliate links, I just hope someone finds the information useful.
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Aug 01 2007
Loading Up On Software For Amsterdam – Metro
I am hoping that some of the following titles I discovered will help this blog’s readers with future holidays – none of the links are sponsored, and I will give fuller feedback once I have actually used them all in real life situations…
Anyway, onto the first program – Metro
The concept is simple, and from a couple of test runs, the execution is equally as simple. For most of the major cities around the world, this program has an (updatable) database of the underground trains, trams and other public transport. So, you can enter in where you are, where you want to get to, and the program is set to tell you the quickest way to get there (as in which service, and where to change, if needed), as well as the most direct.
I have downloaded the programs for my Windows based Smartphone and PDA, and they use the same database. This should definitely make life easier in Amsterdam especially, where you can walk to most places, but trams are quicker; you just need to make sure you are getting the right one 😉
I’ll be adding more to this post in the next few weeks hopefully, when I get a chance to check what else is available.
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Aug 01 2007
Plus One On The Amsterdam Trip
Sadly, it isn’t Irina who can now come, but instead AlexC is now coming as well. Let me rephrase that… I’m sad Ira can’t come, but happy that Alex is coming. I hope that is a little clearer?
Now there are three people, I’m hoping at least one of us will remember how to get back to the apartment at all times, if my GPS, PDA and Smartphone batteries all die by the end of each day 🙂
Hopefully either she or I will be updating our blogs whilst out there – worst case scenario is we write posts when we return to Britain, but I’m hoping to at least make some sort of draft notes each day, in case my memory gets too hazy.
Jul 30 2007
iPAQ Issues
I previously mentioned that a trip to Amsterdam has been planned, so I have been loading up my PDA with useful software.
Or rather I tried to. Unfortunately, it has a dodgy internal connection (or eleven or twelve); the control pad does not work, and the ability to sync is also an issue.
The first problem I have bodged by re-assigning my hardware buttons as left, right, up and down. However the second issue requires me to repeatedly slot the iPAQ into it’s cradle, until ActiveSync starts playing ball at both ends…
Anyway, I’m still playing with TomTom, trying to get a Netherlands map installed, but I at least have the basics covered with GPS, so should ChrisD and I find ourselves lost next to a random canal, I will at least be able to say with some confidence that we need to walk in a certain direction for 1250 metres to get back to our apartment 😉
Right I’m off to find out what else (software wise) can be put to good use; I also need to keep an eye on power requirements as the 2210’s battery has definitely seen better days.
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