The Android Market Place is way too hard to use

A lot of things in Android are very well done and others are extremely "average", the market place and its integration into the phone is one of these where the implementation is lacking...

Note that while "http://www.androlib.com/" shows whats in the market place and itself could use improvements, I'm talking about in this post is the phone and its online market place.

If you look through the market place you will see that there are some rough categories of applications, once you are in one of those you will note that:

1. You can't sort apps (for example by # stars)
2. You can't search that category for apps (search looks through whole market).

For a company making a lot of money out of searching, the search engine is near useless, it badly needs an advanced search and I'd like to suggest that the simple search not find matches in the user comments etc...

My Download list if not sorted in any way I've managed to work out, its just one huge list of everything (randomly ordered) I've downloaded at any time (and not in categories).

If you look at this application "Note Everything" (quite good notepad that imports palmos memos) you will see that its in the category "Applications > Productivity". Once downloaded to my phone it just gets dumped uncategorised in any way along with all the rest of the apps and games (and not even always under the same name). To put it on a home page I need to first find it, it would be better if firstly it was categories on my phone and secondly clicking the notification shouldn't start the app but "locate" it (I'm perfectly capable of clicking on it myself).

A lot of apps don't even say what they do (they list last change details) and no screen dumps. I'd like to suggest that a bit of quality control over the listings wouldn't hurt any...

Anyway I could go one but I won't :-)

GPS Receivers for the TREO 650

I recently borrowed a bluetooth GPS receiver and played with Tom Tom version 6 software. After realising I liked what I saw (and that I wanted a more sensitive GPS receiver) I decided to do some googling. It was surprising how little information there was on GPS systems on the PalmOs... Hopefully the information here will help people in similar trouble.

The GPS I borrowed was a BTGP-38 that was bought very cheaply on ebay. This immediately worked once I chose a nice open spot to test it. I was thinking about buying one of these for myself but didn't like that the fact that the unit didn't have auto-off and I thought I'd try for a more sensitive unit with a better chipset.

I was really keen on the QSTARZ Q818 but had seen posts about problems with palms (vague, no details). The manufacturer didn't know which is a pity as it sounds much better than the BT338 (auto power off AND on for starters).

I bought a GlobalSat BT338 for twice the price of the BTGP-38 and got it working reasonably quickly (but not immediately). It is a more sensitive unit but shorter running time and heavier. It works in many places where the other didn't as it can handle much weaker signals.

Since buying my GPS I have since successfully tried the "Holux GPSlim GR236".

My main tips:

• Pair the bluetooth device first (phones bluetooth configuration). Most (all?) devices use a key of "0000" (four zeros).


• A Palm program will ask you which device you'd like when establishing the connection. If you have not been asked it must either be being remembered (check app config) or something is going wrong (some apps can take a while to prompt for GPS device). Tom Tom 6 in particular is a major "pain in the but-t" (I've taken 30 minutes to get it going at times the first time and I have done it many times...) and for bluetooth devices has no supported way of entering baud rate or choosing the trusted device, stupid, but it will eventually ask (and I think its better not to have the TREO attached to USB cable/cradle)...


• If using a Windows laptop or PDA you will need to create an outgoing COM port to that specific GPS device so when an application wants to communicate with the receiver it will know which trusted device it needs to talk to when esablishing the serial connection.



• If you haven't been asked for (or configured) the baud rate and you are having trouble, then its possible that your application doesn't autodetect it (or is failing to do so). TomTom 6 is buggy in that it has no way of specifying baud rates for the device, what I think worked for me with the BT338 was changing config to a hard wired device, this prompts for baud rate, after entering this correct device to say is a bluetooth device and "Bobs your uncle"... Check GPS doco for correct baud rate (38,400 for the BT338).



• Once a bluetooth session is established (see GPS receiver documentation for what the LEDs mean) I recommend moving to the clearest outdoors location you can find and trying to get the app to work. The GPS receiver will probably not work well indoors, around tall buildings or trees. If that works try walking and/or the car.



• Initial connections can take a very long time. I have seen mention of 5 and 10 minutes. Leave it alone for a while, try to find a test progress or screen which shows satelite information (position/signal strength etc).

ScrBtn (Screen Button)

This is an app that allows you to create your own navigation structure. The top right image shows my "Default" (main) menu and navigation into "Utilities" and then to "Calculators".

The bottom right image is the "official" demonstration image and shows some of the options (also notice my calculator menu has two huge buttons).

I have set this application up so that in any submenu pressing "Home" navigates to the root and the left arrow goes up one navigation level. In the root menu pressing home a second time starts the native TREO "Applications" menu.

This application lets you define the grid size for your "On Screen Buttons" (OSB) and has a swap tool to allow moving of buttons. It also allows you to launch applications off an inserted card.

You can download this application from "http://www.freeware-palm.com/download-scrbtn-screen-button-v2-42.html".

The author appears to be quite receptive to constructive feedback so if you have any ideas email him! Let him know how great his program is and son't forget its free! I have replaced Button Launcher with this application (currently version 2.42).

KeyCaps650 - Easier entry of capitals an symbols

KeyCaps650 allows you to easily capitalize letters or use punctuation without using the shift or option keys on a Treo 650 (there is another version for the 600).

I got annoyed with the default options as it would create symbols when I typed words like "look".

The options shown on the right are what I'm using, the delay is too small to happen accidently (I'd really have liked to disable it).
I have set it up so that holding a key converts:

• Lower case to Upper case
• Upper case to symbol

Unfortunately, I'd prefered it if it then looped back to lower case etc if you continued to hold the key but its quite good as is.

For entry of many symbols or upper case characters the normal TREO keys would be easier but for the odd upper case character or symbol this program makes it much easier and faster to enter them.

TimeSync TREO with PC (therefore Atomic Clock)

Hi,

If you are connected to the internet you WinXP PC automatcally syncronises its time with a servers clock (there are freeware sync programs for other operating systems). What this application does is sync the time on your TREO to that of your PC.

It will also handle timezone changes (daylight savings).

Bye,
Dennis

KeyguardTime (simple clock and status)

Hi,

This application can automatically display the time and other selected status information when the TREO is powered on (no need to unlock the device to see time etc). It can also display when a selected button is held down.

The default view is sort of transparent with the currently running application still visible through the status application (this can be turned off).

I have mine configured to popup if I hold the phone key down, this does not prevent the button launcher program I also have tied to this key from working.

You can download it from "http://mytreo.net/downloads/details-640.html?KeyguardTime%2B".

There is another freeware product called "SOnTime" (http://www.freeware-palm.com/download-sontime.html) which replaces the TREO keyguard with a clock plus other basic info (but doesn't popop on button), you may wish to compare these.

Bye,
Dennis

Button Launcher Program for TREO 650

This is a free launcher program I am using, it is a self contained part of PalmCommander which allows you to set up the Phone, Calendar and Messaging hardware buttons to display a menu containing up to 9 programs.

The image on the right shows how I have set up the "Phone" button (I make the first in each screen that keys original function).

You can download the program from http://mytreo.net/downloads/details-917.html?PalmCommander.

By default you can press the hard key many times to select a menu item and have a timeout. I have disabled the timeout as I'd rather select it myself, the on screen menu buttons are big enough for fingers in any case.

Note that I am not completely happy with this program as you have no real control over the positioning of the items on the menu (you can only add to the end) and the "B4" hardkey configuration doesn't work at all.

---

I have now replaced this application with Screen Buttons (although there is no conflict).

Dennis' List of Must Have Applications for the TREO 650

Lets begin with a list of some other good "must have" (or "popular") pages I've found:

• http://www.palminfocenter.com/news/8436/must-have-treo-freeware-applications/
• http://mytreo.net/treofaq/SoftwareBestFreeware
• http://www.planetnz.com/palmheads/downloads.php
• http://www.palmloyal.com/addons.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1760
• http://office.weblogsinc.com/2005/07/31/whats-on-my-treo-650/
• http://www.wanderings.net/notebook/Main/MyTreo650
• http://handysolution.com/faq/must_have_software.htm
• http://www.theshiftedlibrarian.com/stories/2003/12/04/whatsOnMyTreo600.html
• http://justasimpleonlinenerd.com/index.php?p=436
• http://mytreo.net/downloads/MostPopular.html
• http://www.1src.com/?m=show&id=1214
• http://www.1src.com/forums/showthread.php?t=90200 (lists alternatives)
• http://www.engadget.com/2005/11/28/treo-650-tips-and-tricks/

Now for my list you should understand that I prefer freeware applications whereever possible so most if not all of the following are free (this is a work in progress):

• ScrBtn (screen buttons) is a simple navigation system which I have assigned to the "Home" hardkey on my TREO 650 (to replace the default "Applications" menu app).
  


• KeyGuardTime displays time and status on startup (without unlocking phone) or when button held.
  


• OnCradleOn prevents TREO powering off when its charging on cradle!
  


• TimeSync keeps the time in your TREO in line with your computer when HotSyncing (takes care of drift).
  


• KeyCaps650 is a program which makes entry of the odd upper case character or symble easier and faster.
  


• Treo Allegro 0.2 is a program I use to make my TREO's LED blink fast green when a VM or SMS is waiting. "LedOff" is frequently mentioned for this but that doesn't work and in any case is not intended to work the way I'd like. I want to keep all existing LED functionality and add to this. I also tried but discarded the shareware "Butler".

Now for some things I'm looking for or would like:

• A good PDF viewer. I've tried Adobe and PalmPDF.
  
• Alternatives to the normal KeyGuard.
  
• Decent stopwatch and countdown timer.

---

This is a list of applications I used to use and think are very good but for one reason or another no longer use:

• Button Launcher is a self contained part of PalmCommander which allows you to set up the Phone, Calendar and Messaging hardware buttons to display a menu containing up to 9 programs (I make the first in each screen that keys original function).I have now replaced this application with Screen Buttons (although there is no conflict).
  

Why can't my TREO stay on when its got External Power?

When I have my TREO 650 connected to power (charging), it is really annoying that it continues to "conserve" it by powering off all the time, now that I have bought a USB cradle which also charges its been annoying me even more.

I have found a freeware tool called "OnCradleOn" which at least fixes my problem when I've got in it it's cradle (haven't checked if it also works while charging without the cradle), you can download it from:

• http://www.freewarepalm.com/utilities/oncradleon.shtml

There is an alternative freeware product called "STOIC" which I have not tried.

Vexed - Puzzle Game for PalmOs (Treo 650 etc)

Hi,

Just discovered a great puzzle type game that takes little while to work out but is very good.

Its open source, see http://vexed.sourceforge.net/

You have to clear all objects by combining similar into at least pairs, they fall under gravity.

There are many level packs which are quite small, and although the game can run from the expansion card, the levels need to be in the handheld.

Bye,
Dennis

Hated my Nokia 6230, Love my New Palm TREO 650

Hi,

My first phone was a Nokia and it was simple but I loved it. I had since had two other non-Nokia phones which were OK but had a few "features". Since my first Nokia phone was so reliable (and without bugs) I decided a couple of years ago to replace my phone with the Nokia 6230.

For quite a few weeks after I first bought the 6230 I was a literally finding one or more bugs a day!

The Nokia "PC SUITE" desktop software has not had any less bugs and has never reliably worked (at least with bluetooth), frequently requiring reboots to recover. The latest version even refused to see my phone contacts at all! Support is non-existent (they don't reply - except for the "we will reply within 48 hour" response).

The PalmOS based TREO 650 smartphone has a number of things I don't like "out of the box" but I have eliminated or worked around these with some freely available software (freeware or open source) , some good links to start you off are:

• http://www.freeware-palm.com/
• http://www.palmopensource.com/
• http://mytreo.net/downloads/cat1.html (freeware + shareware)
• http://www.freewarepalm.com/ (lookout for popups...)

See "http://dennis2centsworth.blogspot.com/2007/01/dennis-list-of-must-have-applications.html" for some lists of "must have" applications.

The camera is poor by todays standards but this doesn't really worry me as you need a "real camera" for decent photography no matter what phone you have.

The SYNC to the desktop works well and since I to syncronise to the PALM DESKTOP I don't have to worry about things going wrong (for example I don't want to sync with outlook - I use the better "Thunderbird" in any case) and I also want to know what it is doing so I can be sure I've backed up everything I need to. It correctly categorises my contacts and never includes stuff I don't want.

The palm desktop is still a 16 bit application ! It also needs some modernising and appears to have been negected... It needs multimedia and extended backup options, other appications such as Adobe Reader need to integrate better.

I bought the 650 because I found it dirt cheap (nearly half the price of the closest competition) otherwise I'd either have bought the newer TREO 680 or waited for a decent smartphone with GPS and mapping software (which I'd really like - they are available but "need more work")...

Well I intend to keep this phone for at least 2 years and by then GPS has probably become "main stream" (the right time to put my toe in). I would prefer that my next phone to be a PalmOS based phone and now have good reason to be confident that it could be (http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/3647801).

Some forums I've found:

• http://mytreo.net/forum/index.php/board,4.0.html
• http://forum.treonauts.com/treo-models/treo-650/
• http://www.expansys.com.au/f.aspx?i=116430 (not many posts but good "sticky" ones)

Some good "FAQ" info:

• Why did your Treo 650 crash? (dial "hash code" #*377)
• What the indicator light (LED) can tell you about your Treo 650's status
• http://www.palm.com/us/support/treo/treo650gsm/
• http://wiki.everythingtreo.com/
• http://mytreo.net/treofaq/Treo650
• http://wiki.treocentral.com/index.php/Main_Page