PalmAddicts

My Utilities Category

How do you organize your Palm software? Today in my What's On My Palm series, I present my Utilities category.

This is not meant to be an endorsement or a review of any of these titles or developers. It is simply one PalmAddict sharing with the PA community what works for him.

5NLauncher: I've tried several launcher programs, and none of them seem to be what I'm looking for. 5NLauncher is a simple, no frills launcher that allows you to designate up to eighteen propgrams to run on your handheld device using one hard button and the five-way navigator. It allows for true one-handed operation of your Palm device. It's FREEWARE and is available at http://www.jsankey.com.

Clipper: Allows you to bypass the clipboard limitations in Palm OS that have been around since version 1.0. I don't know why Palm hasn't corrected the limitation in the OS yet, but of all the clipboard utilities I've tried, Clipper works best for my needs on my Zire 72. It also allows for multiple clipboards, and works with standard Copy, Cut, Paste functions on your device. A demo is available from Stand Alone, Inc .

Destaller: A simple uninstall utility that allows removal of applications (including all associated files), individual files, and orphan files. Eliminates the memory-draining clutter left behind when you use the Palm Delete function. A demo version is available from Rogame Softeare.

FileProg: The lack of a good file manager is one of the biggest drawbacks to Palm OS. Luckily for us, there are many third party solutions available. FileProg provides full functionality for all major file functions for both internal memory and SD card. It does not, however, allow file associations. It's FREEWARE and is available from Freeware Palm.

Handzipper Lite: Ever try to download a .zip file on your Palm? With Handzipper, you can. Handzipper supports downloading of .zip files (using a browser), unzipping and installation of zipped .prc and .pdb files, and creation of .zip files. Best of all, it's FREEWARE and available from Handwatch, or as part of the SnapperMail demo download.

OneKey: Another useful no frillsquick-launch utility. I use it in conjunction with 5NLauncher to increase the functionality of my handheld. A FREEWARE version is available fromFreeware Palm. For a full review, check out my post on PA.

SharkBtn:One of many useful apps from Tyler Faux, SharkButton is yet another useful, more fully-featured quick-launch utility. SharkButton allows you to customize the hard buttons on your device and supports macros. It is FREEWARE and is available from Ludus Tech.

SharkDownload: A new FREEWARE title from Ludus Tech, SharkDownload allows you to download any file to internal memory or SD card. I just downloaded it yesterday and haven't tried it yet, but if it works as promised it will solve one of the major flaws of the palmOne WiFi Card.

SharkROM: Ludus Tech serves up another offering. SharkROM allows you to hide unused ROM programs (such as QuickTour) from appearing in your Application launcher. A fifteen-use demo is available free of charge.

SharkToggle: And last (but not least) from Ludus Tech, one of my most-used utility apps. I set the Voicemail button on my Zire 72 to SharkToggle, which allows one-button access to connect using Bluetooth or WiFi. No more going to the Prefs panel to connect. Available as FREEWARE.

VFSBackup: There are many SD Card Backup programs available. My favorite is a FREEWARE program I use daily. Using a 64 meg SD Card, I can keep a current backup and an archive backup with me wherever I go. It's available from the developer and has gotten me out of a bind more than once.

Wireless Keyboard: The driver software for my Belkin Wireless Infrared Keyboard is included with the install CD and available for download.

What's on your Palm?

For more great software titles, check out My System Category.

-Jeff Cole, Associate Writer, Indiana USA

Yay to Crack Me Up!

I tried Crack Me Up yesterday and it's really hilarious. Check it out yourself! Good clean fun to entertain the family and kids with ;)

It does take up a whopping 2.5mb of space though. But fear not, the problem is easily solved with a large memory card and PowerRUN, the ever reliable software that lets you run app from your memory card.

- Yan, Associate Writer, (Singapore)

Firefox 1.5 Release Candidate 2 is out

Anyone like me use Firefox? Well I just caught this on slashdot. "Although not posted on the Mozilla website yet, Firefox 1.5 Release Candidate 2 is out. You can grab it here."

Utopia

Fasten your seat belts--the white-knuckle thrills at Utopia, the world's most fantastic theme park, escalate to nightmare proportions in this intricately imagined techno-thriller by New York Times bestselling author Lincoln Child. Rising out of the stony canyons of Nevada, Utopia is a world on the cutting edge of technology. A theme park attracting 65,000 visitors each day, its dazzling array of robots and futuristic holograms make it a worldwide sensation. But ominous mishaps are beginning to disrupt the once flawless technology. A friendly robot goes haywire, causing panic, and a popular roller coaster malfunctions, nearly killing a teenaged rider. Dr. Andrew Warne, the brilliant computer engineer who designed much of the park's robotics, is summoned from the East Coast to get things back on track. On the day Warne arrives, however, Utopia is caught in the grip of something far more sinister. A group of ruthless criminals has infiltrated the park's computerized infrastructure, giving them complete access to all of Utopia's attractions and systems. Their communication begins with a simple and dire warning: If their demands are met, none of the 65,000 people in the park that day will ever know they were there; if not, chaos will descend, and every man, woman, and child will become a target. As one of the brains behind Utopia, Warne finds himself thrust into a role he never imagined--trying to save the lives of thousands of innocent people. And as the minutes tick away, Warne's struggle to outsmart his opponents grows ever more urgent, for his only daughter is among the unsuspecting crowds in the park. Lincoln Child evokes the technological wonders of Utopia with such skill and precision it is hard to believe the park exists only in the pages of this extraordinary book. Like Jurassic Park, Utopia sweeps readers into a make-believe world of riveting suspense, technology, and adventure. UTOPIA--Where technology dazzles--and then turns deadly!
fictionwise

"The blend of technological jargon and suspense results in a real thrill-a-minute read."--Booklist

"The novel's namesake--a cutting-edge, futuristic theme park--is a tour-de-force of the imagination, one of the most extraordinary settings for a thriller I've ever read."--Douglas Preston, New York Times bestselling co-author of Relic and Rip Tide.

"In this ultra-entertaining new novel, Lincoln Child weaves fascinatingly plausible technologies and a frighteningly believable tale. It's Brave New World meets Jurassic Park."--Dan Brown, bestselling author of Digital Fortress

This is a great ebook! Some of the book reminded me of "West World" and I loved that movie when I was a kid! Lincoln Child is one of my favorite authors!

- Jennifer Chappell, Associate Writer, (NC, US)

Apple now shipping iPod nano with a slip case for protection

Apple has quietly started shipping cases with the iPod nano. It is the same case that comes with the new iPod video, but smaller to fit the nano. While this is a great move on Apple's part, I can already hear current iPod nano owners complaining that they should be sent a case to help protect their nano.

Apple do the right thing. What's fair is fair.
-Jimmie Geddes, Associate Writer

Proporta Crystal Case for TX review

I've been using the Proporta Crystal TX case for a few days now, it does what it's supposed to. It protects my TX, but also always gives me access to my information.
The Proporta Crystal Case is made from the type of durable and scratch resistant polycarbonate plastic that's used to make protective eyewear. It is cutout on the bottom giving you access to your hard buttons and the 5 way navigator. I had been just throwing my TX in my laptop bag only using the leather side cover it came with, now it has the protection it needs with the Crystal Case.

What I like most about this unique case is I can always see my screen while my TX is fully protected. I can fully use my TX because of the way Proporta designed this case, giving us full access to the hard buttons and 5 way navigator. This comes in so handy for looking up contacts, calendars, gaming, and web browsing, without having to even ope up the case. This case provides maximum protection. While the case makes the TX un-pocketable it does provide great protection for carrying your TX in a back pack or laptop bag. If you're looking for a case that not only protects your TX, but allows you to fully use it while in it's case check out Proporta's Crystal Case for the TX here.
-Jimmie Geddes, Associate Writer

E-Mail-eficence

I came across this amazing story at the New York Times.

It's a must-read article titled, "Got 2 Extra Hours for Your E-Mail?" The article begins by discussing the amount of stress generated by the need to continuously hack through the mountain of e-mail constantly piling up.

"We are all addicted to it on some level," she said of e-mail. "There is a fear that if you don't check e-mail, you are missing something major. If you don't answer it right away, you look incompetent; you are not competing properly. Your client, your customer, your boss will move on to the next person. That is stressful."

Dealing with e-mail - filing it, cataloging it, prioritizing it - has added hours of extra work a week, much of it done by people in the late evening and early morning. In a recent survey by America Online and Opinion Research Corporation, 41 percent of the respondents said they checked their e-mail in the morning before going to work. More than 25 percent said they had never gone more than a few days without checking e-mail, with 60 percent saying they check it on vacation. Four percent looked at e-mail in the bathroom.

I worry that PDAs are accessories to this crime, not just accessories to our lives. If your added efficiency is recaptured by added work, you haven't gained much (as a person). Remember to make e-mail work for you and not the other way around! - Dov, Associate Writer (NY/NJ, USA)

Motorola U6 PEBL

PC Magazine has done a review of the Motorola U6 Pebl phone. The reviewer Sascha Segan says, "Motorola's PEBL has the smooth contours and weight of a pet rock—one you might have plucked out of some lovely volcanic mountain stream during a Hawaiian sojourn. As befits a successor to the RAZR, the PEBL doesn't have many high-end features, but it is one exceedingly stylish voice phone." "There's no other phone that looks like the PEBL. You'll be buying it because of its unusual design. Design mavens may also want to check out the more feature-heavy Samsung T809 slider phone, though. T-Mobile will sell the PEBL for a reasonable $199 after rebates. For a beautiful device that will surely become an icon, that's a bargain."

You can read the entire review here.

- Jennifer Chappell, Associate Writer, (NC, US)

Hotsynch email on Treos

If you can help Bob from MobileRead then please leave an anwer in this thread on the forum. "I'm looking for suggestions on how to do email via hotsync instead of on the wireless network with my Treo.

I used to do email with my Sony Clie (SJ33), but I didn't use wifi or a wireless carrier network. I just synched and along with my hotsynch, my email got sent and received.

I'd like to do the same for some pop accounts now. Once a day sending and receiving mail is adequate. Even though I have a Treo 650 I don't like the delay when email connects and I don't want to use up the bandwidth because it's limited on my Verizon contract. For me (I know I'm the exception), wireless apps on the Verizon network are a pain in the neck. I just do basic web browsing and even that's a bit annoying. Obviously I love my Treo because it's both a pda and a phone in one device, not because I love the way it combines functions and uses the wireless network.

Anyone do this sort of thing (hotsync email only) on their Treo? Or any other PalmOS device in a way that I could also do on a Treo?"

10% eReader discount shout

It's time for the eReader discount shout. Punch in this week's Promo Code CROWS to receive a 10% discount off each book that you purchase. Offer good through November 15th, 2005 on all books priced more than $3.00. Cannot be used in conjunction with other special offers. I'm adding this to the special offer listing in the right hand column. Make the jump to eReader.