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Visor Survival - Tips and Tricks
Fri Feb 9, 2001 - 11:22 AM EST - By Alan Graham
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Handspring Tribe Hardware » Software Misc.
Software ProxyMail
There are a lot of e-mail programs out there. I've tried a bunch and yet I still use my regular Palm Mail app with ProxyMail. Ease of use and the price is right (free). I go ahead and compose an e-mail message in my regular Mail application and when I am ready to send it, I just launch ProxiMail and away it goes. If you have other suggestions, be sure to share them later.
Countdown 1.0
A little known program with basic functions, but I love it. Countdown allows you to enter up to four events, and the date and time they are due. Then Countdown does just what it says, it shows a running countdown of how many days, hours, minutes and seconds until it is due. If you are a person who has deadlines, this is a much better program than using your Datebook. Gotta catch a plane, get to a meeting or have a project due? I love seeing that I have 2 hours, 16 minutes and 37 seconds left. A procrastinator's dream!
Alarming
Never trust a wake-up call! This simple little freeware app from Herb Otto let's you set an alarm in about 5 seconds. It can wake you up via the current system sound, choose from two built in sounds or make your own sound. You can set the alarm for up to 30 repetitions. Once the alarm is set, it also gives you a countdown of time remaining. Not always a good thing to see if you only have 5 hours of sleep ahead of you. Alarming does have problems with the Palm IIIx. It won't wake the device, (heh heh heh, take that Palm Tribe).
Instant Messaging
Do you use an Instant Messenger? Do people in your office? I use both AIM and
Yahoo! Instant Messengers at work as do many of my clients. Both Yahoo! and AOL offer Palm OS versions of their popular IM software. Seem a bit silly to "IM" on a handheld? Well, without a keyboard it is tricky, but it is a great way to get in touch with people if you can't locate them via telephone. There have been times I called a number only to find that the person was on another call or had their calls routed to voicemail and I NEEDED to talk with them right away! Load up the IM and "alacazam" you've got their attention.
AvantGo
Most of us already know about AvantGo (great for content and web-browsing) and many of us that use it get our content via a hot-sync. However, AvantGo works great from the road as well. Just point your modem to the AvantGo server and your content is on the way. One of the most helpful channels available is the AvantGo version of MapQuest. Are you lost? Don't have GPS? No GPS map of the area? GPS batteries dead? Satellite malfunction? Collision with MIR? Driving directions are just a few clicks away.
BugMe! from Electric Pocket
What Bugs me about this application is that it is so cool that I wonder why this isn't basic functionality of the Palm OS? We all know the scenario: On the road, on the phone, on the go and someone gives you some info and you are in too big of a hurry to mess with Graffiti. BugMe! let's you scribble a note on the screen in your own handwriting and set an alarm. Don't have time to mess with the Calendar, jump to BugMe! and scribble away. I was able to write "Call Bob at 202 XXX XXXX." and set an alarm reminder in under 10 seconds. Keeps you from regressing to scraps of paper. You can keep track of multiple notes easily via "thumbnails." One little note, BugMe! doesn't work with the Palm app "Jot" unless you turn the "Write on screen" feature in Jot, off. Also, I recommend you check out BugMe! Messenger.
WorldMate
Now if you travel globally ($40 for four cups of coffee in Japan?) you may really like this app. There are a lot of world clocks out there, but none as nice as this. Five clocks of any country you choose on display plus, conversions galore. Convert clothing sizes, convert currency (with up to date rates via your modem), metric conversions and a country/USA/Canadian phone code lookup with GMT. Wow!
Misc. >>