Got my new XDA2 today and have resolutely set about making it my own. With the various guides on this site and others, I've modified the Config.txt file in my Extended_ROM to remove the O2 Active interface from the machine when I do a hard reset. All looks good.
However, this means that the default O2 settings for SMS, GPRS and so on aren't installed either. There are two solutions:
- Either someone knows how to stop the O2Active interface running while preserving the installation of the O2 network settings at a hard reset, or;
- Someone knows what the settings should be for the O2 service in the UK, and wouldn't mind helping me set my machine up manually.
Thanks in advance to anyone who can help with either of these options!
PS. I got pass-through Internet connection working (when the XDA2 is docked) if the O2 settings weren't configured automatically, but never managed it with the thing O2-branded Another good reason to ditch the O2Active setup!
To stop active loading after powerup of soft reset simply remove its shortcut from the /windows/startup folder.
Perfect! Thanks, stryker. Didn't realise yet how all this works.
I took the opportunity to get rid of the Flashman apps from startup too, since nobody seems to need them, they eat into the precious 31 allowed processes, and I'll be synching all the time anyway. Anyone know of any other StartUp-folder items that can be safely removed? I'll be keeping the IA_Caller_ID for the moment, but what else could be stopped without causing a problem?
Any idea what USSD and stk are?
Cheers,
look in the comments at the bottom of this article.
stk = SIM Application Toolkit
BTIcon = BT icon in the Today screen
USSD.exe = unstructures supplementary service data (whatever that is)
Thanks to you too, tyfy. I've seen that article before in the last few days, but had forgotten it/ lost track of it, so cheers for reminding me.
I need to start building a list of all the tweaks I'm applying every time I do a hard reset. Things like removing these startup items, customising configuration etc. I've got a couple more days before my SIM is activated and I want to get it right before that happens. I need to get onto Handango too, and buy some of these power tools that people are raving about.
Got PocketQuake2 running last night, though It won't be staying - too slow, disk-hungry and difficult to control, but seriously cool!
There are way too many posts on this board from ppl who r saying "Piece of crap, I'm gonna take it back and stick it up my provider's...". This post is for you!
I'm no expert (just a disciple of ppl like buzz, vj, etc), BUT I am not afraid of a hard reset or 30, and as a result I've tested everything below, and most of the stuff throughout this forum. I've also followed everything on every forum since being the 10th person in my country to get a JasJar. I welcome critisism, corrections and additions. Please post replies by refering to the step you would change, or insert after. Let's try to stick to proven alternatives and additions though, so that this thread can become somewhat of a 1-stop point for new users (and existing users who do not have the time to learn this alone - and let's face it anyone who has a Universal already, is probably pretty hard working, and already spending an awful amount of time justifying their acquisition in front of their BlackBerry collegues...)
This is written with a single thought in mind; what the hell would my wife do if she got one of these. No-one could blame her for tossing it inside of a week, but with a few changes it's perfectly functional - in fact with a few more changes (also listed below) it's quite desirable.
By the end of this process, your Universal should have a reasonable suite of apps, perfect functionality around all issues solved to date (I've not covered networking tho), a screen flip speed of 0.5s or less, and free program memory of over 20Mb
So here goes, a step-by-step process to get your Universal 100% functional, proven and tested on the HTC Universal iMate JasJar, but should all work on any MDA:
ROM Upgrade: First thing's first. Upgrade to the September-30 ROM (JASJAR_WWE_11353_137_10301.zip). It's available somewhere on xda-developers, or on clubimate for imate users. This is a no-brainer - no posts on this board or any others indicate it's a waste of time. Many posts cover O2 users flashing to this ROM, with great benefits. There are ways to re-install the O2 graphics and apps - if you want ;-) If you have ANY issues with your Universal, bite the bullet and do this; you'll see that the following setup process is not as brutal as you'd expect (I can run thro it in about half an hour - but I've done it many times and have all the apps lined up and ready).
Optional soft reset: Some pppl like to soft reset BEFORE the device installs the default apps. On this ROM, there's no performance improvement, no memory imporvement that can't be covered later (backgammon etc), and potentially some important losses that I didn't hang around long enough to discover.
Sync: Now sync with your PC to get your contacts, calendar and tasks. This is only here to get you up and running asap.
Pocket Mechanic: Download (www.antontomov.com) and install this essential app. You have a few days on trial, and it's necessary for the next steps
Notification Queue: This can be done later, but it's nice to get familiar with this process whilst your queue is small. Using PM, open the notification queue. You may already (yes!) find some duplicate (yellow icon) sddeamon entries. These seem to replicate during an activesync. You can/must delete all duplicates from time to time. You will also, in future, find some "\.\\Notification.....SCRIPT..." entries. Keep an eye out for these. Most mature within minutes of you finding them, so let them expire. Many are future-dated and tightly back-to-back. These can nearly always (I've never had a regret) be deleted without repercussions. If you don't manage these, they tend to breed, and anyone with XDA experience knows what happens when your queue fills up (failed alarms etc). I'm unclear as to where these come from - undoutedly an app that is not behaving elegantly (regular registration checks etc), and if you follow the steps on this post you should NOT find any - ie the apps here do not seem to be culprits. But, keep an eye open...
Registry cleanup: Again, this can be done later, however you'll soon see the beenfit of doing it now. Using PM, run registry cleaner. You'll get around 6 entries, all of which can safely be deleted. If you did not follow step 1, you may have to examine eahc entry to see if the O2 ROM is messier. The beauty of this step is that from now on, you can safely clean everything that PM finds in the knowledge that it's a leave-behind from an app you installed, and now you can install, de-install, and provided you clean up the directories (easy) you KNOW for sure that you've completely gotten rid of the failed app. Winner!
Task closer: Now it's time for your task manager. There's a lot of coverage on this, and any of the following seem to do the trick, ranked in order of simplicity thro to possibly problematic:[list:333ba237cf]
Magic Button (free, includes battery line on top of screen)
GSPocketMagic++ (free, includes cascading menu. Some MDA Exec users claim that it closes something awful that O2 installs, and solves a 7 second flip issue. SEVEN SECONDS!!! If you implemented step 1, you should not have this problem to solve anyway)
spbPocketPlus (not free, and do not allow it to show any storage meters. There are some bad posts on spb, but I've found it just as good as the above, altho it takes up slightly more memory)
WisbarAdvance2 (not free, HUGE footprint, definite performance issues BUT it skins your Universal SO beautifully, that I've gone with this and WAD - desktop plugin)
[*]Basic apps: Now there are a few no-brainer apps to install, that no-one disputes and that are all free. NO BRAINERS:
Total commander (free, replacement for file explorer - way way better)
TCPMP (free, replaces media player, more formats, full screen, way way better)
Batti (free, battry bar on top of screen like spbPocketPlus, small footprint, but if u r using MagicButton you already get this)
TRE (free, registry editor, necessary to run .reg files covered later)
IIWPO (free, AWESOME concept; If your owner info is changed, it SMS's the number you've set with new SIM number and new 'owner' details. Great if someone steals your Universal. Don't bother if u r not happy with a little installation effort)
BT icon (free, on this board somewhere, gives u an icon on your today tray that shows BT status and allows u to jumps to settings>connections>BT)
BT switch (free, on this board somewhere, several apps that turn BT on, off, or toggle)
Battery Uptime (Optional: free, today plugin that tells u the battery status BUT it's way more useful: you get to see actual running time vs uptime, and remaining running time. This gives u a good feel for your battery consumption rate under different scenarios and helps overcome a LOT of concerns around thinking you are draining faster when actually you are just using the device more)
apReminderPlus (free, AWESOME repeating alarms. Beauty of this is that is seems to be independent of WM5, in that it keeps an eye open for any alarms, and pops up to do its thing if it sees one. WAY beter than built in repeat system, and makes me feel good that I have alarms covered off in case the old wm2003 bugs start to appear again)
VJSMS (free, on this board, gives u 1-click to send an SMS. Note that .lnk file should read as follows INCLUDING inverted commas:
\Storage Card\Program Files\VJApps\vjsms.exe" "123
Change path and number of course. Number can also be a name.
Sad to report that VJDailer doesn't work on the universal. This would be awesome
[*]Settings: Time to do your basic settings:
speed dials
power and backlight
voice dials
Owner info
ringtones and notifications
DO NOT set regional settings if u r using PI (below)
[*]PIM: OK, time to replace the CRAP calendar built into WM5. CRAP CRAP CRAP! Disgracefully, embarassingly CRAP. Hell, symbian ship better default apps with the OLD Psion S3 and S5 than this! Now, I use PocketInformant. Latest release works well on JJ with 2 livable issues: Landscape flip screws up Monday/Tuesday in week view, and you MUST NOT set any regional settings what-so-ever, else you get the blank calendar view bug. AgendaFusion is due for a WM5 release any day now. Other than that, I don't think there is much that works on the Universal - correct?? :?:
[*]Reg fixes: Now there are a few no-brainer registry hacks that you should run. You can find these as cab files on this board, as registry keys under the wiki page, else as .reg files on one of my earlier posts (fastest method):
Buzz's BT headset (prevents BT from turning off over night - no brainer! Thanks buzz!!)
"Always on GPRS" (search this board - keeps GPRS/UMTS turned on - awesome!)
Date & time in title bar (why not)
Menu and popup fonts 700 vs 900 (it's cosmetic, but on our nice VGA screens, it seems daft to have a look n feel that's SO QVGA)
PIE homepage (prevent 'e' button from going to clubimate page)
Terminal services cache (increased cache uses memory during terminal services, but it's WELL worth it to eliminate black blocking issues)
Turn IR off (unless you have a good reason for keeping it on)
[*]Extra apps: There are several very useful apps, that work reliably and do not have an adverse impact on your Universal.
eWallet (not free, desktop sync does not work, but rest is very useful)
Pocket sudoku (not free, but it's SO much fun!)
Mobipocket reader (skinny version is free, for mobipocket ebooks - ebooks fully being 25% of your devices functionality along with PIM, phone and internet access. Google beta 5 version with full VGA support)
uBook (more eBook formats. Not free but usable. VGA support)
1-calc (cos built in calculator is SO crap)
GPRS traffic monitor: We need a GPRS/3G monitor. spbGPRS monitor does NOT track the usage of yoru device as a 3G modem - which is where u chew up traffic costs. IP Dashboard has similar issues.
[*]Memory:Now, I'm the first to say that I don;t fully get this yet. There are a few things that the posts suggest should reduce program or storage memory - but don't really seem to do so. Try them and let me know results with more scientific before and after checking please:
Remove backgammon & skype, and re-install to SD card
Remove the 1Mb .tsk themes from the \Windows directory. You cannot delete them, you have to create new files that are smaller and copy them into \Windows and overrwite the larger files. Search this board for some sample small files provided. I didn't find that I got any memory back...???
Ditto for .cab files in \Windows
Do not use these big theme files - by using smaller themes you should get more program memory.
A couple of dudes have started threads on getting more memory and clearing out \windows files - but there are no good responses yet...
[/list:333ba237cf]
Right, that's it! As I said above, I welcome input and feedback - but let's keep it hi quality so that this post perhaps gets stickied and we can get less of the "Buy my JasJar before I post it on eBay posts". Of course there are a load more apps you can add, but most give issues (eg TomTom) and posts on this board cover working around them for ppl who have to have these apps. This was a good, strong, basic config.
Hope this is helpful to some.
Some well-thought out words there, craigiecraigie4. However, I'm a firm believer that it's a bad move to install anything that I REALLY don't need. So far, my MDA Pro has a default installation. None of these "essential apps" are necessary. Indeed, half of them seem to only exist so that you can add other "essential apps" :wink:
If/when a better browser comes along, I'll investigate. Other than that, I find the messaging client perfect (works nicely against Exchange server); Terminal Services could be better - just giving me true full-screen support would be enough. And I'd like better Wifi support - I want, for example, to be able to name my SSID. IMHO, with desktop PCs as much as with PDAs, every time you install a piece of software, it ultimately makes the system *worse*. ie the result is a damned site less than the sum of the parts.
so, taking each point with my (possibly unique, certainly cynical) POV
1. ROM Upgrade
Didn't bother. It adds nothing that I'd use apart from MSN and that would just suck up time that should be spent on worthwhile things :lol:
2. Optional soft reset
Yeah, I may do this but, TBH, T Mobile install very little stuff and it seems to work, so I ain't fixin' it.
3. N/A
4. Pocket Mechanic
I can't see that I need this.
5. Not quite sure what the problem here is. I've been using XDAs since day 1 and never encountered the problem. YMMV
6. Registry cleanup
Never assume that some badly-written software doesn't depend on some default or illogical registry setting. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
7. Task closer
OK, not a "two-click" operation, but in Settings/Memory, I can close running applications. No new software needed.
8. Basic apps
Total commander - erm, yeah, it's nice and everything and does a better job than the standard affair. However, 99.99% of the time, error: +/- 0.01%, I find I don't actually need any of that extra fluff.
TCPMP - granted, I only use MP to listen to WMAs I record off the radio to listen to later.
Batti - On my Today screen, there's a little icon I tap and it shows me my battery state. I can also see this using Settings/Power (or whatever it is)
TRE - See previous warning about effing about with your registry
IIWPO - nice idea :lol: but no substitute for insurance or taking care
BT icon, BT switch - I've never used Bluetooth in my life. YMMV
Battery Uptime - See prior comment about battery state indicator
etc
I'm sure that more people will find your advice usefull than mine, but just like to point out that, out of the box, these devices (at least MDA Pro) seem not to be too wide of the mark. For me, at least.
This is very helpful...thanx!
You mentioned that the soft reset before installation of imate stuff may lead to some problems in the long run. As I have opted for this strategy and have only installed two cab files (btpatch and a file that brings up the smart dialing), I would appreciate it if you could tell us what kind of problems we might confront. Also, is it too late to add these cab files after the fact (that is given we have synched contacts and added other programs)?
Cheers, apap
craigiecraigie4 - very useful advice, I think for everyone with a PPC. I don't have a universal, but good tips either way.
I didn't realise VJDialer doesn't work on WM5. I'll look into updating it when I get a new version of Visual Studio (or a WM5 device!).
Good work man!
V
Hi VJ - yeah, I'm afraid that there are a couple of posts on your primary thread about the "no command line specified" - no matter what combinations we try in the .lnk file. Saw your comment that another crowd charges for such an app. I'd happily contribute for the benefit of quick-dials - would be awesome along with WAD. You might want to mention your app on the WAD (lakeridgesoftware) forums - many 2003 users there who would LOVE this. With WAD u can have popup boxes on your skin, so with vjdialer one can popup and view of quickdials. awesome.
craigiecraigie4 said:
[*]Buzz's BT headset (prevents BT from turning off over night - no brainer! Thanks buzz!!)
[*]Menu and popup fonts 700 vs 900 (it's cosmetic, but on our nice VGA screens, it seems daft to have a look n feel that's SO QVGA{)
/quote]
where can i get the 2 things above...looked but cant find
thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
vijay555 said:
craigiecraigie4 - very useful advice, I think for everyone with a PPC. I don't have a universal, but good tips either way.
I didn't realise VJDialer doesn't work on WM5. I'll look into updating it when I get a new version of Visual Studio (or a WM5 device!).
Good work man!
V
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hi vijay!
I'm running on wm5 on my xda2....and am using vjdialer and vjsms extensively!
I dont think there are any problems with VJDialer's compatibility with wm5....
S
spbPocketPlus (not free, and do not allow it to show any storage meters. There are some bad posts on spb, but I've found it just as good as the above, altho it takes up slightly more memory)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have this running on my Exec and have storage indicators for memory and SD card on today screen, or are you talking about something else?
Btw, I found that my Exec runs faster with pocket plus than it did with magic button and pocketmagic++
Cheers
J
craigiecraigie4
Thank you VERY much for your extensive effort - this really does helps a lot :!:
That's an awesome post craigiecraigie4, some hard work went into that one dude.
Now my post below is not intended to be better than the original, merely another option. craigiecraigie4's use of the device is obviously a lot different to mine, as I work in an office, and am out of connectivity for maybe 3 hours of travel a day max, and never at weekends unless I go out. I'm on a scooter or a tube train so no connectivity is possible during travel for me.
What we are describing is our comfortable loadsets or configurations of our little systems, and that's what the stuff down here is, the Bongo configuration if you will. :lol:
I have made my comments against craigiecraigie4's original titles, and added a few apps of my own that I have.
[*]Weirdness for Hallowe'en :shock: After a hard reset, then sometimes the crosshair pointer setup would be real slow, and others it would be fast. Just in case, I did it until I had a fast one and proceeded from there. Don't know what/if any difference it makes, but that's what I do.
[*]ROM Upgrade: As there aren't any upgrade ROM's out there execept for the iMate one, I wouldn't until the new carrier ROM's are posted. I agree with CraigieCraigie though. Sooo, why not then? Warranty is the answer. Although I think in reality they wouldn't wash their hands of you just because you dared to use someone else's ROM, the carrier techies are generally not allowed to instruct you in the art of repairing your device with anyone else's ROM except their own, and so you would need to wait until your carrier released an upgrade and they could tell you how to do it.
[*]Optional soft reset: Definitely. And be selective about the manual .cab installs (installing total commander or the like first to see the Ext ROM). There's generally something in there that forces the device to behave in a way you don't like. An example is the internet button taking me to the t-mobile home page all the time. I hate that so I didn't install the relevant .cab.
[*]Sync: Now sync with your PC to get your contacts, calendar and tasks. This is only here to get you up and running asap. <-yeah man
[*]Pocket Mechanic: Download (www.antontomov.com) I bought this. It's good meaty tools you would get in a full Windows OS that M$ didn't put in WM5 yet.
[*]Notification Queue: Did it once, didn't do it after my last hard reset and TBH, haven't felt a need. I probably would do if I installed it and saw a gazillion notifications spamming my inners up. :lol:
[*]Registry cleanup: Haven't done it, but a careful look and selective delete may be of some use. Can't be arsed is the honest answer
[*]Task closer: Haven't bothered this time to minimise my number of concurrently running programs (absurd logic eh :wink: ). I only use a certain few apps, and as they're few don't notice a big slowdown from having them minimised if they don't close fully
[*]Basic apps: Here are Craigie's apps with my comment, and my loadset apps
Total commander - yeah man, schmokin
TCPMP - I only use mp3's so no point for me. Perhaps if I need to watch videos I will reinstall it.
Batti - I use Spb GPRS Monitor, v2.3.0, b525, and it has a battery icon, and I have the icon on my today screen, and I can guess it most of the time.
TRE - I use BitsInside Regedit. Also free and I like the Win 98 feel to it.
IIWPO - Great idea, I didn't know it worked on Universals. I will do this cos you never know if it might lead you to a thief. They'd have to be non-savvy theives of course else they'd hard reset it before using the new SIM
BT icon - I use the FN + -> combination to get there or the connectivity icon on the status bar.
BT switch - as above
Battery Uptime - If you want to learn then great
apReminderPlus - I don't use the alarm function
VJSMS - Inbuilt in WM5 is fine so far for my needs
Agile messenger - very thrifty use of bandwidth, like <10% of MSN (really) and free at the moment, but will pay for itself in bandwidth charges very quickly for most people. Suck it and see
GPS Viewer - because I have a Holux GPS and want to verify connectivity sometimes
Pocket Hack Master - because I like to crank it up to delightfully unstable 624MHz sometimes, but haven't need to with my installation as described here oddly enough. It's fast enough for me so far.
Pocket MSN because I want the Hotmail to appear in my messages application. I use Agile to IM people as above
TomTom Navigator 5.1 because it's awesome
[*]Settings: Time to do your basic settings:
speed dials
power and backlight
voice dials
Owner info
ringtones and notifications
DO NOT set regional settings if u r using PI (below)
[*]PIM: OK, time to replace the CRAP calendar built into WM5 - I agree it's crap, but I don't need a decent one. I am a simple soul.
[*]Reg fixes: - If you want to
Buzz's BT headset - haven't noticed this issue yet, bet I will tomorrow morning now though
"Always on GPRS" No good for me - 40megs/month tariff limit
Date & time in title bar (why not) - cos I know the date and time.
Menu and popup fonts 700 vs 900 - haven't done it yet. I like the size
PIE homepage - is done for me through my selective Ext ROM install
Terminal services cache - I don't use it yet
Turn IR off - yeah agreed waste of space most of the time.
[*]Extra apps:
eWallet - I don't keep details like that on my phones.
Pocket sudoku - I read books, so insert MS Reader for me there
Mobipocket reader - doesn't support .lit (MS format), and I read .lits and .docs so far. Wait until I run out of books though... :lol:
uBook - haven't needed it ....yet
1-calc - but the inbuilt calc does +, -, * and / so it's cool for me. I'm not a physicist
GPRS traffic monitor - spb is fine for me as I don't use it as a modem due to bandwidth limitations and being surrounded by connectivity in London.
[*]Memory:Haven't done these, but they look sensible if you can be arsed
Remove backgammon & skype, and re-install to SD card - I don't have them or use them anyway. How do you play backgammon? I went to a comprehensive school
Remove the 1Mb .tsk themes from the \Windows directory. I only have 3 default ones and use the standard blue theme. Functionality and not form is my motto :wink:
Do not use these big theme files - Good advice bro' (or sis)
Hope this is helpful to some other people :lol:
hi
Does ROM update invalidates the manufacture warranty?
Jatt
Menu and popup fonts
can anyone explain how to change the Menu and popup fonts from 700 to 900. Is it a registry hack?
jatt said:
hi
Does ROM update invalidates the manufacture warranty?
Jatt
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You would need to ring them up and enquire. With t-mobile, the tech dude just said they wouldn't be able to help me if I bricked my MDA until t-mobile released a ROM that I could download and use to revive the MDA. So, not invalidated for me, just much reduced support. Until a new ROM si out, all they can do with misbehaving devices is offer a replacement at the moment.
Illwil - the font size is a registry hack - search as it's here on this site somewhere.
joebongo: nice perspective. now users can see 2 extremes; O2 with much office usage, vs HTC with much out-n-about usage. Thanx 4 the effort.
illwil : search for my post on reg tweaks and run the .ren file 2 got 700->900 or rather 900->700
codiac: agree. I fiund spbPP 2 b perfectly well behaved, but there is so much bad press on it in this forum. perhas it's an O2 rom issue - pretty sad 4 them actually
xiasma: there truly do see 2 b an awful lot of ppl who think their universal is junk. this is intended 2 help them get up n running. some ppl got lucky (htc rom or just happy with functionality that actually works well) and they probably should not fix what aint broke. But one day they may want 2 push the envelope a little...
craigiecraigie4 said:
codiac: agree. I fiund spbPP 2 b perfectly well behaved, but there is so much bad press on it in this forum. perhas it's an O2 rom issue - pretty sad 4 them actually
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
PocketPlus is working OK for me on my O2 Exec...
Hello Everyone.
I proudly received my Exec this morning, only to find that it ran like a bag of S**t.
I removed the connections.exe, and the active files from my windows/start up folder and things improved dramatically.
However I am having a problem with the activesync.
I have set up the partnership with my laptop running activesync 4 and when it communcates it does it without any problems, however as soon as I connect my usb cable between my Exec and my laptop it takes a few minutes for the charging LED to come on on my Exec, and a while longer before Activsync on my pc recoginses it.
Does anyone else suffer from this problem?
Cheers
You removed connections.exe and now u have a connection problem...
Try removing things 1 at a time.
I definitely don't have this problem.
FYI, on my HTC all I have under startup is:
sddeamon.lnk
batti (i installed)
apreminderplus (me)
iiwpo (me)
O2 is definitely adding stuff that does not seem 2 b required by htc.
The only shortcut I have in my Windows\Startup folder is 'Services' and I have no problem with ActiveSync, voice dialling (with the built-in dialler) or anything else. I have no idea what the sddaemon one does but mine runs fine without it.
fatspark, your problem might lie with your laptop rather than the Exec? As a test though, are you able to try ActiveSyncing over Bluetooth? See if it's any quicker. If so then maybe it's a USB problem. Dunno.
IIWPO
Can someone explain how to install the IIWPO in the extended ROM on the JASJAR ?
I think it is different than the EXEC, where can I find instructions ? I am willing to handle the hassle
Cheers SiliconS
The problem is a driver issue on one of my laptops, I installed activsync 4 onto another one and all is ok.
Cheers.
Fatzzz
I don't know where else to post this....I found this while looking for an alternative to the SPV Developers CellTracker app. It's an app called NiceTrack...the screenshots tell the rest of the story:
http://www.nicecuppa.com/nicetrack.asp
Background info: http://www.ascendingangels.com/nicecuppa.com/nicetrack.asp?story=1
Screenshots: http://www.ascendingangels.com/nicecuppa.com/nicetrack.asp?story=2
Download: http://www.ascendingangels.com/nicecuppa.com/nicetrack.asp?story=3 (Version 1.2)
The source code for that app can also be downloaded from the Background Info link.
The SPV Developers CellTracker app (Beta version only, hasn't been updated since December) for PocketPCs is located at the way bottom of the page:
http://www.thelogster.34sp.com/celltracker/
NiceTrack updates the tower changes in real-time whereas CellTracker does not. NiceTrack also shows the dbm signal strength on a cool chart and it also includes a logging function that allows you to rename the cells your phone has connected to while the app is active.
Signal strength chart: http://www.ascendingangels.com/nicecuppa.com/images/nicetrack/main-page.gif
Here are a couple hints based on my experience so far:
1) In order to fully save the renamed/logged cell sites, you must first tap Save next to where you renamed the cell site. Then you must also tap Options/Menu --> Save (extreme lower left) to save all changes since the app was launched.
2) Use Menu --> Exit to completely close the app.
I have tested this for use on my MDA II w/Windows Mobile 2003. I don't know if the app is compatible with WM5 PPCs or regular Windows Mobile smartphones.
Enjoy
Thanks for posting.
This software has been discussed before, and it is great:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?t=3347&highlight=nicetrack
However, I believe people are having difficulty converting it to WM5 (when I last checked). But great stuff either way.
V
Hi there,
Sharpstuff (NiceTrack author) here..
I've just bought a T-Mobile MDA Vario and have managed to get it working on that ( WM2005 )
The problem was that in the older phones the GSM modem was on COM2 and on my Vario it's now COM9. I've made the Com port configurable now, but it's still not 100%.
You can download it from my site www.nicecuppa.net
Let me know how y'all get on.
Cheers
-sharpstuff
Good stuff sharpstuff Wish I had a gps!
V
sharpstuff said:
Hi there,
Sharpstuff (NiceTrack author) here..
I've just bought a T-Mobile MDA Vario and have managed to get it working on that ( WM2005 )
The problem was that in the older phones the GSM modem was on COM2 and on my Vario it's now COM9. I've made the Com port configurable now, but it's still not 100%.
You can download it from my site www.nicecuppa.net
Let me know how y'all get on.
Cheers
-sharpstuff
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sharpstuff, you have an excellent app here. I had to search for a bit to find it but in the end, I'm quite glad to have it . I also like the pun you have for your site...it's quite distinctive since even as a German-American, I know when someone says "cuppa", they normally mean the cup of tea .
Keep up the good work and thanks for taking the time to develop such a great and invaluable app .
oooh.. *bookmark*
Do you have a regular Donate button somewhere? I see the shop, but I'd rather just get X amount straight to you, and not have to be awoken by some crazy delivery guy at 8am for a mug
Thanks for the kind thought...
But, I enjoy doing this stuff, so just click my google ads and I'm happy!
;-)
Got this to work on my 8125, almost... Clicking on 'add' under events causes it to crash with the following error:
NiceTrack.exe
NullReferenceException
Application::Run+0xf
MainForm::Main+0xa
....bummer - so close!
You need to select an event type eg. "Flash backlight" then click "add"..
Needs some validation there.. Plus, the events side of things isn't very useful at the moment, I need to implement some more event types.
Cheers
I installed it on my qtek9100 but it doesn't find a GSM-modem at all.
Also a Qtek9100, EN - found it on COM9 just fine
What would be really neat would be an event "Show Picture". That way it would be easy to make a make-shift map tracking thing. Simply grab a picture of the map off the internet, plunge a big dot on the map where you got the cell, save as image, and have that image displayed when entering that cell %) GIF files on the storage card, shouldn't take up too much space
Alternatively a full-fledged mapping thing could be developed, but that's a lot more work *nod*
@sharpstuff hey I installed it on my XDA EXEC, but when it scans for com and reaches com9 it just freezes...any ideas?
Hi there,
I'm having some problems with the detection code, and general functionality on WM5.
I am looking into it and will post a new version up ASAP, sorry for the problems..
stop being sorry and add that donate button *keeps clicking google ads once a day but hopes google won't start ignoring his IP address for excessive clicking...*
N!co said:
I installed it on my qtek9100 but it doesn't find a GSM-modem at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After a soft reset its working fine on COM9. Nice app.!
sharpstuff said:
Hi there,
I'm having some problems with the detection code, and general functionality on WM5.
I am looking into it and will post a new version up ASAP, sorry for the problems..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So is Release 1.3b a partial fix for WM5 users? I installed it on my MDA II and it detects my modem on COM2 without any problems. Both 1.2 and 1.3 seem to work on WM2003 PPCs.
http://www.nicecuppa.net/
http://www.nicecuppa.com/download/NiceTrack_Release_1_3.zip
TIA
Yep, it's an intermediate release. Basically, it reminds the user on startup to set the Com port in settings
I'm working on v1.4 at present, this has more error checking on the GSM code, and multi-threaded com port detection so the whole app doesn't hang
For what it's worth - it seems to randomly lock up on me - requires an 'end task'. Sometimes when this happens, and I try to fire it back up again, I just get an empty message box dialog; no title, just the close button.
ZeBoxx said:
For what it's worth - it seems to randomly lock up on me - requires an 'end task'. Sometimes when this happens, and I try to fire it back up again, I just get an empty message box dialog; no title, just the close button.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I get that messagebox at random even after I closed the app and its not in the list of running programs. Strange...
Hello,
I'm a new TyTN user; my PDA history: Psion 5mx (+ Siemens S35i as IR modem), Nokia 6260 (somewhat limited, not as suited for input, but ok for recalling/reading stuff).
Main intended use is mail reading / 3G internet access and flight navigation (using PocketFMS + a Holux GPSlim 236).
I got the TyTN on Friday, but returned it on Saturday due to some issues with the keyboard (some keys didn't respond consistently: a, e, p, r, t, space, del, ...).
Anyway, I managed to play around with it an evening, and have some questions (some I found in the faq).
1. Where does the device get its bluetooth name? Mine didn't not use the device name (which by default is PocketPC), but used my full name (I'm guessing from owner info). I noticed in the FAQ there is a registry hack to set the bluetooth name, but can this be done "the normal way"?
2a. Is it possible to change the order of the programs in "Start > Programs"? Currently, they are listed alphabetically with folders first, but I would like the ones I use most often to appear on top, as to minimize scrolling.
2b. I noticed it is possible to move programs to a new subfolder in programs, but it gives a warning that this might cause some programs not to run properly. Is it known which programs don't like being moved (or when the issues occur)?
3. Cleartype only seems work in portrait mode. In the FAQ there is a registry hack; is Cleartype useable on the TyTN in landscape mode?
4. I'm using a number of mail accounts, but also a number of access points (wifi at work, 3G outside of work, ...). In the mail application, the SMTP server is linked to a mail account. However, if I want to use the same mail account using different access points, there should be an easy way to change the SMTP server. On my Nokia 6260, I created dummy accounts (for each SMTP server I needed), and changed the account by which a mail is sent (this is a property of the mail on Symbian). Can I do this on the TyTN? Are there perhaps better tools to achieve this (change it automatically with an access point, ...)?
5. I got the English version (I prefer my softwares in English ). The downside to this is that in text entry, it only suggests words for the English language. Is it possible to add a second language (just for text entry, not in the user interface), in my case Dutch, to the device? I noticed there are dictionary managers that allow one to edit the user dictionary, so perhaps there are users that converted/created one to contain many Dutch words...?
6. I'm considering the Nokia HS-12w (bluetooth stereo headset with lcd display). How is the audio quality for this headset (in audio and calls) in combination with the TyTN? I mailed JetWare regarding their mobile extension, and they say they have an issue with their latest release (doesn't display caller name, unlike the last beta), but this will be solved. They also said "the TyTn does not allow us to route audio over the Hands-free Profile connection to support voice dialing from the HS-12W (or any other hands-free device)". Are there workarounds for this?
Finally, are there applications you can recommend that no wm5 device should be without (I found HTC X-button and MagicButton on this site)?
Or wm5 applications I certainly should not try?
Thanks!
(both for reading through this long first posting, as well as for answers you could provide)
Jörg
I could provide you links to numerous forum threads answering your questions. But why won't you bother to search and read before ask? Don't you understand that multiple questions about the same just make the forum less useful?
Hello,
Yes, I understand that and have searched prior to posting (otherwise I wouldn't have been able to refer to the faq, or wouldn't have found MagicButton).
Granted, some of my questions were partly answered (I referred to related faqs), or are things I can test.
But I found nothing regarding my guestions 2 (program order), 4 (SMTP changing) and 5 (dictionaries for other languages).
Jörg
One way I can think of solving 2 would be a create a new menu (Using WM5NewMenu) that has your most used programs and then tying it to a hardware button or softkey .. dont know if that will work for you or not ..
gravejoker said:
One way I can think of solving 2 would be a create a new menu (Using WM5NewMenu) that has your most used programs and then tying it to a hardware button or softkey .. dont know if that will work for you or not ..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds like it might be a nice workaround...
Thanks!
Jörg
So I bought the X1 last week and I have to say that I’m very impressed about it. I first didn’t know which one to choose: the X1 or Touch HD but after I had seen the HD…. It is just too big and therefore not practical anymore.
So after playing around with the X1 I have a couple of question and maybe you guys can help me. Until now I am not able to change my default weather location to a city which is not in the default list. When using the SPB panel I can choose my city but because most of the time I use the standard X1 panel I like to change it here also. Does somebody know if there is a fix/patch available for changing the default weather location to a city that is not in the list?
I also changed the default button actions where I changed the right button to contacts. However after using the TF3D panel for a while it is resetting the button settings to default when switching to the X1 panel again. Does somebody know is this is a bug in de TF3D panel?
I like to know if it is possible to permanent suppress the ‘making connection to gprs, 3G’ message when connection to internet. I don’t like the message because once an hour I connect to check my mail, update weather etc. and also use the ‘automatic disconnect after idle’ to save battery power.
Is there a way to change the default language of windows mobile without flashing the ROM? I heard there is a registry tweak for this but can’t find anymore info about this.
The last question I have is about the usb-pc connection setting. When I connect my girlfriends mobile (Touch Diamond) it every time asks if you want to use activesync or use it as a diskdrive.
I like to enable this option on my X1 also because now I every time have to go to settings to change the way the phone has to connect (active sync or diskdrive). I though this was a default feature of windows mobile but don’t have the checkbox to enable or disable this question. Does somebody know why?
I hope some of you can help me out with these questions.
uitje said:
Until now I am not able to change my default weather location to a city which is not in the default list. When using the SPB panel I can choose my city but because most of the time I use the standard X1 panel I like to change it here also. Does somebody know if there is a fix/patch available for changing the default weather location to a city that is not in the list?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The weather locations in the X1 panel is a hardcoded list in the SonyEricssonPanel.dll and CITY.dll files. They collect the weather data from AccuWeather.com so maybe by patching these files with a location that AccuWeather supports it is possible?
on8a said:
The weather locations in the X1 panel is a hardcoded list in the SonyEricssonPanel.dll and CITY.dll files. They collect the weather data from AccuWeather.com so maybe by patching these files with a location that AccuWeather supports it is possible?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, this doesn't sound like something I can do myself.
Do you mind to tell me how to set the auto-disconnect after idle? My X1 keeps the data connection open permanently after periodic mail checks etc... How to do it?
Ciddy said:
Do you mind to tell me how to set the auto-disconnect after idle? My X1 keeps the data connection open permanently after periodic mail checks etc... How to do it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I found it at: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=V8D6ARI2
Works perfect for me.
uitje said:
The last question I have is about the usb-pc connection setting. When I connect my girlfriends mobile (Touch Diamond) it every time asks if you want to use activesync or use it as a diskdrive.
I like to enable this option on my X1 also because now I every time have to go to settings to change the way the phone has to connect (active sync or diskdrive). I though this was a default feature of windows mobile but don’t have the checkbox to enable or disable this question. Does somebody know why?
I hope some of you can help me out with these questions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is not a WM feature, it's a Diamond/TouchPro feature. But I also miss this too (having both a TP and X1) There have been a lot of Diamond features ported to the X1 so I too would appreciate anyone having found a way to include this.
apprentice said:
This is not a WM feature, it's a Diamond/TouchPro feature. But I also miss this too (having both a TP and X1) There have been a lot of Diamond features ported to the X1 so I too would appreciate anyone having found a way to include this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are right, this morning I discovered that is is a Diamond/TouchPro feature. I tried to install the htc usbtopc popup application found at:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=427956
After installing you will see the option that we are looking for. However when connecting the usb cable nothing happens. It still connects as you have specified under usb to pc settings. and is not coming with the question: activesync or diskdrive
uitje said:
You are right, this morning I discovered that is is a Diamond/TouchPro feature. I tried to install the htc usbtopc popup application found at:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=427956
After installing you will see the option that we are looking for. However when connecting the usb cable nothing happens. It still connects as you have specified under usb to pc settings. and is not coming with the question: activesync or diskdrive
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think this is because that cab file is just a pop-up which does not link to the actual required program/libraries. I read through the post you mentioned but could not see (for the time being) how it would work on the X1.
Thanks a lot. Unfortunately GPRS seems to suck at my cheapo provider today, so I couldn't quite verify it yet...