Product Requirements:
Device:
Handspring Visor PDAs
2K Handmute.prc

Force feedback devices are really in vogue right now. If you don’t happen to
know what force feedback is, it is a device that gives you sensory feedback to
your actions. For example, a force feedback joystick might give you the feeling
of recoil when you shoot a gun in a game. The joystick handle will jerk back
after you fire. There are force feedback
mice,
joysticks,
headphones,
and now even a force feedback Springboard for your Handspring Visor PDA.

The innovative folks at Tech Center Labs
have created the RumbleCard. This is a Springboard module which has 2 functions.
It can serve as a silent vibrator alarm, and it can enhance gaming
experience by providing force feedback.

Before you can use the RumbleCard, you must first install a Palm OS Hack.
There are two hacks written by
John Pane that can be
used, HandMute or AutoHandMute. Both are very small .PRC files. HandMute is
freeware, while AutoHandMute is shareware ($5). The only difference between the two
is that AutoHandMute will sense when the RumbleCard is installed in the
Springboard slot and will enable itself automatically. With HandMute, you must go into
HackMaster (or another extension manager) and enable or disable as needed.

This is my main complaint with the RumbleCard. Springboard modules are
supposed to be self-maintaining, in that you should just plug them in, and they
install the needed software. Having to download, install, and then enable or
disable the software pretty much negates the whole Springboard philosophy.

Once you have either HandMute or AutoHandMute installed and enabled, you’re
all set to use the RumbleCard. The hack intercepts System and Alarm sounds and
instead of playing the usual tone thru the speaker, it will buzz the vibrator inside the RumbleCard module. You can then use the RumbleCard as a silent alarm
if you wish. The vibrator isn’t super strong, so if you want to use it in this
manner, you’ll want to keep the Visor very close to your body so that you can
feel the vibrator go off. There is a separate version of the RumbleCard that
also includes a tale light that blinks and LED and vibrates when an alarm is sounded.

The better use for this module is for gaming. The only problem is that it
will not work with every game in circulation. It has to be game that uses the system sounds
instead of game sounds. The best game I’ve tested so far is Pinballz.
This is a 3D style shareware pinball game that is quite a bit of fun. With the
RumbleCard installed, you can ‘feel’ when your ball hits a bummer or flipper. It
really adds a bit of realism to the game. What would make this game even better
would be if sound effects and force feedback could be used at the same
time. As it is now, you can’t do both at the same time.

I tried several other games with this module and had mixed results. Of the 5
games I tested, only 2 yielded force feedback. I tried AtomSmash from
Red Mercury, Mega Bowling from
Megasoft2000, Dragon Pinball from
Stand Alone Software, Lock’Em Up from
LudiGames, and Volleyball from
Mercury Development. The only games that
actually worked were Dragon Pinball and Volleyball. However, neither of them
worked as well as the Pinballz game.

This Springboard module does not require
batteries as it gets its power from the Visor. During my review period, I did
notice that while using the RumbleCard for games that the battery level would go
down a bit faster than normal. Since I use a Visor Prism, this didn’t really bother me
due to the fact that I could always just pop it back in the cradle to top off
the juice.

The RumbleCard makes a fun addition to game playing. If you like pinball games,
be sure and buy Pinballz ($12.95). Otherwise, if you are buying this module
just to use with a specific game, you might want to contact Tech Center Labs
first to see if it is actually compatible with it.

Price: $19.95

Pros:
Lets you feel the game play
Can be used as a silent alarm

Cons:
Requires a hackmaster extension to be installed
Isn’t compatible with all games

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Handspring, Palm, Palm OS related, Springboard, Visor

RumbleCard Springboard Module Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 18, 2001 at 12:00 am.

Product Requirements:
Device:
Handspring Visor PDAs

Some people are really lucky, they live in areas where there is wireless
modem coverage.  They can check their email and browse websites on their
PDAs whenever and where ever they please. Those of us that aren’t so lucky
<pout> are destined to remain wired and as such, must use a regular
landline modem for such tasks.  If you happen to be in the same boat that
I’m in, and need a modem for your Handspring Visor, you’ll want to take a look
at the Thinmodem Plus from Card Access
Inc.

The Thinmodem Plus is a Springboard 56K modem module that slides into the
Springboard slot on any Handspring Visor PDA. The ‘Plus‘ part of
the device is 8mb of flash memory that you can use as extra storage for
applications and data.

Hardware Specs:

56K modem
V.90
7.5 MB of user accessible flash memory for user data and application storage. 
Dimensions: 2.25″ x 2.125″ x 0.30″ 
Handspringª Springboardª port compatible 
6ft RJ-11 phone cable 
Power consumption:
Active: <50mA,
Sleep: <250µA 
On-board software applications:
- Browse-itª 2.0 web browser
- JP Systemsª One-Touch email package
- Real-time modem status monitor (shows connect speed, data TX/Rx amount, connect status and time)
- Battery indicator display
- File mover application
- Call-Progress speaker tones during connect. 

Physically, the Thinmodem is the same size as the slug that comes with every
Visor. It is easy to insert into the Springboard slot but is a little difficult
to remove as it only has a thin ridge at the top of the module that you can
catch your nails on. 

As soon as you insert the Thinmodem into the Springboard slot, it will power
on your Visor and the icons for the included applications will show up in the launcher
menu. These applications are an email program, web browser and file manager.
More details about them later.

In order to plug the modem into a phone line, you must use the included RJ-11
cable. This cable has a typical RJ-11 connector at one end and on the other end
is a small thin connector that plugs directly into the top of the Thinmodem.
Personally, I’d much rather see an X-Jack style connector. I don’t like having
to carry around an extra cable. And, since you have to plug the cable into the
phone jack, that usually requires a person to crawl around on the floor and
under desks to find the phone jack to plug it into. If the Thinmodem had an
X-Jack, it would be a simple matter of pulling the phone line out of the back of
a telephone and plugging it into the modem. Much easier…. and I’m all for
doing things the easy way!

In order to actually be able to dial out and connect to your ISP or a
Bulletin Board (do these even exist anymore?), you have to configure the modem
via the system preferences and Thinmodem prefs. Luckily the Thinmodem Plus comes
with great step by step instructions that will get you up and running in a few
minutes.

After you have things setup correctly, you need to connect to the service.
You can do this by going into the Network prefs and tapping the CONNECT button.
Or, you can use the Browse-it or One-Touch email app to connect. Either way, the
modem will dial up your provider… A small internal speaker in the modem will
allow you to hear the connect sequence (barely). Then you should see the sign on
process progress on the screen to let you know that you’ve signed on. 

Although the Thinmodem Plus is a 56k modem, I wasn’t successful in connecting
to my ISP at over 26.4k during my tests (with or without the V.90 option turned
on). I’m going to blame the connect speeds on my location though as I can’t
normally connect at over 42.6k on my desktop machine. More often than not, I get
36k connects. It is good to point out that you can check your connection speed
easily while connected to your ISP. You just tap in the bottom right corner of
the display and a status window will pop up for a few seconds. 

At this point, you can use the Browse-it or One-Touch applications to surf or
check email. You don’t have to use these applications though, you are free to
use any browser, or email app available. Which is a good thing because I was not
successful in using the Browse-it web browser application included on
the Thinmodem Plus. I tried numerous times with 2 different user id’s and
passwords. Every time I would try to browse a site, it would just say waiting….
forever. There was only one time that I was able to view the opening page of the
WIRED site. I couldn’t even take screen snaps of the Browse-it app. When I would
try, I would get a fatal exception and my Visor would reset. Sooooooooo, I
downloaded a couple other browsers just to test things and was successful with
browsing using them. One thing to consider: don’t buy this modem if you think you’re going
to use it to surf the web a lot. It’s VERY painful to do so. The screen is too
small and it’s just too slow. Trust me…

The One-Touch email package however, was great! This application makes
sending and receiving email on your Visor a snap! It is a full featured program
that should do what most average users will want. The only thing I didn’t see
was a way to attach files. I really think that modems on PDAs are better
suited for email tasks than web browsing tasks…

During the review period, I left the modem Springboard plugged into my Prism
all the time and didn’t notice any problems with the batteries draining faster
than normal. This is great because in addition to the obvious modem features,
this Springboard also has 8mb of flash memory that you can use for applications
and data. Best of all, you can run the applications that you store on the
Thinmodem directly. You don’t have to copy them to the Visor’s internal memory
first. However, not all applications will run from flash. Any apps that try to
create or modify databases in the flash storage will not work. 

A File Manager type application called File Mover is included on the
Springboard. This app will allow you to manage the transfer of data from the
Visor to the Thinmodem Plus module’s flash storage memory. It allows files to be
copied, moved, or deleted on both the internal memory of the Visor as well as
the Thinmodem Plus.

There are a couple of things that the Thinmodem Plus can’t do. It does not
support sending and receiving of faxes. It also does not interface with cellular
modems. 

All in all, this is a good modem and with the addition of the 8mb of flash
memory, it makes this an attractive accessory for many Handspring Visor owners.

Price: $149.95

Pros:
Modem feature with 8mb of flash memory
Apps can be ran from flash memory

Cons:
Have to use a separate RJ-11 cable
Included Browse-it web browser is less than stellar

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Handspring, Palm, Palm OS related, Springboard, Visor

Card Access Thinmodem Plus Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 22, 2001 at 12:00 am.

Product Requirements:
Device:
Handspring Visor, Visor Deluxe, Edge, Platinum and
Prism

I’ve admitted this before, and I’ll do it again, I’m a slug. My favorite past
time is plopping my butt in my Lazy Boy to watch some totally brain numbing
reality TV show (Hey, when does Survivor 3 start?!). As a result, you can
imagine that it takes a lot to get me motivated to move my booty. Enter the Step
Keeper Springboard module by Hagiwara Sys-Com
that is available at PalmGear.
This nifty little do-dad allows you to mix PDAs with exercise which in my case
gets me motivated enough to do some walking!

The Step Keeper module is a pedometer which means it that it is a tool that
counts your steps. You are probably thinking, how the heck does it count your
steps when it’s inserted into the Visor Springboard slot. Well, it doesn’t count
your steps while it is in the Visor. It counts them when you are wearing the
module on your waist in the included vinyl belt case. You might remember the SportBrain
module that Judie and I reviewed earlier this year. The Step Keeper is similar.

The module is slightly larger than the standard Springboard making it
protrude just a bit out of the back of the Visor. This shouldn’t be a problem
for most cases in the event that you decide to keep the Step Keeper in the
Visor’s Springboard slot when it isn’t on your belt.

When it is not in the slot, it will more than likely be in the small black
vinyl case. This case is the same size as the module, and has a Velcro flap. A
plastic belt clip attaches to the back of the case. This belt clip is shaped
like an S and slips into slot in the back of the case. Although I found
that the clip stayed attached to my belt or waist band without problem, I did
find that the case tended to work its way up and off the clip very easily. I got
into the habit of constantly checking to make sure that the case was pushed onto
the clip. A different kind of belt clip or case should be considered because it
would be pretty easy to lose it as it is.

Before you can start using the Step Keeper, you need to insert it into your
Visor to configure some settings and to charge its internal battery. Luckily,
the Step Keeper has a rechargeable battery inside that you will never have to
replace. It takes less than 5 mins every 2 days to charge it while it is
inserted into the Visor. The battery is rated for a minimum of 10,000 charges
which is probably longer than you’ll have the PDA.

When you insert the Step Keeper into the Visor, the software is automatically
installed and the Step Keeper application starts up. It first asks you to choose
your units of measurement: feet and pounds or meters and kilograms. You can then
input your height, weight, stride and goal (steps per day). It’s really nice
that you have the ability to specify your stride in this software. This helps
you to more accurately count your steps as everyone has a different stride. The
included manual tells you how to easily compute this figure.

You can also choose from several cartoon type animated figures that give you
little encouraging messages as you transfer your data each time.

Once you have things set up, it’s time to put the Step Keeper on your waist
and get to walking! The module weighs very little. You won’t notice it on your
waist at all. You will however know that it is on your belt because you can hear
it as you walk. The Step Keeper counts your steps by using a pendulum switch.
You can hear this switch as it clunks back and forth in the plastic module case
as you walk. This isn’t a loud noise, but you will hear it. I don’t think it is
loud enough that people will hear you as you walk by them, but it is quite a bit
louder than the SportBrain module. The sound doesn’t really bother me.

After you’ve walked around for awhile, you can remove the module from your
waist and insert it into the Visor. As soon as you do this, you will be shown a
screen with the number of recorded steps and the date. To transfer the step
data, you just tap the date and they will be recorded. It’s best to get into a
habit of doing this every night before you go to bed. If you forget to transfer
the steps and end up accumulating more the next day, the next time you insert
the module, you’ll be given the choice of two days for which to record the steps
for. This is my only real complaint about the Step Keeper. I wish it would
‘know’ which steps go with which date and keep them separate. 

Besides giving you a tally of your daily steps, the software will tell you
how many calories you have burned. You can also show 7 and 30 graphs of your
step and calorie burning progress.

The 7 and 30 day reports give you some good information that help you see the
trends in your step totals and calorie burning. 

The Step Keeper can maintain 90 days worth of data. Once you get that many
records, you’ll want to export them to the Memo Pad. You can do this as a list
or as a CSV (comma separated file). The CSV file could then be used in a
spreadsheet on your PC.

The Step Keeper Pedometer Springboard module is an easy to use motivational
exercise tool. It almost makes walking like playing a game. You want to walk
more so that you can transfer more steps to the Visor to reach your goal. The
hardware works fine and the software is good. The only things that I would like
to see to make this product better would be a better belt case, and better date
tracking features.

Price: $49.95

Pros:

Fun
Easy to use

Cons:

Case can come off belt clip
Not able to keep track of steps that span across consecutive days

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Handspring, Palm, Palm OS related, Springboard, Visor

Step Keeper Springboard Module Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 17, 2001 at 12:00 am.

Product Requirements:
Device:
Visor, Visor Deluxe, Visor Platinum, Visor Prism
35K 

The FlashPlus from InnoPocket  is a Plug and Play version of their
CompactFlash Adapter product.
This Springboard adapter allows you to use Compact Flash cards with your Visor
as a means of extra file storage space. The difference between the FlashPlus and
the CompactFlash Adapter is that instead of having to install the necessary drivers/utilities on to the Visor in order to use the
module like you have to do for the CompactFlash Adapter, these files are automatically installed whenever the FlashPlus module is inserted. When the Springboard module is removed, the drivers/utilities are removed.
So, the FlashPlus is plug and play meaning you need no other software in order
to use it. Of course, you’ll need some Compact Flash memory cards though. And,
before you ask, this adapter is only for memory cards.
The hardware/software is not compatible with CF+ cards (non-memory CF cards
including CF modems, bar code readers, serial ports, etc.). The InnoPocket
hardware and software is also not compatible with IBM’s Microdrive line of CF
hard drives.

The FlashPlus is a sturdy semi-transparent plastic Springboard module. The clear
plastic allows you to more easily guide the Compact Flash card into the slot
because you can see what you’re doing. Like their other product, the card is inserted into the Springboard so that you have to take the Springboard out of the slot in order to remove it. A
small cut out on the inside edge of the module is there to let you get your
fingernail on the Compact Flash card edge to pull it out. When the module is in
the Visor Springboard slot, you can’t get your fingernail easily into this
opening…

Compact Flash cards can be inserted completely into the FlashPlus so that they
don’t stick out at all like some other storage card Springboard solutions. Also,
the FlashPlus module is flush with the back of the Visor so you don’t have to
worry about it fitting in different cases.

If you insert the FlashPlus into the Springboard slot without having a Compact Flash card installed, the Visor will not power on and the software from the Springboard will not automatically install. But as soon as you insert a CF card, the Visor will power on, and the
FlashPlus utilities will be available. They show up in the launcher screen with a black square next to the application title.

The programs that become available to you are:

FAFileMover v1.4.0
FAUtil v.1.0
CSpotRun v.dev

The FA utils are the same set of Kopsis
utilities that the CompactFlash Adapter and the MatchBook Drive
use. As a result, you’re going to have the same incompatibility problems with different CF cards like I ran into with the MatchBook Drive and CompactFlash Adapter. My Lexar and large cards (128mb Kingston) won’t work with the FlashPlus.
But, my Sandisk cards work fine.

The FAFileMover application allows you to copy, delete, get info, create
directories, and change the CF timing. The timing setting can be toggled between
two settings: max speed and min power. The default being the min power setting.
This application copies files at an adequate speed. I did some timing tests and
they were the same as the CompactFlash Adapter speed tests that I performed for
that review. The following test is on the default max speed setting.

These are the results for the min power setting.

The larger the card, the more benefit that you seen from the max speed
setting.

I do find it a little funny that this application is called FAFileMover when
it doesn’t let you MOVE files, it just lets you COPY files. 

The FAUtil application lets you test the CF card, quick format it, full
format it and view the info log. I’m not exactly sure what the Test function
does. When you choose it, it sits there for awhile and then comes back and says
that it passed and asks if you want to perform write tests and it does the same
thing. It would be nice if it could give you a little more info.

CSpotRun is also included on the FlashPlus
module. This is a very nice freeware DOC reader that can read DOC files directly from the CF card.
CSpotRun is one of my favorite readers and it’s a nice touch to have it
included. 

Besides those three programs, I noticed that when the FlashPlus is inserted into the Visor, a toggle menu appears in the regular Info dialog. This toggle will let you see the info of the internal Visor memory or the memory on the module. From this, I learned that the
FlashPlus actually has about 1MB of onboard memory. 915k of it being free and
unused. It would be really nice to be able to use that 915k for programs, DOC files etc.

I’m also noticed that the FlashPlus installs 35K worth of ‘stuff’ in to the
Visor’s memory. Most of it is the FlashAdapter Library which is 29K. The rest
are small 1k log and data files.

I think the FlashPlus is the best CF adapter solution to date although $50
may seem a little expensive. However, this module is plug and play which the
others aren’t. If InnoPocket can figure out a way to let users run their apps
directly from the cards and use the extra
915K, that will make this module an even better value.

Price: $49.90

Pros:
Plug and Play
CSpotRun DOC Reader included

Cons:
Not all CF cards will be recognized by this Springboard
Can’t run applications directly from the cards
915K of wasted memory in the module

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Handspring, Palm, Palm OS related, Springboard, Visor

InnoPocket FlashPlus Plug and Play Compact Flash Springboard Adapter originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 29, 2001 at 12:00 am.

Product Requirements:
Device:
Handspring Visor, Visor Deluxe, Platinum, or Prism

CFCardInfo.prc 5k
FAFileMv.prc 30k
FAFormat.prc 5k
FALib.prc 28k
FAUtil.prc 19k

The CompactFlash Adapter from InnoPocket
is a Springboard module that allows you to use CompactFlash memory cards as
alternative storage on your Handspring Visor PDA. This adapter is only for
memory cards. The hardware/software is not compatible with CF+ cards (non-memory CF cards including CF
modems, bar code readers, serial ports, etc.). The InnoPocket hardware and
software is also not compatible with IBM’s Microdrive line of CF hard drives.

The InnoPocket product is similar to the MatchBookDrive
CF Adapter reviewed here previously. However, there are a few minor differences.

This module feels more substantial than the MatchBookDrive. The plastic is
thicker and doesn’t flex much. CF cards on the InnoPocket are also easier to insert due to rails on the
inside of the module. Like the MatchBookDrive, the slot is keyed so that a CF
card can not be inserted in the wrong direction.

And unlike the MatchBookDrive module that I reviewed, the CF card sits flush
with the top of the module. The only physical problem that I have with this
adapter is that it is difficult to remove CF cards while the module is inserted
into the Springboard slot. There is a small cutout that you can use to get a
grip on the top edge of the card, but that is only available to you when the
module isn’t inserted into the Visor. It would be nicer if the cutout were on
the outside of the adapter instead of the inside.

Those are the only real differences that I could find between the
MatchBookDrive and InnoPocket. From there, the difference ends as the InnoPocket adapter like the
MatchBookDrive, uses the same FlashAdapter software. This software is a
collection of small apps that allow you to format, create directories, delete and move files to and
from the CF card. Any files stored on the CF card must be moved to the Visor’s
RAM in order to use them. Unfortunately, you can not run applications directly
from the CF card.

A mini CDrom disk (it works in a normal drive) is included with the InnoPocket with the
registered version of FlashAdapter. You can also download newer versions by
visiting the Kopsis website and
using the reg code included in the CD. The CD also includes an HTML formatted
user manual.

Now is probably a good time to mention that not all CF cards will work with
this adapter and software combo. I found that none of my Lexar cards would work
and neither would my 128meg Kingston. Before you buy a CF card specifically for
this adapter, you should check the compatibility chart on the Kopsis website.
This isn’t a problem specific to this adapter. The MatchBookDrive had the same
problems.

The FlashAdapter software is easy to use. You are presented with a two lists
of the files that you can toggle between. One list is the stored files in RAM
and the other is the list of files stored on the CF card. 

You can view the lists by file sizes, creator ID, or type. Checking the box
beside the file(s) will mark it. You can then tap the COPY button to transfer
either from or to the CF card or from or to RAM. You can also press the DEL
button to delete the file(s). I did find one small bug with the DEL function.
Even if you don’t mark any of the files, and press DEL, it will act as though it
successfully deleted a file. 

One other interesting thing that I noticed was that the larger the CF card,
the longer it takes to write a file to and from it. I did a couple tests with a
4meg Sandisk and a 96meg Sandisk card and found that:

As you can see, the 96meg card is quite a bit slower. 

There is an option in the FlashAdapter software preferences that allow you to
select the power level that the CF card should run at. Higher power
levels are faster but will drain the PDA batteries quicker. The range available depends
on the CF card itself. For example, a 4MB Kodak card offers two settings, 28mA
to 32mA, while a 64MB SanDisk card offers 8 settings from 48mA to 76mA average
peak current. The software defaults to the lowest power setting. By changing this
setting you can make it default to the max speed setting. On cards with a small
range of settings, it may not make much difference. But on a SanDisk card, max
speed reduced write times by 41%!

Just to test this, I repeated the same test that I did above but with the max
speed setting. Here are the results:

The max speed setting really helped with the 96meg card, but didn’t do much
of anything with the smaller card.

As far as battery drain problems, I didn’t really notice all that much drain
while doing my review tests. I started with the battery level at about 95% and
after several copying sessions, and reformatting, the battery only dropped to
about 80%. Granted, most of these tests were done at the min speed setting and
over a 2 day period.

Overall, the InnoPocket CF adapter is an inexpensive accessory that allows
you to carry tons of info / applications on your Handspring Visor that you
ordinarily couldn’t. The price and functionality are pretty much identical to
the MatchBookDrive so I can’t really recommend one over the other at the moment.

Price: $39.90

Pros:
Easy to use hardware and software
Gives you the ability to carry more files with you than can fit in the Visor’s
RAM

Cons:
Can’t actually execute files from the CF card. Must copy to RAM
first
Not compatible with all CF cards
Hard to remove the CF card while module is inserted in Springboard slot

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Handspring, Palm, Palm OS related, Springboard, Visor

InnoPocket CompactFlash Adapter Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 30, 2001 at 12:00 am.

Product Requirements:
Device: Handspring Visor,
Visor Deluxe, and Visor Platinum
Not for use with Prism or Edge; but there is a separate model for the Prism, and
the Edge doesn’t need one…

One of the few peeves I have about the Handspring Visor’s design is the fact
that there is no integrated flip-lid. Sure, there is the included snap-on face
plate, but it’s just not the same. I suppose that I was spoiled by the way that
Palm designed their III series: with a flip-lid that made them have a very thin
form factor. Of course, what I didn’t like about that particular lid was the
fact that I couldn’t flip it all the way around to the back of the Palm. It
would either lift up…or down. 

FlipCover.com, an
innovative new company, has developed one of the most excellent
after-market flip cover designs I have ever seen. Normally I am careful not to
sound like a Public Service Announcer for any manufacturer – but this is one of
the few times that I have found a product that I can recommend with almost no
reservations. 

FlipCovers look like someone took a Visor snap-on face plate, professionally
affixed it to a hinge, and then attached the contraption to a faux Springboard
module. This module then fits into the expansion slot on the back of the Visor -
just like any other module would – but it serves the sole purpose of anchoring
the FlipCover for the protection of the screen.

The FlipCover itself, is the same thickness and appears to be made of the
same material as the OEM cover. This means that it offers excellent screen
protection, and also covers the hot-keys on the front of the Visor. 

When inserted, the FlipCover firmly secures to the front of the Visor, as
tightly as the included snap-on face plate does.  This means that tilting
the Visor does not cause the FlipCover to open. Believe me, that sucker is
staying in its proper place.

The main operational difference between the stock screen-cover and the
FlipCover, is that instead of prying the screen cover from the top of the Visor,
as you would with the face plate; you lift the FlipCover from the bottom to
open. This is intuitive, and a natural way to open the lid. 

FlipCovers even come with a thumb-grip to make it even easier to access your
Visor.

Instead of having a removable piece of plastic that you have to store while
you use your PDA; you can now simply flip the cover from the front of the Visor
to the back. Where it then lies flush. That’s right – it lays out of the
way on the back of the Visor. Ingenious!

Another good thing about this product is that you can leave it on while
hot-syncing. You simply flip it out of the way, over the top of the Visor.

I can already hear some of your objections now…"But Judie, the whole
beauty of the Visor is the fact that you can expand its functionality by adding
a usable Springboard". Well, you’re exactly right. That’s why
FlipCover.com made it possible to affix a "press-on" adapter to your
favorite regular sized Springboards, so they could anchor the FlipCover also.

There are obviously some Springboards that this solution will not work with.
Some of the coolest modules available are also the most oversized. At this
time  – if that’s the type of Springboard modules that you mainly use, then
it’s true – you are out of luck. 

You also won’t be able to use the FlipCover with any of the Compact Flash to
Springboard adapter modules. Since this is the main module that I use with my
Visor – you can imagine my disappointment…especially since I have a green
FlipCover, which as you all know by now – is my favorite color. :0/

The good news is that FlipCover.com is affiliated with ATL
Technology, a "world leading supplier of OEM cable assemblies,
connector systems, and value added assemblies." This didn’t mean anything
to me either, until I read further that ATL is an authorized third party
supplier for both Palm and Handspring. ATL is the company that supplies the
parts that make up all of your favorite Springboards, and they have access to an
extensive network of Springboard developers. Are you catching sight of the big
picture? That’s right: ATL offers their developers the option of purchasing
Springboard components that are compatible with the FlipCover right out of the
box. They also offer their developers incentives
to build their Springboard modules to be compatible with the FlipCover system.

This means that in the future you can expect to see more and more
Springboards – even the funky-shaped ones – becoming available that will work with the FlipCover system.

With this type of support, it is possible that FlipCover.com’s product may
eventually become a Visor standard. Personally, I think that it should have been
included with the Visor right out of the box.

Price: $19.97
Available in Black, Blue, Green, Ice, and Orange
A Prism FlipCover
is also available in black only, for the same price.

Pros:
Inexpensive
Adaptable to multiple Springboard Modules with "press-on" hinges
Great screen protection
Professional design
Flips to back of Visor & lays flush! Yay!
Snaps securely closed, to front of Visor
Can leave on when hot-syncing

Cons:
Press-On hinge won’t fit my CF ->
Springboard Adapter
Will not work with oversized Springboard modules

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Handspring, Palm, Palm OS related, Screen Protector, Springboard, Visor

FlipCover Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 20, 2001 at 12:00 am.

Many years ago I got my first remote control TV. I thought, "Wow, using a remote
is cool!!". Then I got a VCR. And a Satellite Dish. And a CD player. Etc…And along
with every new device, came another remote control. I have 5 remote controls stacked on
the book case in our family room. (OK, so remote number 5 is a broken one without
batteries for the kids to play with, but you get the picture

If you are like me, you eventually wind up with a quasi-universal remote- a universal
remote that controls almost all of the features, but for some reason, not everything. With
this in mind, I was a bit hesitant to test yet another universal remote control, the OmniRemote
Springboard Module, by Pacific Neo-Tek.
But I was very interested to give it a test drive, and I’m glad I did.

Ok, so the OmniRemote Springboard Module turns your Handspring PDA
into a universal remote. But there are some interesting differences that I think make it
better than the standard universal remote. First, universal remotes tend to have too many
buttons. Therefore, many of these types of remotes have very small buttons which are hard
to easily hit. Second, if they don’t have a lot of small buttons, then they have a
complicated way of toggling the few buttons they do have to do more than one function. On
these remotes, the buttons are never labeled exactly for everything you want them to do.
Finally, it’s not always easy to set the device code for your remote. In fact, I bought my
brother a SONY universal remote for Christmas, to replace his broken one, and we had to
call the "1-800" support number just to get the code.

So how is the OmniRemote Springboard Module different? Lets start with
setting the code. Rather than setting the code the way that a generic universal remote
would be done, which is by entering a 3 or 4 digit code directly in to the remote, the OmniRemote
senses the IR carrier frequency through the PDA IR port. Point the remote for whatever
device you are getting ready to train into OmniRemote at the PDA IR port.
Then go through the menu pick to train the device and hit any button on the device’s
remote. After a few seconds, OmniRemote will start your PDA beeping,
signaling that it has detected the frequency and you can now assign the function buttons.
This step needs to be done for each device you want to train into OmniRemote. The
cool thing about this is that you can set ANY remote control to a function on the
OmniRemote Springboard Module as long as it can be detected by the IR
port. (See below in the review on how I programmed my Jeep’s remote door lock.)

Once you have trained OmniRemote to pick up the signal on the device
remote, you can begin training the individual buttons. This was actually fun to do. There
are a few options that you have at this point. You can go with some of the standard device
setups that come with the product, or you can create your own. Remember when I mentioned
that some devices have too many buttons and they aren’t labeled properly, or perform
multiple functions? Well  the next big difference between OmniRemote
and a generic universal remote is that the devices can all be kept separate through the
use of the Palm OS style "categories" pull down menu. Above are two screen
shots. The TV menu came with OmniRemote, and I added a button to take it
to the Satellite menu that I designed myself.

Whether you start with the supplied menus or design one of your own, you will need to
train the buttons using the edit menu. Here, you can change the button size, (Recreate),
assign the function from your device’s remote, (Retrain), assign the button to a category,
or create button icons. Once you have your menu buttons assigned properly, you can go to
the "move" menu and move them around in case you had some buttons too close to
each other.

It’s also possible to set up macros and timers. I tested this by adding a button
"ALL OFF" to the TV menu, and assigned a macro to turn off the power of the TV
and satellite dish receiver.  I also set a timer that would activate the "ALL
OFF" button at a certain time. Everything worked perfectly. It’s important when using
the timer function to make sure that the OmniRemote program was last
running when you turned off the PDA and set it down. If you had the Address Book open when
the timer was due start a macro, nothing would happen. Of course, you also need to make
sure the Springboard Module’s IR port is pointing at the device you want to operate.

border="1" width="160" height="160"/> "ALL OFF" button added

Macro window

Timer window

I need to mention that the OmniRemote capabilities are available in
two ways. You can use the Springboard Module version, or you can
just purchase the software and use it with the IR port on the PDA. To the best of my best
knowledge, the only difference in the two methods would be the range of the IR port. The
PDA IR port range is not very far. (They say anywhere from 2-25 feet, but 25 feet is a
stretch). In addition, the IR port is on the side of the PDA, so you would have to turn it
sideways to point it at the device. The range of the IR port on the OmniRemote
Springboard Module is much farther. I successfully tested it in my house at 35
feet away. That was as far as I could test it, but it probably would have gone
farther.

Also, although the OmniRemote Springboard Module installs the software
itself when the springboard module in inserted into the PDA, that software, at the time we
received the module they sent us, didn’t work with the Handspring Prism or Platinum. But
this isn’t an issue, because you can download the updated "remote.prc" file from
their web site. In fact, once you have either the licensed OmniRemote
software or the OmniRemote Springboard Module you are entitled to any and
all future version updates for free. In addition, the product comes with a help file that
is loaded when the unit is installed. I was able to use it to answer a few questions on
how to add labels and make macros. It’s easy to navigate and even has a "find"
function.

One of the cool features of the the OmniRemote Springboard Module is
that you can assign remote functions to the 6 buttons on the face of the PDA. I was able
to set my Jeep’s remote control door lock/security switch to the Memo button on my Visor.
It locked and unlocked the Jeep without any problem. (We got the car used, so we only had
one remote to lock the doors. Now we have two!) The only thing that you need to remember
in order to use the buttons on the PDA, is to make sure that the OmniRemote
program was running before you turned off the PDA. Other than the six buttons on the face
of the PDA, you would need to use the stylus. This could get annoying.

At $59.95, the price is a much higher than the cost of a generic universal remote. The
one I bought for my brother was only $14.95. But it didn’t do everything he wanted it to
do, and he had trouble setting it up. In addition, he could only control the devices it
was designed to work with, instead of a true universal remote like the OmniRemote.
I mean, could he have programmed his car’s remote with the SONY universal remote? Or
anything else that was not audio/video? I don’t think so. That function alone makes it
worth the price.  Overall, the OmniRemote Springboard Module is a
well designed product, that does what it was designed to do quite well.  In short,
it’s a great product.

Price: $59.95

Pros:
Great piece of software, and very user friendly.
Can program almost any device.
Comes with a good Help data base.
Offers more functionality than a generic universal remote.

Cons:
Stylus use could get tiresome for folks that channel surf.
Priced higher than other universal remotes.

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Handspring, Palm, Palm OS related, Springboard, Visor

OmniRemote Springboard Module Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 24, 2001 at 12:00 am.

Product Requirements:
Device:
Handspring Visor, Visor Deluxe, Platinum, or Prism

FAFileMover Package from Kopsis (must be
purchased separately):
FAFileMv.prc 29k
CFATALib.prc 5k
CFFATLib.prc 23k
FAFormat.prc 8k
CFCardInfo.prc 11k

As a Handspring Visor owner, have you ever been jealous of Pocket PC owners
that have the ability to increase the storage space of their PDAs by just
popping in a CompactFlash card? It’s true that Handspring sells an 8meg
Flash module and a 16meg
module, but those are currently your only choices. And at a price tag of
around $80 and $140, you might think twice about the purchase. 

Now you have another option. The Removable MatchBookDrive
CF Adapter. This Springboard module will let you use a Type I CompactFlash card
(currently available in sizes up to 192meg) in your Visor.

A quick search on Pricewatch one of
my favorite price lookup sites, reveals that an 8meg and 16meg CF card can be
purchased at around $30 and $50 respectively. So, as you can see, CF cards
themselves are cheaper to purchase than a dedicated Handspring Springboard
memory module. And, you can always use a CF card in other devices such as MP3
players and digital cameras. So, is the MatchBookDrive and a CF card a better
solution? Maybe yes, maybe no. Let’s take a closer look.

The MatchBookDrive is a very simple looking Springboard module. From what I
can tell, it is basically just a Springboard connector with a small circuit
board and a CF card connector attached to it. All enclosed in a transparent
Springboard module shell. That’s it. No buttons, levers, LEDs, etc. It is just a
simple adapter.

The module plugs into the Springboard slot on the back of the Visor. It fits
as well as any other module that I’ve tested in the past. If you insert an empty
MatchBookDrive into the Springboard slot nothing happens. But, if you insert a
MatchBookDrive with a CF card installed in it, into the Visor, the Visor will
automatically power on.

Inserting and removing CF cards from the adapter is not difficult due to the
fact that the CF connector inside of the adapter is keyed so that you can not
insert a CF card in the wrong direction.

One thing I should mention is that a CF card when installed into the
MatchBookDrive does not sit flush with the top of the Springboard module. It
actually sticks out approximately .150in (3.81mm). This could pose a problem
depending on what type of case that you use with your Visor.

The only quality issue with this adapter that I could find is with the actual
opening for the CF card. As you can see from the picture below, the opening
looks like it was created by hand with something similar to an X-acto knife.
Although this doesn’t effect the operation of this module, it does make it look
a little more ‘homebrew’ than I would like.

The biggest problem that I see with the MatchBookDrive adapter is that by
itself, it is useless. You can’t do diddly with it when you first buy it even if
you already have a CF card to use with it. Why? Because the adapter requires a driver in
order for it to be recognized in the Visor. The adapter does not come with such a
driver. It must be purchased separately from another company. I would hope that
the company selling this adapter will come up with some kind of package deal in
the future that will include both the adapter and the necessary driver.

So, where do you get the driver? You have to buy it from Kopsis.
The driver / application that you need is called FAFileMover and is actually a group of 3
programs. A CF card info program, a CF card format program and the FileMover
program.

Files and / or programs can not be accessed directly from the CF card. You
have to copy the files to the Visor’s internal RAM first. The FAFileMover
package makes this possible. 

The CF Card Info program just accesses the inserted CF card to see if it is
recognized by the Adapter. If you get an error then you pretty much know that the CF
card you’re trying to use is incompatible with the FileMover app. Kopsis keeps a
list of Compatible CF
cards on their site. 

I have 8 different CF cards that I tested in the MatchBookDrive using the
FileMover app and only 4 of the 8 cards were usable. The cards that worked fine
were a 4mb Sandisk card, 96mb Sandisk card, 48mb Kingston card, and a 128mb
Kingston card. The cards I was unable to get to work were a 4mb Pretec card,
32mb Simple Technologies card, 8mb Lexar 4x card, and a 16mb Lexar 8x card.

The actual FAFileMover application is simple to use. You are presented
with a scrolling list of files that are stored on the Visor or files stored on
the CF card. You can either select all the files or individually select files to
copy to the CF card or Visor internal RAM. 

After you select the files and press the Copy button, a progress bar window
will popup. This status bar popups up almost instantly when you are copying a
file from CF to the Visor. But when you copy a file from the Visor to the CF
card, there is a definitely pause before the status bar is displayed. The first
time I tried it, I thought my Visor had locked up….

Copying files back and forth is a pretty quick operation depending on the
size and number of files involved. I can’t really complain about the speed. But
I thought it was interesting to note that copying a file from the CF to the
Visor is a bit quicker than the other way around.

47 sec to copy a 1.92mb file from the Visor to the CF card
41 sec to copy a 1.92mb file from the CF card to the Visor

So, do I recommend the MatchBookDrive? I recommend it if you already have
several CF cards that are compatible with the FAFileMover application. If you
don’t have any CF cards and think you only need 8mb or less of extra storage
needs, then at this point, I would tell you to buy the Handspring 8mb Flash
Memory Module instead. Although it may be slightly more expensive, a file mover
application is built into the module and you don’t have to worry about
incompatibilities. If you need more than 8mb of storage, then I would make
doubly sure that the CF card that you buy is on the compatible cards list before
you buy it.

Price: $35 (plus an additional $2
shipping/handling), $10 for the FAFileMover application

Pros:

Easy to use
Ability to expand memory for a reasonable price

Cons:
Must purchase a separate driver/application in order to use this
module
Is not compatible with all CF cards
CF card does not sit flush with top of module
Slightly ‘homebrew’ look

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Handspring, Palm, Palm OS related, Springboard, Visor

MatchBookDrive CF Springboard Adapter Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 18, 2001 at 12:00 am.

Program Requirements:
Device:
Handspring Visor
150 K free RAM

The Xircom SpringPort Modem 56 GlobalACCESS is a great option for Handspring Visor owners looking for an inexpensive way to get their device on the Internet.

This conventional modem is made of black plastic and has two lights on the top to indicate connection status. Xircom made a smart move with this modem by putting a standard phone jack on the device (if you’re like me, you go through life praying that you don’t misplace the proprietary dongle that came with your PCMCIA modem). It also has a connector on top that provides support for GSM 900/1800/1900 connectivity (using the optional GSM kit). The modem has a half-megabyte of flash RAM that contains AvantGo and Actual Software’s MultiMail Pro II, which install
automatically when you insert the device. Your settings and data are not erased
when you remove the SpringPort. They are stored on the Visor and are also backed
up during hotsyncing.

There’s also a utility called File Mover that allows you to move things to and from the
flash RAM on the modem (there’s 188k free on the device).

The modem is powered by 3 AAA Alkaline batteries. I used this device all weekend to check my e-mail and browse a few Palm-friendly sites, and the batteries are still going strong. They’re housed in a removable pack, but I can’t really see the reason for removing them, since the modem and Visor together are too large to fit in my leather pouch. Perhaps a larger/stretchier case will accommodate them both.
You can however remove the battery pack while you’re not using the modem to make
the unit a little lighter and smaller. Doing this does not make the module flush
with the back of the Visor though.

All in all, I’d say I’m very pleased with the device. I was able to make flawless connections and it never dropped the connection once. It doesn’t weigh much and I find it’s actually more convenient to use the Visor with the modem attached, as it props the device up much like the cradle.

Price: $149.99

Pros:
Small size
Makes very consistent connections
Comes with browser and e-mail client

Cons:
Removable battery pack can be a pain

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Handspring, Palm, Palm OS related, Springboard, Visor

Xircom SpringPort 56K Modem Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 15, 2000 at 12:00 am.

Requirements:
Device:
Handspring Visor

The Handspring Modem
is a Springboard 33.6Kbps modem module for the Visor PDA. The modem is powered
by 2 AAA batteries that are included. Also included is a 6ft phone line.

The module is made of plastic and metal. It’s nice and sturdy and not at all flimsy. A small recessed button for hotsyncing and a phone line connector are its only noticeable features. When the modem is inserted into the Visor, it extends out about 3/4" and increases the unit’s thickness by less than 1/2". 2 AAA batteries can be easily inserted or removed from a battery compartment on the back of the unit. When you insert the module into the Visor, it powers the Visor on. The same thing happens when you remove it from the Springboard slot. From what I can tell, inserting the modem installs 16k of software / drivers.

The modem does not come with any other software. Basically all that you can
do with the modem straight out of the box is to connect with your ISP or hotsync
via a modem connection. In order to use your Visor to send / receive email,
browse the web, fax documents, telnet, chat etc, you’ll need to download third
party shareware apps. It would have been nice if  Handspring would have
included some extra software to allow a person to take full advantage of the
modem.

Installing and using the modem is simple. You just plug it into the
Springboard slot, plug the phone line into the connector,  and configure
the settings for your ISP. This is done thru the system preferences screen. The
only info you need is your user name, password and ISP phone number.

You can then press connect and the modem dials the number and connects to
your ISP. I had no problems at all connecting with my ISP (Mindspring). The
Visor modem has a speaker so you can hear the dial tones and connect sounds.

During the testing of this modem, I used a few shareware apps: ProxiWeb,
ChatIRC, and Mocha Pocket Telnet. All of these apps worked great with the modem.
I was extremely impressed with the ProxiWeb browser. I did some informal speed
comparisons. The entries below show how long in seconds that it took to
completely load a non-cached web page using ProxiWeb on the Visor and Internet
Explorer on my desktop PC.

I’m not sure if this data really tells you much, but it is interesting. The
modem performance overall feels pretty snappy.

The only small problem that I had with the modem was that 25% of the time
when I’d plug in the phone line into the modem, it would try to initiate a
hotsync. I think the hotsync button on the modem is too close to the phone jack
so that pressure on the jack somehow activates the button. Other than that, I
think this is a very well constructed modem that works quite well.

Price: $129.95

Pros:
Small, portable module.
Easy to use.

Cons:
No software included.
Inserting the phone cable too hard sometimes initiates a Hotsync.

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Handspring, Palm, Palm OS related, Springboard, Visor

Handspring Springboard Modem Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 15, 2000 at 12:00 am.

Program Requirements:
Device:
Handspring Visor
3 K free RAM

Are you ever in a meeting, movie theater, or quiet restaurant with your Visor
when an alarm goes off? It can be embarrassing when people nearby turn around
and stare at you wondering where the sound is coming from. Tech
Center Labs has a nifty solution for this problem. They have created two new
TaleLight modules but this time for the
Visor Springboard slot. You can choose from the TaleLight only model or the
TaleLight Vibes model.

The TaleLight module is housed in the same Springboard shell that the Backup
module uses. The only difference is that a small red LED protrudes (~
1/16") out of the top corner of the module. When it is installed, it does
not make your Visor any larger than it is when the slug shell is installed. So,
you don’t have to worry at all that your Visor won’t fit the case that you use.
You can even put the hardcover on the Visor without any problems.

Using the TaleLight is simple. You just take out the slug shell, and pop in
the TaleLight. Then you need to download a very small .PRC file called HandMute.PRC.
This is a freeware 2k Hackmaster program that intercepts the alarm sounds and
routes them thru the TaleLight. When the software is enabled, all alarm sounds
are silenced and the TaleLight LED flashes instead. Any system sounds will still
come thru the speaker. You don’t even need to worry about batteries as the
TaleLight draws its power from the Visor itself. Since the LED just blinks on
and off a few times for each alarm, power use is minimal.

The LED is bright enough to catch your attention if you have your Visor in
your line of sight when the alarm goes off. So, if you are in a meeting and lay
your Visor on the desk in front of you, you’ll easily see any alarms that go
off. A tip: Go into the alarm preferences for Datebook+ and set the number of
times that the alarm plays to 2 and the repeat sound setting to 3.This will
cause the LED to flash 6 times in a row instead of the default of 3 times.

If you don’t think a blinking LED will alert you enough, you can get the
TaleLight Vibes version. This module is the exact same size as the other module,
but it has a 6mm vibrating motor inside. If you don’t think a motor that can fit
inside the small space of the Springboard could vibrate enough for you to feel,
think again! Every time I tested the Vibes module, I would practically jump out
of my seat when it would go off while laying on the desk in front of me. I also
had no problems at all ‘feeling’ the alarm while wearing the Visor in a case on
my belt. The motor seemed to vibrated every bit as much as my Motorola pager.
This module also does not require extra batteries. It draws its power from the
Visor. Since alarms are usually short bursts, the vibration feature didn’t seem
to make much of a difference with the battery life of my Visor while I was
reviewing the module.

The TaleLight Vibes version also works with the HandMute.PRC. The only
problem with this free program is that you have to disable it when you want to
use a different Springboard module. If you are like me, you will never remember
to do this… Luckily, there is another small Hackmaster program by the same
author called AutoHandMute.PRC.
This program automatically turns on or off when the TaleLight module is
inserted. This 3k program has a feature that allows you to toggle the sound
mute. If you turn mute off, alarms will still play thru the speaker and the
TaleLight Vibes will blink the LED and vibrate. A TaleLight only module will
just blink. It would be nice if you could also turn off the vibrating on the
TaleLight Vibes module and just use it as a TaleLight only module if you wanted
to.

Price: $29.95 (TaleLight only), $49.95 (TaleLight
Vibes)

Pros:
Easy to use.
Doesn’t increase the size of your Visor.
TaleLight Vibes model has a very strong motor.

Cons:
$30 seems a little expensive for the TaleLight only module.
$50 seems expensive for vibrating alarm.
Have to purchase a $5 Hackmaster hack if you want better ease of use.

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Handspring, Palm, Palm OS related, Springboard, Visor

Visor TaleLight and TaleLight Vibes Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 29, 2000 at 12:00 am.

Program Requirements:
Device:
Visor
48 K free RAM

The eyemodule from IDEO turns your
Handspring Visor into a digital camera that is capable of taking black and white
pictures as well as color pictures.

The eyemodule is a Springboard module that slides into the Visor’s Springboard slot. When it is in the slot, it is flush with the back of the Visor and only sticks out a little more than a 1/2 inch out of the top of the Visor. The only external parts to the eyemodule are the lens and the shutter button. There aren’t any LEDs or other moving parts.

The lens is fixed and can not be adjusted. The shutter button is a small
dimpled button that is recessed so that it can’t accidentally be activated.
Pressing the button gives adequate feedback. Also, if you press the shutter
button while the eyemodule is inserted into the Visor, it will power the Visor
on and automatically start the eyemodule application.

Pressing the shutter button will also take a picture (of course). You can
also press the UP hardware button to take a picture. Either way, when you press
the button once it will freeze the image on the screen and ask if you want to
save the picture. If you press the shutter button or UP button again, the image
will be saved to the Visor’s memory. You can turn confirmations off so that you
only have to press a button once to take a picture.

You have the ability to save images in 3 different formats:

160 x 120 B&W    9k
320 x 240 B&W    37k
320 x 240 Color    187k

The sizes reflect how much memory the images take up on the Visor. When you
transfer them to your PC, they get converted into .JPG files that are larger in
size.

The eyemodule application on the Visor gets installed when you insert the
eyemodule into the Springboard slot. It takes up 48k of your Visor’s memory.
Saved images are stored in your Visor’s memory and not in the eyemodule itself.
On a Visor Deluxe with 5meg of free memory, you can store more than 500 160 x
120 B&W images, 125 320 x 240 B&W images and more than 25 320 x 240
Color images.

The application is easy to use. It shows you a live camera view on the
Visor’s display. As you move the Visor around, the image on the screen moves
around as well.

You can snap pictures by pressing the shutter button, or you can use the
timer to automatically a snap picture after 10 seconds. You can also capture
multiple images every so many seconds. Even if the Visor powers off due to
inactivity, the eyemodule will turn on to snap the next image. This could be
used for doing things like time lapse photography.

Images that you take can be viewed directly on the Visor. You can save the
images to categories, rename the images, add notes to each image, and even beam
images. If you want to beam an image to another Visor, that Visor needs to also
have the eyemodule software installed on it in order to view the images.

Once you have some images on the Visor, you can transfer them to your PC. A
CD comes with the eyemodule that includes a conduit. When you hotsync your
Visor, the images are converted to .JPG images and are saved to a folder on your
PC. You can’t transfer images back to the Visor though… The eyemodule also
comes with a pretty nice image viewer / cataloger program called MediaCenter
that you can use to organize,  enhance and email the photos. I found that
the MediaCenter software was nice, but it seemed sluggish on my 400mhz PC.

I found that actually using the eyemodule to take an image was awkward. It
was hard to get the image framed correctly by using the Visor’s display as a
viewfinder. I’m used to using LCD viewfinders on regular digital cameras, but
this seemed different. I think it was because you have to look down on the
Visor’s display to take a picture. The eyemodule lens needs to be pointing
toward your subject which means the Visor is typically held flat with the lens
pointing straight away from you. Unless you’re taking a picture of the sky, you
won’t be holding the Visor in the typical upright position.

I also found that the mono Visor screen makes for a poor viewfinder. It
seemed dark and hard to see. I think if the Visor had a color screen, this
wouldn’t be a problem.

The actual image quality was disappointing. I found that all the images were
blurry, and grainy.  Check out the sample images below (click on the
thumbnails to see full-size pics). The images haven’t been touched at all. They
are exactly as they were transferred to the PC from the Visor.

(Battery pictures all taken from same distance ~ 5in)

160 x 120 B&W (12k)

320 x 240 B&W (34k)

320 x 240 Color (54k)

320 x 240 B&W (60k)

160 x 120 B&W (17k)

320 x 240 B&W (56k)

320 x 240 Color (74k)

320 x 240 color (87k)

As you can see, none of the images are very clear and sharp. In all fairness,
the eyemodule that I reviewed was  pre-production unit. Hopefully the
production units will solve this problem.

In my opinion, the eyemodule is more of a toy or novelty item than a useful
tool/camera. It is fun to play with but since the images are blurry and grainy,
it can’t be used for anything very serious. At almost $150, it is too expensive
for a ‘toy’. A couple things would make the eyemodule much better. A swivel lens
so that you could hold the Visor in a more comfortable position while using the
screen as the viewfinder. And sharper image quality.

If you have money to blow and just have to turn your Visor into a camera,
then go for it. Otherwise, wait around for something better or go buy a real
digital camera.

Price: $149 (Available May/2000?)

Pros:
Easy snap in Visor module.
Doesn’t require batteries.
Nifty timed capture features.

Cons:
Blurry and grainy image quality.
Hard to use the Visor display as a viewfinder.

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Handspring, Palm, Palm OS related, Springboard, Visor

eyemodule Visor Springboard Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 7, 2000 at 12:00 am.

In my business travels during the last week I met and
exchanged contact information with many people. We showed off our PDAs, and of
course, beamed data back and forth. All of them had Palm computers, either the
Palm III of Palm V.  I was the only one in our group with a green Visor
Deluxe.  Having been unable to bring along our cradles for the week, I was
also the only one with a foolproof method of backing up their PDA.

The Backup Module for the Visor from Handspring is, in a word, cool!   It’s one of the reasons that I got the Visor in the first place. With the Backup Module, all  you have to do is insert the module and tap an onscreen button to back up all of your data and apps! It’s really that simple. When I say that the backup is foolproof, I really mean it.  When you plug the module in, a window pops up asking you if you want to backup the Visor? In the corner is another button asking if you want to restore data. You just tap the backup button on the screen, and it starts downloading all your data. A status bar moves along to let you know how much time is left, and before you know it, it’s all backed up. If you want to restore, you hit the other button.

I have about 2 MB of the available 8 MB used up so far on my
Visor. The Backup Module will backup an entire 8 MB machine,
but it may take some time.  To do my machine at 2 MB it takes about 1.5
minutes. I would estimate that a 8 MB machine would take considerably longer.
All I can tell you is that there is a certain level of relief that comes with
having your PDA backed up when you are out of the office for an entire week. So
it’s worth the wait.

I did some research prior to purchasing my Backup
Module.  I contacted someone that set his Visor up, then backed it
up with the Backup Module. He then cleared his Visor of
everything, and did a restore. His Visor was exactly the same as it was before
he deleted all the data.

If there is one negative thing about the Backup Module,
it may be that using it causes a bit of battery drain. I checked the level of
the Visor batteries before and after, and they lose a good amount of power
performing the backup. Also the price may seem high to some, but I think that
it’s well worth it for the added piece of mind. And if you worry about where to
stow it, don’t! It’s so small, you can stow it just about anywhere.

Overall, if you have a Visor or are thinking of getting one, get
the Backup Module. It’s one of those
things that you hope you will never need, but you want to have anyway. If you
work in an office and are handling more than one Visor and Backup
Module for others in the company, you may want to label your Backup
Modules so you don’t put the President’s data in the wrong module.

Price: 
$39.95

Pros:
Great efficient way to back up all data and apps.
Very compact, can stow it just about anywhere.

Con:
Sucks up battery juice while transferring data.
Some may find it a bit pricey.

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Handspring, Palm, Palm OS related, Springboard, Visor

Visor Backup Module Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 7, 2000 at 12:00 am.

So you or a friend has just purchased the Handspring
Visor, and now it’s time to look into Springboard modules. But, what do you do
if you are on a low budget? Well, we at the Gadgeteer have just developed a line
of handy and useful Springboard modules that are just for the new PDA
user.  Here is our Low Budget Springboard Module roundup! (Editor’s
note: Place tongue firmly in cheek…)

Let-us Notes- Share Module

Price: $9.95

Pros:
Easy to use.
Y2K compliant.

Cons:
Only comes in yellow.

Swiss-Army Module

Price: $39.95

Pros:
5 Features.
Stainless steel construction.
Y2K compliant.

Cons:
No cork screw, or reset pin.

Hide-A-Key Module

Price: $9.95

Pros:
Holds a few keys.
Can hold the Visor password.
Y2K compliant.

Cons:
Rattles quite a bit.

SuperClock Module

Price: $29.95

Pros:
Hour hand.
Minute hand.
Y2K compliant.

Cons:
Date and alarm not available until next year.

The JunkDrawer Module.

Price: $9.95

Pros:
A place for your junk.
Y2K compliant.

Cons:
A place for your junk.

Medicine Cabinet Module.

Price: $11.95

Pros:
Keeps your medicine with you at all times.
Y2K compliant.

Cons:
Won’t work with liquid medicines.

Wallet Module.

Price: $10.95

Pros:
Never be without vending machine money again!
Y2K compliant.

Cons:
Rattles a bit.

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Handspring, Palm, Palm OS related, Springboard, Visor

Low Budget Springboard Modules Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 6, 1999 at 12:00 am.