Capitalism has provided most of the things the Socialist writers dreamed of at the end of the 19th Century. See Edward Bellamy's classic utopia Looking Backwards for an example of these dreams. However, I find there are annoying little things that do not seem to be available to me in the marketplace, at least not within the price range I desire.
Devices and Things
- BarCode Reader
- I didn't know I wanted one until I saw second hand ones advertised at impulse buy prices on the Oatley Electronics site. They spit out an ASCII dump of the bar code over a serial line. As soon as I saw that I started coming up with ideas of how I could (mis)use them. Of course, when I checked, Oatley were sold out.
- Mobile Office
- A motorhome with a built in office for computers, and very small kitchen rather than an elaborate built in kitchen. Or possibly a computer with a display that can actually be read outside in the sunlight.
- Travel Computer
- Instant on, small enough to carry with me while I wander, large enough to use the keyboard, bright enough to use in sunlight, run off lots of power sources and accept standard AA batteries, running time at least 20-30 hours, backup method that doesn't require a home computer or internet access, easy to program, waterproof and reasonably shockproof. (Am I describing a Psion netPad? Don't think so.)
- Tyre Gauge
- One that reads a truck tyre up to 100 psi (not 50 psi), and can get at both inside and outside tyre valves (not just one). You wouldn't think that would be so hard?
Programs
Little tasks I want to do, for which I can't find appropriate programs.
Programs On Psion
- Agenda Printed Calendar
- Make a printout of what I have scheduled on my Psion, somewhat larger and better laid out than the usual printout.
- Mailing Label Maker
- Generates a set of printed mailing labels from Psion data file, with various criteria. Paul Williams at theoffice at paraventure.co.uk wants one also.
- Maps of Australia
- Ready made maps of Australia for a Psion, able to follow GPS input (I use RealMaps, but have to create my own maps, which is very time consuming). I'm working on it (slowly).
- Morse Code flasher
- Code to run the backlight as a Morse Code flasher. (There is one for a Palm.) I don't need one, but it sounds kewl!
- Rest Area File
- File of rest areas and camping spots. Decide which fields are needed. Probably just a database file?
- Star Trek TriCorder imitation
- Just the thing to go with a costume at some SF convention. Should generate insults (like McCoy).
- Timetable
- Would have a timetable of local buses. On opening, would check the time of day, and display the time of the next few buses, plus how long before each is due. Options of several locations of bus stop?
- Trip Expenses
- Track costs of travel, categories of costs, and split of costs. Probably just extend my existing travel spreadsheet a little?
On Windows/DOS PC
I've actually prototyped a number of these as 4Dos batch files (which is probably an inappropriate language, but works well enough), so if there is a .btm filename associated with a program, parts of it are working.
- Date due after payment (finddate.btm, findweek.btm)
- When paying for something by the day or week, these 4Dos batch files work out the date the next payment is due, either from today, or from a date given as an option. You specify how many days or weeks you have paid. ToDo. Better error checking.
- Email Maker
- Take a command line name, finds the email address, selects an appropriate set of header lines, selects an appropriate signature, and puts these all into my favourite editor for writing my email. On exit, add the new email to the Eudora out.mbx Would let me use a better editor than Eudora allows. Probably able to do it using Rebol.
- Email List maker (emailall.btm)
- Extract email addresses from Eudora address list, make them into a set of personalised mailings with custom headings, for when I want to advise of web site changes. Optionally accept different file names for address list, body of text, output file, etc. Todo. More sanity checks.
- Letter Maker
- Take a command line name, finds the address, selects an appropriate set of header lines, selects an appropriate signature, and puts these all into my favourite editor for writing my mail. On exit, prints the letter using QuikScript.
- Syncronise PCs (syncdisk.btm)
- Synchronise data files, email and news files between two PCs (for backup and ease of use). Uses 4Dos. Suppress junk output using the copy /sue option. ToDo. Echo which major directories are being processed? Perhaps change strings of file locations to variables for ease of updating. Perhaps take locations from a data file?
- URLs to check (url.btm)
- Accepts URLs from command line as I find them while reading, and makes them into a web page with links I can click on when actually surfing. In 4Dos batch. Just takes a URL, followed by a comment, adds the appropriate HTML code, and pops it at the end of an html page it generates (if it doesn't exist). Option to complete the file with the last bits of HTML needed to make it a valid page.
- Web Maker
- ToDo. Make up all the boilerplate for a CSS web site. Prompt me for keywords, title, description, heading, and first paragraph. Include some boilerplate navigation aids.
- Web Site Update
- ToDo. Checks when I last updated a web site. Makes a list of the files that have changed on and since that date. Generates a Windows FTP -s: command file to upload those files. Probably easiest to do it with 4Dos.
Programs Others Have Said they Wanted
From: "Piker" p.keijer at hccnet.nl Newsgroups: comp.sys.psion.apps Subject: car expense appl. Date: Sun, 29 Oct 2000 20:06:39 +0100 Organization: Hobby Computer Club News Network
I'm looking for an application for my Revo to keep track of all my car expenses like gasoline, oil etc. Does anybody know a good and preferable free program? thnx Peter
From: "Plonker" plonker at delboys.com Newsgroups: comp.sys.psion.apps Subject: Cricket scorer wtd
Anyone know of a cricket (as in 'Howzat?') scoring app for the 5mx? Thanks, Plonker
On Thu, 16 Nov 2000 19:36:45 GMT, James gruff1 at my-deja.com wrote: Is there a spead reading piece of software for the psion 5mx like ace reader on the PC? Can you describe how Ace Reader on the works? I haven't seen it, but perhaps it wouln't be to difficult to imitate on a Psion.
DTMF decoder Spoon-fed the algorithm in C++ I might even build an OPX for EPOC... Freeman freeman at mail-box.cz wrote in message news:8vdilt$5tc$1 at nnrp1.deja.com...