Logitech QuickCam Pro for Notebooks (USB) is the USB web-cam I use. I like the small size and the clip on mounting system works great with the IBM X31 Thinkpad.
Mandrake 10.1 includes PWC (Philips Web Cam, the chipset that is used) support out of the box, but it only supports QCIF images (176×144, quite small) images. To get support for full size images (up to 640×480) you will need to install the kernel source rpm, and visit this site to download the pwc-10 package. I had no problems installing it from the full source code (as opposed to just the kernel patches). Continue reading
Using SyncML to save your data!
SyncML saves your data
I have been looking at the SyncML standard as a solution to keep the calendar on my palm pilot in sync with the calendar on a Nokia 9500 on the off chance that I don't want to carry two devices at once. SyncML was first developed for synchronizing cell phones, so the Nokia 9500 has a built in sync client. I explored two different clients for the Palm Pilot, the free Funambol open source client, and the Synthesis AG SyncML client (which costs $25 for the standard version).
Don’t buy the iPhone!
Don't buy the (first-gen) iPhone (new)!
The iPhone looks amazing. Coming from Apple you know it has to be slick, and the demos and reviews from people who have actually played with it back that up. I'm sure it will be a great phone and music/video player that will sync seamlessly with your Macintosh personal information programs. I want one myself, but here are the pragmatic reasons why you shouldn't go out and buy the first generation. Continue reading
How to use a T-Mobile cell phone as a bluetooth modem from Linux
Short instructions on how to use a Bluetooth enabled cell phone as a modem (allowing you to log into the Internet while mobile). A few of the commands are T-mobile specific (Look for internet3.voicestream.com), but most of the rest would apply to any service provider. With T-Mobile, you must have an activated data plan to use your phone as a modem. I am grandfathered into a plan called "T-Mobile Internet VPN" for 19.95 a month, but believe the current rate is closer to $40 a month. Continue reading
Motorola V330 (a.k.a. V551) with GPRS / EDGE & bluetooth mini-review
Note! This phone works better than my previous phone but the user interface is somewhat kludgy. Once you work around its misdesigned phonebook and confusing and inconsistent menu system it does work without crashing (as my sony T610 was prone to do whenever using bluetooth). I’m willing to trade some UI uglyness for a phone that doesn’t crash once a day and the extra speed that EDGE provides. Perhaps the newer Sony Erricson (T616, etc) phones work better than the T610 I bought, but I wasn’t willing to gamble after experiancing a year of crashes and other problems with my T610.
Overall, the Motorola v330 feels snappy, with the web browser and menus responding much faster than my older T610. But how does it work as a celular EDGE/GPRS modem?
Testing in Atlanta, GA, USA where I get 5 bars of service (9th floor) using a T-Mobile VPN Internet account ($19.95 a month when bundled with a voice plan, the costs have since gone up), I have seen bursts of 20-23 KB/sec on downloads, with sustained speeds of 12-13 KB/sec. Uploading is significantly slower, with sustained speeds of 4-5KB/sec. {My previous, GPRS only (no EDGE) phone maxed out at 5.6KB/sec downloads, and 1-2KB/sec uploads, so EDGE is definately an improvement. It makes browsing the web a slow process, as opposed to a painfully slow process.}
Motorola MOTOFONE F3 Mini-Review
I received a Motofone F3 from India today. (A website I had read indicated they were tri-band, so I asked a friend to bring me one back from India. Unfortunately, they are dual-band, and they are the two bands NOT used in North America, 900/1800, so it won't work with any US providers.) The F3 is exactly what I would want in a non-data-enabled phone. Feature wise, it makes calls, takes call, and can also send/receive SMS messages in a pinch. Continue reading
Nokia 9500 Communicator Review, Tips & Links.
Executive Summary
The Nokia 9500 Communicator is an extremely powerful and feature rich PDA with a phone on the back cover. When closed, its styling can be generously called Retro or ungenerously "a brick". But when you open the clamshell, it reveals a beautiful color widescreen (640×200)
Photos of the Nokai 9500 Communicator, next to a Motorola V330, Palm T2, dollar bill, and 12oz soda can.
The Nokia 9500, sideview, closed, and open, next to a Motorola V330 and Palm T2. Continue reading
Forced pairing of devices with Linux BlueZ
The largest problem I've had with Bluez (the bluetooth stack under Linux) is the pairing process. If everything "just works" that's great, but when your distribution lets you down and something gets miss-configured, it can be very difficult to get a phone or PDA to pair with the linux box.
Here is how to force the issue: