======================================= Speaking Clock - For the Psion Series 5 Version 2.10 ======================================= By Stephan Nicholls: stephan.nicholls@cableinet.co.uk Web Site: www.wkweb5.cableinet.co.uk/stephan.nicholls Visit the web site to subscribe to the very low volume Speaking Clock mailing list - news about updates etc only. This program started off as a little OPL program from David Pollard (see 'Notes' section for more information). I started playing with it to start learning OPL and ended up with Speaking Clock. Version 2.10 does not switch the Psion off unless you want it to, Speaking Clock now sits happily in the background telling you the time when you switch on or press the user-definable hotkey combination. It can behave in the same way as version 2.00 for robust night-time operation. Features ======== * Two modes of operation: * Normal, Speaking Clock V2.10 puts itself in the background and tells you the time when the Psion is switched on or when you press the user-definable hotkey combination. It can be brought to the foreground (it displays the start-up screen) with another user- definable hot-key combination or via the Extras bar or a task list. It is multi-tasking friendly and generally well behaved. This mode is generally fine, including when you use the play button, however it won't automatically switch off the Psion (so you waste battery at night) and Speaking Clock and the Record application can fight for control if you use the play button to switch on. * Night-time, In this mode Speaking Clock V2.10 behaves in the same way as V2.00, it keeps itself in the foreground, tells you the time when you switch on the Psion or press the external play button and then switches off again. You can cancel (return to the start-up screen) by pressing any key whilst you are being told the time. This mode is useful because it tries to keep control of the Psion to fight off the Record application. It also conserves battery power by switching off straight after speaking. * You can specify whether to tell the time in 12 or 24-hour clock format. * Volume is selectable (but not a lot of difference). * You can record your own sounds (numbers) and even have multiple sets in different languages and specify where Speaking Clock should look for the sounds. * Best of all it's totally free. All I ask is that you take the time to sign my guestbook and e-mail me a smile :-). Known Issues ============ * I'd love some way to detect if the play button has been pressed so I could do away with the two modes of operation - any ideas of how to do it? * I don't know whether this will work on the GeoFox, anyone who has tried Speaking Clock out on one please let me know how it goes. I am a novice OPL programmer so suggestions on how to resolve the above are welcome by e-mail. I'm also interested in any suggestions for improvements or anyone who can give me a comprehensible explanation of GETEVENTA32. Disclaimer ========== I've had no problems with Speaking Clock on my Series 5, but I make no promises, i.e. don't blame me for lost files, data, high-score tables etc! Installation/Upgrade ==================== ** Upgraders from Version 2.00 can miss out steps 2 and 4 ** ** Note - you will have to use the new SpeakClk.ini file ** ** as it contains new options - you'll lose your old ** ** preferences, but there were only a few anyway! ** (1) Unzip the files (2) On the Series 5 disk you wish to install on, make sure viewing of the \System folder is turned on and then go into \System\Apps and make a new folder \SpeakClk. Then you should now have a folder whose path reads something like \System\Apps\SpeakClk. (3) Use PsiWin to COPY the SpeakClk.app, SpeakClk.AIF and SpeakClk.INI files into this \System\Apps\SpeakClk, by dragging and dropping them using the *right* mouse button. Using this button brings up a mini-menu from which you can select "Copy". (Note that you DON'T want to CONVERT any of these files, they're all already in Series 5 format!) (4) Copy all the number files to a directory, I use C:\System\Apps\SpeakClk\Wves. (5) If all went well, you should now have a new "SpeakClk" icon on your Extras bar. To Use ====== To run just select SpeakClk from the Extras bar. When you start Speaking Clock you get a start-screen giving you a choice of cancelling, starting, displaying help screens or setting preferences. It also tells you what mode (see below) it is currently in and what the hotkey combinations are set as. Selecting preferences allows you to select 12 or 24 hour time, the volume and whether you want normal or night-time behaviour. Tapping the 'More...' button gives you further options allowing you to specify the hotkey combinations and the directory where the wave files are stored. You can switch back and forth between the two screens of preferences using the 'More...' and '<