Alarm+ for ER5 machines - Question.

[wanman]

Hi,

I am looking for other users with Alarm+ V1.45 installed on any of the ER5 machines, but particularly the netBook, 7book and 5mx.

Can you confirm if you have noticed any of the following problems. If you have not noticed any of these, can you try and recreate them, to see if it is specific to my machine.

1) With Alarm+ v1.45 installed and "enabled", if you proceed to the time adjustment section on the control panel and reduce the time by 1min, OK new time and then edit time again. Reduce the by another minute and then hit ok, does your machine switch off? This is not a reset as when you switch back on everything is as you left it.

I discovered this problem after installing Robin's excellent Atomic Clock as if my 7book was running fast, as soon as it connects and sets the time, my 7book switches off....doh. I tried uninstalling Atomic Clock and noticed that manual time change also caused the problem....but only when Alarm+ is enabled.

2) Alarms Function - If you have cancel alarms set up (snooze then cancel) on alarm+. Set up an alarm and let it go through the snooze/cancel function. Once this has done, switch on your machine. Do you get a pop up message confirming that an alarm has been cancelled? I would like to hear from 5mx owners aswell as it is supposed to work on these.

3) Agenda Function - If you set up alarm+ so that it launches your current agenda file when an agenda alarm is triggered, does it do this? I have pointed Alarm+ in the direction of my current agenda file and set up several alarms. Whether my 7book is on or off, the agenda file is not launched on the relevant agenda alarm.

I have reported these issues to Robin, although he is not keen to fix them as he does not want to work on this application much more. I think Robin only has a 5mx and confirms that he has not experienced any of these issues on here.

The reason for this post is to asscertain if anyone else has noticed any of these and to determine what machines they are using.

I look forward to any help you can provide.

Regards

Simon

[Spuddey]

Simon

I have a 7book like you and have just tested the various items you requested and get the same answers!

I have not done the second test as I was not 100% clear what you were asking, but certainly the first test switches my machine off and the third does not open up my agenda file.

I only use alarm+ to help reset everything on a soft reset so had not suffered any problems with it. I do not use alarms in my agenda entries (they anoy me) and have obviously not had atomic time reseting my clock backwards (it is always slow).

I have a 5mx as well and will try out these items on that as well tonight.

Regards

Simon

[wanman]

Hi Simon,

Thanks for the quick reply. Glad (sort of) to hear that another 7book owner is experiencing the same as me and it would be really interesting to hear what your 5mx does.

The second problem, which you were not able to create works like this. On all ER5 machines when an agenda alarm (add a diary entry and set an alarm for it) goes off, it switches on the device and sounds the alarm. If you do nothing to silence the alarm, your machine will carry sounding the alarm until either you manually switch it off, or the normal (control panel) auto switch off kicks in after the set time (30mins on netBook). With a 5mx, this is not so much a problem as it goes for days on it's batteries, but the 7/netBook can only go for 8hrs max......Are you still with me?? lol

Right to save batteries, Alarmplus is supposed to autosnooze/cancel the alarm at set intervals so that your batteries are saved and with auto snooze, you have a better chance of hearing the alarm, if it is stuck in your bag and you are out of the room. This functionality all works fine on Alarm+. The problem is that once the alarm has been cancelled automatically by Alarm+ there is nothing to tell you that an alarm has ever sounded....thus I have missed all my birthday reminders for the last year....(and that is the excuse I am sticking with !!).

What Alarm+ is supposed to do, is on power up, either before, during or after the password (not sure as this has never worked for me), a little pop up window should appear somewhere on the screen to confirm that an alarm has been cancelled. Now I assume this it not a proper pop up application window/message and is probably something like the progress indicator pop ups that appear in either of the four corners (like Opening or Starting when you launch a big application). Robin has confirmed that this does seem to work on his 5mx, so it would be cool if you could test it on both.

The easiest way to test on both machines is to create an agenda event with an alarm set to 5-10mins time. Close agenda and then open alarm plus on the control panel. Go to the alarms tab and enter the following:
Cancel alarms = ticked
Cancel method = Snooze then cancel
Cancel after = 10secs
Snooze = 1 time

Set up your agenda file settings on the following tab (just in case these are linked)

Then OK these settings. Return to your main system screen.

Switch off you machine and wait. When the alarm sounds, leave it. It should be silenced after 10secs, then will be triggered again after the 5mins snooze. It should then sound for another 10secs before being cancelled.

Once it has cancelled automatically, launch your ER5 device and see if a pop up message appears anywhere on the screen during initial boot up, password entry or when you get to the system screen. If nothing, then you have recreated the bug I found. Hopefully it will work on your 5mx, as this is what Robin has confirmed. If not then this is just a general ER5 problem.

Thanks again for all your help.

Regards

Si

[PlutoPants]

I had the same symptoms when I tried Atomic Time on my Netbook. It was scary at the time because a sudden blank screen made me think of cable problems.
Luckily all was well once I had uninstalled the prog properly.
I use Timekeeper for setting the time now and it works great - as long as I don't stick to the default timeserver, which doesn't seem to work.

[wanman]

Hi Plutopants,

Yep this problem is definitely NOT caused by Atomic Time and if you want, you can reinstall the application if you prefer it to Timekeeper.

The problem is definitely caused by Alarm+ and if this is enabled, any time program that auto changes your Psion's time down a couple of times, will cause the same probs.

Si

[wanman]

Just had a quick look at Time Keeper and Atomic Time is a lot better than this app as it is installed as a control panel utility. This means it is always on, even after a soft-reset. The other good thing about Atomic Time is that it will automatically adjust the time on your Psion whenever it is connected to the internet via any possible method (mobile phone, modem, ethernet or wi-fi). This is very useful as the 7/netBook have never been good at keeping their time.

Like I said above, the shut down problem is caused by Alarm+ v1.45 although it is triggered by Atomic Time, if it has to reduce the time on your Psion and then only every two changes. This is rare on my 7book as it tends to be slow rather than fast, but there is always a risk. Luckily no data is lost or corrupted by this error which just switches off the unit rather than resetting.

Regards

Si

[PlutoPants]

Thanks Simon,
Perhaps I'll dig Robin's prog out again and give it another go then.

Your explanation seems logical - funny how trying to turn back time has that effect!

Incidentally, whilst we are mentioning time servers:
The thing that catches me out sometimes is when I use EPOCSYNC to sync files on an ftp server and I have adjusted my clock between synchs. I have occasionally ended up seeing files sent back to the Psion rather than the other way.
I've messed a few agendas up that way! Serves me right for playing with time I guess!
If only software could take accout of the fact that sometimes its user is a few sandwiches short of the full picnic. ;o)

George

[wanman]

Lol, I'd not even thought of that. I use Chris Handley's FastBackup and that compares the file date in the same way....doh. I will have to keep an eye on that. Luckily though my time is normally only a few mins out as I am online most of the time but glad you mentioned it !!

[2naive]

<<2) Alarms Function - If you have cancel alarms set up (snooze then cancel) on alarm+. Set up an alarm and let it go through the snooze/cancel function. Once this has done, switch on your machine. Do you get a pop up message confirming that an alarm has been cancelled? I would like to hear from 5mx owners aswell as it is supposed to work on these.>>.......Wanman


5MX - It works more or less

I set "snooze twice" on Alarm+

Linked Alarm+ to Agenda

Set an alarm for 6:48pm in Agenda

Turned off 5MX

At 6:48 alarm sounds, I ignore it.

Some time later it turns on (oddly, without the alarm sounding). A window is displayed:

"Missed Alarms

Sat 10 Jan 04 6:48 pm blah blah"

If I let it turn off then turn it on, the window is still there. It's a bit disturbing that the alarm only sounds once though.

John

[wanman]

Just had an email from Robin, confirming that he is intending to look at the switch off problem, when adjusting the time. Not sure if he will look at the other issues but keep yours eyes posted for a new release over the next couple of months.

Cheers

Si