Treo 650 tips and tricks
By Peter Rojas 
posted November 28th 2005 3:10PM
posted November 28th 2005 3:10PM
Alright, we're launching a new weekly feature we'd meant to get going ages ago: Best _______ Tips and Tricks. Each
week we're going to pick a different gadget and then pass the mic over to you guys, we're looking for your best
suggestions for getting the most out of said tech toy, be it some super-helpful app you've found, a tip for extending
battery life, or just a sweet trick that you're dying to show off to the rest of us.
For the first one we figured we'd go with the Treo 650 — what else? — which just celebrated its first birthday. Have
at it!
Ok... How do I get Opera Mini? I go to the site and there isn't a download for it. The instructions state:
" 1. Point your phone's WAP browser to http://mini.opera.com/
2. Click on Get Opera Mini
3. Answer 'Yes' to all installation messages and enjoy browsing the full Web, right on your mobile phone!"
there isn't a Get Opera Mini button.
Best free ebook reader I've found is PalmFiction.
It's open source and has a program to run in Windows that converts a Windows font to a palm font.
http://palmfiction.sourceforge.net/
The website is all in Russian but there's a link to an English version of the program and near the bottom of the page is one to the fontconverter.
#45 - update 1.17 fixed the auto-off problem... I was having it too! All fixed now!
Another tip for Diabetic -- EzManager by Animas Corp works with or without an insulin pump, and allows you to log everything, and calculate insulin dosages.
http://www.animascorp.com
It works extremely well with the pump.
#79 - If it works, it's a great app, but I wish I could say the same about MissingSync. Hasn't worked consistently well for me. Times out regularly for even single syncs and the to pay for minor updates is annoying...
Little John PalmOS (or LJP in short) is a multi-system emulator for PalmOS 5.0 (or newer) devices. Currently it emulates the following systems:
- Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)
- Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES)
- Nintendo Gameboy/Gameboy Color (GB/GBC)
- Sega Genesis/Megadrive
- Sega Master System (SMS)
- Sega Game Gear (GG)
- Bandai Wonderswan/Wonderswan Color (WS)
- NeoGeo Pocket/NeoGeo Pocket Color (NGP)
- Atari 2600 (VCS)
http://tinnus.gp32z.com/ljp/
Palm Mame Emulator
http://www.pocketdimension.com/PalmMAME.html
Xiino. An amazing web browser. It minimizes images and restructures the html so that you can browse web pages without scrolling. Try it by browsing Amazon homepage and you will see what I mean.
By the way, I got a problem: Sometimes, I can't receive any calls because my redirect is still on and there is no icons on the Treo to remind me. Any solutions?
While in Mexico, I had to add 001 to all my numbers to dial them. I could find no automatic way to do this, nor could I do something that made sense, like type 001 and then paste a number into the dial pad.
Is there some way to modify a stored number before dialing it?
Hi-Launcher is definitely my favorite launcher / app switcher. MUCH less busy than ZLauncher, totally stable, and makes working with multiple apps on the 650 much easier.
I have napster to go service with Pocket Tunes. The coolest thing for me is using the audio jacks in the back out my car stereo to BUMP my music. With a 2gig SD card you can ride all day without hearing the same song.
mysigalert.com - i check this every a.m. on my treo on my way to work for live traffic updates
bejeweled rocks!!
egrips.com
bill merrill
on my GSM Treo I input all number complete with country and area code and with a + in front (International code) Here is the number format:
USA +1 (925) 301-xxxx
MEX +52(378) 885-0187
And the "+" gets substituted automatically for the international access code when needed. I have no problems with dialing anywhere in the US and Mex with numbers stored in Memory.
I used to have problems with SMS, but I think that is OK now
I have a 650 and i copied a movie using the fairuse wizard, now how to i get it onto my sd card to i can watch it on my tcpmp???
I listen to audible books & podcasts on my 650. I would like to listen using my bluetooth ear piece. Does any music player support a bluetooth ear piece (rather than just the speaker or headphones using the 2.5mm jack)?
KMaps from http://www.alealea.com is awesome. I've been using it for some time and am quite happy with it. The latest version lets you find the local events. A must have Treo app.
Thanks for all the great tips. Here's one in return:
An easy way to do a hard reset:
Press and hold the 'red phone' button and dislodge the battery and put it back. It beats using the stylus on the reset hole.
If your company has MS Exchange and you use Outlook 2003 on Windows XP you might be interested in this:
http://research.microsoft.com/adapt/omm/default.aspx
Quote:
"We are happy to introduce Microsoft Outlook Mobile Manager 2.0. Microsoft Outlook Mobile Manager (OMM) brings the power of Microsoft Outlook to your portable device. OMM can prioritize your messages and makes smart decisions about when to send email. OMM also sends calendar reminders, task reminders, and an Outlook Today style daily summary all to your wireless device."
On the GoodLink comment above regarding contacts - this comment is only true if you're using it through a Telco, ISP or through a hosted exchange provider like Mi8 or Utopia because of an issue with how these providers provision access to the GAL and OAB. If you have a dedicated Good box, this isn't an issue.
Re: #112
Buy a card reader. They're upwards of $12 at any major electronics/computer store.
I can't believe Treo owners as a group are so ignorant about the workings of memory cards. To the point that there's a utility you can buy (buy!) that will let you see the SD card in your treo as a drive.
To any one having problems with reboots on the treo 650, try Resco Locker:
http://www.resco.net/palm/locker/default.asp
it's free, and makes a huge difference. Lock any apps that run in the background.
If you live in the Seattle area try http://pdatraffic.com/pda. Best - traffic app - ever
Just a followup to the very second comment which recommended the excellent "TCPMP" to watch videos...
I know the new iPods have been getting all the hype for portable video, but I truly think the Treo 650 + TCPMP is a _better_ platform:
* Obviously, the Treo's screen is bigger.
* Second, although the Treo's processor has trouble with the iPod's H.264 standard, TCPMP can play most other codecs great, which means you don't necessarily have to convert your older files, unless you want smaller files.
* Most important, the battery on the Treo 650 absolutely slays the iPods. They're rating the best iPod at "up to 3 hours" of video playback. I played a movie on my Treo 650 for _4 hours_ and still had 50% battery left -- I've never had the patience to test the battery to failure, but I'm guessing that it's good for 6-8 hours.
* TCPMP is FREE!
* Did I mention one less device to carry around? Schweet...
Note: For free conversion, I recommend AutoGK (http://www.autogk.me.uk/) -- using AutoGK, you can fit several full length movies onto a 1GB SD card. (Storage space is the one category where the iPods still have a huge advantage.)
I know I'm raving like a paid shill, but I have no affiliation with any of the above -- just a happy, happy user. =)
When you take that one-photo-too-many and your Treo 650 goes into reboot hell and is effectively bricked, throw it away and get a phone with a reliable OS -- like Symbian, either from Nokia, Samsung, or Sony Ericsson.
Using first letters of contacts first/last name to jump to correct contact--- HUGE!
Here's a cute trick that I use to remember which position means what for the speaker "mute" switch on the top edge of the 650. This is very useful when you are in a dark room or need to change the setting while the Treo is in your pocket:
When the switch is moved closer to the antenna (a source for a different type of "signal") then the Treo will emit sounds. So, simply associate: antenna/signal/sound.
When the switch is moved away from the antenna there is a lack of sound output.
QuickNews! (http://standalone.com/palmos/quick_news/)
Absolutely brilliant app for RSS feeds and podcasts (like enGadget's). Very configurable, yet also very usable - even just with d-pad.
Bejeweled 2 is great... TCPMP...
LordSurge,
the Treo 650 screen is smaller than the iPods. But other than that, I totally agree with your assessment. My Treo650 is a much better protable video platform as long as you have enough storage. The screen is brighter and more vibrant, and you can set the 5-way to function as 30s skip and 8s replay buttons to match the TiVo controls (best for skipping commercials in TV content).
anybody know how to fix when the unlocked treo 650's world clock loses its map view?
Does anyone have a recommendation for how to incorporate calendar information from both Lotus Notes and Groupwise at the same time?
Thanks.
Does anyone know how to defeat all the "delete confirmation" windows? Every time I want to delete something in the "Tasks" list or the call log, I get this bloody delete confirmation question. I hate it!! I know how to defeat it when deleting messages, but what about all these other scenarios?
Thanks.
In regards to space for video, I was reading that Samsung is working on a 16GB flash card for possibly the end of next year. Storage space will be less and less of a problem as time goes on and this will make the Treo more useful in this regard.
Apps I'm running right now
ZLauncher
Butler
DocsToGo(upgraded)
Directory Assistance (great app and a money saver too)
filepc2pda
Filepoint
Filez
handzipper
Splashphoto
TCPMP
Verichat
WorldMate Pro
A must have for me is TealScript (http://www.tealpoint.com/softscrp.htm). You can train it to your style of writing and it works like a champ!
Wow, I'm shocked that no one has mentioned Initiate yet. It's like quicksilver for your phone, it's more than a launcher so there's a slight learning curve, but damn it rocks. I also swear by two other hobbyist apps: butler and phone technician.
http://www.hobbyistsoftware.com/
I also use:
Backupbuddy VFS: must have!
Crackmeup: for laughs.
Quickcheck/quickspell: If you type a lot you need this.
Keycaps
Clockpop
KMaps
http://mytreo.net/downloads/details-830.html?KMaps
This application is amazing and is free to begin with! Just check the Location Services menu. Send Location Message to someone or Photoblog (photo is attached to location)
http://www.alealea.com/lacd/photoblogs.cfm
TCPMP - Media Player
Amazing
http://mytreo.net/downloads/details-651.html?The_Core_Pocket_Media_Player
If you have Goodlink and you're in your "Inbox" press "D" to delete messages.
Can someone point me to the information to walk me through how to use the Treo as a dial up modem for my laptop via Bluetooth? I use Treo 650 with Cingular service and the unlimited data plan.
Thanks!
Will the treo 650 sinc up to outlook on a pc computer with included software? (sprint)
Anyone????????????
Tom, yes of course it can be synced. Go to the palmone website.
I use GoodLink with my corp email, but I do not want to use the GoodLink contacts app. It seems GoodLink hijacks the Palm Contacts app. Is there a way to remove this hijack so that "contacts" is the Palm app and not the Goodlink app and keek Goodlink for email?
Best thing I ever got for my treo is a 1 Gig Sandisk Ultra II Plus USB memory card. Same size as a regular SD card, so it will fit in the treo, and flips open to expose a USB port, and fit into any computer. I can plug it into a friends computer, drag MP3's onto the card, and play them for the rest of the night. Also good for saving pic's and doc's without the hotsync software. I'm sure some guru out there will figure out a way to hotsync everything using this card, and eliminate that huge cord that I can never find, but I can't figure it out. I know that a regular card plus a card reader does the same thing, but I like being able to plug into any USB port I find.
Love my new treo! I do not have a memory card right now and am not sure if I will need one. My question is I try and play a file (Dallas Cowboy Site)which requires real player (I believe real player is on the palm)and I get a message that my device does not support this file and do I wish to save to my card. If I get a card will the treo then play the file???
After a ton of thinking and pondering I finally came up with it. Use Salling Clicker to control iTunes on your Powerbook. Set your Powerbook to not sleep when closed. Close up the Powerbook and put it in your backpack. Use your handy Bluetooth headset (on your Powerbook) to listen to music on your Powerbook while controlling it all from your Treo.
You might not get the best quality but technically you got an Ipod with (in my case) 40gb of music all of which can be controlled from your Treo :)