Pocketables

Sharp NetWalker caught running Windows 95

While the rest of us are content with using Ubuntu on our Sharp NetWalker PC-Z1 MIDs, Pocketables reader Gary wanted to see how well Windows 95 could run on the ARM Cortex A8-powered device.

His interests in such shenanigans started way back when he got DOS running on an iPAQ Pocket PC and have recently been fueled by waiting for the arrival of his Pandora handheld, which some would like to see running QEMU or Wine to emulate Windows on its ARM architecture. Rather than sit around and wait for the Pandora to start shipping, Gary fired up bochs (an x86 PC emulator) on his NetWalker and got Windows 95 up and running in no time.

How to transfer photos from a digital camera to an iPhone/iPod touch

This guest article was submitted by Andreas Ødegård.

One of the major complaints about the iPhone is that you can't transfer anything to it, like photos from a camera. Even the old iPods could do that using the iPod Camera Connector! Without the ability to get pictures from a decent camera over to the iPhone, blogging software like WordPress for the iPhone is rather useless. Or is it?

In the video that follows, I'll be posting an entry to my WordPress blog from an iPod touch (!) via 3G using pictures taken with a full-sized digital camera (an old one, as my main one is the camera I used to record the video) and transferred directly to the iPod. From inserting the memory card to loading the blog post in Safari, it takes 3 minutes 49 seconds. Read on to learn the trick that makes it possible.

How to check if a website is down

This is an old tip from early last year, but I recommended it on three separate occasions this week so I thought I'd take a moment to bring it to light again for those who may have missed the first time it made its rounds.

It's not unusual to try to visit a website and find that it's suddenly unavailable. Websites can go down for any reason at any time (routine maintenance, high server load, etc.), so when you type in a URL and are greeted by an error message about the server not being found or perhaps not existing instead of the content you expect to see, it's natural to assume that the site is down.

But before you mourn the loss of a resource or prematurely freak out the site owner about his/her broken site, click over to DownForEveryoneOrJustMe.com to find out whether the website is, in fact, really down or if it's just your computer, router, network, or ISP acting up. There are other tools available online that perform a similar function, but DownForEveryone... is always the first place I check after a hard refresh doesn't work. It isn't a foolproof solution (e.g., some websites may be housed on multiple servers), but I haven't experienced any problems with its accuracy so far.

How to rotate Sony Vaio P screen orientation

A popular way to use slate- and convertible-style computers is to rotate their screens into portrait mode for reading ebooks and other long documents. These devices are designed with such usage in mind, so switching between screen orientations is generally quick and easy. Some make use of an accelerometer, some automatically rotate along with a convertible's display, and others are controlled by a shortcut key.

Standard laptop users don't often feel left out, as the size/weight of the device generally prohibits comfortable portrait use, but what about those of us who use a Sony Vaio P, a mini version of the traditional notebook computer? Weighing in at just 1.4 pounds with the standard battery and boasting an 8-inch screen with 1600 x 768 resolution, the Vaio P is actually very well suited as an ebook reader.

How to install XP and get HSDPA on the Sony Vaio P

If you thought the Sony Vaio P was taking over my life, you should see what it's doing to the Pocketables Forum. In just two weeks, discussion of the long and lean mini notebook has tripled forum traffic and produced some excellent tutorials as well.

First up is the joint work of Ishman and tnkgrl, whose collective efforts have produced a complete guide on installing XP on the Vaio P, including how to get WWAN and GPS working under the new operating system.

Pleased with the results yet still determined to unchain the shackles binding the WWAN radio to Verizon's network, the venerable tnkgrl then grabbed her soldering iron, hacked some software, and destroyed the EV-DO lock a few days later. Because of her ingenius work, we now have step-by-step instructions on how to workaround the missing SIM card slot and unlock HSDPA/EDGE so that the P accepts an AT&T or T-Mobile SIM card with an active data plan.

How to install XP on the Vaio P
How to enable HSDPA/EDGE on the Vaio P

Thanks, tnkgrl and Ishman!

15 tips for new Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 users

The Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 smartphone works pretty well right out of the box, but since Windows Mobile works better when tweaked and the X1 isn't perfect in its factory condition, I've put together a list of 15 tips to help users get the most out of their devices as quickly and easily as possible.

Whether it's a software/utility recommendation, a little trick, or a simple tweak that doesn't require a registry editor, all of the following tips are sure to enhance and improve the Xperia X1's user experience.

How to browse high-resolution websites on UMPCs/MIDs with 800 x 480 screens

Since my stats show that 44% of you visit Pocketables with Firefox, I'd like to go back to basics for a bit and talk about a built-in feature of Firefox 3 that's great for people using UMPCs and MIDs with a WVGA native screen resolution (e.g., HTC Shift, OQO Model 02, Aigo P8860, and other MIDs that can be hacked to run Firefox).

With most sites being optimized for at least 1024 x 600/768 displays these days, web browsing on 800 x 480 screens can be an unpleasant experience filled with horizontal scrolling. That's where Firefox 3's full-page zoom feature comes in.

How to enable GPS on Aigo and other Midinux MIDs

Intel has recently published a 9-step tutorial on how to get the GPS hardware that is already present in the Aigo P8860 MID (Compal JAX10 in their case) working in the Midinux environment.

One of the only ways to enable GPS before this was to replace Midinux, the native operating system, with Windows XP. And last I heard, the complete set of XP drivers that should've been released in October still isn't ready/available yet. So for months, Aigo MID owners/hackers have had to choose between GPS or WiFi (one of the missing XP drivers); considering that "mobile internet" is the primary feature of a Mobile Internet Device, the decision probably wasn't a difficult one. Those content to stick with Midinux, on the other hand, didn't even have a choice. GPS simply didn't work.

But it does now. Or it should, anyway. I don't have a Midinux MID on hand to test it myself, but dmarschal in the Pocketables Forum is checking it out and says that it looks promising so far.

How to improve Vista performance on UMPCs

Rather than spend time tracking down and compiling a good set of tips and tweaks for speeding up Windows Vista on your UMPC, wouldn't you like to find them all in one place? Believe it or not, Kohjinsha Singapore has already done the legwork and put together a nice list of 10 speed tweaks that can make a huge difference in Vista performance.

None of the tips will be new to Vista tweakers, but the list is a great resource for first-time UMPC users or OS newbies. It includes simple explanations and step-by-step instructions on how to disable various features, so it's really user-friendly too.

How to install Mac OS X (Tiger) on Fujitsu U810

Pocketables Forum member technogeekchris has been enjoying his triple-booting Fujitsu LifeBook U810 for a few weeks now and has just posted a great tutorial on how to install Mac OS X 10.4 on the otherwise Vista-running mini notebook. The directions aren't specific to the U810, but that's what he's got it working on with almost 100% success (wi-fi is the current sticking point).

All you need to get an Apple UMPC (of sorts) is a Windows machine, both a licensed copy and hacked image file of OS X 10.4, DVD drive, and "a lot of patience."

Thanks, technogeekchris!