RE: Re: Interface design choices?...

["Graham Howe" <graham@xxxxxxx>]

See my comments below:

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Paul Gordon [mailto:paul_gordon@xxxxxxx]
> Sent: 23 August 2001 16:01
> To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [ukha_d] Re: Interface design choices?...
>
>
> >
> >Paul,
> >
> >I'm 99.99999999999% sure that your ActiveX will not work on the
> >EPODS - Sorry.
>
>
> It was just a thought, and it was a useful excercise - I've
> never written
> one before!
>
I would suggest javascript as that works on the ePOD. In fact after a
little
searching I found this which is really cool, I just tried it on the ePOD
and
it works fine.
http://javascript.internet.com/clocks/digital-clock.html

>
> >
> >Another thing to remember is that there were some reports of
problems
> >if you left the EPODS on for very long periods. I've tried (quite
a
> >while ago now) many things (e.g. WOL) to try to get it to wake up
but
> >to no avail.
>
> Hmm.. there's no reason why I need to have it on 24/7 - only
> when I'm in the
> house, - at all other times it could be switched off. This
> could of course
> be automated by Comfort... I have no problem with having to
> press the "on"
> button when I first walk into the bedroom.... (as long as I
> only have to do
> it the once).
>
I'm really not sure about whether there is a problem with leaving ePODs
turned on or not. I fully intend to have some of mine on all the time with
pictures changing  every few minutes. I only heard of one case of an ePOD
dying that had been on for some time. And of course there is no way of
proving that it was that that killed it.

>
> >
> >Using Terminal server is really the simplest option for
programming,
> >any PC programming language would do (eg VB, VCC+, Perl etc) -
you'd
> >also be able to control other things very easily via Terminal
> >services, like say, making your alarm clock an MP3 playing one
etc.
>
> Agreed, and this is what I shall do, but I'm not rushing into
> the upgrade of
> my MAIN server from NT4 to Windows 2000....
>
I use Snowcrash which is a browser front end to WinAmp, it allows full
control of MP3s on the server without the need for TS or anything else.

> >
> >I know it's quite a lot of money to buy Win2K but it will make
your
> >life sooooo much easier.
>
> That's not the problem - I've already got copies of W2K
> server (actually,
> I've got, or can get my hands on, Server, Advanced server, and Small
> Businsess server 2000). No - the problem is (as ever) just
> one of time - I
> am going to upgrade my main LAN server at home to 2000 as
> soon as I get the
> time to do it. - I want to do it properly, with a roll-back
> plan etc...
>
Time is the only thing preventing me from going down the W2KS route as
well.

> >
> >The connection drop is a problem (particularly for your alarm
clock
> >application)
> >
> >I do have one of my EPODS set up so that I don't need to log in to
> >the terminal server at all...and I'm not sure about the
> >answer...however it's not a problem unique to terminal server. If
> >your application on the EPODS or PC crashes the effec is the same.
>
>
> True, but then anything can break - even the X10 minitimer...
>
>
> >
> >"Sorry I'm late for work, my alarm clock crashed"
> >
>
> Can already happen! - the actual alarm is a Homeseer script
> that turns on my
> bedside light, and speaks several things (reads my
> appointments from my
> Outlook calendar, reads the weather, etc...) The bedside
> controller is
> planned to be a nice easy way of actually setting the alarm
> time (currently
> it's a horrid cludgy way with the Dim/bright buttons with TTS
> feedback...),
> and the actual clock display...
>
I have no experience of Homeseer, but if it can take instructions from a
text file, then I would use ASP to write a file on the server based upon
input from a browser. This would be pretty easy to set up given some
knowledge of JavaScript and ASP.

> Epods don't have a "switch on by screen tap" feature like my
> Palm III does
> it?.....
>
No unfortunately, but that is why I want to have mine left on if possible.

Graham