If you’ve already got v3.02 you can now get a v4.0 upgrade license directly from our site using the link at the top. PocketGear only sells the full license, which costs $10.95. The upgrade license is under $4.

The upgrade license is just that; a special upgrade code – you still install the full v4.0 product though, which you can get from the download link on the right.

You can install it on top of your current v3.02 copy as long as it’s UNPLUGGED FROM PALM OS when you do it. If you do it this way, you should use the ‘Remove License’ button in the About screen either before you install or after you install your v4.0 copy. This removes the v3.02 license to make way for your new upgrade code.

Alternatively, you can just remove v3.02 completely beforehand using your launcher. This way you get a clean install of v4.0 and you don’t have to use the ‘Remove License’ button.

We’re in London which is why we set the price in GBP in case you were wondering. Google won’t let us charge in dollars unfortunately.

It was quite an interesting piece of work getting the Google Checkout system to integrate with our buy page. It was done with the PHP programming language.

We’ve previously mentioned that we’re developing our own online store using Google Checkout. After we’ve completed our integration testing, we’ll enable the ‘Buy Upgrage License’ link so that Auto v3.02 users can upgade to v4.0 for about $5 or less.

A lot of the control developers had in presenting their products on PalmGear has been dropped on the new PocketGear. It was quite a good system, as you could set things up so upgrading users would be recognised and a whole host of other excellent facilities for users and developers. At least now our users will be able to get legitimate upgrades from our site.

One user reported an incorrect license code. Luckily they contacted us to say there was a problem and we were able to send out a working code.

I just checked our log file on our Unix server and it appears there was another user who got issued a wrong license code. Due to the way the new PocketGear DAF protocol works, we don’t have the user’s email address to contact them.

Generating the correct code for this user was really quite an interesting technical problem due to the extended characters in their hotsync id . We’ve got a new code for you now so please get in touch with us and we’ll mail it to you. In the meantime we’ll send it to PocketGear customer service and they’ll pass it on to you.

There are a number of issues with the way PocketGear have migrated products listed at the former PalmGear. Basically the Treonica Auto v4.0 listing doesn’t look right and we’re communicating with Motricity to get things straightened out.

Automatic license code generation works fine though.

They’ve left out the new features description that was written up when Auto v4.0 came out, so here that is again (take a look at the user manual on the right hand side for more details):

• If your device is reset and Auto was ‘PLUGGED into Palm OS’ at the time, it will automatically plug itself back in when your device restarts.
• After making any change to Auto’s own preferences, those changes will be effective immediately, even whilst ‘PLUGGED into Palm OS’.
• Application saved preferences are used for all user preferences, so your Application entry/exit table and other settings can be reloaded later.

So you can buy Auto v4.0 and get a license code in real time. To do this required black magic C, assembler and PHP coding. Our license generator is pretty sophisticated.

We’ll be tweaking our product listing over the next few days to present Auto v4.0 more nicely on PocketGear.

<MARKETING> So you can buy now</MARKETING> – if you are able to crack our license generator, you can have the product for free – of course.

I think it’s now time for serious reflection on commercial software development and what to do next. This is unlikely to be $10 applications.

As soon as Auto v4.0 was released on PalmGear, just 2 days later PalmGear went live with their migration to a new site called PocketGear. When they did that they dropped a whole load of titles from their listings.

It appears Auto v4.0 is one of them, the reason being we didn’t support DAF. Fear not though, I’ve interfaced their DAF script with our license generator and am just tidying it up and testing it, then Auto v4.0 will be listed on the new PocketGear site.

The link is over on the right hand pane. If you want to check out the user guide first without downloading the bundled zip from PalmGear, the link is also in the right hand pane. Remember if you buy Auto v4.0 from PalmGear you get Reboot also.

This new code is a highly focused masterpiece of software engineering – a brilliant work of complex modern art – solving a specific usability problem with the latest Treo handsets.

Now about PalmGear DAF which we keep talking about (which stands for Developer Autofill). Basically that just means that when you go through the checkout process on PalmGear our license generator is called to give you a license code immediately. That’s being tested right now as you read this, but in the meantime you will get emailed licenses within 24 hours. Actually we might use Google checkout here, so you can get your licenses in real time whilst we get PalmGear DAF working.

Well, that’s quite enough excitement for one day I’m sure you’ll agree. I’m signing off now as I’ve got to backup all the data from our old webhost before it’s gone for good.

Well, if this text shows up that’s a good sign. There will be page loading issues for at least another day whilst the DNS propagates around the net. We’re now well on the way to world domination obviously. It’s gonna be so good being rich – it will be great to be able to afford food – can’t wait.

Now we’re officially working on PalmGear DAF protocol.

Also we’ve taken delivery of an OpenMoko handset – it’s so cool it’s not possible to describe. Most of you probably don’t know what that is – soon you will know.

Hi folks, we’re moving to a new and better hosting provider. Our website url and contact email address will of course remain the same. Theoretically no email should be lost whilst this migration process completes.

As soon as that’s finished we need to comply with PalmGear’s new DAF protocol, which means that your license codes will be generated in real time whilst you complete the checkout process.

We will then release Auto V4.0, which is now complete and exceeds our expections of a quality piece of software engineering.

May be then we can think about a proper website and talk about our new plans for Unix on the Treo.

It’s very clear what’s going to happen now. It’s gonna be a big mess:

Access Linux Platform (which is based on Linux for those who didn’t know)

OpenMoko (Linux based but every damn line of code will be available for those who want it – won’t be the case for ALP, they’ll keep their customised bit to themselves)

Palm OS 2 (may also be Linux based, but not open source, well that’s gonna be really late – by the time it gets released ALP and OpenMoko will be way ahead and Palm’s OS efforts may have to be scrapped – like the Palm Foleo)

Microsoft Windows Mobile/ Symbian/Blackberry – these guys will continue in much the same fashion.

With Linux based OSes you won’t be able to have one executable and run it everywhere. Everything will need to be compiled for the right target OS and hardware chip – also there’s the X11 vs direct frame buffer issue as well, which means nothing will run everywhere for sure.

In software development and life in general there’s this universal law that says something along the lines of “there’s always 2 standards”. Well in this case there’s going to be more than that.

Apologies to people who emailed us over the last few days and heard nothing back. Our webhost had a problem, but no email has been lost thankfully and it’s all ok now.

Also Auto V4.0 is done now and at first it will be offered via Google Checkout here, then on PalmGear and the other well known places.

Unfortunately there have been many delays in getting Auto V4.0 out of the door.

Remember that great software is always late – it’s just the way things work unfortunately.

Just hang on – it’s all 99.999 % ready!

Just got to update the user guide and help screens then V4 will be out.

I’ve noticed we’ve got quite a few fans in California according to our web stats. Perhaps they are industry insiders keeping a close eye on us – because they’re thinking that we’re going to be massive one day.

Oh yeah, here’s a leak from our strategic planning department: basically folks it’s ALP vs. Windows Mobile (vs. Symbian and Blackberry). So I think we’ll go with ALP and may be do secondary Windows Mobile ports as well.

Hey, software development is like that you know. The only people who don’t understand that are project managers and people who can’t code their way out of a paper bag with one end open (which includes project managers as well come to think of it).

This new version will the change the world.

So the iPhone has arrived in New York. It looks like it will be appealing to really thick people, see that’s what a flashy user interface does – it impresses retards no end. Actually it looks really nice :) and I’m sure the next generation will think that Apple invented mobile phones.

This will mean that Access ALP has to deliver, ‘cause there is no way you can code an interface like the iPhone on the Treo, it could only be done with an X Windows port. I think this is going to put pressure on Palm and Access to get their new OS out with lots of software support.

Just adding the last bit (no pun intended). Auto v3.02 was already the best Auto-off controller out there, but v4.0 was definitely worth producing because it’s a better user experience.

Remember, even on the latest devices your effective battery life is still bad compared to for example the Sony Ericsson P9xx. Tight control of your Auto-off is one of the best ways to optimise your device’s power management.

The following usability improvements will be incorporated in the v4.0 release:

• If your device is reset, either intentionally or unintentionally (i.e. a crash) and Auto was ‘PLUGGED into Palm OS’ at the time, it will automatically plug itself back in when your device restarts. If it was ‘UNPLUGGED from Palm OS’ when the reset happened, it will remain in that state after your device restarts – perfect behaviour.
• After making any change to either Auto’s own Auto-off enable duration, the Toggle Hotkey mapping or the Application Entry/Exit table (when it’s already ‘PLUGGED into Palm OS’), that change will be effective immediately. With v3.02 you have to UNPLUG then PLUG IN again for the change to take effect straightaway.
• Application saved preferences will be used for all the user configurable parameters, such as those mentioned in the previous bullet point. This means all that data will be saved when you HotSync, so for example if you wanted to hard reset your device to clean it out properly or you simply wanted to remove Auto, your Application Entry/Exit table and the other settings can be reloaded so you don’t have to set them up again.

There are no bug fixes because the code is pretty good as it is. In the first bullet point there is talk of resets and unintentional resets (i.e. crashes). It should be noted that nobody has ever observed Treonica Auto causing a crash for supported devices, either on the devices themselves or on the Palm Developer Network hardware simulator. The supported devices are at present the Treo 680, Treo 700p and Treo 755p.

Well, anything this guy says about mobile computing, you’ve got to take notice. I watched some of his presentation.

Ok I’m just a code monkey, but I don’t see the point of this Foleo thing. I mean my laptop is really thin and light weight and it’s pretty similar in size to that Foleo.

I saw a blog site, where some hardcore Treo people were pretty critical. I’ll reserve judgement ‘til I understand it a bit better, but right now I don’t get it at all.

Hey Palm can I have one for free to develop for?

Actually it always did work on those devices, but I couldn’t figure out how to use the simulator properly to prove it. Actually knew how to use the simulator, but I couldn’t assign it a user id so I couldn’t generate a license key to allow me to run my own code!

Anyway it’s cool now – It works really well and will add value to your device because you’ll be able to use it more intelligently with less ‘Auto-off downtime’ .

That Palm hardware simulator is very neat. It means you can develop for all devices without having to buy all of them!

Official Palm Blog announcement

Actually, what they’re saying in that announcement figures – that’s why Treonica Auto was developed – to give you the most flexible Auto-off control possible, because the 680’s effective battery life leaves a lot to be desired.

Those of you who regularly visit PalmGear will have noticed that screenshots in product description pages seem to be broken at the moment.

This isn’t just for Treonica Auto, it seems to be right across the board. Anyway, here it is so you can ‘see what it looks like’:

Starting with the screenshot of  Sheet To Go, the first 3 screenshots in this simple animation show Auto’s toggle splash screen and the fourth shows Auto’s Application Entry/Exit configuration facility.

The purpose was mainly to get across the message that you really can use the toggle from within any point in Palm OS with complete reliability.

If you purchase through PalmGear you’ll be sent a license code within 24 hours (probably much quicker). That code will also unlock Treonica Reboot which comes bundled in the zip file you downloaded.

Generating license codes automatically whilst customers purchase via PalmGear, Handango or elsewhere has some technical issues that made it impractical to do at the time.

Actually there was an interesting programming problem behind it, but it’s been solved now and will soon be done instantly by our server, so you’ll see your license code as soon as you checkout at whatever online store you’re using.

There’ll be an announcement on this page as soon as automatic license code generation is up and running.
Treonica Auto License Codes