Voice Jotter

Version 2.2

Released January 1999



Installation Instructions

	Copy the program file VOICEJOT.OPA into an APP directory on any
drive. If you wish to install the optional help file, VOICEJOT.HLP,
make sure it is in the same diretory as VOICEJOT.OPA. 

	You may also wish to copy the Psion Word application and/or plain
text versions of this documentation file, respectively, to a
directory of your liking (perhaps M:\WRD\): VOICEJOT.WRD,
VOICEJOT.TXT.

	If you are upgrading, please don't use the helpfile from a previous
version. Also, if VJOTTEMP.ODB is still in your OPD directory, you
may safely delete it.



	Install the application by hitting Menu and selecting Apps...
Install (or just hit Psion-I) in your System Screen. Use the
left/right cursor keys to select VoiceJot and press Enter.



	For all but the most basic use you must 'Assign' a button on the
icon strip to Voice Jotter. (The 'icon strip' is the row of buttons
between the screen and the keyboard.) You have two main options:



	The default uses the Jotter button for the built-in Jotter
application as normal. Control-Jotter is used for Voice Jotter. For
this setup put the cursor on the VoiceJot icon in the System Screen,
hit Menu, and choose Apps... Assign Button (or just hit Psion-A).
Pick 'Control+Jotter' from the list and you're ready to go.



For Single-Handed Power-up Recordings

	To set up single-handed use, 'Assign' Voice Jotter the Jotter
button:

	Go to the System Screen and put the cursor on the VoiceJot icon and
choose Apps... Assign Button (or just hit Psion-A).

	Change the 'Modifier' line to 'None' and then pick Jotter on the top
line (or Sheet for 3a users, or Data for left handed use).

	You will probably then  wish to 'Assign' the built-in Jotter
application the Control-Jotter button.



This Version of Voice Jotter

	I've tested it as much as I can, and as far as I know everything
works. PLEASE let me know if you find any bugs/weird things happening
so  can fix them!! Email me at: tylernt@micron.net. You can always
get the latest version at http://netnow.mircon.net/~tylernt.



Using Voice Jotter

	For optimum usefulness  it is strongly recommended that you assign
Voice Jotter the Jotter button and the built-in Jotter application
Control+Jotter. Also keep Voice Jotter running all the time,
otherwise, power-up recording doesn't work. Besides, Voice Jotter
only takes about 20K when idle, a little more when playing /
recording etc.

	When recording I recommend having the mike about an inch away,
experiment to find the right distance for you.

	Unfortunately the Psion actually starts recording as long as a
quarter or even half-second after the signal, nothing I can do about
that at this point.

	Voice Jotter allows up to 8 memos; that's as many as would
conveniently fit on the screen, and besides, sound files take up a
lot of memory anyway. I usually just whip out my Psion to make a
voice memo if I don't have time to type it in; later I'll play the
file and type it in to the appropriate application & delete the voice
memo.

	Most of the keyboard shortcuts can be used with or without pressing
Psion. (I'm a firm beleiver in keystroke conservation. ;-) )

	Hold down the Psion key for about a second when turning on your
machine to prevent reminders and power-up sounds from playing (say,
if you were in a meeting). Hey I like to show off my Psion but not
during a PR!



The Idea

	Basically, the idea is to be able to flip open your Psion, hit a
key, record your memo, and then snap your machine machine shut  and
slip it back into your shoulder holster (or pocket). Well, you get
the idea. (I'm still trying to figure out how to open my Psion with
one hand though.)



Features

	Hit Control-Jotter (or whatever button you Assigned Voice Jotter)
with your Psion off, and Voice Jotter will begin recording
automatically to easily record a memo. ("Power-up recording.")

	Voice Jotter will beep at you to remind you if you have new voice
memos, you can change this to a silent reminder, to play your memos,
or even play a sound file as the reminder.

	Use 'Mark As New' (Psion-M) to mark a previously played memo as
'New.' (Registered verion only.)

	'Use as Alarm' lets you name a voice memo and copy it to a WVE\
directory for use in the Agenda or Time application as an alarm, or
editing with the SoundMaster program.

	The program initally will record to M:\WVE\VOICEJOT. Registered
users can set Voice Jotter to use any directory desired in the
Recording Preferences dialog. (The option simply doesn't appear in
the shareware version.)

	Tip: configure Voice Jotter record to a \WVE\ directory to have
memos show up as alarms automatically, without naming and making
copies of them.



Preferences



Recording

	Max record time will set the maximum length of time to record before
stopping. If there is not enough memory for that length, the record
time is simply shortened to the availible space, though still leaving
about 16K to keep everything running.



Power-up Record

	Power-up record means that if the Psion powers up and sends Voice
Jotter to the foreground (i.e., hit Voice Jotter's assigned button
with the Psion off) it will automatically start recording. It will
then optionally repeat (parrot) your memo, and optionally send Voice
Jotter the the background and shut your Psion off again about four
seconds later. This is the main feature of Voice Jotter, but it
requires the proper setup. Please see 'Installation' in this
documentation file for more information.

	Power-up recording is disabled if the Psion is shut off with Voice
Jotter in the foreground.



Send to Background After Record

	After a power-up record, if you want Voice Jotter to stay in the
foreground, so that next time you turn on Voice Jotter is still there
to remind you of your memos (or if you don't want Voice Jotter to
switch off your machine), set the "Send to Background" feature to
"Never" or "Normal Record Only."

	For normal records, you can set VoiceJotter to go to the background
after recording, so you can be working on something, jot a voice
memo, and be automatically back to where you were without fiddling
with Shift-System or cursoring around the System screen. (You can
also hit Esc to send Voice Jotter to the background.) Use 'Always' or
'Normal Record Only' to enable this.



Directory

	Registered users can choose the directory to save the voice memos
to. This means you can even install Voice Jotter on a flash SSD and
record to a RAM SSD. :-)

	Tip: configure Voice Jotter record to a \WVE\ directory to have
memos show up as alarms automatically, without naming and making
copies of them.



Volume Levels

	Self-explanatory.



Beeps

	You can change how Voice Jotter signals you when it starts or ends
recording: short or long beeps, a click, or silent. For 'beeps,' a
low/high tone means recording has started, high/low tone means
recording has ended.



Reminders

	You can set a reminder to be used when you switch on your Psion. You
can choose beeps; clicks; no reminder; a silent reminder that just
brings Voice Jotter to the foreground; a WVE file; or to play your
memos themselves as the reminder.



Power-up Sound

	You can also pick a sound to be played on powerup. Set "Play after
reminder sound" to Yes if you want both the reminder and the power-up
sound, No if you don't want to play the power-up sound unless there
are no memos.



Notes!

	Power-up recording doesn't work if Voice Jotter isn't running.
Leaving Voice Jotter running all the time is recommended.

	If you delete a voice memo file outside of the program, Voice Jotter
should work ok but you'll get 'File doesn't exist' errors for
whatever file you deleted (naturally).

	Voice Jotter saves your preferences and memo time/date/new stamps in
M:\OPD\VOICEJOT.INI. M:\OPD will be created if it doesn't exist, as
will M:\WVE\VOICEJOT the first time Voice Jotter is run. 



Registering

	The quickest and easiest way to register is online via a secure
server with a credit card, courtesy RegSoft for $15 (especially if
you are outside the US): 



https://www.regsoft.com/cgi-bin/reg_it_offsite.pl?7348 



	You can also call toll-free 1-877-REGSOFT (734-4638) or order by fax
at 770-497-9234 -- note the "Product ID" is 7348. You can also send
me a check or money order directly, for $10. In all cases you will
receive a full registered version to replace the shareware.

	Please support shareware. Even if you choose not to register, please
email me with comments or suggestions at tylernt@micron.net. Thanks!



History



Version History

	Beta version .99b released March 2, 1998.



Version 1.0:

	Added check for less than 2 seconds recording time.

	Changed screen update to be faster, as well as check free memory
routine... records and parrots much faster!

	Program automatically creates needed directories M:\WVE\VOICEJOT and
M:\OPD and eliminated installation of VOICEJOT.PIC.

	Deleting files outside of Voice Jotter no longer causes exit.

	Stopping playback passes some keystrokes to input handler (so if you
hit up arrow it stops playing AND cursors up).

	On recording failure (if Sound is turned off in the System Screen)
the program does not create a fileless entry.



Version 2.0:

	Psion up/down as well as Psion+shortcuts works.

	Added using voice memos as reminders to shareware version.

	Added memo time lengh to display.

	Added ability to record to any drive/directory.

	Now says '1 Voice Memo' instead of '1 Voice memos' (and wasted 16
lines of code doing it too! ;-) )

	Added new separate help file and context-sensitive help buttons to
dialogs.

	Added ability to hold down Psion key when turning on to keep
reminder/power-up sounds silent. (They say necessity is the mother of
invention. :-/)

	Added use of Psion-L and Psion-Enter to play all memos.



Version 2.01:

	Fixed bug in context-sensitive help system.

	Only 2 restrictions to shareware version now: Can't mark memos new
again and can record only to internal disk.



Version 2.11:

	Fixed "feature" that forced you to pick a WVE file for a reminder.
(Couldn't change Reminder prefs unless you had at least 1 WVE file.)



November '98 Update for 2.11:

	Added button bar setup to helpfile, changed my email address, and
added RegSoft online/tollfree registration. Not enough to justify
"new version" number.



Version 2.2 (January '99):

	Fixed memo length display after memo deletion. (How come nobody
emailed me about this?!)

	* Finaly added saving preferences and memo time/date/new stamps! *

	Added option to choose memo Save To directory (for registered
version). Also made SSD support more stable. (I hope, since I don't
have an SSD, please report any problems if you do, thanks!)

	Eliminated tempfile (Backup no longer complains about File In Use).

	Eliminated About screen from registered version startup. 

	Put rounded corners on information bar and Psion-Enter reminder on
menu.



Here's the story behind Voice Jotter:

	I was considering buying a Sharp Wizard when a friend of mine first
showed me his Series 3c. My jaw dropped and I couldn' sleep nights
until I bought my Psion. I really liked the external dictation
buttons on the Psion Series 5 but didn't have $800 to blow on one and
so went with the 3c instead.

	I downloaded and tried a couple of shareware voice memo recorders.
Memo-Voc has a cool VAR (Voice Activated Recording) feature but was
practically useless (accidental turn-ons, had to leave your Psion on,
etc). PUR, Power-Up Recorder, was nice and I used it for the trial
period but disliked the slow screen update. But worst of all I'd
record myself a voice memo or two and then forget about them, and by
the time I remembered to play them it was too late! So I needed some
kind of reminder. That and I'm a control freak and like lots of
options. Those were the major reasons for the idea behind Voice
Jotter.

	And why the name Voice Jotter? Well, it's like the Jotter
application only you use your voice, plus it's the only icon I could
think of to use. Hey I'm a programmer not an icon artist.

	Voice Jotter took about 3 weeks to program the beta (working about
an hour or so a day). Some people say I spend too much time on my
Psion. You decide: the battery usage monitor says I spent 47 hours,
27 minutes in ten days. (Of course I use it for my job too.)

	Other reasons I wrote Voice Jotter:

* To learn OPL

* Because I couldn't afford a Series 5 but wanted to do voice
recordings

* To help defray they cost of my 3c by writing shareware.

	I'd love to receive comments/suggestions (and registrations ;-) )



Reverse Translation

	Please do not reverse translate this version.

	If you *really* want to know how to make a voice memo recorder,
check the examples in the OPL manual and just ask me and/or the
comp.sys.psion.programmer newsgroup for help.



Disclaimer

	There is no warranty of any kind, expressed or implied with this
program Voice Jotter. The author Tyler N. Thueson accepts no
responsibility for any loss incurred directly or indirectly due to
the use of the program. Use at your own risk.

