Page Created: 19th August, 1999 Last Update: 8th May, 2001 Available for the following language machines: & (Click on the VoiceMan5 icon above to download. All the language versions are included in the installation file.) Compatible with: Click here to see the Dutch language version. (My thanks to Jeremy Tjon for doing the Dutch translation) Click here to see the Czech language version. (My thanks to Martin Sindelar for doing the Czech translation) Click here to see the Danish language version. (My thanks to Michael Degn for doing the Danish translation) Click here to see the German language version. (My thanks to Mario Collado for doing the German translation) Click here to see the Swedish language version. (My thanks to Michael Bjφrck for doing the Swedish translation) Click here to see the Portuguese
language version. (My thanks to Miguel Pereira for doing the Portuguese translation) Click here to see the Norwegian language version. (My thanks to Gaute Hvoslef Kvalnes for doing the Norwegian translation) Click here to see the Italian language version. (My thanks to Sergio Alisi and Alberto Zaccheroni for doing the
Italian translation) Click here to see the Spanish language version. (My thanks to Lorenzo Francisco Cruces Gonzαlez
for doing the Spanish translation) Click here to see the French language version. (My thanks to Christophe Goetzmann and Patrick Van den Borre for
doing the French translation) If you've any questions or comments, I can be contacted by emailing me at
VoiceMan5.zip (84Kb)
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What's new?
8th May 2001 Update:
Portuguese version added.
30th October 2000 Update:
I discovered that it was possible to 'jam' VoiceMan5 in the background at switch-on if you pressed a SilkScreen key after VoiceMan5's 'alert' sound had played but before the notification screen had appeared. Doing this would make the program still think it was in the foreground (even though it wasn't) and therefore not respond to either the hot-key or further switch-ons. I've adjusted the code so that this no longer happens.
Optimised the code to reduce the program's installed size slightly.
6th September 2000 Update:
I realised that the logic change I made for v1.41 only worked when you first ran the program - instead of every time it detected a power-on. In other words, it would only send the Record app. to the background (outside of an alert period) when VoiceMan5 was first run. It now correctly sends it to the background (outside the alert period) both when first run or when it detects a power on.
4th September 2000 Update:
Czech version added.
Whilst VoiceMan5 has always moved the Voice Notes file to the background for an 'alert' notification, it didn't do this if you'd just recorded a Voice Note (i.e. the Record app. was in the foreground when you switched the machine on) but you were outside the alert period. I found this irritating and so now the
program does this in both situations.
7th August 2000 Update:
Danish version added.
3rd July 2000 Update:
New day & time options. I realised that one of the things that used to stop me using the program sometimes was the fact that I tended to use it for work only - and I didn't want to be reminded about work stuff out of work hours. The program can now be configured to remind you about your Voice notes: Any time / Workdays only / Weekends only and between specified times if desired also. Read the Help file or see the 'Settings' section below for details.
There's a new 'Sound Alert' option which plays a nice alert sound if desired at a user-defined volume. NB: This is designed to only play during an actual alert. It won't play if the new Hot-key feature (Ctrl+Fn+V) is used to pull the Alert dialog to the foreground (see below).
There's now Hot-key access to the program. Ctrl+Fn+V triggers the program to look for your Voice notes. If found, it brings up the VoiceMan5 alert screen. If not found, it brings up the Settings screen so you can change those instead.
The program now auto-closes the Help file if it's left open when VoiceMan5 is quit.
VoiceMan5 now works on Spanish machines - as well as English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, and Swedish language machines!
Fixed a bug that would crash the program if the Voice notes drive was switched from c: to d: and back again without the appropriate 'Standard folder' directory existing on d: drive...
Read the VM5Changes.txt file in the VoiceMan5.zip file above for a full history of VoiceMan5's updates.
Installing VoiceMan5:
Installation information is available in ReadMe.txt in the VoiceMan5.zip file above. NB: The various language versions contained in the zipped .sis file above are for those language version machines. I.e. the French version will install/work on a French machine, German on a German language machine, etc. If however you want to run a language version on a different language machine (say, Italian on an English language machine), then email me and I can send you a version that will work in that way.
Different languages?:
Within a couple of days of the release of v1.0, I was asked if a German version could be generated (the program is as much language-specific to the machine as the user!). This has been done by creating a resource file for the program using Guillaume Sabouraud's excellent freeware apps. that will generate this resource file automatically from an ordinary EPOC Data file and then adapting VoiceMan5 to use it.
If you'd like a different version to run on your specific language machine, let me know and I'll create one for you. 
What is VoiceMan5?:
It's a Voice Notes manager for your Series 5/5mx.
As someone who drives quite a bit in my job, I find the Psion's Voice Notes / Recorder facility very handy (once you get over the strangeness of talking to your Psion!) for capturing "to-do's" and ideas as I'm driving along. At least, it works very well so long as you want to review the Voice Notes you've made as soon as you next switch your Psion on.
Very often however, I want to do something else when I open my machine again and so Voice Notes gets sent to the background whilst I browse my Agenda, look up a phone number, etc. The problem is that I then invariably forget to review or action the Voice Notes I made when I next switch the machine on. What I wanted was an unobtrusive program that reminded me about pending Voice Notes every time I switched my Psion on again...
VoiceMan5 is designed to check this for you. It's a small program which checks to see if you've any Voice Notes recorded on your Psion when you switch your machine on. It's very small and consumes little power or system memory and so can be left to run in the background all the time.
Okay, what else can it do?:
VoiceMan5 can also change the default drive used by Voice Notes to record from c: to d: (and visa versa). This can be used in conjunction with the Standard Folder location (specified in the System preferences) to record your Voice Note(s) to wherever you want them. The advantage of recording to the d: drive (i.e. compact flash) is that it gets around the Series 5's 8Mb internal memory limit (16Mb on a 5mx).
Program features:
Continuously scans in background for Voice Notes recording(s) having been made
If Voice Notes found, will alert the user at each power on (if the Settings have been set to permit the alert at that time)
When alerted, user can either ignore until next power on or select to play Voice Notes
If selected, will either start the Voice Notes file or pull it to the foreground (as appropriate)
Will ignore Voice Notes 'stub' left when Voice Note 'erased' by Record app.
Can switch Voice Notes Drive from C:\ to D:\ (and visa versa) if CF card fitted
When drive changed, will give option to copy or move existing Voice Notes to new drive
Small program size (35Kb inc. Help file)
Uses minimal memory resource when running (~96Kb)
Will automatically close and re-start itself when backing up using PsiWin (version 2.3 or greater)
Designed to work with the EPOC password/owner information screen
Series 5, 5mx, and Ericsson MC218 compatible
Available for English, German, Italian, French, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Spanish, and Danish language machines
Using VoiceMan5:
When you run VoiceMan5 for the first time it'll scan your Psion's C:\ driveΉ to see if you have any Voice Notes recorded². If you don't, it'll go to the background and wait until you next turn the machine on - when it'll scan³ again for Voice Notes.
If it finds recorded Voice Note(s)², it will present you with a number of options:-
'Quit VoiceMan5' - Quits the program
'Settings' - See the Settings description below.
'Ignore' - Sends VoiceMan5 to the background until you turn the machine on again
'Play Note(s)' - Takes you to the Record app. with your Voice Note(s) loaded and ready to play
There is no Menu structure in VoiceMan5 simply because I didn't really think it necessary (and it'd just make the program bigger). If there is a demand for it however, I'll create a simple one. You can quit VoiceMan5 either by selecting the 'Quit' option when the program comes to the foreground or by closing the program from the Open files / programs list (Ctrl+J in the System screen). VoiceMan5 will automatically close and re-open itself when backing up using PsiWin (version 2.3 or greater).
Ή You can change the drive that VoiceMan5 scans on startup. Click on the 'Settings' option to do this. It will also give you the option to copy or move an existing Voice notes file when you change drives.
² The program will ignore any Voice Note less than 500 bytes in size. This is to allow for the use of the 'Erase' capability in the Record/Voice Notes app. which effectively 'empties' the Voice Notes file of any sound information - but doesn't actually delete the file (leaving a small 'stub' file instead).
³ Just make sure that the Standard folder set in the System screen (Menu/Tools/Preferences) is where your last Voice Note was recorded. (It will be by default - this is just in case you've moved it!).
Settings:
The Settings dialog allows you to:-
Choose to have VoiceMan5 active Every day of the week, during Workdays only (as defined in Control Panel), or during Weekends only. This is handy if (like me) you use your Voice notes for recording work-related issues only and don't want to be reminded about them on non-work days.
Choose to have VoiceMan5 active between specific times (similar to above).
Choose either a Silent alert at switch-on or choose the volume at which the alert plays (Quiet, Medium, or Loud).
Display the 'About' screen.
Run the 'Help' file.
Change the 'Voice Notes Drive' from c:\ to d:\ or visa versa.
Hot-key:
The 'Hot-key' combo. of Ctrl+Fn+V can be used at any time that VoiceMan5 is running in the background to pull it to the foreground. If VoiceMan5 finds a Voice note file when the Hot-key is pressed, it will display VoiceMan5's alert screen. If no Voice note file is found, the Settings dialog will be displayed.
Compatibility:
VoiceMan5 has been tested on an 8Mb Series 5, a 16Mb 5mx, and an Ericsson MC218. It will also work on a Series 7, netBook, etc. but these machines have a far less convenient voice-recording ability...
Future plans...:
It should be possible to specify the Voice Notes directory as well as the drive within the program (instead of having to use a combination on VoiceMan5 and the system's Standard Folder setting). I'll be looking into it...
It might be useful to have the program control the playback of the Voice notes better - maybe to allow for stop/start transcription into Word or Email via hot-key control...
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Saturday, 1 April 2006
