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VisorCentral
VisorCentral Writer

Registered: Oct 2001
Location:
Posts: 203

Preview: Springtooth

Is your collection of Springboards keeping you from upgrading to a new PDA? With the Springtooth you can have the best of both worlds.

http://www.visorcentral.com/content/Stories/1420-1.htm

04-01-2002 03:51 AM

Celchu19
Member

Registered: Aug 2000
Location: St. Louis
Posts: 308

Happy April Fools to you too!

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04-01-2002 03:56 AM

VTL
Member

Registered: Apr 2000
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 604

You guys really had me until about 2/3 of the way through the article. I was stoked, but then I realized the date.

04-01-2002 04:49 AM

dick-richardson
Member

Registered: Oct 2000
Location: Aberdeen, SD
Posts: 2531

Actually, could this be feasible?

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04-01-2002 07:20 AM

Xavier
Member

Registered: Jun 2000
Location: Boston, MA, USA
Posts: 7

quote:
Originally posted by dick-richardson
Actually, could this be feasible?

According to the public bluetooth specifications:

"Bluetooth can support an asynchronous data channel, up to three simultaneous synchronous voice channels, or a channel which simultaneously supports asynchronous data and synchronous voice. Each voice channel supports a 64 kb/s synchronous (voice) channel in each direction. The asynchronous channel can support max-imal 723.2 kb/s asymmetric (and still up to 57.6 kb/s in the return direction), or 433.9 kb/s symmetric."

So perhaps there's enough bandwidth the tunnel the springboard connection over bluetooth. The main problem, IMO, would be writing the "fake" low-level drivers that interact with the processor pretending to be a springboard. Springboards are, afaik, very low-level when it comes to their interaction with the processor. They interact as a seperate "card" which I believe is hard-wired to the CPU (or some bus directly off it anyway). So, I'm guessing with that in mind: no, it's not possible.

Then again, I'm just a programmer. what do i know about hardware? ;-)

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04-01-2002 07:49 AM

Zip-Zilla
Member

Registered: Sep 2001
Location: Singapore
Posts: 174

Huh? So, this is just a April Fools' joke???

When i was reading the article on the train, I thought it was FOR REAL!!!!

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04-01-2002 09:01 AM

recordond
Member

Registered: Jan 2001
Location:
Posts: 278

In terms of lameness scale for what I have seen so far:

most lame goes to: Macslash.com with the story, "Vivendi Buys Weather.com"

second most lamest goes to: VC

the least lameest but could be contested especially if there are French judges goes to: Slashdot.org and their story, "Do Programming Languages Affect Your Sexual Performance?"

04-01-2002 09:06 AM

dkessler
Member

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Plant City, FL
Posts: 385

quote:
Originally posted by dick-richardson
Actually, could this be feasible?

No. There is no API for accessing Springboard modules. Springboard modules are memory mapped into the Dragonball's address space and driver software reads and writes to them directly without going through any OS functions. With no OS functions to hook into and no memory management unit in the Dragonball processor, there's no way for a Bluetooth driver to intercept traffic to and from the module.

The only way this could be done is if someone created replacements for module driver software for each module you wanted to use. For example, we could theoretically create a new version of the FlashAdapter software that talked to the Bluetooth drivers instead of talking directly to the module. But without support from module vendors to create compatible driver software, the basic concept is infeasable.

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04-01-2002 12:15 PM

perze_a
Member

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: nowheresburg, PH
Posts: 98

ha ha ha! April Fools!

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04-01-2002 01:21 PM

lonesniper
Member

Registered: Aug 2001
Location: NJ, USA
Posts: 15

Almost fooled.

I guess I am just slow, or really tired on a Monday morning. I was not fooled until I noticed the email address to send comments to.

My comment was going to be; "nice product, shame it is too late as the visor and springboards are now dead products"

04-01-2002 03:49 PM

Brajesh108
Member

Registered: Nov 2000
Location:
Posts: 61

Last years "Visor runs OS X" module was better. This one neither excited me nor fooled me. Better luck next year!

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04-01-2002 04:35 PM

bookrats
Member

Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 501

You got me

I completely bought it. This'll teach me to read the whole article before jumping to conclusions.

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04-01-2002 06:18 PM

HindeR
Member

Registered: Aug 2001
Location:
Posts: 143

Hook, line, and sinker!

Boy you had me going. Even knowing the date, I did'nt catch on until I saw the email address on the feedback link. A springtooth module would actually be a dream come true. It would help me to break the SpringBoard shackles and migrate to a more innovative organizer manufacturer (sure the treo is neat, but I need an organizer, not a smartphone). I am thoroughly disgusted with HandSpring's dead-in-the-water color PDA line. I have been waiting for a year for a Prism2. The only thing that has kept me from upgrading is my LARGE investment in springboard modules. Thanks for the fun!

- Chip

04-01-2002 07:00 PM

volcanopele
Member

Registered: Jul 2001
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 366

I bought for a little bit. Then I thought, wait a second, just as Dave said, there are no Springboard APIs. A- though for Miradu.

Jason

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04-01-2002 09:19 PM

Drakion
Member

Registered: Apr 2001
Location: Lexington, Ma
Posts: 138

Springtooth: What ive been looking for for ages!

All i can say is WOW! I thought i was stuck with my Prism/Minstrel S combo. 8 more months of service with 150$ early cancelation fee was making me keep this heavy, bulky set up. I was thinking of getting the m515 with the Minstrel m500 but the module itself is roughly 300 bucks! I paid 30 for my Minstrel S! But soon, soon i shall say goodbye to my Prism, and hello to a nice new Sony or Palm with the wireless connection. I can even leave the darn thing next to my window where i get service, and IM or browse from my bed! Thanks Visorcentral for posting this information about Springtooth, you guys made my day!

HAHAAAA HELLO SONY!

04-01-2002 10:33 PM

flipcap22
Member

Registered: Oct 2000
Location:
Posts: 17

are you kidding me...

Today's date is April 1, 2002...

good one VC...very good!

04-01-2002 10:38 PM

Drakion
Member

Registered: Apr 2001
Location: Lexington, Ma
Posts: 138

ohhh crap

now i feel stupid.....!@$!@$!!!!!!!!!!!! *throws prism against the wall* NOW I HAVE A GOOD REASON TO GET RID OF YOU!

damn...you guys got me good...real fricken good!

04-01-2002 11:05 PM

chungmike
Member

Registered: Aug 2000
Location:
Posts: 137

They had me too. I was thinking that this was going to save Handspring and the Springport. Oh well. :-)

Well, it was a good one, and I was daydreaming about the possibilities.

Is it actually possible to have Bluetooth work this way?

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04-01-2002 11:10 PM

kalahari
Member

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: San Francisco, CA
Posts: 431

quote:
Originally posted by dkessler

No. There is no API for accessing Springboard modules. Springboard modules are memory mapped into the Dragonball's address space and driver software reads and writes to them directly without going through any OS functions. With no OS functions to hook into and no memory management unit in the Dragonball processor, there's no way for a Bluetooth driver to intercept traffic to and from the module...

When I saw the Springtooth review, I thought that the only person that could be working on this development like this would be Dave Kessler

Then I realized that you've been too busy with Linux PDA to work on a project like this