DarrenF

quote:Originally posted by peter:The FAA rules on use of passenger electronics specifically allow watches and pacemakers to be used at all times. Cool! All I have to do is modify my bike-mount to connect to a wrist strap and my GPS is a fancy watch... then they can't disallow it--the FAA specifically permits watches! I say that in jest, and with a mental image of my eTrex duct taped to my wrist (I wish I had a digital camera...) but seriously... With the pace of development of electronic devices, and the convergence of functions, nowadays it's sometimes hard to tell a watch from a radio from a calculator from a PDA from a phone from a video game from a laptop. Allowing and forbidding specific devices will soon become (already has, to some degree) a silly and pointless practice when PDA-mobile-phone with built-in GPS functionaliy and wireless network capability is released. They currently allow laptops, but make no mention of what 'accessories' the laptop may or may not have. Heck, there's currently nothing stopping people from using their 802.11b cards in their laptops and having an ad-hoc network right there in the plane. I'm sure there are GPS-cards for laptops too--the flight crew has no way of knowing someone with a laptop is using one. The whole thing is somewhat silly, imo, and I expect at least partly continued with greed in mind--to try to make a buck off of plane-to-ground communications by continuing to forbit people from using communications devices on board. df [This message was edited by DarrenF on September 17, 2002 at 04:22 PM.]

I think over the next couple of weeks, in my spare time, I may that on a new project: finding where in the Garmin Legend firmware the waypoint icons are stored so I can hack in custom ones. Just scanning through the firmware with romhack.exe, I saw many of the main menu icons already. Part of the challenge is that I don't know exactly how they are stored (i.e. some icons are 1 bit per pixel, others are 2 bits per pixel, how do that pack the bits in memory?). What could help me get started is if anyone knows exactly what the dimensions are, in pixels, of the waypoint icons. Once the location(s) of the icons are found, changing the associated text description is a piece of cake. df

quote:Originally posted by Anders:The Memap utility has worked for me, regardless of which version of the firmware I've been attacking. ... In the first releases of the Vista firmware, the file was some 200 MB smaller... Anders You mean 200 KB smaller, I assume As 200 megabytes, or even 200 megabits, is much much larger than any firmware I've encountered. MeMap is worked fine for me, as well, on several versions of Legend firmware. df

quote:Originally posted by Anders:The Memap utility has worked for me, regardless of which version of the firmware I've been attacking. ... In the first releases of the Vista firmware, the file was some 200 MB smaller... Anders You mean 200 KB smaller, I assume As 200 megabytes, or even 200 megabits, is much much larger than any firmware I've encountered. MeMap is worked fine for me, as well, on several versions of Legend firmware. df

I'd like to see: -option do disable the start-up screen -the Zoom-In and Zoom-Out keys would be perfect to toggle between BIG and little numbers/compass on the Trip Computer and Navigation Screens! -Save-able arrangements of fields on the Trip Computer screen. I prefer different fields visable when I'm running vs driving vs biking vs geocaching, and it's a bit of a pain to contintually re-select them. -ability to load an additional map without deleting all the maps currently in memory. It's such a pain in the a55 they way it only allows full replacement of the map(s) in memory with new map(s). While on the topic--more flexibility in the ability to include/exclude what data is downloaded from the PC to the GPS would be useful, to reduce wasted space on data I don't really want or need and allow more data I DO want/need to be stored. -She high-lighted button selector on the calculator should wrap around the sides, similar to the way the on-screen keyboard does, rather than go to the top. -Tetris df

quote:Originally posted by |R:Everything seems slower (from the startup logo to the pan map function etc)... and i got 2 abormal shutdowns within 10 minutes because it had lost reception for a short period of time (at least that's what i think, i was wearing it on my belt) Anyone experienced something similar? Actually, yes. When I first upgraded from the factory-installed v2.38 (i think) to v2.40b (weeks ago), I though I noticed that the start-up logo (the orbiting satellites and spinning earth) seemed 'jerky', whereas I thought I remembered it as being smooth before that (although I only saw it a handful of times before I upgraded). df

quote:Originally posted by |R:Everything seems slower (from the startup logo to the pan map function etc)... and i got 2 abormal shutdowns within 10 minutes because it had lost reception for a short period of time (at least that's what i think, i was wearing it on my belt) Anyone experienced something similar? Actually, yes. When I first upgraded from the factory-installed v2.38 (i think) to v2.40b (weeks ago), I though I noticed that the start-up logo (the orbiting satellites and spinning earth) seemed 'jerky', whereas I thought I remembered it as being smooth before that (although I only saw it a handful of times before I upgraded). df

quote:Originally posted by hellmaster:Anyone have any other places to look at? I would like to see Mount Rushmore and the Grand Canyon. THANKS Here's one that should be identifiable for any golf fans: N30.19463 W81.39084 df

I can confirm that the ln(x) for non-positive x now correctly returns an error, as does 1/x for x=0. Scientific notation results with an exponent of 10 or 20 are also now correctly displayed (woohoo for fixed bugs). The "144^144=0 followed by 1/X" shutdown behavior is still present. This version also has a very strange tendancy (that was not present before) to give results in scientific notation. Almost any calculation that returns a non-intiger results is given in scientific notation(!). Any other Legend v2.41 upgraders notice this? Does the new Vista firmware's calculator do the same? df

...wouldn't it be easier on everyone the files were made available in that format right on the website? df

quote:Enter 5, then square that four times. Result: 152587890625. So far so good. But square once more. Now it should be 2.32831E+22, but it shows 9.005009E-308, which most certainly isn't correct. Using Legend 2.40c I get 2.328306E+22, one more square gives ERROR!, as expected. quote:Starting with six, I get 2.821110E+12 when squared four times, but 1.398044E-76 after yet another square. I get 7.958661E+24 for that operation. df

quote:Originally posted by DarrenF:(again, using the calc in the Legend 2.40c firmware) 143^143 = ERROR! 144^144 = 0 And, 138^144 = ERROR! 139^144 = 0 df Wow. That zero (the result of the above 139^144) is NOT the same as any other "0". I did 144^144, got "0", hit "ln" and got -722.627286 So I thought, "that's wacky, wonder if what if I try to invert 'that zero'"... I hit "C", did 144^144, got "0", hit "1/X"... and the GPS shut down Repeated... same result. Looking at the Disgnostics (Trip Computer, zoom-out, zoom-in, zoom-out), it lists the shutdown as an "RTL Trap" r0: 0000f504 r8: 00000000 r1: ffffffff r9: 00000000 r2: 040355d0 r10:00000000 r3: 64800000 r11:00000000 r4: b1321ccd r12:00000004 r5: 040077f0 r13:04006930 r6: 00000000 r14:0201d56d r7: 04007774 r15:0201d569 errn: 80000201 Appears to be a CPU register dump and error number (?) df

quote:Originally posted by DarrenF:(again, using the calc in the Legend 2.40c firmware) 143^143 = ERROR! 144^144 = 0 And, 138^144 = ERROR! 139^144 = 0 df Wow. That zero (the result of the above 139^144) is NOT the same as any other "0". I did 144^144, got "0", hit "ln" and got -722.627286 So I thought, "that's wacky, wonder if what if I try to invert 'that zero'"... I hit "C", did 144^144, got "0", hit "1/X"... and the GPS shut down Repeated... same result. Looking at the Disgnostics (Trip Computer, zoom-out, zoom-in, zoom-out), it lists the shutdown as an "RTL Trap" r0: 0000f504 r8: 00000000 r1: ffffffff r9: 00000000 r2: 040355d0 r10:00000000 r3: 64800000 r11:00000000 r4: b1321ccd r12:00000004 r5: 040077f0 r13:04006930 r6: 00000000 r14:0201d56d r7: 04007774 r15:0201d569 errn: 80000201 Appears to be a CPU register dump and error number (?) df

(again, using the calc in the Legend 2.40c firmware) 143^143 = ERROR! 144^144 = 0 And, 138^144 = ERROR! 139^144 = 0 df

quote:Originally posted by Anders:Since the 0^0 debate seems to have no real (pun!) solution, try this instead: Enter 4, then square that five times. Seems reasonable, right? Square it once more, and you get what you could expect. But then do the same, starting with 5, 6 and 7. Oops! Anders All of those seem to work perfectly well in the Legend 2.40c calculator. df

quote:Originally posted by Anders:Since the 0^0 debate seems to have no real (pun!) solution, try this instead: Enter 4, then square that five times. Seems reasonable, right? Square it once more, and you get what you could expect. But then do the same, starting with 5, 6 and 7. Oops! Anders All of those seem to work perfectly well in the Legend 2.40c calculator. df

I will likely upgrade to the new version tomorrow night. They list the changes from the last 'regular' version rather than from the last beta, so it doesn't look like much (if anything) is new from the version i have now (2.40c). df

quote:Mathcad, which uses Maple for calculations, also agrees with me that the result is 1. Odd... I'm using Maple V Release 4 right now and it says "Error, 0^0 is undefined" df

I've done some CE programming, back when it was "CE" (pre-PocketPC). I have the "Microsoft eMbedded Visual Tools 3.0" which they gave out for free when CE3.0 was released (obsoleting my CE2.11 device...) However I've never done any programming whatsoever with a serial port. I briefly maintained a CE port of MAME http://www.finck.net/mamece-10x and created a few ultra-simple apps from scratch, but that's the extent of my CE programming resume. df

I've done some CE programming, back when it was "CE" (pre-PocketPC). I have the "Microsoft eMbedded Visual Tools 3.0" which they gave out for free when CE3.0 was released (obsoleting my CE2.11 device...) However I've never done any programming whatsoever with a serial port. I briefly maintained a CE port of MAME http://www.finck.net/mamece-10x and created a few ultra-simple apps from scratch, but that's the extent of my CE programming resume. df

My Legend has one unused icon location on the Accessories screen, just to the right of the Calculator icon, just below the Area Calc icon. Personally, I think the display size/shape/resolution as well as the controls (click-stick) are *perfect* for a Tetris rip-off... ...or a Bubble-Bobble clone. However, I won't be holding my breath for Garmin to do this or for it to show up from a hobbyist. There just aren't enough users to reach the critical mass needed. A lot of work would need to be done to create such elaborate firmware hacks. I think opensource tools already exist to compile C/C++ programs for the ARM CPU (there is a very active hobbyist software development scene for the GameBoy Advance, which also uses an ARM CPU), but I'm not sure if enough of the other information about the hardware is available. Lacking that, I think it would take considerable time reverse-engineering the firmware to learn enough to do much of anything other than edit the graphics & text, or make it crash df

My Legend has one unused icon location on the Accessories screen, just to the right of the Calculator icon, just below the Area Calc icon. Personally, I think the display size/shape/resolution as well as the controls (click-stick) are *perfect* for a Tetris rip-off... ...or a Bubble-Bobble clone. However, I won't be holding my breath for Garmin to do this or for it to show up from a hobbyist. There just aren't enough users to reach the critical mass needed. A lot of work would need to be done to create such elaborate firmware hacks. I think opensource tools already exist to compile C/C++ programs for the ARM CPU (there is a very active hobbyist software development scene for the GameBoy Advance, which also uses an ARM CPU), but I'm not sure if enough of the other information about the hardware is available. Lacking that, I think it would take considerable time reverse-engineering the firmware to learn enough to do much of anything other than edit the graphics & text, or make it crash df

quote:Originally posted by hellmaster:This is a very cool program. Being a New Yorker I had to start looking around my city and wanted to see the World Trade Center. It is still there inthis picture so these shots are pretty old. Here are some other places to check out in NYC: Anyone have any other places to look at? I would like to see Mount Rushmore and the Grand Canyon. THANKS The images are of varying age. I've seen images in my area that appear to be as new as <2 years and as old as >6 years. I think if you browse the actual Terraserver, it will tell you the date of the images. The Terraserver pages also have links directly to some other interesting places: http://terraserver.homeadvisor.msn.com/famous.aspx df

quote:Originally posted by Gliderguy:Sounds like what the world needs is a Tri mode phone that runs Windows CE applications. Then you could even do net stuff from the boat if you were close enough to shore to pick up a digital cell tower. Palm phones are around, and they work pretty good. I am betting it is only a matter of time before you see a Windows CE powered phone with net access. There are a number of WindowsCE (er, PocketPC as they call it as of CE3.0...) -based mobile phones out. I saw them in PocketPC magazine. Don't have any make/model info handy though... I'm not sure if any of them had built-in GPS functionality or a CF slot, but at the least I'd think they could be connected to a GPS via an uglya55 serial cable... Too bad no GPS units seem to have IR serial ports (as most CE and Palm devices do). Or perhaps bluetooth-enabled GPS... Also, I noticed there is a very nice looking (from the screenshots) PocketPC version of Ozi-Explorer too. df

quote:Originally posted by Gliderguy:Sounds like what the world needs is a Tri mode phone that runs Windows CE applications. Then you could even do net stuff from the boat if you were close enough to shore to pick up a digital cell tower. Palm phones are around, and they work pretty good. I am betting it is only a matter of time before you see a Windows CE powered phone with net access. There are a number of WindowsCE (er, PocketPC as they call it as of CE3.0...) -based mobile phones out. I saw them in PocketPC magazine. Don't have any make/model info handy though... I'm not sure if any of them had built-in GPS functionality or a CF slot, but at the least I'd think they could be connected to a GPS via an uglya55 serial cable... Too bad no GPS units seem to have IR serial ports (as most CE and Palm devices do). Or perhaps bluetooth-enabled GPS... Also, I noticed there is a very nice looking (from the screenshots) PocketPC version of Ozi-Explorer too. df