Add Your Mug To The Today Screen

[Brad Adrian]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.handango.com/brainstore/PlatformProductDetail.jsp?siteId=311&productId=139837' target='_blank'>http://www.handango.com/brainstore/...roductId=139837</a><br /><br /></div>It's a pretty good idea to display at least a bit of owner information on your Pocket PC's Today screen. That can increase your chances of getting your device back if you ever happen to lose it. :( If you'd like to make that owner information just a bit more "real," you can now add your own photo (or any other graphic, for that matter) to the displayed owner information.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/ownerphoto.jpg" /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.handango.com/brainstore/PlatformProductDetail.jsp?siteId=311&productId=139837">OwnerPhoto</a>, from VR Solutions, allows you to easily add any kind of photo or graphic to your Today screen. This is one of those quick-and-dirty applications that a developer has thrown together, but seems to work just fine. <br /><br />The good news:<br />• OwnerPhoto is absolutely free!<br />• There don't seem to be any real restrictions on image size or dimensions.<br /><br />The not-so-good news:<br />• There is absolutely no documentation.<br />• The developer admits it has not been tested on all Pocket PCs.<br />• Configuring OwnerPhoto isn't necessarily that obvious (You have to install it, then tap on its icon on the Today screen to configure it.).<br /><br />But, all in all, this is a fun little application. I've already installed it and added my own little image to my Today screen:<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/BCAsouthpark3.JPG" />

[Twain]

While this application is cute, it seems that what you would really want is a way to add a photo to the "My Info" Owner Information page that pops up when the Pocket PC is first turned on.

If your PPC is password protected, the "finder" of your PPC will never get to the Today screen.

Twain

[gandi]

While this application is cute, it seems that what you would really want is a way to add a photo to the "My Info" Owner Information page that pops up when the Pocket PC is first turned on.
Actually there is such an application: NiceStart (http://www.trancreative.com/nicestart.aspx)

But what I really wanted to add: It seems like you can put in there any image with a given height of 61 pixels. At least this does not look pixelated on my screen.

[Twain]

Gandi,

Thanks for the product tip!

Twain

[Mike Temporale]

I've been using Owner Info X on my home screen for over a year now. It does the same thing, and there is a little documentation. However, it doesn't allow for such a large picture. If anyone is interested, it can be found here (http://www.mypdacafe.com/~sillycat/ownerinfox.php)

I think I'll download this one, and give it a whirl. I really like the idea of having a picture of the size I choose. :mrgreen:

[Ed Hansberry]

Rats. I thought this thread would be about coffee mugs on your today screen. :morning:

[Brad Adrian]

Rats. I thought this thread would be about coffee mugs on your today screen. :morning:
Wow. Somebody needs his morning cup of java!

[JTEK]

I've been using Owner Info X on my home screen for over a year now. It does the same thing, and there is a little documentation. However, it doesn't allow for such a large picture. If anyone is interested, it can be found here (http://www.mypdacafe.com/~sillycat/ownerinfox.php)

I used to use OwnerIfoX, too; but I found it didn't play well with WM2003SE (on my Toshiba e805).

I think I'll download this one, and give it a whirl. I really like the idea of having a picture of the size I choose. :mrgreen:

I think I will, too. Hopefully it will work with SE!

[JTEK]

Well, I just tried it.

Works o.k. on WM2003SE, however I can't figure out why the pictures pixelate so badly. Does it happen in QVGA (WM2002/2003), too?

[dean_shan]

Whoa cheer up Vlad. Look a little happy.

[gandi]

Wow, Owner Info X is quite better than OwnerPhoto. I actually thought about uninstalling it because it eats up quite a lot of space on the homescreen.

Works o.k. on WM2003SE, however I can't figure out why the pictures pixelate so badly. Does it happen in QVGA (WM2002/2003), too?
Looks great here. Regardless of the pictures resolution.
fyi: I use 24bit Windows-Bitmaps.

[JTEK]

Looks great here. Regardless of the pictures resolution.
fyi: I use 24bit Windows-Bitmaps.

Hmmm... what are you running in? QVGA or VGA?

[MikeUnwired]

I can't figure out why the pictures pixelate so badly.

Maybe that's just the way you look in real life -- all pixelated and such? :devilboy:

I think someone posted that the graphic is 61 pixels high, so you might want to try creating a picture with that height and seeing how it looks -- that's what I'm going to do.

[JTEK]

Maybe that's just the way you look in real life -- all pixelated and such? :devilboy:

I'm not pixelated. I'm a bit blurry, yes, but I can assure you I'm a hi-res guy. :lol:


I think someone posted that the graphic is 61 pixels high, so you might want to try creating a picture with that height and seeing how it looks -- that's what I'm going to do.

I think I'll try that, too, and see what happens under SE.

[v_ralev]

Whoa cheer up Vlad. Look a little happy.
:evil:
Nah, I like it that way. If it was a commercial product I wouldn't put it of course, but it is just ok for fun :).

Now I am sending messages to my friends - "hey, looks who's on ppcthoughts frontpage..." 8O

About the other stuff - yes, it's pixelated, but it's not my fault - I used the built in Stretch function in WinCE, which probably was not a good idea. If I find a better alternative I will update it.
For now - you just keep streching the images to 60 pixels height (someone mentioned 61 pixels, but I really think I made it to work with 60 px height).

BTW, any success uninstalling it? coz i can't (unless I remove the registry entries on my own)! :mrgreen:

If anyone got into trouble, here is what needs to be done:
get PHM RegEdit
delete this reg item:
HKEY_LOCLAMACHINE -> SOFTWARE -> Microsoft -> Today -> Items -> "Owner Photo" -> DLL

Vladimir Ralev
Proud author of Owner Photo 0.1 :wink:

[ombu]

Hey, the guy I see now on my today screen is the same I see every morning while shaving. :twisted:

... nice app, thanks.

[Jonathon Watkins]

Now I am sending messages to my friends - "hey, looks who's on ppcthoughts frontpage..." 8O

Yup, smile for the nice people Vladimir. :wink:

Nice job there.

[v_ralev]

Now I am sending messages to my friends - "hey, looks who's on ppcthoughts frontpage..." 8O

Yup, smile for the nice people Vladimir. :wink:

Nice job there.
Yeah, and the nice people say "Huh, what a nice guy, let's take his ppc to play games", but now the picture is saying "Hands off, the revenge shall be bloody". :D