PixFrame 1.0

[marlof]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.choung.net/PixFrame/' target='_blank'>http://www.choung.net/PixFrame/</a><br /><br /></div>I've seen many arrangements where a cradled Pocket PC sits next to a monitor and next to a framed picture of the family. With me, the picture frame has since long been gone, not because I have no family, but because I've let my Pocket PC show a slideshow of images when cradled. Exactly that is where PixFrame 1.0 might come in handy.<br /><br /><i>"Whenever you place your PocketPC in the sync cradle, PixFrame for PocketPC automatically starts a slideshow of the pictures stored in the desktop PC. Just tell PixFrame where you keep your pictures and the PixFrame will periodically copy a picture from that folder to the PocketPC and show it in full screen!"</i><br /><br />You can get PixFrame 1.0 for $14.95 at <a href="http://www.handango.com/brainstore/PlatformProductDetail.jsp?siteId=311&productId=128196">Handango</a> [affiliate].

[rhmorrison]

The idea is very good, so good in fact that there is the fantastic FREEWARE PocketPC screen saver called PocketCandy (http://www.pdagold.com/software/detail.asp?s=208) for which there are many different screen saver modules available (for FREE of course). One of these is the Show Pictures (http://www.scottandmichelle.net/scott/cestuff/showpicturespc.zip) module available for download on Scott Seligmans' website (http://www.scottandmichelle.net/scott/cestuff.html) which does exactly what your $14.95 program does.

Highly recommended! :rock on dude!:

[gregmills]

The idea is very good, so good in fact that there is the fantastic FREEWARE PocketPC screen saver called PocketCandy (http://www.pdagold.com/software/detail.asp?s=208) for which there are many different screen saver modules available (for FREE of course). One of these is the Show Pictures (http://www.scottandmichelle.net/scott/cestuff/showpicturespc.zip) module available for download on Scott Seligmans' website (http://www.scottandmichelle.net/scott/cestuff.html) which does exactly what your $14.95 program does.

Highly recommended! :rock on dude!:

PixFrame looks a little bit more sophiticated than that. It detects when the device has been cradled and automatically does it's thing (as opposed to simply starting after a predefined period of inactivity). It gets the photos from the desktop PC too. That would mean that the pictures don't have to take up space on your PPC and you could have a lot more of them in rotation in your "picture frame."

For me the problem is that I'm usually glancing over at my PocketPC to see what my next appointment is or poking around in the task list. But, for someone who doesn't ever look at their PPC when it's in the cradle this might be a neat thing.

[Ryan Joseph]

But, for someone who doesn't ever look at their PPC when it's in the cradle this might be a neat thing.

Like me. When I cradle my PPC, it's just to sync information and charge the battery. I almost never use it while it's in the cradle. This looks like a really cool program. Fifteen dollars seems a little steep, but I might go for it. It could really liven up my desk space. Instead of just staring at the Today screen, I could watch pictures. Cool! :mrgreen:

[rhmorrison]

PixFrame looks a little bit more sophiticated than that. It detects when the device has been cradled and automatically does it's thing (as opposed to simply starting after a predefined period of inactivity). It gets the photos from the desktop PC too. That would mean that the pictures don't have to take up space on your PPC and you could have a lot more of them in rotation in your "picture frame."
I agree that PixFrame is much more sophisticated but I don't think getting the pictures from the desktop PC is needed. I have only have a 256 MB CF card and yet I have ALL of the pictures that we have taken on vacation for the last 5 years or so (that is about 2,500 pictures). This does not take up much space since they have been reduced to 240 x 320 JPEG images using IrfanView (http://www.irfanview.com/). In my opinion all that would be needed would be a simular screen saver module that let's you specify the directory that is to be used (instead of how Scott does it with all files being in the My Documents folder and beginning with spi_) and then what order the pictures are to displayed in and how fast. This would not be a difficult task.

In my case since I have the hp image viewer that was included with my Jornada 568 all I need is to automatically start the application in slideshow mode. Or define a button for this, or a place in the today screen, or ...

But, I am with you - I also like having my appointments readily visible, or I use the FREE clock utilility to display the date / time.

[surur]

I may buy this software. It is an obvious application of the device, and Ive tried to write this software myself, but after getting it 80% done I stopped.

I hope this is quite polished, and will give it a try soon ( I use my memory card for other things).

Surur

[JonnoB]

How is this different from the free version of the wm2003 'pictures' application that has a cradle mode for displaying a slideshow ?

[surur]

It shows pictures from your hard drive. Im thinking of turning an old laptop into a electronic picture frame. This is a similar concept.

Im sure most people with a digital camera have thousands of pictures on their hard drives. This way they get to be looked at, instead of just rotting in a folder.

Surur

[Jonathon Watkins]

It shows pictures from your hard drive. Im thinking of turning an old laptop into a electronic picture frame. This is a similar concept.

Im sure most people with a digital camera have thousands of pictures on their hard drives. This way they get to be looked at, instead of just rotting in a folder.

That's what I do at the moment, but with my main and secondary computers. I would rather have 1280-x960 of image onscren, rather than 320x240. The built in Windows XP sideshow screen-saver is surprisingly effective for that.

I tend not to leave my PPC cradled but have it on me at all times it is not charging (which usually happens overnight). Still, these programs are a good idea. 8)

[JonnoB]

Actually, with Resco or via freeware app, you can turn any network device to look like a storage card named 'NETWORK'. I map a network share from my system or server under the 'NETWORK' storage card to an entity called 'My Documents' and then the PPC OS treats that share as if it were among the 'My Documents' local content. The free 'Pictures' application in WM2003 has a feature which runs a slideshow on pictures in your My Documents folders while the device is cradled.

[carphead]

I was doing this with dockware pro until SPBtime came out. Now I prefer a clock with a hw buttom (using mort buttons) to start dockware when I feel the need to look at something else.

[surur]

Actually, with Resco or via freeware app, you can turn any network device to look like a storage card named 'NETWORK'. I map a network share from my system or server under the 'NETWORK' storage card to an entity called 'My Documents' and then the PPC OS treats that share as if it were among the 'My Documents' local content. The free 'Pictures' application in WM2003 has a feature which runs a slideshow on pictures in your My Documents folders while the device is cradled.

Hey, thats cool. Does it work without any user intervention (once set up)? And does it recurse folders. I wish someone had mentioned this earlier.

Surur

[JonnoB]

Hey, thats cool. Does it work without any user intervention (once set up)? And does it recurse folders.

Yes, it can recurse folders. There is one bad thing about this configuration however. Some apps such as WMP recurse your My Documents folders to create a playlist each and every time you start the app. In my case where I have many gigabytes of video and music, it can take forever for the app to become available as it scans your network each and every time.

[surur]

I'll try this when I get home (currently in the park reading via GPRS). I think you just saved me $15 :)

Surur

[surur]

JonnoB, sorry but you were completely misleading.

One can not map a folder just via activesync with Resco. You need wifi or some other form of networking (unless you have found a way to make it work).

It looks like this software may still be the best way to go.

Surur

Just for the record. This stupid software does not recurse either, making it virtually useless :(

The search goes on....