Bob's Pilot Hacking

Ever since I got a Pilot in September 1998, I've as much fun programming it as using it.

If you want to run any of these, you'll first need to install the PocketC runtime. PocketC, by the way, is an exceptional little C compiler. Unlike cross-compilers that run on your Windoze or Linux PC, PocketC compiles Pilot memos containing your source code. You can download the full development version (as opposed to runtime) at www.orbworks.com. I highly recommend it.

Here are some fun little applets I wrote...

FlashCard

This applet does flash card drills. Question, answer, question, answer... To use it, download the FlashCard applet. You'll also need a set of cards. Here's a set of German/English language flash cards.

If you want to create your own flash cards, just create a Palm Pilot memo using the following format:

Then import the memo using the "New Cards" button in Flashcard.

DoodleTune

I created DoodleTune for my two year old son. After watching daddy fiddle with his Palm Pilot all the time, he decided I should let him try too. But handing it over seemed a little dangerous; he could delete meetings, to-do lists, or worse with just a few flicks of the stylus... So I wrote DoodleTune.

DoodleTune looks like a simple draw program except that each pixel you draw makes a sound. By dragging the stylus around the screen, you can make some fun little tunes. The pixel's x and y coordinates determine the pitch and frequency of the note. Believe it or not, this proves to be irrestible to a two year old. :)

You can download it here.