Pocket Tunes is a PalmSource Powered Up Award Winner for 2004!
Pocket Tunes turns your Palm OS 5 device into a portable audio player! Play compressed audio files (MP3 or Ogg Vorbis) or uncompressed WAV files from a flash memory card or stream MP3 live over your wireless Internet connection.
NEW in 2.2 Hi-Fi Equalizer.Hi quality equalizer to fine tune your music.
NEW in 2.2 Bass Boost.Crank up the bass to enjoy your tunes.
NEW in 2.1 Streaming MP3.Listen to ShoutCast Internet radio. (deluxe version only)
NEW in 2.1 Large screen support.Take full advantage of large displays. (e.g. T3, UX-40/50, Zodiac)
NEW in 2.1 3rd party application support.Play MP3 alarms, ringtones, and more.
NEW in 2.0 Crossfade.Smoothly fade from one song to the next. (deluxe version only)
NEW in 2.0 Gapless Playback.No skipping between songs recorded from live albums or DJ mix CDs. (deluxe version only)
NEW in 2.0 Bookmarks.Never lose your place again in your audio books or music. (deluxe version only)
NEW in 2.0 Auto-Bookmark.Automatically create bookmarks. (deluxe version only)
FAST MP3 playback.Decodes in real-time without any skips or delays.
Background Playback.Listen to tunes while using other Palm applications.
Graphic Equalizer.Optimize your MP3 listening experience.
Screen Blanking.Turn off the screen to conserve battery life. (supported devices only)
Pocket Tunes Console.Switch tunes and change volume while using other applications.
Skins.Personalize Pocket Tunes with any of the dozens of freely-available skins.
High Resolution.Take full advantage of the graphics capabilities of your Palm.
Play Ogg Vorbis and WAV Files.Play Ogg Vorbis and uncompressed WAV files.
One-Hand Use.Use the Five-Way navigator to control Pocket Tunes with one hand.
Play Lists.Use play lists to organize your music collection.
Shuffle and Repeat.Change the play order of your music.
Requirements
PalmOS 5.2 or later (or Tungsten T).
A memory expansion card (not required for playing ShoutCast).
Optional: An Internet connection (for playing ShoutCast).
350KB memory available on Palm. (Memory requirements may vary depending in the skin chosen.)
Officially supported devices include: Palm Zire 71, Tungsten T, T2, T3, C, E, Handspring Treo 600, Sony CLIÉ UX40, UX50, TJ35, TJ37, TH55, Tapwave Zodiac, Garmin iQue 3600. Pocket Tunes may work on other PalmOS 5.2 devices, but they have not been fully tested. If you see any problems or wish to report success with additional devices, please email http://us.f506.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=support@pocket-tunes.com . Note that some Sony handhelds (specifically the NR, NX, NZ, and TG series) are not supported because they use PalmOS 5.0 or 5.1 and lack the standard audio API.
Announcement: For best compatibility, please update your devices with the latest patches from the manufacturer. In particular, there are updates available for the Tungsten T, Tungsten T3, Garmin iQue 3600, Zire 71, and Treo 600 that affect MP3 playback and/or flash card access. Visit the manufacturer's web site for details.
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Just $12.95 (Basic) or $24.95 (Deluxe). Includes email technical support for one year.
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Looking for tunes? Try EMusic for free.Looking for streaming audio?
Treo 600-friendly ShoutCast links at TreoBits
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Copyright (c) 1999-2004 NormSoft, Inc. All rights reserved. postamble();
Pocket Tunes FAQ(Frequently Asked Questions)
http://www.pocket-tunes.com/
Copyright © 2002-2004 NormSoft, Inc.All rights reserved.
What devices does Pocket Tunes run on?What is MP3?What is Ogg Vorbis?How can I convert my CDs to MP3 or Ogg Vorbis?Will Pocket Tunes run from flash memory?How can I install audio files faster?Why Can't I Install My Audio Files?Where can I find music?Why can't I hear any music through my headset on my Treo 600?Why can't I make/receive phone calls while using ShoutCast?Where can I find ShoutCast stations?Why do I keep getting a "Buffering..." message?Why does the audio sound bad when using the equalizer or volume boost?Why do I hear crackling or skipping when playing music?Does Pocket Tunes Play XYZ Format?How can I convert my MP3 files to Ogg Vorbis?
What devices does Pocket Tunes run on?
Pocket Tunes works on any PalmOS 5.2 or later device. It will also work on the Tungsten T. We officially support the Palm Tungsten T, T2, T3, C, E, Palm Zire 71, Garmin iQue 3600, Sony UX-40/UX-50, TJ35, TJ37, TH55, Tapwave Zodiac, and Handspring Treo 600. Other Palm OS 5.2 devices may work as well, and we'd appreciate hearing from you if you find a device that does or does not work.
At this time, we have no plans to support any Palm OS 4.1 or earlier devices (e.g. Tungsten W, Treo 300, Sony T665 etc.). Many of these devices cannot decode compressed audio without additional hardware support, and while some of them can, we do not plan to support them at this time.
Pocket Tunes also will not run on some PalmOS 5.0 devices made by Sony (specifically, the NX, NR, NZ, and TG series are not supported). This is because Sony decided not to support the standard audio API on their early PalmOS 5.0 devices. Since they have not released any information about their proprietary audio API, we are not able to add support for these devices. Going forward, Sony has made a commitment to support the standard audio APIs.
What is MP3?
MP3 is a compressed audio format. It allows you to store digital music on your computer or handheld without taking up too much space.
What is Ogg Vorbis?
Ogg Vorbis is a compressed audio format similar to MP3. Pocket Tunes plays both Ogg Vorbis and MP3 files. Ogg Vorbis provides better audio quality at a smaller size and is patent- and royalty-free. It has been gaining in popularity recently. More information can be found at http://www.vorbis.com/
How can I convert my CDs to MP3 or Ogg Vorbis?
Many CD ripping (recording) programs have built-in support for MP3 and Ogg Vorbis. A popular (and free) ripper with MP3 and Ogg support is CDex. You can download CDex from http://cdexos.sourceforge.net/
dBpowerAMP is another free CD ripping program.
Will Pocket Tunes run from flash memory?
Yes, you can install Pocket Tunes and/or skin files to flash memory. However, if you install the program file to your flash card, you may not be able to install audio files via HotSync; you will have to use a card reader or other installation software to install audio files. You will also not be able to play ShoutCast stations from your web browser when Pocket Tunes is installed to an expansion card.
Also note that while playing Pocket Tunes in the background, the application will remain loaded in main memory, so you may see "phantom" copies of it when using some launchers. This is normal, and the "phantom" copy should go away if you launch pTunes, hit Stop, and then exit.
How can I install audio files faster?
Installing files using Palm's HotSync capability can be very slow on some handheld devices. You can purchase a card reader for about $30 US that will let you copy files to your flash card from your PC. There are also several software packages that you can use. (Note that NormSoft, Inc. makes no recommendations or guarantees about any of the software listed here.)
Softick Card Export
Pilot Install
Why Can't I Install My Audio Files?
Difficulty installing audio files by HotSync can be caused by several things:
Make sure you are trying to install a supported file type. Pocket Tunes currently supports MP3, WAV, or OGG files.
Make sure that you have Pocket Tunes installed to main memory; the Palm will not recognize Pocket Tunes as an audio player if it's on the expansion card.
Make sure you have enough space left on your expansion card. You can check this with a program such as Filez, which is available for free from http://www.nosleep.net/
Make sure that your Pocket Tunes trial has not ended. If it has, you may not be able to install MP3 files. You can purchase Pocket Tunes at http://www.pocket-tunes.com/
Make sure that the "Lock" switch on SD cards is turned off.
The Palm Install tool sometimes gives a "File does not exist" error message if the audio file you are trying to install has a very long filename or has unusual characters in its name. Try renaming the file or moving the file to another directory with a shorter name. This is a limitation in the Palm Install tool, so there's unfortunately nothing NormSoft can do to fix it.
Finally, you may also want to try using a USB card reader or try using one of the Palm install tools listed in this FAQ.
Where can I find music?
Most music is covered under copyright law and is not legally available on the Internet. However, there are several artists who have chosen to make their songs available, and there are several places to obtain songs whose copyrights have expired. You can find a few sample songs at http://www.vorbis.com/music.psp as well as some links to other freely-available music. You can also purchase MP3 music online from http://www.emusic.com/
Why can't I hear any music through my headset on my Treo 600?
In order to play music through headphones on the Treo 600, you will need the stereo headphone adapter that Handspring sells on the Accessories page of their web site. Music will not play through the headset that is included with your Treo.
Why can't I make/receive phone calls while using ShoutCast?
The Treo 600 is not capable of receiving voice data and Internet data at the same time. Whenever you are on a voice call, you will not be able to access the Internet. Similarly, whenever you are accessing the Internet, you will not be able to receive a voice call. (If you are surfing the web or checking email, these operations typically only take a few seconds, after which you will be able to make or receive phone calls. However, with ShoutCast streaming music, the Treo is continuously receiving data from the Internet and cannot accept a voice call.)
Note that you can receive SMS messages while streaming MP3 music.
Where can I find ShoutCast stations?
Using the web browser on your Palm, visit http://www.shoutcast.com/ You will find hundreds of ShoutCast stations to listen to. You can also set up your own ShoutCast server to stream your own music. Please follow the instructions from http://www.shoutcast.com/ to set up your server. Sorry, we can't provide technical support for setting up ShoutCast servers; please use the resources provided on that web site.
Why do I keep getting a "Buffering..." message?
There are several possibilities for this message to occur while playing a ShoutCast station.
Your Internet connection is not fast enough to support the speed of the station. In general, cell networks and modems cannot play stations of 64kbps or higher.
The ShoutCast server is overloaded. If there are too many users, some ShoutCast stations can become overloaded and can't keep up with all the listeners.
You may not have enough coverage to play streaming audio. Make sure that you have a good signal; streaming generally requires a stronger signal than web browsing because of the large amount of data that your handheld receives.
The cellular network (or local wireless network) may be overloaded. If there are too many users trying to access the wireless network, the data speed will slow down. Try again during non-peak periods or try a lower bitrate station.
There may be temporary network problems between you and the server. There are typically a dozen or more network servers between you and a ShoutCast server; if any of these servers is having trouble, they could cause a slowdown in the network.
Why does the audio sound bad when using the equalizer or volume boost?
You have to be cautious when using the volume boost, since it can easily degrade the audio quality. Here are some tips...For the volume boost, using more than +3dB is likely to produce an effect known as "clipping", which means the digital signal hits its maximum or minimum value. This typically causes a crackling or static sound. There are some techniques to minimize this effect (usually at the expense of higher CPU usage), and we may incorporate these techniques to minimize clipping artifacts in the future.
Note: As of version 2.2, Pocket Tunes uses a real hi-fi equalizer, so it will produce much higher quality results than previous versions. You should still take care not to set the bands at extreme values because clipping will occur, which is an unavoidable consequence of amplification. If you do hear clipping, then lower all the bands, but keep them the same in relation to each other. This will give you the same equalization effect but will lower the volume and reduce clipping.
Why do I hear crackling or skipping when playing music?
We have found that some expansion cards are very slow and can cause crackling or skipping while playing music. Test your card with the VFSMark program (download it from http://www.palmgear.com/) to determine if the "read" speed is causing the problem. We have found that read speeds of approximately 50% or lower exhibit these problems.
Does Pocket Tunes Play XYZ Format?
Pocket Tunes currently plays MP3, Ogg Vorbis, and uncompressed WAV files. Pocket Tunes uses a plugin architecture, so developers are free to add additional formats. If you are a developer interested in writing a Pocket Tunes plugin, please email http://us.f506.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=support%40pocket-tunes%2ecom
We are always keeping an eye out on the available music formats and may support new formats that become available to us. Unfortunately, many of the emerging formats (such as AAC) require hefty licensing fees from the owners of the patents, and some formats (such as iTunes) include DRM (digital rights management) technology. DRM technology limits what consumers can do with music that they download. Most companies are reluctant to license their DRM technology for fear that people will figure out how to remove the protection from their files.
How can I convert my MP3 files to Ogg Vorbis?
Pocket Tunes 1.4 and later supports MP3 files natively, so this is no longer necessary, and it is not recommended. However, we will keep this information here for your reference.
There are several software packages available for "transcoding" MP3 files to Ogg Vorbis. This is not a complete list by any means, but here are a few programs that will do the conversion. (Note that NormSoft, Inc. makes no recommendations or guarantees about any of the software listed here.)
dBpowerAMP Music Converter (free)
Ogg Encoder Decoder by Media Twins
Super Audio Converter
Blaze MediaConvert by Mystik Media
One-click Audio Converter by StreamWare Development
Audio Conversion Wizard by LitexMedia
You can also do the conversion as a two-step process using the free MP3 player, WinAmp. Set the output plug-in to be the Disk Writer plug-in. Then open and play your MP3 files. The files will be converted to WAV files. To convert them to Ogg Vorbis, use a tool like OggDrop or OggEnc (available from http://www.vorbis.com/download_win.psp ).
If you have the original CD or audio source, it is generally better to use that original source than the MP3 file when converting to Ogg Vorbis. Converting from MP3 to Ogg Vorbis may degrade the audio quality somewhat. There are some people with strong opinions on converting from MP3 to Ogg and vice versa. My opinion is: Try the conversion. If you like how it sounds, great! If not, find the original CD or audio source and encode it from that.
Pocket Tunes 2.3.2
http://www.pocket-tunes.com/
Copyright © 2002-2004 NormSoft, Inc.All rights reserved.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction 1-1 Features2 Registration 2-1 Entering Registration Information3 Requirements and Compatibility4 Installing 4-1 Installing Audio Files 4-2 Installing Audio Files in Main Memory5 The Player6 Choosing Songs7 Play Lists8 Preferences 8-1 Advanced Preferences9 Skins 9-1 Skin Preferences10 Background Playback11 Graphic Equalizer12 Crossfading13 Bookmarks 13-1 Adding a Bookmark 13-2 Go to a Bookmark 13-3 Bookmark Preferences 13-4 Auto-Bookmark Feature14 ShoutCast Streaming MP315 Sending/Receiving Audio Files
1 Introduction
Pocket Tunes turns your Palm OS 5 device into a portable audio player! Play compressed audio files (MP3 or Ogg Vorbis) or uncompressed WAV files from a flash memory card or stream MP3 live over your wireless Internet connection.
1-1 Features
Pocket Tunes is designed to take full advantage of the advanced ARM processor in the latest Palm devices to provide you with smooth playback of high-quality audio.
ARM-Native MP3 and Ogg Vorbis decoding.Pocket Tunes can decode any MP3 or Ogg Vorbis file in real time without any skips or delays.
Background playback.Play your tunes while running other Palm applications.
ShoutCast Streaming MP3.On network-capable Palm handhelds, listen to MP3 broadcasts from hundreds of stations. (deluxe version only)
Crossfade.Smoothly transition from one song to the next, like your own personal radio station. (deluxe version only)
Bookmarks.Add bookmarks for your eBooks or music so you never lose your place. (deluxe version only)
Auto-Bookmark.Pocket Tunes can automatically create bookmarks for you so you never forget where you left off. (deluxe version only)
Hi-fi Graphic Equalizer.Adjust the graphic equalizer to optimize your listening experience.
Pocket Tunes Console.Control your audio playback from within any application.
Full Skin Support.The Pocket Tunes player interface is completely customizable. Choose from dozens of skins at www.pocket-tunes.com/skins
High Resolution.The default skin (and many others) take full advantage of high-resolution displays with 16-bit graphics.
WAV File Support.Play most uncompressed WAV files.
One-Hand Use.Use the Five-Way navigator control to play, pause, adjust the volume, skip to another song, or select a play list. On the Treo 600, you can use all features of Pocket Tunes without ever touching your stylus.
Play Lists.Create custom play lists to organize your music.
Shuffle and Repeat.Toggle the shuffle and repeat buttons to change the play order of your songs.
Volume and Balance.Adjust the volume and balance in real time.
Seek Bar.Quickly seek to any position in a song by sliding the seek bar.
2 Registration
Pocket Tunes is free to try for 15 days. After that, you must purchase a registration code. There are two versions you can purchase: Pocket Tunes Basic and Pocket Tunes Deluxe.
Pocket Tunes Deluxe $24.95The deluxe version contains all the latest features of Pocket Tunes including crossfade, gapless playback, bookmarks, and ShoutCast. The deluxe version includes free upgrades to all future 2.X versions, when available.
Pocket Tunes Basic $12.95The basic version is missing some features (crossfade, bookmarks, and ShoutCast) but otherwise works exactly like the deluxe version. The basic version includes free upgrades to all future 2.X versions, when available.
You can register online at http://www.pocket-tunes.com/ . All major credit cards are accepted, and you will receive your code within minutes of your purchase. To register via PayPal, send the registration price (plus 5% sales tax if you are a Massachusetts, USA resident) to http://us.f506.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=normsoft%40normsoft%2ecom . We try to send PayPal order codes within 24 hours. To register by mail or some other method, please contact http://us.f506.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=sales%40pocket-tunes%2ecom for details.
Note for Pocket Tunes 1.0 Users: If you have a Pocket Tunes 1.0 registration code (it starts with "pt01"), then you can upgrade to all 2.X versions for free. You will have all the features of the deluxe version available to you.
(Prices as of February 2004. Subject to change without notice.)
2-1 Entering Registration Information
When you register, you will receive a registration code. (It may also be called a "serial number".) Entering it is simple.
Start Pocket Tunes on your Palm.
When the registration reminder appears, tap the "Register..." button.
The "About Pocket Tunes" screen will appear.
In the space below "Registration Code", enter your code.
Tap "Done".
If you have any problems entering your code, email http://us.f506.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=support%40pocket-tunes%2ecom
Be sure to remember this registration code! You will need it if you ever need to re-install Pocket Tunes. You may want to try out our other product, CryptInfo, to help you remember important information like registration codes.
3 Requirements & Compatibility
PalmOS 5.0 or later.
Palm Zire 71, Tungsten T, Tungsten T2, Tungsten T3, Tungsten C, Tungsten E, Garmin iQue 3600, Sony UX-40/UX-50, Tapwave Zodiac, or Handspring Treo 600 device. *
A memory expansion card (SD or MMC) (not required for playing ShoutCast)
Optional: An Internet connection (for playing ShoutCast)
350KB memory available on Palm for Pocket Tunes. (Memory requirements may vary depending in the skin chosen.)
If you experience a problem, please email http://us.f506.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=support%40pocket-tunes%2ecom with a description of your Palm device and the version of PalmOS that you are using.
* (Pocket Tunes may work on other PalmOS 5 devices, but they have not been fully tested. If you see any problems or wish to report success with additional devices, please email http://us.f506.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=support%40pocket-tunes%2ecom . Note that some Sony handhelds (specifically the NR and NX series) are not supported due to Sony's decision not to support the standard audio API. They have not released sufficient information to play audio on their devices.)
4 Installing
Installing Pocket Tunes is very easy. Simply follow these steps:
You will need a program to extract ZIP files. On Windows, I suggest WinZip (http://www.winzip.com/). For Macintosh, Stuffit Expander is a popular program.
If you have an old version of Pocket Tunes installed, you must not be playing music. Open the Pocket Tunes application (not the console) and tap the "Pause" or "Stop" button before installing the new version.
Open the Pocket Tunes ZIP file and double-click on PocketTunes.prc
If you wish to install the included skin, double-click on HiFiSkin.pdb (or HiFiLowRes.pdb for low-resolution devices like the Treo 600).
Perform a HotSync operation.
Pocket Tunes will be installed to the Unfiled category on your Palm.
4-1 Installing Audio Files
Before you can play any songs on your Palm, you must install audio files to your flash memory card (e.g. Secure Digital or MMC). (If you wish to play streaming ShoutCast music, please see the ShoutCast section.) (Currently, you must use a flash memory card to install audio files. In the future, we hope to support installing audio files to main memory.)
There are three methods of installing audio files to your Palm: with HotSync, with a card reader, or with a 3rd-party install program.
Installing Audio Files With HotSync
To transfer an audio file to your memory card using Palm's HotSync program, follow these steps.
Start the Palm Install Tool. This is installed as part of Palm Desktop. On Windows, it is on your Start Menu under the "Palm Desktop" folder.
Click the Add button. The "Open" dialog will appear.
Where it says "Files of type:", select "All Files (*.*)".
Select an MP3, Ogg Vorbis, or WAV file (*.mp3, *.ogg, or *.wav) and click "Open".
Perform a HotSync.
Palm's HotSync program can sometimes be very slow for installing large files. To speed up installation, we recommend that you purchase a card reader. A Secure Digital / MMC card reader can be purchased for around $30 US and will drastically speed up audio file installation.
Installing Audio Files With A Card Reader
To transfer an audio file to your memory card using a card reader, follow these steps:
Insert your flash memory card into your card reader.
Use Windows Explorer to copy MP3, Ogg Vorbis, or WAV files to the memory card. The recommended location for audio files is in the Audio directory on the root of the card. If that directory doesn't exist, you can safely create it.
Installing Audio Files With A Third-Party Install Program
There are several software packages available to aid in installing programs to your Palm's memory card. For an incomplete and unofficial list of such software, consult the FAQ.
4-2 Installing Audio Files in Main Memory
This is an advanced topic intended for advanced users. If you are a beginning user, please see the previous section and install your audio files to an expansion card.
Pocket Tunes supports playing audio files installed in main memory. This is useful for storing small clips or if you don't have an expansion card.
Currently there is no installer program for Pocket Tunes. In order to install audio files to main memory, you will need to use the command-line tool par, which is available at http://www.djw.org/product/palm/par/
Run the program with the following arguments (case-sensitive):
par c -a "stream" song.pdb SongName.mp3 strm TNpt c:\songs\song.mp3
where "song.pdb" is the name of the PDB file to create. This can be named anything, as long as it ends in ".pdb". "SongName.mp3" is the name of the song that will appear on the handheld. This name must be no longer than 32 characters and must contain only regular English characters. It must also have the proper extension (e.g. ".mp3" or ".ogg"). Finally, "c:\songs\song.mp3" is the path to the actual audio file that you wish to install.
After you run this command, double-click on the "song.pdb" file and perform a HotSync. In Pocket Tunes, go to the "Choose Songs" screen and
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