 , . , . , . , . , . , . , . , . , . , . , . , . , . , . , . , . , . , . , .
' ` ' ` ' ` ' ` ' ` ' ` ' ` ' ` ' ` ' ` ' ` ' ` ' ` ' ` ' ` ' ` ' ` ' ` ' ` '
`                              TaleLight v1.2                               `
'                                                                           '
`                     Copyright  1998, Daniel McCarty                      `
'                           All Rights Reserved.                            '
`                     (Lawyer people love that stuff.)                      `
'. , . , . , . , . , . , . , . , . , . , . , . , . , . , . , . , . , . , . ,'
` ' ` ' ` ' ` ' ` ' ` ' ` ' ` ' ` ' ` ' ` ' ` ' ` ' ` ' ` ' ` ' ` ' ` ' ` ' `
               (This readme file looks best in a fixed font.)


TaleLight is a program to send Morse, metronome, timed and stylus-tapped
flashes with the TaleLight.  (If you don't know what the TaleLight is, go to
http://members.aol.com/gmayhak/tcl/light.htm.  Having a physical TaleLight
isn't necessary to use this program, but it sure does help!)  TaleLight can
also synchronize the backlight and speaker to the TaleLight, making your
Pilot, PalmPilot or PalmIII really stand out!

Version 1.2 of Talelight fixes some problems that kept TaleLight from
running on Pilot 1000/5000's.  In addition, several features have been added.
See the History section for details.

TaleLight is a stable app, but if you encounter problems using this program,
or have any ideas for future features, email any questions or comments to
                        danielmccarty@compuserve.com
and include "TaleLight" in the subject.


.---------------.
| GENERAL STUFF |
'---------------'
TaleLight is divided into two major sections: Morse Code and TaleLight.  Both
are described below.  (The rest of this readme file presents many more gifted 
observations of the obvious.  If you feel you need to continue, please do.)
Both sections can be used independently of each other.


.------------.
| MORSE CODE |
'------------'
The program itself is fairly straightforward.  The "Morse Code" section deals
with sending Morse Code (astoundingly enough).  You can enter any combination
of letters, numbers, and the punctuation characters . ? / = and send them in
Morse.  The text can be sent at five speeds: Slowest, Slower, Normal, Faster
and Fastest.  A dash at Slowest will last about 0.6s, while a dash at Fastest
will play for appx. 0.15s.

The popup list next to the text field will list the last five items sent;
text most recently sent is added to the top of the list.

If the repeat button is enabled, text sent will continue indefinitely.  The
pause between sends will be the same as the pause specified as the blink
interval in Blink Rate (see the Blink Rate section below).

The Morse Code Chart shows a list of the characters that can be sent and
allows you to highlight a character and send it.


.-----------.
| TALELIGHT |
'-----------'
The TaleLight section handles TaleLight-specific issues, which include
   1. sending a series of flashes at flashes per second or seconds per flash
   2. turning the TaleLight on or off
   3. sending flashes through stylus tapping

Turning the TaleLight on/off is straightforward (no, really!), as is tapping
the "TaleLight!" button.

Blinking can be set by blinking once every n seconds or blinking n times per
minute (with a range from 1 to 208).  Blinking in beats per minute (BPM) has
been customized to metronome values but any values within range are possible.

If the Disable Auto-off while blinking feature is selected, your Pilot will
NOT turn off after the n minutes specified in Preferences.  This also applies
to sending Morse code with the repeat button selected.


.------.
| SYNC |
'------'
The bottom checkboxes control synchronization of the speaker and backlight to
the TaleLight flashes.  "Sync Backlight" will turn on the backlight during a
TaleLight flash.  (If the backlight is already on it will reverse and turn it
off for the duration of the flash.)  This is obviously not available on Palm
1000/5000's.  (If you're that one person in Japan who retrofitted his older
Pilot with a backlit display, well...I don't know what to tell you.)


.--------.
| ISSUES |
'--------'
Your Pilot uses a great deal more current when the backlight, serial port
(TaleLight) and speaker all on at the same time than when it's in idle mode.
Here are some numbers (many thanks to Peter Strobel):
     idle         ~16mA
     non-idle     ~50mA
     -----------  -----
     serial port  ~15mA
     backlight    ~30mA
     speaker       N/A

Rapidly blinking your Pilot's backlight won't harm it.  According to Palm,
the EL backlight has a half-life of 5,000 hrs.  If you were to use your Pilot
for 100 minutes every day it would last you over 8 years (and, they didn't
mention, cost a small fortune in batteries).

NOTE: The source will be available soon!  Email if interested.


.----------.
| VERSIONS |
'----------'
Earlier versions didn't run on Pilot 1000/5000's like they were supposed to.
My sincerest apologies: it was never my intention to release a program that
would reset your Pilot, but with me not having an original Pilot I had no
way of testing the code.

Part of the original design specs for the program was that it fit in 10K or
less.  With the added features the size of v1.2 has gone up to 11K (gasp!).

Version 1.2  + allows characters in the Morse Code Chart to be sent as single
               letters
             + streamlines and compacts the code (like you care :)
        1.1  + adds a repeat button to repeat Morse sendings indefinitely
             + adds a "Disable Auto-off while blinking" option
             + produces smaller code (like you care :)
             + makes "Send Text" behave like other TaleLight options: they
               can be stopped or started at the tap of a stylus
             + works on original Pilots!
        1.0a + attempted to fix the problem where the code wouldn't run on
               original Pilots; was a failure
             + produced slightly smaller code (like you care :)
        1.0  + was the initial release (February 12, 1998)


.-------.
| LEGAL |
'-------'
#include <disclaimer.h>   // insert hilarious lawyer joke here

Standard Pilot legal disclaimers apply (the ones that supposedly absolve me
from responsibility if you crash your Ferrari into a lemon tree while using
my program, etc.).

Seriously, though, even though this program is free it has been produced with
the highest standards of quality.  This is my free gift to you of an app
that will be a cute, perhaps even useful, tool for your Pilot.  As such, I'd
appreciate it if you didn't sue me if something goes wrong.  I trust that you
are an honorable person.  Thanks.

(And since you've read this far, here's a little bonus: those separator lines
between sections aren't just lines.  See if you can tell what they spell! :)