Comments on: Get Improved Sound with Beat Plus Springboard

Visor Central has learned that Hagiwara Sys-Com is working on the Beat Plus Springboard, which offers greatly improved sound compared to the minimal speaker built into the Visor. It will come with an alarm clock app and registered versions of Zap! 2000 and Zap! 2016. These will be special versions with 8-bit .wav effects and some multi-channel MIDI music.

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Why?

Klink2001 @ 6/19/2001 10:57:24 AM #

Is it the particular brand of crack that I'm smoking that makes me think that this is a worthless add-on?

If I had the engineering talent and skills, as well as the software dev skills that could allow me to make add-on devices for handhelds, why in the world would I make a device like this when I could make something that's actually useful?

Something that makes my beeps, pings, and MIDI files sound better on my handheld? Whoop-dee-doo! I'll run right out and replace my mp3 springboard with it.

So, in the spirit of market research, I'm going to give Hagiwara Sys-Com some other wonderful, much needeed spring board expansions that are dying to be made:

-Variable Speed Cake Mixing module
-Sewing Machine controller module
-Cigarette Lighter module
-Real scarey ghost sound noise generator-- "boooohhhhhh"
-Programmable garage door opener module
-Coffee warming element module
-Portable EKG monitor and paddle shocker (CLEAR! *THUNK*) module
-.22 Caliber PDA (Personal Defense Attachment) Module
-Nail Polish Dryer module
-Very expensive module that goes *ping*
-LED that flashes whenever reruns of "The Nanny" air on cable TV module
-The George Foreman Lean Mean Fat Reducing Grilling Machine Module
-Foot massaging module
-Gene sequencing and parallel computing module
-Modular Modulus Modeling Module
-Bomb/Drug sniffing module
-Shaving Crean dispenser module
-Fake dog doo-doo module
and finally,
-A Module that projects the likeness of my face on any convenient wall.

And I'm not even going to ask for royaties for any of these devices.

RE: Why?

I.M. Anonymous @ 6/19/2001 11:32:57 AM #

This is exactly one of the modules that I have
been waiting for. It is the one place where all
palms, except for Sony, is lacking.

RE: Why?

fkclo @ 6/19/2001 11:33:51 AM #

I am afraid this new SB serves a different purpose from a MP3 SB. A MP3 is an audio player, and it is not interfaced with other applications on your Visor.

On the contrary, this new add-on aims to enhance the sound quality associated with the applications that you may be running on the Visor. This is why the developer is providing API support. Imagine to have a voice file (8bit .wav) or a favorite midi piece of yours played on alarm, or enhanced audio effects when you are playing your favorite games.

Yes, this SB does fill a void left by the Visor hardware, but I am not sure if it will find a place on my Edge. Well, unless the developer can pack some flash memory in the module, and make it a audio enhanced flash module.

Francis Lo
Hong Kong

RE: Why?

Binks @ 6/19/2001 11:41:17 AM #

That is the funniest thing I have ever read on this site. Brilliant, I love that ghost noise generator.

rotfmao!

Thanks

RE: Why?

Raishe_werk @ 6/19/2001 11:55:30 AM #

i just saw a .22 PDA and there is an upgrade to .32 and .45. the .45 requires an extra stock module {it packs quite a kick}. this is being manufactured by a russian company by the name of absolutterrorist ( http://www.terror4u.kz/dieimperialist.htm )of course you cannot carry these in LA county. but you can start out by carrying them in riverside, orange, san bernardino, and ventura county and it will be ok. rhino is coming up with a case for it and it carries not one, but two extra clips. for more info visit

http://www.socal-freewaydefenseleague.org/pdainfo.htm

http://www.nyc-subwaydefenseleague.net/newproducts.htm

thanks for the great post ;-)

-Raishe
"Monster Pig kills Jesus
More at 11"

RE: Why?

I.M. Anonymous @ 6/19/2001 12:20:15 PM #

I have been waiting for a sewing machine module for years. Now I can fix my pants on the run... I am seriously considering to return my new Sony CLIE to get a Visor so I can take advantage of these upcoming modules!

Shawn

RE: Why?

I.M. Anonymous @ 6/19/2001 12:41:13 PM #

Maybe the guys at omni remote can work with Genue on that garage door opener. It would seem to be a good fit.

Top This One

Ed @ 6/19/2001 12:41:46 PM #

I think the Beat Plus is a good product. However, I was amused by the list of pointless Springboards. Here's one that probably belongs on this list, except that someone actually made it and I think it is available for purchase in Japan, the dental floss dispenser:
http://www.ikeshop.co.jp/mobile/presents/

---
News Editor
Palm Infocenter

urz was the best

Raishe_werk @ 6/19/2001 3:44:58 PM #

*raishe bows down for Ed's kung foo has bested him again*

-Raishe
"Monster Pig kills Jesus
More at 11"

RE: Why?

I.M. Anonymous @ 6/19/2001 3:44:58 PM #

Not to forget the Pyrol Module (a flute of some kind)
http://www.fureai.or.jp/~mori-t/b02_pyrol/pyrol.html

or the Spoon-with-blinking-LEDs module
http://ikebukuro.cool.ne.jp/jl1bmw/homepage/mak21/shamoji.html

or the other nice modules, like the gum-dispencer-module... (forgot the URL)

Still, I belive that this sound-module really would be usefull for alarms (as well as games) (the number one complaint on the alarms is the low sound volume (thats why I like HandEra)), but the Visor only has one slot, so it would be nice if they put some FlashMem in the module.

A 16MB Flash module with this sound-system, an IR-blaster (so I can controll the TV and garage door) and a vibrator (for the silent alarms) would be really neat.

RE: Why? DTMF Tones

I.M. Anonymous @ 6/19/2001 4:15:42 PM #

How about the "phone dialer" application I've seen requested over and over. DTMF tones have been impossible thus far due to the limited speaker on the Visor.

RE: Why?

I.M. Anonymous @ 6/19/2001 5:08:00 PM #

> This is exactly one of the modules that I have
> been waiting for. It is the one place where all
> palms, except for Sony, is lacking.

Umm... Ever heard of a TRG Pro or a Handera 330???

RE: Why?

I.M. Anonymous @ 6/19/2001 10:05:59 PM #

guys...there is no need to use SB in order to get enhenced sound. check this URL in PalmGear..

http://www.palmgear.com/software/showsoftware.cfm?sid=26297320010418221118&prodID=14232

RE: Why?

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/21/2001 11:46:56 AM #

How about for having an alarm I can actually hear from more than 2 feet away?

There are other Possibilities besides Games :)

I.M. Anonymous @ 6/19/2001 5:19:59 PM #

I must say, the response above was classic. The first time I saw the Beat Plus mentioned on VisorCentral my first response was, WHY? But, I can see some practical uses for it aside from games. That is, assuming the capabilty exist in the board to make it possible (assumption here, could be wrong).

Sign Impared use
For those who are blind (or near blind), there may be a way to provide text to speech using the 6 buttons on the device. Granted, data entry would be a real pain. But for someone who is blind, this may be the add-on they have been waiting for. Again, assuming text-to-speech is possible. Using the up/down arrows to select a character that is audible to the user as they press the button. Even navigating the launcher. Once a record is found, it's read back (phone number, address, etc.) back to the user. Certainly possible, I would think.

There's probably more things along those lines that this module could be used for. Just got to be creative and think about other uses besides games (although, playing Zap2016 with music and great sound sure seems like a good enough reason for me!)

L8r...

If it included 8mb...

I.M. Anonymous @ 6/19/2001 6:51:46 PM #

If it was a flash mudule with at least 4 but better yet 8mb of flash memory, then this would be my module. After having 2 visors for some time, and having an eyemodule, minstrel s, I have found that all I really need most of the time is more ram and a louder speaker (for alarms mostly). But without extra RAM, I couldn't use this. Hiagara(?) also makes memory modules, so who knows, it might have RAM built in. I hope so.

[ No Subject ]

I.M. Anonymous @ 6/23/2001 9:27:57 PM #

Get a Trg pro, no probs.

But the TRGPro is being discontinued

I.M. Anonymous @ 6/23/2001 9:57:14 PM #

It's being sold off by the few retailers that carried it. I got one for $130 last week. I went back to the store today to get another one as a backup, but they were already sold out and will not be receiving any more.